Recent content by Vaca

So true. I meet a new "friend" when I was near rock bottom. I never understood how she was a decent friend during the worst phase of my life but changed when my life started improving. I tried to work it out with her but I had to end the relationship because she was intolerable. I was always...

Hi Bill, The main reason I returned to work was the potential repeal of ACA. I had ACA for <$80 a month in 2016 but budgeted only 6K/year for HC (private HI premiums, deductibles, co-pay, meds, dental and vision). Is a 12K/year for high deductible plan from 56 to 65 too low? I live in FL...

In 2011, rumors were my then company will file for bankruptcy soon. I came across this forum in 2011 and can not believe so many posts resonated with me so I signed up in 2012. I learned a lot from the posts and I really appreciated the well written responses to questions and the varied topics...

I bought it based on previous reviewed and check my area (Pompano Beach, FL) to find out the coverage. It was suppose to be excellent but it's has been the worst ISP I had used. At times I think I had less issues with dialup from 30+ years ago. It's deceiving when it claims speed of 6-8mbps...

Unfortunately, once a person has cancer, (s)he will always be a cancer patient even if they are considered in remission or "cured". The cost does not end with the copay for treatments. There are a follow-up appointments, labs, screening test, multiple specialists and consultants, etc. A lot of...

Since I know more than a few highly qualified unemployed people who had experience this, I can say for certain, somethimes it's not that the unemployed is holding out for their old or comparable salary, most I know were willing to take 20-40K paycut from their previous position but the potential...

If you ask your parents and grandparents ~30 years ago, what age they thought they would live to, they most likely said 70's. My paternal grandmother died in her early 90's, my father had quadruple bypass at 57 and live another 20+ years and his brother also was in poor health since his 50's but...

Your friend made his choice of taking the pay cuts based on his situation. You should determine what is your minimum salary to continue negotiation and if any of their other compensations offered would make up for that difference. The CEO first needed to meet my friend's minimum salary...

As other posters have said, it would depend on actual function performed and intensity of job. 2 of my close relatives are in finance and 80-90+ hours work weeks for 3-4 months leading up to tax season or year-end reports are extremely common in their field. I know many people who voluntarily...

Your post did not tell me if your friend is in a position to make offers or amend it. A friend of mine was in a similar situation but he was dealing with the CEO directly who did not need to consult with others. The CEO was restricted by the salary range for the original position offered but he...

I noticed a huge change in attitude in the newbies or younger hires over the past two decade in my field. When I graduated, a Bachelor was needed but over the past 10-15 years, Doctorates became the new entry level degree. New intense training programs and rotations requirements were...

Congrats; it's so nice to have the finance part covered when you're so young. I was on target and everything was fine when I was 30. I had a decent paying job, I was able to saved enough even after I fully funded my emergency and retirement accounts so I also set aside money to travel and to...

This would be the second time I will need to make a similar decision. Occasionally, life will make the decision for you like being unemployed versus accepting a much lower paying part-time job I would never otherwise consider is a no brainer. Having to make the decision is harder because if it...

My brother and I are ~2 years apart but you would think we were raised in different households when you compare our attitudes about money. We grew up poor and I remember I worried if my family was going to go hungry when I was very young. Thank goodness our family finances got better and we...