#she spends more time than is reasonable here solely because of Amp

[chaosintheavenue]

Plus some Metal Dome Trinning.

[neko-naruto]

You smile and I get sunburn

Summary: Imagine heading out to the Great White North for your one year anniversary in the middle of summer, for some reason Sapnaps partner decided it would be a wonderful place to spend two weeks.

Warnings: Sapnap gets chased by a goose, minor blood, hockey fight

Authors Note: *yuris your yaoi* behold, lesbians in Canada, because there was a free day for snf week and I wanted to use the 'Alternate Universe - Canada' tag before I die. Title taken from Sunburn by The Living Tombstone because it truly is the song of ever. I looked to like, all of Marceline the Vampire Queens outfit and hair styles for inspiration if I'm being honest. @sobredunia I need you to look at the lesbians right now, anyways, if any of ya'll enjoyed it, feel free to reblog or drop by the Ao3 port to comment or kudos.

"I think this is your worst idea yet," Sapnap said as Georgia tugged her through the air port, suitcase trailing behind them.

Georgia gave a small sigh, "Don't be an idiot, Canadas fun."

"It's cold, everyones a push over, and the wildlife is violent," Sapnap said, raising a finger for each point she listed off, "I already miss America."

"We're staying here for two weeks Sapnap, try not to be sour for the entire time," Georgia said, "We can just go to the hotel and pass out if you want."

"That'd be nice," Sapnap answered with, already clinging to her girlfriends side.

Georgia gave a hum of amusement as she made her way across the parking lot, their hotel merely across the street. The sun beat down on them without abandon in mere seconds, the air was crisp, neither of them are sure if it's better than having it be humid. Sapnap reluctantly let go of Georgia's side with the heat, opting to hold her hand instead.

Sapnap gave a whine of annoyance as they crossed the road, the heat of the ground seeped into the soles of their shoes. She kept her eyes trained on the white stripes painted onto the black below, "Fuck it's hot."

"It's like, August, summer is hot no matter where you are," Georgia said calmly, leading them into the brief reprieve of shade before they would have to dart through a blazing hot parking lot.

"That is not fair in the slightest," Sapnap whined, a brief tug on her wrist and they were weaving between cars, moving and still, too the hotel lobby.

Air conditioning hit them in an instant, chills engulfing them as they walked through the lobby. Their paces slowed just a bit, try and cool down before heading off to sleep despite it merely being four in the afternoon. Sapnap found herself lounging comfortably on a couch as her girlfriend got the key card. She roused from her psuedo-slumber with hands running through her hair, she found Georgia standing atop her, black hair tied into a loose ponytail far too low hanging in front of Sapnaps face.

"C'mon love, we have a pool side room," Georgeia said softly, mismatched hues glancing down at Sapnap carefully, she pulled herself off the couch and grabbed the suitcases once more.

"And you're sure I can't sleep out here?" Sapnap asked, following Georgia down carpeted hallways dilligently.

Georgia nodded, "I don't exactly want to get kicked out, have to withstand the summer heat."

Sapnap gave a hum, "Fair point."

The door swung open and light shone into the small hotel room, Sapnap easily dived in first, flicking on the light switches before anything else. She was rooting around the bathroom next, searching for those stupid extra small soaps and shampoos that barely last a night if you have long hair. The bounty was minimal, and with Georgia perched atop the counter, watching Sapnaps actions with intent, she had a hard time focusing.

"For someone who said she was sleepy you sure are amped up to loot the place," Georgia teased, Sapnap only looked up from where she sat, back pressed against the porcelain of the tub.

"Always loot hotels," Sapnap answered with, pushing herself up with a hand pressed to the edge of the basin. She brushed down the pleats of her skirt, snow white and somehow she'd managed to leave it unstained despite owning it for years at this rate. In part she knew the pristine condition was partially because of how little she wore it, even in private.

Georgia gave a hum of agreement, "Always, do you want the futon?"

"What? We aren't sharing a bed?" Sapnap asked, twirling past the door frame and kicking off her sneakers and placing them down next to their suitcases.

"I mean, we could," Georgia answered with, following Sapnap to the bed, "Can you behave yourself on the first night?"

Sapnap rolled onto her side a little bit to face Georgia who was sitting at the edge of the bed, "Maybe, maybe not."

"Well if you can't then you're getting the futon," Georgia said, flopping back to rest beside Sapnap.

"Yeah, I guess I could behave," Sapnap said, leaning over to a press a kiss to Georgias cheek.

"Get some sleep, I might stay up a bit longer," Georgia said softly.

Sapnap rolled over to rest her head on Georgias abdomen, wrapping her hands around her girlfriends thighs. She rested her chin at the base of the Brits rib cage and looked up at Georgia, "Don't stay up too long."

Georgia rested a hand on Sapnaps head, sliding past the bill of the baseball cap and ruffling through shaggy hair. It was long now, long for Sapnap at least, almost long enough to do stuff with it, "I'll be asleep before light don't worry."

-/-/-/-

"Tell me again why we're heading out to the lake?" Sapnap asked.

"Cause it's fun," Georgia said, "Besides, if we're getting a rental car we should probably drive it around."

"Yeah, but did we really have to drive out to the middle of butt-fuck nowhere?" Sapnap asked as she raised her sneakers to press against the dashboard, ripped jeans barely covered her socks, white with pink stripes.

Georgia nodded, "Absolutely, get your feet off the dash," She reached over and pressed down on Sapnaps shins.

Sapnap lowered her feet down, "Fine, are we almost there?"

"You'll have to wait," Georgia chided as she took a broad turn, hitting a rock that made the car jump.

"We're seriously off-roading?" Sapnap asked, returning her gaze to the windshield, finding a broad lake come into view, more than enough space to park.

Georgia shrugged, "A bit, it's fun, we're driving a Subaru, these things were made for off-roading," She curved to the edge of the road where it went from sandy gravel to rocks and sticks, the car vibrated.

Sapnap had to refrain from giving an exclamation, "Park the car already, if you keep hitting rocks I'm gonna hurl."

Georgia easily shifted into park and shoved open the door, a freshwater breeze hit her. Sapnap joined her on the drivers side, sliding over the hood of the car a bit. She wrapped an arm around Georgias waist before being led closer to the lakes edge, fingers interlacing with her own.

There was a spring to her step as she led Sapnap onto the dock, wooden planks sinking a little bit under their conjoined weight. Then they took another step, it swayed once more despite how firmly it was locked into the ground. Sapnap clutched Georgias hand a little tighter until they were at the edge of the dock, she sat down and crossed her legs while Georgia tugged of her socks and shoes to drop them into the water.

It was cold, really cold, the contrast to the sun shining down on them unfair. She was quick to retract her feet and cross her legs. She ran her hand through the water and pressed it to the back of Sapnaps neck, she recoiled instantly.

"What the heck?" She almost sounded mad as the icy liquid rolled down the back of her shirt, button up, Hawaii style print.

"Cold water, hot sun, I think they go nice together," Georgia said, doing it again, this time Sapnap didn't recoil.

She leaned into Georgias touch a little bit, "I guess," She glanced to the water, watching the faint silhouettes of fish move around, "It's nice out here, quiet."

"Now do you see why I wanted to go on a drive?" Georgia asked, Sapnap nodded.

"Yeah," Her voice is quiet as she speaks.

Georgia leans her head on Sapnaps shoulder, nudging aside a swath of hair that dropped to the small of her back to the other shoulder.

Then there's a loud honk, an obnoxiously loud squawking sound. They both glance over to its origins to find a few geese, large, gray, Canadian. Sapnap stands up first as the waterborne birds glide ever closer, Georgia follows as her girlfriend takes a few steps back.

"It's just some geese," She said, almost tauntingly, Sapnap shakes her head.

"Wrong, it's just some Canadian geese," Sapnap corrected with, then one of them hopped onto the dock, "They have teeth."

Georgia scoffs, "Birds don't have teeth."

It honks at them again and Georgia can't help but stare at it's beak, there are definitely teeth in there.

"It won't do you any harm," Georgia said, "Just hold out your hand, I'm sure it'll be docile."

"It'll bite my fingers off," Sapnap said, she still crouched down as Georgia kept stepping back.

When it got close enough for it to be a threat, that initial fear had her locked in place. At first it didn't do anything really, but Sapnap hasn't stopped holding her breath either. She tries to take a step back and for someone reason the bird takes insane amounts of offense at the actions. It attacks, it flaps it's wings and runs as fast as a goose can run. Sapnaps panicked backing away turned running doesn't do much to put any distance between her and the bird which has decided to take flight and start lunging at her.

She doesn't want to hurt it, she could get charged with misdemeanor if she did. So instead she just tried to cover her face, wishing she wore a t-shirt instead of a tank top to protect her shoulders from thrashing feathers and webbed feet. The honking, it was loud, really loud, and from more than one goose, she didn't dare look back to confirm what she already knew. She opened and slammed the door shut again, Georgia was already revving the engine and shifting into reverse.

Once they're far enough into the road the silence of panicked breathing became unbearable.

"They didn't bite off your finger," Georgia said sheepishly.

Sapnap raised a hand to her aching shoulder, when she pulled it back there was blood on her hands, "They tore open my fucking shoulder."

Georgia gives a hiss, "Yikes."

"How close is the closest coffee shop?" Sapnap asked, pressing her hand against the wound. It wasn't large per se, but it was definitely deeper than ideal, looked like uncut rubies whenever she shifted her arm.

"Five, ten minutes," Georgia said, "Not super far, but it's gonna be a Tim Hortons."

"Yay, Canadas one and only," Sapnap said, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"I'll cancel our tickets to the hockey game," Georgia threatened.

"I take it back," Sapnap said, raising her hands in faux defense, one of them was covered in blood.

"When we get back we'll clean out the wound," Georgia said, her eyes focused on Sapnap more than the road.

But Sapnap was distinctively aware of the moose deciding to meander out into the middle of the highway- Georgia, was not.

Sapnap reached over and swerved the car, nearly hitting the moose in the process.

"What the hell?!" Georgia asked, shoving back Sapnap.

"We nearly hit a moose!" Sapnap snapped, she returned a hand to press at her shoulder. It was wetter than before, and it hurt more with the sudden movement.

"And?" Georgia asked, voice smoothing over just a bit as she returned her gaze to the road.

Sanap clasped her hands in front of her chest, "Those things walk off getting hit by trucks Georgia, they go cliff diving for fun- we would die, it would live."

Georgia rolled her eyes, "Maybe I should've done a little bit more research on the wildlife."

"You should've done a lot more research on the wildlife," Sapnap said, tone almost aggressive.

"Wanna stay in town for the next couple days?" Georgia offered

Sapnap nodded, "I don't think I'll be doing much with how bad those geese fucked me over."

"I'd say let's go to a hospital, but we don't have the Canadian citizen perks," Georgia said sheepishly, "I'll pick up some gauze on the way back to the hotel."

-/-/-/-

Sapnap brings her hand to rest at her gauze covered shoulder, the fabric strip held only a faint tint of white compared to how it was the previous days. She took a seat on the edge of the tub and Georgia sat down beside her, hands came to undo the gauze. The air on the wound made her hiss, it was still tender and somewhat raw.

A damp cloth raised to press at the edges of it, where the pus of infection still oozed. It was worse the previous days, a lot worse, a total mess, and Sapnap was whimpering in pain as Georgia tended to it. Now she grits her teeth as soap comes into contact with flesh that refuses to scab with how consistently it's bandaged up. Her grip on the edge of the bath tightens until her knuckles shift hue, she clenches her eyes shut.

"I think we should leave it open," Georgia said quietly as she ran the cloth under cold water, watching the red diffuse under the flow of clear.

Sapnap nodded, "Maybe it'll scab up and start to heal."

Georgia stood up and held out a hand that Sapnap gladly took, she leaned into her girlfriend when she stood up. Georgia wrapped an arm around Sapnap, "Wanna watch some shitty cooking show and order room service?"

Sapnap nodded, "Yeah," Her voice was muffled in Georgias shoulder before she dropped down on the edge of the bed.

"I'll call up some room service, you put on a show," Georgia said as she started to dial the number.

Sapnap breezed through the channels with ease, a multitude of reality shows, some animated stuff, South Park and Family Guy. All sorts of things, even home renovation shows, she didn't stop until she came upon the cluster of cooking channels. She flipped through them a bit slower, Guy Fieri, Gordon Ramsay- The Great British Bake Off? She didn't hesitate to click on it, leaning back against a pillow that was wrapped in her shirt so blood wouldn't get on it.

"I got poutine," Georgia said, she gave a sigh of disappointment at her actions, "And a Hawaiian pizza, I had too."

Sapnap shrugged, "It's fine, you ever watch The Great British Bake Off?"

Georgia nodded, "Sometimes, yeah."

"Cool, cause that's what we're watching for the next two weeks," Sapnap said, "Every night, nonstop, I'm not taking criticism either."

Georgia rolled her eyes, "Trust me, you'll get sick of it fast if you try and marathon it."

"It'll be worth it, just to drive you up the walls," Sapnap said lovingly as she threw a grin to Georgia.

-/-/-/-

Sapnaps grip on Georgias hand tightened as they placed down their tickets, granted admission into the ice rink. The temperature dropped a couple degrees the second they entered the arena. Georgia, who had decided that wearing a t-shirt and jogging pants to a hockey game would be a good idea, instantly felt the chill. They took a seat at the top row of chairs, climbing over the back and watching as the game started.

"Fuck it's cold in here," Georgia managed bitterly, Sapnap placed a toque on her head, "Thanks."

"I told you to grab a jacket, didn't I?" Sapnap teased, she slung an arm around her girlfriends shoulders.

Georgia rolled her eyes, "I didn't think it would be this cold, or night time," She reached around to undo the bun in her hair.

"They have to keep the ice, ice, Georgia," Sapnap said, raising a hand to run through Georgias hair is it fell past her arm.

Georgia watched the game intently, eyes locked onto the game, "Still, it's summer, they don't do hockey games in summer."

"It's a home game," Sapnap said, she propped one leg over the other as she spoke, "They always do home games."

Georgia rolled her eyes a bit, "I guess, shame it's so boring."

"Hockey is not boring, there might be bloodshed," Sapnap said, Georgia quirked a brow at the notions.

"Bloodshed? In a hockey game? You jest," She said, leaning against Sapnap a little bit.

Sapnap nodded, "I don't know the statistics, but yeah, blood and broken bones happen every now and then."

"That's insane," Was all Georgia could muster at the notion.

She lifted her gaze up a bit to look at the crowd that was standing behind the rows of chairs. She was shocked so many people would pay to watch two groups of guys skate, with sticks. She squinted a bit at some she presumed she knew, orange fur, black outfit, definitely Fundy.

"Is that, is that Fundy?" Georgia asked, pointing at Fundys form as she spoke.

Sapnap looked over to where Georgia was pointing, the fox glancing over a bit, "What the hell is he doing in Canada?" She still waved him over, they could barely catch the recognition on his face before he started on his way over.

He weaved between the crowd skillfully, head low and tail swishing back and forth. He placed a hand on the back rest of either chair his friends sat at, he leaned in between them. He kept his eyes trained on the game as he he spoke, "How come you two are in Canada?"

"Anniversary," Georgia answered without skipping a beat.

"Since when did you two get married?" Fundy questioned, shock clear on his voice.

"Not yet, but like, one year of dating anniversary," Sapnap helpfully supplied, Fundy gave an 'ah' with a nod of his head, "Since when do you come to Canada?"

"Hockey town is every town, and sometimes I wanna watch hockey in person," Fundy said, "Can't censor the blood if I'm watching it happen in person."

"Told you there was blood in hockey," Sapnap said, sticking out her tongue playfully as she did so.

"Well, let's hope there's blood today," Georgia said.

Fundy was quick to point down at the rink, "Check it!"

Georgia glanced to where he was pointing, the sharp edge of someone's skate made it's way up to underneath someone's eye. In an instant red was on the ice and staining their snow white jersey.

"Oh that's cool," Georgia said as the ref rolled out and ferried them away.

Sapnap nudged her with her elbow, "Told you."

Fundy nodded, "Hecka cool, sadly they'll be super careful now."

"No more blood?" Georgia asked.

"No more blood," Sapnap said, "Besides, it gets kind of boring after a couple goals."

Georgia stood up, "So, can we head home?"

"You don't wanna watch the entire bout of carnage? There's still gonna be loads of cross-checking and slashing," Fundy asked, hopping over the back of the seat next to Georgia.

