• Breaking News

    Monday, April 15, 2019

    Personal Finance New to /r/personalfinance? Have questions? Read this first!

    Personal Finance New to /r/personalfinance? Have questions? Read this first!


    New to /r/personalfinance? Have questions? Read this first!

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:07 AM PDT

    Welcome! Before making a post, please check out some of the great resources that we've provided to answer your questions:

    We have a simple guide answering most questions about what to do with money and how to prioritize your finances: Click here: How to handle $.

    We have a wiki covering dozens of topics: credit, debt, retirement, investing, and more: Click Here: Personal Finance Wiki.

    We have age-specific guides too!

    15 to 20?

    18 to 25?

    25 to 35?

    35 to 45?

    Also be sure to check out our regular series:

    Weekday Help

    Weekend Discussion and Victory


    When posting here, please treat others with respect, stay on-topic, and avoid self-promotion.

    submitted by /u/AutoModerator
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    Weekday Help and Victory Thread for the week of April 15, 2019

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:07 AM PDT

    If you need help, please check the PF Wiki to see if your question might be answered there.

    This thread is for personal finance questions, discussions, and sharing your success stories:

    1. Please make a top-level comment if you want to ask a question! Also, please don't downvote "moronic" questions! If you have not received your answer within 24 hours, please feel free to start a discussion.

    2. Make a top-level comment if you want to share something positive regarding your personal finances!

    A big thank you to the many PFers who take time to answer other people's questions!

    submitted by /u/AutoModerator
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    Does anyone have the Amazon reward credit card just for amazon purchases?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:19 AM PDT

    I'm a prime subscriber and buy a good bit of products via amazon.

    I've been thinking of getting the Amazon credit card to get 5% back but I would only use it on Amazon because I can get 2% or more back everywhere else with my other rewards cards.

    Has any one else here done this? Is it worth the extra hassle of having another credit card to pay off every month?

    submitted by /u/pluresutilitates
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    My CPA told me TODAY he hasn't filed my taxes and I owe 13k to the IRS. They filed an exstention on my behalf without notifying me. Where do I go from here?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 12:39 PM PDT

    I am an independent contractor. This is only my second year filing as one. But first year not having some sort of taxes with held from a W2 job.

    I made $38k in 2018. I did not pay quarterly because my checks were coming in too slow so I didn't have the money to pay until January. Which is when I went to my CPA with everything I had, 1099s, expenses, per diem and all the states I worked in. That is when I found out my CPA is out sick and will not be returning to work any time soon. I got a assigned a new CPA in the same office. He told me I should owe about 6k and that he would do up all the paper work and contact me with the final number.

    I've been calling the office to get an update every two weeks or so since January and every time they either don't call back or say I need to give them more info. I've given them everything they have asked for promptly. Today I called and finally got the accountant on the phone and he said they filled an extension on my behalf. I asked if that would cause me to pay fees and interest. He said "no only if you owe them money, you are getting a refund". I reminded him I owe money. He was like "oh yeah you owe 13k. Good thing we filled this exstention or you. We saved you money becuase you would owe more for not paying" I asked him at least 6 times why I wasnt notified about any of this and he finally said "we don't need your permission to file an extension." When I asked him what to do now, he said "well I'm not really concerned with filing for the states any more." (I worked in 20 different states). And he told me I should pay something like $6,010 today since that's what I think I owe. (That's actually what the last accountant told me I would owe). He said "add the $10 so it doesn't look like we picked the number from random."

    To make things 110% more interesting this office supposedly filed exstentions for every single one of their clients and did zero peoples taxes. AND the CPA is on vacation starting tomorrow! So he "can't deal with this" until after easter.

    What do I do? I'm so upset and confused. I don't know anything about taxes. I'm just starting out and hired this CPA trusting that they would make sure I file everything and pay the correct amount. I also don't see how I actually owe 35% of my income. My boyfriend is going through all of the same shit with this guy. He made 50k in 2018 and they guy said he owes 10k. Please, any information helps.

    location: CPA is in Orlando. In 2018 I was based in Orlando but moved to Nashville this week.

