Money

A few days ago, I learned that there is a regulation that the federal government is proposing that would allow private equity companies to access funds in retirement accounts. Public comment on the proposed regulation ends today, June 1st at 11:59 PM.. If you have a retirement account and don't want private equity companies to access the funds in the account, then you might want to provide public comments. Here is the link to the Federal Register to provide public comment. Please share this with other people you may know.

If you want free magazines, you can get many free either print or online by googling free magazine subscriptions.  Mercury and Blue Dolphin are popular.  Most are a year but some are longer.  FREE.  No money, no credit card.  Just fill in your info.  You might want to use an alternate email or abbreviate your name (Mary Jones becomes M Jones). Enough that it will still get delivered by your postal carrier but enough that you know when the junk mail comes asking you now to pay that you can disregard the mail.  I have been doing this for years and never paid a cent.  Some subscriptions keep offering me the same one over and over so the subscription might last for several years.  (Sorry system would not let me reply to OP mentioning the mags for points)  Also some might offer you a digital version

There was no way to comment on the actual Bulletin feature online, so I am posting my comment here. This feature was more about mental health than a scam, in my opinion. It said more about the victim needing help with loneliness, risk taking/gambling, delusion and lust than anything else. The victim needs help. Where was his family while all this was going on? Didn’t they see that their dad was having other, more dangerous problems? Just sayin’. Good grief.

I’m thinking on reducing my hours by changing jobs for less stress. Can I do partial retirement without losing social security benefits?  

I just opened a Barclays Savings account after an offer from AARP. I can't believe that AARP would be affiliated with a company like this. First it took almost 20 days to open a new account and in the interim, customer service was no help as to whether my application was in process. Then after it was active I sent on online question about how to set up alerts and 2-step authentication. The answer was to call customer service.I called CS and there was so much background noise and a person with a difficult accent. I gave her my name (definitely a woman's name) and she kept calling me MR. It turns out that Barclays DOES NOT HAVE 2-step authentication. I was very surprised. And you cannot set any alerts. I don't know that I trust adding any more money to this account. AARP - you need to reevaluate recommending this bank.

 I'm having problems with Login.gov account when I try to log in to Social Security. I get the run around when I start the ID myself and I am told my cell phone number does not exist. My old landline number I no longer have but haven't found a way to delete it. There are ways to add phone numbers but apparently no way to delete my old number. Has anyone had problems trying to ID yourself so you can get to your Social Security account?

A YEAR OF GROCERIESIN SAN FRANCISCOMay 1, 2025-April 30, 2026Conclusion: A 17.89% increase = $486 

I am 73 years old and have to withdraw the required RMD from my mutual fund IRA which is a fairly substantial amount.Can I hire a Certified Financial Planner to handle my RMD (i.e., Roth IRA, etc.) as a one-time transaction or must I hire the CFP full-time to manage my entire financial portfolio (cd, mutual funds, Social Security, etc.) for what could be a multi-year deal at about $5,000 a year?Also, if I do hire a CFP to handle all of my finances at $5,000 a year, would it be expected that the CFP would save me money and make me more money that would offset the $5,000 fee?

I always pay my Hartford homeowner & auto bills annually with a credit card in order to earn reward points. This year there was a notice that they're using a third-party vendor to process CC payments, and when you select credit card as payment, it states there "may" be a 2.95% charge. Obviously this would negate any advantage of earning points. There has never been a credit charge surcharge in prior years. Anyone else notice this?  

 I am 79 years old. I have $4000 left in CDs set aside to pay my taxes for the next two years. I owe $60,000 on my mortgage with a relatively small monthly payment. My income is $1800 a month, combined SS and retirement payments. Recent medical bills have set me behind in my budgeting. There is no wiggle room and I am starting to worry. My original plan was to sell the house when I got to this point. The house is very conducive for aging and I have a strong social network. I am try to negotiate this next step in the most optimal way. I am seeking guidance. Thank you. LynneaH149711

Everyone might want to read this recent editorial from MarketWatch and Morningstar here - - https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/2026031757/social-security-benefit-cuts-are-coming-and-they-will-hit-current-retirees-hard.  A 1960 Supreme Court ruling in Fleming vs. Nestor established the principle that entitlement to Social Security benefits is NOT a contractual right.  The Court based its decision on section 1104 of the 1935 Social Security Act, entitled "RESERVATION OF POWER", which specifically states, "The right to alter, amend or repeal any provision of this Act is hereby reserved to the Congress."  While some might think that this reservation is unconstitutional, the above Supreme Court ruling settled this issue in Fleming vs. Nestor.  Denying or wholly removing benefits is neither unconstitutional nor an entitlement.  The Supreme Court ruling here - https://www.ssa.gov/history/nestor.html  While it's true, according to the SSA

 I was just informed my job will be ending on May 29th. I am 64 years old and am wondering if it's better to take my 12 weeks' severance and use it to try to find another full-time job, or if I'm better off taking my SSI now (knowing I'll only earn roughly $1,350 a month) and then looking for a part time job to supplement. The SSI I'd make would be roughly what one of my two monthly paychecks is, after taxes. I don't own a car but do have a bus pass I automatically put $100 on when the limit goes down to $5, right now my employer pays for my pass so that will be another expense.  I know finding a job at my age is extremely difficult, and since my skill set is administrative assistant / receptionist / secretary, I also know AI will probably be taking over those jobs sooner rather than later.  The good news is that my condo is completely paid off, but I have a HELOC I've taken out for $65,000 that will need to be paid in full in 15 years. My husband's finances ar

Pay more toward the principal on your mortgage to pay it off faster. This will save on the interest paid over the life of the loan.