"Not really, I kind of wanna go chill out," Georgia said, stretching her arms over her head as she spoke, "There's a pool."

"Epic, can I drop by and go swimming then?" Fundy asked, teasingly for the most part.

"I don't think they want fur clogging up their business," Sapnap said as she helped Georgia over the back of the chair.

Fundy leaned back on his chair, giving a Cheshire smirk, "You think so?"

Sapnap reached down and ran a hand through the fur on the top of his head, "Totally bro."

"Alright, have fun on your anniversary," Fundy said, looking at the game once more, he waved them off as they left.

-/-/-/-

"Hurry up and get on your swim shorts already!" Georgia whined impatiently, knocking on the door to the hotel bathroom.

"You take your sweet time putting on a one piece!" Sapnap shouted back before clicking open the door, holding the straps of the top she wore, "I need help," She turned around.

Georgia held a strap in each hand, "You gotta figure out how to do this yourself, or just buy a one piece."

Sapnap rolled her eyes, "Well maybe I just want your help and I can do it myself."

"If you could you would totally do it yourself," Georgia chided as she tied a bow into the straps.

"You have zero proof to back up that statement," Sapnap said, spinning around once more to face Georgia, "I forgot how pretty you look in a swim suit."

"I always look good," Georgia countered with, dragging along Sapnap to the pool side door.

"Totally," Sapnap said, "Like, super good."

"Sapnap," Georgia said sternly, "We are not having sex in the hot tub."

"They have a hot tub?" Sapnap asked giddily, instantly shattering the mood she was oblivious to setting.

Georgia gave a small sigh, a smile on her face, "Yes Sapnap, they have a hot tub."

"Forget swimming then," Sapnap said, refraining from dashing across the deck, "Straight to the hot tub."

Georgia glanced to the hot tub, "There's a lot of other people in there already."

"Fine then, to the regular pool," Sapnap stated, pivoting on her heel before stepping down into the water.

Cold shock washed over her instantly, she was eager to goad Georgia into stepping down despite the fact she was clearly freezing.

"It's the perfect temperature in here!" Sapnap said as Georgia crouched down and slipped in.

"It is not the perfect temperature in here at all!" Georgia snapped, hands raising to rub her arms, "It's fricking cold."

Sapnap grinned a bit as she splashed some water on her girlfriend who gave an offended 'Hey!' before returning the favor. It didn't take long for it to devolve into a water fight, lunging standing on tippy toes to drop a handful of water atop heads. There was shouting and laughing, a couple other people had left, most likely discouraged by the noise.

"Okay, now I'm thoroughly soaked," Georgia said, still grinning with euphoric adrenaline running through her veins. Sapnap swears her grin is the sun in that moment, shining bright in the relaxed lighting of pool corridor. She could go blind if she stared too long but she doesn't mind it much.

Sapnap nodded, "Same, but I'd say it's worth it, plus, the hot tubs empty!" She gestured vaguely to the now deserted hot tub.

"That's because we were getting too rowdy idiot," Georgia said, raising a hand to flick Sapnaps forehead. She hissed a bit, batting away the hand in a fashion all to familiar to that of a cat.

"They don't know the half of rowdy, your hair tie didn't even fall out," Sapnap said, reaching over to tug gently at the bright red bands in Georgias hair. Then rested her hand at bright red earrings resting in Georgias ears, small hoops with a stud of red.

Georgia batted away the hand but still mirrored the motions, resting her hands on the blue studs in Sapnaps ears, "Let's be thankful for that."

Sapnap nodded in response before gliding over to the edge of the pool, Georgia followed.

The water was practically boiling when it hit them, but they descended anyways. Sapnap sat down first, splaying her arms atop the back of edge of the pool. Georgia sat down on her lap, resting her arms atop Sapnaps shoulders as she grinned.

"I thought we weren't having sex in the hot tub," Sapnap said, sliding down her hands to rest on Georgias waist.

"We aren't," She pressed a kiss to Sapnaps lips, "We're just kissing, there is a difference."

Sapnap leaned forward to meet Georgia in another kiss, "Yeah, I guess so."

Georgia gave a laugh, it was prompt and melodic to Sapnap, "Definitely a difference," They met in another kiss and it was nothing more than teeth and tongue as a hand raised to tug out her hair tie, black framing her body and face like she was a prized painting.

She pressed in a little deeper at Georgias waist, her smile was hazy when they pulled away again, "Totally a difference."

[madamenighttalon]

Why Desexualizing Women in Video Games is More Dangerous than Over Sexualizing them

Little known fact about me - I’m a nerd: starting from the very first time I picked up a game controller and found myself being tossed into a fantasy world filled with intrigue and danger I have been completely hooked. One of the largest issues as I had as a young girl was the fact that I could never really relate to the characters I was playing, I just didn’t have much in common with big meaty men in armour carrying around guns. So when I found games that let me play as a woman, I was overjoyed; the first game that let me fully alter my in game self was a MMORPG by the name of Perfect World. Honestly looking back it wasn’t that great of a game, it had a pay to play aspect that made it easy for some people to level up and do quests faster and it was pretty easy to find yourself in places that you just weren’t strong enough to handle yet. But that didn’t matter to me; there were eight classes in the game at the time and seven of those classes allowed you to play as a female - with one class (Venomancer) being restricted solely for women. I was able to completely customize my character - I could make make her tall or short, thick or skinny, I could even control the size of her bust and hips; I was in heaven, not because I could create some sex kitten ( though admittedly a lot of my characters were ridiculously pretty ) but because I could create the kind of woman that I wanted to be - I could make this beautiful woman who didn’t care if she was showing a little skin because if some jerk guy said something to her she could just take them out like a total BAMF.

And yes the clothing for Playable Female Characters (PFC) was pretty revealing, which I didn’t realize at that time was a problem for some people, all I cared about was that finally I had character that was feminine AND a total badass. Playing a game like this made me believe that as a woman, it didn’t matter what I was wearing - be it a mini skirt or leather pants, my clothing didn’t take away from my personal power or invalidate me. Games like this made me feel just as, if not more, powerful than my male counterparts.

Of course as I got older and took a break from my games I realized that the strength PW had given me was not applicable to the real world - in the real world as a woman I was inherently weaker than the men around me, I had to wear modest clothing so people wouldn’t think I was looking for trouble, I couldn’t read or use my phone in public because it made me a target - made me vulnerable. This was also when I became aware of the fact that some people, people that probably have never played a video game in their life, had a problem with the way that women were being represented. They believed PFC’s we’re being objectified, that their clothing or breast size made them inherently weaker than PMC (playable male characters). Sound familiar.

I started up my gaming addiction again with Fable II and Dragon Age : Origins - I fell in love again. These games, while limiting my customization, still allowed me to play as PFC that was just as strong as the PMC - in fact there was absolutely no stat difference between the two genders. But beyond that they gave me something that my previous gaming had kept from me - they allowed me to develop my characters personality and form bonds (both platonic and romantic) with other in game characters.

Now the fantasy that I dove into was different - I knew that in real life I wasn’t powerful, that I couldn’t say whatever I wanted or wear whatever I wanted, but in this fantasy world I could do that….and more. In the spirit of being completely open - of helping you understand why this game and the way it was made is so important to me, I should mention that I am a survivor of sexual assault. As are many other people I know. In DA:O you are given the chance to play as a young woman who, along with her cousin and friends, is kidnapped on her wedding day by a nobleman looking to throw a “party”. No one can help them out of fear of endangering the rest of their people, and so the women are left to their own devices - it is also insinuated in the game that this is a common occurrence, that women are kidnapped and raped by nobles all the time because they have no power to fight back. Now let me jump in and keep going before someone gets angry; yes this could possibly teach some little idiot that it's okay to objectify and abuse woman EXCEPT FOR ONE THING. You. Fight. Back.

The whole point of the origin is that you, a woman, fights back against her oppressor and saves her cousin and friends. You, alongside your male cousin who, interestingly enough, is weaker than you and honestly only there for moral support, fight your way through the estate taking out anyone that gets in your way until finally you find your younger female cousin who has just been raped by the nobleman and YOU GET TO KILL HER RAPIST. Now I understand that a lot of people may think that its impolite for women to get this excited about violence but anyone that has been sexually assaulted or knows someone that has can tell you that there is not a single moment where they haven’t wanted that person to pay for what they’ve done, but hasn’t felt like that was a possibility because in situations like this the law is rarely on the side of the victim.

Once again throughout this game you are give the choice to wear revealing clothing, and your femininity is highlighted even when wearing full plate armour - you can wear makeup and make yourself as pretty as you want, also as a side note the physique of the women is default set as being very fit and picturesque. Over and over again you are shown female characters who are not forced to sacrifice their beauty and sexuality in order to gain power. (Also they’re literally all gay but that’s a different post)

So maybe men “objectified” them, maybe they didn’t care about the backstories or personalities, but the young women playing these games 100% payed attention.

The rather long point I’m trying to make here is  that, yes, there are some people out there that purposely create unnaturally attractive women and put them in skimpy clothing because they want to play out some ridiculous sexual fantasy, or because they want to try and demean them and their abilities. Those people won’t respect women anymore if their wearing loose fitted clothing instead of tight leathers, and it’s ridiculous to assume they’re the only ones playing. Female gamers need these characters - they need to have power somewhere because I can tell you they certainly aren’t getting it in the real world; they need female characters that are beautiful without being ashamed, who show as much or as little skin as they want because IT’S THEIR CHOICE, who don’t teach them that in order to be equal to men they have to sacrifice their femininity

When I was reading articles to amp myself up to write this I found a quote that I want to share that said “men win battles and women wear heels.”. Now I’m sure the author was well meaning but they drew in on what I believe is the real reason why these characters offend people. Women are taught through other media and real life experience that beautiful women, with large breasts or curvaceous bodies, who wear clothing that highlights these characteristics can only fall under three categories; The Airhead, who has nothing to offer society and obviously cannot possibly be intelligent because they focus on and or take pride in their appearance, The Mean Girl, who while being ridiculously pretty also has nothing to offer society because she is so self absorbed,usually but not always rich/spoiled, and has no real worth or skill other than her looks so she spends all of her time bringing other people down, and finally The Slut, the obvious beauty who must be having sex with everyone and could only have gained any power or knowledge she has through sex because of the fact that she is unashamed of her body and sexuality - she also has nothing to offer society.

So when they see these characters, when they skim through gaming clips without context, and they see that flash of thigh or display of cleavage, they automatically put the female characters in one of these categories and become offended because they think it’s just another case of woman being demeaned and under sold by men. And maybe that was the intention maybe there's some big misogynistic CEO out there cackling because he thinks he put us in our place. But that’s not what happened, yes men do go into battle, and women do wear heels, that’s what the real world has taught us, but these games -

They taught me that women can do both.

[hellacre13]

Keep seeing Batman fans say SuperWonder is too obvious so she’s better for Batman but I don't understand why? As a Wonder Woman fan and reader of DC, it's clear Wonder Woman is not remotely a valid love interest and she does not fit into the bat mythos at all.

The people calling Superman and Wonder Woman obvious are admitting actually in reality if these two optimistic characters did exist they would be drawn to each other. Yet they see this positive attitude towards love and relationships as boring. It’s a mind boggling thing to damn something healthy.  They tend to say Batman is not obvious and her opposite in terms of how they operate so that is more interesting. They  see Diana as a “perfect woman” to make hypermasculine versions of Batman better. She cannot be attracted to a man who might be perfect for her. Notice I did not say the “perfect man”. There is no such thing. Living beings are not born in a vacuum, and we face too many variables to be perfect. But there are many men who have had good upbringing and morals and try to live a productive life and try to give back to the world. And like women, all are different. And we all are drawn to different traits in partners.

When we put everything aside, like money, skill, power, looks, status, we all seek a basic thing and that is to just be happy. Now to be happy we don’t all need to hook up, or marry or have kids. Many great people who changed our world for the best did it regardless of a partner.  But when we do opt to choose a companion? What is so boring about two people who share the same aspirations, goals, fight for the same ideals getting together? Isn’t that what draws people together? Not what sets you apart but what connects you together? Research has shown these things makes for the best foundation for a lasting relationship.  It’s not solely how you look, or what you can do or  even where you com from.  It’s what you have in common and  what you believe in, and how you connect on an emotional level. It’s how you can support, and grow together while still being what you want to be as an individual.

Far too often imo fiction has taught us that the bad boy is interesting and the good guy is not as compelling. Yes, the bad boy can be interesting depending on his journey and destination BUT it never should be at the expense of the nice guy. Basic decency is sneered at on some level when it comes to modern romance. We have been inundated with stories of the brooding, mysterious enigma or cad who is irreverent, violent, unattainable, emotionally damaged or closed off. And he is worth fighting for than the man who is just a good man defined by his deeds, and noble motivations, and the way he treats everyone including the women around him with respect. He is no challenge if he is just a nice guy who is stable and grounded with a nice sense of humor.  You are lulled into this fantasy that you are so powerful and so amazing you can change jerks. 

No one person changes jerks, cads or badboys. A jerk changes themselves if they’re lucky or they stay a jerk.  Often it is the responsibility of the “good girl” to correct this man even if she has nothing in common with him. Like I don’t know how or why this is her job because she she fits some goody two shoes stereotype. It’s not that we see people as people and we all have different experiences that might make us more attracted to someone. It’s supposedly this formula to fictional romance. The ironic thing is the bad boy can also have a good male friend too to balance him…but if there is a female around…she has to open her legs for him to teach him properly.  It’s usually the most cliched love triangle troupe used and bet your bottom dollar the good boy usually loses to the cool bad boy.

The irony in all this is these very folks who push these ideas…when it comes to themselves…they want the good woman or man for themselves in real life. When they have children they want someone who will be obviously good for their children. Nothing is too boring then when you want that for your self. You don’t go…oh he’s too nice a man for my loving daughter or she’s too sweet a person for my kind hearted son. They want the honest, decent, compassionate, kind, good people for their leaders. So why the hell are we sending messages that they are boring? Why can’t an alpha female like Diana be drawn to an equally powerful but noble man like herself? Who we draw to us says a lot about us. If you’re an Amazon Princess who is here to spread peace when it comes to connecting with others, why wouldn’t you be drawn to a kind , calm ,patient, compassionate man? 

I am sick of these troupes and stereotypes. And Superman/.Wonder Woman is a pairing to me that defies that. I grew up reading classic novels and more often than not the males were often more on the nobler, kinder side. Then when I became a teenager and young adult it changed and there was a shift to jerks. Characters in real life you should run far away from, you’re suddenly drawn to.But you know, romance and all that…we are lulled into this belief love can change anything. But love is love. Love feels as it is. It feels good. Not terrible.

Clark and Diana’s relationship has always been based on trust, truth respect, friendship from the very start. They have positive traits but having been raised differently still have much to learn from each other and grow…because life itself if what teaches us growth.  And know what? They talk. Communicate. Reciprocate. They like each other. As people. They challenge each other’s point of view because no one man or woman knows everything.  Don’t underestimate how important those things are when it comes to forging relationships. It isn’t about flirting or arguing. Hell it isn’t even about kissing or screwing. Those things don’t define what makes a person right for someone. You can crush on a zillion people and it can go nowhere. As you can kiss, sleep together and you still probably don’t have to be the right person for someone.  It’s about connecting. Understanding each other. Being better together but also still being a whole on your own. You can’t have someone complete you. You need to do that yourself. 

But that apparently all this is too obvious and boring. No.  It’s not. Obvious is assuming all women will drop their panties for rich men who have many women because he is amped up by his fanboywriters to be the best at everything. That is the male fantasy that he has to do nothing to work for their love, or earn their respect…they just drop it for him. It’s nothing against his character but let’s not pretend that people don’t think Batman is so cool and they love the fact that he has all the cool trappings and can just attract women and can drop them at will or pick them up at will. The only woman Batman is at a loss at is usually Catwoman because she falls in such a gray area you can’t stereotype her too much as too bad or good and he cannot control her.

 For most of Batman’s history Wonder Woman was never on his radar as a love interest. It took one cartoon where by it spends it time having Diana…a proud amazon…chase after a man for a date for no good reason other than he’s Batman. She doesn’t teach him anything in that cartoon. They have no give and take. Superman and his foes faster teach him lessons. He doesn’t grow from being with her because he never was with her. But to the fans of this, based on this shallow dynamic, they insist that writers throw Wonder Woman at him.And see her as his property because of this and are trying to influence Batman writers to do it in comics.

