FDNY

So heartbreaking for those who lost so much, we wish the best for recovery and rebuilding of lives.. I have a friend in Santa Rosa who was caregiver to her Mom who passed away a week before the fires. My friend had do an immediate evacuation and was only able to leave with her dog, it was that urgent. Everything was lost. Imagine trying to evacuate her Mom who would have been immobile. Her passing was a blessing. When a firestorm is heading your way, immediacy is the most important realization to respect. As a former firefighter I cannot stress enough the importance of preparation. After 9/11 people were preparing for another attack possibly chemical or biological. Many people were putting together "GO Bags," packed with your own personal list of items, ready to grab at a moments notice. You can Google "Go bag" and get a comprehensive list of items.

You could open a 529 plan and make yourself or your daughter beneficiary. Then when grandchild is born you can change the beneficiary. Would be a great head start, what a lucky kid.

Thanks, that happens to be an area where I am severely lacking especially with clients that I have compassion for, I know, not a good business practice, but next year will be a good time to raise my fee. I already decided on that.

Interesting, so one of my questions to ask client today will be if they have a joint account. I sure hope not, this could get ugly. Thanks Tom.

Thanks Sara, marriage took place in VT 2 years ago, both were MA residents and client's properties in CA were purchased before the marriage. I will be reminding client today that she should seek the counsel of an attorney as this could have complications and now that family knows there will be fallout. Client says it was her idea to marry, I don't know, some people can have a way of influencing other people's thought processes, especially the elderly. Just wish she spoke to me before marriage, it is costing her about $2,500 a year in extra tax. If she wasn't such a sweet (and elderly) person I would have stated my opinion to her and been done with it. One of my practices is to protect the elderly from the unscrupulous but I never had a chance here, and evidently she never heeded any of my general advisories to the elderly to protect themselves.

Thanks Lion, she lives in MA, with 2 properties in CA, she needs to re-do everything, and not on legal zoom which is her avenue of choice for legal matters.

Glad you mentioned this Judy, I now see it is time for me to aggressively get all the loose ends tied. Thanks, Bill

Without giving legal advice to this client, she has become a friend (don't many of them), where we have nearly a 20 year history, I have advised the last 2 years to see an estate planning attorney. The trust only holds the rental property and another property housing client's other daughter who has manic depressive issues. There is much to get done. She claims the handyman is a good person, who knows. I have spoken to him on the phone and he sounds concerned about client's health (heart condition problems), I find this a little scary. At the least, I see time is of the essence here.

You've all made me smile, thank you. While this sham marriage (as client calls it) happened without my knowledge, if I had known I of course would have advised against it. Handyman recently began paying taxes and uses my client's address (don't know if he actually lives there) so client was also not able to deduct rental losses for a rental she has in CA (filing MFS), a double tax whammy for her. A real tax disaster that I've had to report to client for last 2 years. But client did not care, she does care about people, animals, and always wants to do good and help others, I respect that very much. Now I am just hoping that the $139 quickie divorce client wants is agreeable to the handyman, if not, we have the makings of an award winning screenplay. If I ever retire I don't know what I will do for entertainment.

This week I've been dealing with some kind of rocket scientist from CA who is the son in law of a client. The client is an 83 y/o retired teacher from CA, a real hipster from the beatnik era and a Haight/Ashbury veteran. A few years ago she decided to help out her handyman who is nearly 30 years her junior by marrying him (and swears me to secrecy) because as she says, he has no SS. I asked why does he have no SS? Well, he was in jail for 21 years and he now gets paid off the books. She wants to file separately, so I explained she will pay more in taxes. She didn't care, she just wants him to get her SS when she dies (she only gets $4,600/yr). So the son in law comes east to visit his kid in college and stops by my client's house and looks at the tax return as he will be taking over her finances because she overpaid her credit card by $2K. She now confesses to him and he calls me, livid that I did not tell the daughter (I'm also a contingent trustee for client). I told him I advised my client of the consequences, especially for estate planning and that she should consult a lawyer. So the rocket scientist says he will contact his lawyer because I was negligent. I don't think so, my obligation is to the client, besides, he doesn't scare me, I've stared down danger bigger than this pencil neck geek scientist. All in all, I find this comical, now the client thinks she better get a quickie divorce, a happy ending in my opinion. Again, sorry for wasting your time.

