Financial Samurai

Slicing Through Money's Mysteries

Obamacare Is A Net Positive For Early Retirees And The Underemployed

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Affordable Care Act

Obamacare is also known as Universal Healthcare. Unfortunately, as of 2021, Obamacare is still very expensive without employer subsidies.

However, Obamacare is a net positive for early retirees and the underemployed. If you make less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Limit for your household, you will get tremendous Obamacare subsidies.

Obamacare For Early Retirees And The Underemployed

We appreciate our health the most when we are sick. I certainly appreciate my health now because I’ve currently got a sore throat from probably too much sailing in the Bay this past weekend. The wind regularly picks up to 25 mph and makes the temperature on the water feel like 50 degrees instead of 70-80 degrees.

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) goes into effect October 1, 2013 if Republicans in the House fail to block the movement. Republicans will probably fail since Obamacare has already been given a thumbs up by the Supreme Court, but hold on for some potentially massive pain as I indicated in my newsletter the other week, recommending readers reduce stock positions and buy bonds when the 10-year yield was at 2.85%-2.9%.

As someone who retired 31 years before being able to receive Medicare at the age of 65, you might think I’m worried about health insurance. Health related problems is the number one reason for bankruptcies in America after all.

But I wrote a thorough post in the spring of 2013 entitled, “Cheap Health Insurance Options For The Unemployed, Self-Employed, Or Early Retiree” that goes on to explain our options: COBRA, Spousal Health Insurance, Parental Health Insurance, and AgileHealthInsurance, an easy way to get affordable term coverage for as little as $1.50/day with premiums up to 50% less than Obamacare (ACA) plans.

I’m as skeptical about the government as anyone, but now that Obamacare is going into effect, the options for heathcare are theoretically even better. For those who are seeking financial independence, who are early retirees, or who are just trying to save money to get by, let me argue why Obamacare is a net positive for America.

Healthcare For All Sounds Nice

The fundamental premise for the Affordable Care Act is that no person should suffer catastrophic financial loss or die just because he or she cannot afford healthcare. Genetic diseases and car accidents don’t discriminate between rich or poor.

Those with pre-existing medical conditions will now be able to get coverage. Young adults are able to stay on their parent’s insurance plan through their 26th birthday. Insurance companies cover preventative care such as flu shots, physicals, mammograms, and vaccines. These are all good things.

I am 100% behind health insurance for all even if it costs me more to help subsidize someone else. Unlike trying harder to make more money, it’s very difficult to try harder to fight a drunk driver who runs you off the road and breaks your legs.

The main concerns about the Affordable Care Act are several fold: 1) Rising premium costs for healthy individuals to support less healthy individuals, 2) Overcrowding and longer wait times, and 3) A distaste for the government forcing individuals to get insurance even if they don’t want insurance.

The Bright Side Of Obamacare

1) Eat More Of What We Love.

I’ve got a safety net to eat more unhealthy food I love such as steak, lemon meringue pie, chocolate fudge sundaes and cheeseburgers. I also won’t feel as bad for not working out 3-4X a week anymore. For the past 12 years since leaving NYC, I’ve been trying to stay in shape because the stress of working on Wall St. was already high enough. I needed to be in the best shape physically and mentally to do my job.

Now that I’ve got Obamacare, I can definitely let myself go more. The bonus is that maybe I get to save money on premiums because I slide into the average fitness category, or I get more of my money’s worth because I’ll be seeing the doctor more for checkups and drugs.

2) The Market Is Efficient.

People are fooling themselves if they think people who really need or want the best healthcare are going to accept overcrowding. The free market will kick in where doctors will charge more for concierge service to meet demand for better care.

My own doctor I’ve seen for 13 years started his concierge service where he provides 24/7 consultation (gives members his private mobile phone number for off hours) and weekend visitations (normally shut on the weekends) for an extra $1,500 a year.

Meanwhile, it’s better to wait to see a doctor if you have a problem than not be able to see the doctor at all for those who were once without health insurance.

3) The Government Already Controls Everything.

Paying monthly health insurance premiums when you are just trying to make ends meet is painful. I have numerous friends in the food, art and online business industries who don’t have health insurance because they are young, feel healthy, and don’t want to pay an extra $200-$300 a month since they are making less than $2,000 a month.

The problem is that it is vital for all of us to at least get disaster prevention insurance because these are the people who enter an unending cycle of poverty if something bad happens.

The Affordable Care Act offers discounted premiums for individuals making less than $28,725 a year and families of eight (!) or less who make under $99,075 a year. The government already throws us in jail if we don’t pay tax rates that are unilaterally decided by them, so we might as well pay for something that might save us from poverty.

You can choose to look at the negatives of Obamacare, or you can choose to embrace the inevitability. You’ll be much happier in the long run if you do because fighting omnipotence will only get you squashed.

