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This is an interesting look at the often stated figure that flu deaths are more than Corona deaths https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/comparing-covid-19-deaths-to-flu-deaths-is-like-comparing-apples-to-oranges/?fbclid=IwAR3PKZOnjZ9RpPd4VGN3R5ObpmBWexCHzK6dgIWyaIIewF-bCSyde1cKqzQ...

I filed my 2018 taxes today. I screwed up my withholdings last year and now I’m getting a hefty refund. I usually aim for nothing owed/no refund. However, the big prediction after the Republican tax cut was that people were going to be surprised by much lower refunds if they didn’t check the new...

I am about to become 62 and I’m contemplating applying for Social Security benefits. To be honest, I’m suffering from a bit of paranoia about US politics of the last couple of years. SS is supposed to be solvent until 2034 but I’m concerned that either the economy or the crazy politics will lead...

I returned from a trip to Thailand and Malaysia about a month ago. I picked Malaysia because i didn't know much about it. I spent two days in Kuala Lumpur then flew to Borneo. It is a good place for eco-tourism. I used the city of Kuching as my base city. I booked several tours through the same...

I heading to Thailand for 3 weeks. Leaving on June 19th. A friend of mine retired there in April. He has been there many times so I have someone to show me the ropes when I get there. I decided to "splurge" on a 5 star hotel in Bangkok - the Radisson Blu Plaza. I will probably take some side...

The other day my DW asked me what my plans were for the holidays. She is scheduling a day for the museum, a day to do some painting in the bathroom, a day to go on a hike and a good balance of days to relax and putter around the house. She is also thinking of w*rking the 22-23rd so she can "get...

I thought this was a pretty decent article on retirement spending. Liked the list of 18 risks too. Still not the full picture but some good things to consider when planning for the future. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/12/your-money/tips-to-manage-spending-in-retirement.html?ref=business

This is a fascinating interactive site illustrating state-to-state migration patterns. In some cases it is pretty funny. Check out Maine. Restless America: state-to-state migration in 2012 | vizynary

I used to think that I couldn't or wouldn't retire before my mortgage was paid off. Of course that's one of those nonsense arbitrary numerical milestones we erect when we plan or think about ER. I eventually used my 55th birthday for my ER date. However, 2.5 yrs later, is still is sweet to send...

Since I ER'd a couple of years ago I have taken classes through our university's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and I've put on a couple of classes for them as well. The classes are held during the day and the member population is basically 50+ yrs old. We have 1600 members. We have been...

Here is a slick PBS site about retirement. I don't think there is any info here that people on this board don't already know about. PBS NewsHour: New Adventures for Older Workers

Here is an interesting article about expected premiums in CA under Obamacare. Could it be that competition and transparency works? Unexpected Health Insurance Rate Shock-California Obamacare Insurance Exchange Announces Premium Rates - Forbes

This is an interesting report on the costs and value of going to college these days. Should Everyone Go To College? | Brookings Institution To me, all the data in here seems to be common sense but putting it all together in this report is pretty effective. They point out that: More selective...

This is the one year anniversary of when I left work. About 2pm on this Friday in December 2010. My retirement date is technically March 1st after I used up my 10 weeks of vacation. I have absolutely no regrets. I managed to achieve most of my goals this past year: 1. Learn to live on a...

Just saw the movie "Margin Call" last night. Terrific and chilling. Fictional but not unlike the movie "Too Big to Fail". Maybe this belongs in the Forum, "What Did You Do Today" but it touches on the mindset in the Financial companies during the 2008 crash. Interesting to see right after the...

I know there have been a lot of discussion threads on wealth inequality. Here is another one. I saw this article in today's New York Times. The contributors statements are fairly short but I like that they have links to their reference sources. Rising Wealth Inequality: Should We Care? - Room...

This NYT article describes an interesting set of circumstances. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/us/15spend.html?ref=politics The budget stalemate in Congress has forced Government agencies to freeze hiring and cut back spending in the face of uncertainty in their budgets for this year (and...

I've been retired for 1 month now. I'm not counting the last two weeks of December which was a normal holiday vacation. And technically, I'm still on vacation through the end of February . . . however, I have been home alone for the month of January. This is my longest stretch away from work...

I thought this would be interesting to folks in ER. In Investing, It?s When You Start and When You Finish - Graphic - NYTimes.com

I started looking into retirement last June and made the decision in early July. I've sat on the decision for a couple of months to make sure it was still a good idea. It is. I've been following this forum for a couple of months. This week I resigned from my position effective February 2011...