    Edit: I'm sorry if I don't reply to comments. I keep getting the "something went wrong" thing when trying to reply.

    submitted by /u/litesONlitesOFF
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    Alliant is raising their Visa Signature card's annual fee to $99 up from $59, and the breakeven point vs. Citi's Double Cash is now $20,000

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:32 AM PDT

    tl;dr If you spend more than $20k a year on your credit card, Alliant is still the best pure cash back card for you, IMO.


    Notes:

    • This annual fee hike takes effect on June 13th, 2019.

    • The breakeven point is up from $11,800 when the annual fee was $59

    • The annual fee the first year is still waived, and the cash back percentage will stay 3% that first year. Then it will still go down to 2.5% from there on out.

    • Source

    submitted by /u/109876
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    Please Get Second Opinions for Dental Work

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 01:35 PM PDT

    Hey everyone,

    Just wanted to give out some advice since I was almost scammed out of a few thousand dollars. I put off getting dental work done for the past 3-4 years because I was scared of how much it was going to cost.

    I scheduled an appointment with a clinic in my area that had glowing reviews on google. The assistant who took my x-rays was kind enough, but the dental assistant/dentist immediately said I needed extensive work. They told me I needed 6 fillings, a tooth extraction, an implant, and a deep cleaning.

    All told this would have cost me around $5,600. I'm still not made of money and had only put aside roughly $1,000. So I decided to go back to my old dentist even though he was further away from me.

    My old dentist told me that the tooth they recommended for extraction would be eligible for a root canal and crown. Roughly $1400. He said a deep cleaning wasn't necessary either, and I didn't need the 6 fillings the other dentist quoted me.

    I'm so glad that I went back to my old dentist. I didn't have to suffer through the physical or financial trauma of extensive dental work. I think dental mills that offer free cleanings, x-rays, etc. are preying on people who don't know better and don't have experience dealing with them. I strongly recommend getting a second opinion for this type of health care.

    submitted by /u/wonderlandtripz
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    Birthing center had an audit, now we owe them more money.

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:00 PM PDT

    That's pretty much it. We received a letter from the birthing center 2.5 years after we had our daughter saying they had an audit and found we owe them ~$500 more dollars. What gives? We're hesitant to pay because it seems like that their problem not ours?

    submitted by /u/megamanscannon
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    What happens to my tax return when it gets to the IRS? Do they look over every single one, or just those that get selected for audits?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 03:40 PM PDT

    There are roughly 360 million people in the U.S, which I'm guessing translated into 150(ish) million tax returns submitted each year (not considering corporate tax returns.) Wikipedia lists 75,000 IRS employees. On those (very) rough numbers, that averages 2,000 tax returns per employee.

    Does the IRS look over (even briefly) every return that gets submitted to make sure it looks right, or do they only look at those that are chosen for audits? Are the rest then counted as "handed in" and refunds given out based on what's listed?

    In short, what happens to my tax return after I submit it to the IRS?

    submitted by /u/das_goose
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    My experience at a Rich Dad Poor Dad financial seminar

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:49 AM PDT

    Rich Dad Poor Dad education seminars attract those seeking financial freedom.

    My partner and I attended the 3 day basic class on real estate investing. I wanted to share my experience because there seem to be many people out there who have been sharing their opinion without having ever gone to one of their classes. My hope is that the public makes an informed decision when they consider signing up for three day basic.

    For the record, We did not move forward with the Elite training program (ranging from 20k to 60k).

    Like many, we found a targeted ad on Instagram for a 3 hour Rich dad event. Robert Kiyosaki was not there, but he did make a pre recorded video appearance. Essentially branding the education program with his name. Now, for those who have been trying to learn about real estate, the proposition value that is presented at this 3 hour intro event is tempting because Legacy presents information that will purportedly get one on the right track to a Real Estate education; we wanted to get educated. We moved on to the 3 day basic class after the initial three hour event. At this point in their game, the $500 investment was not too bad for us.