The Average Cost For Healthcare Soars - Obamacare sucks

NEW HEALTH EXCHANGES STARTING: BRONZE, SILVER, GOLD, PLATINUM

Americans under 65 can now elect to buy their health insurance through health exchanges online in their state come October 1, 2013 (see healthcare.gov). Californians, for example, can get a Bronze monthly plan for $278/month, while folks in Wyoming have to pay the most at around $425/month according to the US Department of Health And Human Services. If you happen to live in Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Tennessee or Maryland, you’re paying less than $200/month on average per person. Not bad at all!

But again, if you are one of the millions of Americans who never had to pay health insurance premiums because you elected not to have health insurance, you might not necessarily be happy now that health insurance is the law. At least you’re getting something, unlike taxes which go to a black hole that funds wars and shady infrastructure projects.

Economics-wise, we are theoretically improving the fiscal health of our health care system by forcing the uninsured to pay health insurance premiums. 30 million Americans paying $200 a month equals an extra $72 billion dollars a year which can be used to cover emergency care that’s already being provided. However, who knows how much more abuse or moral health hazards will result from everybody now having more insurance.

Obamacare Needs To Get More Affordable

It’s always scary to have the government mandate and meddle in our lives, especially when it comes to our health. Their intentions may be perfectly good, but they always find a way to mess things up due to bureaucracy, greed, and red-tape.

A great example is the government regulating Wall St bonuses. By limiting the amount of bonus money that could be paid out in cash, Wall St. simply raised base salaries by 70-100%!

I’m scared of the inefficiencies of Obamacare, but I believe the free market will help blunt inevitable problems. Health insurance companies will have to compete on price and quality with these new exchanges or die.

The more competition there is, the lower the price and better the service all else being equal. If people want to pay for better access and service, then there will be options that allow people to pay more and vice versa. If competition gets too fierce, insurance companies will go out of business and new subsidies will come into play.

Just look at “Communist” China. The free markets have overwhelmingly crushed the ideology of Communism by producing the fastest number of new millionaires and billionaires in the world.

I’ve been to China over a dozen times since 1997 and I can tell you first hand the wealthy are living large. We cannot squash the desire for more, nor can we eradicate rational people. Have faith things will work out for the better.

Recommendation For All Parents

Although Obamacare is extremely expensive, life insurance is not. At the end of the day, if you don’t have good health insurance or are unhealthy in general, you increase your chances of death.

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that life is not guaranteed. We must do everything we can to protect our children while they are still dependents.

As a result, please get life insurance. Not only should you get enough life insurance to cover your liabilities, your life insurance term should last long enough to get them through college.

The best place to get life insurance is through PolicyGenius. PolicyGenius will help you find the best plan for the lowest price tailored to your needs. PolicyGenius provides free, no-obligation quotes so you can get the best rate. 

In the past, you would have to get a life insurance quote by applying to individual carriers – the process was completely opaque. Now, you can have multiple qualified life insurance carriers compete for your business after applying on PolicyGenius. It’s so much more efficient! 

After eight years of owning life insurance, my wife decided to check on PolicyGenius for free to see if should could do better. Lo and behold, my wife was able to double her life insurance coverage for less money. All this time, she thought she was getting the best deal with her existing carrier.

If you don’t have life insurance, please get life insurance before you need to. Life insurance gets more expensive the older you get. If you get sick, depending on the severity of your sickness, you might not be able to qualify.

If you do have life insurance, I highly recommend checking PolicyGenius to try and get a better deal. Chances are high you’re not getting the best terms. 

Finding The Motivation To Stay In Shape: A Conversation With Big Wave Surfer Laird Hamilton

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Laird Hamilton posing for me, FS, Oahu, 2013

It’s hard to stay in shape as we get older. We move around less, our family demands more of our time, and our jobs stress us out to the point where we eat too much comfort food.

I’m about 10 pounds heavier that I was during college. I always tell myself it’s due to more muscle, but I know it’s a lie because I hardly ever lift weights anymore. When you no longer need to be in incredible shape because you’ve found someone who likes you just the way you are, why bother? All I do is play tennis and do the occasional push-ups and sit-ups now.

Motivation is something I’m perpetually looking for because my motivation meter never seems to stay full. I sometimes feel the paradox of freedom where America allows for a relatively correlated path to attaining what we want. If I want to get six pack abs, I’ll cut out the sweets and do 500 sit-ups every day for three months in a row. If I want to make more money, I’ll work harder at executing new ideas. I really don’t think there’s very much that’s inhibiting our progress other than ourselves.

Stay In Shape With Laird Hamilton

I just finished boogie boarding at “The Walls” in Waikiki beach, Oahu when I bumped into Laird Hamilton. Laird is the co-inventor of tow-in surfing and is considered one of the best big wave rider of our time. Take a look at the video below to see Laird successfully ride a 50 foot, cylindrical beast at Teahupoo. It’s sick!

At 6’3” and 215lbs, Laird is absolutely ripped. You know those board shorts without elastic bands that squeeze any fat you have around your belly even if you’re relatively thin already? Laird doesn’t have that problem. What’s particularly inspiring is that Laird is 49 years old and is in better shape than 99.9% of folks out there. When he turns 50, you’ll know he’ll still be in the same great shape.

