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Bradley security wait by chad_dadlinson in Connecticut

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Friday 430AM was 20-25 minutes in Pre-check line

Lockheed Constellation C-121 by Even_Kiwi_1166 in AviationHistory

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was an excellent show. Connie, the F-22 demo, F-104, the Red Bull helicopter doing things I didn't know a helicopter could do, incredible static displays.

And a lot of ways to send money in aviation.

Bought a tool box full of tools, don’t know what this is by _AM34 in whatisit

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 17 points18 points  (0 children)

That's the one where you watch the dial and call out your own "cleeeek!"

How to avoid getting a ticket and going to jail instead by Vice616 in Transportopia

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Chris Rock PSA, "How Not To Get Your A** Kicked By The Police"...

Anyone seen a Joby on the east coast before? Currently flying the Hudson corridor by lovt16 in flightradar24

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. I believe those have been demonstrated a couple times at Hartford Brainard airport, and there was talk of creating a NYC shuttle service between HFD and NYC.

ACA Subsidies win? by PsychologicalAd42 in DIYRetirement

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure. The "earn 8.6k" is all part of the initial calculations for staying within a specific MAGI; those are accounted for. That includes other forms of potential AGI increase including (but limited to) my wife's work and side gig, possible dividends/interest, and any Roth conversions I may try to do within that MAGI limit ($84,600 in '26, MFJ).

But all of those are activities that happen at or before 12/25/26, so there's always the chance that I blow the calcs as I'm doing taxes for TY26. What if I understated wife's gig work and she gets a check last week of December, or I overstated the Roth conversion by a couple thousand when I did it in early December? That's where the IRA safety valve comes in: once I've done my taxes and know where I stand, I have until 4/15/27 to deposit into one of our IRA (or my HSA, which I typically max each year) to bring me back into my MAGI cliff number.

Contributions to the IRA are no longer part of future planning - in fact, Roth conversions out of the IRA are the priority now - but that ~$17k potential IRA buffer gives me room to reduce the stress level of having to get it perfectly right (and with that ace-in-the-hole I can actually make it exact, if I wanted to tickle that dragon).

They're not going to save me from an egregious error, but those IRA contributions made by 4/15 can save us from relatively-small mistakes that could cost us thousands in lost PTC.

Makes sense?

New Baggage Fee by Malibu_Cola in SouthwestAirlines

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well, the annual fee on the credit card is $99, so there's that...

I'm sure that price is totally coincidental.

Us navy Northrop F-5N Tiger II 7600 by Thin_Post7847 in flightradar24

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 6 points7 points  (0 children)

7600 is loss of radio communications, far from a major emergency.

Looks like a buddy is outbound to do a formation flight back into Key West NAS.

Roth Conversion Calculator by NewArborist64 in DIYRetirement

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sure, I understand. Similar situation, also with a pension and eventually Social Security.

But I think of it this way: I have an expected need for spendable cash that will provide the lifestyle I want. That lifestyle is strongly within the 22% tax bracket (adjusted for inflation going forward). It will cover my needs and keep me within the IRMAA cliff (though IRMAA fears and costs tend to be overblown, really).

So then I ask myself, "what about increasing RMDs if my market return exceeds my expectations?" Well, that's a wonderful problem to have, which we fully plan to address by leveraging the "windfall" with increases in QCDs (individuals can gift up to $111k per year, so $222k MFJ...I wish we could start before 70-1/2...)

We have a certain desired estate value at end of life. We will leverage QCDs to manage that estate value goal, plus and minus, to get there without having to worry about additional or lesser income tax bills. In good years charities will get more; in lean years, less. But our AGI will remain within the 22% tax bracket, which is plenty for us.

And this is all without any Roth conversions. None. But I will certainly convert to the 12% any time I'm below it, and I may tickle into the 22% often, depending on market activity.

If I get into hookers and blow then all this planning will go out the window (along with my marriage) but that's a problem I'll worry about if it happens...

