"Mark: my wife and I feel fortunate to have worked in an occupation where, even though compensation was not considered to be high, the deferred benefit of the pension has provided great long-term financial security. Glad the annuity is doing that for you!"

"Don’t like puzzles, but I understand your perspective. I enjoy looking at investments everyday for no particular purpose."

"My memory is that electronic filing started in the late 1980's and later it became mandatory for the preparers to transmit the returns they prepared electronically based on if the number of returns they prepared exceeded some number where the threshold got smaller every year. Keep that 709. The information on it would be needed if you ever need to file a future gift tax return or estate tax return 706 as the prior taxable gifts would feed into any future form 709 or 706."

"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."

"Humble Dollar is the closest I get to social media."

"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."

"Thanks, Harold, that is the part a count can't show. The quarterly reports I counted carry management's own version of that 12-month test, and it rarely goes away quickly: of the companies that warned in a report filed between January and May, 94% still warned in the next one. Your point about credit agreements is probably part of why."

"Okay, what about the other 80%?"

"I recall Jonathan was a big believer in worldwide diversification. It was one area where I disagreed with him, not because of the diversification theory, but because of political and financial realities. A few things you mention fit that view. My view is based on three things. First, I do believe the US is still unique and will remain so for my lifetime at least. Second, I also believe that most countries lack the discipline and legal structures that encourage free enterprise, and the politicians there either slow progress by private companies or extort some of their value. Third, the rest of the world is not one market. It is hundreds of individual country markets that are often governed by facts that we in the US can't always understand, or can't address in a timely way to protect investors. It is hard enough to try to do that for the US market. I'm not saying Jonathan was wrong. International performance went strongly his way in the last few years of his life. I just don't feel comfortable with my money there."