I talked with Laird about his charity work for kids with autism as well as his secret to staying so fit. He basically said to cut out the refined carbs (pancakes, waffles, bagels, pasta, rice, cereal) and stick with complex carbs, organic fruits, and vegetables. Have a taste of dessert if you wish, but don’t eat the whole thing he said. Makes sense. We also got to talking briefly about our mutual love of the ocean before another fan requested his attention.

Everybody should know by now that processed foods and refined sugars are the worst thing for someone who wants to get lean. It just feels better coming from a legend himself.

After taking a couple photos with Laird I went on my way with a friend to get some Ono’s Hawaiian food on Kapahulu. We kept on thinking, “What would Laird eat?” So we decided to skip the salt meat watercress soup and haupia and stick with fresh poke and butterfish luau instead.

Stay In Shape Motivation Going Way Up!

It’s frustrating to always have to recharge the motivation meter. Although I don’t wish for anything bad to happen to change my ways, I clearly see the benefits of getting “scared straight.”

Perhaps that scary moment is getting your first mini-stroke at the age of 40 to eat better. Or maybe it’s as simple as investing all your net worth in the stock market and having years of saving get cut in half in a matter of months to make you diversify more. Whatever the case may be, I’m thankful to have bumped into Laird.

Besides the motivation to get back into the best shape possible, Laird also reminded me that so much of the best things in life are inexpensive or free. The waves will always come for anybody who dares to take them on. The mountains will always stand majestically for any hiker whose knees will allow. The West Coast is the best coast, but I think I love Hawaii even more.

From now until a potential summer boondoggle in Barcelona, I plan to get back into the best shape possible. I’m not eating better out of guilt or for anybody. I’m selfishly getting fit for myself.

“I do not want to not live because of the fear of what could happen,” Laird Hamilton.

Recommendation For All Parents

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that life is not guaranteed. We must do everything we can to protect our children while they are still dependents. This is especially true if we have not stayed din shape all these years.

As a result, please get life insurance. Not only should you get enough life insurance to cover your liabilities, your life insurance term should last long enough to get them through college.

The best place to get life insurance is through PolicyGenius. PolicyGenius will help you find the best plan for the lowest price tailored to your needs. PolicyGenius provides free, no-obligation quotes so you can get the best rate. 

In the past, you would have to get a life insurance quote by applying to individual carriers – the process was completely opaque. Now, you can have multiple qualified life insurance carriers compete for your business after applying on PolicyGenius. It’s so much more efficient! 

If you don’t have life insurance, please get life insurance before you need to. Life insurance gets more expensive the older you get. If you get sick, depending on the severity of your sickness, you might not be able to qualify.

If you do have life insurance, I highly recommend checking PolicyGenius to try and get a better deal. Chances are high you’re not getting the best terms. 

Is There A Correlation Between Physical Fitness And Financial Health?

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Udapom Indian Dish

Physical fitness and financial health go hand in hand. If you don’t have, it’s hard to have the other.

I don’t care how rich you are. If you don’t have your health, you might as well have nothing. This is why I have a whole Health & Fitness section. Think back to the times when you were sick. Every time, I’m sure you were willing to give up everything just to feel better again.

I’ve got to admit something that’s bumming me out. I’m disappointed so many readers proved my derivative theory correct when I wrote, “Proof Your Weight Is Not Your Fault.”

The post is about a convicted killer on death row who is asking to get his sentence commuted due to his weight. If you are 475 lbs and have spent the last 27 years in prison where there are no buffet lines, don’t tell me that genetics doesn’t have anything to do with this person’s weight.

Physical Fitness Is Huge

My derivative theory hypothesized many readers would be vehemently against the statement that one’s weight is largely determined by genetics because it takes away people’s illusion of control. In financial speak, “How dare you say my wealth was not of my own doing?” or the now famous Obama mis-quote, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” Readers of personal finance sites are generally fiscally conservative. Spend less than you make right?

I also hypothesized most dissenters would be fit and under 35, the median age of Americans. Have you ever seen those gossip magazines with some beautiful spokeswoman showing the efficacy of their latest anti-aging product? Well shit, of course it works if your model is 22 years old!

In other words, there’s an annoying belief that if you’re fit, everybody else should also be fit. Otherwise, you’re just lazy. It’s like the 18 year old kid who eats all he wants and never gains weight, making fun of a 45 year old mother of three for not looking like Jessica Biel. Nice job punk.

Stay Motivated To Keep Fit

The genetics post is meant to motivate folks who are struggling with their weight to stop beating themselves up so much. Don’t hate yourself for not looking like folks we see in magazines or on TV because they are anomalies magnified by the power of media to make it seem like they are ubiquitous. If we can love ourselves more, we can snap out of our funk and climb back up those stairs.

Another goal of the post is to break down stereotypes against those who are obese. I don’t know anybody who is out of shape who is happy to be out of shape, just like I don’t know anybody who is struggling financially who doesn’t want to be wealthier. The post was not directed at fit people. Yet for some curious reason, so many fit folks lashed out. Dear fit people, why does my post concern you so much? Compassion is a part of our humanity.

