Why oh why is it so hard for people to put shopping carts where they belong after use or at least not put them where they don’t belong?
Three times in the last week I have pulled into a handicap parking space only to see a cart left right in the middle of the space – a handicap space‼️   Of course, in addition, numerous carts are left in regular spaces, alongside cars and in some cases at the end of a parking lot nowhere near the store they came from. 

Jerry’s post reminded me of something I’ve been wondering about. We both hit 65 this year and started Medicare. We pay a hefty IRMAA up charge because it’s based on our 2023 income, when we were both working.
I retired in July. Though I’m drawing pension income, my gross income has obviously dropped. However, between my pensions, my husband’s pension, and his current salary, I’m guessing that filing for a change in status reconsideration wouldn’t adjust the big picture.

My sister called and asked if she should get a financial advisor.
Her question made me pause, because I’ve wondered the same thing myself.

How “right” do you have to be when you invest?
How much better does an advisor need to be to make up for their fee?
Is it more important to pick the right investments or to be tax-efficient?
And if I’ve managed to stay the course through market storms, do I even need an advisor at all?

My wife passed away in June. Our 2024 MFJ tax return was in the first IRMAA premium tier. The 2024 tax return will be the basis for my SS Part B fee including the IRMAA premium. My wife’s only income was SS and my projected 2026 MAGI will be reduced because of this. However, the main reason we were in the IRMAA Premium tier was that I did a $106k Roth conversion from my TIRA. How will this be dealt with now that I will be a single tax payer in 2026?

Three fat peas with a few fine slices of beetroot and two strategically placed dabs of flavoured foam. “Interesting” was my one-word comment. I’m a reluctant guest at a high-end Michelin-starred restaurant. By the fifth course I’m wishing for some real food—I think my metabolism is burning through the calories quicker than I’m consuming them. The restaurant is called OX and I’d happily wrap my chops around an ox steak if one happened to wander past.

We hear a lot these days about the minimum wage, that it is not a living wage and hasn’t been increased since 2009. Both are true. But there is more to it than that. 
I am not trying to make a case for or against raising the minimum wage. However, there are consequences that proponents seem to ignore or gloss over.
I do think the answer to long-term financial security is not found in raising the minimum wage rate,

I braved the cold and windy weather last night for a walk, heading back to my vacation home. I was magically drawn into the local hotel by the thought of a crackling turf fire and a nice pint of Guinness to warm my wind-chilled bones. It was an excellent choice. I got to listen in on a conversation a group of twenty-somethings were having at the cubby beside mine.
I enjoy eavesdropping but normally don’t get the chance.

I’m not a doom monger, in fact, I’m pretty much a techno-optimist. That said, it seems to me the internet isn’t as stable as it used to be. I keep hearing reports of data centers going down and chunks of the web having issues, which knocks out various consumer-facing applications. Some outages are trivial, social media going dark for a few hours, but others are more serious, like payment system failures.
In my day-to-day life, I simply don’t use cash.

Here is a link to a Substack article by Mark Miller a leading expert on Medicare, and my go to source. He writes an excellent synopsis of changes this year:
https://open.substack.com/pub/retirementrevised/p/your-guide-to-medicare-fall-enrollment?r=17lsan&utm_medium=ios

The Letter of Final Instructions
In many households, one spouse or partner will handle most of the financial and business matters. The other person often has little or no involvement in these matters.  This issue has been exacerbated over the past thirty years as many of these matters are now handled digitally which makes it even more difficult to pick up these duties without good documentation and an up-to-date status of all accounts.
I have done a zoom presentation to North Carolina government retirees numerous times in the past year about The Letter of Final Instructions.

I have a question for my fellow humble members of this Forum.
I’ve often heard financial professionals discourage borrowing from a 401(k) plan, citing what they call a “double taxation” issue. The claim goes like this: when you repay your 401(k) loan, you use after-tax money, and then later, when you withdraw funds from your 401(k) in retirement, you’ll pay taxes again on that same money. Therefore, they say, you’re taxed twice.
While there are many valid pros and cons to taking a 401(k) loan,

I read with great interest what happened to a widow whose husband died unexpectedly and she had to deal with the finances. The article which should be available without a subscription is below:
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/widow-financial-planning-36ce4608?st=AM25UW&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
I wanted to know what do HD readers do to prevent something similar from happening to them. Is there a checklist that you review every so often with your spouse or someone who will handle your finances after you are gone.
I look forward to your wisdom.

The projected IRMAA premiums for 2026 start at $109,000 for a single person and $218,000 for married filing jointly.
The median household income in the US is about $83,730 (2024). And many workers pay far more for health insurance than any Medicare premium. 
The median household income for those age 65 and older is around $56,680 with significant variations by race and ethnicity- several much lower – roughly a quarter of the IRMAA threshold.
And yet,

SOME NEWS STORIES are unusual in ways that it’s hard to know what to make of them. Such is the case with the recent collapse of a relatively unknown company called First Brands.
On the surface, it might seem like a mundane story. First Brands is an auto parts supplier, making commodity items like brake pads and windshield wipers. The company was founded in 2013 by a fellow named Patrick James, who built it up over the years by acquiring several other,

MOST PEOPLE THINK their retirement accounts are completely locked until age 59½ due to the 10% early withdrawal penalty, but that’s not really true. There are many ways to access your money earlier without the penalty, and knowing them can give you flexibility. Of course, you shouldn’t be touching your retirement accounts unless you’re ready to retire.
Here are some distributions that are not subject to the 10% penalty, per the IRS list:

Birth or adoption (up to $5,000 per child)
Series of substantially equal payments (72t)
First-time homebuyer (up to $10,000,