FINANCIAL: Get a big mortgage BEFORE you retire

Saturday, March 25, 2017
AN EMAIL TO A FRIEND
 
 
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Please permit me to “pontificate” since I feel strongly about this bit of “whizdom”.
 
The desire to pay off the mortgage before retiring is based (imho) on a false paradigm and a obsolete meme.
 
The false paradigm (perception of reality) is that it’s “safe” not to have a payment in retirement when your earnings are reduced. While it’s not “safe” to have any “bad” debt ever (i.e., Macy’s at 21%; etc.), a mortgage is “good debt” (i.e., your living in an asset that will probably appreciate). Isn’t it safer to have a big chunk of cash, “safely” invested, that you can use when needed?
 
The obsolete meme (framework of thinking) is based on the pre-1940-ish mortgage where the bank could demand payment in full of the whole mortgage at anytime. That’s why depression era folks lost their homes or farms to foreclosure. After the New Deal (I believe) mortgages were not subject to the bank’s demand, so you can never lose the house due to foreclosure — as long as you make the payments.
 
The argument FOR a big long mortgage going into retirement is that you will have the cash, the house, and a very low tax deductible interest rate (i.e., 4%).
 
The argument for doing it BEFORE you retire is that you CAN NOT do it after you retire. So if you were to need money, then you’ll have to sell the house to get the cash or take a Home Equity Loan at a higher and variable interest rate.
 
I invite you to talk to my “finance guy” to get the scoop. He loves to chat with all my friends and relatives who are all broke and don’t have two nickels to rub together. Laugh! The Edelman Group’s philosophy is they to help everyone get rich.
 
Now I don’t have to rant next time I see you. 
 
Laugh!

 
 
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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Social Security IS now a Ponzi scheme (and it always was)

Friday, March 24, 2017

2017-Mar-23

AN EMAIL FROM MY LUDDITE “OLD” FRIEND

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Alan Simpson, the Senator from Wyoming calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared
“Social Security ” to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats. Here’s a response in a letter from PATTY MYERS in Montana …

I think she is a little ticked off! She also tells it like it is!…….

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I’D AGREE BECAUSE I’M <past tense synonym for urine output> off too!

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“Hey …Alan, let’s get a few things straight!!!

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public dole (tit) for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero losers in return for votes, thus bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would make Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and “your ilk” pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your “shill commission” are proposing to move the goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now “you morons” propose to change the rules of the game. Why? Because “you idiots” mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal our money from Medicare to pay the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why? Because you “incompetent bastards” spent our money so
profligately that you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

To add insult to injury, you label us “greedy” for calling “bullshit” to your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU:

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the “greedy” ones. It is you and your fellow nutcase thieves who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers.

And for what? Votes and your job and retirement security at our expense, you lunk-headed, leech. That’s right, sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic, political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it. And you can take that to the bank, you miserable son of a bitch.

P.S. And stop calling Social Security benefits “entitlements”. WHAT AN INSULT!!!!

I have been paying in to the SS system for 45 years “It’s my money” – give it back to me the way the system was designed and stop patting yourself on the back like you are being generous by doling out these monthly checks .

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You were robbed. And, the politicians and bureaucrats escaped scott free. 

So sad that “We, The Sheeple” don’t recognize it.

If an insurance exec did it, they’d be in jail.

Argh!

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GOVERNACIDE: SEVENTY people would have died by following the FDA’s diktats

Thursday, March 23, 2017

https://youtu.be/iVByXXQjB3w

Right to Try Act: Doctor Saves Lives by Ignoring FDA Restrictions
Tenth Amendment Center

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When the FDA told a Texas Doctor to stop treating terminal patients, he continued under the Right To Try Act. Instead of death they now have hope for life.

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This is why the FDA MUST be made an “advisory only” function.

More than SEVENTY people would have died by following the FDA’s diktats. For something that’s been in use in Europe for 15 years?

That’s murder by Gooferment!

Argh!

I am a proud supporter of the Tenth Amendment Center

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HEALTH: Eat your veggies and ONLY veggies

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/dont-wait-until-your-doctor-kicks-the-habit

Don’t Wait Until Your Doctor Kicks the Habit | NutritionFacts.org

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Just like most doctors smoked in the 1950s, most physicians today continue to consume foods that are contributing to our epidemics of dietary disease.