Now that you know the furtive reasons for my genetics post, it’s time to answer the most logical next question: Is there a positive correlation between physical fitness and financial health? To answer the question, I need your support.

Taking Action For Physical Fitness



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How Often Should You Get A Physical And How Much Does It Cost?

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Physical Exam BedBefore my COBRA (healthcare for departed employees) ran out, I decided to get a physical exam. It’s been three years and it was about time. Many insurance companies offer one free physical every year. Give your insurance company a call to find out if yours is one of them. That’s a $200-$500 “savings” every year if you take advantage of the perk. Depending on your insurance coverage, you will either typically pay a co-pay ($25 in my case), or a co-insurance (generally 20% of the overall bill).

Beyond the co-pay or co-insurance, sometimes there’s something called a “draw fee” as well. The word “draw” in this term refers to the drawing of blood, which is then sent off to a lab to get a multitude of tests done. My draw fee, to my surprise was $24 dollars. Hence, what I thought was initially “free” turned into a $49 dollar physical ($25 co-pay + $24 draw fee). Depending on my blood work, I may have to come back for more, which means another $25 in co-pay.

A $25 co-pay isn’t particularly cheap. I’ve had as low as a $5 co-pay before until I decided to change my plan to be more for “disaster prevention.” You want a low co-pay if you are chronically sick. In 10 years, I’ve seen the doctor perhaps seven times, including physicals. Hence, it makes sense for me to pay a higher co-pay in return for a lower monthly premium. I could take it a step further and do co-insurance, but I elected not to.

THE RECOMMENDED FREQUENCY OF PHYSICAL EXAMS 

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Walking And Light Exercise Does Nothing For Weight Loss!

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Have you gained weight during the pandemic? Are you looking to lose weight and get healthier? Unfortunately, walking and light exercise does nothing for weight loss. If you want to lose weight, you must concentrate on reducing your caloric intake.

I consider myself a health conscience guy who plays tennis three times a week, watches what he eats, and goes on frequent hikes and bike rides. That said, I’ve definitely been overweight before, and I came close again on my recent trip to Europe.

Good Reasons To Stay Fit

* I don’t want to die before my time. Although we don’t know when we will die, we can at least try and reduce our chances of an early death by eating right and exercising regularly.

* I don’t want to burden my family with unnecessary health complications. Being a burden to loved ones is a terrible, terrible thing. I would hate to see my wife, kids, or relatives have to constantly check in on me because I’ve received brain damage from a stroke, or can no longer go to the bathroom on my own due to some manly cancer.

* I don’t want to financially burden my fellow Americans who will have to subsidize my medical costs thanks to universal health care. As honorable citizens, we should try to give back more to our country more than we receive. This is the best way to ensure the health of our nation’s future.

* I don’t want to let my US Tennis Association teammates down when it’s time to battle other teams. We all train very hard in the off season so that come game time, we’re ready to compete. Being physically fit is standard, but can also be a huge edge as we battle less in shape competitors. Once we are fit, we can then concentrate on our skills and mental fitness which are crucial to winning matches.

* I’m frugal and don’t want to spend too much on new clothes. During the first year of college and the first year of work I had to buy new shirts and pants because I gained about 15 pounds. I’m not big into clothing in the first place, but when you’ve got to buy three new suits of different color, things add up! Dress shirts and jeans are easily $50-$200 each and higher. Imagine being able to fit in your jeans from 10-15 years ago, how much money you can save!

* I don’t want to ignore the plight of others. I grew up in several third world countries and I’ve witnessed immense poverty. When I know there are millions of people starving around the world, there’s no way I can overeat and not remember. America is a country of abundance and it’s easy to consume more than normal. We just have to remind ourselves how lucky we are, as we’re not even being asked to help others, only ourselves.

* I want to feel good. When I was heavier, I didn’t have as much energy and I didn’t feel as good about myself. I’d look at new pictures and come away shocked because they were so different from how I used to look. When you feel good, you look good. And when you look good, you have more confidence to succeed.

The Ideal Weight

Despite all these reasons, I still find it very tough to stay in ideal weight of 152-163 pounds for someone 5 feet 10 inches tall. 152 pounds sounds ridiculously light, but hey, that’s what the doctors and researchers say is ideal weight for a medium bodied person my height, so who am I to make excuses?

The problem is, when I see a batch of lemon meringue mini pastries, I cannot help but eat six of them at a time! When there is all you can eat BBQ ribs, the same thing happens. Tell me I’m not the only one!

Proof Walking And Light Exercise Does Little For Weight Loss

My friends and I walked on average four hours a day for 10 out of the 17 days we were in Europe. Our ship would dock by 8am, and we’d go from around 8:30am all the way to 5pm exploring every single city. That’s 8.5 hours off the boat at each port, with half the time walking.

