agilitydawg

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Oh boy..

1) These are not temporary foreign workers but people who are here legally and likely will continue living here, so having the ability to continue working to support themselves, pay taxes, etc., is a pretty good thing imo.

2) I agree with supporting American jobs. I don't think that is in conflict with allowing Americans-to-be the right to work--there's a lot of jobs remaining unfilled...

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So which visa category are they on? H-1b? Any others? There are plenty of examples of employers undercutting U.S. opportunities using this visa. We should have an H1b visa but it absolutely should be scrutinized every year or two or three. Why wouldn't that be a reasonable thing to expect?

American's-to-be? Did they disclose this in their visa interview at the U.S. Consulate? Sounds like an unreasonable expectation to me.

One possible disadvantage for you as a business owner: My wife's company has a SEP, and she has contributed 25% each year.

As a one-person company, it is a straightforward cash flow decision and is also very low-cost to establish and administer compared to a 401(k). But if she hires someone, she might not prefer to allocate 25% to that person(s). Still, I believe your hands are tied, requiring you to apply the same percentage to everyone who meets the eligibility criteria, irrespective of their performance, unlike pay raises or bonuses.

Something to consider as you can give yourself a raise or bonus (with tax implications) to fund a higher personal contribution for a 401 (k). The 401 (k) provides a constant vehicle for you to choose to invest or not out of your individual income, versus compromising what you might contribute due to the larger obligations a SEP might impose upon a company providing for 10 employees.

As an employee, I have gone a few years without a 401K match and also not received a raise during lean times like COVID and 9/11, etc., but I was always able to maintain my 401 K contribution and maxed it for the last 15-20 years. If I were relying on business cash flow and a CEO's emotions to fund a primary retirement vehicle during those times, I would not have accrued as much when we were struggling to make payroll.

Something to consider when you evaluate what is best for you and your company.

When I joined my small company 31 years ago, we didn't have a retirement plan in place, so I took it on as a project. (Then four employees, now 20 employees.)

Fast forward:
We went with a major brokerage (Charles Schwab) to avoid all of the high fees.
Charles Schwab does not establish plans directly for small companies, but we were directed to a service provider that handles small accounts on behalf of Charles Schwab.
I was able to select our investment choices and put together five throw-away options, but most importantly, an option that allowed us to access all funds or individual stocks available through Charles Schwab.
We did establish a 401K Roth as an option as well but I htink that came to be later.

At some point, 10 years ago, my boss attempted to transition it to a small firm with a local office up in his area so people could get a one-on-one advisor experience (Not Edward D. Jones, but equivalent). I put my foot down because it was just him doing a favor for one of his buddies, which would have pushed us into higher fee choices.

To recap, what we did right was have access to the entire market, access to low-cost fund options, and a large national brokerage that I have been able to consolidate all of our accounts into, including establishing a SEP IRA for my wife. Whether it is Fidelity or Charles Schwab, etc., it is nice not having to jump between companies to view and manage six separate accounts between my wife and me. Eventually, when I retire, I will be able to consolidate into self-directed accounts and remain with the same familiar brokerage.

Thank you! Problem solved. I poured a cup of bleach down the line and then shopvac at the other end and got about half a gallon out. I appreciate the advice.

They were telling her to get out, and she kept yelling she was going to get out, but wait.

While I appreciate the efforts, knowing politicians, this number probably includes anyone who left the country 1 day after their tourist or other visa expired vs. the vision this statement conjures of all of them having crossed the border with the clothes on their back and an expectation for free taxpayer benefits, packing up their stuff and leaving their illegal employment.

I am glad for all of it, but I am skeptical it is as impactful as one might imagine without parsing the data to see where they came up to 1.6 million.

Our 30-year-old Maytag dryer died a few months ago. I tore it down, and it was a bad motor, but a new one would be $250. We picked up a 5.3 cubic foot GE at a local scratch and dent - All but new for about $400. It looks fine sitting next to the Speed Queen washer

My house is due for its treatment this year, which is completed every 10 years. Then they come out annually and inspect. They charge by the linear foot and do not drill into the slab areas as they did in the past, but instead treat areas outside the slab, injecting the barrier into the ground. This will be $ 1,200 for 4,500 linear feet. $185 annual inspection and renewal after that, but they pay for any termite damage.

I am using the same company that we used over 30 years ago when my neighbor had their contract and discovered termites. They paid to replace an exterior French door, so I do trust the process of regular inspections with a bond. Someday, when you go to sell, I believe having a termite service and bond in place will alleviate hesitation about termites, and if something comes up, you won't be out of pocket. I guess you were not offered or did not opt for any termite bond from the company that completed the inspection?

For the leaf in the pool problem - Beta-bot pool skimmer. I got this for my 86-year-old dad for his birthday / Father's Day, and he has not used the net since June. This works great for surface debris. I am curious how it will work in the fall because they have a crap ton of trees surrounding the pool.

If anyone is shopping for one, Leslie's is cheaper than directly with the company with an extra year warranty, and remote and about $30 cheaper.

80 yo neighbor who we are close to was recently widowed and has been through a lot the past year. The guys mowing her lawn for the last 40 years or so, whom she taught in high school, are now experiencing health issues on top of reliability and overcharging her—$150 per visit.

I can line up some neighbor kids that would take on the job for $25 to ride a mower around for an hour and she has an outbuilding to store it.

What would you get for $2,000 or so? I don't want to recommend or deal with reliability issues for a year or two, so I am leaning towards a new mower with a warranty probably extend for a second or third year with a strategic credit card choice.

The lawn is not treated so mostly green weeds and maybe about 1/3rd of an acre.