While Superman and Wonder Woman has had decades of friendship and even sometimes romance in the source material. But that deemed as nothing. As a Wonder Woman fan who read her books for years Batman fanboy writers trying to define Wonder Woman does not sit well with me. Especially when it comes to making her a prize for a man who did nothing to earn her love.  Tom King Batman/Wonder Woman debacle even managed to top that absurdity Greg Rucka did in Blackest Night. King made Diana actively and aggressively try to get Bruce to sleep with her, and he says this is feminism. I don’t know about him, but using Diana as a side hoe to tempt Batman while his finance is alive and well is not feminism. The story never even had Diana interact with Selina  woman to woman other than to come talk down to her in the end. And she could not even recall her own partner Steve Trevor as she flaunted herself.  But Batman remembers his and puts a stop to her come on. When she is rejected she pretends she cares for Selina’s feelings. And based on this ridiculous story we are to swallow Batman and Wonder Woman are suddenly besties. None of the stories showed anything whereby Diana as a character gets something she needs for her growth. This was out of character for Diana. No one who knows Wonder Woman, who is about sisterhood and a noble person, who, if she loved someone and they are with another, would respect their happiness…you would not recognize her in that story. 

So yeah, I’ll take obvious any damn day. 

[0613js]

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood"

How often do we get into an argument or disagreement with someone when all we want is to have someone try to understand our point of view. How often do people misunderstand our words or messages? How often do we struggle to express our feelings and opinions to anyone because we are afraid of being ignored, misunderstood and misinterpreted and there may be times where you share your issues with somebody however you felt that they don't get you. How often do we have misconceptions and say something bad then later on we regretted saying it. We may don't know how many times or how often, because who would want to count and why would we count such predicaments. Admit it or not but we all have been through such situations and we all wish that we didn't make those mistakes and that we should have been able to listen carefully. Communication is something so simple yet so hard to achieve. The biggest reason for ineffective communication is that we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply. In which it causes us problems and conflict.

How important is EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION?

Effective Communication is primarily an exchange of information, ideas, or thoughts. Knowing how to communicate effectively is fundamental to success in many aspects of life and it can help us improve our relationships at home, work, school or social affairs.

Effective Communication starts with being able to listen, then speak.

Listening is key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.

Let's say you have an argument with your best friend, by solely hearing her side and not understanding it. You end up saying mean words that hurt her. This situation can be avoided if you will make every effort to listen to understand the other person, things will change and it will help the situation immensely. If you both understand each other, solutions will come about and the argument won't go on and on. Listen to understand not to blabber what you know. Individuals may have the same life experience but they interpret it differently. Understand their interpretation, perception and thereafter reply if there is a need to.

Listening to understand is essential in ensuring effective communication.

How to become an effective communicator?.

Here are 7 easy steps by Warden University

1. Identify Your Objectives

What do you hope to accomplish, either immediately or long term? What action or response from your audience will show that you have communicated successfully? Understanding your objectives will help shape your communication style and make you more effective.

2. Listen Actively

Communication isn’t just about what you say. If you want people to listen to you, you need to listen to them. Don’t get so focused on what you’re saying that you miss their important comments, emotions, and reactions. Likewise, when others are speaking, listen and process what they’re trying to communicate instead of planning your response. When everyone is actively involved, communication is far more effective.

3. Note Your Body Language

Communication involves not just the words you speak, but what your body is saying. Without realizing it, your body language can send a stronger message than your words. If you sit or stand with your shoulders hunched and your arms folded across your chest, you show that your guard is up and you’re unwilling to have productive, two-way discussions. Alternatively, when you sit or stand up straight with your arms at your sides, or relax into a more casual pose, you project openness and a willingness to communicate—before you’ve said a single word.

4. Know Your Audience

The same speech, conversation, or sales pitch won’t succeed with every audience. Modify your language for each group so that you’re not being condescending or speaking in a way in which your audience can’t understand. Adjusting how and what you say to match your audience will improve your communication skills.

5. Pace Yourself

Pay attention to how quickly you’re speaking and whether your audience appears to be processing what you’re saying. Slow down if necessary, and vary the volume and rhythm of your speech to hold their attention. It’s important to deliberately repeat important points a few times to make sure your listeners hear what you have to say.

6. Choose the Right Time

If you’re planning to ask your boss for a raise, make sure he or she is in a receptive mood. If there’s a big problem on the production line or your company has lost a big account, it’s not the best time to bring up the subject. So, in general—whether you’re planning to deliver good or bad news or simply presenting a new idea that requires energy and focus—be aware of your audience’s mind-set. Timing is a big factor in successful communication.

7. Be Clear

Don’t spend too much time setting up your idea or request. Communicate your needs and desires clearly. You’ll not only avoid misunderstandings, you’ll earn respect through your honesty and clarity and have a greater chance of accomplishing your goal.

By applying these tips and practicing often, you can master the skills and learn how to be an effective communicator. Great communicators choose their words well, understand their audience, and connect with them at the right time and place.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.waldenu.edu/programs/communication/resource/how-to-be-an-effective-communicator-in-7-easy-steps%3fv=amp

Photos are from Pinterest

[sleepymayonaise]

Reasons I stopped watching Teenwolf that have nothing to do with Sterek

Its hard to get past the cringy feeling you get when someone disses a show for not making their ship cannon- I get that. And even when we get past the blantant queer bating, its hard to understand what 'problematic' really means when we're discussion a show on MTV. So here are just a few of the reasons so many people have given up on Jeff Davis and his creation. ■ Queer Bating Completely disregarding Sterek, this is a huge issue within the show. We'll start with Stiles. Throughout the show Stiles' sexuality is often joked about. In one episode he tells his father he's gay to get out of trouble, and in another, when the token gay character of the season offers to take his virginity, Stiles is flattered and actually considers it. On several occasions Jeff Davis has said that these points in the show have had the purpose of hinting at Stiles' Bisexuality. This should be a good thing, but despite the so-called "hints" we get, there is never a single instance of any kind of obvious and confirmed attraction between Stiles and another man. We can speculate and hope, but the show never gives into it outright. A person of course does not ever have to be in a relationship with someone of the same gender to identify as Bi, but when we're talking about representation on a major TV show, its important that at least some sort of 'proof' is shown. Maybe in the future we can have a bi character who never canonically dates someone of the same gender and still have it be representation, but we're not there yet. Rather than anything involving Stiles (a main character of the show) Jeff Davis oftwn substitutes queer representation with relatively unimportant side characters. Moreover the show has been know to make the main token poc and queer person the same person on the show. Danny, for instance, had no real plot importance as a character except for being gay and not white. The show advertises a diverse lgbt cast, but like most shows, does not deliver. ■ The strong female charachter The strong female character does not exist on this show. In fact every instance of a "strong" female has been used as a romantic interest in the plot, whose sole purpose is to give their male counterpart something to fight for, idolize, and have sex with. We'll start with Allison. Allison was a kick ass, arrow shooting, rebellious teenage girl. Unfortunately, she was also the love interest of the main character. Given that her family presented issues for the main character, she became the juliet in a cliche Shakespearean situation. But a girl can still be badass with a boyfriend right? Of course! However, as badass as Allison may have been, her character was used consistently as a romantic interest or problem and nothing else. She was Scott's girlfriend, and then Matt's love interest, and then Jackson's love interest, and then Issacs girlfriend, and then she was dead. A girl can be in a relationship on a show, sure, but when her character is only ever used as a love interest to serve the plot, it becomes demeaning and disheartening. Next, Lydia. With Lydia we find are biggest issues. Lydia Martin is an actual genius. She's beautiful and popular, funny when she wants to be, assertive when she needs to be, and her brain is a stunning work of art. But she also has flaws! She can be shallow and mean spirited, she's obsessed with her public image, and known to have fits of jealousy. She's a fantastically well rounded character that is utterly wasted the same way Allison is. Lydia spends half of her time on the show either suffering from severe mental issues (which we will address later) or hunting for a boyfriend. She's better off than Allison was as a character, but when it comes right down to it she's just another love interest to cause problems for the main male charachters. What's really unfortunate, is the stydia situation. There's nothing wrong with the ship, don't get me wrong, but there are some serious issues with its realization. Jeff Davis actually did a pretty cool thing when he made Stiles and Lydia just friends. He took a boy who was idolizing and sexualizing a girl that was uninterested, let him understand who she really was, and accept her into his life as a friend. Its so rare that we have an instance in the media of a straight boy and girl just remaining friends in the media, especially when their is initial interest from the male protag. It showed rejection from the female counterpart and acceptance from the male side and that's huge. Stydia of course ruins that by making a short appearance, and whats worse, especially for Stydia fans, is that the ship is short lived, and ends up only being used as bait for views. I don't need to go into kira, malia, and erica, because the same shit goes down with them. ■ Mental Health I'll make this part short, because theres so many issues with this particular aspect of the show, I cound go on for years. One of the biggest issues though, is eichen house, a psych facility that is consistently used to scare voews. This place grossly stereotypes non-neuro typicals as violent and unhinged. Another huge issue in the presentation of mental health on this show, is that the charachters are endlessly traumatized but never get resolution. PTSD and anxiety are practically used as quirky charachter flaws half of the time. ■ Derek Hale This is personally my biggest issue with the show. Derek Hale, like many of the characters (except for the main one of course) is very well rounded. He makes mistakes, he evolves as a person, he does his best. Its no wonder that he's so loved by the fandom. I personally stopped watching when Hoechlin left. He wasn't a deal breaker, but I was at my tipping point. The problem with Derek Hale starts with his tragic past, which involves him being seriously emotionally abused and the victim of statitory rape. His abuser then is used as a plot point. She terrorizes him and on occasion sexually assults him, and this is never addressed. Kate is made out to be a bad person, but when Derek is being sexually assaulted he's shirtless, hairless, and oiled up. Its filmed to be sexually enticing for the audience, which is seriously disgusting. Kate is basically a sexual predator that keeps being brought back to hurt Derek. Whats worse is that the emotional trauma that results from sexual assault is literally never addressed, and Derek is consistently used as a sex object. In another season, the big bad of the show is revealed to have been disguising itself as a woman named Jennifer Blake. Jennifer blake, aka the big bad, is used as Derek's love interest, and they have sex on multiple occasions. Its later revealed that Blake seduced Derek with magic. What the writers of this show don't appear to comprehend, is that if someone is coerced into sex they wouldn't otherwise have with supernatural means, that's rape. So Derek gets raped a couple more times, and its all hunkydory because the sex scenes were hot l, am I right Jeff? (Also, Questionable consent concerning sex appears on show way more than acceptable. In example, when Stiles loses his virginity, he's partially posessed by a demon, and the girl he has sex with isn't all there mentally either) Derek is consistently used and abused on this show. He is beaten down and taken from, manipulated, ridiculed, and oversexualized over and over. His entrance to the show involves the loss of his sister just a few short years after the loss of his entire family, which he is led to beleive was at his own hands. His rapist and abusers are never fully brought to justice, and the serious emotional damage inflicted on him is never addressed. Rather its ignored for the sake of continuing to use him a sexual object. Below are some sources to back the claims I've made in this post as well as articles that better articulate what I've tried to explain . If you have anything to add regarding the issues with the show, please feel free to add on. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/09/17/op-ed-trouble-teen-wolf%3famp http://www.teen.com/2017/03/12/television/teen-television-shows-queerbaiting-gay-bait-audiences/#2 https://www.google.com/amp/amp.dailydot.com/upstream/teen-wolf-dead-female-characters-chart/ http://www.tv.com/news/teen-wolf-has-a-problem-regarding-female-characters-and-we-need-to-stop-ignoring-it-143956767458/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/ladygeekgirl.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/trigger-warning-kate-argent/amp/

[our2ndstreet-blog]

