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I have a number of very old DRP's, dating from over 20 years ago, before real discount brokerages. I have been lazy about moving the accounts over to Fido or Schwab. There are several servicers of these, of which Computershare is the largest. Last year and this year, I have been unable to...

I have a Samsung A 52 (I think) that may need to be replaced. Last Thursday, it stopped sending texts, showing them as "pending" Overnight, they were sent. Starting late Friday, the phone stopped sending and receiving texts and the phone stopped working as a phone. Oddly, the internet still...

If I recall correctly, every year I get a letter stating my Social Security payment and the Medicare payment for the following year, including IRMAA deductions. I thought this letter came around November 1st. Am I wrong, or should I watch Informed Delivery for its' arrival?

I have a friend in her mid-70's who for financial reasons has not had a Medicare supplement for a number of years. She could not and cannot afford it. She has medical issues now, and cannot afford the copays. She has Social Security and a small part time job that between them pay the mortgage...

Maybe this belongs in the appliance thread... I was rummaging through my zero degree, NON frost free chest freezer, making space for transferring items until the new refrigerator freezer arrive. Near the bottom I found two packages of bacon from August 2019. Frozen solid, no discoloration...

Every year Target puts their gift cards on sale for 10 percent off. Total limit is $500. I buy the $500 card for my household and spend it throughout the year on things I need that are on sale. This year the gift card sale is today and tomorrow. Of course, you could buy one or several as...

I received my benefit letter from SSA today. It states my 2023 IRMAA is based on my 2020 income. Huh? For 2022 it was based on 2020 income. I sold a property that year and the income was much higher than 2021. All the online references cite 2021 returns as the comparison income year. Not...

Here in the south SF Bay Area, there have been supply problems for the chickens that Costco roasts and sells for $4.99. Yesterday they were not delivered to any of the stores. They are supposed to have them today. Not a critical part of the diet, but nice to pick up occasionally. My guess...

About seven years ago I started a small investment with Betterment. I thought it would be a way to invest in things I otherwise would ignore - bonds and international equities. I ignored it, and it did grow. However, today's announcement means it is time to move on. From the e-mail... For...

The house here has double front doors. On one side is the actual lock and handle. The other side has a matching "dummy" handle that does not operate. After 32 plus years, the operating mechanism is worn out and the lock set needs to be replaced. Until fairly recently, you could buy both...

Safeway here is offering unlimited free delivery for orders over $30 for an annual fee of $99 or $12.99 a month. They include perks such as a $5.00 monthly credit for a year, a free Starbucks drink every month, 5 percent off on a couple of their brands, and your rewards points don't expire...

I have gotten solicited for this a couple of times over the last few years, but not recently. I am not turning money over to them to invest, so they lose interest quickly. Recently Wells Fargo has become more difficult to deal with, so I am looking at options. I don't see much there, except...

We have a new fire that is out of control near Placerville, the Caldor fire. This one exploded yesterday and the wind predictions are not good for today. Skipro, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, lost his last house in a fire a number of years ago. I believe his property is in the wine...

Every year we have a thread on this...so, what are you buying? A brief scan of the preview items yielded no extraordinary deals for me. Nothing to make me pull out the Prime card...

Thirty two year old house with the original galvanized plumbing. Been holding it together, but the writing is on the wall. House is 2,500 square feet, single story. Kitchen plus 2.5 baths. Raised foundation, so lots of laying on your back in the crawl space to do the job. Anyone have an...

I sold a rental in California 2020 and the State of California withheld 3.33 percent of the gross purchase price. When I file, I will get most of it back. My question is about how this is treated for income tax purposes in 2020 and 2021. Is it a deduction for purposes of computing the gain for...

Unlike the "lucky" folks I read about here that had COVID and suffered no after effects, I'm a "long haul" patient. I have a number of neurological sequlae that make it impossible to function normally. I'm also on Medicare and I'm finding that unless you are hospitalized and a stroke is...

Reading the information at the FDIC website, it appears funds in an account in the name of a revocable living trust with an individual as trustee are counted separately from funds in the same individual's personal account for insurance purposes. Am I reading this correctly? As long as the...

My original cast iron kitchen sink was set on a plywood counter base and the plywood base was mudded over with mortar and tiled. Rounded tiles were set over the edge of the sink, allowing the water to flow into the sink from the tiled counter. The dishwasher died, and in pulling it out, I...

I have been off the forums for a couple of months. The frantic nature of some of the postings was too much for me. Then I came down with COVID-19... I'm back now to give my perspective on COVID and to point people to more detailed, accurate information about this disease. In the interests of...

Mortgage rates are the same as they were in December, 2012, and the lowest ever in my lifetime. If you want to refinance, now might be the time. Mortgage Rates Hit All-Time Lows, Is It Time To Lock?

I belong to the Fidelity Greenline Forum and received this today. We would greatly appreciate your input in this next Greenline Forum study. The goal of this study is to get feedback on a retirement strategy that Fidelity may develop for households like yours. This study is a little different...

I keep reserve funds at multiple banks, including Bank of America. I have a "free" checking account, something called Advantage Relationship Checking. I keep a not insubstantial amount there, for which I am paid pennies in interest. No monthly checking fee, and Preferred Rewards on the credit...

Paid the garden guy last week with a check. Yesterday, he tells me he lost the check. Probably fell out of his pocket when he pulled out his wallet. No idea where. He and his father before him have maintained the landscape here (and installed most of it) for 28 years. Not a trust issue of...

Sometime today I lost the last key to the Lexus. The first key I took apart to replace the battery a year ago and managed to lose the bag with the parts. Yes, I know I was living dangerously. This being Lexus, their solution is ridiculously expensive. Tow the car to the dealer, pay them $250...