    Three Day Basic class

    I'll start off with day one. The energy at the event was palpable and energetic. The team of instructors (comprised of former students) were welcoming and readily available to answer any questions about REI. The three day course is divided into modules with various intermissions throughout. Think about it like a lengthy YouTube video with tons of ads. Meaning, the instructor would go into some superficial detail about a specific topic, like Lease Options, then would pause and start talking about the Elite Packages that include a detailed class on the specific investment strategy. This was annoying, BUT, I never expected the course to make me a real estate expert in 3 days. The course is set up to make a potential student realize they are not indeed experts in the field, which is why they need training. Their Elite training. So understand this, they have a bottom line - to up sell students on their Elite training.

    What I did not enjoy.

    There were some interesting things that happened over the course of this weekend. The main instructor was condescending. There was a young Jamaican man in our class. When he asked a seemingly "stupid" question, he ridiculed him in front of the entire class and made a comment that Jamaica would be better off had they stayed part of England. He had a dry British humor, and used that as his excuse to constantly poke fun at students during the training. My patience ran out when he mocked a young woman for asking a question during one of the case studies. It was childish and unwarranted. He certainly turned me off. I do not want to be part of a culture where a man like this can get away with that level of disrespect.

    Other heads up

    Legacy will encourage students to look into peer to peer lending websites (such as SoFi) during a live funding exercise to prove that there's money out there. On the last day of the training, they will make an impassioned call to sign up for their expensive training. They will point to the live funding exercise and show us that we can afford it - there's loan money available. Hmmm...

    Similarly, they will encourage students to raise their credit card limits after showing us how we can use convenience checks to pull money from our credit cards to buy real estate. When they try to sell their Elite product to you on day 3, they will explain that you now have credit to purchase their Product. They will try to sell you hard on the it.

    Ultimately, I was quite turned off by the heavy sales pitch. If their product is good, teach more and pitch less. Let me make an informed decision. Let the Elite product sell itself.

    The weekend was not all bad however. This is a great place to meet other people who are interested in investing. We broke off and planned future meet ups with other students who were not quite sold on the desperate sales pitch either. We also got some interesting ideas to look into from the information presented during the weekend course.

    We will continue to educate ourselves and will network with our new colleagues.

    submitted by /u/Losyram33
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    Am I allocating my funds properly for my goals and age?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:28 AM PDT

    I'm 19, living with mom, minimal expenses and I'm making a bit more than my peers ($1400/m) at my part time job. I plan on making ~$4500/m after graduating nursing school.

    My allocation is as follows:

    • $200/m Roth IRA
    • $200/m HYSA (2.2% APR)
    • $166/m car payment
    • $100/m car insurance
    • 10% 403b (Employer matches up to 3%, but I have the extra to throw in)
    • The rest towards groceries, gas, entertainment, etc.

    My contributions will increase after graduating, but this is what I'm working with now. My goal is to immediately put a down-payment on a house once I have a reasonable amount saved and am comfortable moving out of my mom's house. I expect to be around 23 or 24. My question is - should I be contributing more to my HYSA if my goal is to use it for a house eventually, or should I continue the 50/50 split between retirement and short term?

    submitted by /u/userrnam
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    Credit Karma may not be a completely accurate representation of your credit score

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:49 PM PDT

    Today I applied for the Amex preferred cash card as I'm about to have a couple major expenses and wanted to reap the reward benefits. I currently have two cards with Chase, one with a limit of $4,000 and the other has a limit of $2,500. I keep both balances at 0 and always pay my cards in full. $13,000 in student loans are my only debt.

    I check Credit Karma around once a week, and for the last 6-12 months my score has ranged between 720-740, according to them. After submitting my application, I expected an instant approval, but I was extremely surprised to see I got an instant denial. I quickly went to the decline letter and lo and behold... my credit score according ton Experian is actually a 629...

