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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...

Unless you pay several hundred for a 'Lifetime' tivo with no fees, it's $14.99 a month. But I've read on the Tivo forum that after a couple years, if you call them & ask for a better deal, they'll often drop it to 12.00 a month. It's worth the cost though--you get an online guide with shows a...

I'm very fortunate to live on the top floor of my apartment building, about 5 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh. I get 40+ OTA channels (but probably don't watch more than 10). When my "extended basic + dvr" cable package shot to $119.00 in Dec 2014, I bought a Mohu Leaf just as an...

For states that didn't expand medicaid, a single person only needs a MAGI of $11,670. If your state did expand, your minimum income jumps to $16,243. (I left my position with megacorp last December, thinking I only needed to report the lesser amount--then Pennsylvania went ahead and expanded...

I noticed this too, both the item being charged & the credit card payment being counted twice in my budget. But mine always "rights itself" after 1-2 days.

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for sharing this--for the last few months, I was going crazy from the ads on this forum (including the autoplay videos, and ads hiding posts & the sidebar). I downloaded Adblock as suggested here awhile back, it helped some but not totally--then that same...

I “retired” (for lack of a better word) two months ago; I’m 53, was planning to FIRE at 56--but my job was wiping me out, plain & simple. I worked in the IT dept for a big healthcare company, been there 15 years. 5-6 years ago our company began expanding, my workload doubled almost overnight and...

I was paying $122.00 a month for cable with no premium channels, the use of their (outdated) DVR and "Expanded Basic". I pretty much only watched network tv anyway. Back in October, I got a Mohu Leaf antenna off Amazon--was surprised that I got 30 channels with it, all crystal clear HD...

I have a question, maybe one you can answer? A few of here in the office have ONE fund in our 401K (managed by Aon Hewitt), the Vanguard Wellington Fund. For myself, it's around 230K. I was just wondering why it shows on my account as VWELX (Investor Share)? I have a taxable portfolio of...

I'm glad someone asked this, I've been wondering about it too; I'm single, 51, was planning on early retirement at 55, 56. I live in Pennsylvania which isn't expanding their Medicaid. I was planning on living on savings/personal investments for 4-5 years, then begin withdraws from my 401K...

I recently went thru something very similar here. I have 225,000 in a regular (American Express) savings account, earning 0.85 interest. Knew I had to do something worthwhile with it, since I plan on retiring in 7-8 years. Last week I opened a Vanguard account, and put 3K (minimum required)...