Given it takes 16-20 minutes on average to walk a mile, we walked 12-15 miles a day for 10 days. We walked another three miles a day for the other seven days the rest of the time.  If we add up everything, we averaged about 8-9 miles of walking a day for 17 days!

During long lines at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, or during down time at the gardens of Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg, we’d try and get at least 30 pushups and 50 sit-ups in as well. The reason being we knew that a dinner buffet or scrumptious meal high in butter and joy awaited us once we returned to the ship!

Furthermore, we’d all hit the swimming pool and gym at least twice a week to try and get at least a 30 minute sweat in.

THE TYPICAL MEAL ITINERARY ON BOARD

* Breakfast: Omellette, bacon, sausage, a couple mini pastries, Norweigan fish, and OJ.

* Lunch: Local meal on land if at port, or another buffet meal on board while at sea. We’d generally eat a salad, piece of flank steak, shrimp cocktail and some juice.

* Dinner: Rib-eye, filet mignon, prime rib, rack of lamb, beef wellington, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chef salads, creme brulee, hot fudge sundae, apple cobbler, cheese platters and much, much more.

* Evening snack and beverages: The restaurants would open up at 10pm again until midnight where you could eat the same food that they served during lunch. Every other night there would be some type of dessert extravaganza, and of course, if you are like me, you enjoy the cocktail at a ship bar or while you’re playing poker until 2am!

Despite the availability of food, I did my best to eat until slightly full and not pig out until I felt sick. I went for quality food items instead of quantity. But, when you are eating such treats every single day, it is hard not to put on some weight.

WEIGHT GAIN GALORE

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies! Walking And Light Exercise Does Nothing For Weight Loss!
I ate 10 of them in two days

Now that you know my daily exercise routine and meal itinerary, guess how much weight I gained in just seventeen days? Remember, I walked 8-9 miles on average, put in the occasional work out, and tried to eat in moderation.

I went from 160 pounds to 170 pounds in two and a half weeks! To compare apples to apples, 10 pounds is a whopping 6% increase in body weight in such a short time.

I knew I was gaining weight because my jeans felt tighter each day that passed by, but I didn’t realize how much I gained until I got back to San Francisco. I was shocked after spending the first 3-4 months of the year trying to lose 8-10 pounds, I had gained it all back in just a matter of weeks.

THE WORKOUT ACTION PLAN

The ideal body weight of 152-163 for someone 5′ 10″ pisses me off. As I mentioned in the beginning of the post, I have many reasons why I want to stay in shape, and I’m assuming that many of you guys have similar reasoning.

As a result, I’ve decided to join WeightTraining.com owned by Yakezie Member Joel to exercise more, track my progress, and have some fun competing with other people online who want to get in shape and stay in shape! WeightTraining.com offers free workout logging, an exercise database with 2,000+ exercises and various fitness challenges.

My exercise routine will be as follows:

* Three sets of 20 push-ups for a total of 60 a day

* Three sets of 50 sit-ups for a total of 150 a day

* Five hours of tennis a week

* One hour of biking a week

* One hour of hiking a week

The goal is to burn about 500 calories a day beyond normal activity.

As for food, I plan to go back to my normal eating habits of fruit and barley green in the morning, a regular lunch under 700 calories, and dinner under 1,000 calories for a total of 2,200 calories or less. If I can consume a net 1,700 calories a day, I’m pretty sure that within a couple months I’ll be able to get back down to 160 lbs and hopefully down to 155 lbs, the weight I was back in high school.

You can find me on WeightTraining.com with the account FinSamurai. WeightTraining.com motivates users to workout by rewarding points for logged workouts. This workout summary will give you a better idea on how exercises are accounted for within a workout. We plan to do a weekly challenge based on how much we exercise and tally up our points. It’s a fun way to keep accountable and lose weight and stay in shape together.

Join the fitness battle here! Battle starts October 1st at midnight! I want to kick your ass and my own!

Recommendations

Get affordable term life insurance. If you are out of shape and unhealthy, all the more reason to get life insurance. Check out PolicyGenius, an independent insurance broker that is revolutionizing the way we shop for life insurance – for free! Answer a few simple questions on PolicyGenius’s website and instantly receive free, personalized and comprehensive life insurance quotes.

PolicyGenius provides free, unbiased advice on more than 25 A-rated top life insurance companies they have thoroughly researched and vetted. Because life insurance prices are regulated, you don’t have to worry about not getting the best deals.

PolicyGenius helps you compare the best quotes all in one place. Check out their free life insurance rate quotes with PolicyGenius today. When insurance companies compete, you win!

Related: The Healthiest Foods To Get You Rich And Fit

Updated for 2021 and beyond.

Winners And Losers Of Obamacare Hooray!

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In N Out Double Double BurgersIn a close 5-4 decision, the Supreme court says Congress was acting within its powers under the Constitution when it required Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty!

The legislation is 1,000 pages long so I can’t even come close to understanding all the nuances of the bill.  All I understand is that those against Obamacare think the bill is a violation of individual rights by our big bad federal government.  In addition to the perceived violation of human liberties, the question is who is going to pay for universal healthcare?

