Retirement speech from employer

So, a little bit of history. I finished secondary school in 2013, and got horrific grades. My only passing mark was in English Language. Between then and now, I've been employed once for a period of 4 months in 2021. I'm fortunate enough to have very supportive parents. I've got a number of significant physical and mental health complications which have prevented me from working as I would like to.
My original plan was to get as many IT certs as possible and start applying for remote 1st line support positions (or whatever). But, it's come to light I'm very likely to receive a high six-figure windfall. This isn't enough to "retire" (not that I've worked much) but is enough to afford me a few options. I'll be honest and say I basically feel like I have the social and adult skills of a 17 year old, despite my age.
What should I do? I'm considering getting a degree, but have no idea what I actually like or want to do.
Thanks!

Hey guys.
From 2013-2016 I worked for a call center run by AFNI. Then I worked for a different employer until about 2021. I can access my 2016-2021 401k easily through Fidelity. There is no information about any other 401k funds having been rolled into the account or added to it. I am pretty sure I had money going to retirement when I was with AFNI from 2013-206. Best I can find online is that AFNI uses Alliance Benefit Group but I have to way to log in to their site and if I try to create an account it won't let me. It's obviously entirely possible AFNI uses a different company altogether and my search results are bad.
Any advice on how to track this down? I tried calling the local AFNI office and no one every answers the phone.

Hi, I hope to get some advice for a complicated situation.
In Wealthfront I have a Traditional IRA made up of mostly 401k funds from a previous employer, mixed with some after tax non-deductible contributions. In other words, a mix of pre-tax and post-tax funds. This was a mistake on my part to make those post-tax contributions.
I also have a Roth IRA in Wealthfront.
My current employer has a 401k through Principle. I am sure Principal accepts electronic rollovers/transfers from other firms, but I am not sure if Wealthtfront supports this (ACATS) for retirement accounts.
What I want to do
I'd like to rollover the majority of my WF Traditional IRA to my current 401k plan. Is a partial rollover supported by Wealthfront? Basically i want to say "Move $95 out of my $100 total balance to Principal 401k.
With the remaining money, (now all post-tax contributions), I want to convert it to my Roth IRA. Again, the breakdown is:
Old 401k WF Traditional IRA new 401k
After tax contributions WF Traditional IRA - Roth IRA
Questions
Does Wealthfront support this? I have been reading this article but it's not clear to me whether a Traditional IRA is considered a "Wealthfront Automated Investing Account" even though it says IRA in parenthesis. Are there some firms that Wealthfront work better than others? In other words, would it be easier for me to transfer my WF Traditional IRA to first, before going to Principal (in case WF has a problem transferring to Principal directly)?
If I am able to transfer the bulk of my Traditional IRA to my 401k, can I convert the remainder to my existing Roth IRA?

Quick question for the helpful people of personal finance.
My wife and I have a MAGI around ~210K a year.
She contributes to a 403(b) and I'm contributing to my employers 401K. While I max out my Roth IRA each year, I only contribute the minimum to get the full company match for my 401k (my investment is 6% with 3% employee match)
I'd prefer to save more for retirement, and I'm not sure what route makes the most sense. I already have a traditional IRA (from previous 401k rollovers) at Fidelity. I'd prefer to add more to my traditional IRA at Fidelity since I have more control over investment options as opposed to the funds available to me with my company 401k. If I contribute to my traditional IRA, would I be able to deduct contributions for federal tax savings? Or to get a further tax break do I have to contribute to the 401k?
Thanks!

So, a little bit of history. I finished secondary school in 2013, and got horrific grades. My only passing mark was in English Language. Between then and now, I've been employed once for a period of 4 months in 2021. I've just started pursuing certifications (Comptia A+, Microsoft, etc). I'm fortunate enough to have very supportive parents. I've got a number of significant physical and mental health complications which have prevented me from working as I would like to.
My original plan was to get as many certs as possible and start applying for remote 1st line support positions. But, it's come to light I'm very likely to receive a high six-figure windfall. This isn't enough to "retire" (not that I've worked much) but is enough to afford me a few options. It isn't guaranteed, but should be settled by the end of this month.
What should I do? I'm considering getting a degree, but I believe I'd have to reseat my GCSEs, then do a foundational year, and then actually start Uni.
(also not sure if this subreddit is appropriate, but it's a career question not personal finance)
Thanks!

