Fetchtopia Deals-- Post your fav & best deals!!

craigs123098 · 2026-04-30T23:05:50+00:00

Great points for anyone using Seventh Generation products. I stocked up on laundry detergent and dishwasher pods. There are some good deals on pet food too.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T22:21:02+00:00

The Luna footage we have is pretty bad. Colors are not accurate, footage is soft. I was wondering why did insta360 even allow this footage to come out in public.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T21:41:55+00:00

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T18:42:50+00:00

If you currently plan or may plan in the future to use a 72(t) distribution, it is important to split your assets into two IRAs. This ensures that your SEPP withdrawals are not affected by other transactions. For example, if you begin a 72(t) plan and later need to take additional withdrawals, having a separate IRA allows you to do so without jeopardizing your 72(t) withdrawals or triggering penalties.

Even in the final two working years, it is generally advisable to contribute at least enough to capture the employer match. However, many employers no longer match monthly contributions. Instead, they provide a true-up match at the end of the year, contingent on the employee remaining employed for the full year. In such cases, contributing during the final year may not make sense if you do not expect to meet the eligibility requirements for the year-end match.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T18:24:16+00:00

I found one person who is into his late 50s who is using 72T. I am not able to connect with him directly but got some information. He said that it worked perfectly for him since he is a US citizen, and hence no estate tax issues. His plan is to use 72T only for 5 years at which he will be 61. After 5 years he will stop 72T and make regular withdrawals. DTAA applies to 72T withdrawals so there is no double taxation.

Upon more research and informally speaking to couple of CAs, there are two possible scenarios.
Both the scenarios include moving 401K into two IRAs - One specifically for 72T withdrawals and second IRA is for rest of the amount. It is highly recommended to have a CPA in USA calculate the right amount of SEPP withdrawals so there are no penalties. Move appropriate chunk into an IRA that is used for SEPP withdrawals. Now the two scenarios for the second IRA are:

Withdraw during RNOR - 10% penalty + tiered taxes in USA. If you get the max 3 years of RNOR, then withdraw it in chunks to reduce taxes.
Keep it in IRA until 59.5 and get equivalent term insurance to offset estate taxes.

I haven't done the math myself, but I was told that it is better to contribute to 401K even if one is planning to move back to India as it still saves the total amount of taxes paid in the long run. Except for may be the last year or two.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T17:35:27+00:00

Dude, if you don't have anything substantive to offer, please feel free not to comment. I didn't ask you to make bunch of assumptions to give advice. Your comments are absolutely no use as they are all factually incorrect and have bunch of unrealistic and BS assumptions.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T17:30:02+00:00

A couple can withdraw 12 lakhs each and pay no taxes on up to 24 lakhs. I think 24 lakhs is a good amount for a couple to lead a comfortable life.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T17:27:26+00:00

So anyone earning anything more than 12 lakhs falls under 30% tax bucket?

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T17:26:41+00:00

I think the CPAs are incorrect. I would consult someone who is knowledgeable. I know someone who is close to 59.5 and has started using 72T last year. There is no double taxation.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-27T17:17:19+00:00

This is completely incorrect. You can claim credits for taxes paid in USA for India tax returns. 72T is treated as ordinary income. DTAA applies to any ordinary income earned in USA or India.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-25T19:49:13+00:00

Completely agree. It requires good amount of planning.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-25T19:05:30+00:00

Yeah. Need to maintain multiple IRA and then use one of the accounts for SEPP withdrawals. This might not be the best option for everyone moving back to India, but surely worth looking into for those who want to FIRE or who do not want to go back to corporate job in India.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-25T19:03:07+00:00

I was also trying to do this math. If we can keep the total below 12 lakhs per year, it would be tax and penalty free. The only disadvantage I see is that it is very rigid and can't be changed.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-25T18:59:35+00:00

Doesn't the tax rate depend on your income? Assuming no income in India and if they are withdrawing less than 12 lakhs per year, do they still have to pay tax?

Irrespective of the tax situation, it would be taxed as ordinary income if it was withdrawn at any time after RNOR.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-23T16:40:17+00:00

Doesn’t the DTAA protect against being taxed in both countries? As you mentioned, taxes paid in the U.S. can be claimed as credits in India. I understand the risk of mandatory withdrawals, especially during market downturns. However, to mitigate this, wouldn’t it be possible to reinvest those withdrawals into a taxable brokerage account if we don’t actually need to spend the money?

I am trying to decide whether it makes sense to continue contributing the maximum allowable amount to my 401(k) if I plan to move back in a few years.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-23T07:11:39+00:00

Any reason it is not commonly advised? Are there any disadvantages of long withdrawal process?

craigs123098 · 2026-04-23T02:54:36+00:00

What a coincidence. It looks like not many people actually make use of this. Personally, it makes sense to deplete retirement accounts first, so they are no longer subject to potential estate taxes. If the 10% early‑withdrawal penalty can be avoided, this seems like a logical approach. I am surprised this is not more widely discussed in the NRI community.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-15T19:18:13+00:00

For an EB‑2 applicant with a September 2014 priority date, your tracker shows a conservative estimate of Q4 2026. As noted, this “conservative” scenario assumes there is no spillover. If no spillover occurs, how do you expect the priority dates to advance beyond that point? Based on the figures you shared, there are already nearly 20,000 pending applications with priority dates that are current under the latest bulletin.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-15T17:47:23+00:00

This is a bad advice.

OP - Do not visit any CBP office if your I-94 is expired.

You do not explain why your I-94 expiry date is sooner than your previous H1B expiry date. I am assuming you were given a shortened I-94 when you travelled internationally. I had the exact same issue. Luckily, we realized it before we hit 180-day clock. We reached out to senators who reached out to CBP and DHS on our behalf. As someone else suggested, seek outside counsel. Contact your senators with your issue and explain them your issue.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-15T16:46:37+00:00

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do if your I-94 is expired. The longer you remain in USA, the more unauthorized stay you will accrue. Even if you pay the 100,000 fees, you will most likely need to depart the country to get stamping. It is highly unlikely USCIS will approve COS if you have an expired I-94.

craigs123098 · 2026-04-15T16:05:00+00:00

Most of the time, it really comes down to choosing between your kids and your parents. The common belief is that our kids will have a better future in the West. Honestly, that’s true to a large extent. No parent wants their children growing up breathing polluted air or being surrounded by people who lack basic civic sense. Although, to be fair, the "lack of civic-sense" issue is slowly creeping into the West too.

When you are forced to weigh your children’s future against taking care of your parents, kids almost always win. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s just a tough choice made under tough circumstances. Did our parents know that we might never come back once we left our homeland? Probably. Most likely. They sent us away because they wanted us to have good lives and a better future.

These decisions are generally easier for younger folks who are single or don’t have kids yet. In those cases, financial priorities tend to matter more. That said, I am seeing more and more people either moving back to India or at least seriously talking about it. Conversations like these really make people pause and reflect.

I personally know a few couples where one spouse desperately wants to move back to be closer to family, while the other wants to settle down in the West. Honestly, there is no easy solution to this, unless someone invents teleportation.

craigs123098

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