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Strong words for good advice.

But it does require all us autodydactics to reprogram our eating habits.

As hard as that is, we should take that doc’s quote: “I don’t mind dying, I just don’t want it to be my fault.”  — Michael Greger M.D. FACLM  March 10th, 2017 

Many a true word is said in a joke.

So sad that patients have to die because of their doctors’ stupidity, ignorance, and (I hope not) avarice.

Of course, the Gooferment has a big role in this continuing stupidity.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” — attributed to Einstein

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RANT: Gooferment cuts! “Effective Compassion” will emerge (imho)

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

<A real friend stated on Facebook>

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John, I would like to think the world is full of caring People. However, that is not the case. I choose to believe that we live in a nation, the United States, that has the capacity to care about the needs of all citizens. The evidence is that our corporate world, through Citizens United, is able to suppress our best human instincts.

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OF COURSE, I REPLIED:

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Unfortunately, I think your paradigm or perception is wrong.

The USA is a very charitable nation. Even with the high taxation, Americans donate a lot to charity. (Not the politicians and bureaucrats, but real people.) Look at how they respond to international disasters or 911.

AND, if we stop Gooferment funding, then people will not think “oh the Gooferment is taking care of it”.  

When real people and private charities get involved, charity is more efficient and effective. Example, the Salvation Army. Or the myriad of stories about individuals stepping up. The USA has a tradition of neighbors helping neighbors.

It’s only when Gooferment takes over “the problem” does it become a “real problem”.

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Or course, I forgot to cite that “Effective Compassion” article. http://www.acton.org/public-policy/effective-compassion/seven-principles-century-ago

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GOVERNACIDE: “Federal cyanide trap”?

Monday, March 20, 2017

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/03/17/federal-cyanide-trap-injures-eastern-idaho-boy-kills-dog.html

IDAHO
Federal cyanide trap injures eastern Idaho boy, kills dog
Published March 17, 2017  Associated Press

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POCATELLO, Idaho –  An eastern Idaho sheriff says he’s investigating after a cyanide trap placed by federal authorities to kill coyotes injured a 14-year-old boy and killed his dog.

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While there are a lot of questions still outstanding:

  • was it an accident
  • was the boy tresspassing on private land
  • was it posted
  • were there warning signs

The point remains!

Where in the Constitution does the Federal Gooferment have any authorization to kill anything outside of a declared war?

At best, coyotes are a state level problem. At worst, this is the Federal over-reach and even maybe </tin foil hat> an ‘experiment’ (Yeah, like you never heard of  the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male<tin foil hat/>.

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TECHNOLOGY: Small developers get “Sherlocked”; that’s one word for it.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

https://www.howtogeek.com/297651/what-does-it-mean-when-a-company-sherlocks-an-app/

What Does It Mean When Apple “Sherlocks” an App?

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Perhaps you’ve read that F.lux, which reduces eye strain and helps you sleep, is being “Sherlocked” later this month. What does that mean? In short, “Sherlocked” means that macOS will soon offer features that make installing the popular third-party tool F.lux unnecessary. When macOS 10.11.4—the latest update for Sierra—comes out, the “Displays” panel in System Preferences will offer the Night Shift feature that debuted on iPhones last year. For lifelong Apple fans, this term barely needs explanation, but recent converts might feel confused. So, let’s take a look at where the term “Sherlocked” comes from.

*** and ***

In a blog post, Wood said Steve Jobs told him Apple can and will do this to developers on the platform. Here’s Wood paraphrasing a phone call from Jobs himself:

“You know those handcars, the little machines that people stand on and pump to move along on the train tracks? That’s Karelia. Apple is the steam train that owns the tracks.”

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Well, it’s better to be quick and nimble than slow and stiff.

That’s Apple “slow and swift”. Independent developers aren’t the only one getting <synonym for the past tense of the procreation act.> by Apple. Look at their planned obsolesce strategy and no thought of the Customer when pulling products. (I was particularly “frosted” when they pulled iWeb!)