One day, in the folds of time, a person was born in the city of Marrakesh. They all had many brothers, and they were poor and their condition was miserable and extremely poor. This person, whose name was Ibrahim, worked the entire summer to buy school supplies for the next year, and if his shoes were torn, Or he sewed his clothes, but he had no shoes, so his clothes were worn out and old. Ibrahim’s father was in the service, so he was absent from the house, not being with his family much. Days passed and Ibrahim grew up, so his father gave him two choices: either to go to the Education Academy to study and graduate as a professor, or to enter the service. The military, and this choice was not recommended by the father, Ibrahim, because he did not want his son to go through a difficult experience like him, but Ibrahim had an opinion and was very stubborn, so he chose military service, so he went, and after a few years he graduated with the rank of colonel, and at that time his mother proposed to him, a girl from the neighborhood in which he They lived in it, and at that time he married a son, and after that she became pregnant and they had a son, a male, and they named him Muhammad, and from here our story will begin. Muhammad was an ordinary child, and he studied well and excelled in his studies. He always went to the mosque in order to memorize the Qur’an, and he was not an honest, trustworthy child with good morals. He respected people and never insulted anyone. He was a pure and pure child. As the years passed, Muhammad grew up and took the baccalaureate degree. And all these years, Muhammad was influenced by the Islamic conquests and the personality of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the Companions, may God be pleased with them, especially Omar ibn Al-Khattab and Ali bin Abi Talib, so he devoted himself to reading the biography of the Prophet and watching videos whose topics were Islam. The important thing is that we go back and said that Muhammad reached the age of 18 and did not find in Morocco job opportunities or even a good position, so he decided to immigrate to America like other young people, so he was registered in the American lottery and after a few months had passed. Acceptance came to him, and he was very happy because he would find a decent living and a decent life. But in reality, there is something else. The important thing is that Muhammad collected all the documents he would need and applied for the visa. Before and after that, he collected his beliefs and booked the plane ticket. On the night of the flight, he was so excited that he did not sleep a lot, and in the morning. He went to the airport, his parents said goodbye to him, and he went to the plane, and after hours he found himself in America, and the reality was something else. There were many racists, and they always insulted him with the name Muhammad because he idolized the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and they even called the Messenger lustful, and he married Aisha for 6 years. And God forbid, as they curse the honorable companions, may God be pleased with them. The important thing is that Muhammad completed his studies in America and obtained several certificates, so he submitted his application to enter the police because he had just obtained American citizenship. The important thing is that he submitted his application and they approved it, so he took the written and physical test and passed it, so he passed them, and now Muhammad has become An official policeman for the state of Chicago, Muhammad was sincere in his work and dedicated to it. He always did not accept bribery and punished criminals severely. Years passed and Muhammad rose in his position and became in the anti-gang department. He became the one carrying out executions and began killing and exterminating everyone. Killer gangs because the state gives him the decision to kill them because they incite fear in people, kill them, and rape their daughters. Muhammad killed, or rather executed, thousands of people, and he exterminated hundreds of gangs from existence, and all the criminals feared him and were afraid to even mention his important name. Hours passed, and one day of the daysOne day, Muhammad found a volume containing the story of the revolution and the Soviet Union. He read it all and was influenced by revolutionary thought. He began to imagine himself as the king of the world, and he was one of the most supportive of the Palestinian cause. They always sent thousands of dollars to Palestinian associations, and Muhammad was stable even though he was stable. In America, but he hates its corrupt regime and the racism towards foreigners that is abundant in it, so Muhammad decided to go to Russia in order to settle there and submitted his application to Russian intelligence and gave up his service in America, but he still possessed American citizenship. The important thing is that Muhammad worked in Russian intelligence and began every day. It is getting more and more popular and everyone loves it until one day there was a parade for President Vladimir Putin And then Muhammad met President Putin, and Putin liked Muhammad’s personality and the way he treated and respected him, so he decided to hire him as his bodyguard, and Muhammad was very happy with this news. The next day, he started working with the president, and he accompanied him wherever he went. The president was subjected to a series of assassination attempts, and Muhammad was always He was his savior. Meanwhile, Muhammad became a loyal friend of Putin and became Vice President. One day, Putin became seriously ill, and when he was on his deathbed, he said goodbye to Muhammad. Muhammad was very affected by his death, but he moved forward and now he has become the President of the Republic of Russia, so it began. His ambitions to reshape the Soviet Union, so he began to forcefully occupy the countries that were on his side. He did not kill innocent people or women. He implemented the commandments of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, to the letter. At this time, America began to threaten Muhammad that it would occupy Russia and destroy it. Muhammad was aware of this matter and was He planned in advance, as he intended to obey America and eliminate it, and the opportunity came to him. He restored the Soviet Union a hundred times stronger and stronger than it was during the era of Stalin and the other leaders. He only developed the nuclear arsenal and developed advanced weapons, and at this time Muhammad brought his father because He had experience in the army and gave him the position of first commander of the army staff, so his father trained the armyHis father was very strict, and he trained the soldiers very hard, and this would benefit them later. Muhammad also gave his grandfather the position of the chief president of all the central banks in the Soviet Union. He was the state’s accountant. All of the revenues of the Soviet Union passed through Muhammad’s grandfather. He also gave his great uncle the position of governor. He was in charge of all the car factories in the country, so he was in charge of all the car factories and all the companies. He was the president of them and the first factory because he had experience. He also entrusted him with the tasks of building power plants and manufacturing high-precision surveillance cameras. Muhammad gave his middle uncle the position of president of the iron and aluminum mining companies. All types of metal. He also gave his younger uncle the head of the taxi unions, as he is responsible for companies and all taxis and driving licenses for taxis, as well as their taxes. Muhammad also gave his younger uncle the position of head of the Ministry of Education and responsible for all schools in the country, as well as the head of the professors’ body. As he is responsible for the education and study sector, Muhammad also gave his great uncle the position of head of the body of lawyers, judges and courts in the state because his great uncle had more than 20 years of experience in the field. Muhammad also gave his other grandfather the position of head of arms manufacturing and export companies because his grandfather also had In military service, he had a lot of experience in questions, because this is all his specialty in politics Thanks to these positions that he gave to some members of his family, each of whom had great experience in the field in which he specialized, which helped the Soviet Union develop greatly and become stronger and stronger. At that time, Muhammad consulted his Soviet advisors and his father in his capacity as Supreme Commander. And the highest ranks of the army, intelligence, and security in the country. Ibrahim, Muhammad’s father, was the second most important authority in the country after his son Muhammad. The important thing is that after the long Shura period, Muhammad took the appropriate decision, so he bombed Washington, D.C., with a large nuclear bomb, which led to the erasure of Washington from the map and the destruction of the White House, so America rose. He responded with a nuclear missile, but Ibrahim, Muhammad's father, was able to dismantle it, repel it, and turn it towards America. From here, a fierce battle began between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. In the end, the Soviet Union was able to overthrow and eliminate America. It also occupied Canada and South America and brought it back. Alaska to Soviet ruleThe Soviet Union seized all the wealth of North and South America, and even Canada, and annexed them to the Soviet Union. Muhammad rebuilt America on the Soviet system, and even Canada and Brazil. The power of the Soviet Union increased 1,000 times, and the Soviet Union became the most powerful country in the world. Muhammad’s