Search found 157 matches

by The Stone Wall
Tue Mar 26, 2024 9:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite protein powder for shakes at home?
Replies: 75
Views: 3268

Re: Favorite protein powder for shakes at home?

Check out Levels Grass Fed 100% Whey Protein. It has few added ingredients and no sucralose. The last two containers have not mixed as well as previous ones for some reason, but the flavor is good. I purchase from Amazon.
by The Stone Wall
Sun Mar 17, 2024 12:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to fix sewer back up?
Replies: 28
Views: 1897

Re: How to fix sewer back up?

Generally speaking, the sewer system is a gravity flow system. All of the water/sewage has to flow 'downhill'. If there is a clog in the line and you run/flush water into the system it could back up into your lower pipes. However, you said you 'woke up' to water in your downstairs. If nobody used water prior to the event, then the water/sewage came from the main in the street. Were any of these events associated with a recent large rainfall event? Many older homes have their sump pumps (and sometimes their downspouts) tied to the sewer system. If this is the case in your neighborhood, and many of your upstream neighbors have sumps/downspouts attached to the sewer system, you may be in a location where backflow into homes is a frequent occur...
by The Stone Wall
Fri Feb 09, 2024 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tubs in new build cracked, do I have a case for replacement from builder?
Replies: 13
Views: 1265

Re: Tubs in new build cracked, do I have a case for replacement from builder?

Is the floor structurally sound? The squeaking while walking is a concern. What structural members are under that area?
by The Stone Wall
Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 4 1/2 mo rental Denver helping daughter of dear friend
Replies: 21
Views: 2519

Re: 4 1/2 mo rental Denver helping daughter of dear friend

I don't know if this is helpful or not, but the area seems to be served by the R-LINE of the regional transportation system.
by The Stone Wall
Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thinking of moving to Denver
Replies: 59
Views: 6762

Re: Thinking of moving to Denver

Douglas County just south of Denver is one of the healthiest and richest counties in the US. I have family in the area and it is beautiful but we tend to somehow always seem to visit when the blizzard is about hit! :D
by The Stone Wall
Sat Jan 06, 2024 11:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Purchase new car in 2024
Replies: 47
Views: 7879

Re: Purchase new car in 2024

I think the salesperson is trying to make a quick sale in trying to talk you out of the hybrid because they are less available. Your low mileage indicates a lot of short trips that likely comes from city driving. The difference in mileage is 32 mpg-non hybrid and 51 mpg-hybrid for your comparison. That is a huge difference. I think you should strongly consider the hybrid option.
by The Stone Wall
Sun Nov 26, 2023 4:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Buying a House with Foundation Issues
Replies: 26
Views: 3281

Re: Buying a House with Foundation Issues

Sounds like the home was built entirely on fill of some sort that was not adequately compacted. I would want a complete engineering analysis with some confirmation about soil stability. Without knowing what the problem is, I wouldn't trust any of the proposed fixes. The fixes proposed are simply throwing money at the problem.
by The Stone Wall
Wed Nov 08, 2023 11:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2024 Honda CRV Hybrid mileage
Replies: 73
Views: 16172

Re: 2024 Honda CRV Hybrid mileage

The gas version of the CRV uses a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine whereas the hybrid uses a 2.0 liter in combination with the motors. This is a simplification, but at high speeds the CRV acts a lot like a traditional car and its basically the difference between the two engines and the 1.5 liter is both smaller and a bit more efficient than the 2.0 liter engine. At lower speeds (city driving), the battery and motor combination can allow the 2.0 liter engine to be turned off and therefore increase gas mileage. The Toyota RAV4 uses a different engine/motor system that allows more fuel efficiency at highway speeds. Although they are both great cars, I chose the RAV4 because of this. I'm amazed at the amount of time that the RAV4 is operating off ...
by The Stone Wall
Fri Oct 27, 2023 8:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: House plan review
Replies: 66
Views: 6424

Re: House plan review

What scale is this nursery business? I'm starting to think the garage needs to much bigger if you don't have some sort of other structure. Do you have any equipment such as a small utility tractor, gator, any other tools that require storage?

