"I haven’t been active here recently so until now I didn’t know about your daughter’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. I will keep all of you in my prayers."

"For those with a large FTC carry forward one path in your planning of the taxable investments you choose to invest in is to consider funds with a large amount of Foreign Source Income to try to utilize your Foreign Tax Credit carry forward. I try to not let the tax tail wave my investment dog but if I had a large FTC carry forward I would favor funds that maximize both international asset exposure and overall dividend yield so I could use up that carry forward. I generally think about funds with foreign taxes withheld as subjecting me effectively to income taxes from two countries and it is hard enough to pay taxes once."

"UofODuck, the parachute image made me smile, though I’d guess most of us spent those first couple of years checking the straps far more often than was strictly necessary. Your two to four years makes my eighteen months look positively reckless. And I thought you were very fair to point out that it depends on what you started with. I said something similar to Olin: more resources simply give you more room to make mistakes and survive them. Still, I suspect the anxiety is much the same whether you’re sitting on a lot or a little. It’s only the size of the number we’re worrying about that changes. Did you have a particular moment when you realised you were spending less than you earned, or did it just creep up on you?"

"I have no insider information, but I suspect William Dorner's observation is correct, even though there may be short-term pain at some point for some folks. On the investing aspect of it, I agree with you--stay invested and stay diversified."

"Feisal, thank you for sharing this. Part of my family is Punjabi, where it’s an accepted expectation that an older relative will move in with the family as they age. My cousin sister finds great comfort in knowing that’s her plan, and I suspect you’ll find the same. Her approach differs from yours in a couple of ways. She hasn’t sold her home, which is in a trust for her grandchildren, and she keeps a large part of her portfolio in cash, which she enjoys spending generously on the family. What strikes me is that both of your plans seem to rest on the same thing: knowing where you’ll be looked after. I’d echo William’s point about making sure your will and beneficiary designations are in order, and perhaps keeping a cash cushion so you never have to sell stocks in a downturn."

"We didn’t hear any clunking over bumps or notice any steering issues. That’s part of what made me question the recommendation. I’m glad we got a second opinion: Boca Auto Fix inspected the links, saw no signs of wear, and told us they didn’t need replacing. Your sister-in-law was fortunate to have you go through the list with her. What I appreciated about Karina was that she did much the same for me: She explained what needed attention and what could wait. That’s the kind of advice that earns my trust, whether it comes from a dealer or an independent shop."

"It's great to hear from Jonathan again. This post highlights one of Jonathan's really impressive professional assets - his ability to frame a complex topic in terms we laymen could understand."

"You’re right, no doubt others find great value and security from tracking and budgeting. I’m trying to understand, not promote my views, what am I missing that others find of great value? An effective tax rate below 3% is less than the average for 50% of American taxpayers of 3.7% so you have accomplished quite a bit. You should share some of your strategies because they are very effective."

"It’s a pity that restaurant owners have turned their staff into professional beggars in order to pay their rent. Why not pay your employees fairly? A tip should really be a gratuity to buy a cup of coffee, not a means of survival."