ambitions increased, so he occupied North Korea. He eliminated President Kim Jong-un and also occupied South Korea, Japan, and China. The thing that distinguished Muhammad was not killing innocent people. He only killed those participating in the war, and when he occupied the country, he rebuilt it and employed its citizens with a better salary than they had been, so everyone saluted him. There were also those who hated him, but they were very few. The important thing is that the Soviet Union became from the Republic of Russia to the most powerful country in history. Muhammad also liberated Palestine and gathered all the lions of the world and burned them, slaughtered them, and exterminated them from the globe. Only Muhammad eliminated all the Jews and it was Palestine. It was filled with ululations and joy at her liberation, and all the people were chanting the name Muhammad Muhammad and calling him Muhammad the Savior. Meanwhile, the grandfather of the first and second Muhammad died of old age, so Muhammad became very sad for them. At the funeral, someone poisoned Muhammad’s food with the most severe type of poison, and when he ate it, he choked and died. He almost died, but when he came out of the coma, the doctor told him while he was crying, “The poison has spread through your body, my lord Muhammad. You have only a few days left of your life.” Muhammad began to cry, but he was patient. Then Muhammad made his farewell conference in which he gave a speech and advised the people. When he dies, the rule will pass to his father, and when his father dies, it will pass to his great uncle, and this sequence will remainAfter a few days, Muhammad died and was buried in a grave of gold and diamonds. He became the most important figure in the world, so people began to visit him from all parts of the Soviet Union and even from the Arab countries. Millions of people visited him daily. As for him, when he died, power passed to him and he ruled with justice. Here the story of Muhammad has ended and has been folded between the pages of the past I forgot to mention that Muhammad was fighting with the soldiers, but he was covering his face with a mask so that the opponents would not recognize him and focus on him to kill him. If the president was killed, the Soviet Union would collapse. Muhammad was fighting with the soldiers and killing a lot of the enemy. He and his father were fighting, even though his father He was old, but he was stronger than Muhammad himself. Muhammad’s father was fighting 10 soldiers at the same time and killing them. Muhammad also occupied France, demolished the Eiffel Tower, and occupied almost all of Europe. Muhammad donated billions of dollars to Palestine until Palestine became very advanced and became a more ornate city. Muhammad also occupied Iran and exterminated the extremist Shiites. The one who poisoned Muhammad was a black man from Ethiopia, and the soldiers shot him dead when Muhammad died.Also, Muhammad could also have eliminated Morocco and wiped it from the map, but Muhammad did not want to do that out of respect for the Almoravids, Almohads, and Idrisids. When Muhammad died, power passed to his father and he began to rule the world. Muhammad’s tomb, built of pure gold and all precious stones, became a place of pilgrimage for millions of people every day, to the point that airports were filled with people and thousands of people were lining up in queues to obtain a visa. There were also thousands of people in the street chanting the name of Muhammad the Leader. The great and even they are queuing up to go to the Soviet capital, as there are people from far away places in the world such as Australia who go to the Soviet capital to visit the grave of Muhammad, and he was the most important and holiest person in the world after the Prophet Muhammad. And his companions, I am talking about his military clothes and weapons, all of them were sold for millions of dollars to Arab museums. As for the Soviet museums, they contain Muhammad’s necklace and his favorite weapon, and even the Soviet museum is crowded with people every day just to see its antiquities. Mohammed. Everyone loved him, so Muhammad became the second legend that history will not repeat. The first legend is the Prophet MuhammadWhen Muhammad died, they wrapped him in very advanced materials to prevent his body from decomposing. Muhammad's body did not decompose, but remained as it was. One of the materials used to preserve Muhammad's body was formalin, so Muhammad's body remained intact throughout the years.There are also some very wealthy Arabs who wanted to move Muhammad’s grave from the Soviet Union to Mecca in order to increase the state’s economy, but the entire world, billions of people, categorically refused, whether from within the Soviet Union or from outside it, and they wanted to buy his body for billions of dollars, but the entire world categorically refused. A wave of anger has erupted against Saudi Arabia because of this, because a person like Muhammad cannot be violated and his grave opened When Muhammad's father, Ibrahim, assumed power, and due to his old age, he was 61 years old. He found many difficulties because he found himself facing a great challenge in front of him, ruling millions of people. The Soviet Union, during Muhammad's era, was at the height of its power. He had sat on the throne of the most powerful country in history. Only the area of the Soviet Union was estimated at 400 million kilometers, so Ibrahim had to make a lot of effort, and in some of the Union’s colonies, some civil wars broke out between supporters of Muhammad and his supporters and among those who hated him, as most of those who hated Muhammad were from Central Europe, from the Greek islands and elsewhere. Next to it was the leader of the movement named Johann Gospiel. The latter sought revenge on Muhammad’s followers, and they all wanted to kill Ibrahim and destroy the Soviet Union. He was very hateful, and events will show you why the latter was so hateful of Muhammad and the main family. We will go back in time a little to when Muhammad committed mischief. America and occupied North and South Korea. His ambitions began in Europe, and he started with Italy, so he overthrew it, even though he respected Mussolini, the Italian fascist leader, but Muhammad’s ambitions were to occupy all of Europe, so he occupied Italy, eliminated its leader, and demolished all the ancient Roman idols and gods, and when he headed to occupy the Vatican. Muhammad remembered the words of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, at the sign of the Hour, that in the Vatican there is the staff of Moses and the Thapoth of the Covenant, according to what the commentators and hadith scholars say, so Muhammad retreated.With his army, he went to occupy Greece and wanted to destroy Athens. He met the other army, headed by Johann Gaspiel's brother, called Nicholas Gaspiel. The two armies faced each other. Nicholas' army consisted of 45,000 tanks, a fleet of planes, and 980,000 soldiers, while Muhammad had 60,000 tanks. 2 million soldiers, and the two armies faced each other at the famous Evros River in Greece. The war began, and it was so bloody that the Evros River was filled to the brim with corpses and its color became red with blood. Muhammad was killing the enemies, and his father Ibrahim was also fighting, as he was 51 years old and he was very strong. Stronger than Muhammad himself. The important thing was that Muhammad was fighting. He tore off his mask. Nicholas the commander saw him and said: Here you are, Muhammad. I swear to Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena that you will not survive today. Medusa's curse will fall on you. Today I will hang your head before the gods. Muhammad did not answer him verbally, so his response was to arrest him, cut off his head, and hang his body on a treeThey continued fighting for several hours, and Muhammad was able to eliminate the entire army and occupied Greece at five in the morning. He prayed dawn in the city and began his entry with the soldiers. 200,000 soldiers had died in the war. Muhammad made a broadcast on television and consoled all the families and gave them a salary. For life and huge sums of money. The important thing is that Muhammad passed by the fields and saw some peasants. When they saw him, one of them called out and said, “Where is Muhammad?” Muhammad said to him, “Here is Muhammad.” The man came to him and hugged him and said, “O Muhammad, we have been saved from a tyrant who was torturing us and making our lives miserable.” Nicholas Gaspiel) and gave Muhammad some apples and lemons, so Muhammad bought 300 cows from him and the soldiers slaughtered them, so they ate until their stomachs were full and they slept that night while Muhammad was standing praying. This is just going back in time to explain to you why Johann Gaspial hates Muhammad.Johann Gaspel was telling his experience when he saw Muhammad and saying when Muhammad conquered all of Greece, and the people were chanting his name. I said that Muhammad was not killing ordinary citizens and women because he was carrying out the orders of the Prophet Muhammad and his law of war. Johan Gaspel was 12 years old. He said: “I saw large crowds chanting the name of Muhammad, then I was looking out the window, and suddenly I saw Muhammad passing in front of me and hundreds of thousands of people.” Behind him were hundreds of thousands of soldiers armed with the most modern weapons in the world. He said that Muhammad was strong, broad-chested, not more than 180 centimeters tall, and had a black beard, black hair, and brown eyes. Dark brown, and when Johann saw him, he felt an unusual tremor and said that Muhammad was a person that everyone feared
This is a fictional story written by me. Give me your opinion in the comments