Bohemian Rhapsody: You’re Bad, Not Problematic

Bohemian Rhapsody: You’re Bad, Not Problematic If there's one thing that can be agreed on about Queen, it’s that their frontman, Freddie Mercury, is an icon of his era and his life and legacy are a story most certainly worthy of being told. So when I sat down to watch Bohemian Rhapsody a couple of weeks ago, I was ready to enjoy a movie mainly focused on just that, despite some negative press I had heard a while back about the state of this movie's production. Unfortunately, I left the theater with the negative press confirmed rather than debunked. Not only did I spend 134 minutes watching a frustratingly inaccurate retelling of Queen and Freddie Mercury's history, I watched a movie that was clearly robbed of its potential by obvious sanitization of the band’s past (perhaps accentuated by the surviving, active members of Queen having a hand in the production of the film). If you went into Bohemian Rhapsody hoping for a heart-wrenching tale of a fascinating musician taken too soon, you were probably as disappointed as I was, if not more. That is not to say the movie didn't have its moments, nor that it wasn’t completely unenjoyable. Rami Malek's performance as Mercury was fantastic and easily the most admirable aspect about the movie at all times other than the soundtrack. However, Malek's embodiment of the legendary singer could not save this movie in its entirety. These two aspects of the film, while undeniably important, are not the only ones. Aside from a few moments of humor, the nice things about this movie end here. Unraveling this fun trip of singing along to Queen in the theater, you get just about nothing of substance. The movie suffers from a lack of dramatic impact, with the only moments where you are supposed to feel tension being fabricated for the purpose of this film’s story, which is, of course, not appropriate if one is trying to create a biopic. Bohemian Rhapsody centers around Queen's formation in 1970, their rise to prominence, and the “struggles” of the band, culminating with their astounding performance at the Live Aid benefit concert in 1985. This means that the film must also cover these years of Freddie Mercury’s life, from his meeting Roger Taylor and Brian May when they were part of the band Smile, to his romantic relationship with Mary Austin, the end of their physical relationship due to his series of male lovers (and not his AIDS diagnosis, as the film would have you believe). Mercury and Mary Austin remained friends for the remainder of his life, often referring to her as his “common law wife” and his “only friend.” Bohemian Rhapsody shows promise of solidly developing Austin and Mercury’s relationship (perhaps even to the point wanting to see a movie dedicated solely to the premise of how the pair's relationship evolved over time), but throws this away as soon as the film starts to dwell on Freddie's sexuality. When he comes out as bisexual to Mary Austin, she automatically concludes that Mercury is gay and the question is never highlighted again in the movie, aside from passing moments where Mercury is visibly hurt that Austin has moved on after they split up. Their continuing relationship after he came out to her, and giving more weight to the idea that Mercury likely was bisexual is pushed away in exchange for focusing more on the band’s story, which in itself would have been fair enough if they had not been so lackluster in telling both stories, because the exchange made is not worthwhile. However, before covering the relationship to the band in terms of just Mercury, I feel it necessary to first discover the point where all three major flaws of the film converge: Paul Prenter, the film’s de facto antagonist, a former manager/lover of Mercury, who, to be fair, is cited as the influence on Freddie that caused most of the internal conflict over the sound of Hot Space. In reality, that is where Prenter's purview of the era covered by the film would end. However, in the film, Prenter is responsible for far more than he can really be held accountable for in the real world, and the way he is portrayed gives way for the most heinously inept parts of the movie. Prenter is the culmination of “taking liberties” with the history of the band and mischaracterization. Bohemian Rhapsody does a lot with Prenter, and being professionally and romantically involved with Mercury as he was, it’s somewhat believable that he could have done certain things mentioned in the film as things he did (with a certain event being a distorted version of something he actually did). However, he is simply everywhere in the film. He is simultaneously Mercury's lover, manager, and so obsessed with keeping him to himself that he does comically “evil” things. He is the one to notify Freddie of the possibility of a solo record deal, double-crossing Mercury's former manager (leading to the former manager's firing), he's also the one that keeps Mercury away from the band once they “break up,” staying with him in Germany throwing extravagant parties filled with promiscuity, drugs, and alcohol, he also keeps Mary Austin away from Freddie by intercepting phone calls and lying to Freddie, as well as intercepting a phone call about the Live Aid concert, effectively trying to keep Queen from getting back together for the concert. This mountain of tasks, I remind you, all fall on Prenter as he is represented in the film, despite there being little proof that any of these things were Prenter's responsibility. It is after all of these cartoonishly ridiculous acts of villainy that Mary Austin flies to Germany to bring Freddie home, with him then catching wind of Prenter's duplicitous behavior, deciding to fire him there, leaving him in Germany in 1985, leading a fuming Prenter to out Mercury on national television. The problem, as with most of Prenter’s representation (and most of this part of the film) is that in the real world, the events mentioned did not happen as they are portrayed. Mercury actually fired Prenter in 1986, after Live Aid. Prenter would then out Mercury to the tabloids the following year, in 1987, also disclosing Mercury’s relationship with Jim Hutton. While it is clear that the real Paul Prenter was by no means a “good guy,” the film chose to portray him as a villain for all the wrong reasons, again conveniently dodging further discussion of Mercury’s sexuality by pinning all sorts of other deeds to the antagonist, rather than highlighting the more than suspicious things he actually did (including blackmailing Mercury with the threat of outing him). However, while Prenter crystallizes many of the problems of Bohemian Rhapsody, he isn’t all of them. The rest of the major problems come in with the bulk of the interactions of the band, specifically Freddie’s interactions with the rest of the band, or, seemingly, against them. In covering the majority of Queen’s history, the film has a lot to go through, including but not limited to, 11 albums, 12 tours, and key moments in the band's road to fame, such as their first television appearance, the massive success of the titular song, and their internal conflicts relating to the 1982 album Hot Space. Obviously, the film cannot do all of this in its runtime, so it understandably covers at length the key moments with tours and album publishings serving more as intermediate segments to blast music in and sing along to. This decision in the film is not the problem, the problem is the decision to move certain events in the band's history around in attempts to kind of magic plot points out of nowhere. Much of the band's early history is also glossed over, aside from their first success in Killer Queen and the making of Night at the Opera and consequently, the making of Bohemian Rhapsody. In terms of the band's relationship with Mercury (which constitutes most of the movie), many missteps are made in both the characterization of Mercury relative to the band, as well the bulk of the “liberties” taken with the band timeline coming into play here. In the scenes leading up to and including the band’s (non-existent) break-up over Hot Space and Mercury’s solo deal, Mercury is increasingly portrayed as the only diva of the group, consistently making snide remarks at his bandmates while they are supposedly calm and level-headed, completely inoffensive. Am I expected to believe that for a second, especially in a movie that Brian May and Roger Taylor took part in producing? The idea that Freddie Mercury is the only divisive member of the band at this point in time is a thinly-veiled attempt at sanitizing and deifying the rest of Queen, perhaps in a failed effort at amping up the embattled state of Freddie Mercury, or perhaps in a genuine effort to make the rest of the band look good. This becomes even more unbelievable when taking into account the next big slip-up in terms of continuity: Freddie’s solo deal. The way Bohemian Rhapsody makes things seem, you would be well within your right to believe that Queen’s frontman was being a self-centered snob when he threw an outburst over being confronted about the lackluster sound of Hot Space and decided to sign his own solo album deal without telling the other members, and that the rest of the band was taken aback by the blatantly underhand move, leading to differences that in that moment could not be settled, ending in a “break-up” of Queen for the next 2-3 years. However, as per the pattern of Bohemian Rhapsody, this is not at all what happened. Yes, the band was conflicted about the awkward-sounding album they were working on, but there was no split over it, and certainly not over Mercury going to work on his first solo album, Mr. Bad Guy. In fact, both Brian May and Roger Taylor had begun successful solo careers by the time of the film’s “break-up,” with no issue from the band, as was the case when Mercury went to work on his solo debut. Unfortunately, this is not where the diverging timeline created by Bohemian Rhapsody converges back into the main timeline. After the film’s Queen break-up, the series of events in Germany happens, and we are brought to a meeting in manager Jim Beach’s office (Beach became the band’s manager in 1978), where Mercury apologizes for his actions towards the band, and expresses interest in performing at Live Aid with them. In actuality, the band got right to work on their 11th album, The Works, right after Hot Space, and was touring for the former when they were contacted about Live Aid. The lead up to Live Aid produces the most egregious inaccuracy created, and left me frustrated through much of the otherwise enjoyable recreation of the iconic concert. ​Freddie Mercury’s AIDS diagnosis being moved up to 1985 for the sole purpose of giving extra weight to his performance at Live Aid is an appalling, enraging decision that should have been shot down immediately, but alas, it made it into the final, theatrical cut of Bohemian Rhapsody. There was much negative press around the film when it was revealed that the era covered would (in an accurate representation) not extend to Mercury’s battle with AIDS. What was the production team’s answer to this, you ask? Instead of deciding to cover the 6 years of Mercury’s career they cut off, or simply emphasizing other, related struggles of the singer (such as his SEXUALITY) in the set time to still construct an accurate story, they decided to lazily throw in two scenes in sequence where Freddie gets diagnosed and reveals it to the band, with the band then giving condolences and deciding to throw their full support behind him and help him keep it under wraps, and add a few slides at the end of the film saying Freddie Mercury died due to complications from AIDS in 1991, and don’t forget to donate to Jim Beach’s AIDS charity! It is apparent that the team behind Bohemian Rhapsody added the AIDS scenes as an afterthought to save face with the public, and the way it is incorporated into the rest of the film is transparently without effort or skill. The story of Farrokh Bulsara ceases to be gripping or emotional (if any other inaccuracies didn’t do this already). In trying to fit within the time frame the makers of the film set for themselves, they completely miss any of the thematic depth of Mercury’s legacy and diverge off a much more compelling and believable storyline. Of course, the famous Live Aid concert closes out the movie and we end on the dreaded aforementioned end cards, but the concert does close the story rather excitingly, again leaving me to wonder what potential was lost when they decided to mix facts with fiction in Bohemian Rhapsody, and leaving me both, craving a movie focused on Freddie Mercury’s relationship with Mary Austin, and more Queen music (and judging by the film’s soundtrack bringing Queen back to the charts, it seems more clear that the movie’s financial success was all that was in mind when creating it). In conclusion, Bohemian Rhapsody is a failure as a biopic retrospective of one of the greatest bands in rock history, but if you just want to sing along to Queen songs for 134 minutes, this movie is absolutely the one for you. Watch this with friends who will be just as frustrated as you are about the lapses in storytelling, but will also sing with you at the top of their lungs, and you’ll have a good time. ----END---- P.S.: This next part is a bunch of things that don’t totally fit in with the big blocks of criticism, but still observations I had about the film. ​Freddie’s identity and family life are minor subplots of the film, with half-hearted emphasis during early Queen days and Live Aid (with just about nothing in the middle). It’s cute that Freddie and his father reconcile after many years of conflict and disagreement over Freddie “rejecting his heritage,” and much like the relationship with Freddie and Mary, it’s things like this that should have been more prominent in Mercury’s story. Also, a truly comedic emphasis is put on Freddie Mercury’s passion for cats, to the point where I questioned whether they focused on the cats more than they did Freddie himself. This problem brings to light the other relationship that Freddie was in, you know, the gay one. Jim Hutton does appear in Bohemian Rhapsody, and his relationship with Mercury is present, but for a rather small amount of time, as Hutton becomes involved with Freddie in 1985, at the tail end of the movie. Also, songs in the film come about a little too conveniently. Brian May has everyone and their wives in the studio, and in an effort to create a song “that the audience can participate in” (this part is somewhat true, an oddity for this movie), gets everyone together to do the iconic stomp-stomp-clap of “We Will Rock You,” and Freddie walks in late to the recording session (cue canned cheering), listens to the beat, and asks if May has written the lyrics. Boom, “We Will Rock You” exists.There’s another scene where the band is in a heated argument, and John Deacon hushes everyone from the corner as he strums the bassline to “Another One Bites the Dust.” Classic made. While these scenes of serendipitous song creation fit with the film’s general tone, they only help in making the film feel more disconnected from reality, and it’s a shame that the songwriting process for some of the more thought provoking Queen songs is glossed over in exchange for moments of musical magic in writing the immediately recognizable hits.

[elizabethcariasa]

5 retirement plan saving and tax options

You don't need a golden goose to have a great nest egg for retirement. You just need to contribute to one or more tax-favored retirement accounts. (Photo by 401(k) 2012 via Flickr)

Congratulations to America's newest billionaire, the owner of the ticket bought in South Carolina that matched all the Mega Millions lottery numbers. That person is $1.537 billion richer, or more probably an $878 millionaire, since that's the cash payout amount.

That lucky lottery player won't have to work another day or worry about retirement as long as he or she isn't a total spendthrift.

Most of the rest of us, though, gotta keep grinding away. And socking away cash for when we finally call it career quits.

My post earlier this week about the tax treatment of the most common retirement plans got me thinking about all the options here.

Apparently, more people also need to consider how they, too, will pay for their post-work years.

Not enough golden years savers or savings: A National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) report issued last month found that the retirement savings of U.S. workers are woefully inadequate.

How woeful? NIRS points to analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from 2013 that reveals almost 60 percent of a working age individuals that year did not have any money in a retirement account.

That's right. Zero. Zilch. Nil. Nada. Nothing. Not a red cent.

Even when folks are given a way to save at their job, they're not taking advantage.

NIRS' aptly named Retirement in America: Out of Reach for Most Americans? analysis also reports that 57 percent, or more than 100 million, of working age individuals do not own any retirement account assets in an employer-sponsored 401(k)-type plan, individual retirement account or pension.

And those that have saved aren't doing that well. Four out of five working Americans, says NIRS, have put away less than one year's income in retirement accounts.

Why we don't save: The lack of retirement savings probably is because too many of us need every dollar we earn to cover our current daily expenses. That's a blog post for another time on asking for raise, looking for a new job and/or budgeting.

Also, for many, retirement seems so, so far away. Trust me. It catches up with you pretty darn fast!

But another reason folks don't save for retirement often is because they are overwhelmed by the options.

I get it. Too many choices frequently results in choice paralysis. You don't have the time or feel confident enough to evaluate all the possibilities.

To help a little bit, here's a look at 5 popular retirement savings options and, of course, the tax benefits each offers.

1. Traditional IRA: An IRA is a tax-favored retirement account into which you put money that grows until you're ready to use it in retirement. With a traditional version of an individual retirement arrangement (and yes, that's official name, not individual retirement account), your contributions tax deferred. That means you don't pay any taxes on your investment earnings. 

Depending on your income and whether you have a retirement account at work (or, if you're married, your spouse's workplace retirement option comes into play here, too), you might be able to deduct your IRA contribution from your annual taxes.

You are limited in how much you can put into your IRA each year, with older savers getting to make a $1,000 catch-up contribution.

And eventually you do have to pay tax on your retirement money when you withdraw it at 59½ or older. And when you turn 70½ you must take a required minimum distribution (RMD). As the name indicates, this is at least as much as Internal Revenue Service calculations say you must take out of the tax-deferred retirement account so that Uncle Sam can finally get his tax cut.

2. Roth IRA: A Roth IRA also allows you to put an annual amount into this tax-favored retirement account, again with older folks getting to add more. But the money that goes into a Roth is already taxed. That means no tax deduction on the contributions.

But the tax code makes up for that by allowing you to withdraw your Roth IRA money in retirement tax-free. Even better, you can take it out on your timetable. There's no RMD for a Roth.

Because of the tax-free component, Roth IRAs are great for young workers, who can sock away beaucoup bucks and never worry about paying tax on the retirement funds.

For more detail on the differences between the two IRA accounts, check out Time to choose between a Roth or traditional IRA. It's an older post, so the dollar amounts have changed over the years, but the tax processes and advantages are still the same.

3. 401(k) workplace defined contribution plans: The days of your boss totally taking care of your post-work needs with a pension are gone. Those retiree payouts, known as defined benefit plans, have largely been replaced by defined contributions plans. The name says it all: contributions, mostly yours, go into a savings account at work that gets tax benefits to encourage you to save for retirement.

These commonly are called 401(k) plans if you work for a for-profit company. If you're employed at a nonprofit or are a teacher, this type of workplace retirement account typically is referred to as a 403(b). Similar accounts for government workers are called 457(b) plans.

Regardless of the tax-code section that provides these retirement options with their names, these accounts let you contribute a portion of your pay before taxes are taken out each pay period. That helps lower your tax bill since there's less money to be taxed. That 401(k) money then grows tax-deferred.

While you are primarily responsible for shoring up your 401(k), many employers match their workers' plan contributions, typically up to 6 percent. Make sure you contribute enough to get your company match. If you don't, you're basically throwing away free retirement money.

Some companies offer a Roth 401(k). As with IRAs, the money you put into a Roth workplace plan is already taxed, meaning its earnings grow tax-free. But, as with the Roth IRA, as long as you meet the withdrawal rules, your earnings in a Roth workplace retirement plan are tax-free.

Regardless of which type of workplace defined contribution plan you have, check out these 7 ways to make the most of your 401(k).

4. Self-employment retirement plans: If you work for yourself, you probably are focused on making your business or freelance effort a success. But you also need to look to the day when you won't be the boss any longer. That means opening and contributing to a self-employed retirement plan.

One of the easiest options for a sole proprietor is a SEP (for simplified employee pension) IRA. A SEP IRA operates essentially like a traditional IRA for tax purposes. You contribute a portion of your income to your retirement account and fully deduct them from your income taxes. The maximum annual contribution limits are higher than many other tax-favored retirement accounts. Plus, once created, SEP IRA administrative responsibilities are minimal.

Other popular self-employed retirement plane include SIMPLE (for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) IRA and a solo 401(k).

My earlier post 3 popular retirement plans for the self-employed has more on these retirement saving options, how to open them and how much you can contribute to each.

5. Health savings account: Yes, this is a savings account connected to your medical insurance, specifically a high deductible health plan. But these health-related options can provide another way to save for retirement.

Those with certain high-deductible health insurance plans can save money tax-free in an HSA. These funds help you cover the deductible portion of the associated high-deductible medical coverage. The HSA is yours to keep even if you no long have the medical coverage or make contributions to the savings account.

Why hold onto an HSA? Once you turn 65, you can use it tax-free to pay for retiree medical expenses.

Also at that age, you can withdraw your HSA money for any reason without penalty. You will, however, have to tax income taxes on money.

Finally, don't confuse HSA with FSA, a flexible spending account. Although both are related to medical expenses and offer tax breaks to the account owners, they are different.

Inflation factors into retirement accounts: In most cases where you get a tax break for contributing to your retirement, the IRS sets limits on how much you can put into the accounts. 

The amounts are adjusted each year, usually in the fall, for inflation. The 2019 figures should be released by the IRS soon.

This year's retirement plan inflation changes were issued before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted, but luckily for us and the IRS, those 2018 amounts weren't affected by the tax reform law. 

The HSA inflation information is on a different schedule, usually coming out in the spring. Still, new TCJA revisions forced the IRS to change, then change back, the 2018 HSA and high-deductible health plan (HDHP)limits. Shortly after that tax pas de deux, the IRS issued the 2019 HDHP and HSA inflation adjustments. 

Yeah, despite my railing on the horrors of too much tax information, this still is a lot. But it's worth sorting through. If you need help, a tax professional will be happy to walk you through the retirement plan that's best for your situation, finances and taxes.

And by picking a plan (or two or more!), you'll know you won't have to worry about how to fund the kind of retirement you want.

You also might find these items of interest:

5 things to consider in choosing workplace benefits

Rethinking retirement as traditional 3-legged stool wobbles

Tapping retirement accounts early is a dangerous trend among young savers

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// <![CDATA[ // &lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;gt; // ]]&gt; // ]]>

[christophergill8]

5 retirement plan saving and tax options

You don't need a golden goose to have a great nest egg for retirement. You just need to contribute to one or more tax-favored retirement accounts. (Photo by 401(k) 2012 via Flickr)

Congratulations to America's newest billionaire, the owner of the ticket bought in South Carolina that matched all the Mega Millions lottery numbers. That person is $1.537 billion richer, or more probably an $878 millionaire, since that's the cash payout amount.

That lucky lottery player won't have to work another day or worry about retirement as long as he or she isn't a total spendthrift.

Most of the rest of us, though, gotta keep grinding away. And socking away cash for when we finally call it career quits.

My post earlier this week about the tax treatment of the most common retirement plans got me thinking about all the options here.

Apparently, more people also need to consider how they, too, will pay for their post-work years.

Not enough golden years savers or savings: A National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) report issued last month found that the retirement savings of U.S. workers are woefully inadequate.

How woeful? NIRS points to analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from 2013 that reveals almost 60 percent of a working age individuals that year did not have any money in a retirement account.

That's right. Zero. Zilch. Nil. Nada. Nothing. Not a red cent.

Even when folks are given a way to save at their job, they're not taking advantage.

NIRS' aptly named Retirement in America: Out of Reach for Most Americans? analysis also reports that 57 percent, or more than 100 million, of working age individuals do not own any retirement account assets in an employer-sponsored 401(k)-type plan, individual retirement account or pension.

And those that have saved aren't doing that well. Four out of five working Americans, says NIRS, have put away less than one year's income in retirement accounts.

