Tax Bill

[Brute 23]

The rhetoric here is so painful.

I would go as far to say that not one person naysaying the value of a college education has one. Sure there's guys in theit early 30s with trade jobs that do better than me financially speaking but the glaring factor being overlooked is the fact that they work twice as many hours in order to make that money. I mean if that's your mission in life then by all means work yourself to death but as for me, I prefer a more reasonable balance in life. I'll take the 80 grand lifestyle workin 35-40 hours a week and let those wanting to break their back 70 hours a week for a 100k get all they want. Whether it pays 40 grand or 400 grand, pursue what makes you happy. You'll never be worth a be nice at doing anything you don't like and you'll certainly never be able to compete against those in the same field that have a genuine passion for that occupation.

I'll take that bet. :lol2:

I have no problem with a college degree, it's how people go about acquiring them. I've been there. Most of these kids could pay for college on their party budget and these colleges don't need the facilities and bs they have to teach what they need to.

There are some jobs that need the class room hours but a lot don't. They take advantage of young people and promise them the moon. Many never get close.

 

[bball]

The rhetoric here is so painful.

I would go as far to say that not one person naysaying the value of a college education has one. Sure there's guys in theit early 30s with trade jobs that do better than me financially speaking but the glaring factor being overlooked is the fact that they work twice as many hours in order to make that money. I mean if that's your mission in life then by all means work yourself to death but as for me, I prefer a more reasonable balance in life. I'll take the 80 grand lifestyle workin 35-40 hours a week and let those wanting to break their back 70 hours a week for a 100k get all they want. Whether it pays 40 grand or 400 grand, pursue what makes you happy. You'll never be worth a be nice at doing anything you don't like and you'll certainly never be able to compete against those in the same field that have a genuine passion for that occupation.

I suppose I could be construed as being a naysayer, and I have 2 degrees. The value of a college education is dependent upon the field of study and how it translates in the workplace. There are many folks with degrees in areas that are essentially useless to support themselves or a family. I think our education system has done a great disservice to our youth by perpetuating this idea that college is the most viable option for the masses. Not everyone is suited for college. In fact, this mindset has probably been detrimental to some youngsters who would have been more suited for vocational education, but followed the pied piper, went to college for 4 years without a solid understanding of what they would be suited to do as a career, acquired the substantial debt that often accompanies the college experience, graduated and attempt to find a job in a highly competitive workplace with no experience and a significant financial obligation to fulfill.

I 100% agree about the balance between work and lifestyle. Problem is many newly graduated college kids don't land a $80k job working 40 hours..often it's $35k and 50 hrs....if they can find a job in their field of study.

I worked the trades for 12 years and now use one of my degrees for the last 12 years. In the trades, I averaged 60 hrs a week. Now i am scheduled 36 hrs a week. I could work more but chose not to. Fact is, I made more money in the trades per hour than I do now using my degree. I simply traded the physical drain of the trades for the intellectual and emotional drain of my current career.
Helping people is my passion...didnt matter if I was unplugging your toilet or tending to you while you endure chemotherapy.

As a father, one of my greatest challenges is attempting to assist my children with post high school plans; identify exactly what type of career they are suited for, help them minimize debts while acquiring the education suited for their field of study, etc. Its extremely challenging in a world that changes rapidly.

Good topic of conversation Draper.

 

[Brute 23]

The rhetoric here is so painful.

I would go as far to say that not one person naysaying the value of a college education has one. Sure there's guys in theit early 30s with trade jobs that do better than me financially speaking but the glaring factor being overlooked is the fact that they work twice as many hours in order to make that money. I mean if that's your mission in life then by all means work yourself to death but as for me, I prefer a more reasonable balance in life. I'll take the 80 grand lifestyle workin 35-40 hours a week and let those wanting to break their back 70 hours a week for a 100k get all they want. Whether it pays 40 grand or 400 grand, pursue what makes you happy. You'll never be worth a be nice at doing anything you don't like and you'll certainly never be able to compete against those in the same field that have a genuine passion for that occupation.

So you think every one who works in a trade breaks there back?

 

[haase]

Don't worry brute, he's a millennial, all they know is a 35 to 40 hour work week.

 

[Brute 23]

Don't worry brute, he's a millennial, all they know is a 35 to 40 hour work week.

I'm a millennial... I'm only 30 years old :lol2: If people can choose their gender I should be able to choose my age group... I choose to be a 30 year old baby boomer. Naw, I just live in a place called reality and didn't drink the college kool-aid.

 

[Brute 23]

There are not just student loans that get paid back there are PELL Grants. That is basically welfare handed out that does not have to be paid back. The colleges coach the kids how to qualify and play the system. It's just as manipulated and abused as any other welfare program.

