My British-born wife and I have a mixed US-UK marriage. I happily put vinegar on my chips (fries), and she enjoys, um, big American portions and driving in the West. We get by. . . .
So sad to hear this. Several years ago, Jonathan generously spoke with my daughter (an aspiring journalist) for well over an hour to assist her with a grad school project. He’s always been a top bloke in my mind since then - and a great role model for my daughter. Wishing his entire family well.
My wife and I set up a joint email account that we use only for our financial stuff - bills, bank notices, brokerage statements, etc. The Bill email account is pushed to both of our phones so we can see all of our notices in real time. We also share key online passwords in a manager app (Dashlane). What this means is that we both have access to our family financial info. No secrets, no surprises. I still pay the bills and manage our accounts. But she can log in any time to see how things are going. This gives her considerable peace of mind.
No argument with your observations. And perhaps "fair" wasn't the correct term to use here. High income wage earners do have their SSA benefits capped, so capping the taxable income used for FICA may not be unfair. But high income taxpayers are expected to subsidize national defense, the passport office, and other public services for the common good. Here, the topic was to find a source of revenue to stabilize / fund SSA for the future. Whether it's regressive or not, lifting the payroll tax limits is an accessible - and not egregiously unfair - method to pull more money into this important system.
I've never understood why there's a cap on taxable wages for Social Security but not for Medicare. The disparity is in black and white on paystubs of high income earners. The govt simply stops collecting FICA at some point in the year, but not the Medicare tax. Lifting (or modifying) the cap is an obvious and fair solution here.
I understand the point that a legit stablecoin could make things simpler and cheaper for retailers by eliminating the credit card middlemen. But experience suggests that any short term savings will be minimal as new costs / providers enter the field. Someone will provide beneficial services for retailers (equipment, money management, etc.) for a lower, but significant fee in the new world.
Agreed to some extent. But the Vanguard target funds don't rotate that heavily or that often. I doubt that there are significant capital gains generated from the rebalance in the short run. For newbie investors, I wouldn't let the tax tail wag the investment dog.
Or any Vanguard target date fund. VLXVX (Target 2065) essentially holds the same funds plus a small Intl bond fund. Microscopic costs, and the firm automatically adjusts the allocations. It's even simpler than the three-fund model. And likely to lead to success for minimalist investors.
Comments
Ooops - meant therefore less lucrative.
Post: Free Lunch?
Link to comment from October 4, 2025
Sounds less risky - and therefore less risky- than selling covered calls on your portfolio.
Post: Free Lunch?
Link to comment from October 4, 2025
My British-born wife and I have a mixed US-UK marriage. I happily put vinegar on my chips (fries), and she enjoys, um, big American portions and driving in the West. We get by. . . .
Post: Our Special Relationship
Link to comment from September 27, 2025
So sad to hear this. Several years ago, Jonathan generously spoke with my daughter (an aspiring journalist) for well over an hour to assist her with a grad school project. He’s always been a top bloke in my mind since then - and a great role model for my daughter. Wishing his entire family well.
Post: Jonathan and website update
Link to comment from September 20, 2025
My wife and I set up a joint email account that we use only for our financial stuff - bills, bank notices, brokerage statements, etc. The Bill email account is pushed to both of our phones so we can see all of our notices in real time. We also share key online passwords in a manager app (Dashlane). What this means is that we both have access to our family financial info. No secrets, no surprises. I still pay the bills and manage our accounts. But she can log in any time to see how things are going. This gives her considerable peace of mind.
Post: Love, Money, and a 44-Year Compromise
Link to comment from August 23, 2025
No argument with your observations. And perhaps "fair" wasn't the correct term to use here. High income wage earners do have their SSA benefits capped, so capping the taxable income used for FICA may not be unfair. But high income taxpayers are expected to subsidize national defense, the passport office, and other public services for the common good. Here, the topic was to find a source of revenue to stabilize / fund SSA for the future. Whether it's regressive or not, lifting the payroll tax limits is an accessible - and not egregiously unfair - method to pull more money into this important system.
Post: Does Social Security work?
Link to comment from August 23, 2025
I've never understood why there's a cap on taxable wages for Social Security but not for Medicare. The disparity is in black and white on paystubs of high income earners. The govt simply stops collecting FICA at some point in the year, but not the Medicare tax. Lifting (or modifying) the cap is an obvious and fair solution here.
Post: Does Social Security work?
Link to comment from August 23, 2025
I understand the point that a legit stablecoin could make things simpler and cheaper for retailers by eliminating the credit card middlemen. But experience suggests that any short term savings will be minimal as new costs / providers enter the field. Someone will provide beneficial services for retailers (equipment, money management, etc.) for a lower, but significant fee in the new world.
Post: Smart Move?
Link to comment from August 9, 2025
Agreed to some extent. But the Vanguard target funds don't rotate that heavily or that often. I doubt that there are significant capital gains generated from the rebalance in the short run. For newbie investors, I wouldn't let the tax tail wag the investment dog.
Post: VG Portfolio Suggestions for Taxable Account
Link to comment from July 26, 2025
Or any Vanguard target date fund. VLXVX (Target 2065) essentially holds the same funds plus a small Intl bond fund. Microscopic costs, and the firm automatically adjusts the allocations. It's even simpler than the three-fund model. And likely to lead to success for minimalist investors.
Post: VG Portfolio Suggestions for Taxable Account
Link to comment from July 26, 2025