Articles written by Tim Giles

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About me - Tim Giles

I'm a retired life insurance actuary with a wife of 39 years.I've never been paid for writing, but some family members and classmates appreciated my travel journals. I try to be witty, if not humorous. I took a writing course in Albany, New York about 10

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Religion & Spirituality > Christian Doctrine & Issues Should we believe the concept of the Trinity: 10 of 40

The core belief of Christianity is the Incarnation: Jesus Christ is equal to the God of Genesis, the creator and maintainer of all things. I don't think any other religion makes a comparable claim. Judaism so reveres God that it was reluctant to say his name. Islam believes that God is so great that artistic representation o...
Personal Finance > Retirement How to maximize your retirement income: 6 of 18

How to Maximize Your Retirement Income I write this as one who is currently retired. My specific circumstances are: Social Security and defined benefit pension totaling $2,700 per month, essential expenses of $3,800 per month, and withdrawals from an IRA to make up the difference. While being retired suggests the opportuniti...
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Is Jesus just a myth?: 21 of 51

GOD You know who Steve Spurier is? The football coach at South Carolina, formerly of the University of Florida, whence this riddle arose in Georgia: What’s the difference between Steve Spurrier and God? Answer: God doesn’t think He’s Steve Spurrier. My interest in this stems from the realization...
Personal Finance > Managing Credit & Debt (Other) Is credit leading to the downfall of society: 15 of 32

Borrowing I recently applied to refinance my three year old mortgage with a mortgage broker. He was concerned by the ratio of credit card payments to gross income. Most of this was an American Express card which we use for sky-miles and always pay on time. A bigger problem, from my point of view, was our home equity loan whi...
Sciences > Mathematics Fermat's last theorem: 1 of 1

Fermat's Last Theorem (This article draws on the excellent paperback, Fermat's Enigma" by Simon Singh.) I begin with a riddle: Three Navajo women sit side by side on the ground. The first woman, who is sitting on a buffalo skin, has a son who weighs 70 pounds. The second woman, who is sitting on a deer skin, has a son who we...
Health & Fitness > Health Care Guidelines for choosing a health insurance package: 3 of 5

There are two distinct types of health insurance policies: comprehensive and supplementary. Comprehensive is the kind offered by large employers. Claims are paid directly to the provider (doctor, hospital, ambulance, etc.). It is possible to purchase such coverage on an individual policy basis in which case it is called majo...
Sciences > Mathematics Exploring the philosophical aspects of math: 2 of 3

Mathematics: The Highest Truth Mathematics is the highest truth because all its theorems and conclusions are absolutely true without qualification, true regardless of altitude or air temperature. The boiling point of water, as a counter-example, depends on air pressure, which depends on altitude. Physics is possibly in secon...
Personal Finance > Life Insurance The world of life insurance: 3 of 4

The World of Life Insurance Insurance Quotes It is important to compare premium rates before buying. Comparisons can be made via the Internet or by asking a broker. Life Insurance You can buy a life insurance policy with confidence. First, most states require a 10 day free look period during which you can cancel the policy a...
Computers & Technology > Business & Office Software Software reviews: TurboTax Deluxe + State: 7 of 8

I've used Turbo Tax Deluxe for about ten years. I'm retired and drawing down my IRA so I need to stay within the 15% tax bracket. Therefore, I need the software before year-end. Turbo Tax offers an automatic renewal, which is very helpful. The What-If Worksheet is outstanding. It allows three different scenarios. This enable...
Personal Finance > Retirement Planning ahead for your retirement: 21 of 23

If you don't have a defined benefit pension plan, your retirement will be based on you Social Security Income and your personal savings plus your 401k accumulation. A plan requires that you have a budget for how much you're going to need each month in retirement, how much your nest egg will grow. An important reality is that...