Why we don't save: The lack of retirement savings probably is because too many of us need every dollar we earn to cover our current daily expenses. That's a blog post for another time on asking for raise, looking for a new job and/or budgeting.

Also, for many, retirement seems so, so far away. Trust me. It catches up with you pretty darn fast!

But another reason folks don't save for retirement often is because they are overwhelmed by the options.

I get it. Too many choices frequently results in choice paralysis. You don't have the time or feel confident enough to evaluate all the possibilities.

To help a little bit, here's a look at 5 popular retirement savings options and, of course, the tax benefits each offers.

1. Traditional IRA: An IRA is a tax-favored retirement account into which you put money that grows until you're ready to use it in retirement. With a traditional version of an individual retirement arrangement (and yes, that's official name, not individual retirement account), your contributions tax deferred. That means you don't pay any taxes on your investment earnings. 

Depending on your income and whether you have a retirement account at work (or, if you're married, your spouse's workplace retirement option comes into play here, too), you might be able to deduct your IRA contribution from your annual taxes.

You are limited in how much you can put into your IRA each year, with older savers getting to make a $1,000 catch-up contribution.

And eventually you do have to pay tax on your retirement money when you withdraw it at 59½ or older. And when you turn 70½ you must take a required minimum distribution (RMD). As the name indicates, this is at least as much as Internal Revenue Service calculations say you must take out of the tax-deferred retirement account so that Uncle Sam can finally get his tax cut.

2. Roth IRA: A Roth IRA also allows you to put an annual amount into this tax-favored retirement account, again with older folks getting to add more. But the money that goes into a Roth is already taxed. That means no tax deduction on the contributions.

But the tax code makes up for that by allowing you to withdraw your Roth IRA money in retirement tax-free. Even better, you can take it out on your timetable. There's no RMD for a Roth.

Because of the tax-free component, Roth IRAs are great for young workers, who can sock away beaucoup bucks and never worry about paying tax on the retirement funds.

For more detail on the differences between the two IRA accounts, check out Time to choose between a Roth or traditional IRA. It's an older post, so the dollar amounts have changed over the years, but the tax processes and advantages are still the same.

3. 401(k) workplace defined contribution plans: The days of your boss totally taking care of your post-work needs with a pension are gone. Those retiree payouts, known as defined benefit plans, have largely been replaced by defined contributions plans. The name says it all: contributions, mostly yours, go into a savings account at work that gets tax benefits to encourage you to save for retirement.

These commonly are called 401(k) plans if you work for a for-profit company. If you're employed at a nonprofit or are a teacher, this type of workplace retirement account typically is referred to as a 403(b). Similar accounts for government workers are called 457(b) plans.

Regardless of the tax-code section that provides these retirement options with their names, these accounts let you contribute a portion of your pay before taxes are taken out each pay period. That helps lower your tax bill since there's less money to be taxed. That 401(k) money then grows tax-deferred.

While you are primarily responsible for shoring up your 401(k), many employers match their workers' plan contributions, typically up to 6 percent. Make sure you contribute enough to get your company match. If you don't, you're basically throwing away free retirement money.

Some companies offer a Roth 401(k). As with IRAs, the money you put into a Roth workplace plan is already taxed, meaning its earnings grow tax-free. But, as with the Roth IRA, as long as you meet the withdrawal rules, your earnings in a Roth workplace retirement plan are tax-free.

Regardless of which type of workplace defined contribution plan you have, check out these 7 ways to make the most of your 401(k).

4. Self-employment retirement plans: If you work for yourself, you probably are focused on making your business or freelance effort a success. But you also need to look to the day when you won't be the boss any longer. That means opening and contributing to a self-employed retirement plan.

One of the easiest options for a sole proprietor is a SEP (for simplified employee pension) IRA. A SEP IRA operates essentially like a traditional IRA for tax purposes. You contribute a portion of your income to your retirement account and fully deduct them from your income taxes. The maximum annual contribution limits are higher than many other tax-favored retirement accounts. Plus, once created, SEP IRA administrative responsibilities are minimal.

Other popular self-employed retirement plane include SIMPLE (for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) IRA and a solo 401(k).

My earlier post 3 popular retirement plans for the self-employed has more on these retirement saving options, how to open them and how much you can contribute to each.

5. Health savings account: Yes, this is a savings account connected to your medical insurance, specifically a high deductible health plan. But these health-related options can provide another way to save for retirement.

Those with certain high-deductible health insurance plans can save money tax-free in an HSA. These funds help you cover the deductible portion of the associated high-deductible medical coverage. The HSA is yours to keep even if you no long have the medical coverage or make contributions to the savings account.

Why hold onto an HSA? Once you turn 65, you can use it tax-free to pay for retiree medical expenses.

Also at that age, you can withdraw your HSA money for any reason without penalty. You will, however, have to tax income taxes on money.

Finally, don't confuse HSA with FSA, a flexible spending account. Although both are related to medical expenses and offer tax breaks to the account owners, they are different.

Inflation factors into retirement accounts: In most cases where you get a tax break for contributing to your retirement, the IRS sets limits on how much you can put into the accounts. 

The amounts are adjusted each year, usually in the fall, for inflation. The 2019 figures should be released by the IRS soon.

This year's retirement plan inflation changes were issued before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted, but luckily for us and the IRS, those 2018 amounts weren't affected by the tax reform law. 

The HSA inflation information is on a different schedule, usually coming out in the spring. Still, new TCJA revisions forced the IRS to change, then change back, the 2018 HSA and high-deductible health plan (HDHP)limits. Shortly after that tax pas de deux, the IRS issued the 2019 HDHP and HSA inflation adjustments. 

Yeah, despite my railing on the horrors of too much tax information, this still is a lot. But it's worth sorting through. If you need help, a tax professional will be happy to walk you through the retirement plan that's best for your situation, finances and taxes.

And by picking a plan (or two or more!), you'll know you won't have to worry about how to fund the kind of retirement you want.

You also might find these items of interest:

5 things to consider in choosing workplace benefits

Rethinking retirement as traditional 3-legged stool wobbles

Tapping retirement accounts early is a dangerous trend among young savers

Advertisements

// <![CDATA[ // &lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ // &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;amp;gt; // ]]&amp;gt; // ]]&gt; // ]]>

  from Tax News By Christopher https://www.dontmesswithtaxes.com/2018/10/retirement-plan-tax-and-savings-options.html

[mylovingbouquetearthquakewo-blog]

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

"Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

BEST ANSWER:  Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://freeinsurancequotes.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr 

RELATED QUESTIONS: 

Can I buy a car for someone and them pay insurance and registration?

Basically Drive and maintain my car? I'm buying it for her. I will register it in my name. I live in NV, so I need to register it here in NV. Title, Loan, and Registration will be in my name. Can she legally insure the vehicle, solely? Does she need to add me onto the insurance policy? Is it OK for her to drive it in Cali, where she lives, with it registered to me here in Vegas? What are some possible unforeseen problems that may arise, besides: If towed I need to get it out. If tickets unpaid or loan not paid upon, I get the flack and bad history, and fines. Please help! feedback needed! OF COURSE ITS NOT A GOOD IDEA, BUT IF I CHOOSE TO DO IT, I want to be aware of it all, just asking for some heads up and feedback, please! Thanks!""

Is the more smaller the car engine size the cheaper the car insurance will be?

Is the more smaller the car engine size the cheaper the car insurance will be?

Road trip without car insurance?

So my girlfriend and I want to go to Las Vegas with some friends. We don't have a car, but it friends does, however, he doesn't have car insurance. Would it still be ok to go? Why or why not? Well be traveling from SLC.""

Can you swap your bike for a hire bike with insurance?

I have a hire bike with my insurance while my bike is in repair, the hire bike is perfect and really fits my needs perfectly, is it possible they could swap mine for the hire bike even if it means paying money for it""

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There's a type of insurance for mostly minors or people who deal with used cars that are cheap etc, rarely driven, traded often, and it's called ______ I forget, and it only entitles you to be insured against law suits if the other person is injured. Real crappy insurance right? I'm starting to trade cars but some will need to be driven to shops and stuff like that. In my state MICHIGAN, you need to have insurance BEFORE you register, which sucks for me. For example, I am about to buy a piece of crap 500 dollar Chevy Cavalier and I need to most basic insurance, I just forget the term for this. I don't want to get a huge big policy for a car that will be driven probably less then 50 miles in it's time that I have it.""

How much does a california speeding ticket and no insurance will cost?

My friend jst bought a car from sacramento and i was driving it since it was manual he was jst learning and i was speeding in the freeway on a 70 went 86 and i got pulled over .. with no insurance since we were going to transfer hes old insurance in hes old car to this new one toyota xrs 06... how much will it cost me for the ticket and the no insurance please help me i have no idea what to do ?

Ok.. who has the cheapest health insurance?

im doin a report in school and i need to know guestimations on health insurance? who has the cheapest and on what company?

Car insurance for people without cars.?

I don't have a car but occasionally I need to drive and I use other peoples cars. Is there an insurance you can get for yourself without having a car?

How long does it take for an auto insurance claim to clear you record?

I currently have USAA and back in Nov 2005 I hit a piece of tire on I-25. The tire ripped out my wheel well cover and took the electrical system with it. I made a claim that came out to 1K including my deductible. When trying to change insurance this claim came up and uppped my 6 month policy by 300 dollars. It is not on my DMV driving record, can I still get the cheaper insurance thru progressive.com? Thanks a bunch.""

Help me with insurance name?

In the bay area there is this insurance broker which finds the cheapest insurance for you by comparing their prices and they have a license to sell you that insurance at a discounted price. The name is something like freeway insurance? traffic insurance? road insurance? wth insurance? can someone tell me the name? thanks

How can i know how many people have health insurance coverage in my city?

(please give me a source as in to where i can find this information)

Average car insurance for 17 year old male?

An average second hand car, In the UK.""

Car audio mod......insurance company?

i recntly bought a subwoofer and amp for my car do i need to let the insurance company know its worth around 60

What would be the cost of a doctor visit for a pregnant woman who doesn't have health insurance?

its for a health project and if you could also help answer these other questions -does the baby have to get vaccines their first year of life? if so, what are the vaccines required, and what are they for? -what does it cost for a week of child care at a daycare center or a private day care facility? -What doctor specializes in the prenatal care of babies and also in the delivery of babies? Does this take extra training? If so, what? -What is the average cost per week for providing for and taking care of a baby? - List 10 reasons why teens should not be parents. - It is mostly the responsibility for the mother to provide care for the baby. Is this statement true or false?""

""I am self employed and shopping for an affordable health/dental insurance, any ideas?""

I need coverage without spending a fortune every month, no pre-existing conditions.""

Cheapest insurance companys in the uk?

whats the cheapest insurance company in the uk

I am a 16 year old male I want to know how much insurance on a 1995 Honda civic would cost me. Thank you?

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and I would also like to know what the cheapest insurance company is""

What is the difference in Medicaid/Medicare and state insurance?

What is the difference in Medicaid/Medicare and state insurance?

Cheap car insurance for teenagers?

I passed my test yesterday, I'm 17 but turn 18 in 3 months. I have my own car and I'm desperate to start driving. I spoke to dozens of companies and the minimum quote I got was 3000 something a year or 288 monthly with ingenie, which I don't earn enough wages for let alone without the cost of petrol. Can anyone recommend cheap insurance companies for new drivers? My mums won't insure me because of my age and told me I need no claims but I don't get how I can get no claims when I no one will even insure me? I'm really upset because I've spent 1100 on learning. Be grateful for any advice!""

Insurance for new driver?

For a new male driver that just got their permit, which car would have cheaper insurance? 2013 Audi A6 3.0T or a 2000 Corvette convertible Most people's first responses are the Corvette, because it is a sports car. However, it has only slightly more power than the Audi, and is worth less than half of what the Audi is. Both cars are titled under the same persons name, if that makes a difference. Would the difference in value make the Corvette's insurance cheaper, or will it still be higher?""

""Insurance policy,,,,,,,,,,,?

I signed a life insurance policy on the spot. It was an error at some point. I realize that what i needed was a retirement insurance. Is it possible to request the insurance company to change my policy?

How much is car insurance?

How much is car insurance?

How much will it cost to insure a Subaru Impreza WRX?

It'd of course be under my parents insurance, which is either Travco, or Liberty Mutual. Not sure which one it is, I'm 17 got my license at 16 and a half. I live in Eastern PA near Allentown. The car year will be 2004-2008 and will have a value ~10k. I also have a 3.6 GPA, and I heard there is some good student discount. Thank you""

Car Insurance?

how much car insurance do i pay for a 6000 dollar car

Classic car insurance.. 19 year old?

they dont seem to like me too much. is there anyway company or way that you know where i can insure a 41 year old vehicle at the age of 19 on my name, in ontario. i know there is a few companies, just dont know which ones. thanks""

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

How much insurance money do you think i can get?

Seven weeks ago i got into a very bad car accident on the freeway. I'm 15 and was NOT driving. my 19 year old friend was driving. from the accident i was rushed to the hospital with a broken arm. my left arm was very badly cracked and they said in a week they will hit it into place then put it in a cast. so, a week later i went into surgery and there was complications and my arm snapped in half and so they cut open my arm and put in a 5 inch titanium plate and 7 pins. i just got my cast off after 4 weeks. my arm is in pain all the time. and i cant do much. how much money do u think i could recieve?""

Why are my insurance quotes so high?

I have tried searching for insurance on my moms car which is a Suzuki Swift GL 1.3 and I'm getting back quotes of 10,949.50 cheapest fully comprehensive and 6,404.20 Third Part, Fire and Theft. I passed my test january this year and I'm 18, I had temporary insurance on the car for a month in april and a week in june, the month in april cost 55 with Tesco and the week in june cost 70 with another company. I've also tried searching for insurance on other smaller engined cars like a citroen saxo 1.1i SX and got cheapest price coming back at 4,777.63 I live in Birmingham and have set it as the car being parked in the garage over night. Am I doing something wrong?""

Typically how much does it cost to have renters insurance?

Typically how much does it cost to have renters insurance?

If you are 17 and have a drivers permit can you have a car title in your name and insurance on your car?

i have my drivers permit and im 17. i have a car and its in friends name i want to put in in my name and buy car insurance. i live in florida. also how much will insurance cost me and what is the new law about car insurance do? thanks and please answer

Muscle/Sports car insurance question...?

Would a 1971 Ford Torino 4 door sedan be considered a sports/muscle car to insurance companies? I am trying to find a way around the muscle car insurance rates while still having a muscleish car. Any other car suggestions would be great.

What type of motorcyle is the cheapest to insure?

I heard that insurance is based on ccs and bike type....so what type of bike is the cheapest to insure

Is athem blue cross a good insurance?

Is it really a good insurance?

18 year old military personal auto insurance price in NY?

hello my name is Joseph and i recently just bought my first car yesterday. I financed through Navy federal bank and purchased a 2011 Mazda 3 I for 11k out the door price including tax. the check will be coming in the mail tuesday and i will need to have insurance to go pick up the car. ive been searching online and calling different insurance agents to get a quote and im looking at paying 400-600 per month for insurance ! here are some of the prices these insurance agents quoted me at. Geico - 500 State Farm - 400 USAA - 600 Progressive - 550 Esurance - 450 im just wondering if this is normal ? i was expecting to pay 200-250 but not 400-600, i am 18 years old. been in the military for 6 months. clean driving record. and have been license at the age of 16 since 03/15/2012 can anyone tell me if this is normal ? and what other car insurance companies are in new york ? thank you for your time.""

Auto insurance.?

somebody hit and run me in the parking lot and dint leave any note or anything and there is no camera. the right fender has a big dent and the door wont open,if i report this to my insurance will i get an increase on montly payment? even tho its not my fault. My car is brand new got it 3 months ago and ha a full collision coverage insurance.""

Suspended Registration in California due to Car Insurance?

My registration was suspended because I didnt show proof to the DMV that i had car insurance. I recently bought car insurance but I cannot show proof to the DMV until I receive my Insurance card in the mail which the insurance rep said it may take 2 weeks! I already paid my fee to the DMV to reinstate my insurance but i have to wait until the insurance card come inorder to submit my insurance to the DMV. I have my temporary insurance card and my car registration in the car. What would be the consequences if i get pulled over by a cop? Thank you in advance.

Anyone have experience with ASDA car insurance?

Asda car insurance seems to be the cheapest by far in the comparison websites but are they reliable?

What would insurance on a er-5 be like for a 17 year old?

