Posts by darkraven10

Charles Ramos7 said:Why a foreign currency checking account? 😕You probably mean a standard foreign currency account, right?
I have a Visa card linked to my foreign currency account, and I've had a Mastercard for the same account before. I didn't use them much, but as I recall, there aren't any extra conversion fees. Everything just goes through at the current market exchange rate.
If that Visa works for you, there's really no point in getting anything else.

Yeah, just a standard foreign currency account. I need to get a card based on that account, and apparently, I can't use the ones I already have—I have to request a new one. From what I've heard and read, there shouldn't be any cost involved. There’s some kind of deposit setup (like a charge card tied to a deposit) that costs $40 or $23 a month depending on the package, but I don't need that. Thnx. 👍

I picked up some Euros at $2.50, and since I’m planning on furnishing an apartment, I’ll likely need USD soon. However, I haven't made a final decision yet, and I really want to avoid the hassle of converting them back to USD at $2.50 only to realize I don't need the renovation and have to buy more Euros later if the dollar drops. From what I understand about foreign currency accounts, I'll get a new Visa card that lets me shop based on whatever balance I have available. Is there a limit on how much I can purchase, or does it just depend on my balance? Also, it seems like there aren't fees for depositing cash into a foreign currency account or for making purchases at stores, but banks aren't exactly charities, so I need to know what kind of commission they're going to hit me with. I saw a few bucks a month for account maintenance, which is fine, but I don't want to be blindsided by a 2% fee for converting Euros to USD or for using the card at checkout. 🙂 Which card would you recommend for someone who will only be making one or two transactions a year—does it even matter?

Adam Rodriguez6 said:For an entire week, I found myself locked in a silent battle with one particular office employee who, quite stubbornly, decided to wander through the workplace from Monday all the way through Saturday, spreading his germs everywhere instead of simply staying home in bed. He would stroll in around 11:00 AM, linger for two or three hours just idling away the time with mindless nonsense on his computer, all while effectively turning the office into a breeding ground for infection. It was only after this ordeal that I truly began to appreciate the diligence and consideration shown by hardworking Japanese professionals, who, when feeling even a slight chill or a viral bug, will walk around wearing masks specifically out of fear of infecting their colleagues.
As someone who makes it a point to get vaccinated every single year because I have absolutely no intention of wasting five or six days of my life stuck in bed, I still ended up catching a mild version of a virus—though it was certainly enough to derail all my plans for the weekend.

What kind of experiences have you all had with people like this?

If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't have any shame about staying home for two or three weeks, but unfortunately, I don't have that luxury. 😢

Susan Ruiz76 said:0981740173 - that's Mark Rukavina's number from Stockton. I haven't called him yet; I've had the number for a few months now, but I'm hesitating. My husband isn't exactly thrilled about this stuff either, so I don't want to go against his wishes. Do you know anything about him—can you give me some info? Also, what kind of illness are you looking for drops for? I'm curious because, besides reading an article (I think it was in the LA Times), I've heard some personal stories too.

Sorry for the late reply; with all this chaos, I can't even tell if I already answered you. Then again, it took some time for Proci to be able to get back to you. Even though I was skeptical about whether those drops actually work (or herbal remedies in general), my aunt says she feels much better. She’s definitely feeling improved, even if she still has bad days. Whether the drops actually did the work or if it’s just a placebo effect, I can't say for sure, but if they're helping her, then it's worth every cent spent on them.

The tumor also shrank from 1.5cm down to 0.5cm, though the latest marker results are confusing—CEA is at 21, even though CA 19-9 is only 2. We're waiting for the oncologist to explain it. Even though it's just a quick look at the results and a five-minute explanation, we end up waiting up to 15 days for it. 😢

Can someone explain what a "tumor marker" actually means? My results show CA 19-9 is at 2, while CEA is sitting at 21.

Thanks!