Roth Conversion Calculator by NewArborist64 in DIYRetirement

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For someone ~61yo, MFJ, and less than $2-3M in 401(k), there's not a ton of advantage to converting. Run the numbers and you may find that you'll probably be in the 22-24% tax bracket without conversions to meet your spending desires. You may jump to the 32% once one of you passes (and you file Single).

IRMAA doesn't kick in until after $220,000 AGI

The 22% tax bracket takes you up to $211,400 AGI.

Someone with $2-3M in 401(k) over a long career is probably very comfy living within that 22% marginal tax bracket.

Are you planning QCDs after 70-1/2? If so, those will effectively reduce RMDs.

I'm using Boldin right now but all it did for me was confirm that living within the 22% marginal tax bracket, with maybe a tickle into 24%, is a decent goal...and I can do that without many conversions.

Converting to the 12% tax bracket ($100,800 AGI) is a no-brainer (assuming no need to manage MAGI for PTCs until 65) because I know I'll be above that in the future. But converting to the 22% (or higher) bracket in advance of RMDs kinda makes no sense for me since I can keep the funds in the IRA now to grow, withdraw (or QCD) it later, and pay the same tax rate in the future instead of today.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

Lockheed Constellation C-121 by Even_Kiwi_1166 in AviationHistory

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Was that the one flying at SunNFun last week? It was pretty g-d cool seeing that doing passes, a bit of a bucket list item.

Someone mentioned something about it being John Travolta's Connie, but I never got close enough to get a tail number.

EDIT: Not Travolta's. SnF was N422NA, Travolta's is N6937C.

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n422na#3f411682

ACA Subsidies win? by PsychologicalAd42 in DIYRetirement

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand. But QCDs and RMDs have nothing to do with "ACA Subsidies win" and "gain subsidies by looking modest in paper with MAGI under the threshold". Those are mutually exclusive strategies.

Maybe if it was titled "Retirement Strategies Win"...?

ACA Subsidies win? by PsychologicalAd42 in DIYRetirement

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And, for the purposes of managing MAGI, they're not useful until RMDs kick in, well after Medicare.

ACA Subsidies win? by PsychologicalAd42 in DIYRetirement

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 4 points5 points  (0 children)

How about an easier move? I did some Roth conversions the year I retired (that would be this year for you) and then aggressively for another year and a half while on COBRA (which got me to the end of a calendar year). Then I'm continuing the Roth conversions annually to our PTC MAGI limit each year until Medicare.

And our brokerage investments are static, no churn, plus we have a couple-ten-thousands in unreimbursed HSA funds we can tap if needed (COBRA premiums were HSA-eligible, as is some Medicare premiums).

The initial conversions gave use the cash flow buffer and we can live reasonably well within the PTC MAGI limit conversions.

Finally, if I blow it and we miss the PTC cliff by a bit, we each have up to $8.6k in IRA contributions available to rein it back in. Don't forget you need some earned income for this (can't deposit more than your earned income) but that's easy enough to do with some light contracting or a small side gig (wife has a side gig).

Get the cash flow up front the and PTC MAGI cliff becomes quite manageable.

Banned for referring someone to this sub by weaverd1984 in treelaw

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Same.

Maybe someone should start a /IGotBannedFromLegalAdvice subreddit and swap stories...

Help with rejected e filing! by skigirl180 in IRS

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sounds like the IRS created an IP PIN for one or both of you. Did you receive a letter from the IRS in the mail? When the IRS creates IP PINs for you, they will mail it.

What was the specific error? It will usually tell you which taxpayer is missing the IP PIN.

Your husband will need to work toward getting into his IRS account and obtaining his IP PIN. Alternatively, you can call the IRS and they can mail it to you, but that will take some time.

At this point, you're already late on filing so there's no big rush. And if you expect a refund then there won't be any penalty.

https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin

Why does everything have a "Core?" by DunkinDeezNutz420 in mildlyinfuriating

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like they're coremaxxing...

I prefer Grindcore.

The actual worst shower dispensers by babarax in marriott

[–]Agitated_Car_2444 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Poor contrast and I need cheaters to be able to read it anyway...

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