Endless expanse.
Sun glory, chicken on the barbie.
Children crying, parents angry.
“Take one for the road,” yells a voice from behind and left. A second beer deforms against the quarter panel with a dull thud. I watch it explode into mist and volcanic foam. Sound struggles against the muffle of the car’s interior. I look up and spot the huge sign.
“Nevada State Recreational Area.”
“Is it really stealing, if you’re attempting to return it?,” he yells in hasty retreat.
Nevada State Recreation Area. Summer Hours 8;00AM–7:00PM.”
“Who knew?” I offer.
“Huh?”
Slamming car door, engine roar, hooting.
“Picnics are inherently unpredictable–like the federal government,” he hisses. “It only takes one to stink up the joint.”
“Who knew hiring kids to muscle coffee bags up five flights–“
“Six.” Pause. “We had to pay them for six.” Sand, spinning, turning, accelerating.
“Nonsense. That back there? That’s just general rowdiness, mainly because I reminded them of the Roth IRA and it’s tax season. They’ll be fine,” he looks over from behind the wheel, “IRAs, the price of beer getting jacked due to aluminum tariffs. Next it’ll be net neutrality. All good. They’re probably all anti-vaxxers–without retirement accounts.”
“No doubt.”
“Those people believe Subbarus are grown organically.”
Where the Subaru comes from. Young Subarus in the wild.
Back at the building we stroll into a lobby milling with residents. The super stands surrounded, his part perfectly audible from the bank of mail slots.
“Real life?” he repeats. One resident takes a step back. The super points sternly.
“I know real life and I know people who know real life. It’s called “we all have kids real life.” I get enough of that at home. Don’t need any on the job,” he shivers. “That’s why I work here. That’s why we moved here. We wanted to bring our kids up in a place that had nothing to do with real life.”
“Tax time is the perfect time,” our business manager resumes while pushing me toward the elevators.
“Who doesn’t already know?” I ask.
“Informing is as much reminding, representing, and clarifying, as it is news.”
“Very true.”
“Things change, circumstances and perspectives. It’s all a matter of consistently–periodically–reexamining all options.”
The Awesome IRAs
We call it good if it legally defers or eliminates taxes. Tax time sets this power into a fine high-contrast relief. Nothing focuses the mind like hanging–or doing the actual paying part of taxation, while knowing a chunk of said was unnecessary. We think to ourselves “IRA” on a monthly basis–as do you no doubt. For those not yet thinking the same, we have the IRAs.
We know. We’re geeked too–it’s tax season, and we’re paying sweet FA nothing on our substantial investment gains.
Obviously several varieties of IRA exist, yet the two basic types are of course the “Traditional,” and the “Roth.” Working with earnings higher now then you expect later? You’re probably traditional–thus, tax deferred. Retired, or lower income now? Roth IRA accepts post-tax contributions, making it a tax-free vehicle. No forced distributions, access at age 59.5, and once again–no taxes ever(unless you invest in an MLP, and the investment goes +1000%).
Once again, we bring up the IRA based on it’s transformative power. You’re reading this. You know about IRAs. We know you know. Yet check, think, reexamine–how can these basics be wrong? How many checklists does NASA use? Do they only use them once? Right. Here’s what we did.
With a lower income one will pay tax at a lower rate. That’s good. That meant for us to pay now, and forever rid those dollars from any further taxation. We maxed-out annual contributions into individual Roth IRAs, thus building the balance over time. This was done while maintaining accessible resources and liquidity outside of the IRA.
Tax strategies are available in forms too complex to recognize, yet we depend on the basics. It again comes as no surprise to you that IRA accounts are the absolute best place to own stocks.
All or our stock positions are held within Roth IRAs. None of our gains are taxable, ever. Fries with that? Please. No taxable income means no tax time reporting requirement on said gains.
Subarus don’t really come from here. Those are IRAs–Traditional, Roth, SEP, and ahh, there’s another one…
Thanks for reading. Keep looking.
oN THE MONEY………..NICE.
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