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There are rules about signing up on the ACA exchanges mid-year, you have to have a qualifying life event. You should check to make sure that COBRA expiring counts, I don't remember ever reading exactly that (although it might just fall under losing workplace coverage). If I were in your shoes...

If you contribute to the new 401k at any point during the year, you are considered to have access to an employer plan and the income limits for contributing to the IRA will be lower. You can still contribute and get a tax deduction for the IRA contribution if your MAGI is less than $61,000...

I'm not a social security expert, but would using the $300k to float expenses now in order to delay taking SS until full retirement age (or later) be a useful thing for the OP to do? I see people talk about how valuable that is to do, and the option exists to live off the $300k exclusively for...

I have ordered from Zenni several times. I can definitely tell the difference between my $60 Zenni sunglasses and my $500 optical shop sunglasses, but not really that much of one.

Anyone have any idea what will happen to a refund credited to the AMEX card after the switchover date? I assume they would have to support it and pass it over to the new card, but I've never had a card force switched from one bank to another either.

I believe that there is a 5 year rule for roth conversions, where each conversion has its own individual 5 year timer on it before it can be withdrawn penalty free. So the only money you can withdraw early from a roth IRA penalty free is: The principal amount of any direct roth contributions...

It is definitely harder for young people financially now than it was in 1975. Adjusted for inflation: * The price of a public 4 year college education has increased by 138% since 1975 * The price of a private 4 year college education has increased by 157% since 1975 * Payroll taxes have...

Thanks for that info, I bought a copy!

For example, my 401k beneficiaries are set to go to my two siblings in 50/50 shares. I just also mention it in my will: "I leave all assets in 401(k) account #ABC123 held by [my full name] to [sibling 1] and [sibling 2] in equal shares". So that both my will and the account beneficiary...

Assuming a will can't handle a "subsequent conditional" bequest (which is what I was originally asking about, and must be something that exists in some countries outside the US but not here), then my will just becomes a list of about 15 bequests of specific dollar amounts to people and...

I am redoing my will using Quicken Willmaker, and I am wondering if it is possible to include a conditional bequest such as "I leave $50,000 to Mary to distribute to whatever charity she deems worthy within 1 year". I am having a hard time figuring out if that is possible with a simple will, and...

I made a table awhile back based on the maximum contribution each year for X years, using their formula. I started in 1979 and assumed you worked X years at the maximum contribution, and then stopped. I can't remember offhand for sure, but I assume these numbers are your benefit if you retire...

I actually thought that planning to live for (hopefully?) 40+ years with a 3%+ withdrawal rate would make most people say I'm too risky. Skills are very transferable - I have done everything involved in running what is basically a technology driven trading firm. Database design/optimization...

Congrats on your retirement. My parents actually moved to Rockford while I was in college and all they do now is complain about it (and yet they have been there over 10 years). Just the hour+ drive through nothingness to get there is painful. I hear a lot of good things about Denver and have...

I used to live downtown (printer's row) and commute every day. This was in 2002/2003. The commute was mostly OK then, but still annoying - nowadays the traffic is so much worse I wouldn't try it. Chicago is a nice city, but we are really sick of the giant void of stuff to do within 4 hours...

The only other jobs I have had are basically high school/college kid jobs plus one technical internship. I have been at this same company for over 10 years now. I have a very nice setup here at this point. I recruited a college friend to work there with me, and the two of us basically thought...

I appreciate/agree with all of your points - and the fact that any table I've ever played at has at least 3 people I would just as soon avoid talking to at all. I would definitely not be trying to make $250k a year playing - just a couple grand a month to give me something to do and supplement...

My wife and I are both 32 and have been considering early retirement for a few years now - my wife because she seems to hate any job, and myself because I just love the idea of not HAVING to work even if there are plenty of careers that I find very appealing. We currently live in Illinois and...

The premium cost for the plans on the exchanges are specifically stated in the health care law if your income is low enough. All limits are based on your income for the year as a multiple of the poverty line using your MAGI, and the costs are limited up to 400% of it. For example, if your MAGI...

You keep talking as if you don't have the option of just walking away right now if you felt like it. Why do you feel as if that is not an option? What penalties do you think you will incur by doing so? The fact that you seem to have mentally taken that option off the table seems like it would...