    I pulled my yearly free credit report to ensure every was being reported correctly to Experian, and it was. All this to say, if you are anticipating a major purchase, PLEASE be weary of your Credit Karma credit score. You could easily end up in my situation, but getting declined for something much larger and significant such as an auto loan or mortgage.

    submitted by /u/Brundonius
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    Guidance on new Roth IRA with Vanguard

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 02:30 PM PDT

    Today I took the first step and contributed very last minute to my first IRA ever, a Roth with Vanguard (says Roth IRA Brokerage Account), hope I did it right. I got finally tired of planning the money for it and today I received an unexpected 1K and said, it's now or keep dreaming it.

    Now, how do I put that money to work into the retirement fund? I want that one that you set and forget until you need to use it for now, because I need to get my feet wet on this new thing in my life.

    So, which is the fund I am looking for and how do I do it? Can't seem to figure it out on my own from the website. Again, apologies, I am new to this. I am so very happy!

    It has the 1K. I am 32 yo.

    submitted by /u/cubangirl537
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    Just got a big raise, I want to fix my credit score and pay off debt, need advice!

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:55 PM PDT

    Hi All, throwaway since I'm incredibly embarrassed about my personal finance and I need major advice on where to start.

    I recently just got a massive raise at work and for the first time in my adult life I won't be living paycheck-to-paycheck. On top of my bonus I will be receiving backpay (~$2400).

    In my early 20s I destroyed my credit by not paying off a credit card (which I since have, but it was after the bank closed my account). I also overdrew an account at a different bank and owe $1,200 (a large portion being overdraft fees). I also did not file taxes for the past 2 years, and have yet to file this year (I know, incredibly dumb, I owed money the last time I filed due to an employer error and it depleted any savings I had, and when I went to file the following year I owed more money and my anxiety took hold and I just avoided it). I received a letter recently that I owe the IRS ~$650 in unpaid taxes. I still have all my necessary paperwork to file taxes for the past several years.

    I currently do not have any credit cards or savings, so I'm just trying to fix the damage I've done and put myself in a better place going forward and fix my credit. So where do I start?

    submitted by /u/trashadult101
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    FreetaxUSA down?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:06 PM PDT

    Is freetaxusa down for anyone else? Should I just file with turbotax instead?

    submitted by /u/cauthon
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    got IRS letter, wondering how to go about it

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 06:45 AM PDT

    I do my taxes on turbotax, with a lot of assistance from my dad. Have had no issues before, in 2017 I needed to get my own car so I redeemed some savings bonds. We were a little confused about how to put those into my taxes but we did our best and believe we did it right. Fast forward a year I get a cp2000 letter from the IRS (and I know it's not fake, i called a assistance center and they had this information on file) claiming I owe $2k.

    The letter is a proposed change, there are a few numbers where it shows what I put and then what they are changing it to. the gist is they are saying I never claimed the savings bonds, and also for some reason or another my college costs they changed to 0. I called the assistance center and talked to someone, basically got from her A. taxes show I didn't claim the savings bonds and B. I needed to fill out a 1098T form for schooling stuff (the first i'm hearing about this form). She suggested disputing the letter, filling out a 1098T and amending it.

    Now a couple of questions: 1. Where do I get a 1098T? Do I send it with my reply letter disputing the cp2000? Do I need to show any other proof that I did indeed pay for school? I have went back to the college site and can show the amount I paid out of pocket, don't know if they need that information or if the 1098T form will be all I need.

    1. Is there anything I can do about the savings bonds? I have the document I got in the mail giving me the information I needed to put my savings bonds into my taxes (and it has pen markings on it where we definitely were putting down the savings bond numbers and totaling up numbers) - but since we did it wrong in some capacity on the refund it shows i just straight never claimed it. Which maybe I did mess it up that bad-and the only proof that I have to say I tried to put em on there is that document.

    2. what all do I need to do to dispute the letter? Do I need to type out a formal letter explaining the situation or do I just throw the 1098T in with the original letter, marked dispute, and then send it off?