My apologies if this has already been asked on the forum, but I am looking for a phone number, mobile number, or any way to get in touch to purchase Kancist drops (Mark Rukavina from Sl. Broda). I have tried searching via Google and the forum search tool, but I can't find a number anywhere.

If anyone here has successfully tracked down these drops, I would be very grateful for any information you could share.

Thnx.

briskgull27 said:It all started just before my 18th birthday.
I had always been the type to live for the music, the parties, being out on the town—a total dancer at heart.
But suddenly, I felt this overwhelming urge to change everything, almost like I wanted to turn back the clock.
For about a month, I practically lived in one spot, just staring blankly at books for hours on end.
Then, at my 18th birthday bash, I had my first martini. Ugh, looking back, yuck.

Ever since then... It sounds strange, though maybe it doesn't after everything that's happened.
Now, when I wake up, I don't have those calm, easygoing thoughts like my dad used to have, such as: "What a beautiful sunny day."
Instead, it's more like: "Alright, let's get moving, no excuses!"

The question about whether this indicates an illness is interesting. At 18, wanting to pivot your life is completely normal; in fact, most healthy people spend their whole lives striving for change. It’s perfectly standard, or so I hope, 😉, occasionally to daydream. Some people are natural dreamers who live in "their own world," while others aren't, but in my opinion, everyone has a tendency to escape reality at some point.

Or am I just being dramatic and need to see a doctor? 😉

Keith Phillips3 said:You get the exact same runaround from both the IRS and the Social Security Administration. Different clerks will tell you the same thing (and darkraven10 already mentioned getting the identical response from a higher authority at the tax office).

My experience was this: they told me that if someone is listed as the director, they have to be registered somewhere (employed). Essentially, if you work as a night security guard at Bechtel for $600 a month and you're full-time, you could theoretically open your own company on the side and name yourself the director. According to the tax officials, that company could technically operate with zero employees because the director is already paying their taxes and social security (so, they count as employed).

Based on their logic, for example, you can't be a student receiving government grants and health insurance through the university while simultaneously being a director of a company (on paper) while formally being unemployed. However, based on what jadesailor14 noted, you actually can.

Personally, I think that falls under labor violations regarding off-the-books work, but that’s a different conversation entirely. 🙂

swiftscout8 said:darkraven10, you’re assuming I’m centering every single scenario around you personally. That isn't how this works. I don't have to be an employee of my own LLC just because I hold the title of Director. But let’s look at this from the company's perspective instead. Put yourself in the shoes of the business and tell me: in that situation, would there actually be a need to hire someone else?

Don't take my personal feelings into account; frankly, I couldn't care less about them.

So, you're asking if it's actually possible to run a business without completely losing your identity in the process.

🤣

swiftscout8 said:I'm wondering if it's possible to keep a company running without having any employees and essentially staying inactive for a while—basically just letting money bleed out.

You can.

swiftscout8 said:That isn’t what I asked! My question was: can an LLC have a director who is already employed by another company?

You didn't, but I did. I don't see why you're confused. 🙂 By the way, you got your answer.

swiftscout8 said:So everything is settled with the government, just not through the company where the director works. Next, does such a company need to hire an additional employee to meet the one-employee minimum requirement?

From what I can tell, there's only one solution: you have to have at least one employee. Either it's you as the director or someone else. But then what happens with payroll taxes and benefits? Am I forced to pay those in two different places, similar to how a sole proprietorship works?

You've scrambled the facts, and the solution is actually quite straightforward. Stop comparing this to a sole proprietorship; that is a completely different scenario.

Based on what the colleague is saying, you don't necessarily need to hire anyone.

Scenario A: You work a teller job at JPMorgan Chase, and alongside that, you decide to start an LLC for software sales. In this case, you don't need to be an employee of your own LLC or pay yourself payroll taxes because your employer is already handling that.

