Practice makes perfect/Carlos Pueblo

Practice makes perfect/Carlos Pueblo

I was watching many Japanese samurai movies and suddenly a documentary

of real samurai produced by NHK popped up. I turned attention to this video

with a conclusion, Practice makes perfect. Two days later, I was summoned to

a tennis double games and ran into a player with stroke consistently forehand

and backhand. Friends call him ball machine Dan because he builds his tennis

skill by practice with tennis ball machine.

Japanese swordsmanship comes back alive after century decline. The documentary

Introduces Katori Shinto-ryu, one of the three surviving schools at Narita, Chiba

Near the famous Narita Airport of Tokyo. The school allows students practice with

wooden sword and I watch carefully that the practice is repeating again and again

for varies technique attacking certain parts of unprotected body. That is why as the

master indicates traditional Japanese swordsmanship or the art of fencing can not

be a part of fencing sport at the Olympic. I have watched the famous duel between

him and Sasaki Kojiro at a beach front. The legend, after research and research,

tells that he used a solid wooden sword to make that fatal blow on Kojiro’s forehead.

It’s a matter of seconds.

I have regretted that I don’have enough practice for my tennis stroke; therefore, I

depend on game experience to fool around all tennis double matches. No strong

strike to win a point but returning the ball softly by slicing it to avoid hitting out of

the line. I have been winning by waiting the opponent’s error. I envy very much for

Dan’s hitting skill and I believe that hitting with a ball machine can reach the level

of practice makes perfect like the swordsmanship. Am I too late to start over? Or

am I too stubborn to be changed? Or I really don’t need to worry about it just

enjoy the remaining of my time to play the game?

Garden dirt filling 2017/Carlos Pueblo

Garden dirt filling 2017/Carlos Pueblo

There are three rolls of garden lot design around our house,

one each around the building edge of the front and back and

one each on the back yard fence on the east and  south. Usually

Amy would purchase several bags of garden soil and mulch

spreading on the top for several purpose. I was from a rural

area in Taiwan and could not understand why the need of money

to purchase garden soil. Two years ago, I did purchase 12 cubic

yard of top soil to prevent the loss of lawn due to corrosion of

lawn soil by rain. I do not see the significant change; however, I

can’t argue with her on her concern of the garden after my visits

to Frankfurt and Berlin and witness those beautiful gardens.

After consulting with her church friend, she ordered 2 yards each

of top soil and mulch with delivery and spreading labor cost. Her

friend’s husband advised that I should be present and watching the

work till done. It is a small soil company that the owner drives his

own dump truck and three workers arriving with another pick up

company owned. Later I learned that smaller job would be delivered

with that pick up separately 2 yards at a time. One worker named

Cowboy shoveled the soil to a wheelbarrow, then a second worker Bo

moved it to the third worker Michael and spread to the lot. We were

appreciated to the owner of hiring them to work even though they were

slow yet were good workers.  

After a brief lunch break, they came back to finish both soils for the front,

top soil at the bottom and mulch applying on the top. We needed additional

load for the back yard and the owner agreed to do the job on the next day.

We paid the amount for the day’s job and should pay the same amount for

the next day. On the second day, Michael didn’t show up for work; therefore

Cowboy decided to bring in Bo’s wife as the third worker in charge of shoveling

and Cowboy replaced Michael as the spreader, later he went back to shovel

and Bo’s wife move the wheelbarrow while Bo spreading. Cowboy used to be

the dump truck driver and is familiar with the business. Amy was very impressed

of his hard working habit and gave him a handsome tip. He mentioned to Amy’s

friend that he was suffering with a stoke a couple years ago and was not sure if

he could return for next year’s job. He is 63 younger than me.

I asked sever neighbors about how to improve our garden just like theirs. Recently

Many of neighbors’ front yards are full of spring blooming, azalea, camellia, New

York magnolia, and roses etc. which make home gardens very pretty.

What is the requested minimum distribution?/Carlos Pueblo

What is the requested minimum distribution?/Carlos Pueblo

Two of my friends, as a matter of fact, a client and my brother Yancy,

mentioned to me the requested minimum distribution, RMD, during

the past few years. I thought that was still too early for me to consider

it; however, after I filed my income tax for this year and I knew that

would be right on the corner in my case, one year later. What is the

requested minimum distribution? It is the money which we have saved

throughout those year for tax shelter which the federal government like

to tax them. Like the depreciation of dwelling property, the government

like you to recapture all of it when you sell the property.

