Hello dream garden, Around here, having had a skiff of snow over the past few days, the concept of a garden is pretty well a "dream" at present - though I think that it's past time that I should put some seeds into the earth that I stored in pots in the basement. Thank you for your message of appreciation. Yes - "stretcher" is an interesting site. Some years ago when my son and I had a display at a fall fair, mine being along the line of "Making Your Dollars Work Harder" and "How to Pay Less Income Tax", a man came up to me and asked me what right I had to call myself a financial planner. I told him that all that I have to sell someone is looking at money a little differently than they, for if I look at it (almost) identically, they won't pay to talk to me ... and if I look at it from a hugely different perspective, they'll clap their both hands over both ears and think, "Oh, Lord - no way am I even going to consider trusting management of my precious money to *this* flake!!". I said that it seemed to me that the time when I began to look at money somewhat differently than most city folks (my major potential market) was when I grew up on the farm. He replied, rather vehemently, that that had nothing to do with it! I told him that I thought that it did, for most city folk have regular income and if they miss a couple of paycheques, are crying the blues such that you think that the world was about to end, while for most farmers irregular income is an ongoing fact of life. Further, most city folk don't think much about the difference between cash flow and capital - their main capital issue being their mortgage, on which they make regular payments without thinking. They have no idea how one needs to consider, having enjoyed a little larger income than usual this year, whether to do an overhaul of the tractor motor, or trade it on a better one, and whether one can afford to get a better/bigger combine this year, or buy some more cattle, or hogs, put a new roof on the barn, make an extra payment on the mortgage, etc. I also told him that I'd taken the courses that stockbrokers take - much more complex than the training of most mutual fund sales folk. Plus six courses (passed 5) leading to title of Chartered Financial Planner - later revised, I'd have to start all over: at 70 or so (now 77), and receiving 3 pensions - I thought not. By the way, having done a preliminary calculation of my tax for this year, I find that I may be paying something under 10% of income in tax - about half of the amount of my charitable contributions (without considering the political ones, that are partially deductible, up to a limit, as well). Hope you enjoy your spring - and your garden. Mine, in the corner of a field of beans for processing (freezing, canning) got sprayed last year ... twice! ole joyful P.S. When you live among refugees for a time - it gives you a whole different outlook not only on money and its uses, but on various other dimensions of living, as well. Including being thankful for the accident of birth that had me born in this country rather than in many others - but they are God's people, too - and I owe them something o j

As a former business owner, I agree with this. DH & I were providing good, above-average for the area jobs for 3-4 full-time employees & one part-time. Sometimes we didn't get a paycheck ourselves, but we always paid our employees on time. We always had to make sure to set money aside to pay our business taxes. We could have used some of that money to give raises or bonuses to our employees, buy new equipment, etc. We could have also used it to pay down our debt, because we did incur some in starting two businesses. We didn't really have any time off. We worked whatever hours we needed, which was frequently 70-80 per week for each of us. Finally, we decided it was just too hard & we sold one business & closed the other. DH's boss is an excellent example. He took a small company started by his father & has grown it into a pretty large regional business, with offices in several states. He has so far avoided laying off employees or cutting wages, though there is a wage freeze in place. He & the rest of the management team there manage their business carefully & they were at least in a pretty good position to deal with the downturn. He does not like layoffs & has always tried to avoid them. Thankfully, he understands that the loss of an employee is also a loss of knowledge & that may not be easily replaced when things start to turn around. Recession is a natural part of the business cycle & we will come out of this. It makes me angry, though, to hear the talk of tax "refunds" to people who don't even pay taxes. DH & I have lived pretty carefully too. Our required expenses like mortgage, etc. are kept so that we can live off of just DH's salary (or any equivalent of the two of us together making that amount). We have no car payments & only a small amt. of debt besides our mortgage. We lived in a small, fixer-upper house for many years. During the years that we had our business, there was no fixing up going on. We finally, at age 40, built a nicer house. The main reason for that was a move for DH's job. When we started dating in 1992, he was making $8.50/hr & I was making $6/hr. We've worked very hard at our jobs, gained experience, & worked our way up to better paying jobs. Do we own some nice things & splurge on a nice dinner out sometimes? Yes. But we've WORKED for that. As the letter above says, there is a back story. That is the case with most people I know. They didn't start out wealthy, they lived within their means & worked hard to get what they have. I remember once I was talking to a visitor in the office about my commute. I said that I just turn on my iPod & it isn't too bad. A co-worker overheard me & commented that "Not all of us have an iPod." I decided to be nice & not say anything to her, but I wanted to mention that the total price of that iPod, which was over a year old at the time, was probably about equal to one payment on her new SUV. People see what they want to see. They are jealous when I can afford an iPod, but don't think about the fact that I drive a 2000 car that was bought used in 2005 while they are making monthly payments on a new vehicle. The people who own businesses & provide jobs should be rewarded, as should those of us who have lived within a budget & saved for our future. I get so tired of hearing about what people "deserve". So many people think that they "deserve" to sit home, watch tv & have kids they don't take care of while the rest of us pay for it. Why should those of us who really work have to pay for the others who won't? I'm not talking about people who actually have unfortunate circumstances due to things they can't control, I'm talking about the ones like in the letter - the ones sitting home waiting for their next welfare check.

IRS Publication 15 (Circular E) will show you how much will be withheld from your pay, based on pay amount and periodicity, as well as marital status and number of exemptions claimed. You can vary your number of exemptions somewhat, or have an additional amount withheld, in order to come closer to your actual tax obligation. Retirees may need to consider the tax impact of IRA withdrawals and other income, as well as changes in deductions. This holds for all retirees, not just federal. Here is a link that might be useful: IRS Forms and Publications

My DD's MIL and FIL both retired young. They both worked for the State (as do I) and he retired at 58 but she kept working so they would have the insurance. She finally burnt out and left and they have purchased insurance through our State's exchange-it is far less for them than paying the COBRA premiums. I haven't yet had a chance to ask her about the plan they got, but she said it's quite affordable. Once I hear from her that will determine if I retire in August or wait till next December. Or do I look for another job with insurance for DH and I. Hopefully your state has expanded their health care under the ACA. Thankfully I live in a very Blue state.