Bogleheads.org

Independent George

To answer the original question, yes, I do think about de-risking at some point. However, this is a function of personal net worth rather than market prices. The market going up so rapidly has surely brought a lot of people closer to their ultimate financial goals. So, we have much more to lose by ...

Independent George

well, they are living with you now, and they will be living with you after you move. so there's your plan. Except they keep saying "Maybe only for a year or two";) Based on this (and your followup posts), I think that means they're staying, but just can't say so outright because of a cult...

Independent George

Can you rent a larger house until things are decided one way or another? How much would that cost compared to renting two small homes? I would not want to commit to buying until I knew for certain what you would be doing. At your combined salaries, you should still be able to save around 40k in cash...

Independent George

The best answer: it depends. Besides the obvious comparison of PITA (less tax * itemized deductions minus standard deduction) vs rent + renters insurance, there are other factors to consider. If you were to buy a house, where would it be? How long of a commute would it be to where you work? How many...

Independent George

I have a confession to make: I panicked yesterday because of these all time highs. Liquidated my entire 401k, including my “fun money” positions, and put it all back into Wellesley, which is where it all was until about 9 months ago. Now I don’t need to watch it gyrate. So you sold it out of one al...

Independent George

I turned 44 this year. Looking back over the last 20+ years, I've been able to handle market risk without undue worry, at least partly because I've always held on to a substantial cash reserve to get me through tough times. On the other hand, I've never experienced a period of high inflation. I tech...

Independent George

The thing about non-stick coatings - high heat damages it over time. So, I'm not sure you should be doing stir fry in a "non-stick" pan... the repeated use of high heat will cause the pan to 'wear out' sooner. Just pointing that out... I missed that part of the OP - yeah, that is definite...

Independent George

T-Fal Titanium . This is the first nonstick pan I've had that has managed to remain without a scratch for over a year. I do my best to take care of it, but I make omelettes pretty often and the pan has seen heavy use, and it's lasted far better than any other nonstick pan I've used. Also: ignore wh...

Independent George

We wiped out the rest of our mortgage this week. Feels great and just wanted to share with the community as I plan on keeping this relatively quiet in my personal life. Wife and I never made over 120k combined HHI, 35/34 year old electrician and x-ray tech with two kids. Low cost of living state wi...

Independent George

Honestly, that sounds like an awful deal. You should be able to refinance into a 15 year at around 2.375% or at the very worst 2.5% with it costing you nothing, so you break even immediately. You're not going to get the 1.875% and 2% deals, netting you $2500 at closing like some of us did a couple ...

Independent George

My current bank offered me a new (re-cast) 15y mortgage at 2.805%, no lender fees. I still have to pay for title insurance, which seems ridiculous given that I've lived here since 2007 and I'm refinancing through the same bank, but it is what it is; I should break even in 15 months. The loan is bein...

Independent George

Mathematically, it makes sense to take out a 2.8% and invest it; in practical terms, I would not ever voluntarily go back into debt once I was out of it. With a $300k income and no mortgage payment, why not just invest your excess income each month? Taking out a loan just increases your risk for ver...

Independent George

The utility of the dog DNA test is exactly the same as for human DNA tests: 99% entertainment, 1% for contributing to aggregate genetic data which might one day be medically useful someday. I used Wisdom Panel for my dog, and the results came back as primarily as 'Canaan Dog' - which is basically a ...

Independent George

25 times annual expenses is one good rule of thumb. I've heard some folks advise 30x. Finance gurus like Dave Ramsey advises 10 times annual income. Is he selling a magical fantasy number to people that would be hopelessly discouraged 25x expenses? Or is 10X a mental tipping point that gets most pe...

Independent George

LateStarter1975 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 1:38 pm
finite_difference wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:02 am My NW was basically 0 until 29. And that’s only because my parents paid for college.
My NW was negative $30,000 at age 35! I'm 46 now and I'm not complaining.

I went from $145k at age 30 (2007), to -$15k at 31 (2008). I never want to go into negative numbers ever again.

