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Hello All! Quick question. Five years ago my DW father passed away. We settled his estate, and are now busy moving forward. We just were contacted by a lawyer group, this week, saying they found an additional annuity that needs to be settled. They sent a bunch of forms asking for all sorts of...

Just got back from BRAG (bike ride across Georgia). On day 2, I was descending a rather steep hill, that had an unseen hairpin, right turn at the bottom. I slowed as much as I could, but I knew I wouldn’t make the turn. I chose a grassy ditch, and laid the bike down. I slid in on my right side...

Our feeder was constantly empty. Maybe a leak?, or a lot of Hummingbirds? After setting up the game camera, we caught the culprit! He is now on a sugar withdrawal!

We used to live in the Chicago area, now in South Carolina. We still have phone numbers from Illinois. Today, DW started getting slammed with robo calls from the Chicago area (over 20). Each call is from the same town, but different numbers. She did not answer the majority of the calls. She...

DW and I were awakened this morning with all 8 of our smoke alarms blaring! (Did I say we have 8 of them!) Upon checking the entire house, inside and out, nothing is amiss. Each detector had the green light flashing, no red light. I know that with interconnected alarms, when one goes off...

Don’t know where to begin. We all have been impacted in various ways with the ongoing pandemic. Travel delays, cancelations, shortages, market woes, etc. have all become the rule. This community responds with meaningful discourse, sometimes humorous, which helps all cope, and vent...

Ive been told there are no dumb questions, so here goes. I am having my medicare deducted from my monthly Social Security check. Is this deduction before, or after federal tax is calculated? I figure somebody here will know. SS.Gov is fairly convoluted.

Life is interesting! I was sitting in our great room enjoying an adult beverage watching baseball, when an intense storm blew through the neighborhood. Behind me, I heard, what sounded like an explosion. Turning around, this tree blew through the window of our dining room. It took out the...

Just returned from a “free” seminar on how to reduce taxes in retirement. The upshot was an invitation to invest in a fund that had zero loss potential, an average return of 7%, with a top end return capped at 13%. Any money withdrawn from the account would be tax free! Most people were...

I figure this board would be able to answer my question. I was reading an article recently about the average American household debt. They were quoting a figure, a little north of $16,000. My question, if I pay off my credit card each month, does my balance figure into this debt average?

Just learned today that the IRS has filed a suit against me.:laugh: I was contacted on my cell phone. The initial phone ID was from Russia. I let it go to message. I was surprised that they left a message (a recording), directing me to call a number in Charlotte, NC. where they would be more...

Hello All! Does anyone have any experience with the Ez-Breeze three season porch systems? I would be interested in your overall thoughts regarding, cleaning, installation, and overall satisfaction, or dissatisfaction. Thanks in advance!

I am interested in anybody's experiences with a GoPro camera. I am sold on the quality of video, and the action shots that can be attained. My question is, once I have the video edited in iMovie, (yes I have a Mac) how can I store them? I know they can be uploaded to YouTube, emailed...

The DW and I are contemplating a trip down under. We are looking for past experiences. What would you definitely do again, and what would you stay away from? Where would you spend more time? What would you skip? We are outdoor types, not interested in city tours, bridge climbs, etc. What...

Has anyone had any experience with the app "Personal Capital"? I wonder how it compares to Mint, and any others.

The other day, we were invited to go white water rafting on the Chatooga River in South Carolina, our new adopted home. Now, in the past, we have rafted on wild rivers at Glacier Bay National Park, and on the Arkansas in southwest Colorado. But not here in South Carolina. How bad could this...

I am sure there will be somebody here that can help me. After completing my return for 2012, I discovered a mistake I made in 2011. Should I go ahead and file an amended return at this point????

Just received this email. Sounds serious! Dear Verified Schwab Account Holder, Due to several failed attempt at accessing your Online Schwab Account, we have put on hold your Online access for your protection. To release this hold you would be required to log in to Online Schwab Account and...

As we approach New Year's Eve, I was wondering how everyone celebrates, if at all. :dance: DW and I have always felt that this night is somewhat over rated. We usually stay home, wait for the ball to drop, then go to bed. This was always a chore in the Central time zone. The big ball would...

Just got word the IRS is auditing our 2010 tax return. They say we owe an additional 5 figure sum in tax penalties for tapping our IRA's early! :( I would be worried, except for the fact, we did no such thing. All our earnings from that year, were from our employer's traditional pension...

When we retired to Upstate South Carolina, many people asked us, "Why in the world would you select that part of the country?" We were attracted by the abundance of lakes, and natural areas nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In fact, we were not the only ones to notice...

The first week of October, I completed the CNC's (Cycle North Carolina) annual ride across the state. We started in Brevard, NC and ended at Carolina Beach, NC. A seven day, 70 mile per day odyssey. Along the way we had rain, a tornado warning, 40 degree temperatures, and 90 degree...

My DW and I need some advice. Now before you dismiss this as just another, “When should I take my SS benefits?” thread, please read further. The DW and I both receive pensions that total more than our yearly expenses. ;D The extra is funneled into our portfolio. With the SS decision looming...

As we sit and look out our windows, or sit on the back deck contemplating all of the financial machinations we need to go through to stay FIREd, I wonder if we all take the time to enjoy the natural world we live in. Towards that end, what birds are you seeing, right now, in your backyard...

So I went to bed last night feeling like I had just bumped my head on something. This morning a slight rash was visible on my forehead. I went to a morning meeting with the Upstate Master Naturalists. One of our members is a retired dermatologist from Ohio. She said, "You look like you are...