March 2010

Don’t Panic: A sign of light

March 11, 2010

Frugal Scholar had a bit of a meltdown as rumors of 25 percent cutbacks swirled through her campus. This kind of talk is unnerving, especially since we know that when layoffs loom, the talk that precedes them often comes to pass. There’s certainly no real evidence that the economy’s alleged recovery is affecting the average [...]

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Medicare, Medigap, and Long-Term Care Premiums: How deductible are they?

March 9, 2010

In response to my rumination about the strategy for surviving in Year 1 of Bumhood, when Social Security imposes an earnings limitation that amounts to real poverty, readers have speculated that structuring my business as a sole proprietorship rather than as an S-corporation would allow  me to deduct Medicare, Medigap, and long-term care premiums dollar-for-dollar [...]

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New refinement on Year 1 retirement strategy

March 8, 2010

So far—all of two months into this new Bumhood adventure—I’m doing so well at staying on budget and living within my apparently reduced means that I’m thinking next fall I should teach two sections instead of three. The community colleges pay $2,400 per class. Six times $2,400 comes to $14,400. Contrary to predictions, Social Security [...]

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Are CFLs all they’re cracked up to be?

March 7, 2010

Am I the only person who has developed a certain jaundiced skepticism about compact flourescent bulbs (CFLs)? Or is that yellowish tinge around the eyes just the result of the dim and ugly light the dratted things throw off? In the first blush of enthusiasm over CFLs, I went out and bought a boatload of [...]

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Return-of-Premium Insurance: Is it a good idea?

March 6, 2010

Over at Bargaineering, Jim recently discussed an relatively new insurance instrument called “Return of Premium Insurance.” This is a type of term life policy whose issuers promise to return your money after the policy expires. In term insurance, you pay a specific monthly or annual premium so that the company will pay a benefit to [...]

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Cassie, Coyotes, Students, and Bumhood

March 5, 2010

Want to see a little dog’s ears stand straight on end? Here’s what you do. Get yourself a coyote, install him in the back yard, and set him to singing. In the darkest wee hours of the morning, one of the neighborhood’s coyotes caught a stray cat, just outside the back door. We could hear [...]

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