https://archive.is/VNuNc
Two write-in candidates are vying for an open three-year Selectboard seat, as the current chair, Chuck Sokol, is not seeking reelection. Polls will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rowe Elementary School.

Meg Pallotta

Selectboard write-in candidate Margaret “Meg” Pallotta, 61, moved to Rowe 3½ years ago, with a background in municipal finance. She was employed for 13 years by Hanover, a town of about 15,000 residents. Pallotta worked in the Treasurer’s Office for eight years, and was assistant town clerk for another five years, until her retirement.
“I’m well-versed in municipal finance and government,” Pallotta said. “Rowe is well-run, but I can jump in right from the beginning. I understand how town contracts work. … I would love to help out. I’d love to be involved.” Outside of her municipal work, Pallotta has run 19 marathons — completing the Abbott World Marathon Majors — in cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York, London, Berlin and Tokyo. “I still run,” she said. “I love it.”

Bill Baker

“I’ve lived in Rowe 32 years,” said William “Bill” Baker, who is running against Pallotta. “Now it’s time to give back. Rowe is very fortunate — we’ve got some really great programs. I just want to maintain what we have and keep the tax rate reasonable.”
Baker, 55, ran Baker’s Office Supply in Greenfield before closing the storefront about a year ago, and he still runs the commercial equipment division of the business. He remains a member of the Greenfield Business Association and the Kiwanis Club.
In Rowe, Baker served a three-year term on the Finance Committee.
“Honestly, I don’t have any grand initiatives for the town,” he said. “I’m good with budgets and numbers. I’m a fair person with high expectations. I have an entrepreneurial spirit, and I call it as I see it. If the town decides to vote me in, I will help improve upon the hard work of others.”

Other positions

Also on the ballot, there is a one-year seat on the Finance Committee, but Susan Gleason is now a write-in candidate for that position. Town Clerk Kevin Balawick was previously appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Planning Board and is now running for election to a five-year term. Beth Balawick, his wife, is running for the first time for a three-year seat on the School Committee.
The remaining positions on the ballot are as follows:
■Board of Assessors, three-year term — incumbent Ellen Miller.
■Board of Health, three-year term — incumbent Herbert Butzke.
■Cemetery Commission, three-year term — incumbent Jay Williams.
■Finance Committee, three-year term — incumbent Marilyn Wilson.
■Finance Committee, three-year term — incumbent Wayne Zavotka.
■Library trustee, three-year term — incumbent Catherine Snyder.
■Park Commission, three-year term — incumbent Hannah Poplawski.
■Planning Board, four-year unexpired term — Matthew Stine.
■School Committee, one-year unexpired term — Matthew Stine.

So here's the full story.
My dad, who is 74 and is in regular health for his age (and is neither a drinker or a smoker) had something strange occur two months ago.
Even though he's been retired since 2012, he dreamed one night two months ago that he had to go some work-related function. To him, the dream seemed so real that he was actually getting ready to go to this non-existent function. As the morning went on he realized that it was just a dream and wasn't real. Same thing happened next morning as well.
Early in April he couldn't find his car at a Walmart parking lot that he's been to many times before. He found it after an hour. Later that very same day he asked me when this year's Super Bowl was. I told him it already happened this year and for a bit he didn't believe me but eventually he remembered that it was this year.
Later in April he had another dream about how his former employer had an employee appreciation day at Busch Gardens (a theme park here in Tampa) for employees and their families where they get free admission for that day and he asked if I wanted to go. I told him it was just a dream and he agreed.
He also had accidentally locked himself out of the house like five or six times over the past two months when he stepped out for a little bit to do an outside chore like take out the trash. This never really happened before the past two months.
Other than that he hasn't had any real trouble with things. He can talk normally and follow conversations normally the vast majority of the time. He also has no trouble driving anywhere.
But, just to determine what is going on, he had an appointment earlier today with his doctor for a memory test. I didn't go with him but he told all of the above information (he actually had a piece of paper with all of that written on it) to the doctor and the doctor also had him take him a memory test.
After the appointment, dad told me how it went and he said that the doctor really didn't diagnose him with dementia or Alzheimer's. Like the doctor never said that he has those things but in their long conversation the word "dementia" did come up but it wasn't an official diagnosis. She said that whatever he has it's very mild right now. She seemed upbeat during the whole appointment and wasn't solemn at all. In fact, she was very glad that he came to get help because she said that most people don't come until the major warning signs start appearing. Hell, even he was in a good mood when he was telling how the appointment went!
So, she prescribed him Donepezil. The official description for that drug says that it is primarily used for the treatment of dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease and has FDA approval for use in mild, moderate, and severe stages of the disease. But like I said before, the word "Alzheimer's" never came up during their conversation. He has another appointment in three weeks.
So like, what exactly am I supposed to think here? Should I be worried? Cause right now my heart is racing. I can't seem to process all this right now. Is it possible he just has regular cognitive impairment from just aging and the doc prescribed him Donepezil as some sort of precautionary measure (even though Donepezil doesn't cure dementia and just simply slows it down a bit if he indeed does have dementia)?
I don't know who to turn to for support other than my mom. I don't have a wife or kids.
Thanks for reading!

1. I recieved a cease and desist letter and it says I cannot even talk against my former employer and their practices or employee even Verbally.
2. I am a US citizen and isn't this against my Freedom of Speech ?
3. As far I remember I have not signed any agreement with my former employer.
4. They even promised they will add my daughter on insurance but after they terminated me I was slapped with $1600 doctors bill as they now saying I did not follow IRS guidelines of letting company know within a month. Even insurance company said I can still have my daughter added in back dated. Full discrimination against US citizen and employers are relaxed.
5. I sent an email to them asking for my service letter and I have not heard back from them yet and I guess I won't.