I recently asked how much gsxr400 insurance would be for a 17 year old, however being a sports bike it costs more, but what would it be like for a bike like the ER-5. also i would go ...show more""

How much is car insurance?

I know it depends on a lot of things, So what's an idealistic amount for a young teen w/ 3.0+gpa and a sports car be?""

Why is my car insurance so expensive?

hi, i tryd luking for car insurance but all of them are expensive, the minimum is 4000 and max in over 10,000. im 19 years old, live in london and i passed my test last week. i knw aome people who are 19 and passed recently and there insurance is only 1000. btw the car has a 1.4 engine and is a 1997 model. also can someone explain to me what no claim bonus means? thanks a lot""

Will asthma affect health insurance premium?

Hello, I had asthma as a child from ages 2 to 11. I am now 20 years old. Will this affect my health insurance premiums if I try to get an individual plan? Or will it not matter because the last incident was over 10 years ago? I do not take any medication or anything for the last 10 years.""

""If i just got my permit, can i drive my moms car without insurance?

I just got my permit and want to drive my moms car. Do i have to be on her insurance if i only have a permit?

How to get cheap car insurance?

its for my brother, hes 17 and needs car insurance hes looking at a corsa. we have tried to do it all the known cheapest ways such as a group policy and with my mums no claims etc anyone any suggestions, please help! :)""

""New car, Registration and insurance in CA?""

Hey Everybody !! I just got my first car... I just wanna know, do i have to first register the car dmv and then do the smog check ?? should i get the insurance after visitng dmv ?? also, how many days can drive the car without the insurance after buying the car ??? by the way it's used car""

How to get cheap dodgy insurance?

how can i get cheap insurance that doesnt actually cover me but then im legally insured

Cheapest motorcycle insurance?

I'm looking forward to getting a motorcycle and I was wondering what's the cheapest insurance you can get. I'm not looking for companies at the moment, I just want to know what's the cheapest plan for almost any insurance company. .""

How do I find cheap and decent health insurance in Vermont?

I'm looking for health insurance that will be affordable (read under $100 a month) and have fairly decent coverage. Also I would very much like coverage that will start very soon after applying, the sooner the better. Any one have any suggestions?""

Motorcycle insurance?

about how much should it cost?

""I have a company car, who should pay for the car insurance?

I have a year contract with this company and they are giving me a car for the duration of my employment. they told me i can use it for personal as well as work use. they told me i have to pay for my insurance though. is that fair?

""What is a good site for getting a quote for insurance on a moped, 50cc in the UK?""

I need to insure a 50cc moped in the UK, does anyone no anywhere I can get some good quotes""

Who has the cheapest auto insurance?

I must have full coverage. I have gotten a few quotes but I need suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

What are some affordable health insurance in the NJ area?

I am 25 years old and currently unemployed. I will be a student in the health care field and I'm required to purchase health insurance. I also have to get a physical exam along with vaccinations. I looked online for some insurance and I have to pay at least $250 a month which is too much for me. Are there any affordable health insurance?

What does your credit score have to do with your car insurance premium?

Why do some some insurance companies base their rates on credit scores? What does that have to do with driving records?

Looking for a job with cancer patient?

I just graudate 2 week ago in AAS for medical insurance and billing and I would like to work for cancer patient and cancer center. I want to do some medical insurance for cancer patient and other thing. Is there website that I can find some career opportunity?

Whats the cheapest motorbike insurance and motorbike for a 17 year old man. (125cc)?

im interested in getting a geared 125cc superbike looking motorbike, what is the cheapest bike i can get at this age, a long with the cheapest insurance? on go compare i think i've got it down to about 500 pounds. thankyou""

Teens why is car insurance so expensive?

This morning i was looking at this 2001 ford crown vic. and the owner wanted $700.00 for it, but when I called the insurance company they told me my insurance would be $300.00 per month. why is car insurance so expensive, thats crazy AM I RIGHT?""

Name a type of car that is cheap on gas and has cheap insurance please?

It has a be a type of small car obiously(:

Range Rover Insurance?

I know that insurance depend on a lot of factors however I'm just looking for a round about estimate for a 24 year old female with a clean driving record on a 2003 a range rover?

Anyone know of an insurance company in Alabama that covers Suboxone?

Ive been checking around and BCBS said that I wouold have to wait till after a year of coverage untill they would cover that drug for some reason, also would it be considered a pre-existing condition if I was prescribed the drug before I obtained coverage?""

Which health insurance company in Florida is best at filling prescriptions using there mail order pharmacy?

I'm in the process of buying health insurance n making sure I'm able to mail my presriptions every month to there pharmacy and getting them filled and sent back to me within a reasonable time is something I will need so I am wondering which company is best at this when it comes to how soon u will get them and how hard it is to set up your scripts especially certain ones u take every day but can only get a 30day supply like for my adderall which ive been on since i was a kid but i have 5 kids of my own now n lately I'm having trouble filling locally n hope I won't have the same problem when mailing them

When is an insurance company going to come along who cares about careful drivers?

my car insurance quote has just arrived, the price has gone up by 80 from last year the year before it went up 20. I suppose it was the all the snow we had which caused extra claims. but I have never made a claim in the last 15 years and that was when someone ran into me. why should we keep having to pay for these mindless idiots who cause these increases, why cannot insurance companies talk to each other and triple or quadruple persistent offenders untill they have gone without a claim for 3 years instead of keep hiking up the insurance of careful drivers. well this is the last straw for me.I am selling my car, a stripey punto 2 years old with 4,000 miles on the clock. what should I get for it.""

What is the cheapest Auto insurance company in Florida for youth !?

I am 23 Years old and i am looking for a cheap car insurance for a Honda Civic EX Coupe , i have never had a car insurance before because i was out of country for Years, I got my driving license last year when i was 22 years old i heard that the insurance will be high and i checked with Geico online i find out that i am going to pay 180$ every month that's too much for a car like this !! and this is the minimum state insurance.""

Omg! car insurance!!!!?

*iam17yrs old. *i have all As in all the classes(2 AP classes and 2 honor classes) *have a house but living in an apartment for yrs and will live there until i graduate high school *open parking lot for now *drive less than a mile a day *play sports *have hobby *female *car =around10thousand to 13 thousand$(not decided) *fuel efficient car *adding to my parents' insurance(all sate..ithink) ABOUT HOW MUCH WILL It COST A MONTH ??? i just want to know before talking to the insurance company

Having a hard time to find affordable health insurance?

I just need a simple surgery on both my ears. About a year ago I developed a keloid on both ears. I know they can get bigger so I want to get it fixed before it looks like a grape behind my ear. My biggest problem is in finding affordable health insurance. Can anyone tell me a good site to go to for affordable health insurance? All answers would be greatly appreciated.

Got into a car wreck w/o insurance!?

The other day I accidently backed into this couple that have full coverage insurance. I believed everything was okay until an investigator called and left a message saying that my brother had cancelled my insurance. Therefore, I didn't have any insurance at the time of the accident. The person I hit did not get a ticket and I did not get a ticket. What is going to happen with this? Will I loose my lisence or will I have to pay for their car damages even though they have full coverage? If I call and get car insurance today, will it be effective for the accident?""

Where to go to get a quote?

Hi people, I'm seventeen, taking my driving lessons but find it incredibly hard to get a quote for insurance. I want a rough estimate so i know how much to save but every site i have checked is for someone who already owns a car. If anyone has any good sites or references for my position it would be appreciated. thanks dudes XD""

Insurance for 18 year old girl?

My daughters just passed her test would i be as much money having her on my own car insurance as she would be if she had her own car and was the main driver thanks in advance for any answers

How many Health Insurance Companies in Sault Ste.Marie?

How much would they charge ? My brother is going to Algoma University this year, the University asks them to buy a Health Insurance, but the University's health insurance is too expensive. So, is there any other health insurance companies in Sault Ste.Marie ?""

Health and Maternity Insurance.?

My wife and I are wanting to have a baby and need to get health insurance that includes maternity. I have gotten a couple quotes, but they all seems somewhat high being that she is only 22 and in great health. Who would be the best and most affordable provider to talk to? Thanks, Dustin""

Is this a good way to cancel car insurance?

I'm about to switch car insurance providers, but my past agent is one of the most helpful person alive, and I don't want to tell the guy that i'm cancelling. If I just let the policy lapse by not paying the bill and letting it cancel on its own will anything negative impact me? Or do I have to call the guy and tell him i'm cancelling?""

""My car is fully paid for, and I wonder what auto insurance coverage would be the less expensive and good?""

My car is fully paid for, and I wonder what auto insurance coverage would be the less expensive and good enough to get in state of California? 1- Liability only? 2- Liability plus collision? 3- Full coverage? 4- Any other type? Regards, Mo.""

""How much is the yearly average insurance for a sixteen year old in LA, California.?""

How much is the yearly average insurance for a sixteen year old in LA, California.PS. Liability only. And if you need to know the car and insurance corp its an 1995 Ferrari f355, and 21st insurance. Please give real averages and i am serious so please real and serious answers. What i mean is please tell me the price only for a year. Please only serious and real answers.""

What's the best individual health insurance?

I am 27 and have no major health problems, but because all the jobs I have been getting lately are temporary gigs, none of my employers offer health insurance.""

Is my car insurance to high for a new driver(28years old)?

My fiancee added me under his car insurance, and iam being charged $145 a month. Iam a new driver, i just got my liscence last April. Is this Expensive for a new driver? How long will it take for the price to go down?""

""For health insurance plan, is it good to have a low deductible, but a higher coinsurance?""

I'm looking at a health insurance plan with a premium of $76 per month. The deductible is $500 and out-of-pocket maximum is $2,500, which doesn't include deductible. Coinsurance is 30% after deductible. I get the first 3 doctor visits for $30 co-payment and then pay 30% after deductible. Does this plan sound okay? I normally see a doctor once a year. Thanks!""

Does anyone have any idea how much it will cost to insure a learner in the UK?

I am just wondering if anyone vaguely knows how much it would be for me to be insured on my dad's insurance so I can learn with him as well as an instructor? Thanks x

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

Young Drivers: How much did you pay for car insurance?

Hello all, I'm trying to find out the average cost of car insurance in the UK or Ireland for a political debate on the subject and was wondering if young drivers (provisional license) could provide some. Thanks very much!""

Waht is the best motorcycle insurance provider for ontario?

i have a 1000cc irohead sportster 1984 and i live in ontario. i was wondering what the best insurance provider would be thanks!

How much on average does it cost for business insurance yearly in Ohio?

I want to find out how much a small business insurance would cost yearly on average in the state of Ohio

Is my pregnancy covered under my mother's insurance?

I just got married this past year and just found out that I am pregnant. My husband and I are freaking out because I am still under my mother's insurance. I am only 24 and supposed to be covered until I am 26. I am also a student. So question is: Is my pregnancy covered under my mother's insurance? If I am covered then for how long? till the baby gets here? Is the baby covered? If I am not covered then how can I get covered?

I'm 19 and need the cheapest insurance?

I'm 19 just got my license and need the cheapest insurance.I don't need collision just liability insurance as my car isn't worth 5k. So seriously bare bone cheapest ever,I have a flawless driving record,I'm 19,and am trying to insure a 92' Buick Lesabre Thanks""

Cheapest bikes for insurance?

I'm 19 and want to take my CBT early next year and start riding motorcycles. Im tired of paying thousands of pounds for car insurance but need some sort of transport as i commute a lot in town for my work so a motorbike seemed the logical solution. I have been getting quotes for a few bikes and the cheapest i have got is 500 TPFT on a yamaha YBR. I like the look of the yamaha but is this one of the cheapest bikes to insure? A few sinnis bikes have come close to this price but have read mixed reviews online, would love to hear off anyone who owns a sinnis bike about what they think of them. Also the cheapest insurance company i can find is Scooters & Bikes, if anyone knows any other cheap insurance companies i would love to hear them.""

Would my insurance be high?

There is a 1973 Dodge Charger online I found that needs restoration for $1750. What would I do for insurance and would it be high since I'm only 17?

Anyone know where to get good individual dental insurance thats effective immediatly?

I need my wisdom teeth removed but have no insurance, most individual insurance companies have a 6 month waiting period for procedures other than preventitive. I need them out now because one was infected and I got it treated with antibiotics but Im afraid it will come back because it keeps bleeding. Any help will do and I am in florida.""

""Car accident, Driver has NO insurance.?""

A girl hit my car on Easter. She lied and told me she had insurance only for me to find out she doesn't. I am so pissed because I do not want to pay my 500 deductible on an accident she was faulted, cited and ticketed for. However, she's only 17 so id feel bad to sue.. It's not her parents fault. What do I do?!""

Where can i find cheap auto insurance?

I am 18, almost 19""

""Can you fake proof of insurance in Seattle, WA?""

My friend and I are having an argument. He believes that you can keep a fake insurance card in your car that looks legitimate and the police will not be able to check the information with the insurance company to verify that you actually have insurance, if they pull you over. Also, if you do not have proof of insurance, and you get cited for a ticket, he believes that you could send in fake proof of insurance to the Seattle Municipal Court so they would dismiss the ticket, less a $25 admin fee, because they do not check insurance information/do not have access to insurance records. I want to believe that he's wrong, but I don't know, I am not educated on the subject. Does anyone know the answer?""

What is the average cost for insurance on a fuel company?

homework help.

Cheap Car Insurance - Please Help?

Hello in June I will be 17 years old! Obviously like all 17 year old males I want a car! I'm not massively fussed about the car as long as it doesn't cost to much! Today I have been looking at cars such as; FIAT CINQUENCENTO Perodua Nippa EX and a few other cars bellow 1l I live in Northamptonshire and my postcode is NN1 *** on comparison websites i cant find insurance for less than 3500 when that is miles out of my price range! If anyone knows any insurance sites or extremely cheap cars to insure for 17 year olds then please reply to this. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks

Occasional Driver Insurance.?

My had has 02 Mazda under his name as a First Driver and Insured. I got my G2 License Dec 11 and i have been using the car ever since ~ 40-100KM a week. I am not insured in any way. I got a Left-Turn Signal Ticket and the COP did not say anything. I got stooped 2 other times driving a work car not in my name and they did not say anything. Is it safe for me to drive like this. I have been told by some family member that i have to be listed as a Second Driver. Whats the benefit on this? I am 22 years old. Would it cost a lot to get Insured?

Bmw insurance?

im almost 16, and for my birthday im getting a 10 year old bmw. any idea on what the insurance will be?""

Best value Florida auto insurance?

I just moved from Illinois to Florida and am looking for auto insurance because my own company is upping my price from $125 to $275 a month with the same coverage (100/300K BI, 50K property, 100K UM, and roadside assistance) with the move. Upon obtaining quotes, the best I've gotten is with Esurance which is just over $200 a month. It seems that adding BI to any auto policy ups the price pretty heavily. Are there any mid-level or local insurance companies in Florida that generally offer better premiums than the heavy hitters I've been quoting with? I'm in Port Richey.""

How much would car insurance be for me?

I am 18 and I am just now getting my license and a couple weeks later my car. I am not sure if I am going to be under my mother's insurance or get my own, whichever is cheaper. I am not a full time student in college, but I do take a couple classes with a GPA of 4.0 and in high school I had very good grades too. I am female. I have been driving for 2 years, just couldn't get my license until now. How much would insurance be for me car wise? ( I am not sure WHAT kind of car I am getting, just something small with really good gas mileage. I am putting a down payment of $2500 on it and the price of the car will range $4000-$6000)""

Anybody knows reliable insurance companies that insure summer houses?

I've recently bought a summer house in Tavira, Portugal, which my family and I would like to insure because we won't use it constantly. Anybody knows reliable insurance companies that insure summer houses?""

What are the cheapest cars to insure as im 19 and just passed my test (male)?

Also what are the best insurance comparison sites for someone of my age, as most quotes are ridiculous!""

Proof of auto insurance -- car's or driver's?

I would be driving my cousin's car for a while. Which proof of auto insurance do I need to carry in his car -- my auto insurance card (which lists MY car) or my cousin's insurance card, which lists HIS car -- the one I would be driving? Seems I am confused about WHAT needs to have auto insurance -- the driver or the car.""

Old DUI and Insurance rates.?

Unfortunately I was a stupid kid and received a DUI in July of 2007 in the state of PA. Now after years of traveling and studying overseas I am living in California and about to buy a car in a few months. I am wondering if anyone knows whether or not this DUI will play a major role in getting insurance?

Cheap Car Insurance for a 17 year old ?

