-
Recently Browsing 0 members
- No registered users viewing this page.
-
Topics
-
-
-
Popular Contributors
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
-
-
-
Latest posts...
-
12
Has any American here started Medicare, Stopped it, then started it again?
So today out of the blue, Medicare/SSA decided to change from dismissing my SS 44 IRMAA reduction request which I submitted n April, to now doing it. They changed my Premium from its ridiculous 670 to 274 for all of 2025. Now I have been paying 670 every month this year so I am guessing I will get some credits for overpaying going forward at least for this year? This is good news for me. Now it looks like my estimate of my MAGI for 2025 is going to be a bit higher then I originally estimated due to more slot machine jackpots, but I won't be off by more than one of those IRMAA pay table jumps. I also am starting social security I think I get my first payment the last week of July or maybe not until August. It depends on how fast they process my claim. Since I am on medicare and SSA automatically deducts the premiums from your SSA benefit payment, they may need a little extra time to line things up. -
7
Travel Bangkok Airport Chaos: Aussies Fume Over Qantas Passport Demand
Probably all whinging £10 poms 😁 -
29
THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 24 July 2025
Phuket: Child Killed as Motorbike Carrying Five Plunges Down Steep Hill Pictures courtesy of Khaosod. A two-year-old girl has died and several others were injured after a motorbike rider carrying five people, lost control while descending a steep hill in Thalang district, Phuket. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1367683-phuket-child-killed-as-motorbike-carrying-five-plunges-down-steep-hill/ -
7
Travel Bangkok Airport Chaos: Aussies Fume Over Qantas Passport Demand
, it is generally not allowed to give your passport to someone else. A passport is a personal identification document that belongs to the issuing government, not the individual, and is not transferable. Lending or giving your passport to someone else can lead to legal issues and potential misuse of the document. Why it's not allowed: Personal Identification: Passports are specifically issued to an individual and contain their personal information, photo, and other identifying details. Government Property: Passports are the property of the issuing government and are not transferable. Potential for Misuse: Allowing someone else to use your passport can lead to identity theft, fraud, and other criminal activities. Consequences of giving your passport to someone else: Legal Penalties: You could face fines, imprisonment, or other penalties for misuse of a passport. Criminal Charges: If the passport is used for illegal activities like fraud or drug trafficking, you could face serious criminal charges. What to do instead: If someone needs to prove their identity, they should use their own passport or other valid identification. If you need to share information from your passport, such as a passport number, make sure you are sharing it with a trusted organization or individual and understand the risks. If you are traveling with someone else's passport, even if you intend to return it, you could face legal issues. -
3
UK Inheritance Tax
This will be a major deterrent to illegal migrants, knowing that in 10 years their assets in Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and Eritrea will be subject to UK inheritance tax. -
69
UK Flat – Sell or Keep Renting? Expats Who’ve Been There – What Did You Do?
My story is: I sold my large family house in the UK in 2021, 30 miles from London when there was a rush to 'buy space', I put some money into Premium bonds and moved the rest into eight UK online bank accounts where £85,000 per bank was guaranteed, I could control and move the money via apps on my iPhone from Thailand. Due to the rush for people to buy at the time prices were inflated, the house I sold is now worth less than I sold it for. Soon I was being paid 5% for doing nothing in interest payments and no risk from banks, I knew the property market had overheated and so I stayed in Thailand until early 2025 living off the interest and a state pension waiting for prices to drop. I have now been back in the UK since March 2025, a commuter town next to a train station where London is just 30 mins away, in an 80 Sqm, two bed, two bath luxury flat, EPC: B, bought for £317k cash, the original price was £360k, so prices had dropped. I am a bit worried about the lease though as it only has 993 year left 🙂 Now interest rates will drop over the next few years to there normal rate of around 3% so a lot more people will be able to buy, prices will rise due to lack of new properties being built in any meaningful way, forget about the promise from the government to build 1.5 millions houses, we do not have enough builders, 30% returned home after Brexit to Poland, and local voters in local council will oppose most of the builds. So as the returns from banks are now less (around 4.2% and dropping) I have put some of the cash into the flat, the rent will be £1800 per month minus the costs and full management by an agent at 10%. It will be a bolt hold as it is very possible when I am old and sick I may have to live there, it has two lifts right from my underground parking space and the shops as is the train and main bus station three minutes walk away. The rest will stay in cash for now. So back to Thailand for me in a month or two from now, Phuket, nice and international, good living standards and lots to do. I do live in a house in Thailand, it is my Thai partner of 20+ years, my cash and property are in the UK, her property and cash are in Thailand making for a very amicable set up, no financial dependency.
-
-
Popular in The Pub
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now