Another one quits our tennis meet/Carlos Pueblo

Another one quits our tennis meet/Carlos Pueblo

This morning at our regular Friday morning tennis meet, Tony told me that Patrick was with a fever and couldn't make it while West was at home waiting for our call. I figure it out that is another one quits our tennis meet again. It is very difficult to make it workable for a tennis double meet. First, not many players can make it permanently, second, the tennis court is not that easy to arrange, and third, not many people can play tennis. I am lucky that I can still play with some less than U.S.T.A. 3.0 players to have two sets to satisfy my ego that means to win one set and loss one after switch the partner. That partner is the sick one who plays good ping pong and uses a lot of drop shots.

Tony and I rallied a while and quit and I went to next door swimming pool for my 15 rounds which was 5 more than the regular due to lack of tennis running. I am thinking how do I make my life more interesting after the summer without the tennis. I may ask some one to take me to the golf that I can hit straight and walk for a long distance except that I don't like to pay for golf which needs to be solved. Otherwise, I must e-mail the Captain to join the league if there is any after the Chinese Wuhan Novel Corona Virus Pandemic.

I have a schedule of 4 plus hours every morning to have my morning exercises routine, walk, tennis, and swimming. After they are done, I am exhausted and rest for the rest of my day. I go to bed very early every night and wake up very early after midnight for the toilet use and read the overnight news in the U.S. or the political talk shows in Taiwan. I also write a piece on my blog on the Google and the Tumblr. I go to sleep again and wait for the walk at the day break.

老年人運動/莊峻華

老年人運動/莊峻華

今晨網球局，四缺二，因為第四位發燒，所以第三位在家等候，於是我們兩位，在球場拉球些許，然後鳥獸散，我到隔壁游泳池，多游五圈，老年人運動，受到身體健康狀況之限制，若非身體適應，無法如願活動鍛鍊，我們一時找不到第四位球伴，網球局可能將中斷些時。還好，我仍然可以晨步和晨泳，維持例行老年人運動，冬天到來，說不定我可以打高爾夫球，我自信可以擊中球，而且又可步行球場，現在就是要會算球記分數。

自從増強清晨散步哩數和游泳後，發現左肩和左膝蓋關節酸痛，突然消失，顯然是因為四肢經常活動有幫助，運動回家後，已經身疲力竭，需要很多休息，一日飛渡，清晨又復始，非常迅速，我好像非常期待一日之到來。

其實，這麼一切活動，不過四小時餘，然後就需要一整日之休息，老年人運動，確是耗費體力，我甚慶幸我尚可如此享受，一旦我力有不逮，那就是真正老邁，不知如何適從？我說再給我七年半時光。

Utilizing the individual U.S. pension plans/Carlos Pueblo

Utilizing the individual U.S. pension plans/Carlos Pueblo

In order to accumulate my own individual capital, I utilized the individual U.S. pension plans such as the individual retirement account, the HR-10 Keogh Plan, and the company's 401k Plan, etc. I do have another small company's defined benefit plan and an after tax annuity plan along with that 401k contribution. These pension plans have been very good to me and successfully made me financial independent. I used to sell mutual fund IRA to my customers to save money for the retirement and repeat it so often that I also pass it on to both of my children to get on the pension plans when they begin to work.

The U.S. Government encourage the citizen to save for their retirement by deferring their income tax until they withdraw the fund. This is how it works, you can deduct your annual contribution to the pension plans from your annual earned income and funds stayed in accounts without reporting any gain through out the growing period until you withdraw it from accounts. IRS shall take its share of the account by taxing you as that year's annual income. It is very fair and I believe the Government may come out ahead because in my case, I have more income than before my retirement.

U.S. politician understand that well prepared citizen at their retirement age will have no burden to the Government in the financial means. It will keep the society more stable and the government can focus more on helping the under privilege citizen which is the idea. It won't bother me if I am so called discriminated in the society if any. I am paying taxes to the federal and the local tax authorities while almost 50% of the population do not have to pay, at least those people can not discriminate me for any reason. I have mentioned so many times that I did borrow some money to cover the air fare from Honolulu, Hawaii to Auburn, Alabama.

