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Number of Posts:70
Registered on:5/29/2023
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re: The Hotel Bentley in Alexandria

Posted by CEB on 4/13/25 at 4:44 pm
Was there for a wedding last year. We enjoyed our stay. Rooms were nice but nothing special. The Bentley Room restaurant in the basement was pretty good. We also enjoyed the Mirror Lounge in the basement. The Diamond Grill down the street was excellent. Downtown Alex is a ghost town once sunsets.

re: Have you ever donated a car?

Posted by CEB on 4/9/25 at 12:15 pm
See IRS Pub 526 and 561 for guidance on which charities you donate to and how to determine the FMV of the items. FMV is usually the value for your vehicle as a Private Sale on a site such as KBB or Edmunds. Keep in mind the standard deduction for MFJ is $14,600 so your total deductions must exceed that amount before any benefit.

re: 10 Days in Maine in mid May

Posted by CEB on 2/15/25 at 7:06 pm
We stayed a week in Maine last June. We have a VRBO cabin in Ellsworth about 1/2 hour drive north of Bar Harbor. Nice cabin on a lake. spent day and a half circling Acadia. If you wish to visit Cadillac Mtn you need to reserve a time with NPS. Lobster boat tour in Bar Harbor was interesting as was the NPS boat tour to Little Cranberry Island. took day drive up to Lubec/Canadian border town. Another day trip drove south from Bar Harbor to Camden, Rockland, Freeport.

In June temps were in low 70s with no humidity and falls into low 40s at night. Bring rain jackets.
Usually once you pay down to a certain loan to value and have satisfactory payment history they may cash out the escrow and allow you to pay taxes and insurance directly.

re: DIY taxes

Posted by CEB on 1/31/25 at 2:14 pm
You may be able to login to the students page at SLU and download the 1098T

re: DIY taxes

Posted by CEB on 1/30/25 at 8:23 pm
Standard deduction for MFJ is $29,200. School should provide a 1098T that reports qualified education expenses and scholarships received.

re: IRA distribution

Posted by CEB on 1/24/25 at 11:10 pm
He should instruct them to withhold a certain amount.
Tuition is about $12,000 the rest is housing, meals,books and other living expenses.

re: Bathroom vent heater not working

Posted by CEB on 12/13/24 at 4:11 pm
That’s a Broan/Nutone. You can order a replacement heating unit. Remove cover and you unplug heater and a few screws.

re: Fed Tax Question

Posted by CEB on 11/6/24 at 5:44 pm
You can make a direct payment on IRS website but make sure it is applied to 2024 tax tear. You must be specific what year you are paying.

re: Going to Texas A&M

Posted by CEB on 10/23/24 at 5:50 pm
Any idea where to park near campus? Arriving at A&M around noon.

re: Freedom Mortgage

Posted by CEB on 10/21/24 at 7:47 pm
My mortgage was sold several years ago. I received a notice my flood insurance had lapsed for failure to pay premiums. I called the mortgage company and they had determined on their own since I was in a X zone they wouldn’t pay the premium. At the time Hurricane Ivan was barreling across the gulf. I paid the flood myself to re-instate coverage and due to my low LTV was able to cancel my escrow all together. I then assumed responsibility to pay taxes and insurance on my own,

re: Small Gun Safe

Posted by CEB on 10/10/24 at 9:21 pm
LINK

It’s a non-refundable credit. This means if you have a tax liability it will reduce your balance but will not refund if you do not have a tax bill.

re: Small Gun Safe

Posted by CEB on 10/10/24 at 7:51 pm
Save your receipt and safe details. You may qualify for up to a $500 State of LA income tax credit.
You will receive a 1099-R for the $16,000. As long as you roll the full amount into your regular IRA you will report it as such and not taxed. It is preferred for the pension to send the proceeds directly to your Fidelity account or if the proceeds are sent to you they must be deposited into Fidelity within 60 days to effect a tax-deferred rollover.

re: Tent Recommendations

Posted by CEB on 9/10/24 at 3:33 pm
I would recommend a Eureka dome tent. Good quality and generally do not leak.

re: Looking for advice for my finances

Posted by CEB on 8/28/24 at 9:09 pm
I agree with Double O. Pay down house. There is no tax deduction for the interest you are paying. Once paid off you will feel even more liberated to build up additional investments. At some point you may enjoy an opportunity to retire early and the taxable account will be your source of funds until you draw from 401K.

re: OT Car Repair Gurus, Help Needed

Posted by CEB on 7/30/24 at 6:21 pm
I had a 2007 Odyssey I drove until 185,000 miles and now have a 2017 Pilot with 100,000 miles. By far the best vehicles I have ever owned. The estimate seems high but compared to cost of a new vehicle that’s about 7 months payments.

I would get an estimate from a recommended independent shop. If reasonable I would have repair done and get another few years out of it. BTW the timing belt is recommended at 100,000. Honda just quoted me $1,500 to change and I plan on getting estimate from an independent shop.

re: Act of Donating a car in Louisiana?

Posted by CEB on 7/24/24 at 10:35 pm
My dad donated his car to my son several years ago. We completed the transaction at a title agency. We executed an act of donation. There was no sales tax due. We had to pay registration, title and plate fees and the notary fee.

Is vehicle registered to your dad or mom? If registered to dad then you would need a judgment of possession and the executor would sign as donor. If registered to your mom she can donate.