Posts: PaulBrit | Ugly Hedgehog

My, oh my! Where did it all go? In 1978 I was 34. Born in London some six months before the end of WW11.
It is a very funny cartoon (if that’s the correct description). :-)

Mar 27, 2024 10:36:21 #

Lucian, thanks for your comprehensive reply.

It makes me feel fairly comfortable with my Building Society account where I can submit UK funds for a transfer to my own US bank. Just a question of waiting for the right exchange rate. I used to get about 1 pound to 1.48 dollars but at present it is 1 pound to about 1.25 dollars, although I haven't checked today.

Mar 25, 2024 12:16:23 #

My Favorite Piano Concerto - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2

markngolf wrote:

Very young. I had a younger brother who very suddenly passed at 2. I was 7. It hit me hard!
Mark

Just reminds me of that quote by Jann Arden, “To not think of dying, is to not think of living.” (And I have the quote in a notebook I carry on me.)

Mar 25, 2024 12:07:45 #

My Favorite Piano Concerto - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2

markngolf wrote:

Coincidence! My Dad died in 53' at age 41. My Mom's name was Eleanor. She passed at 49 in 61'.
Mark

Ouch! Your parents died at a young age!

Mar 25, 2024 12:04:57 #

My Favorite Piano Concerto - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2

markngolf wrote:

Utube has vides of Rachmaninoff performing. His span was immense. He suffered greatly from depression, but that did not detract from his melodic compositions.
Mark

I briefly spotted that.

Mar 25, 2024 12:02:23 #

My Favorite Piano Concerto - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2

markngolf wrote:

God bless her and may she rest in peace!

Thanks for the reply.
Mark

Yes, she was quite a lady. She had two children; me and my younger sister, Elizabeth. Then my father died in 1956 and consequently my mother married my step-father, Richard Mills, and I had another sister, Eleanor.

Mar 25, 2024 11:53:37 #

My Favorite Piano Concerto - Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2

Words fail me! (Almost) My mother, who died a few years ago at the age of 97, was quite a musician and taught the piano from home, and listening to this concert (as I am at this moment) was astounding. Thank you!

Mar 19, 2024 17:00:54 #

twowindsbear wrote:

I've bought a few kits from Hans at QRPLABS, if you perhaps recognize him & his business.
73, my friend DE WD4IRK in Kentucky

:-)

Mar 19, 2024 16:05:14 #

twowindsbear wrote:

It seems to me that the banks should be giving you the BEST exchange rate & you should not be having to find a beneficial rate! But, what do I know? My 'international banking' as been limited to making a few purchases for amateur radio equipment from a dealer in Turkey using a credit card for payment. I'm out of suggestions.

Well I have really enjoyed the conversation, and your last spiked my interest in a different field. For while I was in England I was G3PUK.

Mar 19, 2024 14:58:41 #

twowindsbear wrote:

Again, how does your money actually get to you, here in the USA? It looks like your SIPP sends your withdrawals & transfers & such go to a UK bank, & that bank transfers your money to you. Do I have that right? Contact THAT bank, that actually does the 'sending,' have them transfer the funds to your USA bank. It should be very quick, little to no fees and you'll get the BEST exchange rate. Good luck.

The SIPP pays out to a UK Building Society (BS), as in a type of bank, and the money is routinely transferred by me across to our American bank. I leave a small percentage of the sterling in the BS and balance comes across the pond! Leaving me to find a beneficial exchange rate!

Thank you for your good luck wishes.

Mar 19, 2024 11:44:18 #

I have now had a reply from A J Bell, my UK-based SIPP providers (and SIPP stands for Self Invested Pension Plan) and their reply is: "Dear Mr Handover, Thank you for your email. I can confirm withdrawals from an AJ Bell SIPP can only be made into a UK bank account."

And a UK bank account also includes a UK Building Society account.

Mar 17, 2024 15:52:55 #

goofybruce wrote:

May also be that the international exchange rate fluctuates daily....

Oh I am sure it does fluctuate daily!

Mar 17, 2024 12:16:38 #

I shall be calling those UK organisations in the morning and shall report back in due course to this place.

Mar 17, 2024 10:37:37 #

twowindsbear wrote:

If I may ask - how are you receiving your pension funds now? Are you receiving a cheque drawn on a UK bank, in Sterling? A UK bank cheque drawn in US$$$$? Some sort of direct deposit or funds transfer?

Sorry for the delay.

My UK pension payment is a direct transfer being made to the Building Society. Same with the dividends.

But my topic on Ugly Hedgehog has shown that I can in all likelihood have these payments paid directly into our US bank account, and I am very grateful for that advice!

Mar 16, 2024 14:46:22 #

whatdat wrote:

You might check near where you live if you are going to remain in the US. Most are federally insured to a certain amount. Don’t know about transferring your retirement funds, but might be worth checking out. I think most credit unions are basically depositor owned (mutual). Mine is a very large one and has a number of branches in Texas. In 53 years it has never made a mistake on my accounts.

I think I will start out by arranging an appointment with our local branch of our bank in Grants Pass and telling them of the situation, and yes, I will be remaining in Oregon until the end (and I’m 80 in November)!