Hello,I am wondering if anyone knows how to figure the historical price of a stock. I looked up one of my shares of stock on a historical price lookup tool online and the price did not match the amount that was listed on my receipt for when the original stock share was bought. I am thinking it has something to do with the Split Adjustment Factor column listed on the historical price table and that I have to do some figuring to get the true original price. Does anyone know about this? I have to look up prices for other shares for which I do not have receipts so want to get the cost basis correct.thank you.

Six weeks ago I enrolled for my social security. Its been over six weeks and all I have received is an email on the day after I enrolled saying someone looked at my submittal.  I cannot find anyway to check on the status. Any thoughts?S. S. 

Has anyone been contacted by someone they claim is Jonathan Roumie? A relative of mine is convinced that she is talking to via social media to Jonathan Roumie.  She claims he sent her a pic of his driver's license and passport and that she has all his bank info.  She says he has her helping her buy camera equipment from bank account he gave her info on from a company in China and that he can't do it because he is in Tanzania filming The Chosen.  I know it's crazy but she is 72 and believes it fully.  I feel she is being groomed.  She gets angry with me when I try to talk to her about how unlikely this is.  

Hi- I decided to self-direct our retirement portfolio and would like a second opinion on my AA. I had my head buried in the sand until recently when I decided to take a proactive approach to our retirement portfolio, now that we are 5 yrs from retirement. 57 yo, plan to retire in 5 yearsSet my target allocation to 70/30. Staying somewhat aggressive b/c anticipate having enough in savings for first 2 years of retirement.Using 3-fund strategy 1) US Stocks 2) Int'l Stock 3)BondAA: 1) 56% 2) 14% 3) 40%Entire portfolio approach: 3 different accounts, 1)my work 2) spouse work 3) Individual Roths. Instead of treating each account as a stand-alone, taking holistic view for 3 accts as 1 portfolio.This is our current portfolio, would appreciate any feedback/critique:

I'm a retired blue collar worker whoseFederal income tax bill increased by 0.618%!Income tax 2024 = 8.547%Income tax 2025 = 9.165%

My friends received ssi disability and his parent is the payee representative for 4-5 years.- Since being the payee representative they never lived together (parent lives hours away) (red state)- parent doesn’t provide any food/shelter- parent has been giving only partial payment (payment method is the same always thru money services)- parent tells him ssa has a rules so he need to keep the rest (I heard that conversation on the phone when- parent never provided ssa benefit statement when asked- friend is sort of homeless for long time as he stays with different friends.- the address on ssa file is family address that is just used for getting mail (maybe the dad tell them she stays there but it’s not the truth)My friend has hard time grasping money and basic mathematics so easy to trick him I guess.I have been telling my friend for long time to make the call to ssa to report the misuse of the funds. Not sure if anything will happen.Recently I logged into the ssa account and saw large p

On a daily basis I receive multiple cell phone calls from those who 1) tell me I'm approved for a debt consolidation loan (or some other reason) or 2) they're from the IRS and I must address the problem immediately.  They are obviously financial scamsters, but most use what appear to be toll-free numbers.  The telecoms make millions of dollars off these scamsters and folks like you and me suffer the consequences.  It's highly unlikely that the telecoms don't know that lines they sell are being used for fraud and theft.  Lets motivate our legislators to make the Telecoms financially liable for not performing due diligence before they sell the lines.  One thing for sure, the FCC or other government agencies are completely impotent, incompetent or just plain unwilling to effectively address this concern.

 

Hello.My retired cousin is a Massachusetts resident and has gotten into financial trouble. Apparently there are credit card bills, utilities, taxes and insurance that are impossible to all pay.  There is apparently a reverse mortgage that is also a problem.  They are not techno savvy.I have offered to help them find a way out.  Is there a counselor or organization that helps people get on a solid path?  Hopefully there is a person or place they can visit in person.  Specific advice rather than generalities.  I can help with the fees that may be charged.  Thanks in advance.

My 62 year old wife is being treated for  stage three breast cancer, and she is currently receiving care via Medicaid.  She does not have any income of her own, she is not now receiving any Social Security benefits, and as of the moment, our only source of money are my Social Security Disability Benefits, which are around $2,000 a month.  Also, I'm 64 years old. We are wondering if my wife can apply for Social Security early due to her cancer diagnosis, and due to the fact that she is unable to work.  Also, if she begins receiving Social Security in the near future, how would that effect her Medicaid benefits, and is there a chance that her medical benefits could be interrupted or stopped during her cancer treatment.  We are in a very very tight place financially, but I'm afraid to make any moves which might jeopardize her medical care.  Also, I have tried reaching out to several non profits who provide cancer support, but so far the only thing I

AARP should STOP endorsing CC. CC is targeting AARP members promising great discounts that are never given. The switch took several weeks and dozens of phone calls. They signed me up for the wrong plan, and I did NOT receive the discounts they promised. CC refused to credit me for the discounts that they promised saying they weren't aware of any promotions even though they are still running the same commercial. They lie ,cheat ,and steal from you through Fraud. Avoid CC at all costs or it will cost you way more than you currently pay and the "service" will be non existent.