    3. and the one most worrying to me, from what I can gather any time I wait, postpone, or even agree to pay but use a payment plan - the owed amount will accrue interest and penalties. Makes sense, sure, but the person from the assistance center said if i dispute expect to hear back in 6 weeks. And if there's nothing I can do about the savings bonds-that's still more than half the owed amount accruing interest and penalties, would it even be worth disputing it at that point? It's it possible that I should just pay it so it doesn't grow? Though I guess the answer to that depends on the answer to #2.

    EDIT: thanks for the all the replies! It seems like I need to get my 1098T in and then pay whatever I owe for the savings bonds; that's fine. Though that brings me to a new issue. My 1098T form is blank for 2017-except a checkmark on the box saying I'm at least a half-time student. Now I only went for the first half of 2017, graduating that may. Which would have been the 16-17 school year-but Ivy tech definitely did things in semesters and even going over to the billing history page, it shows I made a $2k payment in january. But on the actual 1098T form it's just blank under where it says how much I paid that year?

    EDIT 2: got in contact with an ivy tech live chat and basically even though i PAID for my 2017 semester in january 2017, it was BILLED in 2016 and would have been on my 2016 tax info. So i'm thinking the amounts I did put on my 2017 taxes are definitely incorrect and i'll just be eating this bill. Unless I should still dispute it, show them I was a student that year and explain my situation?

    submitted by /u/KlawwStrife
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    “Someone has claimed you as dependent” when trying to e-file yet parents didn’t claim me.

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:36 PM PDT

    As title says, I got an error submitting earlier today. Nice lady at the IRS said to send in by paper so I am tomorrow (a day late, oops).

    I know they check over everything and eventually contact each person. But I guess I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to appease my anxiety about identity theft before then.

    I destroyed my own credit thanks to medical problems keeping me from working (working on that!), so they can't do much if they did take my identity, lol, but still :(

    submitted by /u/idkwhatmyusernamesh9
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    Just threw first 5500 into vanguard, what should I buy?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:02 PM PDT

    Didnt realize i still had to pick something after putting money in. Is the consensus to just VTSAX or something? Im late 20s and am ok going more aggressive

    submitted by /u/drippingthighs
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    Best way to automate bills/rent and get rewards when moving in with SO?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 05:31 AM PDT

    There's some good information in this wiki post, but it doesn't cover all my needs.

    I currently autopay all bills from a 1% cashback rewards Capital One credit card, which essentially funds one full vacation a year. I'm about to move in with my girlfriend, and we're about to open up a joint account and pay off shared expenses from there.

    My ideal setup is a joint rewards card we can proportionally autopay every month from our personal accounts. But, it sounds like it's difficult to get a joint credit card. As well, our landlord typically uses Venmo, but that can lead to extra fees if paying by credit card.

    Here's what I'm hoping to do:

    Goals

    1. Autopay shared bills and get rewards on payment (ideally 1% cashback or higher).
    2. Autopay some proportion (not necessarily 50/50) of the entire monthly credit card amount from our separate chequing accounts.
    3. Bypass the standard 3% fee if paying a bill by credit card through Venmo.
    4. Protect both my SO and myself from each-other's potential negligence and/or malice -- e.g. making sure a messy break-up doesn't ruin either's financial lives (far from anticipated, but always good to have assurance).
    5. Ensure that neither one of myself or my SO has a lower credit score because either one's taking on all the combined debt.
    6. Ensure complete transparency to both parties at all times.

    The three options I can think of don't handle all cases:

    Solutions

    1. Joint credit card doesn't sound like it really exists.
    2. Shared chequing and payment over Venmo doesn't handle #1, but handles the rest..
    3. Personal credit card with authorized user could be tricky for goals #4 and #5, and doesn't handle goal #3.

    Solution #3 It also makes things feel a bit unbalanced, but that might be the best pick. Anyone familiar with a setup that allows this?

    submitted by /u/nckswt
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    Tens of thousands in debt, not sure how to stay alive and out of prison.

