Some people see taxes as unnecessary, even illegal and don’t think they should pay. Many people don’t make the connection between taxes and all the programs and services they provide in a society.
I had someone tell me the 16th amendment of 1913 was temporary and thus income taxes are illegal.
There are those who are convinced eliminating fraud and waste will lower taxes – good luck. Interestingly, fraud is committed by our fellow citizens-Medicare is a good example,

Back in 2022 and 2023, I wrote about finding that my then 95-year-old aunt had designated me her financial and medical power of attorney, executor of her estate, and trustee for her living trust, though she had not informed me of this.  My brother and I moved her into a nice assisted living facility near where she had been living, and later I sold the town home where she had lived for 42 years, as well as some property in Florida that my aunt co-owned with me,

My ten-year-old grandson and I have developed what I like to think of as a moderately foolish competition: we put on our socks and shoes while balancing on one leg like a pair of demented flamingos. It makes us laugh, which is really the point, and so far I can hold my own, even with my eyes closed, which I mention not to boast but because it seems like the sort of detail that might become relevant later when I’m lying in a heap on the bedroom floor.

I am attempting to gift a Wall Street Journal article. I hope it works, but if not, all you really need is the headline: “The Average Cost of a Family Health Insurance Plan Is Now $27,000”. Think about that. Then consider that US health care is generally considered to be twice as expensive as health care in other, comparable, countries for worse results. Think what corporations, never mind employees, could do with an additional $6,750/year per person.

One of the sites I check periodically is MIT AgeLab – they published something last week about their new Longevity Preparedness Index (in partnership with John Hancock and published here this week).
They identify “eight domains of life”: Care, Community, Daily Activities, Finance, Health, Home, Life transitions, Social connection. Finance is certainly the main topic here but discussions have touched on several of the other domains.
The 16 page “Insights” wasn’t particularly new to me,

I received an email from my previous employer a few weeks ago. I’ll paraphrase: “Ooops. When we processed your last paycheck in June, we failed to deduct your elected contributions to your 403B and 457 accounts.”
Now, I knew this because my final paycheck was quite a bit larger than I’d expected, but I thought I’d just misunderstood how the dates worked. (I separated from my employer on June 28, retired on July 1, and my final paycheck,

The following is a post on a blog – part of a discussion why seniors should not pay property taxes.
What caught my eye was “we planned ahead” and “Plans changed. He passed unexpectedly.”
“We planned ahead, made sure that we were out of debt when we retired. House and cars were paid. We sold our family sized house and moved into a one smaller one, paid it off. That was the plan and we were comfortable with both receiving SS and his police retirement.”
“Plans changed.

SOME YEARS AGO, the scientist Edward Fredkin identified a quirk of human behavior.
When it comes to making decisions, Fredkin found, we tend to allocate our time inefficiently. Suppose, for example, you’re at the grocery store, looking for something basic like paper towels. In a big supermarket, there might be a dozen or more choices. The result: Because there are so many options, it can be hard to choose among them. In the absence of big differences,

WHEN MOST PEOPLE think of Roth IRAs or Roth 401(k)s, they just think “tax-free withdrawals.” But that’s only part of the story.
Roth accounts can protect you from financial traps that catch many retirees off guard. Here are five key advantages to keep in mind:
 
1. Tax Rate Protection
One thing we can’t control is future tax rates.
Did you know that in the 1980s, the highest federal tax rate was 50%?

A few HumbleDollar writers have written that they worry about a child who seems to be on the wrong track in life. Here’s a story about a kid, who, despite a very rocky start, has turned out okay. 
Her early antics could have caused her life to turn out much different. During her early to middle teen years, problems developed at home, things were not great. Eventually, like many teenagers, she met her first love, he was a few years older than she.

There are concepts in our lives that trouble me.  One of them is our inability to really establish a price (value) for anything.  I am already getting a headache writing about this.  We have arrived at a time when the price of many things has become dynamic.  And, I am not thinking about inflation now, although that increases the challenge.  From movie tickets to airline seats, the price of a head of lettuce, the cost of one share of VTI,

Have any of you heard about the new book by Harvard economist, John Y. Campbell, Fixed: Why Personal Finance Is Broken and How to Make it Work for Everyone? I heard him interviewed yesterday on Episode 380 of The Rational Reminder podcast and found myself nodding along in agreement the whole interview. I want to read the book.
Campbell argues that the financial system we all need to navigate fails most people because of needless complexity,

It occurs to me that we are all, thankfully, rather different in how we approach the world. Otherwise life would be tediously uniform. That said, there are certain character traits that prove useful when it comes to building wealth over the long haul, and chief among them is the ability to delay gratification.
Delayed gratification is basically the art of not buying the thing you want right now because Future You will probably need that money more than Present You needs that thing.

I wanted to mention for those who are interested that the SS COLA was announced this morning to be 2.8% for 2026.  Not really needing a discussion, just offering the information. Chris

There are good reasons to start Social Security at 62 or at age 70 or anywhere in between. One is that the money is needed as income. Another is to assure the maximum possible monthly income later in life, including survivor income. Both are valid based on individual needs. Less than 10% of America will wait until age 70 – generally out of necessity.
But when I read on Open Social Security:
“Recommended Strategy: 
The strategy that maximizes the total dollars you can be expected to receive over your lifetime is as follows:” 
I cringe.