I am from North Carolina, USA and my only question is what is Freedom of Speech. If anyone is asking me about my former employer should I just stay quite ?

I am a mid-thirties married person with kids and have a small Roth IRA portfolio at Vanguard that I made several years ago. I don't really know how/why I set it up this way, but I had no idea about investing at the time and probably chose some kind of default option.
I think it would be apt to simplify this holding now to a three-fund portfolio (e.g., VTI: 60%, VXUS: 30%, BND: 10%) and then forget about it until I retire. This won't be my main savings (I have an employer 401k) , but I'd like to keep it as supplemental to draw from once I hit no-penalty age.
Within my Roth IRA, could I transact (sell) everything except VTI to the account's settlement fund in order to refactor my portfolio? Selling everything except VTI would give me about $3200 and then I would repurchase VTI, VXUS, BND at the correct ratios. I'm not sure about tax implications or any penalties for selling from within my Roth IRA, but I assume it's not relevant since the money will never leave the account?
Thanks in advance!
https://preview.redd.it/k7ep285met0d1.png?width=2120&format=png&auto=webp&s=f03cfe5c517f9c98dc2b8b916c1fceeebf6f0dad

I called the pension centre and they said they no longer provide pension statements. They said my only option is to use the pension calculator on their site. I need a statement showing how much myself and my employer pay into the pension. My financial planner wants this to help me plan for retirement. Surely there is someway to obtain this information.
Oh and when I click on view pension statements on the CWA website the most recent one i can see is from 2015…which is not helpful

Well, here I am. I've avoided sharing this for over a year, but I'm finding myself trapped - even though it seems like the strangeness has ended or gone covert - I can't seem to get past the experiences I had last year. I've held this all in since then, and it has to come out somehow.
It's really long. TLDR at the bottom.
February 2023
I picked a foolish battle with my employer - a large corporation known for poor ethics, corruption and crony capitalism. I went after them hard, determined to expose their wrongdoing, and got other ex-employees involved too. We went to the media, appeared on podcasts, but I was the one who took it too far. I flew too close to the sun and got myself in deep. My juvenile attempt at being some kind of brave robin hood hero got my colleagues and I tormented by private investigators. Everyone got followed, but only two of us seemed to have anomalous experiences, and I got the worst of it. They left my friends alone when they realized I was the one facillitating everything.
After being tailed home at 4am one morning, I immediately bought security cameras and set them up. You'd think I would've got the message and backed off, but I was angry over my privacy being invaded, and felt security with the support of my colleagues. I was determined to defend what I believed in, and I resented their brazen harassment and intimidation; it was clear they didn't mind using resources to spy on me. Maybe I shouldn't have spied on them.
There's a whole lot more to that nightmare, but I'm not posting this on ; I'm here for a reason. Because I can't think of anywhere else to get the answers I'm seeking. I need help, and I want to talk to experiencers who can help me make sense of what happened, hell, I'll even settle for advice on moving forward, and getting the past shit out of my head.
March-April
I started noticing anomalies on the cameras I set up. It was strange and got my attention, but very subtle at first; it was more confusing than anything. I should mention my lifelong interest in aliens and UAP, quite literally as long as I can remember; but that interest dwindled after my teen years. I'm almost 30 and have real life shit to worry about, clearly.
Not even a month later, things were getting weird. I saw orbs split in two and three, merge back together and go right through solid objects. Right in front of my house. This kind of activity began happening more frequently (or I became more aware), until one night I noticed a drone-like object following my car. I went home, and sure enough, it stopped over the street in front of my house. I realized this must be something supernatural, as it was similar strangeness to what I saw on my cameras. Splitting apart, dramatic color shifts, and just plain bizarreness.
I left for work the next morning, it was still dark, and the orb was still following me from a distance; it wasn't too close, but it definitely wasn't far either - it just seemed like it was continuosly locked onto me. By this point, I'm getting concerned, and as a heroic whistleblower committed to getting to the bottom of anything and everything, I investigated. I realized these things really were following me. So I started documenting. They would come out of nowhere and into my field of view. I'd be laying in bed, watching TV, and an orb would float between a small gap in the curtains where it was obvious and I couldn't ignore it.
By now I'm pretty worried about these ongoing events, but my curious cosmic side was intrigued. I didn't like what was happening, but I definitely found it fascinating and kind of cool. So I filmed. Every single day. I was followed by strange lights for six months straight, and it wasn't only happening at night.
I started seeing figures of light beings outside my house. Gray-type beings that looked like they were using magic or casting spells. I had never considered or believed in beings like this. I didn't really believe in demons, but that's the closest thing I can describe them as, like shapeshifting Jinn. But multiple types of entities, my house became a hotspot for strangeness I couldn't even fathom.
Many of the beings I filmed I noticed later when analyzing my videos. I would be filming one anomaly, focused on that, completely unaware of any activity right next to me. But I got better at picking them out over time. I was committed to studying my videos over and over, trying different color levels, shadows and contrast to better pick out the anomalies.
August
By now I had taken hundreds of videos on both my iPhone and security cams. I learned that my iPhone 14 had trouble capturing these things, even when they were stationary or nearby. My camera struggled to focus, and when I tried zooming in on an orb or entity, it would shoot my camera out of focus. I have some pretty cool shots of this happening. Whatever it was, it probably didn't care to be filmed. It was far too difficult to get a good shot. I have a solid phone model and was shooting in 4K; I would get a clear image, then try to focus on orbs/NHI, but end up with glitchy artifacts and static noise in my videos
September
I'll never forget the feelings and emotions I felt the next month. I was looking back at videos from April, and I found something I hadn't noticed from April 26-28. It looked like I was abducted. I filmed what looked like an arm come down from the trees, and it appeared to take me, or maybe take my 'astral' body? Then half of a gray's face briefly appeared in frame; it looks like the Gray on the cover of Communion.
The next video on my phone I didn't remember taking. Mere minutes later, it looks like I'm approaching a door I've never seen in my life, and my body goes right through it. Then I'm back in my house. Its a short three second clip, but it was definitive proof to me that I experienced high strangness, I just couldn't understand why. I still can't get it out of my head. Since then I've gone back and found more anomalies I had never noticed, and I'm really struggling with making sense of what may have happened. I don't get spooked easily, but I can't come to grips with this; I feel like I've been victimized, and I'm honestly traumatized just off the videos I took. I have no recollection of being taken or anything traumatizing happening. All I have to go off is what I captured, and the feelings I get every night when I go to sleep.
The blatant strangeness slowed down and had seemingly stopped by October, shortly after I retired from my whistleblower antics. The effects of whatever happened are with me every day. I think about it every day and night and fear it coming back. I wish I could have some level of closure, even if it isn't realistic.
Somebody here can help me. I'm certain the right person can make some degree of sense of the videos, and even a little bit of clarity would go a long way for me. What's more likely? Negative NHI harassing me for exposing corporate wrongdoing, or any NHI all of a sudden taking an interest in my everyday life? Is it possible for someone to weaponize paranormal forces against you? I truly don't know. I'm not satisfied with any of those possibilities.
The biggest thing I've grappled with is understanding the origins. Is it negative NHI being used against me? Could it be nefarious humans using advanced technology against me? Psychotronic weapons? How can you even differentiate?! I just can't tell. If you're an experiencer with an open mind and educated in different types of beings, please have a chat with me and look over my videos. I'd post them here but my house and my neighbors homes are visible in most of them. If you're just interested and want to take a look, I'll share a drive link with anyone, I just don't feel right posting these publicly yet.
TLDR;
Potentially harassed by negative NHI or advanced tech. Both are equally terrifying to me. Can't understand how or why this would happen. I'm seeking other experiencers with knowledge on different types of high strangess, anomolous beings/interdimensionals.
Need guidance on moving forward if I can't find answers.
I have a bad feeling that somehow people did this to me. I really want to know if thats even possible. Thank you for reading :)