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:32 PM PDT

    The situation is pretty dire if I were to under-exaggerate, and I'm looking for advice on how to get my head above water.

    Personal information: I'm in my early 30's, live in Maryland, former veteran, alcoholic, and tens of thousands in debt. I currently work as a chef earning slightly above state minimum wage (approximately ~$500-600 every two weeks). Former contractor/web developer earning north of six figures before the alcoholism claimed that job. Oh, we can add crippling depression to the list as well, exacerbated by the alcoholism.

    As far as immediate debt that I can identify, here is a breakdown:

    Bank account: -$67 in the account, $509.83 due in late credit card fees.

    Credit card: Maxed out at over $12k

    Car insurance: terminated, owe $356.98 in fees to break even, plus expired registration

    Rent: $5,771.11 in late fees. Breaking the lease requires 60 days of notification, plus one month's rent at $1791 (total to break lease including past due amount totals to ~$10,200). Eviction would just require $5,771.11.

    Electricity bill: $970.97 ($871.12 to restore electricity to my apartment)

    Debt to the Department of Veteran's Affairs: $3,147.51 (more info on this below)

    As far as the embarrassing details, here's how I dug myself into this shit-hole: I moved to Maryland after finishing my enlistment (honorable discharge) in the military to pursue work. I worked for the government as a web developer for 7 years making up to an annual salary of $120k a year salary. I carried over my alcoholism from the time in the military, and worked as best I could to try and maintain functional alcoholism until it became apparent I was in no condition to remain employed and voluntarily left before being embarrassed and getting escorted out. I quit in time to start the spring semester at my local community college using the VA's GI-bill (which would provide me with a monthly stipend of ~$2,300 for rent), but had a difficult time attending class due to my excessive drinking. I completed only a few classes, lo-and-behold the VA is not too keen on failing classes, and sent me the bill (hence the expenses above). I believe the amount listed is current after my tax returns were diverted to paying off what was already owed. Bonus points for being turned down by the VA for health insurance because I made too much during my time as a web developer, so I am without health insurance. Luckily the IRS showed me sympathy for not making enough money as an excuse and did not fine me when I filed for 2018.

    The only upside to my situation is that I have the most loving and supportive parents who have offered to help. I had the most uncomfortable phone conversation with them last night and am due for a follow-up conversation with them after I post this to pretty much relay everything I'm saying here to them. They are solid middle-class/bordering on upper-middle class which can be best defined by them setting aside money for all of their children to cover their college debt. Obviously my GI-Bill would have otherwise exempted them from having to worry about me, but they still have money set aside and are willing to help, but I can't possibly ask them to foot the entire bill, and am more worried right now about plugging the holes in this sinking ship. Luckily, they are willing to take me in. Before then, I am doing everything I can to sell just about everything I owe as I prepare for the worst. I estimate under the best, most un-realistic case, I could recoup a little over $2k from my belongings if everything goes (minus the vehicle). I currently have $500 in my wallet and can expect a paycheck from work tomorrow. Realistically, I expect by the time I am evicted, to have around $1k after I have to undervalue some belongings just to sell them on Craigslist.

    I am looking at eviction, but it is not imminent. I got the rent fees by speaking with my landlord today who did not have a scheduled eviction for me on the books yet. They estimated eviction would happen in early May. I'm tempted to take the hit to my already abysmal credit score instead of buying out my lease with early termination (which nearly doubles the already owed $5,771.11 owed).

    So my question is, what should my immediate concerns be? What holes should be plugged immediately compared to others that can be paid in due time? I understand that any confrontation with law enforcement in my vehicle would necessitate them towing my car until I can get insurance/register my vehicle and get current (vehicle is paid in full). Eviction is all but imminent and almost preferred to breaking even with my landlord and still having to owe them $4.5k on top of the already due $5.7k just to break my lease. Obviously I am in a bind to put it mildly, so any advice on where to start and what to be aware of to minimize surprises would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

    submitted by /u/InOverMyHeadScrewed
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    Inhereted 401k from Grandma and was told I have take some of it out every year but I'm not 55.