Those for Obamacare say that the legislation is not a violation of individual rights but only a tax on people who don’t have healthcare.  Justice Roberts explains, “The mandate is not a legal command to buy insurance. Rather, it makes going without insurance just another thing the government taxes, like buying gasoline or earning an income.”  I guess that makes sense.  The other reason for Obamacare is that in a country as rich as the USA, all people should be have health insurance, rich or poor.

LOTS OF UNINSURED

There are supposedly 32 million people in America without healthcare.  Some of them think they are healthy enough that they don’t need healthcare.  Meanwhile, the large majority of people who don’t have healthcare is because they can’t afford healthcare!  Hence, the irony is that if you penalize people who don’t have healthcare with a 1-2.5% extra income tax hike a year, you are essentially making the poor even poorer!  They are already annoyed the government is making them abide by more rules!

Meanwhile, payroll taxes for small businesses and income taxes for the wealthier population will go up to fund Obamacare because income tax hikes on the poor are not going to cover the cost of the program. Supposedly most of the 32 million people without healthcare will get partial or if not full subsidy by the government to get healthcare.  Of course that is not going to make the people who have to pay more taxes happy.

If the poor and rich and independent people of America are all pissed off about Obamacare, who is really happy the bill may pass besides President Obama and the people who serve him?  If you have health insurance or can’t afford health insurance you’re likely unaffected.  Those who are stuck in the middle now need to watch out for the encroaching Sentinels!

WINNERS AND LOSERS OF OBAMACARE

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The Ideal Body Weight: Finally Losing The Last 10 Pounds

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Financial Samurai Weight - the ideal body weight

The ideal body weight is hard to achieve in America. With so much wealth and unhealthy foods, it’s so easy to gain weight! Unfortunately, with the pandemic raging on and second child to take care of, I’ve gained more weight.

I originally wrote this post on May 21, 2012 when I was 35 and I’m revisiting it again at the end of November 2020. I’m currently back up to around 172 pounds and I want to get back to the ideal body weight again.

If there’s one thing we should all do, it is to eat right, exercise more, and lose weight! The coronavirus is really hurting people more who are obese.

The Ideal Body Weight Struggle

At the beginning of the year, I discovered that I was not in ideal weight and it pissed me off. At 167-169 pounds, I thought I was doing pretty good for a middle-aged guy standing 5′ 10″ until spending a couple hours of research online for the post. It turns out that based on the majority of reports, I was actually about ~10 pounds overweight, which is a lot since I don’t weight that much to begin with.

With tennis season just three months away at the time, I didn’t want to be out of shape. My teammates were counting on me. In competitive sports there’s the triumvirate mind, body, and skills for winning.

The body is the EASIEST thing to optimize, which means during competition against high caliber opponents, they are all in great shape. Having an ideal body weight is standard (ever see an overweight professional tennis player?), and therefore one is able to focus their energy on mental strength and specific skills.

For well over a decade, I had an enormous mental block that I had to overcome. I told myself it was IMPOSSIBLE to get under 160 pounds. This was even though I was a lean 155 pounds in college. I kept saying there was no way I could break 160 because of work and a slower metabolism. I accepted weight creep and the ideology that people automatically gain 10 pounds every decade.

So Many Excuses Not To Lose Weight



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A Look Inside Australia’s Education, Investment, Tax, Healthcare & Retirement System

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Australian Currency

Australia is one of the richest countries in the world. In fact, the average inheritance in Australia is the highest in the world! How can this be when Australia doesn’t have many world-class companies you’ve heard of? Let’s explore Australia’s education, investment, tax, healthcare, and retirement system.

Australia: One Of The Richest Countries In The World

You’ve heard about Bondi Beach, the Great Barrier Reef, Elle McPherson and the Australian Open.  You know that Australia has a great “walkabout” culture where college graduates take a gap year to go explore the world and expand their horizons.  As far as you can tell, Australia is a wonderful land down under!

Unless you’ve been to sunny Australia, everything is hearsay.  I’ve never been, but fortunately for all of us,  Shaun from Money Cactus is a regular reader who hails from Australia and has decided to provide some insights into what it’s really like living and working in Australia.

One of my friends from San Francisco moved to Sydney five years ago and he loved it so much he decided to start a business there and become an Aussie citizen!  After looking more into the Australian healthcare and social safety net system, there’s no wonder why people love Australia!

 In fact, I might consider retiring there myself if they have me.  Then again, why would they since I haven’t paid any of their taxes!

Here’s Shaun’s perspective on Australia.  For other Australian readers and those who’ve spent some time there, please feel free to share your thoughts as well!

Australian Boom: Where The Money’s At



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The Ideal Body Weight Pisses Me Off

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If there’s ever a time to have the ideal body weight, it’s during a global pandemic! All the studies have shown that those who are overweight or obese have a much tougher time combatting the coronavirus. If you want to live, then you should shoot to be as fit as possible.

