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I am a retired IT executive with 44 years of experience in IT. I am originally from Virginia and have lived in North Carolina the past 60 years. I am a widower who was married for 57 years to my late wife, Judy. We have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. I volunteer with my church and serve on the board of 2 retiree associations, one of which has more than 50,000 members. I still enjoy golf, travel and taking care of our home and 2 acres of land.
Comments
Your wife is like mine. She wants to help and feels fulfilled in doing so. It frustrated my wife that I was so independent and wanted to do everything myself.
Post: The Humbling Side of Aging
Link to comment from May 30, 2026
Interesting statistic Keith. I have no idea if it is accurate, but thanks for your post. I have been researching Over 55 and CCRCs since my wife passed last June. I am 81, in reasonable good health, and have no physical limitations other than being slower than I used to be. I have 2 acres of heavily wooded land, and I am able to do my yard work and most things around the house. My son is a remodeler and serves as my handyman. I try to limit the times I ask him to do things, but he is there when I need him. I concluded that I do not want to continue living in our home of 54 years, but I feel the Over is too young for me. So I am focusing on CCRCs in Charlotte area and Charleston, SC area because my daughter lives there. There are a lot of CCRCs in both areas, and they usually have waiting lists. Most have a high entry fee, but one I really like in Charlotte is an equity model where you purchase your residence (mostly apartments) and you or your heirs can sell it when you leave. I have 2 favorites in Charleston, one is monthly and the other is an entry fee model where you get 50% back, and their entry fees are lower than Charlotte. Most of the sales pressure is subtle where they emphasize their wait lists. I have had a few suggest that I should make a decision now while I can easily live in an independent living unit. My big question is whether I move to Charleston after living in Charlotte area for 60+ years. I have a lot of friends and neighbors in Charlotte and have a great church that I am connected to with many friends there. So that is a legitimate concern. One thought is to move to the monthly model in Charleston and see how that works. I would live close to my daughter which should ease the transition and she would be close by if I need her. However, one reason I am considering a CCRC is I do not want to be a burden on my children. I should know within 6 to 12 months whether that is for me or not. One other thing. I have a good pension and SS which should cover my costs for higher levels of service including skilled nursing facilities should I ever need one. My children will get a substantial inheritance from my investments and house. These are not easy decisions.
Post: Percentage that “age in place”
Link to comment from May 25, 2026
Most of these aspiring golfers play junior golf which involves travel to tournaments, lessons from teachers, and other expenses. If they are good enough, they play college golf on scholarships. They spend a lot of time practicing. A woman who worked for me, her ex-husband was an aspiring pro, and he practiced his short game 4 hours every day. You have to really love the game to spend all the time it takes to develop your game. There are some really good golfers who never make it to the big time.
Post: Country Club Venture Capital
Link to comment from May 18, 2026
People I know consider Medicare a good deal for insurees. In fact, I know people in early 60s who are eagerly waiting to become 65 and qualify for Medicare. Per AI, people pay only 20% of Part B cost for doctors, tests and outpatient care. Part A for hospital stays covers costs up to 60 days after a $1700 deductible. That sounds like a really good deal.
Post: The reality of Social Security and Medicare- My real life experience.
Link to comment from May 6, 2026
Thanks Jim. This is an interesting angle for a scam. Who knows what the pitch would be, but you gave your wife some excellent advice.
Post: New Face, old scam
Link to comment from May 3, 2026
Spot on Adam. You are preaching to the choir on this forum. Thanks.
Post: Wall Street Trap
Link to comment from May 2, 2026
The IRS is the rare govt agency where adding more staff properly deployed can yield more revenue, more than enough to offset their cost. Cutting IRS staff and funding is a wrong headed thing to do, but why am I not surprised. Sorry that your dear mother has to endure this but reassure her that this will workout. I second the suggestion to contact your senator or congressman. They need to hear from real people about the consequences of cutting the IRS budget and they may get the IRS's attention in a way that you cannot.
Post: How Far Behind is the IRS?
Link to comment from April 30, 2026
Great story Dan. Transitioning from a beer truck driver to a tax preparer is an amazing story. You obviously had good people skills to make that change.
Post: Around the Obstacles
Link to comment from April 25, 2026
I think you did it right. A bird in the hand beats two in the bush, and with our crazy economy, you never know when things will turn for the worse. Congratulations.
Post: Buying and Selling our Condo (Our Big “Little” Move, Part 2)
Link to comment from April 16, 2026
Thanks for the post Howard and your volunteer tax work. That is a great service and your clients are fortunate to have you working for them.
Post: Taxes Season 3
Link to comment from April 14, 2026