Hi everyone, this is my first post like this and English is not my first language so bare with me... I'm writing this after a dinner I had with my mother and my two grand parents from her side where another and I think final rift was exposed...
INTRO: To give some background my grandpa's family had an ancestral business that was passed down from first male child to first male child, for at least 4 generations that I know of, that until half of my grandpa's leadership was a thriving establishment with international contracts spreading 3 continents, and that gave that side of the family the possibility of owning a great number of houses around our country. Around 30 years ago this establishment was robbed, nothing big but I've always being told It was something like a catalyst that marked the decline of the business. Something like 5 years later that business failed, the factory was closed. After a couple years my grandpa and my uncle decided to rebuild it in a smaller capacity and to found it they roped in my grandma, my mother, my aunt (uncle's wife) and wife's parents and a bank (with some loans). This time the thing started slow and never really exploded but managed to keep some of the previous clients and was still a little profitable. 10 years ago started the problems, debts from the previous business and from the new one started piling and one after the others they started liquidating the houses and ended up with only three of them ( first world problem is what you are thinking and I guess you are right) but still there was a hole, at the same time relations started to break first between my father and my uncle and then my uncle and his wife's parents because they all felt like they were roped in a shipwreck. In the meantime my grandpa reached retirement age and handed the reigns to my uncle while always backing him up (this was before the really bad debits arrived btw sorry for the confusionbut after the business was no longer bringing in profits), he was waiting for this to happen and accepted. So at this point we are close to now and the assets list is three houses: one in the city one by the sea and one in the mountains; and a little factory. The city house was split in two and the two parts went one to my uncle that started living there and one to my mother that was already living with my father and so my grandparents kept it so practically my uncle got already part of my grandparents will. A couple years ago there was another problem and to get cash my uncle sold half of his house to a friend and kept living in it whereas my grandparents sold completely the other half that was supposed to go to my mother and renting it from the people they sold it to, my dad was furious (understandably) because the house was a masterpiece and demanded that since that house was supposedly my mother's that she had to be compensated somehow and the choice was between getting half of my uncle's half or getting the seaside one that was still less than the quarter of my uncles house to give you an idea, we chose the second option so we didn't have to share with my uncle and to sweeten the deal she still would keep ownership of the furniture of her city house part and at same time she was bought out of the shares of the company for what they were worth at the moment ( a fraction of what they were worth at the start but that would free her from that mess). At the same time tensions between my uncle and aunt peaked and they separated wich was hard on my little cousins and her parent's and her wanted to be bought out of their share and that created another hole. Last year my grandparents asked my mother if they could sell a painting from the ones in the city house and that were supposed to be hers and she accepted with the exception that no money from the sell was supposed to go to the business but kept for living expenses and the payout was good and the painting went to auction for 140k € of Wich 50 we to to my mother. Sorry for this enormous intro but it was necessary and if you lasted until here KUDOS.
THE MATTER AT HAND: Last week we were contacted because there was an unpaid bill for the gardener that was the only remaining bill my grandparents had to pay from the summer house and the fact that it was not paid by them worried us, not because we had to pay it but because it meant something happened to the remaining of the sell of the painting... So my mother wanted to have a chat with her parents and asked if someone was willing to go with her and my father who couldn't take anymore refused so I went because I was informed of the previous matters and I'm the oldest nephew and they usually listen to me. After the dinner we got to talking and we learned that nearly 65k were put in the business behind my mother's back and she was furious and without words so I pressed on the matter to learn more and apparently my uncle begged them to put more money in it and they did.
The problem is that when it was time to defend themselves only my grandpa spoke but using a "pluralis majestatis" that really ticked me off especially since my grandma was silent and looking at her feet, he went on about how he needed help and that he is going through a bad period with the separation and that my aunt wasn't collaborating, and that he doesn't know what would happens if the business closed because my uncle is 50 and worked only there and who knows if he can find employment, that they helped her with us kids so now they can't turn their back on him his final point was that they had no problem continuing with their "war economy" . The thing is my aunt is not keen on sign the divorce papers because they are living like divorced people but he can't marry his new partner he brought up a month after the separation until the papers are signed and she is clearly resentful because some of us are of the idea that the new partner was there before the separation, my uncle's job was mostly maintaining and creating new relations with clients and dealers so he can be a consultant for similar businesses, the help he means was that when i was in highschool i spend three nights a week there since their house was 5 mins on foot whereas mine was 1 h of public transport but my cousins pratically live there and eat at least one meal a day there and rely on them for going and getting back from football pratice four days of the week and for the "war economy" they go around with patches on their clothes and count cents at the end of the day...
I don't know why he has his eyes closed like this, after this discussion my mother seemed more pissed than ever and I think we are on the brink of collapse, is there a way to mediate?

