What My Mail is Like

Okay, so a couple of days ago I sent you some of the material I'd used in the first column for 2016 -- weird letters that came in from readers.  But this one just came in by email and I live alone and absolutely have to share it -- so here it is (minus, of course, the signature)

Dear Edith,
I just read your article in Jan. 3, 2016 KC Star, with the headline "Reflecting on House Calls" and it gave me a start: I thought, oh no, my favorite Sunday column is being dropped, or she has died! Thankfully, I see neither has happened..,[I deleted some nice words here.]  It seems the financial waters get worse as I age, at 57, I have retired, and there are more credit card notices, we have paid all of ours off, and paid everything off except a small amount of about $40,000 on a home we refinanced down to about 4% about 5 years ago, so ten years left and we pay extra principal. The credit card notices are financial breaches at various companies which require cancelling one card, sending new debit and credit cards with chips, banks I've been with for 20-30+ years changing policy, one adding a monthly $5 fee to checking account for the first time last month, now I have to go in and close account or change to a true free account, etc. It is hard enough for me to handle, and being online paying accounts online, etc. I don't see how older folks handle it, or even folks maybe of average intelligence, as I have a college degree and it stretches me to handle it all. It seems worse lately, and when you go in the bank or call, the young people don't really seem to care or know you have been a customer 30 years.  In addition, at one credit agency my spouse and I both have 850 credit rating, the top it says, of their chart, and my score at another is 888! I just got that one, guess their chart goes to 900. Thanks to hard work, sensible spending, and probably too, reading your column over the years, we have been able to save, pay off all debt except the house I mentioned, and have good credit scores. I don't see how people with credit card debt, late payments, car payments, no savings and low credit scores can handle things in today's world. It's hard enough for us. Thanks for including your address again for people to write.

Lol: My 75 year old mom has the house problem as you discussed: her father died over 10 years ago. Single sister, retired teacher had will made up so she stayed in house at his death with clause she had to pay taxes, insurance, and upkeep. All 4 adult children in their 60's and 70's left the house. Then divorced brother moved in. He is not on list to live there. Anyway, my mom and other sister get no "benefit" and house in ill repair. I am afraid at some point I may be involved in the mess somehow after my mom dies, and thankfully she is in good health now. It is a terrible, terrible mess to leave a house to all 4 like this because, I suppose, the parent did not want to make a decision. I don't need a column or advice on this, just "lol", FYI.


Sent from my iPad=