Mom & Me Journals Histories: 1999 - 2001

    Re: your working vacation doing the files; that might be done by then. It just so happens that we are going to get started at that this week. However, I'd love to show you around. As far as a get away vacation is concerned, the week in late winter or early spring would be good. MFASRF wants to visit and I want to show him around unencumbered. If you want to go through the files together and relieve me in late winter or early spring (my date to be firmed up later but it will fit into your dates) that would be fine; but I'd rather save my time off for the friend visit. Did anyone hear me?
    Okay, on the bills. I need to decide which can be safely rerouted. Some can't. Also, this would mean very close coordination between you and me so that I always know what's in the checking account. This is going to pique your interest: Currently, because we write so many checks, I am managing Mom's checkbook the way she did except with a present mind. On any particular day I would be hard pressed to give you an exact amount but I know whether we have enough money to, for instance, pay bills on one particular day or the next. So, I need to set up a modifiable schedule of bills.

    Okay. So, because I want to crow and give you a further in depth idea of what "Mom's finances" consist. I finally talked to MA today regarding my decision to forego paying the Feds this third quarter income tax estimated payment. Remember that I told you I figured that MA, being the conservative accountant that he is, would say "no, penalties blah blah blah", and I would have to read his approval between the lines, which I was prepared to do. Well, I surprised him and he surprised me. This is, approximately, how the phone conversation went:

Me: MA, I want you to know that I'm not calling to ask you to make a decision. I already did. I'm calling to inform you of the decision and run my strategy by you for comments. [I outlined for him our situation with the margin, the insurances that are due, Mom's stock portfolio, our need for cash in the checking account, and our finances against the backdrop of 1999's tax return.]
MA: Well, I must tell you that there will be penalties if you're wrong but the penalties will be minor, no more than 1.5% per month from September to the end of the 4th quarter. However, you are right that the interest on the margin will more than cover that.
Me: I also took into consideration that September is always a bad month market wise and traditionally the market looks up in October. I don't think we'll have to pay those taxes. But if we have to pay anything it won'tbe much.
MA: I'm sure you're right. In fact, although as an accountant I would not advise my clients to forego an estimated tax payment, I must tell you that if I was in your situation I would do exactly what you are doing.
Me: Please stand for a moment of silence while the brass band plays the victory march and the red carpet is unfurled down the center aisle.

    So, I am finishing off this episode just to make sure you understand all the implications, my sweet. I will, of course, go over with everyone similar (or, maybe the same, since it is so damn good and shows me in such an attractive light) scenarios so that everyone understands that Mom's finances are such that always doing what the Feds say may not only be incorrect but bad business strategy, as well.