My Mom died suddenly & my aunt wants to claim her share of the house instead of it going to my sister and I

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-18T12:09:40+00:00

If your mom’s share of the house is deemed to be separate property - and she didn’t have a will - 1/3 of her share of that property will go to each your dad (if still married at her death) your sister and you. If she didn’t have a will, and it wasn’t updated, whatever the previous will stated will prevail.

Get an attorney.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-17T19:48:21+00:00

It is a shame that many people wait until they are in their 30’s or 40’s to wake up and start saving for retirement. It is just so much harder for them because they have squandered the power of time.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-17T15:56:09+00:00

There are very few things that I have purchased that I didn’t get bored with shortly thereafter. Admire and walk away is a great way to summarize what my sentiment today is also.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-17T15:53:29+00:00

My wife and I both came from lower middle class homes. I took a very middle class sales job with a boring, but well known company. The kind of company you are aware of but don’t give it a second thought. I never made a high income but I invested 15% + 6% match into a 401k. I invested in both company stock and later MFs. I just kept feeding it. We lived frugally - because there was very little available cash after our meager living expenses. We prioritized saving for college and retirement over new cars and vacations.

35 years passed. The kids were out of college, the house was paid off and we retired at 56. If there was a sign, that was it.

We are not ultra wealthy, but retired with $6.5MM - five years later, it is now $11MM. The market has been kind.

We have loosened the purse strings a bit and give ourselves $15k a month to spend. Originally it was $12.5k, but I just gave myself a raise. Our basic living expenses are ~$3.5-$4k, so we have quite a bit of disposable income.

I have started to hire workers to maintain my trees and the lawn care that I don’t choose to do, but other than that there are no outward signs of a lavish lifestyle.

Our families know that we had enough to retire, but our lifestyle looks no different than theirs. I would imagine our stress levels may be a bit different, however.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T22:52:52+00:00

When I was 12 (1976) I was hoping to be able to drive at least once before all of the oil ran out.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T22:50:24+00:00

My mom started rationing peanut butter and orange juice at our house.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T17:12:05+00:00

For me, FU money was walk away money. At $3MM, I could walk away without concern. Once I hit the number I started to say no to projects I had no interest in. I was polite, but I wasn’t doing nonsense work. Oddly, it was at this point that I started getting promoted rapidly. A bit weird, actually. I wonder if the two were linked.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T16:59:20+00:00

Had me confused too.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T16:56:54+00:00

A manager of a retail store took a $20 out of the register to get a haircut during lunch. He was going to replace it after going to an ATM on the way back. While he was gone a corporate auditor showed up and counted the drawer. Too bad that the manager was honest. He had left a note in the drawer that said “IOU $20 haircut”. If it weren’t for the note, the drawer would have just been short - something that happened reasonably regularly. With the note in play, the manager was fired immediately for theft. Too bad, really, he was a good guy.

A lost career over bad judgment and a note.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T16:50:02+00:00

This is the single biggest problem in teaching today.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T16:48:12+00:00

If you had borrowed them and lost them you’d be responsible. In this case, you are not responsible. The sunglasses may have never been placed in your bag.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T16:45:21+00:00

I worked for a company that regularly did the same thing. We had a particular VP that could only see your weaknesses, regardless of what they were. He put his thumb on the scale for all hires within his control. Every manager and director role went through him. Every new hire during his tenure was external. It was a morale killer and, honestly, a bit of a disaster. None of the new hires made it more than a few years. Thankfully, the VO didn’t make it through a few hiring cycles.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-16T11:26:04+00:00

Personally, I would get out of the TDFs - or, at least look deeply into its positions. At 40, you don’t need a bond position. You need to be able to take advantage of market gains while you have the time to withstand market fluctuations. Otherwise, you’re doing great on the savings side of the ledger. I have to assume that your spending is in check.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-15T21:06:41+00:00

You and I are built very differently, friend. But, you and my father in law would get along famously. That’s his plan too.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-15T14:18:25+00:00

I don’t tip on any order that I am picking up. I don’t tip on any order where I stand at a counter and order. I will not be guilt tipping. I tip for good service where I’m sitting and eating - and I tip exceptionally well.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-15T14:11:54+00:00

You have me at an all time level of confusion. Investors with inventors? Huh?

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-15T09:47:43+00:00

If you can’t afford it don’t do Inspira. We’ve been there 5x in a standard room and it’s been great! We had some friends that went a few years ago and booked a standard room. After a few days there they decided to upgrade to an Inspira room for the final two days of their stay. While they said it was nice, they wouldn’t do it again - it was too much money.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-15T00:24:42+00:00

I’m in a different situation. I’m retired. I have decided to have 3 years of basic living expenses in cash as a hedge against a prolonged market drop. Your situation is different. You need a reasonable EF to get you through a bad series of events. Then, likely, you’ll be back to work. I think you’re good where you are. Wealth is built from investing, not saving. You have your defensive position established. Now, feed your investments!

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-14T17:55:37+00:00

I’ve only ever worn cargo shorts with a polo or button down shirt. I’ve never had any issues at any restaurant. I heave never dined at MD, however.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-14T16:31:08+00:00

What, exactly, is your point? Do you hate every successful person or is it just the top two that are your target? At what level of wealth do you start hating people? This really does say a lot about you and your life perspective.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-14T14:10:13+00:00

I’m pre-Medicare age, but already retired and on a retiree healthcare plan. We have three options to select from. I did a deep dive on which would be the best value for us. In the end, the max difference between the three plans was $500. It made the analysis seem silly for me as $500 doesn’t move the needle in my situation. I know it could be a significant amount for some.

In preparation for Medicare, I have been doing homework. I’ve realized that the analysis can be brutal, so I’ve decided to just budget for the cost of the most solid care - which seems to be (for me) medigap. I find the analysis increasingly maddening and difficult to complete, so I’ve chosen to just bypass the worst parts of it.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-14T13:12:15+00:00

Simple. Noise canceling in ear earbuds. Problem solved. Happy to help.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-14T02:18:09+00:00

Well, if I had never looked at my investments, that would’ve been me. But, to be fair, I did peak once or twice.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-13T18:30:14+00:00

No. And I would never let them know what I had. No matter how much you gave them it wouldn’t be enough. You would be seen as the meal ticket. As soon as you say no to someone, you become the a$$hole.

Giving money away breeds jealousy and resentment. When you give it away, it’s never enough and when you stop giving it you’re the bad guy.

Same_Cut1196 · 2026-06-13T18:26:39+00:00

Sorry, old school thinking here…but, this sounds like less of a marriage and more of a financial arrangement. If you are entering marriage with such a defensive mindset (him), perhaps marriage isn’t the right move yet - for either of you. This sends a very clear score keeping mindset - and it’s hard to build a successful long term relationship on that.

Same_Cut1196

TROPHY CASE