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jcussen

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Everything posted by jcussen

  1. Some newer hybrid models have a greater electric only range, in many cases enough for daily commutes. 48 miles for the Honda Clarity. Drive to work and back, plug in when you get home and you are ready to go again the next morning, for longer trips, just fill up your gas tank. https://automobiles.honda.com/clarity-plug-in-hybrid
  2. According to the IRS, my $600 check was mailed 10 days ago? Seems the USPS is using a lot of contract labor. Last year, filled on line hold my mail and filled in two of the yellow forms for hold my mail, one to the local post office and one to my carrier. Guess what, had a big pile mail on my porch when I got back.
  3. Modern plugin hybrids like the Honda Clarity offer the best of both worlds. Plug it in and drive around town for 48 miles on batteries alone, at about 1/4 the price of gasoline. For a long trip, fill the gas tank and drive 340 miles before refilling. $7500 federal tax credit, and possible state credits also make it pretty affordable. And you can use the HOV lanes with one person.
  4. The Honda Clarity has a 48 mile electric only range, and 360 total miles per tank. If you are just driving locally you can do it on electricity, for longer trips, fill up your gas tank.Know a couple of people that travel coast to coast yearly in a hybrid.
  5. Not a hybrid, I have a full EV. Installed $7000 worth of solar panels, solar controllers, used leaf batteries and a 220 volt inverter. By gas saving alone, the $7000 will be paid off in 5 years. There are some good hybrid gas plugins though that combine the best of both worlds. The Honda Clarity is a good example. https://automobiles.honda.com/clarity-plug-in-hybrid
  6. A lot of companies now have e-billing. They will send you an email with amount you owe, you can just send the amount owed by e-pay from your bank. Don't like automatic pay because one time wife got on a cleaning supply scam and they billed for the minimum amount even if she did not order anything, took a lot of phone calls to get that straightened out. When I am on a long trip, just have my bank pay a bit more that the anticipated bill, normally have a credit balance when I get home, then I cancel it and go back to normal pay by e-pay.
  7. I too am not to steady on ladders anymore, the simplisafe cameras are usb powered by a wall wart, so the power cable is small. I just ran the power cable through a window and it still closes tight. Or you use one of those USB rechargable phone chargers in an accessible location and they should last a pretty long time before recharging is necessary
  8. Believe you must have had a Roth at least 5 years before you turn 59 1/2. I started my 401k in my twenties, if I had known the rules, would have put way more money in Roths. https://www.investopedia.com/roth-ira-withdrawals-read-this-first-4584662
  9. Nothing in Galveston County, I was signed up at U of Texas Medical Branch, but appears their allotment is now going to Houston. Appears they are going to Vaccination Hubs, the closet one to me is in Houston, but still not easy to register. Lot of times just get voice mails and no place to put your name in.
  10. Agree, did the same and found out the info was out of date in my area and all the ones I called within 20 miles had none available.
  11. Look at Simplisafe, cameras need power, but a good value for the money https://simplisafe.com/security?pcrid=380789700938&utm_campaign=br.Branded.Exact&utm_term=simplisafe&utm_content=&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_netwo
  12. Good decision on your part, wish I knew more about RMD's when I first started saving, would have put a lot more into Roth IRA's.
  13. Just read in the Galveston Daily News, that UTMB Galveston is cancelling scheduled vaccinations after next Tues because of a new state policy sending vaccines to distribution "centers". As mine was scheduled for next Thursday, guess I am back on the waiting list.
  14. RMD's are mandentary at 72, although legiestation is changing on all IRA accounts, so if you invested while younger in tax free 401K's etc, you will be required to take some money out of your IRA and pay tax on it. If a Roth and you paid tax on it before putting it in your IRA, think you are okay with pulling that money out without paying income taxes on it. My Required Minimum disbursement this year plus my S.S. put me in a 24% tax bracket, and probably higher next year.
  15. Appears the new government now wishes to distribute all available doses of the vaccine instead of holding 50% in reserve for the second shot. Hope we don't run into a situation like what we had with PPE's where the PPE manufacturers started selling to the highest bidder and perhaps the second shot is not going to be available to those that got the first shot. Looks like the US gov. contract with Modera is for 200 million and with Phizer, 200 million single doses. But 50% protection from one shot is better than 0% with no shots. As far as I know, both shots have to come from the same manufacturer.
  16. Just made an appointment at UTMB Galveston for next week. Can't do it by phone, must do it online through MyChart. I am 1B.
  17. Yes. a racket. several years ago, took $!20K out of my IRA, [I am retired]. My accountant does my taxes for me, and she did not receive notice from my financial consultant of that withdrawal, and I forgot about it and paid my usual taxes. Three years later, IRS informed my I owed $31K in taxes on that amount, which I paid immediately, Six months after that, got another bill for $8000 for not paying on time, paid that, last week got another bill for $75, for a miscalculation on that amount, wonder if it will ever end. I know it was my fault for not paying more attention, but have to wonder if they did not inform me for 3 years, just so they could collect that extra $8000.
  18. Agree, a lot of people make good money on short selling. In Tesla's case, see a lot of Tesla trash talk on many forums and news articles hoping to drive the stock price down. As you said, obviously that did not work well. No gloating here, but Tesla bought a good portion of my Tesla.
  19. Yep, the Tesla short sellers got their just rewards. I too am only educated enough to buy stocks that I think will go up. But still not smart enough to hang on to the Tesla stocks I bought at $220 before the split. But that's the stock market, like RV said, somewhat like a casino.
  20. Pretty sure trucks with hydrogen fuel cells use electricity to power the electric drive motors. Don't think I have ever heard of a diesel engine that uses hydrogen for fuel. https://www.fleetowner.com/running-green/article/21130119/putting-hydrogen-fuel-cell-trucks-to-work If you read the entire article, it states "zero greenhouse gases", "no idling", low noise pollution". This certainly indicates electric drive. Love to see some specs on a pure hydrogen powered diesel engine although this guy thinks it is in the future as a supplement to diesel. https://newatlas.com/automotive/hydrogen-direct-injection-hy
  21. You are right. Texas is probably safe, but the future is uncertain. https://www.forbes.com/sites/pikeresearch/2020/11/04/ice-bans-begin-to-take-shape-in-the-us/?sh=6a7d9a933e17
  22. In some some states, you won't be able to buy a new gas car or pickup either. https://electrek.co/2020/09/23/california-ban-sale-new-ice-cars-in-2035/#:~:text=Why not sooner%3F,-Jameson Dow&text=California Governor Gavin News
  23. Tesla's megacharger for semi's can charge 400 miles in 30 minutes. Of course not many around now and only practical for a-b and b-a type routes, but who knows in 20 years. But I can see truck stops with massive underground hydrogen tanks, but producing the hydrogen and transporting to the truck stops will still be a problem for a while. https://electrek.co/2018/02/02/tesla-semi-electric-truck-customers-megacharger-charging-station/
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