I (22), no EIT but taking FE soon, just graduated two weeks ago and I have 2 offers with another offer coming.

• The 1st offer is a private company paying $72k MCOL
  
• The 2nd offer (TJO, they told me FJO coming) is a federal agency 7/9/11 ladder position MCOL , after special pay rate tables pay will be around $55k/$66.5k/$72.5k, respectively.
  

I know I also have an additional private company offer coming soon.
Most of the benefits are comparable aside from leave - federal wins by around 11 days total (and will continue to increase) between PTO, Sick, and Holiday
Doing basic napkin math over the two year period of time where I advance to an 11, I would 'miss out' on around $24,000 over two years. From looking at cost of living, it looks like I would be living somewhat like a college student for the first year of federal employment, which is fine - I am in a fortunate position of having no student loan debt and a car that is almost paid off.
I am currently a federal employee, so I would be able to retire at 57 with a 36% pension, or 62 with a 45% pension, the only issue I have currently is the agency is moving somewhat slow in processing me (despite being a current federal employee with the same clearance level) , and my lease ends at the end of next month - so I could end up moving back home with my Mom for a month or two until I finally get a notice to be on site.
It also puts me in a position I did not expect to be in to be quite honest.. rejecting an offer with a seemingly good private company just feels wrong, somehow? Lol.
Looking into the long term future, it seems like federal employement is the way to go for job security/work life balance, but I could also miss out on the opportunity to develop a larger skillset in the private sector when I am young and do not have kids.
I realize now I have not exactly asked a question... I guess I am more so looking for any sort of advice with how to proceed from others in the field who, looking back at their career, would have done things differently regarding federal vs private employment.
Thank you!

I have no one in my personal life to tell but just wanted to share my accomplishment
I currently make $95k a year at a tech consulting job I started last summer right after graduating college. With a combination of internship money, pandemic unemployment funds, small grants and help from my parents, I graduated from my in state school debt free, which I recognize puts me in a very privileged and unique position.
I am currently staying with my parents (who are typical strict Nigerian parents but I can tolerate them) which has allowed me to aggressively save/invest my earnings. I have no expenses outside of gas, car insurance (I own my car outright), and the occasional outing with friends or my gf.
Currently my net worth consists of:
Investments:
401k- $33900 all in Vanguard Target Date Retirement Fund 2070 (on pace to max this year)
Roth IRA- $22500 all in VTI (maxed for 2024)
Taxable Brokerage- $13500 80% in VTI, 20% in VXUS
Employer Stock Purchase Plan- $2800
Cash:
HYSA: $28300 ($25000 of which is emergency funds) @ 5.5% APY
Checking: $1000
Would also appreciate any advice on if I should diversify my Roth, or keep my emergency fund in a money market rather than a HYSA. Additionally, should I move money from my emergency fund to fund my taxable brokerage since my current expenses are so low? Thanks.

Hi AusFinance, Hoping someone can help me as I'm in way over my head.
My mum was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years ago in her mid 60s. She worked as a teacher for ~25 years, and never took any leave/sick days. Due to this, she had so much LSL, personal and annual leave banked, that her former employer has essentially been paying her a salary since she retired. These payments will cease sometime in July.
She has 400k in super, $15k in debt, $0 in savings and a unit that she owns that is in serious need of repairs.
She would like to withdraw a lump sum from her super to fix some things with the house and to pay for an upcoming medical expense. I expect this to be in the realm of 60k but I'm still in the process of organising various quotes for her. Plus an additional 15k to pay off her debt.
Her super fund has emailed her offering an appointment to review her plan for her retirement at a cost of $300/hour. That seems high to me? Is this normal?
Once her payments stop from her employer I will take her into Centrelink to apply for the pension. However, I'm not fully understanding the Centrelink rules on income from super. Is it her total super balance that Centrelink uses to calculate her part pension? Or if she was to get say $700/fortnight as an income stream from her super, is that counted as income?
She usually does her own tax return, but I imagine I should organise an accountant to help her with that this year.
Is there anything else I should be considering?
I'm currently her primary carer, whilst also balancing my own FT job. I've organised an ACAT assessment but in the mean time I'm helping her with admin, chores and errands. Please forgive my financial illiteracy. It has only just occurred to me that I need to start thinking about her finances too.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks all!
ETA: I have enduring POA

IndianSocialists is organizing a series of weekly video conferences titled “Dialogues on Socialism”, addressed by prominent activists and intellectuals of India. The objective of these lectures is to develop a socialist understanding in the Indian context and build an ideological resistance against fascism.
The first conference was held on the issue of “Violence against Women in India”. It was addressed by Professor Roop Rekha Verma. Watch the lecture here. Violence Against Women In India A Discussion with Professor Roop Rekha Verma
The second conference will be held on the issue of “Economic Inequality in India” on May 19, 2024 at 6:30 PM. It will be addressed by Prof Arun Kumar. The conference will be held on Zoom. PM me for an invitation. You can ask your questions here too. The recorded video will be shared after the conference.
Economic inequality in India has reached a historic high. A recent report by the World Inequality Database has revealed that the wealth inequality in India has become worse than the British Raj. The top 1% of the population owns over 40% of the nation's wealth, while the bottom 50% owns less than 7%. Over the last ten years, the number of billionaires in India has more than tripled, while their wealth as a proportion of national income has increased by 2.5 times. The bulk of this increase came when the nation was reeling under the COVID-pandemic and the economic downturn. India is one of the most unequal countries in the world. WiD report has termed the prevailing situation in India as “Billionaire Raj”.
In 2019, the Modi Government slashed the corporation taxes from 30% to 22%. The share of corporate taxes as a percentage of GDP has declined, while the share of indirect taxes, including GST and fuel taxes, has increased. With a regressive taxation policy, the Government has shifted the burden of taxes from the rich to the poor.
Yet, this economic boom for the rich has failed to “trickle-down” to the masses. The Billionaire Raj has been marked by growing joblessness and exploitation of the working classes.
At the same time, the household savings have fallen to a five-decade low, while household debt has reached its highest level. Hunger and malnutrition has pushed the country to 111th place out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index, with three-quarters of the population unable to afford a balanced-diet.
The Billionaire Raj and the rising economic inequality in India has led to a concentration of power in the hands of a few, and now threatens the democracy itself. It is also a betrayal of the promise of economic justice enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution of India.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has tried to paint the demand for economic justice in communal colours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda have tried to mislead the public by terming the demand for economic equality and wealth and inheritance tax on the rich as Maoism.
Prof Arun Kumar retired as the Sukhamoy Chakravarty Chair Professor in the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is the author of “Indian Economy Since Independence: Persisting Colonial Disruption”, “Indian Economy's Greatest Crisis: Impact of Coronavirus and the Road Ahead”, “Ground Scorching Tax”. He prepared the report of People's Commission on Employment and Unemployment, titled “Right to Work: Feasible and Indispensable for India to be a truly Civilized and Democratic Nation”.
Also read,
Is Redistribution of Wealth in India a 'Jumla' or a Necessity?
PS: To know about future conferences, you can subscribe to the Dialogues on Socialism Google calendar.
Or, join the Indian Socialists Google group for email updates.