I went to workout on New Year’s day to lose some weight I gained during the holidays. I got a sweaty two hour tennis match in and then hit again with my buddy for another 1.5 hours the very next day. I’m not delusional to think that after two days I would lose any amount of weight, but I stubbornly got on the scale before and after anyway.

Hoping to see a loss of a at least a pound due to less water weight, the damn scale betrayed me. In two days, I had gained 5 pounds from 164 lbs to 169 lbs! How the hell does someone gain 3% more body weight in just 48 hours. I didn’t gorge myself during this period, so I’m at a loss for words. I could blame the flashing “battery” signal on the scale, but that’s just an excuse.

The Secret To Weight Loss: Losing Your Way To More Money

At slightly over 5 feet 10 inches tall, 169 lbs is a lot to carry on the tennis court. Allen Iverson of the 76ers was my height (listed as 6 feet), but could easily dunk and weighed only 155 pounds for example. Kei Nishikori, a professional tennis player is also my height and weighs 155 pounds.

Ever since that trip to India 11 years ago, my weight hasn’t fluctuated more than 4-7 pounds (162-169lbs). But, now I’m dangerously close to breaking this 11 year record with all the crap I’ve been eating. I feel guilty because in high school, I was a trim 150-155 lbs. Further, I also feel guilty because I’m disrespecting the poverty I witnessed in India.

I don’t accept mediocrity in my work. My goal has been to always be the best at everything I try. Therefore, why the hell do I accept being overweight and mediocre in my health? Makes no sense at all.

Mission To Achieve The Ideal Weight

I don’t want to be another big blogger. My field has a disproportionate amount of folks who can’t run 3 consecutive miles even if an angry three-legged bear was roaring after them. As a result, I am swearing to myself and to all of you today that I will get in ideal shape in 2016.

So what is the ideal body weight for someone of my height with a mid-sized frame? There are numerous amounts of calculators which determine what you should weigh.

Based on an average of four sites I checked out (healthstatus.com, halls.md, healthcentral.com, healthdiscovery.net), Healthdiscovery.net’s estimates look to be the most accurate and reasonable. One site had a lower range of 129 lbs as a healthy weight for someone my height. Maybe the starvation look is in?

As you can tell from the chart, at 169 lbs I’m about 6-18 lbs overweight for my medium size frame. I’d like to think that because I have large quads due to tennis, I’m not that much overweight. However, that’s just another stupid excuse! It annoys me that for 11 years I thought that weighing 162-169 was a good weight.

After checking out all these sites, I now realize I’m just wrong and my doctor lied to me when he said I’m fine. 15% body fat is double where I was 20 years ago and is also at the high-end of the 8%-18% “acceptable” range. Don’t coddle me like a western parent, doc! I can handle the truth.

The Ideal Body Weight For Men By Height And Frame

Height in Feet&InchesSmall FrameMedium FrameLarge Frame
5’2″128-134131-141138-150
5’3″130-136133-143140-153
5’4″132-138135-145142-156
5’5″134-140137-148144-160
5’6″136-142139-151146-164
5’7″138-145142-154149-168
5’8″140-148145-157152-172
5’9″142-151151-163155-176
5’10”144-154151-163158-180
5’11”146-157154-166161-184
6’0″149-160157-170164-188
6’1″152-164160-174168-192
6’2″155-168165-178172-197
6’3″158-172167-182176-202
6’4″162-176171-187181-207

Ideal Body Weight For Women By Height And Frame

Height in Feet&InchesSmall FrameMedium FrameLarge Frame
4’10”102-111109-121118-131
4’11”103-113111-123120-134
5’0″104-115113-126122-137
5’1″106-118115-129125-140
5’2″108-121118-132128-143
5’3″111-124121-135131-147
5’4″114-127124-138134-151
5’5″117-130127-141137-155
5’6″120-133130-144140-159
5’7″123-136133-147143-163
5’8″126-139136-150146-167
5’9″129-142139-153149-170
5’10”132-145142-156152-173
5’11”135-148145-159155-176
6’0″138-151148-162158-179

Definition of medium-frame: Your middle finger and thumb just touch when you hold your wrist. You are large-framed if your fingers do not touch. You are small-framed if your fingers overlap.

My Weight Loss Goal

From today forward, my mission for 2021 is to get under 162 lbs and be firmly in the band of “ideal weight.” I was ideal weight in high school, and almost 20 years later, I plan to be back there again. For 11 years, I’ve been complacent in staying the same weight. Well I am stupid and lazy for being so complacent.

Why the hell should I be proud of staying overweight for the past 11 years? That is not an accomplishment at all! That’s 11 years of mediocrity! I haven’t pushed myself, except for being mindful of the starvation of others. I need to do better and here’s how:

What I’ll Do To Lose Weight

* For every two hours I spend online writing, I will spend 30 minutes exercising. So long as I keep this 4:1 mental-to-physical ratio, I will at least not blow out. I regularly am online 20 hours a week, therefore I will exercise 5 hours a week. Simple as apple pie with vanilla ice cream on top.

