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Old 11-28-2012, 07:39 PM
 
Location: 40 miles north of Bangor, Maine
264 posts, read 758,646 times
Reputation: 385

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Quote:
Originally Posted by WantsToBeAMainer View Post
Doing research on the Excise Tax, I don't see it being such a HUGE deal.


My husband and I were born and raised in south Jersey (right outside of Philly so we must have been your "neighbors" -- our entire families still live there) We bought our house here in Maine in 2008 and moved from south Jersey to northern Maine with our 3 children (and animals). We have been here for quite a few years now and, the excise tax is NOT a HUGE deal. I have a new car and he has an older car. My new car has a higher excise tax, but it jumps down quickly each year. When new it was 410.00 in my town for excise AND registration for the year. My husbands was just 103.00 for both. In NJ, we paid about 100 for registration anyway but no excise tax.... HOWEVER.... we saved MORE with the cost difference in car insurance. Our car insurance cut in HALF when we moved here... so that more than made up for the excise tax.

Also... with savings of us paying 5,000.00 per year on property taxes in NJ for a SMALL townhouse... and now we pay 1,400 for a 38 acre lot with a large house on it.... Well... We have never once complained about excise tax....

It is ALL perception from what your used to and what you paid prior to living here.
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Old 11-28-2012, 09:54 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,443 posts, read 61,360,276 times
Reputation: 30387
Quote:
Originally Posted by WantsToBeAMainer View Post
Doing research on the Excise Tax, I don't see it being such a HUGE deal.
Is isn't a big deal.

When we moved to Maine, we found that the registration fees, road taxes, excise tax, inspection fees were actually much less than what we had been paying.

The locals LOVE to whine about how 'high' the fees are, so let them whine.



Quote:
... I remember growing up, vacationing throughout the beautiful state, asking my family why people were so nice. That's the major difference between the two states that I notice right away. The people in Maine are amazing.

As far as rent, it looks like most apartments include heat and hot water and still come out lower then what we are paying now.
I agree.
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Old 11-28-2012, 10:00 PM
 
Location: Central Maine
1,473 posts, read 3,199,936 times
Reputation: 1296
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newdaawn View Post
No one ever "forfits" money they have paid into Social Security. I think in recent years teachers have choices as to what retirement fund they invest in. You would have to contact the State Board of Education in Augusta to get good answers for that.
Well, there are situations where you would forfeit all what you paid into SS, and many others where you would forfeit most. The SS offset provision penalizes anyone that trys to collect SS and any other government pension. If you don't have the quarters to collect SS, you will forfeit all of what you've put into it. If you do, you will only get a small percentage of the SS you would be entitled to if you weren't collecting a government pension.

But don't feel bad, you can collect ALL the government penisons you want. I know someone that got a disability from the military, then got one from the federal government (as an employee), and plans to work for the state. Wanna guess how that's going to go
.
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Old 11-29-2012, 11:15 AM
 
Location: West Deptford, NJ
4 posts, read 7,768 times
Reputation: 14
Awesome feedback so far from you all, much appreciated! Please keep it coming!

Here's the next question: Can you give me the pro's and con's of these cities in which we are thinking of moving to?

Portland
Lewiston
Waterville
Augusta
Camden
Belfast
Bangor
Orono

Thanks!
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Old 11-29-2012, 11:40 AM
 
332 posts, read 990,395 times
Reputation: 241
Quote:
Originally Posted by bangorme View Post
Well, there are situations where you would forfeit all what you paid into SS, and many others where you would forfeit most. The SS offset provision penalizes anyone that trys to collect SS and any other government pension. If you don't have the quarters to collect SS, you will forfeit all of what you've put into it. If you do, you will only get a small percentage of the SS you would be entitled to if you weren't collecting a government pension.
Hmmm...my wife has had an "on the books" job since the age of 14 (she's 28 now) so I'm not sure if she has enough quarters in or not, but regardless, now I understand how it works.
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Old 11-29-2012, 05:30 PM
 
1,883 posts, read 2,892,323 times
Reputation: 2082
This post is in response to the topic of Social Security vs. teacher's pension in Maine. There are threads on CD with lots of details btw....try the search feature. Under normal circumstances, a person is eligible for social security if they have paid in for 40 quarter/10 years.