Independent George

I'm looking for some reassurance, and to better manage my expectations. My family's networth is less than a million (not counting my daughter's Coverdell). I see posts here from people in their 30s with 1.5 million in investments, people in their 20s with 6 figures in assets etc, "windfalls&qu...

Independent George

Do people seriously eat vegetables without washing them?

Independent George

Wow, I'm genuinely surprised by all the issues with the ASUS boards; they've historically made solid hardware, but that's a worrying large number of data points on the same product.

Independent George

Don't overthink it: if you're replacing a Macbook, and you had no problems with it, just get another Macbook. Apple makes it easy to migrate your data from one machine to another, and there's no point in learning a new system when there's a perfectly good one right there in front of you. This is com...

Independent George

My favorite go to link regarding saving $200 a month and investing in the index illustrates the outcome for the trio of Sarah (invested every month for her entire working career), Brittany (only bought at market bottoms) and Tiffany (only bought at market tops)... https://imgur.com/gallery/BlK4jzM ...

Independent George

Can anyone confirm if the income phaseout is based on AGI, or on gross income? Also, is that based on 2019, or on 2020?

Independent George

I am 80 years old and have a equities:fixed income split of about 80:20. Additionally, I hold real estate about equal in value to my financial assets. I can afford to lose 90% of my net worth and still not decrease my standard of living for well beyond my actuarial life expectancy. And about 90% of...

Independent George

As others have noted, it's not a straight either/or proposition. You can work in another finance/accounting position outside of the big corporate environment, and will probably be happier while making similar (if not better) income. Or you can work part-time as a contractor and spend more time at ho...

Independent George

It honestly sounds like you are trying to game the loan forgiveness terms despite earning more than enough to pay off your debts and save for retirement. It might be within the bounds of the agreement, but I find that about as ethical as serial bankruptcy filings, and don't agree with it regardless ...

Independent George

LL Bean watches... dollar for dollar the best... I had one for 22 years and lost it surfing, current LL Bean classic easy to read watch-- I have been wearing for 28 years. I beat the heck out of them and they just keep working.Love them. Those old LL Bean Hamilton Khaki field watches from the 1980s...

Independent George

Honestly, I've found a simple plunger clears out slow drains and stoppages better than chemical drain cleaners; I use those for regular maintenance. If you're feeling spendy, commercial properties often use a kinetic water ram.

Independent George

If you don't like the look of a Casio, or if you just want a more traditional-looking watch, my first choice is a Citizen's Eco-Drive. They are solar, but they don't have a charge level indicator, so you need to be careful about giving them enough daylight, especially during the winter months. They...

Independent George

Awww yeah - tomorrow's payday!

Independent George

someone in administration at my place of employment spilled the beans about my 401k balance, newly appointed president of company angrily informed me, that my balance was highest in plan, way higher than all other participants. This situation is creating a lot of conflict with fellow employees, eve...

Independent George

eshkidd wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:18 pm What if you're a software tech employee with keen insights into trends, future tech, and vaporware?

Isn't that insider trading if you have material non-public knowledge about specific tech?

Independent George

I know lots of people ignore last March but in my mind it was a bear market just like any other. See what you did then and evaluate accordingly. One issue is that it was so short-lived that it gave many of us (including me) some 'false positive' signals about the length of bear markets and the quic...

Independent George

I live in a condo in a megacity, so I don't have any personal advice, but based on this video, I'd say your work is cut out for you...

Independent George

Scan/save all receipts to pdf, then back up all files - once to another local drive, and another to the cloud. Take notes on each expense if the receipt does not include details.

Independent George

If after all these years you couldn't convince them to go DIY, I don't think you're going to be able to do it now. It's probably best to just leave them be - they're consenting adults who can make their own decisions whether you agree with it or not.

Independent George

I figured he was doing it as a hedge - both against crazy followers that might think he misled them for his own gain and against the government who might come after him if they think he doesn't just like the stock. Maybe I'm wrong though and he really does just like the stock. :happy $2M is probabl...