Thank you Catherine. Good to know that we all have the same clients. I no longer call the procrastinators so I'm not going crazy the last few days (if they're late, so be it). I do the same as rfassett and ILLMAS, it's me first so I stay sane the last few days.

Went for a bike ride early this morning in the dark and nearly froze my.......fingers off. Shorter days are no fun, but fall is beautiful.

I have easily unfrozen and re-frozen my security freeze a number of times without issue. Just don't loose that PIN #.

This is probably not related to Equifax, but last week my wife got a phone message to call the number on back of her MasterCard and was told she will be getting a new card due to a possible compromise. Then this morning I have an email from Discover card saying they will be sending me a new card due to an external breach and my card may have been compromised. This happened to my wife last year too, possibly from use in a large retail outlet, she was there again recently. I think it's time we go to eyeball or thumbprint recognition. My brokerage uses voice recognition, which is immediate when I call. Must be easy for them as there is no mistaking my distinctive Brooklyn accent. Thanks Sara EA, I just found out about Innovis (they must be really new, it comes up on spellcheck, Equifax doesn't).

Happy Anniversary! All the best for many more happy years of togetherness. I usually renew in May, would be nice to at least be taken out for a martini.

This thread is funnier (and more informative and enlightening) than the 3 bears Charmin commercials. But the best TP story I ever heard was a client of mine (who passed away 10 years ago at 97 y/o) was part of the Norwegian resistance during WW2. He and another guy wrote memoirs on a roll of TP. I assume the paper at that time had more substance. They wrote a book about it....the resistance, not the TP.

As far as I know it goes by the state you're in. I think it was free in MA when I placed mine a few years ago.. I did one for my friend in FL and I think it was $5.

I too can't believe it took this long. It's like we are either sleeping on the job or just plain naïve and stupid, or maybe our free society is too slow to recognize, investigate, and take action.

I have to think about this, I know there is logic in there. Oh yes, I got it now. We're taller.

I always believed the paper should go over the top, not under, but that's just my preference.

Good question. Something tells me Rita is very comfortable in the bucket seat of a backhoe.

I thought that too at first, but Rita would never, ever drive a Daewoo.

I agree with Medlin. I too have had cards compromised years ago and have always been proactive in checking all statements. I've have a security freeze for a few years and easily lift it and reinstate easily, have had no issues. As I understand it, even if they get our info, what good is it if there is a credit freeze. They wouldn't even be able to get Netflix.

I called all my FL clients this morning (about a dozen) and to my amazement they are all staying put except one cruising in the Gulf (hopefully not under threat of a tsunami). One client is 98 y/o in Pembroke Pines (I think Red Buttons' Century Village) with his 90 y/o wife and a large group of grey and blue hairs, asking Irma to "bring it on." I told him to keep away from the patio door, he thought that was a good idea and will tell his friends, they won't even go to the local shelter. Most clients feared getting stuck on the highways which are jam packed all day and night. Tough situation, I hope everyone stays safe, is prepared, and don't take chances. If this is as bad as they say it could be, the aftermath is going to be a challenge with so many people staying in their homes. Think positive thoughts that this monster weakens, or, takes a hard right, although that would be an act of God for that to happen.

Oh, that was yesterday? I was in the dark. I may as well have been, didn't notice anything. I have memories of '79, but remember the one in the 60s when our neighbor Mr Corso made all the kids cardboard cutout devices for viewing. I still had my "13 Ghosts" 3D glasses but was told they were useless for viewing.