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The way it's typically proposed, a flat tax is orders of magnitude more simple than the current tax code. This does not mean your own personal taxes will be a lot more simple, although that will likely be the case. Believe it or not, the rules surrounding what you currently file for yourself...

Well, we typically train our children for 18-26 years, and only about 0.5% of that training is how to NOT BE POOR. Oddly, not training them to be wealthy works.

Yes, but it's how you are wired. Your mind is the way it is after millions of years of adapting to an environment far, far different than what you've engineered yourself. If it were content at 30, without kids, just traveling, your genes would have been weeded out back in some prior era of...

No. I can think of very little that would have enhanced my quality of life the past decade that involved spending more money. Neither my wife, nor I, enjoy traveling to any extent, which is often the non-material way to spend money to enhance quality of life. For me, it's about doing the...

I disagree. Not only not a huge burden, but probably a net positive for you and the U.S. in genreal. #1 Those immigrants work in the U.S. You have alread benefited from their work, by having lower costs to the goods and services you get in the U.S. They lower consumer prices, cheap labor of...

I suggest that everyone learn about tax-loss "harvesting" , and make the choice for themselves. Taking the opinion of "not worry about it", before you know what it is you're not worrying about, or before you have seen how it impacts your life, would be be unreasonable. I think each individual...

I was waiting for a dip to buy...and the dip turned into a cliff. So, technically I put in +20% investment during the dip, unfortunately not at the lowest point...which is to be determined. I'm well into the red now, sad to [-]say[/-] experience. -Mach

Hopefully any slamming is in jest. You should live precisely where you want to live. Every country has pros/cons. That certainly is a kooky law...to pay taxes after you're no longer a citizen, and no longer on U.S. soil? Seems unethical. -Mach

It's certainly not good to think high salary is something that generally only doctors and laywers get. As some have already commented, look at the big picture. Most people are only limited in the earnings potential by what is in their own mind. A mechanic can learn the trade from a book or...

from ~18% to about 0.5%. The highest was a Candadian fund...was up 30%, now at ~9%...if only they were all like that. -Mach

The disconnect I usually discover is that when someone laments about not reaching goal X in their life, when questioned as to how much time they spend each day planning and working towards that goal, what resources they use, etc., the answer is typically not just little, but none. Zero. I...

Me, I'd go for Choice #1. 1...to 2 years, and make it happen in 1. If really 1 year, to me I'd rather tough it out for 1 rather than another 3. Especially since it's already a reduction in stress/time + once a month a long stretch off. That stretch alone could rejunivate you so that the three...

I don't think so. I think that trait is a symptom of the real thing that you and many others do, and that is: Analyze opportunity cost - aka looking at the big picture (and being responsible) If you don't want to buy books, it's because you don't want to take on the loss in...

I think that comparison confuses people personally. I would use a matrix of investing style, vs investing time/knowledge, and would like to know why this isn't the more common view. Ranking investment success for an individual investor, investing their own money on average: <<<<Least gains...

For accumulators, what's the verdict? Cash out of any heavy finance/debt funds/stocks, take the loss (and not pay short term gains if less than a year in), and re-invest later at the bottom, or hold in savings (5%+) until the upswing? Get half-way out of lowest performers, take any tax hits...

My only boss of significance was an amazing leader, relentlessly driven and focused, worked 12 hour days or more and expected the same from everyone, and in hindsight was extraordinarily patient, and fairly wise. Faults too I'm sure, but far outweighed by skill and drive. I would say for most of...

Good gravy. My food bill alone is almost $10K a year. I don't live large at all (and am quite slender), but apparently I don't live that lean either... Bravo on keeping costs so low. I think I pay premium buying so much pre-packaged stuff, due to lack of time...maintenance I suppose on...

I'd say don't worry about it, you're doing what's right, and seems unlikely it will cause you financial pain down the line. Thank you for volunteering for that medical study. It is no doubt in the best interest of insurance companies to punish anyone who seeks preventative care, that reduces...

I assume by learning disability you were not being serious, else this may not apply. In general, I would think family counseling would be a higher priority, than a financial enabler/babysitter. Seriously, seek family counseling if you're serious about solving this. Right now my guess would...

Argh, so close, but it's the converse we're pushing for. *Likewise, is not hard to believe that holistically, wealthy people (who earned their wealth), are not necessarily less moral or less ethical. Agreed? That's the rejection of the OP. Not the follow-on "clarifications" (or correction...

I don't know, but whatever you're doing over there I thank you. My Canadian mutual fund is the best in my portfolio and was in the 30% range for a while...even with the correction going on it's still double-digits. oh Canada! -Mach

Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to claim that 200K vs 40K somehow necessarily makes a person more ethical, only show that it certainly doesn't make them LESS good or ethical. I'm personally not interested in running the rat-race any longer than necessary, and I intend to do get out of it...

But not really when you examine it. 1. They already did more work directly for society by earning the 200K (on average) 2. They pay more taxes which goes to all those charitble society building things that taxes are used for. 3. After all that charity, they earned the money, we have no ethical...

First, I know a silver haired older woman in my building who is stunning. Really. But generally, I think it's a product of adaption of the species. Think about roles in a soceity through human development, and how genes are passed along to the next generation in terms of what favors a...