Independent George

Ceviche - though I imagine getting ahold of truly fresh fish just as much of a problem right now.

Guacamole is always great.

Independent George

The OP explicitly asked for "an inexpensive yet reliable and classy-looking men's analog watch"; I get that everyone has a different idea on what constitutes "inexpensive", but I can't help but feel everyone suggesting luxury brands like Rolex are either just flexing, or didn't b...

Independent George

DTCC guy? Not on the witness list. Ok, then I have no idea who was talking; I was listening to audio only, so I inferred based on testimony. Someone went into pretty good detail about why the collateral requirements were raised and the risks from high volatility. It sounded like he was from DTCC. E...

Independent George

I think it's someone from Reddit making the point that people on TV give all kinds of crazy investing advice for all kinds of reasons, whereas discussions on Reddit actually involves a lot of community feedback and vetting. I actually agree with this completely. Now there's (finally) a really good q...

Independent George

Full disclosure - I'm pausing and resuming repeatedly while I also work, so my timestamps won't match anyone else's. Two hours in, we finally get the first questions about 140% short positions, order flow, and capitalization at RH. The answers are largely non-answers (as usual), but I find it hilari...

Independent George

I need to watch the video so I can see who's asking the questions. One congressman just mocked the hearing as political theater (which I love) before going on with his own dumb leading question about whether retail investing is gambling. DFV's testimony is the best and most candid of everyone.

Independent George

Congressional hearings are abolutely amazing at showing off how dumb and out of touch our congressmen are. I just listened to one ask if Robin Hood does anything to ensure that people are trading based on financial research, and not just social media.

Seriously? That's what they're focused on?

Independent George

If you're willing to go up to the $500 range, the Casio Oceanus is probably the best in class for what you're looking for. There are lots of options to choose from, they're durable as heck, solar powered, and radio-synch to whichever atomic clock is in your region. For under $500, I'll echo others w...

Independent George

I never tracked this. I wish I had. This thread both depresses me, and also motivates me to do better. I'm at almost $1.1 million at age 40. Why would you be depressed being a 40 year old Millionaire? This jusy shows how far from the norm Booglehead demographics are. Comparison is the thief of joy....

Independent George

queso wrote: ↑Wed Feb 17, 2021 5:53 pm
firebirdparts wrote: ↑Wed Feb 17, 2021 5:42 pm It's Iovin, looks like, with an "I".

Not that anything about people's names would surprise me.
oh...now it isn't so funny.

Number two, it doesn't even have a first name - it just says 'McLovin'!"

Independent George

I will only ever buy Darn Tough socks from now on. Yes, they're expensive (the cheapest ones are $18). They're still worth it. They are by the most comfortable and durable socks I've ever owned, and they come with a lifetime guarantee ; when they wear out, you can send them back, and they will repla...

Independent George

I am posting this on a $2,500 work provided Thinkpad X1 Carbon, which is its flagship model and is the perennial laptop award winner. I've also used various work provided Thinkpad models for dozens of years. Over the past couple of years, Lenovo has been using a ton of different suppliers for its T...

Independent George

After looking at the current stock markets indexes rise at such a great rate over such a short period of time, I would think that something has to give. Not saying that a crash is around the corner, but maybe a plateau. Seems that the Nasdaq 100 and Russell 2000 are a bit out of control. Surely val...

Independent George

So, I had a busy day at work today, and until just this moment, I'd completely forgotten I'd left FAH running the entire time. It's not that the fans are silent while the CPU is set on Eco-mode - fan noise is definitely noticeable when I think about it - but it's quiet and unobtrusive enough that I ...

Independent George

Bank said they would investigate and he wouldn't be liable but it took something like 2 months before he had that money refunded to him. If he was someone living paycheck to paycheck, that could've been financially detrimental. It could be detrimental even if you have plenty saved. My mortgage paym...

Search found 1206 matches