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I was just talking about this with a friend the other day. We both agreed that to date, it was the most fun either of us have had with a computer football game. Watching your fictional players develop,get hurt etc added an rpg-like element that was addictive. I am surprised and disappointed no one has made a comparable modern version.

My experience was similar. I sold a 2006 to them that had major visible rust issues. The KBB was 1650, they gave me 1600. I was surprised they bought it at all to be honest.

Not to mention I find Spotify's discover weekly feature to be worth at least 50% of it's monthly cost. Every week it generates a 30-song playlist tailored to my tastes and I end up saving probably 10 of those songs on average to my collection. I find it to be really well done.

Although I agree with you that many pension funds have been mismanaged, it's not 100% your fault if your 401k plan only offers poorly-performing, high fee funds as many do. I'm not sure either model is a good solution going forward.

* I use hourly mostly because it is common and is met with the least resistance. Either way, raise your rate at least a little after each gig. Don't get complacent, just keep ratcheting it up.

* I've actually been blessed with a great accountant. He's saved me thousands over the years and sent letters to the IRS on my behalf clearing up a couple issues along the way. I would look for someone who specializes in small, professional service firms that is used and referred by people in your area. If they tell you they don't think you should organize as an LLC, look elsewhere.

* Starting out I used recruiting firms. They have the advantage of an established network and getting you paid every 2-weeks. The disadvantage of course is they take a cut. Their first ask will always be a low-ball hoping they can get a huge margin. Always try to get them to make the first offer and always ask for more. You'd be surprised how much room they have to negotiate up most of the time. As I've made connections over the years I've relied more on my network, but I'll still use an agency to fill the gaps. Also, boutique consulting agencies can be great for sub-contract work. They often need to staff up for a project they just landed, but don't want to take on full-timers and they usually command excellent rates.

I've been doing contract work since 2004

* LLC with S-Corp designation. This is very tax-advantaged vs. Sole Proprietor.

* Currently, I'm mostly on-site for one client.

* 1-person shop.

* I have an accountant. You want a good, small business accountant.

* I buy health insurance for my family through the ACA exchange. It's very expensive so make sure you factor it into your rate.

I've had 2 FT gigs that lasted 6 months each since 2004 and regretted it both times. If you can handle having to network and interview frequently you can make more money with more flexibility as a contract developer.

I've been doing freelance/contract work since 2004. My advice would be to start by doing hourly contract work through agencies/recruiting firms. It's not glamorous, but it initially saves you from having to worry about sales and collecting the money, perhaps the two most stressful parts of freelancing. You'll get a check every two weeks and develop contacts in different organizations. Find an accountant that specializes in professional services and set yourself up as an LLC and do the work with a corp-to-corp arrangement. Once you get comfortable and have some reliable clients you can cut out the middlemen.

The definitions of most Americans doesn't matter in this case. What's in the proposed congressional bills matters.

Why would you be shocked? There's all sorts of nasty things in these tax proposals for the less than wealthy. They are looking everywhere they can to find offsets to make the tax cuts for the donor class work under the budget rules.

Agreed. I'm 47 and I get hit up every week for good positions. Today I make more than I ever have. When I was 27 I was working at a Big Corp that laid off a good portion of their 60+ year old COBOL programmers. The devs that couldn't retire were all snapped up by other companies as pretty highly paid contractors. The Valley isn't the whole industry. Ageism is a thing for sure, but I think it's much less prevalent outside of startups and will not keep you from earning a living after 40 or 50 or even 60.

I briefly had a Facebook account years ago before deciding I didn't like it. I deleted/deactivated my account. About 6 months ago I received an email saying that 'someone' had reactivated my account and that if it wasn't me I should log in and visit the help center. My old password still worked and there had been no activity. I strongly suspect this was an attempt by FB to get me back on board.

I have no evidence other than a person that works in claims for an insurance company looked at my claim, drafted a letter citing relevant statutes and the bill went away.

I agree that an attorney only makes sense if you're facing a significant bill. On a smaller bill I would go to the hospital billing department and negotiate.

I had this same thing happen. My daughter was admitted via ER and it turned into a 6 day stay. At the end we received a bill for 40k for being out of network. Luckily I have friends in the industry and it turns out if they fail to inform you within 48 hours that you're not in network you don't have to pay the out of network cost. We ended up paying just our deductible after a letter was drafted. Do not take what the hospital/insurance Co say at face value. Call an attorney.

I'm over 40 and have been doing contract/freelance work for 15 years. The very simple but unglamorous advice on getting started that you never see is to get a few initial gigs through agencies. You'll give up some of your rate but you don't have to worry about sales or getting paid on time. Then just deliver and be a pro. Before you know it you'll have a network in your area that you can start relying on.