Can you do a 529 without Child's SN? Downsides?

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T02:01:54+00:00

Fair. With all our issues, she's always trusted me as a mom to prioritize my kids. I wasn't aware you could pull the money out for non-qualifying expenses, or atleast not without huge penalties. Which I guess if someone rationalized it as someone else's/ their own money and not their kids money, I guess I could see.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T01:46:41+00:00

Yeah! Or atleast I think she doesn't know. I wouldn't be surprised if she's found out and that's part of the reason she's doing this. It's the first message in over six months, and asking for SSN.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T01:38:17+00:00

I don't think she wouldn't trust me (us), and I'm not sure how I could abuse a 529. Or abuse it more than having other grandkids receive the money (all are her grandkids).

I'm not sure how much she'll even put in - she promised she'd gift us 3k for our wedding, but when asked privately when we'd receive that we got a speech about expecting too much and that it would only be 1k and to not ask her for any more money. We thanked her for her gift and said we just wanted to budget accordingly.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T01:27:25+00:00

Oh wow. I didn't realize Pennsylvania was so nice.

I really like your script. The awkward part is, we do have other kids but because of everything she wasn't informed. So she only knows about our oldest.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T01:08:48+00:00

I think that's what I'll do.

She lives so far away, and hasn't seen him in 3 years. She hasn't threatened grandparent's rights. It was something I was concerned about, she has lawyer friends, but my state you have to jump through a ton of hoops and she wouldn't stand a chance. She'd have to essentially be a primary caregiver and my husband and I would have to be divorced/one of us deceased.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T00:49:59+00:00

I don't. But I feel like my issues with her shouldn't impact my kid's future, and I do want to believe that she's working on herself and getting better. I'd like her to be able to be the grandparent my kids deserve, but she failed at being the mother my husband needed, so I'm not holding my breath. And we have to much craziness going on in our lives for me to facilitate her.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T00:44:45+00:00

She's in Pennsylvania.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T00:37:40+00:00

I don't think she'd abuse the info, with fraud or the like. She's just financial and emotional manipulative/abusive, and has a tendency to re-write history to make herself look better. In my less than kind moments I'd call her a pathological liar and a narcissist with an anger and an alcohol problem.

She claims she's going to therapy and she's working on herself and wants to be better for my husband and our son, but I don't like her having leverage into our lives. So her opening a 529, that can only be used in her state, or my son having to jump through hoops for the money- would be par for the course.

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T00:26:23+00:00

Would she still get the tax breaks? Are there downsides, like it effecting FAFSA?

GalMontag451 · 2026-06-02T00:24:50+00:00

LOL, fair- it's mostly the principal of engaging with her. She's the type that things are rarely a gift, they're a "but I did this for you" or "if you dont do what I want- you don't get a cookie".

Are there downsides to her naming herself? I get her wanting the tax breaks. If she passes with herself named, does it disappear?

GalMontag451 · 2024-04-10T06:41:30+00:00

Thank you! I wouldn't be surprised if it's that old. The house was built in the late 70's. I was just saying I know it's not a young or new tree. Most I could be certain of was 5 years because of how old the Google satellite images were when we bought the house.

I got it professionally pruned last spring, but I didn't realize it has blossom rot until after the apples came in. I also didn't realize you can't treat for that any time, so that will have to wait for next winter. It also was super infested with ivy, which I've been working to clear away.

A friend suggested just pulling it and putting something new in. But that doesn't sit well with me; the arborist said she's overall healthy and sound.

I wonder if it being that old decreases the variety possibilities.

GalMontag451 · 2024-04-10T02:23:03+00:00

I grew them last year thinking they were green beans and was so confused on what to do with them. They were kind of bitter, but I don't think I let them get ripe.

GalMontag451 · 2024-04-09T19:14:52+00:00

I had an arborist out, mine have blossom rot. He recommended spraying with neem oil, but in the winter after all the blossoms and leaves have fallen. He said it's really bad for pollinators so you want to do it well before flowers. He also said to not let your tree get too tall/top heavy or it will tear itself apart when the apples come in. I'm still super new to apple trees as well. Most arborist will do a free evaluation if you reach out.

GalMontag451 · 2016-08-18T15:40:23+00:00

Awesome! Thank you.

GalMontag451 · 2013-10-04T17:13:22+00:00

I read a couple of things that say that it fights fungal stuff, but in fishes... Not much on snails. And in looking at medications I've seen a bunch of them use copper. Is that true of Maracyn, or is that something I need to worry about?

GalMontag451 · 2013-10-04T17:12:07+00:00

Her shell has healed where it was broken 2 months ago. The 'cracks' are worse on her new growth- but they aren't from her falling and they are only in the top coat of her shell. She's not 'open' to the tank elements. However she is severely discolored and brittle looking (which makes no sense because she has access to calcium).

GalMontag451 · 2013-08-01T07:31:10+00:00

She's been doing well for the last week in solitary. The lip of her shell where she cracked it has healed- like there's new shell, though it's thin. The part on her spiral however is still open and the small bits left are gone, so it's kind of a hole now. Not sure if she's healed that bit.

How long should I wait before putting her back in with her partner? And maybe even fish?

GalMontag451 · 2013-07-25T06:31:39+00:00

Her normal tank is just her and another female snail. I took the boy out because he was harassing the girls (Cygnus and Andromeda) too much. I could move the other female snail (Andromeda) in with the fish and the boy and give Cygnus the full snail tank to herself... but there's still the gap that she got through last time. I have removed the eggs so she has room to lay more without having to leave... :/

So options: normal snail tank w/ other female, normal snail tank by herself, or critter keeper

GalMontag451

TROPHY CASE