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On 14 Million Americans on Disability
This interested me because I have recently had to go on Long Term Disability due to treatment for Stage IV colon cancer. I'm relatively young (45), well-educated, have a good job, and my disability benefits are paid by an insurance company. I've paid for the last 14 years to ensure that I have long term disability benefits that would be higher than the default of 50% of my salary. However, even with that, my benefits are 66 2/3% of my salary, AND my insurance is no longer covered by my company, so I have to pay for COBRA out of my reduced salary. I'm by no means in the poor house because of it, but the package I received says that I have to also apply for social security disability, which I've thus far ignored. In addition, COBRA will only be available to me for 18 months, so my insurance coverage will be terminated at that time, if I'm not back to work before then (which I hope to be, but I'm currently on my 24th round of chemo, and am not yet a candidate for surgery, due to the metastases). I thought that I was paying for insurance so that I wouldn't have to go on social security disability and I had no idea that going on long term disability would put me on COBRA, and perhaps, eventually, on Medicare.
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On WWYD: Shopping Across the Border
I don't personally have any problem with cross-border shopping, but I have to bring up the fact that, when it comes to employee benefits, everyone wants to point out the fact that Canada is superior to the US in that regard. However, no one wants to own up to the fact that such benefits as a year's worth of maternity leave actually costs money, which must be made up in the prices charged to consumers for goods and services.
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On How to Complain to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (And Get A Check)
It sounds as if the bank charged a legitimate overdraft fee, since it had to pay for something for which the author did not have enough money to cover, so I'm not sure why it should have been reversed in the first place. The author mentions, "New legislation had passed that seemed to prohibit overdraft fees," but I've never heard of any legislation that would prohibit overdraft fees, and there is no link to that.
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On Unemployed, Discouraged, But Not Hopeless
@stuffisthings, @aetataureate, @josefinastrummer - Thank you so much for the clarification.
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On Unemployed, Discouraged, But Not Hopeless
"I filed for unemployment, but I won’t have any sense of relief until I get that first check." I'm curious about why you would get unemployment? I apologize if I'm just ignorant, but I thought unemployment was only for something like being part of a layoff, not just when the employer decides to let you go. Maybe it is different because I live in an at-will state?
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On WWYD: Watching Someone You Know Steal
@Weasley It amazes me how so many people think it is ok to take things (or money) that belong to someone else. Thank you for having the integrity to stand up to your friends about it. I'm a CPA and am constantly amazed by how many people I meet who are proud to tell me how they get / give money under the table or otherwise cheat on their taxes. I tell them that is illegal and they should just pay what they owe, which is what my husband and I do. The whole "sticking it to the man" thing is bullshit. Who do you think that man is? My dad owns a fast food business (one location that is his own, not a franchise) and he is struggling to pay his bills. If someone shoplifts bags of chips that are displayed outside the counter area, what man is being stuck?
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On Really Terrible Awful Neglect of Public Housing Residents Still Happening
Also, we were lucky enough to find a generator (at an exorbitant price, but it was worth it) when our power was out after Hurricane Ike. Once our power was restored, we loaned it to friends who had no power. Once their power was restored, they loaned it to friends of theirs who had no power, etc. It was probably used by 5 or 6 families over the month or so that many people were without power. If you have friends who have generators, please encourage them to do this for those who don't have power (but make sure that the people place them on their balconies or fire escapes - they are not meant to be used indoors).
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On Really Terrible Awful Neglect of Public Housing Residents Still Happening
@RachelG8489 @Lore Interesting - I would take snow and cold over 98 degrees in a situation without power. It is easier to warm yourself without power than to cool yourself down without power. @Lore - Not sure why you made the assumption that people down here all in in single-family homes. The living arrangements of people without power do not have bearing on the fact that it takes time, after such a large storm, to rebuild the infrastructure necessary to provide power. The utility companies do everything that they can to return power as soon as possible. It is uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous to be without power after such a storm, but it is ridiculous to make it out to be some sort of class warfare.
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On Really Terrible Awful Neglect of Public Housing Residents Still Happening
@RachelG8489 I didn't use the word "prepared" at all. I know that you cannot be prepared at the level that we are down here. However, the point was that 8 days, or even several weeks, without power is not that uncommon in the aftermath of a hurricane. Luckily for you guys, it is not 98 degrees with 98% humidity, which is what generally happens when we get a hurricane.
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On Becoming a U.S. Citizen Is an Expensive Nightmare
And yet the horrible witch that married my father (he's now 68, she's 36), stole money from him while he was hospitalized and tried to kill him by withholding his medications just got citizenship with apparently no problem.