I don't mind that people complain; however, we must attempt ourselves to improve our financial situation first by working, no matter how humble the job is, second by saving and investing, utilize the individual U.S. pension plans is an excellent vehicle which is agreed by almost everyone and practiced quite often in the society.

善用美國退休計劃/莊峻華

善用美國退休計劃/莊峻華

美國政府鼓勵國民儲蓄，商界輿論界，鼓勵人民消費，鼓勵儲蓄是期待減少貧戶，鼓勵消費，是在刺激經濟繁榮，所以優先有序，我因為出身貧窮，因此特別注意儲蓄和投資，善用美國退休計劃，曾是我的職業，我賣退休計劃，購買基金，一直到放棄一般證券執照，美國退休計劃，最主要之好處，就是緩交所得稅，一直到領出時，所以可以暫時控制稅務，我使用之退休計劃有三種，個人退休金計劃，基歐計劃，和401k計劃，這三種計劃，現在合併為兩種，是我財務獨立之主要工具。

要懂善用美國退休計劃之原理，相信它之作用，持續購買，年年購買，累積成長期，這一段成長，可以暫緩繳年所得稅，待退休無收入時，漸漸領出，可以控制稅率，今年年初，我需籌措一筆款，結果領錯一筆儲蓄項目，需要再年底前，補領一筆，以符年度領出最低額，結果遇到政府因中國武漢肺炎，股市重挫，免去今年領出規定，所以我可以暫時無需増加今年收入，美國是一理想合理之國度，我漸漸了解，這些給國民緩稅之優待，其時是放長線釣大魚，我老年之稅務，反而較高，但我也樂意。

善用美國退休計劃，先需要有工作收入，要能量入為出，要相信儲蓄投資，我有兩子女，從小就聽聞我的教導，從小就儲蓄投資，退休計劃都做到最高額，琳兒是高薪，威力更大，元兒是基本工資，儲蓄股息總和，去年已逼近其年收入，兩人工作，都滿十多年，儲蓄都有成果，都達財政獨立之途。

Owning a house is a privilege/Carlos Pueblo

Owning a house is a privilege/Carlos Pueblo

It is a goal to own a house of your own no matter via finance or out right purchase. We must have a place to live 24 hours a day. All my retirement plan is based on that I own a house without any debt obligation except the real estate tax. Then, I can calculate and balance my income and expanse in order to live comfortably.

There are several economic down turn in the recent history in Houston due to the oil price. in the 80's for instance, there was one that the loss of 200,000 plus oil industry related jobs. Most of my insureds who were engineers lost their jobs and yet tried to hold on till they felt no hope to make it. Foreclosure of mortgaged dwellings and banks were very common. It was because of the mortgage default. Fortunately, Houston is still a big job market and we gradually obtain some other business than oil in the area. People are moving back to Houston for their family to build a life. At that time, I was terminated by an insurance company and received a small lump sum payment for my agency. I paid off my first lien of the house and later took a 0% credit card balance transfer to pay off the second. This decision allowed me to have my second opportunity to build up my new agency again. 

Houston is prosperous again as always. In 2012, we sold the old Traviata house to a builder for $400,000 and he had already sold the land to a rich and young family to build a mansion of 1.25 millions. We instead to purchase a less aged and well built two story house three miles south for $252,000. This is what now I have enjoyed so much on the morning walk, home gardening, playing tennis, swimming, and getting to know so many pet dogs friends and their owners. Again, my obligation is limited to the real estate tax and home owner association fee annually. If I divide such cost into three of us, it is about $100 per month much better than a lease of an apartment.

During the Chinese Wuhan Novel Corona Virus Pandemic, I feel no threat at all on my finance. It is because that I have had a house free of mortgage and is a privilege. There are some minor issues like all houses and I ignore them as long as that they don't bother my way of life. I'll be gone very soon and I shall let Arthur to worry about it. A builder may step in again to tear it down for the next owner and it is no longer my concern.

