Beyond annoying

Have been having a one-sided correspondence non-battle with a huge insurance company in Arizona. They bought the company that had one of my annuities and I can't get them to respond to my letters, not to speak of giving me my money. All I have heard from them is some dumb thing about them cancelling my Express Scrips card. I don't have an Express Scrips card. I am not insured with them. I Have An Annuity and I want it back. I didn't object to the original company moving and then moving again in the least. Their service was still great and I trusted them, well, as much as I trust any financial institution. When they were bought out, without a "what do you think" or any notice of any kind from them or their purchaser, I decided enough was enough. I want those funds back so I can put them somewhere they will be doing some good, not sitting around like they are now. My frustration with their non-reponsiveness is such that I am writing them another letter, requiring instructions on how to close the account and get my funds and those instructions will be given in 10 business days from mailing date. I will tell them, right out, that if I hear nothing from them in that time, I am referring their company and this matter to the state commissioner of insurance. I will follow through, too.

Also dealing with a 10 day old mess that has proceeded from an account number mixup. I'm no financial or mathematical genius but there is no way my balance and the institution's balances can be that far apart. Not only that, one of the balances is fluctuating up and down like a proverbial jack-in-the-box. It's making me nervous. Especially considering there is a twelve hundred dollar check out there that hasn't cleared. If nothing else, this will keep me from having to clip my nails as I am currently chewing them down to the quick.

I was looking at Himself's check stub last night and wondering why in the world there is so much (over 25%) being witheld. Turns out Mr. genius decided not to take any exemptions or deductions so he would "get more money back after taxes." Well, sure, dude, that would work just fine if you manage to get that last couple of grand in child support* paid off. If you don't? The govmunt will take every last cent of that windfall and you'll have royally screwed yourself and me. He gave me one of those deer-in-the-headlights looks and said he hadn't thought of that... men.

I must say, even in light of current events and economic woes, we are much better situated than so many others. We have managed to hold on to, and even increase a bit, a small financial pad. We own this house free and clear, no car payments, no credit cards (even though that has messed up my credit rating something fierce), we don't live expecting lots of "things" and "stuff" and we eat out so rarely it's a treat when we do manage it. We did redo the downstairs and most of the upstairs last year** and our bathroom the year before that but stopped there. I would love to have a new kitchen that actually functions as a working kitchen but that is a luxury I am not allowing myself. Finding a job would relieve my mind a lot, as well. I remain hopeful and will keep looking.***



* The child support is an issue that we don't talk about casually. The circumstances infuriate everyone and we don't need that kind of aggravation. At least he finally got off his bum and petitioned for suspension of the payments. This wasn't until 10 months after he should have had it done which is the exact amount of back support he now owes.
** All that wasn't so much because we simply couldn't live with it as it was, nor is it because we "just wanted to do it," nor because we were keeping up with the neighbors. It was solely because my allergies were being aggravated by old, dirty carpet and mold in various places, including the bathroom. We have 2 rooms left, this one and our bedroom, where the original carpet is in place. We will take that out sometime in future but, for now, have eased off from any non-essential expenditures. It would be better for my allergies to have it all gone but I can live with those much easier than I can live with an increasing sense of insecurity about making it through.
*** Last job I had took 6 months to find. Just how this sector works and getting older doesn't make it any easier to find something.