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:30 PM PDT

    Not 100% the right sub but here we go.

    Got 401k, was told by the financial advisor because my grandma was using it I have to take some minimal amount out.

    Can anyone explain this?

    submitted by /u/ihatechoosngusername
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    At what point is my car not worth the repair cost?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 07:15 PM PDT

    Assumptions: I have to get all my work done by a professional. No access to tools or a garage.

    At what point is my car too expensed to fix and I should go for a new (used) car? Is there a general formula?

    submitted by /u/dwc18
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    Experian removed a fraudulent loan from my credit report after I filed a dispute, but the loan company itself is still sending me loan statements and refuse to close the account. What to do?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 10:12 AM PDT

    I’m living paycheck to paycheck until I get back on my feet and get a new job. I’m going crazy here, what can I do?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 04:58 PM PDT

    I have type 1 diabetes and bipolar disorder. Not sure if I qualify for any unemployment benefits or how to even go about checking.

    Because of my medical conditions I'm currently only able to work part time, netting me about $275-300/week. My health is in very poor shape, and I'm struggling to get back on top of it. Because of this, I am holding off on full time work for the time being, until things have become more stable.

    I pay $350/month in rent. I try to budget about $60/week for groceries, $50/week for medical expenses, and the rest I try to save for other bills.

    I'm so lost and I have no savings. I'm terrified because I'm off my parents insurance next year, and if I'm not able to save I don't think that I'll be able to maintain my health and I'll be one hospital visit away from financial ruin.

    I'm so lost, where can I start?

    submitted by /u/kkitt134
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    Where do you keep your 6 Month Safety Nest?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 03:07 AM PDT

    My current bank, Chase, doesn't offer a great rate on savings account and I'm starting to explore other options for keeping our safety nest. I started looking at Nerd Wallet's list of best savings accounts...but am wondering if a savings account is the best way to keep it.

    I guess I want the safety nest to accrue interest at least at the rate of inflation if possible. How do all of you keep your safety nest?

    submitted by /u/zarakand
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    [EMPLOYMENT] Recruiter insisting on getting the last four digits of my SSN "to create a unique ID in our system" as a prerequisite to submitting job application. Yay, or nay?

    Posted: 15 Apr 2019 02:58 PM PDT

    I did a phone screen for a position with a major Florida company the other day. Today an external recruiter for that company (not an internal HR person from the company) told me that he cannot submit my application for the position unless I give him the last four digits of my Social Security Number "to create a unique ID in the system". I explained to him that I didn't feel comfortable giving that information out so early in the process, unless they were giving me a job offer. I told him that I was willing to give him any other unique consistent four digit sequence such as the last four on my driver's license instead. He insisted that the Florida company was asking for the last four of my SSN or else they couldn't accept my application. That the company is so big and has so many open positions that I need to give him that for the "unique ID". What is funny is that he said that he had had his identity stolen once, so he understood my reluctance, but then why should he continue to ask for it?

    He gave me his personal cell phone number and sent a link to his LinkedIn profile to show that he and the recruiting company he works for are legit. I told him that I would pray on it overnight (LOL) and call him tomorrow.

    It's not that I don't think the recruitment company isn't legit because I know they are. It's not that I don't think the Florida company isn't legit because I know it is. But my thing is, why the hard sell tactics? I had given them a viable alternative to giving out my PII: a drivers license is a valid form of ID and the number attached to it is unique. I'm not stonewalling for stonewalling's sake: if they fuck up with my SSN I'm the one in trouble, not them. And I told them that if I get a job offer of course I would release my entire SSN for the background check, direct deposit, I9 form, etc. etc. So what's the big deal?

    I've dealt with Fortune 100 companies and they didn't give me all of this trouble before giving me a job offer LOL I feel like giving them the last four digits of my driver's license tomorrow instead and let the chips fall where they may. But what's your opinion?

    submitted by /u/jalabi99
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