住有其屋之經驗/莊峻華

住有其屋之經驗/莊峻華

美國地大物博，住有其屋，不算困難，除紐約市外，擁有獨門獨院住屋，是一基本目標，尤其居住在德州，在休市有固定收入者，都可以住有己屋，最近我提到之老年生活安排，都是建立在住有其屋之經驗上，就是一切買斷，沒有貸款負擔。

於是一年內，只繳地方稅，約是住屋官估屋價之百分之三，還有住屋協會年金六百元，以我老人折扣，約是四千美元一年，我們三人居住，一人約是一百餘元，實在便宜，三人手機月費，都是一百美元。於是我可以開始每天心算，我的收支平衡，當年或是八年範圍內。

我們住茶花女街舊屋30餘年後，售出搬到此戴爾蒙特街，賣出去40萬，買進來26萬，所以賺錢，建屋質料更好，所差異者為學區不同耳，我們家人，均過學齡，所以無甚所謂，而且我準備在此屋老去，我自無需擔憂賣不賣出去之問題，說不定屋老後，建商又來收購，拆屋翻新。

剛開始購屋無本錢，所以有貸款，我們迅速提前還清，減少失業時之壓力，我的壓力是在子女高中畢業，開始上大學，我又失業，但無面臨危機，因無房貸，而且我也有妥善之安排，就是開始變錢周轉，非常有趣，賣掉兩棟租屋，取的現金十萬，我相信那十萬，一直讓我周轉到現在。

住有其屋，應該是住有己屋，也是儲蓄，也是累積資本，舉元兒為例，省去租公寓之費用，全部放在其退休金，我們老頭兒，僅繳一些稅，來維持此屋，都是能力範圍內，所以住有其屋是一目標，我提到之清晨散步，網球，游泳，家庭園藝，和結識鄰居愛犬等享受，都是盈餘福利。

My individual financial strategy/Carlos Pueblo

My individual financial strategy/Carlos Pueblo

The Chinese Wuhan Novel Corona Virus Pandemic out break is only one of the down turn of the financial market, a severe one as a matter of fact. After I takes the interest of how the response of the U.S. Government, I feel more sure of my individual financial financial strategy which is very aggressively investing my saving in retirement funds in the growth market with no reservation of cash. I'll explain the reasons.

First, I don't have very much impressive of income from the beginning, my last permanent job has been ended in 2001. I get by my regular cost of living by practicing  a frugal way of life and the relying heavily on the emerging growth funds. I have had a small and steady social security income plus a stream of the requirement minimum distribution of my regular retirement accounts according to the IRS regulation. I can still move around my credit card 0% interest loan with a 3% fee paid ahead of the cash transfer which I call it to get something from nothing. In that way, I have created a mortgage for my daughter Michelle on her purchase of a San Antonio house to rent. Total the current income sources, I have had sufficient funds to pass on my life with some extra to save. I am healthy with a very good habit of exercises including the morning walk, tennis, swimming, and gardening, etc. several hours a day. I am under the HMO medical care protection.

Therefore, I can keep my retirement saving 100% percent in growth stock funds in order to utilize the power of that the money making money for me. I don't need the extra cash at hand for doing nothing. I select the emerging growth fund the most, of course, I do have two mistake of holding two blue chip stocks which I gradually withdrawal under the RMD program annually. I believe that every party in the world loves to see the prosper of the U.S. stock market as well as the U.S. prosperity which will benefit all party. After the great depression of 1929, there have been laws and regulations still in force to prevent that from occurring again such as the social security, the unemployment benefit, the federal deposit insurance corp, and some Q1, Q2,and more to save the U.S. economic life. Imaging all of these collapse simultaneously one day and I should be dead and there is no need for me to worry about. I can't get a steady job long enough for me to be satisfied; therefore, I am lucky to save the capital working for me as a second job which I have described several times.

I have no threat of a major spending for the time being, I am driving an old vehicle near to an antic status for my daily swimming an two tennis in a week which are all within a mile. I have developed a system of the family use vehicles which are distributed according to the safety of usage such as Amy drives the newest car, Michelle takes the second, Arthur the third, and I get what left for salvage. We don't waste and make a full use of the vehicle as long as possible. The pandemic has stopped my travelling ever since the beginning of February and I don't see that I can go back to visit my lovely daughters on the cruise; therefore, I have developed my way of new normal life at home free of the expenditure.