Such beautiful reflections, Andrew. Thanks. Not ever having been to Asia, I am continually impressed by the apparent warmth of the people in a favorite TV show, Cycle Around Japan. Seeing it has made the Japanese fans' consideration for others at the recent FIFA World Cup games all the more relatable.
I am saddened to think of those needing to take on credit card debt. But I have read on this site praise for various credit card rewards programs. Were it not for the former, those rewards programs likely would not exist. So many of us are complicit in wanting the system to continue to disadvantage others.
Thank you, William, for this update. I value your recommendations and have saved the article to my tax file. Being just two years away from my first QCD (at age 70.5, from an inherited IRA), I have begun planning for them. My hope is that QCDs can eventually be accomplished with a few digital clicks, as are grants now from donor advised funds.
Just an FYI - IRMAA payers who do not yet collect SS have monthly Medicare billing only. Medicare.gov will however accept online payments in advance of billing. I've paid early when it has been advantageous for tax purposes.
Having an IRS.gov account can be reassuring (if not completely necessary), and that requires an ID.me sign-in. I like checking that tax forms are processed and for any signs of fraud. Establishing my ID.me account was difficult, as I do not have a cell phone. The procedure required scheduling a video meeting, uploading documents, and showing the same documents to the camera during the video call. The entire (frustrating) process took several weeks.
So sorry to learn, Heidi, of these abrupt changes to your plans. You have certainly done your homework with respect to COBRA. I chose COBRA coverage thinking it would be the easiest bridge to Medicare (I was 63.5). In retrospect, transferring to COBRA required rather a lot of paperwork and phone calls, billing was problematic, and costs were high. The difficulty may have been because I was an employee at a pseudo-state entity transferring to a state-provided COBRA plan. I might have been better served just searching the marketplace.
I fear that analyses like the CRFB's will lead to a complicated solution to solve SS's approaching insolvency. Data such as in the report, however, are good starting points. If only the tax preparation and financial services lobbyists could keep away from the legislators, we might stand a chance of a streamlined solution. So highly unlikely...
I work part-time preparing lab materials at a local college. I love my little job -- a half-day or so each week, for two semesters a year, mostly on my own schedule. The work is intellectually interesting and provides for socialization and interaction with students. I also enjoy the feeling of responsibility the work provides. The position materialized soon after I retired, when a former colleague and friend related how he was doing lab prep as part of his teaching but was clearly overworked. I volunteered to help, provided the college would cover me legally. They did; I worked as a volunteer through that first semester and continued on in a paid position thereafter.
To your question, RDQ, yes, I considered inflation in my retirement planning and am prepared. In fact, I feel conflicted about claiming SS in two more years at age 70; I won't need it and would only be contributing to the problems. A good primer on fixing SS is in this month's The Atlantic: The Elixir of the Payroll-Tax Cap and Other Social Security Myths .
Along with Dana (DrLefty, below), I believe that much of our activity comes down to how we are wired. In this regard, I've long felt torn in two directions. My retirement life reflects this, split as it is between productive mornings and "me time" afternoons. And not all of it need be busy. Watching clouds drift by and ants in the grass are just as engaging and meaningful now as when I was young.
Comments
Such beautiful reflections, Andrew. Thanks. Not ever having been to Asia, I am continually impressed by the apparent warmth of the people in a favorite TV show, Cycle Around Japan. Seeing it has made the Japanese fans' consideration for others at the recent FIFA World Cup games all the more relatable.
Post: A Place At The Table
Link to comment from August 26, 2026
I am saddened to think of those needing to take on credit card debt. But I have read on this site praise for various credit card rewards programs. Were it not for the former, those rewards programs likely would not exist. So many of us are complicit in wanting the system to continue to disadvantage others.
Post: Americans and their credit cards
Link to comment from August 25, 2026
Thank you, William, for this update. I value your recommendations and have saved the article to my tax file. Being just two years away from my first QCD (at age 70.5, from an inherited IRA), I have begun planning for them. My hope is that QCDs can eventually be accomplished with a few digital clicks, as are grants now from donor advised funds.
Post: New in 2025 – Code Y on 1099-R box 7 for QCD’s
Link to comment from August 22, 2026
Just an FYI - IRMAA payers who do not yet collect SS have monthly Medicare billing only. Medicare.gov will however accept online payments in advance of billing. I've paid early when it has been advantageous for tax purposes.
Post: Preparing for SS at Age 70….. How Do I Transition to Monthly Part B Premium Deduction?
Link to comment from August 18, 2026
Having an IRS.gov account can be reassuring (if not completely necessary), and that requires an ID.me sign-in. I like checking that tax forms are processed and for any signs of fraud. Establishing my ID.me account was difficult, as I do not have a cell phone. The procedure required scheduling a video meeting, uploading documents, and showing the same documents to the camera during the video call. The entire (frustrating) process took several weeks.
Post: TreasuryDirect changing login procedure to mandate ID.me later in 2026
Link to comment from August 17, 2026
So sorry to learn, Heidi, of these abrupt changes to your plans. You have certainly done your homework with respect to COBRA. I chose COBRA coverage thinking it would be the easiest bridge to Medicare (I was 63.5). In retrospect, transferring to COBRA required rather a lot of paperwork and phone calls, billing was problematic, and costs were high. The difficulty may have been because I was an employee at a pseudo-state entity transferring to a state-provided COBRA plan. I might have been better served just searching the marketplace.
Post: COBRA insurance: No need to fear the bite
Link to comment from August 14, 2026
I fear that analyses like the CRFB's will lead to a complicated solution to solve SS's approaching insolvency. Data such as in the report, however, are good starting points. If only the tax preparation and financial services lobbyists could keep away from the legislators, we might stand a chance of a streamlined solution. So highly unlikely...
Post: Taxing Social Security benefits
Link to comment from August 7, 2026
I work part-time preparing lab materials at a local college. I love my little job -- a half-day or so each week, for two semesters a year, mostly on my own schedule. The work is intellectually interesting and provides for socialization and interaction with students. I also enjoy the feeling of responsibility the work provides. The position materialized soon after I retired, when a former colleague and friend related how he was doing lab prep as part of his teaching but was clearly overworked. I volunteered to help, provided the college would cover me legally. They did; I worked as a volunteer through that first semester and continued on in a paid position thereafter.
Post: How Did You Find Paid Work After Retiring from Your Primary Career?
Link to comment from August 2, 2026
To your question, RDQ, yes, I considered inflation in my retirement planning and am prepared. In fact, I feel conflicted about claiming SS in two more years at age 70; I won't need it and would only be contributing to the problems.
A good primer on fixing SS is in this month's The Atlantic: The Elixir of the Payroll-Tax Cap and Other Social Security Myths .
Post: About that inflation in retirement
Link to comment from July 13, 2026
Along with Dana (DrLefty, below), I believe that much of our activity comes down to how we are wired. In this regard, I've long felt torn in two directions. My retirement life reflects this, split as it is between productive mornings and "me time" afternoons. And not all of it need be busy. Watching clouds drift by and ants in the grass are just as engaging and meaningful now as when I was young.
Post: Haunted Head
Link to comment from July 5, 2026