A Penny for My Thoughts October 17, 2003January 22, 2017 GETTING YOUR 403(b) INTO BETTER HANDS A Former Employee of American Century Investments: ‘Tuesday, you explained how 403(b) participants can instruct their employers to pass their contributions through to the mutual fund of their choice. One of your readers then wrote: ‘I called American Century to ask about this, and they never heard of it. ‘ American Century (ACI) operates in divisions. The communication between them can be really spotty. If your reader remains committed to ACI funds, he should call back and ask to talk to someone in ‘Institutional’… and preferably a ‘TRS’ (Team Resource Specialist).’ AND YOUR 401(k)? Les Rosenbaum: ‘Does this apply to 401(k) plans?’ ☞ Sadly . . . no. NEW ENGLANDERS: ONE-THIRD OF A CENT A MINUTE Robert Pistey: ‘Yes, this is true. No strings, no fees. Ten bucks buys you 3000 minutes of long distance. Scroll down the left column to select Talk 1000 minutes. Then choose the 10 dollar recharge option. This is cheapest I’ve found. International rates are unbeatable also (2 cents/minute to Europe). Click here.’ ☞ The catch seems to be that for those outside New England, who can’t initiate their calls via a local number, there is a six-cent-a-minute charge for using an 800-number. SO, FOR THE COST OF A THREE-MINUTE CALL . . . Gray Chang: ‘Here’s another money-saving tip for your readers. If they want a copy of your book, My Vast Fortune, it is available used from amazon.com for a very reasonable price. Right now there’s a copy available for 1 cent (plus shipping). I got my copy for 50 cents.’ ☞ Ah, but at least my work fetches something. That’s more than Gray can say for his work. ‘In the 1980s [he continues] I sold computer games for $20. Now I am trying to give away these same games for free, and nobody is taking them. In fact, I am offering a cash prize just to try a game! If you have a minute, please take a look at The Dog Daze Home Page at: concentric.net/~ktchang.’ OK, it turns out Gray is not offering a very big prize – two bucks. (Does he live on a tiny little planet where books sell for a penny and cash prizes are $2 and even the basketball players are only half an inch tall?) But, Gray says, ‘I spent several months of my young life writing my masterpiece computer game, Bumpomov’s Dogs, but almost nobody has seen it.’ Hey – check it out! HE DOESN’T KNOW IT, BUT WE HAVE ACTUALLY BUGGED BILL BARON’S BREAKFAST NOOK Bill Baron: ‘The breakfast conversation today at our house: 1. My 403(b) plan, the high-expense choices it offers, and the roadblocks I was encountering in trying to move the accumulated funds. 2. Where to find an inexpensive fax service on the web? Now, after reading today’s posting: 1. Rev. Ruling 90-24 solves the problem, and 403bwise.com was extremely helpful. 2. OneSuite.com offers a fax service for $1 a month. Thanks for the personalized help.’