I am looking for car insurance in Britain. I am 17 next month so I am looking at provisional prices which aren't too bad. I was curious and put in my birthday a few months earlier and said i had passed, the price was in excess of 4000, for a car worth 1000 ? I then put in the details of a friends new car, hes 17 and only just passed. Rich and got a 2011 bmw 1 series top of the range, quote was 9,500. How can a 1000 car be only 5000 cheaper than a 30000 car, none of this makes sense ? I know we are 4 times more likely to crash but does anyone know of any cheap insurance companies for 17 year olds just now ?""

I fell asleep on the interstate and got into a collision with an 04 BMW w/o insurance.?

I was late on payments and my insurance will not cover. I was at fault and I got a letter in the mail today and the lady said so far the damages are $11k... What should I do?? accident was on 2/27/11 in FL

What's the cheapest Insurance company?

I'm sixteen, will be seventeen in June. I just got a job and I need to get insurance so I can get a car. My parent's insurance will be really expensive plus to put the car on there it will be even extra. Can anyone tell me what the cheapest car insurance place would be for me with full coverage? Thank you (: oh and my car will be a 2000 saturn.""

Motorcycle insurance with no Class C?

I live I California and the dmv gave me an only class M learners permit and I can only ride motorcycles not cars. My problem is Insurance companies keep asking for a drivers license then they cut me but I really don't want a Class C license!!! Any insurance companies bypass that?

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

Richland Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 65556

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/healthcare-like-car-insurance-federal-government-can-force-montoya/"

[johnwiliam19]

Call a West Jordan Car Accident Lawyer

Every state has its own reasons behind why car accidents happen. In the state of Utah, one of the biggest reasons car accidents happen is because of speeding. Speeding has been the #1 factor for car accidents in 2013, 2014, and 2015.  #2 in 2015 was drunk driving, #4 was drunk driving in 2013 and 2014 and the #5 most common reason for accidents in 2013 and 2014 was failure to yield.  These could have been avoided if only people were a little more careful on the roadways. 2018 is no different.

While these accidents could be avoided in the future, one thing you might not be able to avoid is hiring a West Jordan car accident lawyer. If you’ve been involved in a car accident it will benefit you to hire someone who has knowledge about personal injury law. If you’ve ever wondered why you would need to hire a car accident lawyer for a vehicular accident here are three scenarios in which one might come in handy.

Insurance Company Is Not Cooperating

If you get into an accident in Utah one of you will be held responsible for the accident. When dealing with an insurance company and a car accident you might find that the insurance company is simply not cooperating in the manner that you had hoped. If the insurance company or carrier that was also involved in the accident is disputing your claim, then its definitely time to hire a West Jordan car accident lawyer. An insurer is more likely to take a claim from a lawyer more seriously.  Your lawyer will also be able to avoid costly mistakes that you might otherwise make by dealing with the accident on your own.

Liability Disputes

When you are in a car accident, especially in the state of Utah, you have to prove that your claim is true. This means you will need to gather evidence such as witness statements in order to prove that you were in the right and the other person was in the wrong. Dealing with witness statements and police reports is not always the easiest thing in the world – not only to get a hold of, but to properly understand. Thankfully a West Jordan car accident lawyer can help you get the evidence you need. help you understand the evidence and get testimony from an expert accident Reconstruction professional.

When You Have Bodily Harm Done

If you’ve been in a really bad car accident and you aren’t just looking for reimbursement for your car, but for any bodily harm done, hiring a West Jordan car accident lawyer can help you to get the lost wages and compensation you really deserve. According to Doctors, something like a spinal cord injury can take any where from $1 million to $5 million dollars for a lifetime of therapy and treatment! If you’ve sustained bodily harm and you need to figure out what the damages really are, this can become quite complex. Which is when a lawyer can come in to help you figure out medical bills as well as lost income, now and in the future.

Free Initial Consultation with a Car Accident Lawyer

When you need legal help after being injured in a car accident, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/call-a-west-jordan-car-accident-lawyer/

from Divorce Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://divorcelawyerwestjordanutah1.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/call-a-west-jordan-car-accident-lawyer/

[victoriazoey26]

Child Support for the Unwed

Having a child is one of the most wonderful experiences you could ever imagine, even if you are not married. But you can have some legal challenges when establishing child support if you ever decide to end your relationship. As a child custody lawyer, I’ve seen that the statistics clearly show that over 40% of births in the United States happen to unmarried couples. Although the percentage is lower in Utah, there are still 20% unwed couples that struggle with child custody and child support issues. Thankfully, you can handle important issues surrounding child custody and child support with the help of an experienced Salt Lake City child support attorney.

ESTABLISHING PATERNITY

This is one of the most important aspects to consider before creating a visitation agreement. Without establishing paternity, you can’t claim inheritance rights, financial benefits, insurance benefits and Social Security benefits. A child support order requires the father to establish parentage. In other words, the father must have a legal relationship with the child otherwise the court can’t create visitation agreements, custody, and financial arrangements.

There are two ways to establish paternity in Utah:

The father can sign a Voluntary Declaration of Paternity.

Take a paternity test if the paternity is in question.

THE MOTHER IS ALWAYS AWARDED CUSTODY

It doesn’t matter how great the father is, the unwed mother generally gains the primary custody of the child. It’s her legal and natural right after the child is born. This means her rights are far superior to the fathers and any other person in the family. However, as long as the father establishes legal paternity, he can claim his child custody or visitation rights in court. Sometimes these cases can be contentious and you may need the assistance of a Salt Lake City child support attorney.

Establishing paternity can be helpful in cases of child abandonment. If a child is not safe he or she can be immediately removed from the mother’s custody and the father can automatically gain custody. However, if the father is not listed on the birth certificate, he can’t claim these rights and the child will be sent to foster care. Also, some unwed mothers may place the children up for adoption without the father’s consent. If the father hasn’t established paternity yet, he may need to go through a complex legal process in order to claim his parental rights.

CLAIMING THE CHILD ON YOUR INCOME TAX

Only one parent can claim the child as a dependent on the tax return yet the person who claims the children can change each year. Some parents may work out a plan that will benefit more the children and the whole family. But the non-custodial parent or parent providing child support can’t claim child support on his or her taxes.

GRANDPARENTS CAN ALSO SEEK LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP

The percentage of children living with grandparents increases every year. Unfortunately, in most of these cases, grandparents don’t have legal guardianship. This can be a problematic situation leading to several legal complications, which can be solved with the help of an experienced Salt Lake City guardianship attorney.

WHY SHOULD YOU MAKE IT LEGAL?

Having a formal relationship with your grandchildren can be rewarding. If you don’t have legal custody or guardianship, the children can be taken away from you at any time. In some cases, parents are able to cut off contact between the children and grandparents. Having legal custody does not guarantee your grandchildren will stay with you forever but you will reap many legal services and benefits.

WHEN ARE THE CHILDREN LEFT IN THEIR GRANDPARENT’S CARE?

This generally happens when the parents have problems such as substance abuse. There are also parents having physical, emotional, and financial problems who may leave the children with grandparents. Courts grand custody base on the child’s best interests. It is possible for grandparents to be awarded sole custody as long as they can prove the parents are unfit for custody.

WHY SOME PARENTS CUT OFF GRANDPARENTS?

Some parents may wish to keep their children and stop all contact between grandparents and grandchildren. Some of the most common reasons for this to happen include:

Jealousy – Grandparents that spend a lot of time with the children have a good relationship with them.

Poor parenting skills – Some parents may not have the best parenting skills and they feel it is too hard to live up to their parents’ expectations.

Regret – Some parents are reminded of why they gave up their children every time they see the grandparents.

Although these are not solid reasons to cut off grandparents, some parents may feel uncomfortable with having the grandparents interfering in their children’s lives.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF GUARDIANS

Guardians can make decisions regarding their grandchildren’s education and healthcare. They are legally responsible for their care, including finances. If you are a grandparent seeking guardianship, it’s important you hire expert advice.

GUARDIANSHIP VS. CUSTODY

A guardianship is generally sought when one parent is disabled or can’t care for the child due to other life-altering conditions such as drug abuse. However, once the parent is ready to have the children back, the guardianship generally ends. The focus is always on the child. In other words, both grandparents and parents should think about which option best serves the children’s interests.

WHY SOME GRANDPARENTS QUIT?

It is easier to quit than to fight for your grandchildren’s well-being. If you believe your grandchildren are not being raised in a safe environment, you should contact local authorities immediately and a Salt Lake City guardianship attorney to help you gain custody of the children. Don’t let these legal matters slide before it is too late.

Free Consultation with Child Support Lawyer

If you have a question about child support or if you need to collect back child support, please call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 49 reviews

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/child-support-for-the-unwed/

from Securities Lawyer In Utah https://securitieslawyerinutah.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/child-support-for-the-unwed/

[advertphoto]

Trust vs. Will

When looking at a revocable trust versus a will, the advantage of the former becomes clear when it comes to the issue of probate. You should always speak with a licensed estate lawyer before you make changes to your plan. A will becomes public record. It has to be registered in court of law. Then it has to be proven to be the legitimate record of a deceased person’s wishes. A probate can be a complex or simple matter. This will depend on the size of the estate, as well as the number of conflicting claimants – if any. A will cannot be executed while it is under probate. This means beneficiaries cannot enjoy the benefits of the assets until the process is complete.

In contrast, assets held in a trust at the time of a grantor’s death are deemed outside the probate process. As such, they pass directly to the trust beneficiaries. A probate can be an expensive and time-consuming process. With the right type of trust in place, your beneficiaries are protected from having to undergo a probate.

A revocable trust is a private document; unlike a will, which becomes a public document once it’s registered for probate. Thus, a revocable trust gives your beneficiaries a considerable measure of privacy when they likely need it the most.

What is an Irrevocable Trust?

The definition of an irrevocable trust is simple: once established, the one who created the conditions of an irrevocable trust cannot directly alter it. In can usually be changed, but the grantor or beneficiaries are not the ones who can change it directly. If it you could change it directly, without third party intervention, then a judge could order you to change the beneficiary. Then the new beneficiary of the trust would be person who just won a lawsuit against you. That is how an irrevocable trust provides asset protection. It can tie the judge’s hands from forcing you make changes that would release trust assets to your legal enemies.

To continue, the grantor also places ownership of the assets into the irrevocable trust. The trustee is in charge of the assets, as well as the management of the trust. Why would anyone transfer assets they have worked so hard for all their life into a trust? There are several reasons behind this, and three of them are given below. But first, a quick word on the unchangeable nature of an irrevocable trust’s conditions.

A grantor can maintain a modicum amount of control over the assets of an irrevocable trust through a careful wording of the trust deed. For example, a grantor can impose specific conditions that must be met before a benefit can be paid out. It could be by the time a beneficiary reaches a certain age or achieves a particular milestone. A grantor can also stipulate for income from the trust to be used solely for an explicit purpose. It could to pay for college, start a business, or for travel, and other such conditions. When the conditions are not met, no benefit will be disbursed to the named beneficiaries. A flexible wording of the trust deed allows the grantor to address unknowable future scenarios or changes in circumstances. This is one way a grantor can continue to ‘control’ an irrevocable trust without giving up its most potent features.

Why Use an Irrevocable Trust?

One of the main reasons people set up irrevocable trusts vs. revocable ones is to protect their assets from estate taxes. Once a grantor transfers assets to an irrevocable trust, he or she ceases to be the owner of the assets. Thus, these assets can no longer be taken into account when determining the value of a grantor’s estate. This makes perfect sense, since the grantor no longer owns the assets – the trust does.

An irrevocable trust can also have a strong asset protection benefit. A nuisance plaintiff, or even a grantor’s legitimate creditor, cannot touch the assets held in an irrevocable trust. Again, this is simply because these assets do not belong to the grantor anymore. By divesting themselves of asset ownership, grantors are able to protect their assets from legal claims – predatory or otherwise. It’s true that an aggressive claimant can sue a trust to distribute benefits to them rather than a debtor-grantor. But even here, a deliberate wording of the trust agreement can provide protection from such an attack.

Transferring assets to an irrevocable trust can help you qualify for certain government assistance programs with an asset limit. This would include long-term care assistance from Medicaid. Keep in mind however, that Medicaid currently has a five-year look back period. This means, assets that were transferred to a trust less than five years before a grantor applies for government assistance are not protected. In this case, you may be forced to spend them down in order to qualify for assistance. If you clear this five-year look back period, the assets in your irrevocable trust are protected. They can pass on to your beneficiaries rather being spent down in order for you to qualify for government assistance.

Asset Protection Benefits

The asset protection benefit of irrevocable trusts comes mainly from the separation of the grantor from his or her assets. Ironically, it is in giving up ownership of their assets that grantors are able to protect them the best. An irrevocable trust that has been properly established offers several benefits. Assets in an irrevocable trust are shielded from creditor claims, estate taxes and a Medicaid spend-down. A revocable trust allows a grantor to retain a fair amount of control over trust assets. This is an expedient way to avoid a probate battle. It also ensures a smooth transition to a successor trustee should a grantor suddenly become incapable of administering the trust. A revocable trust, however, does not have strong asset protection features. It remains part of the estate, and assets in such a trust can generally taken when the grantor is sued.

Free Consultation with a Trust Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free estate law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Estate Settlement Services

Utah Mediation

Utah Child Support Laws

Asset Protection Strategies

Attorneys in Salt Lake Utah

Utah Real Estate Law

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/trust-vs-will/

[aretia]

Trust vs. Will

When looking at a revocable trust versus a will, the advantage of the former becomes clear when it comes to the issue of probate. You should always speak with a licensed estate lawyer before you make changes to your plan. A will becomes public record. It has to be registered in court of law. Then it has to be proven to be the legitimate record of a deceased person’s wishes. A probate can be a complex or simple matter. This will depend on the size of the estate, as well as the number of conflicting claimants – if any. A will cannot be executed while it is under probate. This means beneficiaries cannot enjoy the benefits of the assets until the process is complete.

In contrast, assets held in a trust at the time of a grantor’s death are deemed outside the probate process. As such, they pass directly to the trust beneficiaries. A probate can be an expensive and time-consuming process. With the right type of trust in place, your beneficiaries are protected from having to undergo a probate.

A revocable trust is a private document; unlike a will, which becomes a public document once it’s registered for probate. Thus, a revocable trust gives your beneficiaries a considerable measure of privacy when they likely need it the most.

What is an Irrevocable Trust?

The definition of an irrevocable trust is simple: once established, the one who created the conditions of an irrevocable trust cannot directly alter it. In can usually be changed, but the grantor or beneficiaries are not the ones who can change it directly. If it you could change it directly, without third party intervention, then a judge could order you to change the beneficiary. Then the new beneficiary of the trust would be person who just won a lawsuit against you. That is how an irrevocable trust provides asset protection. It can tie the judge’s hands from forcing you make changes that would release trust assets to your legal enemies.

To continue, the grantor also places ownership of the assets into the irrevocable trust. The trustee is in charge of the assets, as well as the management of the trust. Why would anyone transfer assets they have worked so hard for all their life into a trust? There are several reasons behind this, and three of them are given below. But first, a quick word on the unchangeable nature of an irrevocable trust’s conditions.

A grantor can maintain a modicum amount of control over the assets of an irrevocable trust through a careful wording of the trust deed. For example, a grantor can impose specific conditions that must be met before a benefit can be paid out. It could be by the time a beneficiary reaches a certain age or achieves a particular milestone. A grantor can also stipulate for income from the trust to be used solely for an explicit purpose. It could to pay for college, start a business, or for travel, and other such conditions. When the conditions are not met, no benefit will be disbursed to the named beneficiaries. A flexible wording of the trust deed allows the grantor to address unknowable future scenarios or changes in circumstances. This is one way a grantor can continue to ‘control’ an irrevocable trust without giving up its most potent features.

Why Use an Irrevocable Trust?

One of the main reasons people set up irrevocable trusts vs. revocable ones is to protect their assets from estate taxes. Once a grantor transfers assets to an irrevocable trust, he or she ceases to be the owner of the assets. Thus, these assets can no longer be taken into account when determining the value of a grantor’s estate. This makes perfect sense, since the grantor no longer owns the assets – the trust does.

An irrevocable trust can also have a strong asset protection benefit. A nuisance plaintiff, or even a grantor’s legitimate creditor, cannot touch the assets held in an irrevocable trust. Again, this is simply because these assets do not belong to the grantor anymore. By divesting themselves of asset ownership, grantors are able to protect their assets from legal claims – predatory or otherwise. It’s true that an aggressive claimant can sue a trust to distribute benefits to them rather than a debtor-grantor. But even here, a deliberate wording of the trust agreement can provide protection from such an attack.

