Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
IRS Reminds Those Aged 73 and Older to Make Required Withdrawals From IRAs and Retirement Plans by Dec. 31
Required minimum distributions, or RMDs, are amounts that many retirement plan and IRA account owners must withdraw each year. RMDs are taxable income and may be subject to penalties if not timely taken. For individuals born before 1951, RMDs from IRAs and retirement plans should, for the most part, already have begun and are required for 2023. New for 2023: The Secure 2.0 Act raised the age that account owners must begin taking RMDs. For 2023, the age at which account owners must start taking required minimum distributions goes up from age 72 to age 73, so individuals born in 1951 must receive their first required minimum distribution by April 1, 2025. more »
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Issues Report Showing Many Americans Are Surprised by Overdraft Fees
"Many consumers do not expect overdraft fees: Among consumers in households charged an overdraft fee in the past year, 43% were surprised by their most recent account overdraft, 35% thought it was possible, and only 22% expected it. Consumers who overdraft infrequently are more likely to be surprised by a fee: 15% of consumers from households charged 1 to 3 overdraft fees expected their most recent transaction to overdraft; among households charged more than 10 overdraft fees, 56% expected their most recent overdraft. Most households incurring overdraft fees had available credit on a credit card: Among households charged 1-3 overdraft fees in the past year, 68% had credit available on a credit card, while 62% of households charged 3-10 overdraft fees had credit available on a credit card. In households charged more than 10 fees in the past year, 51% still had credit available on a credit card." more »
Justice Department Publishes Model Legislation to Help States Reduce Gun Violence and Improve Gun Safety
"First, the Department published model legislation to help states craft appropriate requirements for securing firearms kept in residences and vehicles and to ensure that those firearms do not fall into the hands of children, teens, and prohibited persons. Second, the Department published model legislation to help states craft appropriate requirements for the prompt reporting of lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement. The resources for states announced today follow model legislation on extreme risk protection orders first published by the Justice Department in June 2021. Wednesday, December 13, 2023" more »
Women’s Congressional Policy Institute: The House Will Consider H.R. 3226, the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers Who Deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act of 2023
- On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will consider several bills, including S. 1840, a bill to reauthorize and improve the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program for FY 2024 through 2028. Hearings: Judiciary - On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee will hold a hearing, “Second Amendment Rights Empower Women’s Rights.” Military - On Tuesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations with hold a hearing to examine Coast Guard Academy whistleblowers, focusing on stories of sexual assault and harassment. The House and Senate are in session. Health- The House will consider H.R. 3226, the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early more »
