Search results

I've posted in the past about the cancelled cruise in Jan 2022, and how no insurance paid out. It was the only time I've bought insurance, making sure it covered cancellations due to Covid. The cruise industry was just getting re-started so I knew there was a risk... and we were doing a...

Not sure if this should be in travel, blow-the-dough, or life after fire... I'd love to hear anyone's experiences in learning a foreign language, in that foreign country. Here are the details of what I'm considering: 2 month of intensive (30hrs/week, maybe only 20/week) In Florence, Italy...

Google flights keeps showing significant savings if we book our flights to Asia through Ovago (vs AA). A search of the forum shows Bamaman had an issue with Ovago over a cancelled flight - two posts, but clearly the same incident... This was during covid cancellations. Only searches show a...

My sister and I were going for our weekly 'catch up' 4 mile walk this morning. We discussed the market. We are both retired and both have similar portfolio sizes (mine's bigger, but she has a pension - so it works out). We both have paid off houses in the same neighborhood. We talked about...

I know... don't look a gift horse in the mouth.... but... We received a check for $4883 today from the IRS. It is not for this year, from what I can tell because: 1) our refund is smaller 2) some of our refund was to be issued in i-bonds 3) 'where's my refund' shows it's still processing our...

So younger son was home for winter break. On Monday he got his booster, on Tuesday he took a train up to NorCal to hang out with his girlfriend till college starts this coming Monday. He's been feeling achey - but chalked it up to side effects from the booster. They (son, girlfriend...

Backstory: - MIL has dementia. My husband is her conservator/guardian of finances (and a BIL is guardian of person/medical). She is 95. Her will cannot be changed given her guardian status. It states that a portion of the estate be put into a trust for one of her children who has mental...

I just saw a deposit hit my bank account on 9/27/2021 for over $1k. Is this another stimulus that somehow I was unaware of? Or is it a mistaken child tax credit (one kid turned 18 last december, the other is 20yo.) Or is there some other random reason the government deposited a chunk of money...

My BIL passed a few months ago. Among his possessions was a stripped down extended length van. He'd modified it to have a higher roof. He used it to go camping on land he owned in a different state. After discussion with the rest of the family - DH made an offer on it that everyone thought...

So - my youngest son, who's 18, has decided he is spending August in Europe doing the eurail/hostel thing. A good friend of his is in Germany right now, visiting his dad, and is going to meet my son in Barcelona. Son has bought and paid for airfare and eurail pass. It should be noted he...

The hubster and I are tentatively planning a trip for next spring. We'd fly to FL and visit family, then leave there via cruise ship to Europe. We've got a couple cruise itinerary's identified as possibilities. The big question is how claustrophobic will and interior stateroom feel? Big...

We are considering downsizing to a "lock and go" condo once we have launched the kids. The attraction is no outdoor maintenance, single level to age in place, and the ability to travel without worrying about maintaining the yard, etc. This is NOT a thread about how awful or awesome condo...

DH wants to see his mother (93, almost 94... and starting to "go" physically). She's in a memory unit in Detroit. He also wants to see his brother - who recently was diagnosed with stage 4 rectal cancer. BIL lives in Philadelphia. He has a new car that he bought in November... So he was...

BIL had been putting it off. He's 63 and finally went in for his first colonoscopy. He has stage 4 rectal cancer. No pain, no symptoms... says he's in the best shape, physically he's ever been in. (Has recently started doing more cycling.) There are masses in his lungs and on a kidney...

San Diego Unified just announced it will be 100% online in the fall. So will LA Unified. These are the two largest districts in the state. LAUSD is the 2nd largest in the country, and SDUSD is the 21st largest in the country. Here is a link to our districts' announcement...

It was suggested a poll be posted

I didn't see a post where W2R said "whee". Sure feels like she said it. LOL

SOLVED. Thanks all. I have two situations that I need some advice/help on. Background: Younger son gets SS because he is a minor and DH is collecting SS. Younger son had a job last year and earned about $4k of income. I've been digging into turbo tax and the internet for answers to my...

I'm leaving on a 6 day cruise in 2 days. I have some questions..... Can I bring my *empty* thermoflask water bottle and refill it with water periodically somewhere (for free) on the ship? Will they confiscate it? I like water. I drink a lot of water. I don't want to have to pay for...

So I'm selling a pickup truck. Listed it on Nextdoor and Craigslist. Lots of interest because it's a fully tricked out, albeit vintage, 4x4 toyota. The legit buyers are all asking questions about the suspension and arranging when to come see it. This one person texts and says he'll pay full...

My younger son (age 16) is a go getter, and has been working at a W2 job since July. This will be the first year we have to file taxes for him. My question has to do with the ACA and the premium tax credits. Will his income count towards the family MAGI? Will we lose our PTCs? Like I said...

I've managed to mess up my HSA contributions every year... No matter how many times I read the rules... probably because we are an atypical situation. DH is on medicare. Doesn't qualify for HSA. I am on a HDHP HSA-qualified plan. My two sons (minors) are on the same HDHP HSA qualified plan...

New law will make placing and removing credit freezes free in every state. As a California resident I had to pay $10 per agency to unfreeze my credit when I bought my car last year. (0% financing). I know some states already have laws requiring credit freezes to be free... This covers the...

Since many of us like to talk about our withdrawal rates at the beginning/end of the year... I figured I'd start a thread. Please explain your method (is it WR based on initial portfolio value increased for inflation, is it WR based on beginning of the year portfolio value?) I'll start...

This is something I've been thinking about for a while... How far into retirement (in years) do you have to get before you can relax about sequence of returns risk. (SoRR) 5 years? 10 years? Worry forever? I'm 3 years in - and have kept my withdrawals fairly low (<3%) just as a safety...