So be warned and don’t trust anyone (i.e., MicroSloth; RottenApple; even Google) long term.

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WEBSITE: NCAA “bracket challenge” looks like it has a bug to me

Saturday, March 18, 2017

https://bracketchallenge.ncaa.com/?cid=BCG2017_Dedicated_Picks_Offers_031217#bracket?entry_id=1051065&controller=bracket

 
No, I had ark. I was looking a frenchy’s bracket. 
 
Whew.
 
But the brackets say I’m 25\160 and he’s 23\96. The summary has him leading 33 to 26?
 
Looks like a bug to me.
 
And, it’s really annoying me.
 
 
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TECHNOLOGY: Why don’t all devices “phone home” or … …

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Why don’t all devices “phone home” or … …

… … record somewhere in the cloud their last know location. 

It would save me a lot of prayers to Saint Anthony!

Argh!

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FINANCIAL: What is the defined-benefit pension plan alternative?

Friday, March 17, 2017

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL “The 10-Point”

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Jerome Schmid of South Carolina commented: “Sad to see defined-benefit plans slip away into history. But employers no longer care about employee welfare (despite volumes of acclamations in various mission statements), as once-paternalistic corporations have been reduced to financial schemes, manipulated like exotic derivative securities. It is probably a very good idea to turn over the plans to insurance companies who are staffed with people who are (thought to be) competent risk managers, and who are far more likely be around 10 years from now.”

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Well, I’m no Ric Edelman, but here’s my suggestion.

Remember the history of defined-benefit plans and take action accordingly.

Remember “benefits” — that is employer supplied and paid for “entitlements” — is a vestige of the World War II wage and price controls. Prior to that, the employer just paid you what you had earned. What you did with it was up to you. To get around the WW2 wage and price control, employers offered “benefits” which were found to not be wages — probably due to Crony Capitalist bribing the politicians. Of course, as an expense to the company they were tax deductible. Unfortunately, if the employee bought the very same “benefits”, then they paid with “after tax dollars”. (That’s how the whole “pre existing conditions” and “health insurance tied to the job” disaster got started! Thanks to the Gooferment.)

So, the defined-benefit pension plan is a fiction. Some companies like AT&T were rigorous in their financial planning for it. To the extent of setting up a completely separate corporate entity, with its own Board of Directors, to manage the funds. (And, to insist that all liabilities be 100% funded.) Other, like Enron forced their pension and 401k plans to hold only Enron stock in the plans. (We all know how that worked out.) Also, look at Dallas where the city my have to file for bankruptcy because of the unfunded liabilitiesOther horror stories exist. Like CalPers underfunded by many trillions of dollars. Like some Union pension funds underfunded by 75%. And other pension making risky investments, like Puerto Rican junk bonds, to try and catch up.

My suggestion?

Easy. Take responsibility for yourself and your own future. The Gooferment is NOT your friend. Your employer is NOT your friend. Your insurance agent, your broker, and your banker are NOT your friends. So you have to treat them and their promises like a used car salesman’s as you driving off the lot. (At least, the salesman is “honestly” lying to you.)

You have to hire a “team” — lawyer, accountant, and registered financial advisor — that you WILL pay for out of your own pocket — to help you. Then, you figure out how much you will need in retirement to NOT be eating dog food and choosing between medicine or heat. How much you “discount” the promises of Social Security, Pensions, and Retirement savings is an important calculation. And, finally, you build your own “defined-benefit pension plan” with a well diversified investment portfolio that you save into. 

Hard, not really. Essential, absolutely.

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This is entertainment; not investment advice. Call Ric for help. 1-800-call-ric anytime.

Remember the sources of my education! I’m just a fat old white guy retired injineer who’d now a poor old senior citizen on a fixed income with:
* Law “degree” from watching Judge Judy;
* Medical “degree” from watching Doctor Phil;
* Building “degree” from watching “Holmes on Homes”;
* Investing “degree” from reading about Bernie Made-off;
* Finance “degree”from listening to Ric Edelman;
* sensitively managing Human Resources from watching Chef Ramsey; and
* creating loving / caring human relationships from studying the movie roles of Gunny Ronald Lee Ermey

http://www.recedelman.com

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