Scenario B: You have a degree but can't find a job, so you're scraping together pennies from your savings $2.75 just to afford coffee with friends. You have no health insurance or Social Security contributions. Since you can't find work anywhere, you decide to open an LLC for software sales. Under previous laws, you would have had to officially employ yourself and pay yourself roughly $200 Social Security, $200 Medicare, and other various taxes every month. We're talking about $1,500-$533 total per month. That would have been a bad move, because you likely won't be pulling in enough software sales in those first few months to cover all those mandatory costs. In fact, you might never hit the level of monthly revenue needed to break even on those expenses. 🙂

Scenario C: You have a degree, no health insurance, no Social Security coverage, no money, and no luck finding a job. You decide to launch an LLC to sell software. You make a sale once in a while, the LLC stays active (it has revenue, pays sales tax, etc.), but there isn't a single employee on the books—meaning you aren't stuck with that $$500 monthly bill for Social Security, Medicare, and taxes. The downside here is that you have zero health coverage if something goes wrong, and you aren't building any retirement savings.

Vicky said:It’s not mandatory back then—but you won't be eligible for health insurance or other benefits if you're technically unemployed.

About three or four months ago, I decided to finally settle this dilemma once and for all. I went down to my local IRS office and eventually sat down with his supervisor since I didn't know where else to turn, and I asked them this exact question.

He gave me an answer right there in front of several of his colleagues acting as witnesses: he claimed it is impossible to be an "unemployed director." According to him, a company cannot legally operate without having at least one employee who is paying into social security, Medicare, and payroll taxes.

Now I’m stuck on how to handle this. I realize that if I ever end up facing a penalty and need to file an appeal, a judge isn't going to accept printed screenshots from an online forum as valid evidence. 😉

So, moving on to the actual point: where can I go to get an official, undeniable confirmation that a business can operate while the director remains unpaid (meaning no Social Security, Medicare, federal or state income tax contributions, etc.)?

Milky Way said:Alright, an acquaintance told me that under the new LLC regulations, you have to have at least one employee on staff. What does that actually mean in practice? If I am the CEO, am I required to be an employee of my own company and pay payroll taxes, even if I already have a full-time job elsewhere where my taxes and benefits are being covered?

No. As long as your social security, Medicare, and income taxes are already being paid through another employer, you don't have to pay them again as the director.

If you aren't employed anywhere else—meaning no one is covering your taxes or benefits—then you have to pay them as an employee of your own firm.

Kyle Nelson2 said:So, you want me to explain what an authorized investment advisor actually is? Fine. Let's get this straight. An authorized investment advisor is a professional who is legally permitted to provide specific financial guidance under the regulations set by the Securities and Exchange Commission. They aren't just some guy with a spreadsheet and a hunch; they are registered entities held to specific legal standards defined in the Securities Act investment advisor article. Basically, if they want to charge you for advice on where to put your money, the SEC requires them to be vetted and registered so they can't just disappear with your capital without oversight. It's about accountability and following the rules. Simple enough?
Is this something from OWB?

Securities Act investment advisor article

Securities Act investment advisor article

Securities Act investment advisor article.

An investment advisor is an employee of an authorized firm who is licensed to provide guidance on securities investments.

The SEC handles the issuance and revocation of investment advisor licenses.

The SEC has the authority to design and run the educational programs and exams required for investment advisors, as well as issue the necessary certifications.

The SEC maintains the official registry of authorized investment advisors.

Under the Securities Act, providing investment advisory services without proper authorization from the SEC is strictly prohibited.

Fines range from $20,000.00 to... $66667 Penalties apply to individuals, officers within a corporation, or anyone operating as an independent contractor if they meet the following criteria:

They are operating as an investment advisor without authorization from the SEC (Securities Act investment advisor article, Section 54, Paragraph 5).

To face three years in prison, you’d have to actually defraud a client or secure some kind of significant material gain.

Kyle Nelson2 said:I'll just tell you which stocks to buy and charge you a flat fee for the advice... I've been trading since '98.

Unless you're a registered investment advisor, you just committed a felony that carries a prison sentence of up to three years. 🙂