"Like many who write and comment on Humble Dollar I have entered my post earned income years of my life. While I would prefer for most of my equity investments in stocks to be held inside a Roth account I have found that this period of life often leads to holding some stocks inside a taxable account. One thing I have done on a tiny scale in 2026 and will likely do in 2027 and going forward is that I have turned off the dividend reinvestment option for index funds held in my taxable account to cut down on the number of positions of the same index fund I own acquired on different dates. I hope in the future my sales will all be covered long term sales where the same stock index fund acquired at different dates but sold on the same date can be grouped into a single line on form 8949 Sales and Dispositions of Capital Assets that feeds into my schedule D. An electronic upload can create a lot of needless work if it includes all the detail that includes every quarterly reinvestment for covered shares. Should I predecease my wife I do not want her to have to deal with lots of different stocks or a single stock with a large number of different acquisition dates which will get a basis adjustment because of death. Our taxable brokerage account is currently owned JWROS so she would get basis adjustment on just 50% as we live in a non community property state and I have decided to not utilize a Community Property Trust. My experience has been if the heir inheriting lets the brokerage know about the death in a timely manner they can quickly and appropriately transfer the assets held in the JWROS account to a individual account for the heir and make the needed basis adjustments at the same time. It is also important to know that the holding period for inherited stock is automatically classified as long-term by the IRS, regardless of how long the original owner or the beneficiary actually owned the shares. For that to occur the sale of inherited stock has to be properly reported on the tax return of whoever actually sold the stock. If you turn off the reinvestment option you also likely eliminate the headache of separate reporting for any shares acquired post death via dividend reinvestment. For a heir reporting the sale of stock received by bequest or devise the appropriate input on the form 8949 for date acquired is "Inherited" which is usually abbreviated due to space limitations. I would be surprised if most tax software uploading stock sale detail will get date acquired input correct for inherited shares. Best, Bill"

"The majority of the newly elected members of Congress made some bold promises to voters. The money for them has to come from somewhere."

"In these conversations it’s always important to distinguish between fixed and variable annuities. Mark’s product is fixed, Dick’s (and likely your parents) is variable. I’m a huge fan of fixed in many situations, but variable, not so much. "

"Dick, try to imagine how you would pay for some really large extra expense on an ongoing basis......Suppose you or Connie, needed to enter a memory care facility. How would you cover an extra $11000 to $15000 per month? What assets would you sell? How might this affect your income taxes? How could you continue to cover what you give to charity, or your family? Even if you could cover a portion of this with LTC insurance, few people have high enough limits of coverage to cover the total.....And, most people don't have LTC."

"David, To take the subjectivity out of filter changes and other routine maintenance here is one approach to consider: Hang a small erasable whiteboard in your garage (ideally in sight from the driver's seat so you can routinely see the board and odometer at the same time). Keep a list of your routine or more significant upcoming maintenance listed with the miles (or dates if applicable). As for engine air filters I use 10K Miles, Cabin filters 20K miles (both intervals assume no extreme dust or pollen conditions (or allergies for the cabin filter). One of my favorite examples of crooked mechanics from the years past when I was too busy to do my own oil changes was when I was shown a picture of "my" very dirty air filter and told they needed to change it. Problem was, it was not mine. The photo was of someone else's. I had just changed mine the day before and it had an orange edge seal.The one in the picture had a black seal and and somewhat different dimensions. That was a local gas station not a dealer. They lost my business forever including gas purchases."

"You won’t like the comments on any of the social media sites, they’ve become a white hot mess."

"I think talking to kids about money should start at an early age, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Simple everyday conversations can help children understand the value of money and develop good financial habits. For example, parents can involve their kids in grocery shopping, explain the difference between needs and wants, and encourage them to save a small amount of their allowance. These little experiences can teach important lessons about budgeting, saving, and responsible spending. I also believe financial literacy for kids becomes more effective when learning is fun and interactive. Activities like setting savings goals, playing money-related games, or planning a small family budget can help children understand financial concepts without feeling overwhelmed. As kids grow older, introducing topics like smart spending, earning money, and making financial decisions can prepare them for real-life responsibilities. Personally, I feel the most important thing is to make money conversations normal at home rather than treating finances as something children shouldn't discuss. How do you teach your kids about money? Do you prefer giving them an allowance or involving them in everyday financial decisions?"

"As I noted, I'm new to this game, and am by no means an expert on this topic. But a lot of this is fresh in my mind after having just gone through this. But you need to do your own research. Don't take what you see here as gospel truth. That said .... first, if you are happy with your Medicare Advantage plan and it has served you well for 12 years, you are wise to be cautious about switching. As you noted, your network of doctors is stable and you have access to the care you need.However, your concern about future restrictions on care or changes to provider networks is valid, as those are common frustrations with Advantage plans. The critical issue you must investigate before making any decision is medical underwriting. At 77 years old, with a history of stents, you would likely have to undergo medical underwriting to purchase a separate Medigap (supplement) plan. Unlike during your initial enrollment period, insurers can review your health history and deny you coverage or charge a significantly higher premium based on your condition. A history of stents is a major risk factor and could very likely result in a decline. The only way to avoid medical underwriting is if you qualify for a "guaranteed issue" right. This is a specific set of circumstances where an insurer must sell you a Medigap policy regardless of your health.

• Federal Rules: You generally get guaranteed issue rights if your current Medicare Advantage plan is ending, you move out of the plan's service area, or if you joined an Advantage plan for the first time and want to switch back to Original Medicare within the first year (a "trial right"). Voluntarily leaving your plan because you are worried about the future does not trigger a federal guaranteed issue right.

• State Rules: This is where it gets complex. Some states, such as New York, Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts, have additional laws that offer broader or continuous guaranteed issue rights, or "birthday rules" that allow you to switch policies annually.

As you can see, there are many conditionals. You cannot make an informed decision without consulting a trusted, independent Medicare insurance agent or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). They can help you understand your specific health underwriting risks and whether any guaranteed issue rights apply to you based on where you live."

"Has your company looked into trading based on politicians' stock purchases? I remember seeing an app that made it easier for people to see the stocks politicians purchased, but I never seriously considered looking into it further because I've always been an index investor. I'm more curious than anything if your company has looked into that. In theory, it seems like it would be a good way to invest but then again, with the delayed timing of politicians' stock disclosures I imagine the benefit of copying them might be limited."