Working for the State of Maine and being eligible for a state pension isn't normal 40 quarter/10 year circumstances. Once a person is hired as a teacher in Maine, no social security is deducted. There are several states who decided to handle this in a similar manner. When the Maine teacher is eligible for a pension, he/she will be penalized if he/she wants to collect both the teacher pension AND the social security....one of them may be cut as much as half.

On the other hand, if a person has paid in to social security for 120 quarters/30 years and then becomes a teacher in Maine, the rules differ for the collection of the pension AND the social security amount. If you don't believe me, feel free to research the topic further.
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Old 11-29-2012, 05:35 PM
 
1,883 posts, read 2,892,323 times
Reputation: 2082
Quote:
Originally Posted by WantsToBeAMainer View Post
Awesome feedback so far from you all, much appreciated! Please keep it coming!

Here's the next question: Can you give me the pro's and con's of these cities in which we are thinking of moving to?

Portland
Lewiston
Waterville
Augusta
Camden
Belfast
Bangor
Orono

Thanks!
You seem like a very nice person and please don't take this the wrong way. Search the forum for each of these towns. There is much info out there. HOWEVER, J-O-B-S should be your number one concern. You may not find jobs in any of the towns listed although I would think yours and your GF's best chances (more job opportunities) would be in the Portland area. (think J-O-B-S unless you have enough money not to need them)
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Old 11-29-2012, 05:59 PM
 
332 posts, read 990,395 times
Reputation: 241
Quote:
Originally Posted by mainegrl2011 View Post
This post is in response to the topic of Social Security vs. teacher's pension in Maine. There are threads on CD with lots of details btw....try the search feature. Under normal circumstances, a person is eligible for social security if they have paid in for 40 quarter/10 years.

Working for the State of Maine and being eligible for a state pension isn't normal 40 quarter/10 year circumstances. Once a person is hired as a teacher in Maine, no social security is deducted. There are several states who decided to handle this in a similar manner. When the Maine teacher is eligible for a pension, he/she will be penalized if he/she wants to collect both the teacher pension AND the social security....one of them may be cut as much as half.

On the other hand, if a person has paid in to social security for 120 quarters/30 years and then becomes a teacher in Maine, the rules differ for the collection of the pension AND the social security amount. If you don't believe me, feel free to research the topic further.
On the contrary-that's the clearest explanation I've seen yet! Thank you
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Old 11-29-2012, 06:24 PM
 
Location: Near a river
16,042 posts, read 21,964,746 times
Reputation: 15773
Quote:
Originally Posted by WantsToBeAMainer View Post
Awesome feedback so far from you all, much appreciated! Please keep it coming!

Here's the next question: Can you give me the pro's and con's of these cities in which we are thinking of moving to?

Portland
Lewiston
Waterville
Augusta
Camden
Belfast
Bangor
Orono

Thanks!

With the kind of jobs you are looking for, and your youth, I would choose Portland or Bangor.

Check out the "advanced search" on Job Search | one search. all jobs. Indeed.com

Winters are no worse than where you are.

Good luck.
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Old 11-29-2012, 10:43 PM
 
3,925 posts, read 4,127,052 times
Reputation: 4999
Quote:
Originally Posted by mainegrl2011 View Post
On the other hand, if a person has paid in to social security for 120 quarters/30 years and then becomes a teacher in Maine, the rules differ for the collection of the pension AND the social security amount. If you don't believe me, feel free to research the topic further.
This is permanent status. once you put funds into social security for 30 years, at the dollar numbers in each year that they specify, which really means any full time job, then you cannot have your SS taken away.

I know of a teacher who taught in New Your for 20 years, came to Maine to be a teacher, and taught for only a year, and lost their ENTIRE SS PENSION.

Its nasty. Maine teachers and a few other states have this situation. There are many states which do not. Congress has so far resisted fixing it.
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