* I will do 60 push-ups and 150 sit-ups for every basketball and football game I watch. Watching sports is the worst for an athlete, because it’s a double negative. Instead of playing sports ourselves, we’re rotting away our bodies and our minds. It’s bad that I’m a college sports fanatic.

* I will eat more slowly to give my body time to know that I have eaten. It takes 15-20 minutes for the body to know one is full. Hence, that 15-20 minutes is a crucial period where one can overeat and gain a lot of weight. The solution is to eat slowly and be mindful of everything I put in my mouth.

* I will eat vegetarian 40% of the time. The system will either be 2 out of 5 meals a day vegetarian, or eat vegetarian 3 days a week. With this mindset, I hope to then average 40% of the time eating vegetarian and more raw foods. Eating vegetarian feels great, is good for digestion, and could very well be cheaper. I will also consciously reduce dairy and sugar from my diet.

* I will stop gorging myself when I go out with clients for lunch and dinner! When things are “free”, it’s easy to order the most expensive and highest caloric item on the menu! This is partly why you don’t want to pay more taxes to the government, because they will spend your money unwisely. Instead of thinking about the most delicious thing on the menu, I’ll consider the most delicious and healthiest items. Perhaps items such as beet salad, mussels in white wine sauce, skinless chicken breasts, lamb chops instead of massive prime ribs, and so forth.

* I will play tennis 3 times a week on average for 2 hours each session. This is automatic, as I’ve had this routine for 3 years. I would play more, but I injured my elbow and shoulder. Hence, a solution is to fix my injury so I can play 4 times a week.

Weight And Health Are Correlated

I used to tell myself that I have more muscles now. Bullshit. I used to blame a slower metabolism on being heavier than normal. Another lame excuse. I used to tell myself that I’m healthier now. Do do brown. I am no longer delusional and am saying NO to weight creep.

157 pounds by 12/1/16 here I come. That’s 11-12 pounds and roughly 7% of my current body weight I plan to lose this year. The ideal body weight pisses me off because it’s so low. In actuality, I’m just pissed off at myself for letting myself go. Being overweight puts a burden on society, who ultimately pays for my extra health care costs through longer wait times and more expensive premiums. But then again, maybe I will die earlier since I’m less healthy, thereby paying less in medical bills!  Optimist for life!

Who’s with me in no longer making excuses and getting down to the middle of the ideal body weight for 2016?

Recommendations For Life

Get affordable life insurance. If you have debt or kids, you must get life insurance to protect your family. The pandemic has shown that tomorow is not guaranteed. Check out PolicyGenius, an independent insurance broker that is revolutionizing the way we shop for life insurance – for free!

Answer a few simple questions on PolicyGenius’s website and instantly receive free, personalized and comprehensive life insurance quotes. PolicyGenius provides free, unbiased advice on more than 25 A-rated top life insurance companies they have thoroughly researched and vetted.

Track Your Wealth For Free, In order to optimize your finances, you’ve first got to track your finances. I recommend signing up for Personal Capital’s free financial tools so you can track your net worth, analyze your investment portfolios for excessive fees, and run your financials through their fantastic Retirement Planning Calculator.

Those who are on top of their finances build much greater wealth longer term than those who don’t. I’ve used Personal Capital since 2012. It’s the best free financial app out there to manage your money.

Planning for retirement when paying for private grade school
Link up your accounts and see whether you’re on track to retirement in great shape or in poverty

Updated for 2021 and beyond. Health + Wealth = Good Life! Seriously folks, having a lot of money doesn’t come close to having great health. Take care of your body, especially if you have little ones to take care of yourself. I’ve got a 3.5 year old boy and 1 year old daughter now. I plan to live long enough until they are independent adults.

Five Creative Holiday Workouts To Get In Better Shape

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Muscles

Have you gained weight during the pandemic? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Millions of people have gained weight due to being stuck at home. Here are five creative holiday workouts to get in better shap.

Ah, the holidays are great for spending time with family, wearing ugly sweaters, and shoving enough shrimp cocktail, turkey, ham, cheese, fruitcake, cookies, Australian wagyu beef and more into our pie holes to make Homer Simpson blush. It’s the holidays! We can eat as much as we want! ‘Tis the season for eating guilt-free. Or is it?

I wouldn’t dare suggest that you or I should maybe put that 6th cookie back on the plate but maybe, just maybe, these 5 creative holiday workouts can help us to sneak in a few extra ways to burn off some of the excess calories we will be ingesting over this holiday season.

TOP FIVE CREATIVE HOLIDAY WORKOUTS

#1 The Sneaky “Family Time” Workout

The only thing worse than refusing a second helping of Grandma’s cornbread pudding is refusing a second helping of Grandma’s cornbread pudding and then telling everyone that you are “off to workout”. The dirty looks that you will get from your not so dedicated family members that are still busy shoveling in seconds and thirds can be amusing but a difficulty that you should avoid if at all possible.

Rather than ditching the family to go workout, instead suggest a game of football, soccer, or basketball with the whole family. Be sure to give any family member not up for some “good ‘ol fashioned family time outdoors” your best look of disappointment.



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