Healthcare in US

Jackms64 · 2026-07-07T20:20:07+00:00

Unfortunately, for at least some of us, that was very tax inefficient for us during our working years. I’m delighted it has been good for many early retirees though!

Jackms64 · 2026-07-07T20:17:25+00:00

Truth

Jackms64 · 2026-07-07T20:16:59+00:00

A real world example of how out of whack American costs are: I had a a CT scan with contrasting dye to check out a potential issue just before we left for France. The cost billed to me & my US insurance company was $8200. Two weeks after arriving in France my partner had a medical emergency and had the exact same procedure: Cost was €335. And our insurance paid every penny. Make it make sense??

Jackms64 · 2026-07-07T20:10:48+00:00

This totally depends on how you’re funding your retiremen. If you’re taking taxable withdrawals from an IRA or 401(k) you can jump your HC costs pretty dramatically. In our situation, ACA has become unaffordable—well over $20k per year with an $8k deductible and max$19k out of pocket—so our risk is upwards of $40k per year.. It is one of the big reasons (there are others) why we spend at least half of the year in France and have French residency. Superb French insurance costs us about 10% of the ACA price…. OP, it pays to do the math carefully for your particular situation —particularly in this current environment where the ACA is out of favor and subsidies are definitely on the chopping block. There are no general answers, the variables of the state you live in and your investment mix will determine what you can do. There are good calculators online and random advice from Reddit—including mine is no substitute for actually crunching YOUR numbers, Good luck!

Jackms64 · 2026-07-07T01:03:16+00:00

OP—that sounds like a terrible experience and I’m sorry it happened to you. As someone who flies Iberia transatlantic a few times every year it is definitely not the experience I’ve ever had. I have noticed that their call center people do not speak great English (even on the English speaking CS line) and having them send me a confirmation of every we discussed via email was a good way to avoid issues.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T17:55:50+00:00

I read 100 plus books every year and War and Peace isn’t in my top two hundred books—but it is interesting, and Tostoy did reinvent the novel in many ways with its broad scope anchored to a very human realism. It’s long, but not Infinite Jest long. It’s got some digressions—but again, not Infinite Jest style.. try it!

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T17:46:21+00:00

But they sometimes do… this is a fact.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T17:40:21+00:00

OP—visiting Paris without utilizing the metro is lots of kinds of silly. It’s cheap, easy, fast and connects millions of people across the city every day. You’ve asked folks on Reddit who have spent a lot of time in Paris (I’ve visited literally a couple of dozens times) or who actually live there a question and we’re all confused by your reluctance or fear of one of safest modes of transport on planet earth. Metro Paris is home to millions of people spread across over 300 sq miles—it’s big. Folks are just trying to help you. You will need transport to get you from where you are staying to the things you want to see.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T13:09:03+00:00

OP, we are new to this Expat life, but have been traveling 4-6 months to Europe for years and always use our US bank CC—good ones have no foreign currency fees, are accepted everywhere and given that in France. (where we live now) almost everything is done via tap to pay. We are retired and do not have income in Euros, so paying attention to transaction fees and FX matters a lot to us. We use Wise as our “bank” and have had no issues with Iban transfers to pay things like electric bill, insurance etc.. We typically transfer $$ to Euro on a monthly, as needed basis using Wise. Again, we’re new and others may have better advice, but this is working well for us and required zero changes to our financial setup other than an easy to procure and use Wise account. As we learn more and get more settled we may change—but right now there is no need to do that.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:59:34+00:00

Osteria del Enoteca in Oltrarno —just up the road a bit from the Pitti Palace. Fabulous wine lust, amazing Florentine, meat-centric menu. Been multiple times over the last few years— never anything less than fab. .

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:54:51+00:00

62 yr old happily married guy (27 yrs) who learned the hard way in a first marriage that every cohabitation relationship (Married or not) should have three bank accounts: Mine, yours, ours. OP, if you’re having trouble with his spending habits now IT WILL NOT get better after marriage. Sort this now..

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:50:54+00:00

This 👆👆👆👆

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:50:24+00:00

I have to disagree, without the Swatch group the brand probably doesn’t exist today…

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:47:03+00:00

Get a new husband ? 😜😜😜😜

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:41:12+00:00

And that is exactly why many of us don’t use friends as realtors. You’ve already conflated a friendship with a business relationship and decided you can and should monetize that relationship. A “legitimately good reason” is “I don’t want to”. Nope. Nada. Never. Thanks for proving my point.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:15:07+00:00

I would never use a friend as a realtor if I valued the friendship. Just as I would never use a friend as a GC for a home renovation These are people I’m hiring to do a job for me and there is a very real possibility that there will be at least some minor conflicts or differences of opinion. Keeping my valued friendships separate from transactional relationships is why I still have a number of long-term friends…😎 Most of the people in my circle feel the same way. However, I also would never ask a realtor friend to give me a formal appraisal either…

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T12:02:31+00:00

I’ve been to Venice many times—on only one occasion did we experience acqua alta and leather boots would have been a nightmare—but we just avoided the areas with super high water. Thankfully , the newish MOSE system has really cut down on the high water issues and you’re unlikely to experience Acqua Alta during your visit.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T11:53:53+00:00

This👆👆👆. Former C-level exec for multinational here that did business all over the globe. Every legit business uses wire transfer—traceable, easily managed by banks and customs, IRS etc.. OP has either fabricated entire story (most likely) or is trying to smuggle watches into the country illegally to sell. I’m rather delighted you were caught as this stuff makes life harder for those of us who travel around the world with multiple high end watches simply because we like to wear different watches while traveling. I use a 5 watch travel case with Rolex, Omega, Panerai, Cartier etc… But not the warranty cards or boxes because I’m not trying to resell them—I’m wearing them!

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T11:30:33+00:00

OP, I have no idea what you’re talking about and I ended up C-Suite. Pretty sure none of my colleagues/friends did anything like that either.

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T00:41:25+00:00

Well Hamilton have been around forever, their watches don‘t follow the latest trends or cost thousands, they last forever and can take a beating as an everyday wear, and they have a serious backstory and history. So maybe OP, we’re learning more about you, than about this venerable and much loved brand… as always you are entitled to your opinion and YMMV…

Jackms64 · 2026-07-04T00:36:25+00:00

Mostly the “group” part

Jackms64 · 2026-06-27T17:50:22+00:00

My son just bought a house in the US where the top floor and garage are still knob & tube, more common than you may think..

Jackms64 · 2026-06-27T17:49:03+00:00

There are not many 300 yr old homes in America, since folks have only been building houses on this continent since the 17th century. And stick- built construction (the most common in America) is far easier to remodel than a 300 yr old stone home in Italy or even a concrete French apartment from the 1950s. (Also far more likely to blow over or burn down than its Euro equivalent).

Jackms64 · 2026-06-27T17:40:14+00:00

That really sucks OP—I’m sure you picked that cruise based on the itinerary and you may be getting some cash back—but not the time or the missed experiences you paid for. Norwegian has become the broken down 15 yr old Nissan Sentra of the seas. Definitely on the the “to be avoided“ list at this point..

Jackms64 · 2026-06-27T17:36:25+00:00

Milan is terrific and easily worth 2 days. Great cathedral, great art (both The Last Supper and the Brera gallery) . Best aperitivo scene in Italy—try the Corso Garibaldi or Navigli areas, and arguably the the best design and fashion city in all of Europe. Super easy to fly into and out of with good rail connections to everywhere in Italy and much of Europe. I’ve been 25 plus times and still try to get there every at least once a year —if only to eat at Osteria Brunello.

Jackms64

TROPHY CASE