Transferring assets to an irrevocable trust can help you qualify for certain government assistance programs with an asset limit. This would include long-term care assistance from Medicaid. Keep in mind however, that Medicaid currently has a five-year look back period. This means, assets that were transferred to a trust less than five years before a grantor applies for government assistance are not protected. In this case, you may be forced to spend them down in order to qualify for assistance. If you clear this five-year look back period, the assets in your irrevocable trust are protected. They can pass on to your beneficiaries rather being spent down in order for you to qualify for government assistance.

Asset Protection Benefits

The asset protection benefit of irrevocable trusts comes mainly from the separation of the grantor from his or her assets. Ironically, it is in giving up ownership of their assets that grantors are able to protect them the best. An irrevocable trust that has been properly established offers several benefits. Assets in an irrevocable trust are shielded from creditor claims, estate taxes and a Medicaid spend-down. A revocable trust allows a grantor to retain a fair amount of control over trust assets. This is an expedient way to avoid a probate battle. It also ensures a smooth transition to a successor trustee should a grantor suddenly become incapable of administering the trust. A revocable trust, however, does not have strong asset protection features. It remains part of the estate, and assets in such a trust can generally taken when the grantor is sued.

Free Consultation with a Trust Lawyer

If you are here, you probably have a business law issue you need help with, call Ascent Law for your free estate law consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Estate Settlement Services

Utah Mediation

Utah Child Support Laws

Asset Protection Strategies

Attorneys in Salt Lake Utah

Utah Real Estate Law

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/trust-vs-will/

[xottzot]

2017-07(July)-17--(later).

2017-07(July)-17--(later).

I'm in a helluva lotta pain.

And some of that was because I had to do something outside.

Max has beome vicious a lot today. On several occasions.

I'm going to lay down and try to rest. I am denied sleep.

Weather is changing to become raining all week, so says the crystal ball weather reports.

I was wondering about the West Australian Police visiting the main abo criminal household, and I also wondered if it had anything to do with the criminals about yesterday that I wrote about earlier today.

I did a search online but of course failed to find relevant details of the incident(s). However I did find details of PAST incidents. I'll post the links for yourself to read so that you can look to see what a hellhole the criminals have made of this area.

Note: - I'll also post the huge inident that dear Fliss and I personally witnessed and reported to Police AS IT WAS HAPPENING. (what I'll post about that is from a southern part of Western Australia newspaper.)

Criminals have been (and still ARE) roaming the streets today, and were visibly doing so just after I posted that previous message into my blog. And one was lurking about loitering close to where he and others had trespassed so many times yesterday. He was looking to see if he (and they) could do it again today. And it's no doubt he (and they) will do so....because they are all shitheads. He is totally criminal, and so is his younger brother, and they both run with the criminal abo's and spend more time in the assorted abo houses all day than where they actually are supposed to 'live'.

P@almost 1pm -- I'm in a tremendous lot of pain. I've been shrieking and gasping out in pain. Sam has become scared hearing that and is trying to cuddle up next to me all the time. - I wish I could sleep forever.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This first entry below is the incident that dear Fliss and I witnessed. It involved Fatguts the abo drug dealer and his drug house being attacked. This is a more descriptive NEWS report that the previous ones I've found online, and is closer to what dear Fliss and I witnessed....

http://www.bunburymail.com.au/story/2139273/two-brothers-in-custody-after-koongamia-burglary-and-robbery/?cs=4070

And now onto other crime and related......all to do with the usual criminals....

https://www.crimestopperswa.com.au/open-cases/stealing-jinda-road-koongamia-wa-04mar2015/

(the above is just one of MANY police level events in this hellhole. There is only 1 booze shop in Koongamia. It is in the same place as the corner shop general store area. And abo's hang around it all the time. It is sheer heaven for the criminal abo's, a booze shop close to where they live that they can raid anytime they like, as well as the general store. If they ever get caught, they plead innocence and feign innocence and poverty, and yet always have enough money for illegl drugs, and alcohol....money courtesy of Australian Govermnent department handouts that are supposed to cloth and feed them and their crimial offspring etc.)

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/public-housing-debt-up-in-tough-economy-ng-b88539502z

Some of the images from the above looks like the abo drug dealer Faguts's place....which has been rented out to abo's AGAIN....

https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/3em5bq/whats_the_worst_citytown_youve_been_to_in/

The above link is from some illegal drug user and he says as he's rsponding to the question, "What's the worst city/town you've been to in Australia?" -- His answer was: "Pretty hard for me to choose really. Nowhere I went in Melbourne/Victoria seemed as bad as some of the places I've been in WA & NSW. In terms of feeling unsafe I'd say Cullacabardee, Koongamia or Armadale. Fuck, the places I went to buy drugs..."

And here below, is a West Australian Government record from 1999 talking about illegal criminal drug dealers and this hellhole area.....

Note that the cabinet minister is very guarded in what she says.....it sounds very much like she's talking about the violent abo fatguts, and his army of thugs.....of which the abo criminal household (which STILL EXISTS and has grown and expanded) is so very rampant now.......

Note the minister states that (to her) that she believed that drugs were only sold to shitheads only on a Saturday (one day of the week!?), when in fact fatguts sole them EVERY day and EVERY night of the week inlcuding Xmas day and all upon any days no matter what......

12.33 PM WEDNESDAY, 15 September 1999

excerpt:

Mrs ROBERTS: The minister is right in saying that both areas must be dealt with, but the frustration of the people at the meeting held in Girrawheen was high. It was heart-wrenching to see people, such as Mr Ragno, who have lost their children to drugs. Some of those people named the persons they believe did the deals that were responsible for their child's overdose or death. People quite reasonably expect some results to be achieved within a certain period. The Government cannot allow the street level dealers to continue to deal month after month, in an effort to eventually catch Mr Big. Surely, after some period the police must go after the street level dealers and take them out completely.

I know of a house in Koongamia in my electorate where drugs were reportedly being sold, and I believe that was the case. It was next to a home for aged people who took regular note of what was going on. The aged people were intimidated by the types of people who visited this house. I drew this to the attention of the police on a number of occasions, as did many other people. The police undertook raids on at least two occasions of which I am aware and came up with nothing. For a period between one and two years we quietly waited for the police to deal with the occupant of this house. In response to the comments by the member for Girrawheen, some have asked how people knew that others were dealing with drugs. People reach that conclusion in a number of ways; for example, after everyone in the street says that it is their solid belief that drugs are being sold from certain premises and that on Saturdays, when it is believed that drugs are available at the house, between 80 and 100 cars visit the house. Also, after being told that people know when drugs are in the house because a chair is placed on the verandah and cars start arriving and people start going in and out. When the chair is removed, indicating that no drugs are available, the cars stop coming to the house. After all those things, the story begins to have some credibility. All this information has been passed to the police. In the instance to which I refer I was eventually successful in convincing Homeswest to move the occupant from that house. He is now living elsewhere and I do not know whether the police have caught up with him or have managed to prosecute him in any way. That is the job of the police. I saw it as my job to protect the lifestyle of people living in my electorate by ensuring that they were not continually subject to drug dealing in their neighbourhood. Potentially that man has been inflicted on someone else's neighbourhood.

--end---

[hairterminator]

http://blog.hair-terminator.com/uncategorized/10-bad-style-tips-dont-listen-to-these-beliefs-on-clothes-fashion/

10 BAD Style Tips | Don’t Listen To These Beliefs On Clothes & Fashion

#http://blog.hair-terminator.com Clothing says nothing about you. Do you believe that? Some do. They mention Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs… …how they’d always dress casually & never be judged for it. But they fail to realize that their clothing still says everything about

#http://blog.hair-terminator.com

Clothing says nothing about you. Do you believe that? Some do. They mention Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs… …how they’d always dress casually & never be judged for it. But they fail to realize that their clothing still says everything about them. It says: I’m an everyday guy I have so many decisions to make and clothing isn’t one of them I’m relatable Their choice to wear a nontraditional uniform still sends a message, whether they want it to or not. But they can also afford to make those choices because they’ve already made a name for themselves. This article is going to cover 10 BAD style tips to always ignore. Click here to watch the video – 10 Bad Style Tips Click here to watch the video on YouTube – The WORST Style Advice On The Web This post was brought to you by Tiege Hanley. My good friend Aaron Marino has helped grow this company — and I love their awesome contributions to men’s health & lifestyle.  With their affordable all-in-one skin care system — any man can fight aging or skin-related problems even BEFORE he’s old & gray. Use promo code: RMRS20 to get your first box for 20% OFF Click Here To Discover Tiege Hanley Skincare Products

BAD Style Tip #1 – Image Isn’t As Important As Substance

People say it’s good to dress up nicely, but don’t think it carries as much weight as your substance (or your character). We’ve heard it many times: don’t judge a book by its cover. But most of us do spend our lives in some sort of competition (with colleagues, fellow job applicants, or other single men at the party). So your “cover” is a crucial thing. It can end up being the reason slightly like you more than your rivals. Your presentation can win them over even before you speak. Zero-Sum Game Mentality The best way to look at men’s style is from a winner-take-all point of view. That’s the core of the zero-sum game mentality – where it’s either you win or you lose. Your competitor wins or loses because of you. Either you amp up your style and reap the rewards, or someone else does it. It was a case of image-over-substance during the very first televised US presidential debate in 1960 – between candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. The word ‘televised’ is key here. It’s widely believed that JFK won the election by outdoing Nixon in the debate. Did JFK give better answers? No – but he was better in every other way. He spoke to the public by directly looking at the camera. Nixon focused on answering reporters’ questions. JFK had his charm and movie-star looks which made him fit for TV. Nixon had a five o’clock shadow, a tendency to sweat and turn his head now and then. So although Nixon was the more experienced guy, JFK won by a narrow margin. He didn’t have to explain he could do this or that better. He simply caught ’s attention and moved them. And JFK must’ve known his image would resonate more than his substance. So he used it to win the whole thing.

BAD Style Tip #2 – Clothing Doesn’t Signal Status

Some believe that clothes aren’t indicators of where you stand in your society. They mention Mark Zuckerberg’s habit of wearing gray t-shirts and hoodies all the time. But here’s the thing – Zuckerberg isn’t among the 99% like we are. He’s worked his way to achieving an “outlier” status. He’s earned the right to wear what he wants and not be judged for it (and it certainly helps that he’s in the tech industry). He serves a community large enough to be the 3rd most populated country on Earth! It makes sense for him to focus on decisions for Facebook and block out smaller, everyday decisions like what to wear. Not everyone has that excuse. And Zuckerberg isn’t limited to one location. The rest of us have local environments – with their own guidelines for how to dress. That’s why teachers, news anchors, managers, and bankers all follow a specific dress code. Trust and credibility are on the line. And going back to the 1960 US presidential debate, we can agree that Kennedy had both great style and superb communication skills. He was very charismatic. If you strike a balance between looking sharp and communicating well – you’ll be able to convince others to hire you, promote you, work with you, buy your products, listen to your ideas or even treat you like a rockstar. It’s all about the status you’re perceived with. You’re only exempt from this by having the fame and respect of a guy like Zuckerberg. And if he wasn’t recognized and entered a room in his t-shirt and hoodie, everyone would treat him normally.

BAD Style Tip #3 – Solve Problems As They Come Along (Not Before)

I know – fashion isn’t a life-or-death kind of thing. Most style-related problems you’ll face don’t require a sense of urgency. But I can say it’s better not to experience those problems at all. Is a button loose on your dress shirt? Fix it now before it falls off. Are you starting a new job where it’s crucial to keep your shirt tucked in? Make shirttail garters part of your daily wardrobe. Many small style mistakes aren’t actually caused by what you do, but what you fail to do. The same goes for skin care. Should you have to wait for those first wrinkles or age spots before taking action? No. You can start treating your skin early on – to prevent stuff so there’s no need for any cure.  

BAD Style Tip #4 – You Can Wear Anything And Look OK

Maybe you had this mindset sometime in those rebellious teenage years. But that shouldn’t be the case anymore. This is real life. Here’s an analogy. You know James Bond? He’s a handsome badass, right? Women have adored him in the past, and more of them will in future films. But can you imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger or Vin Diesel do the role of Bond in their normal voices? Don’t they star in action movies? Don’t they fit the mold looks-wise? Nope – because Bond is a British icon. A British accent is 100% a must. Those guys would have to pull that off before their acting can even be judged. Style is like that in a sense. Anyone can wear the same type of clothing just like anyone can pretend to be James Bond. But not everybody can succeed – and send the right message – with that item. A number of factors come into play when you go from “dressing up” to “being stylish.” You must understand your body type, and how your complexion contrasts with different colors.

BAD Style Tip #5 – Let Your Woman Dress You

Does your S.O. control what you watch on TV? Or what music you listen to? Definitely not. So why is it that some think your woman should dress you? Honestly, I’d say those men are (A) the lazy type or (B) in a relationship with somebody who’s OCD about their clothes. (Those in category B, sorry for that. Hope you’re handling that well.) But I’m a big fan of dressing yourself. What if she insists you wear a flashy red blazer to an event – even though you’re not exactly the life of the party? She’ll just do all the talking while you sit beside her, sipping cocktails and throwing in a few one-liners. It makes more sense that she wears red while you come in navy or charcoal gray. Let her be your consultant only. She can make suggestions – but find an endearing way to convey “thanks but no thanks” whenever you disagree. Who knows? You might surprise her with something she never thought you’d look perfect in!

BAD Style Tip #6 – Buy Everything At Once

Clothes may not have expiration dates like food does – but that’s no reason to buy yourself a full set at once. It doesn’t matter if you hate shopping. You’ll regret it. Remember that your body changes over time. You should never expect all your jeans, trousers, dress shirts and jackets to fit you perfectly for 5+ years. It can also be a bummer when you realize in a matter of months – you haven’t used certain items due to the color or fabric. Good money wasted. If you really want to shop smart and deal with less clothing, focus on having an interchangeable wardrobe. This will give you enough variety to adjust your outfits every now and then. It will help you stay stylish and avoid “risky” selections at the same time.

BAD Style Tip #7 – It’s On Sale, So Buy It Now

On paper, buying something on sale is supposed to save you money. But when you take into account the purpose of your purchase – that’s a trickier thing. Although you should care about style, that doesn’t mean your budget should go out the window. If you end up getting something you were never planning to buy – it’s pretty much impulse buying. What’s even worse? If it turns out that purchase only adds to a large group of similar items at home! Then you’ll start thinking about what you could’ve spent that money on instead – like another kind of clothing that’s more useful for you right now.

BAD Style Tip #8 – Expensive = Better Quality

Some tend to think the price tag accurately reflects quality. But if you go with price alone when you buy any clothes – you’re not seeing the bigger picture. There are more important details to consider if you want to identify quality clothing. And “expensive” doesn’t automatically mean these details have been covered well. Suits/Shirts Type of stitching (# of stitches per inch) Weight of the fabric Collar construction Leather Shoes Production method (are they totally handmade?) Sturdy heel & sole (are they glued well?) Strength of the shoelaces If you want to master the art of inspecting clothes – you’ll have to be patient (as in look around in multiple stores) and willing to ask questions. It’s a shopping skill you can’t develop overnight.

BAD Style Tip #9 – Copy The Latest Trend / Celebrity Style

Take a look at Justin Bieber’s transformations over the years. He first entered the music scene as a wholesome teenybopper – with a purple hoodie and a bob cut. He’s now been sporting tank tops, plus an undercut with dangling long hair on one side. Younger guys have tried to copy his different looks. But those styles aren’t that classy or gentlemanly, are they? Celebrities may look like models – but they’re not necessarily role models. They compete for millions of fans with short attentions spans. It’s part of the job to reinvent themselves now and then by changing up their style. So clearly, not every “trend” will have the same effect on you as it has on them.

BAD Style Tip #10 – You Need More Stuff

Does buying more clothes make you more stylish? No – it can actually mean the opposite. A cluttered closet only bothers you with loads of options. It messes with your understanding of what’s you. So stop buying crap. Purchase only what you need to live the life you choose. The problem with owning “junk” items is they can cause you to underdress or overdress (and there’s a fine line between looking sharp for the occasion and being overdressed/awkwardly dressed). An impressive style isn’t showy or distracting – it draws a positive kind of attention. Your personality, profession, the environment you live in – all of it matters in being your stylish best.