Just get it in writing, and keep a paper trail. I eventually paid if off in a lump sum after two years of $25 a month payments. Also, look into any kind of charities they have through the hospital. $500 of my bill was canceled since I was low income/no insurance.

Good luck!!

For what its worth, Roth 401ks are really only partial Roths, if you get an employer match or already had pre-tax money in the 401k account, which is what it sounds like here. Upon withdrawal, you need to calculate the percentage that is pre-tax and pay taxes on that.
This provision makes me not so interested in a Roth401k, sounds messy later in life when I’m going to start withdrawing.

For example, if you are over 50 having a paid off home in 10 years as you near retirment is great. Or if you have children starting college in 10 years. OTOH if you are younger and might have children in a few years, the smaller 30 year mortage gives you more flexibility to stay at home or pay for emergencies.

This is so true, and unfortunately forgotten by far too many people these days. I see so many posts about “Repuglicans” “Teabaggers” “Libtards” and “Democraps” from people that could care less about rational discussion of the problems we have and simply want to attack others, usually with an obviously limited understanding of the ones they are going after.

I used to be a staunch Republican. These days I’m mostly an Independent. I don’t care for a number of the things the Democrats seem to like to push for, but I’m not about to demonize them. Heck, I don’t care that much for the direction the Republicans are going and feel many of them are painting themselves into a corner.

As for the Tea Party, I somewhat agree with them that the government is overspending and definitely agree the debts we have (just factoring in the current debt, and ignoring the various projections for promises that haven’t actually hit the books that people like to toss around to make the numbers bigger/more impressive) are unsustainable. But I disagree that cutting spending, and specifically cutting deep this very instant, is the only possible solution. We do need to cut spending, but we really have little choice but to also increase revenue someplace. And we have to do both in such a way we don’t make this recession even worse.

Unfortunately too many people have become so embittered that they are quick to demonize anyone who even slightly disagrees with them on almost any topic. And when they do “discuss” things, it quickly turns into a shouting match simply because they don’t want to hear what someone else has to say, but want to force others to listen to them.

I foresee an interesting discussion here, so I’m going to jump right in.

First, I’m not sure who you had in mind in the first sentence, who’s using terms like “evil” to describe anyone and everyone who disagrees with them. But when you belong to a group that a politician, by his or her words and actions, has shown to regard as second-class citizens, or even less than fully human, branding the politician as “evil” is something I can understand. It’s not just a point of abstract disagreement when they’re talking about you.

Second, the reality of politics these days is that it really is the Red Team versus the Blue Team, and that the Red Team bears most of the responsibility for making it that way. Rather than using the standard approach of selling their ideas on their own merits, Republicans have taken to threatening harm to the country (and to portions of the country, like the ones recently devastated by Hurricane Irene) if they don’t get what they want. They’d rather see the country fail than the Democratic President succeed. That is not an attitude that’s conducive to getting together and solving some problems.

It’s true that you may be hit with some irregular expenses that the substantially equal periodic payments will not cover. But that’s the case before you retired as well – that’s why you have an emergency fund. And since your emergency fund does not disappear the day you retire, you can continue to use it to cover any irregular expenses that may arise.

To answer the part of Matt’s question that Trent missed: You can fund an early retirement using regular retirement accounts. Look up “substantially equal periodic payments” for more information. So there is no need to put any of your retirement savings in a taxable account.

Another great way to keep things toned down, which has worked for a number of my friends & family, is to throw (or attend) a party similar to the kind your family usually has, for a birthday or other holiday or some celebration excuse, then announce at the party that (1) you are already married [at city hall, Vegas, or wherever] & this is your reception, or (2) you have a celebrant there & get married right then.