I have 4 different pensions from the various employers that I have worked for over the last 10-13 years. I’ve never really looked into them much or done much with them to be honest.
But I’m now 35 and realised I need to look into retirement savings in more detail.
How do I work out if it’s best to just keep these pots separate? Or combine them?
Two of them have £2k (People’s Pension) and £4k (Scottish Widows), the other has about £20k (Royal London), and one I’ve lost track of and I’m in the process of recovering access to the online portal at the provider (Hargreaves Lansdown).
Is it best to find an independent pensions advisor who can help me? If you asked me the terms of any of the pensions, I wouldn’t know.

Have a general question? Want to offer some commentary on markets? Maybe you would just like to throw out a neat fact that doesn't warrant a self post? Feel free to post here!
If your question is "I have $10,000, what do I do?" or other "advice for my personal situation" questions, you should include relevant information, such as the following:

• How old are you? What country do you live in?
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• What are your objectives with this money? (Buy a house? Retirement savings?)
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• And any other relevant financial information will be useful to give you a proper answer.

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I've been looking for a job for almost 7 months now. I'm in uni, so I really need a job to stay afloat. I've filled out so many applications and only got 1 interview. That interview went really well and they promised to get in touch with all the applicants in 2 weeks about wether or not you get the job. Well, I started to wait. I waited a week. Then another. When almost 3 weeks had passed I contacted the company about my employment and the next day they offered me a contract. I took it. I FINALLY HAVE A JOB! I've been marveling that for a day now and tomorrow I start my training. I've never had to look for a job before as I used to work for my grandpa until he retired and sold the business. Then my mom did my job hunting for me. Though I never worked those jobs as I was employed by my congregation and got good money. For the first time I've had to do something to get the job. I know my parents are proud of me but they tend to show it by increased attempts of control. (I.e. smothering me with "Let me do this for you...") I want to do things for myself by myself. I've been trying to become more independent from them and have somewhat succeeded. For the first time ever I'm not stuck in my family home in the middle of fckn' nowhere for the whole summer. I would gladly take your advice on things I could do to feel my independence and what to do over the summer when not working, now that I also finally have friends.

Here's my situation: 36yo, British citizen but spent much of my life overseas in various places. Returned to the UK in 2018 for the first time as a working adult. Subsequently, I only have 6 fully paid up years in my national insurance record and I'll need to contribute for another 29 years to receive the full state pension. That doesn't give me a lot of wiggle room, and means I would need to work every single year bar three up until state pension age to receive the full benefit, which I guess can't be guaranteed if you factor in possible unexpected illness, caring duties, moving overseas for a couple of years, etc..
I know I can buy previous missing years for around £824 each, but the deadline for that is fast approaching: from April 2025, the 13 'gap' years I have between 2006-2018 I will no longer have the option of buying.
I'm also looking to buy my first house with my partner early next year. All going to plan it would probably be just before the NI buy back deadline kicks in (and ideally before the stamp duty threshold reverts back up to the lower level...)
I'm trying to weigh up what the smartest thing to do long term/what would give the best return:

• Option1: Take ~£4000 and buy 5 missing years before I lose the option to, giving me more breathing room with the number of remaining years required to contribute (as wouldn't be constrained to working 29 of the next 32 years in the UK and would reach the 35 year NI threshold earlier). That £4000 would then be worth more in retirement than the intial 'investment', assuming I live at least 5 years past 68 which of course is not guaranteed. I also don't really believe that by the time I am of govt sanctioned "retirement age" somewhere around 2056, that the state pension will even exist, or exist in its current form. For my generation, it feels like it will be a fraction of what retirees today enjoy.
  
• Option2: Keep the £4000 in my house deposit fund. Higher deposit = better LTV = better interest rate and lower repayments. That £4000 larger deposit would save me about £7500 in total paid over the life of a 30yr loan by rough calculations and current interest rates. Also, on the ladder a bit sooner, mortgage free sooner maybe... Lower repayments mean more of my income available to invest in other things.
  
• Option3: Take the £4000 and add it to my SIPP, or some other long term S&S ISA, S&P500... let the market do the growing, hope to get 8% returns? That £4k could be £40k over 30 years.
  

Other relevant factors:

• Decent income £90kpa but self employed in semi-volatile industry (Partner has similar income but is salaried.)
• We're hoping to have a combined £85-95k deposit (exclusing fees etc) by beginning of next year, for a ~550k property. My portion of the deposit will be around £60k. I will have more to cover fees, plus an emergency savings fund.
• My current pension situation is not great for my age: £8k in a SIPP I just started 6mo ago, and about £20k in other pension pots in other countries I've lived in. I'm aggresively contributing to SIPP now and plan to continue.
• No health concerns
• No kids
• I love where I live now, but I've always enjoyed living in other countries and I can't imagine myself exlusively living/working in the UK for the next 30+ years. This is kind of the only thing that makes buying missing NI years make any sense to me - to 'buy' myself more opportunities outside of the UK during my working years.

Am I missing something really obvious? If I moved overseas for 5 years at some point in the next couple of decades, could I just voluntarily contribute NI each of those years to keep myself on track to reach the 35 year threshold? Is state pension kind of a waste of time and I'd be better investing my money/time into the sharemarket? Should I not worry about increasing my deposit by such a small amount cos inflation and property price increase eats the 'real' cost of the mortgage in the long run? Will the sun blow up before any of this is relevant and I should just enjoy my life?! Help!