I watched my crack head roommate get thousands of dollars from PELL Grants. He would go on a spending spree at Wal-Mart every time he got a check. He knew exactly how long he had to go to classes to get his money then he wouldn't even show up. He even went so far as to marry another crack head with a crack baby so they could live on campus and get more money. It blew the money on dope and bs.

 

[Dave]

All three of my siblings have Masters degrees. When I was falling timber I made a whole lot more than any of them. I worked 30 hours a week. A couple of years ago I was offered a job cutting timer where I would have made 250% of my job that was dominated by college educated people. And I would have been working less hours to make that money. The down side is in the 20 years I did fall timber I helped carry out the bodies of three guys killed on the job, one who died on the way to the hospital, and for every year there was someone who I had previously worked with who got killed on the job. So you made a lot of money, worked less hours, but getting killed is a little hard on the body.

 

[TexasBred]

Don't worry brute, he's a millennial, all they know is a 35 to 40 hour work week.

I'm a millennial... I'm only 30 years old :lol2: If people can choose their gender I should be able to choose my age group... I choose to be a 30 year old baby boomer. Naw, I just live in a place called reality and didn't drink the college kool-aid.

Yep. Born a heck of a long time ago. I think I saw your diploma one day. It was printed on genuine "sheep skin" and the language was hebrew. :lol: :lol2: :hide:

 

[1wlimo]

One of the biggest areas that were lacking in today is in the trades, more funding needs to be put in those areas, welders, machinists, carpenter's, etc, have hired kids out of high school and even through their 4 to 6 years of college in the summer, after that they spend a year or two trying to get a job at what they went to school, only to be disappointed.

There may be a shortage of trades, but the US is very far behind in lots of areas where a really go collage education is required. It is a fact that the better educated the work force the more the country makes.

My own degree does not really make me much, but the fact that I went to the collage I went to has got me jobs. I learnt to learn and read, however and put the pieces together. Going to collage increased the lessons my Grandfather taught me and made me not want to sit on a tractor for some one else. Had I sat on a tractor for a custom operation I could have made a lot more money than I have doing things the way I have, but there is more to life than money,

 

[True Grit Farms]

Didn't major in English for sure.

 

[haase]

C'mon brute, that kool-aid not that expensive, it's only added 1.2 trillion to the deficit.

 

[Brute 23]

http://taxplancalculator.com

Here is a site that is s suppose to calculate how much you will save under the new tax changes.

 

[hurleyjd]

One thing my accountant and I will be looking at is converting all of the IRA's over to my Roth. Will pay the taxes in one fatal swoop instead of taking the minimum distribution now. That will get my income down to a point that the SS check will not be taxed.

 

[Brute 23]

One thing my accountant and I will be looking at is converting all of the IRA's over to my Roth. Will pay the taxes in one fatal swoop instead of taking the minimum distribution now. That will get my income down to a point that the SS check will not be taxed.

These may be the lowest tax brackets we see for a while.

This is a good time for people to up their 401K contributions.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Did anyone read anything about giving tax refunds to self employed tax payers? I haven't had one since I started paying taxes, and would like to know what it is like to get one.

 

[CSM]

It isn't a great plan, but an improvement over what we currently have. It should help to keep moving the economy in the right direction. The spending problem all of Washington has is another issue. Merry Christmas.

 

[Craig Miller]

Did anyone read anything about giving tax refunds to self employed tax payers? I haven't had one since I started paying taxes, and would like to know what it is like to get one.

Since you don't pay per check then you would pay in less when you do pay, therefore a lower tax burden. No refunds for you...you need to try for the EIC...thats how you get returns without paying in

 

[littletom]

I went to college have no student debt and my parents and the uncle sam didn't pay for it. School gave me a nice scholarship. Looking back I made one of two mistakes. I should of bore down right out of high school, and would have more now. Or I should of took the other offers and got a degree I would use. But at that point in life. I could never see coming back here to farm full time. I agree with bigfoot if you have the determination and ability you can make it here. More important than a degree however the 2 will also work too. The real world isn't nice its mean and angry and school doesn't prepare you for that.

 

[Hunter]

What in the he?? is liberal arts anyway?

That is a good question. It sure ain't science or math.

Are you sure about that?
Liberal arts education can refer to academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences,[4] or it can also refer to overall studies in a liberal arts degree program.

 

[Bright Raven]

What in the he?? is liberal arts anyway?

That is a good question. It sure ain't science or math.

Are you sure about that?
Liberal arts education can refer to academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences,[4] or it can also refer to overall studies in a liberal arts degree program.

Here is a definition I found:

academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences as distinct from professional and technical subjects.

According to a quick search, the difference amounts to whether the curriculum is broad or concentrated in the professional/technical subjects. So I was incorrect. Seems science and math fit into the liberal arts category.