You can be designated a signer but NOT a joint owner.
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This is reminding me to return to estate planning given the importance of loyalty program points, digital assets and changes in Massachusetts tax laws. Just emailed my tax guy to see if he has a suggestion for a sophisticated but not crazy expensive lawyer.
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As much as you love your home and property in MA, in a few years your mind might change on spending more the 50% of your time in a lower taxation state.
A lawyer can propose some things that can translate elsewhere, and also how to best structure things.
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Good point. Mass taxes on the estate would be pretty high. Plus Mass taxes on my RMDs while I am still working.
I spoke with a RE agent in Sarasota and looked at properties she suggested online. ShawWife agreed originally to go to Sarasota to look at houses in April, but am experiencing a fair bit of resistance (“let’s look in the fall”, “why don’t we rent first”). I would do it first to not have an icy driveway in the winter, but maybe then to avoid MA taxes.
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If you are a Vanguard personal adviser client, know that on Saturday they instituted some new software that changes your percentage of success. I was quite surprised to log in and see my chance of success had dropped more than 10%! I tried the chat function for a better understanding and the bot and then the “representative” was worthless. I was trying to avoid taking up my adviser’s time as I meet with him next week, but I still got switched to him when no one else seemed to know about this change and didn’t understand what was happening. I told him to tell his bosses to clue in the front-line people so they don’t sound so clueless and the opposite of confidence-inspiring.
Basically, Vanguard’s market and bond projections are less “irrationally exuberant” and then how they measure success was changed. My adviser said one client’s chances of success dropped 20%!
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Success of what? Not running out of $$?
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Interesting, I actually saw an article yesterday somewhere (MSN?) that said Vanguard predicted a 3%-5% stock market over the next DECADE!!! YIKES! That is scary stuff. But, after reading how European countries are now taking their tech out of American tech and (i.e. Microsoft to Linux), etc…impacts are going to hit everywhere. Don’t want to get political, but this is because of politics.
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Vanguard has been making similar types of pessimistic predictions for the past decade. In 2016, Vanguard predicted a median 10-year return of 5.2%/year. 5th to 95th percentile range of returns was 0%/year to 10.5%/year. Actual return for past 10 years was 14%/year. You can view most recent Vanguard predictions at Market perspectives . Vanguard’s prediction of 10-year median return for US equities has increased slightly to 5.9%/year.
While CAPE type metrics suggest there is a significant risk of lower returns, I’d take Vanguard’s market predictions with a grain of salt. Historically their predictions of US market have been worse than random chance (worse than guessing return will be the historical average of 10%/year every year). I suspect a key reason for the pessimistic prediction is it encourages persons to use their paid advisor services. If you have a “YIKES!” reaction, then you are more likely to hire Vanguard to protect your assets from the impending emergency.
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Maybe someone has some insight
I received a check from an insurance company for a small policy my mom had. It looks like a standard cashiers check.
I endorsed the check for deposit only but mobile deposit doesn’t seem to accept the check. I don’t know if the dollar amount is a black box with white lettering has anything to do with it or not.
I do not have a bank account with a local branch. I haven’t for 20 years. It’s never been an issue.
Any suggestions how to deposit this check?
@deb922 -I would call the bank. Maybe you would have to mail it somewhere?
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That’s a good idea. I’ll call tomorrow
I just retired a few years ago and haven’t started RMDs yet, yes 3-5% worries me although when I check my Vanguard account today it still says well funded for retirement so maybe they have been considering it somewhat low all along.
Close. Success of dying with a dollar or whatever parameter you set (say, you want to leave $1M to your kids).
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Same. I had the same situation and called the bank. Mailing it or driving it 2 1/2 hours were my choices. They told me exactly how to endorse the back. (The account number of the account it was to go to was part of it) This is one of the few times I sent an envelope registered (or traceable) at the post office.
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Some banks have a max amount for remote deposit.
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Our FA group give some short video updates (rotating the advisor on the clip) at least twice a month. In the last update, they provided the last leadership of ‘the magnificent seven’ in dominating large-cap growth stocks – Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla, and now headline “Mag 7 becomes Hateful 8” (Oracle added to the mix). Data showing the rest of S & P 500 Contribution with each of the ‘hateful 8’ separated out to show YTD Return from data as of 3/31/2026 along the horizontal, and the S & P 500 Point Contribution on the vertical. Called the hateful 8 because they have become one of the biggest drags on the S & P 500. “It is a timely reminder that even the market’s biggest winners do no go up forever, and investors without a clear risk-management plan can pay a steep rice when momentum reverses.”
I contacted the bank. I have an address to send in the deposit so that’s what I did.
It wasn’t a large amount, less than $3000 so definitely not over the daily limit
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A key variable in that summary is limiting to 3/31/2026. If you look YTD up until today instead of 3/31/2026, then half of the “hateful 8” have overperformed S&P, and half have underperformed. Overall is negative because the biggest losers (Oracle and Microsoft down ~17%) have been larger magnitude changes than the biggest winners (Amazon up ~10% YTD), but it’s far from all the mega cap tech stocks switching to drags on portfolio.
I created an index of a few dozen large cap, low dividend stocks that has 98% correlation with S&P 500 for tax loss harvesting. With the rapid swings of the “hateful 8” and others, TLH has been going quite well in recent months. I’ve harvested 13% of index value in losses so far this year, in spite of make a net gain overall (like S&P 500 YTD).
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The snapshot view I have looked at - you are right, MSFT and ORCL had the biggest negative (this chart had them over -20%, and the others between - 6 to maybe -18%).
It is a snapshot.
It is always worth having practical and common sense with risk tolerance and one’s portfolio of investments.
I own both. The last two days huge over performance but still waaaay off. Microsoft about 27% off the high. Oracle more than 50%. 7 months. Both mint money.sticks price on emotion as much as or at times more than fundamentals.
People are afraid of Open AI expectations.
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