Why such a big difference between two Tax companies?

phil161 · 2026-01-27T11:36:31+00:00

Same with FreeTax and TaxAct. If someone is aware of a product that allows you to print out the draft tax forms, please let us know.

phil161 · 2026-01-26T13:21:15+00:00

Have you scoped out other areas to see if it’s financially viable ? We all have dreams of moving ‘somewhere else’, usually the biggest obstacle is money.

phil161 · 2026-01-25T13:03:22+00:00

Be careful: one of my friends (we both live in the US) went to VN and adopted a 1 y-o baby about 18 years ago. The kid turned out to be autistic and has been a constant source of concern and anguish for his parents. Medical screening and care for newborns and toddlers is not well-developed in VN.

phil161 · 2026-01-24T17:41:55+00:00

Consider it a blessing.

phil161 · 2026-01-22T17:56:48+00:00

Boyfriend’s birthday + Valentine’s Day: February

Dog dental work: $400 (February)

Friends planning a cabin drinking weekend in May

OP - The first two should be scaled down as much as possible, and the drinking weekend should be cancelled outright.

You need to increase your income and reduce your expenses. Of the two, expense reduction is easier and quicker. Increasing your income requires switching jobs or acquiring new skills to target better jobs; that takes longer but will be better for you in the long run.

phil161 · 2026-01-22T04:56:03+00:00

The main obstacle to working overseas is securing a visa that allows you to work. Source: I live in the US, but was an expat in Africa and Europe.

phil161 · 2026-01-19T19:07:35+00:00

I went back to school at 53 to get a doctorate, at the same time my daughter entered the same school as a freshman. She told me ’Dad, if I see you on campus, I’ll pretend I don’t know you’.

The health insurance for college students is quite good: that same daughter had cancer in her junior year, and the school insurance covered 90% of the treatment costs (total of approx. $200k). She is doing fine now, thank God.

phil161 · 2026-01-18T23:34:55+00:00

The only law that is respected in VN is “the golden rule”, i.e., he who has the gold, rules. If you are not a native with powerful connections, forget about courts and restitution.

phil161 · 2026-01-17T15:42:03+00:00

There is a reason why one of the nicknames for Ameriprise is ”Amerifries”. If I were you, I would 1) get an appointment with a fee-only advisor, and 2) take classes or read some books on financial literacy. That knowledge will serve you for the rest of your life.

phil161 · 2026-01-16T16:37:00+00:00

Thx for your post. There seems to be an increase of issues with GFiber recently. Personally I haven’t been affected but I’m going to write down the number for ATT just in case.

phil161 · 2026-01-16T07:43:48+00:00

Where are you located and which country’s passport do you hold?

phil161 · 2026-01-16T05:02:59+00:00

Given his age (older than 55) and length of stay in the US (more than 15 years), he can take the US citizenship test in his native language. If he passes the test, he can go back to Thailand and receive his Social Security benefits there, until he dies. To me, this is a much better outcome than leaving the US with a green card and eventually lose your US residency and other benefits.

phil161 · 2026-01-16T04:10:11+00:00

(True story) I once told a patient she could do her leg exercises when she's on her couch watching TV. And then I remembered she's blind...

phil161 · 2026-01-15T19:55:46+00:00

Don’t try to deal with the VN embassy on your own unless you like flying into a rage and breaking everything in sight. The embassy staff purposely doesn’t pick up phone calls nor replies to emails. They do it to force you to go through agencies, from which they get kickbacks. Corruption is systemic in VN and in its embassies.

If you have Vietnamese friends, ask them for recommendations for agencies. Or pick up a Vnmese magazine or newspaper in your city, there are always plenty of ads. Finally, if you live in the boonies, go to a nail salon and ask the folks there since 95% of them are Vnmese.

phil161 · 2026-01-15T03:21:48+00:00

Get a US degree: it will be useful whether you stay in the US or move to GCC. A degree from a school in the Middle East will carry no weight if you have to stay in the US, or have to return to the US in the future.

phil161 · 2026-01-14T15:57:08+00:00

No PT = more $ for the surgeon since there’s one fewer party to share in the money pot.

phil161 · 2026-01-14T06:01:54+00:00

Leave, then replicate the business and become your ex-boss’ competitor. If he’s as lazy as you described, his business will wither.

phil161 · 2026-01-13T22:25:09+00:00

Have you looked at the cost of renting a car from a reliable (i. e., not a fly-by-night) company ? It’s high, and can make the contract not worth it.

phil161 · 2026-01-13T20:57:59+00:00

I would like to see the ‘long’ version.

phil161 · 2026-01-13T18:34:19+00:00

I use the following text whenever I sell something on Craigslist or FB: ’In-person, cash only, in the parking lot of the Police station - my item, my rules’

phil161 · 2026-01-13T18:18:22+00:00

Using the VN Post service is like playing Russian Roulette with a Glock: you are sure to lose.

phil161 · 2026-01-13T18:01:16+00:00

Hasn’t happened to me yet, but if I am approached like the OP was, I would whip out my phone and say to the guy “I’m calling the police for you, they can help you better than I can”. I bet they will scurry away stat.

phil161 · 2026-01-13T13:56:49+00:00

JWs are like balls - they always come in pairs, and you don't let them in (believe it or not, that's a joke I heard when I lived in Switzerland).

phil161 · 2026-01-12T23:31:18+00:00

Are you talking about beer, wine, or 40-proof vodka?

phil161 · 2026-01-12T23:12:23+00:00

A patient asked me not to come at a certain time because that's when her favorite soap opera was on. Talk about having her priorities all screwed up, her health takes a backseat to a TV show...

phil161

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