If you are familiar with the property depreciation, you will understand

how to figure out how much to take out the RMD every year and you have

better taking out more than the RMD in order to avoid the 50% penalty for

the insufficiency amount withdraw. It’s a straight line method. IRS assume

that you will live up to 98; therefore, RMD for the first year at 70 ½ years

old, you are required to take out amount which is the total value of your

pension, other than Roth account, divided by 27.5, second year is divided by

26.5 and so on every year.

Both of them found out the amount and paid the tax burden accordingly. I

like to have my own tax planning now; therefore, I move d some fund to Roth

last year and plan to do the same this year and next year before the RMD

deadline by paying more federal income tax for the last two calendar years

instead of paying for the higher tax of RMD. I assume that my income will

be higher and the federal tax rate will be higher as long as the government

keep on expanding.

I might be miscalculating the income average for my younger time that at

the senior age; however, the saving was real and the future tax could be

planned to save to the most. That is why I have been very sure to advise

pension planning to contribute to the maximum to both of my children to

build personal asset at younger age. It is still my conclusion.

File 2016 Federal Income Tax/Carlos Pueblo

File 2016 Federal Income Tax/Carlos Pueblo

Last week I filed my 2016 federal income tax and moved forward to

the current calendar year. The commercial software has been made

easier to complete the return especially for fix income family. I notice

that I am very closed to the age of required minimum distribution;

therefore, I must prepare to increase my burden for this additional

income. In Texas, we pay real estate tax instead of the state income

tax and I have done that before the end of the year. I always like to

pay  taxes as soon as possible, for instance, as soon as I receive most

of the 1099’s, then complete it. Of course, I build myself a habit to

estimate my sources of  income of the current year ahead of time.

All governing authorities from the homeowner association, city, county

, school district, etc. tax the real estate owner property while the state

collect value added tax as its revenue to support the various service. I

can minimum my expense for only purchase for necessity yet I can not

avoid those sale tax of my travelling.

The software asks if we have carry health insurance for the entire year,

that’s Obamacare. If I don’t, there is additional question to be answered

and of course additional tax to be collected. Now, I understand why people

hate Obamacare; however, the Nation advocate humanity and can’t refuse

to treat the poor and I like to see how the Republican to handle this issue.

Because I don’t have earned income; therefore, I am not to contribute any

Individual retirement plan to have some income deduction instead that I am

soon to be facing the RMD. I am happy for the increase of income and on the

other hand I don’t like to face the additional tax yet I am still very sure that

saving for the retirement is a good strategy of tax planning.

I feel lucky that I have done it right away. Just two days later, I found a last

minute cruise deal to Chile and Argentina and grasped it, otherwise, I would

be concerned for not completing the income return while staying on the ship.

What did I learn this year, I must pay IRS earlier or I’ll face the penalty of interest

which I won’t get any for the money deposit to my checking account.

Visiting old town Prague, Czech Republic/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting old town Prague, Czech Republic/Carlos Pueblo

I was at a tram stop and waiting for a line 12 tram to the famous Charles

Bridge of Prague. A nice and pretty young lady chatted with me in a fluent

English about the city. She just returned to the city from a 6 months visit

to Denver, Colorado. She pointed the classical structure of her favorite

along the route of the tram. I was wondering how the city attracted so

many residents and how the city to provide so much job opportunity. She

told me that might be the IT, information technology. She saw me to get off

the tram right in front of the Bridge.

People see the Bridge and remember that distinguished king of Bohemia,

Charles IV. He connected the Prague Castle to the old town square across

the mighty Vltava River. A big crowd already gathered on the Bridge. I

overheard a familiar sound in front of the first bridge tower. Ms. Chu was

with her other two companions passing through the bridge toward the direction

of the old town square. Interestingly to know that she graduated from the

same department same university 10 years after me. We didn’t have too much

time to chat; however, we did exchange our e-mail address for the future

correspondence. I was wondering on the bridge to see every old the 30 statues

and saints where draw the most attention with street artists and vender of

all kinds in between. Portrait artists, even including silhouette, performed their

talent right on the spot, of course with a fee. I saw some business yet most of the

visitors were busy on their photographing for their own memory.

