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I have had experiences appealing property values in CA and AZ, and I must say that your situation seems very odd. Based on your profile, I assume your property is in NJ, but I think the appeals process is likely largely the same across all the states. First of all, you don't appeal to the...

I don't trust any FAs. I think the vast majority of them are either incompetent, or dishonest, or both. My parents have a substantial amount in CDs in a couple of major banks. The "FAs" in these institutions are always calling to offer "investment advice" everytime a CD is about to mature...

My grandfather is 95 and still mentally very sharp and physically mobile. Still puts in half a day in the office every day, lunches at his favorite restaurant, comes home to some fine Cognac, newspaper and a nap. Spends the evening watching TV, playing cards, and chatting with his many kids...

A sobering article in LA Times about growing old, getting sick and frail, and being forced into a old folks' home. Better enjoy your life while you can. Money can buy a lot of things, but it can't buy back your youth or health when you're old and decrepit. At an age when luxury can't hide...

It's actually pretty hard to immigrate to OZ unless you're young, have desired skills, or have money to invest and start a business there. Unlike the US, OZ doesn't just accept all comers. They actually pick and choose the people they want to accept. The US would do well to adopt a similar...

I use low-tech way of dealing with risk of keylogger. I never type in a user ID or password directly when logging in. Instead, I copy and paste each letter one by one from some other text or document when I enter this information. It can be a little time-consuming when searching for and...

Some questions: How much do you owe on the land? How much does it cost you for maintenance and property taxes? Does the land generate any income? What kind of raw land it is (e.g. farm, ranch, improved lot, unimproved lot, etc.)? Do you engage in any ag activities that get you ag exemptions and...

My parents lived next door to a man in his mid-80's. He was very active when younger, but age had taken its toll. He was largely immobile but refused to move into with his children or a nursing home. He would get into his car and drive down the driveway in order to get his mail. Even then he...

No for me and DW. Just out of curiosity, for those who answer yes to the question, I wonder how many could afford to retire early without a government pension, and what is the percentage of retirement income they derive from the said pension.

Based on my personal experience, I would advise against it. I bought a farm in New Zealand back in 2003, when DW and I were in our mid-thirties, because we fell in love with the country and planned on retiring there. We were filled with the vision of an idylic life farming an endless expanse...

The last two invitiations I received were for Todai. Rather than going myself, I sent my father-in-law. He never turns down a free meal, plus he doesn't speak English, so he could just focus on enjoying the food and treating the sales pitch as a background noise that he couldn't understand. Plus...

I am curious as to how much of your portolio can be attributed to your stroke of good fortune (i.e. inheritance) vs. savings/investments on your part. No offense, but it appears to me that someone who would play with margin account and lose a million before realising it's time to stop, isn't the...

Sorry, I should have clarified my intent in posing the question, which was to get the perspectives of the folks on the board, rather than seeking specific advice regarding my personal situation. Having said that, let me also share my perspective, as others have on this board: my parents have...

Just curious to see of folks here take any inheritance they expect/hope to receive into account when doing their retirement planning. Yes I know it may be considered insensitve, greedy, even tacky to talk about getting other people's money upon their demise. But setting aside the...

This is an interesting topic and close to my heart. Wife and I are not retired yet, but on the way there. We own 8 farms/ranches in several states and another country (affectionly known as "Godzone" by the locals, if you know where that is). Being a "gentleman" farmer is a money-losing...