I recently completed my 8th season performing volunteer tax returns. I’ve worked in 2 states (Pa and NJ), 3 counties, and 7 centers. All but one year was performed under the auspices of the AARP TaxAide program. In several years I also worked for a local program supporting the Division of Aging and Disability in Cape May County, NJ.
This year’s location was at a local library in Monmouth County, NJ. The center was open 3 days a week.

Do any HumbleDollar readers use direct indexing? (If you have to ask what that is, you are not likely using this.) If you are either using this relatively new financial tool, or if you seriously considered it and made a reasoned decision not to use it, I’d appreciate hearing from you.
My personal situation is an overallocation to cash (55%) caused primarily by selling out of a low-basis ETF that created an overconcentration in tech stocks.

Young adults entering the job market often focus on the salary or hourly wage first, and that makes sense. Pay matters. But the benefits package can be just as important, and sometimes a slightly lower-paying job with stronger benefits is actually the better deal.
Health insurance, deductibles, retirement matching, vesting rules, paid leave, sick time, disability coverage, tuition assistance, promotion potential, and work-life balance all have real value. A 401(k) match, for example, is part of your pay.

My understanding is that IRMAA is not permanent. It follows the two-year lookback. A friend and I were discussing the possible sale of his rental property, and that raised the question of what happens if a one-time capital gain pushes someone into a higher Medicare premium bracket.
From what I understand, if someone sells a rental property and has a one-time income spike, that higher income may show up in Medicare premiums two years later, but it should eventually fall back down once a lower-income year becomes the lookback year.

I was at our local annual civic parade and town carnival yesterday. One of those days we’d planned well in advance, arranging to take the grandkids and meet up with some thirty-something friends who also had young children in tow. It turned out to be a wonderful day. Vintage car rallies, a fairground, plenty of food stalls, live music, and costumed performers all doing their bit to keep the crowds entertained.
I’m a bit of a people-watcher at the best of times,

While working, there is something we call payday, it may happen once a month, more likely two or four times a month. Generally that means money is deposited into our bank account – a steady income stream we count on to pay a new set of bills. 
Then we retire and everything changes, no more payday. To me recreating that is the key to a less stressful retirement.  I can say that because I am fortunate to be able to do so and know the feeling of a retirement payday. 

RETIREMENT IS LIFE’S most expensive purchase. During our working years, we deprive our present selves of immediate pleasure by refusing to spend money for nicer cars, a bigger house or a vacation to boast about. Instead, we squirrel away those saved dollars with an eye toward keeping the future us fed, clothed and living indoors. 
At age 64, after decades of choosing to save and invest a large chunk of each paycheck, rather than spend it,

AN UNUSUAL STORY hit the news this week. GameStop, the struggling video game retailer, announced a bid to buy eBay. The offer was unexpected, but what surprised investors more was the economics of the proposed deal. eBay is many times larger than GameStop, making it difficult to understand how GameStop would be able to finance the acquisition.
GameStop has offered $56 billion for eBay, comprised of cash and stock. For the cash portion, according to its May 3 press release,

What advice would you offer those graduating college this month? I imagine it’s a long list. Mine sure is. Here are just five of the items I’d emphasize:
Move quickly to build a financial cushion. That money should be in a regular taxable account, but it doesn’t have to be sitting in cash investments. If you’re comfortable, feel free to stash some of those dollars in stock funds, so you have a shot at earning decent long-run returns.

This is a story of a startup and will be told in two phases.
It was in 1992 that my twin brother Nick and I entertained the idea of starting our own landscape company. We had worked together at two other landscaping companies and were growing restless. We wanted something of our own. Something we could build, not just manage.
By September 1992, Panoramic Landscape Services was born, backed by $40,000 we couldn’t afford to lose.

Some of us can choose our path through school and career. But life often has other plans. It did for my mom. As Mother’s Day approaches, I got to thinking of her story.
Mom was one of nine siblings. She was the third youngest, but she was old enough to draw the short straw when her pharmacist father fell ill and died as she was coming of age.
With her older siblings off at school or busy establishing careers,

I used to get frustrated with certain people I know. And when I say frustrated, I mean the kind where you want to grab them by the shoulders, shout directly into their ear, “Wake up — you’re sleepwalking through life!” — and then maybe shake them for good measure.
I’m happy to report I’ve since been cured of that particular affliction. These days I simply shrug, step back, and let them crack on with their endless parade of self-inflicted financial disasters.

I like a good cup of coffee – not that easy to find. I have two or three cups each morning (decaf) and use a Keurig. I know, not the best way to make coffee, but it’s quick, easy and expensive. I received the machine as a gift (it does cappuccino and lattes too- which I rarely use).
My true love is Starbucks, black no sugar, that too is expensive.
I spend considerable time in the supermarket market coffee aisle trying to figure out the best deal on K-Cups and looking for sales.

When I read Social Security is a scam or that Congress stole the funds, or “I paid for my own benefits,” I find it very upsetting.
When someone says they paid Medicare taxes while working so why should they pay premiums in retirement and also demand to know what happened to the money, such ignorance is disturbing-mainly because there is no effort to learn the facts.
During my working life I paid $132,817 in Social Security taxes.