I followed the crowd to pass the third bridge tower near the old town square.

It is a very good size of square center among cathedral churches. A historical clock

tower is there with a huge gathering to watch the time of clock striking. I had taken so many pictures and I had to look them up again to see what I had been seeing around. As a matter

of fact that I had visit  the old town square almost every day of my staying.

Charles IV was the king of Bohemia Kingdom and also was appointed as the emperor of

the Holly Roman Empire. It is very interesting this part of history. Prague was the capitol of

such kingdom and empire where many European ancestors moved in with plenty of job

opportunity just like nowadays U.S. and western Europe. Czech was a classical nation rich

in history and culture. Its arm dealer used to ship assault machine gun to China to arm the

warlord. The old assault weapon ended up in a police office in our neighborhood. A famous

accusation of sedition, involving a classmate’s father, that the accused group attempted to

grasp such Czech assault  weapon for rebellion. It was one of the reason brought me here

for visit and I would like to see if I could visit the old weapon factory one of these days.

南美行/莊峻華

南美行/莊峻華

昨日上午，郵輪廣告到，有一特價，引起注意，請教郵輪代理，查

明價格，決定購買如此南美行，船從智利聖地牙哥附近出發，繞過

南端到阿根廷布宜諾斯艾利斯，一共十五日，代理同意讓我購買機

票，然後再訂船票。因為逼近啟航日，所以機票昂貴，我使用僅存

一張美航哩程票，補購一些哩數成行，因為廉價機票需要在布市滯

留一週，所以旅程一共23日。

船從太平洋，沿智利海岸，停靠幾處海港，然後繞行麥哲倫海峽，

進入阿根廷海岸，中間停靠福克蘭群島史丹利港，然後進入烏拉圭

，就是布宜諾斯艾利斯港，一共停靠九港口，現在南半球是秋天，

船抵布港後，續行中巴西里約熱內盧港十日，然後回頭布港，原先

我期待從布港到聖地牙哥港14日，緊接沿太平洋海岸北上20日，

到加州三藩市，一共34日，此兩段目前郵輪並未推出特價，我懷疑

此生再有如此機會。

省下來之錢，我可以再安排和等候特價機會，甚麼是特價？就是最後

一週之特價，許可單身單價單室旅行，一般如此機會，多半是冷門航

線，或是跨洋郵輪，例如春天四月，郵輪需要調回歐洲，南美調回阿

拉斯加，秋天相反方向，我了解狀況後，一直在等待特價機會，經常

郵輪旅行，老年生活，時光飛馳，毫無寂寞之有。

甚麼是退休金規定領取額？/莊峻華

甚麼是退休金規定領取額？/莊峻華

國稅局規定，退休金一定要在七十歲半，開始領取，有一至少額

曰，規定至少領取額，算法簡單，就是第一年，必須領出總額1/27

，第二年領取1/26，局假設每人壽命97歲，領取額為當年收入，

併入年收入課稅，我想美國法治，滴水不漏，去年底，我發現已接

近時間，連忙轉一些退休金，到羅斯退休金，當年扣稅，我相信往

後稅率會增高，不像會減輕低，因為美國國家支出龐大，不易控制

。

美國政府鼓勵儲蓄，退休金可以，暫緩報繳年所得稅，政府放長線

釣大魚，功能包括減少年老貧窮國民之，貧民救濟金預算，我非常

欣賞如此稅法，我之工作範圍，曾經是鼓勵客戶，購買退休金，甚

至退廣到兩位子女，我相信時間也可以幫忙賺錢，退休金是緩稅最

佳途徑，甚至可以應用到中年失業，金錢周轉，我在2000年使用過

10年，稅務安排，甚有效果，領法與此類似，當年局之壽命是83，

也是每年減少一年當分母，必須連續領取，到591/2歲，可以中止，

我已經中止領取，將近十年，我以為此為最佳稅務計劃。

有許多專業人員家庭，有雙重收入，領取兩張社會福利金，待開始

領取最低額退休金後，幾乎所有社會福利金，均需併入所得稅，當

然這是高收入，可喜可賀，每個月退休金，自動入帳，可以無憂無

慮，這是美國完善退休金法令，完美發生作用，維持社會安寧。