Recent content by CountryBoy

I retired in 2014, living on a smaller, personal portfolio but every December I convert enough from my IRA to my Roth to meet the minimum income requirements to buy health insurance thru the Federal Marketplace. EACH conversion (even though it's to the same Roth) cannot be touched for 5 years...

I’m appreciating my Obamacare more each year, still 5 years from Medicare. I got my second Shingrix shot on Saturday at Rite-Aid, at the pharmacy counter. They scanned my insurance card and said no charge. I also got a flu shot there the same day. (And yes it IS nasty; my 57 year old...

I get at least one of these 'Update your Billing Info' emails per week for "Paypal" (which I haven't used in a dozen years) and at least one phony 'Update Billing Info' per day for "Netflix" which I came very close to falling for, the first time I got one. I wish there was some way to let...

Thanks very much for the quick (and helpful) response, guys! :)

I don't want to look a supposed gift-horse in the mouth, but does anyone know if this stimulus check will or will not apply towards our MAGI this year? I do Roth conversions every year to meet the minimum income requirements to qualify to buy Obamacare. I'm just wondering if I'll be converting...

um... I'm intrigued! I got out of school in 1986, did a couple internships and my first job was as a COBOL instructor for CCAC (Community College Allegheny County) here in Pittsburgh. Wound up moving to the private sector, programmed almost exclusively in Mainframe COBOL until 1999 (when I...

I completed mine yesterday, and still in a bit of happy shock... a couple months ago, I read an article how TT tries to confuse you by advertising it's free (if you're filing a simple return) but if you access it thru the IRS website and your AGI is < 36K, it's free regardless of the...

I went thru the same thing when I retired in Jan 2015, signed up for Obamacare and had to provide proof of income. I started compiling a list of documents, 1099-DIV, 1099-B & 1099-INT forms, a lengthy letter... Then I chucked it all--I made a screenprint of my Vanguard funds and using a...

70/20/10 with the 10 equal to 3-4 years of expenses... ER'd 4 years ago, another 4 years before I plan to take SS. And the more posts I read on this thread, the more I worry that 70% in equities is too high. Ulp... :(

My YTD is 16.6% as of November 8. My AA is 65/35 in 3 Vanguard mutual funds (where quarterly dividends from my taxable portion are deposited into checking). I retired 1/1/2015, and made a spreadsheet at the time estimating what my portfolio would be each year, based on 7% growth and a 35K...

Er... I don't even know if I AM retired. I left my job with Megacorp in January 2015 (major stress), I had 455K total in taxable & 401K investments, and around 25K in savings. I only spent between 22-24K annually (single, apt in the city) but I still didn't think I had enough to retire on...

There is something seriously wrong with that healthcaredeals calculator link you posted! I ran a family of 2 making 64K on the Kaiser Insurance Marketplace Calculator for Washington and came up with a monthly subsidy of around $775.

I'm pretty peeved about this and was on the phone for a couple hours with a 'Turbotax expert' yesterday. I filed my taxes on 2/10 using their online product, there was no warning or mention of the missing 8606 form--"Your Federal returns were accepted". After reviewing my 2016 forms yesterday...

As a matter of fact, this is just what I'm doing--in 18 days! I grew up in a small rural town on the PA-WVa border, after finishing school I moved to Pittsburgh in 1987 and have been here ever since. I left my job in Jan 2015 (sort of an 'ER experiment') but since then I've realized most of my...

After 14 years with Erie Insurance (paying $530.00 a year) I just switched to 'Metromile', effective July 1--today! It's only available in 7 states, but as I live in a city neighborhood with everything within walking distance, I rarely use my car. Mostly for a monthly trip to visit family that...