Two items of note: There a a lot of windows at the second floor level in the open ceiling living room. Do you expect to have storage in or make use of that 'third floor" attic space?
by The Stone Wall
Fri Oct 27, 2023 8:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Statistics Question
Replies: 25
Views: 1545

Re: Statistics Question

Let’s say you have a group of people and you HAVE to give them a raise NO MATTER WHAT. And let’s say hypothetically that the raise has to mathematically proportional to their productivity which can be precisely measured. Now let’s say you have many who have positive productivity, but let’s say you have some who have negative productivity. For those with positive productivity the calculation for the raise is straightforward, but for those with negative productivity, is it possible to give them a raise that is “proportional” to their negative productivity, relative to others who may have had even worse productivity and those who had positive productivity? Sure. Option 1: baseline is everyone gets 2% raise Now great performers get 4% and bad ...
by The Stone Wall
Thu Oct 26, 2023 11:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: House plan review
Replies: 66
Views: 6424

Re: House plan review

There isn't anything on the drawings you have presented, but there is going to have to be something supporting that second floor. Ask the architect how full you can fill that tub in the upstairs bath.
by The Stone Wall
Thu Oct 26, 2023 10:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: House plan review
Replies: 66
Views: 6424

Re: House plan review

I have a lot of personal biases that will be reflected here. 1) Limit the number of gables on the roof. It just adds to the cost of the house and any roof work in the future. If you care about solar, it provides a larger area. 2) That cupola just looks out of place. 3) The open area above the living room is wasted space. It would provide the opportunity to be more creative with the upstairs layout. 4) That upstairs bath is over the middle of the kitchen? It makes some of the plumbing problematic given the way the joists will be laying. 5) Where are the vent stacks proposed for that bathroom? There are advantages to stacking plumbing. (Do you know where utilities are located?) 6) I would probably place the kitchen back where the study is. 7)...
by The Stone Wall
Thu Aug 24, 2023 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Epic kid focused summer in the US
Replies: 41
Views: 5098

Re: Epic kid focused summer in the US

Have you asked your kids to make a list of things they would like to do? They have a few months to come up with some ideas.
by The Stone Wall
Thu Aug 10, 2023 2:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Honda Civic - AC recall
Replies: 40
Views: 4896

Re: Honda Civic - AC recall

I have a 2017 Civic that has had the AC condenser replaced not once but twice under warranty! I am waiting on a RAV4 and will be glad to be rid of the Civic based on this thread.
by The Stone Wall
Fri Apr 28, 2023 9:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Dad was just laid off (61 years old)
Replies: 206
Views: 22900

Re: Dad was just laid off (61 years old)

I respect the children for wanting to augment the retirements of the parents, but they need to take a hard look at what this means. I agree with KlangFool that something doesn't add up. Please understand that the parents purchased a $400K home a few years ago that is now supposedly worth $600K. Given their income, that $400K purchase was probably not a good one. If its not too much information, how much of his 401K was used to pay off debts? Was the 401K twice as large a year ago? The OP needs to spend some time trying to nail down the monthly/yearly expenses for her parents. If they are going to be supporting someone for potentially 30 years, they need to know what those numbers actually are. This cannot be emphasized enough. As has been s...
by The Stone Wall
Mon Apr 17, 2023 12:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Passport Online Renewal in Jan - still not gotten my passport
Replies: 33
Views: 3204

Re: Passport Online Renewal in Jan - still not gotten my passport

I submitted my online renewal on 1/10/23 and it was posted as 'received' on travel.gov.
On 3/29/23, I received a form email saying my application package had moved to 'in process'.
On 4/3/23, I received a form email that stated my passport was being shipped.
On 4/6/23, I received my passport via priority mail.
On 4/14/23, I received my passport card in the mail.

During the entire process, I was most worried about the photo. The online application process was extremely easy but the photo has to be JPG with a white background. It took me a while to find an off-white wall with good lighting for the photo using an Iphone.
by The Stone Wall
Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:01 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Windfall - inherited IRAs. Advice at age 55.
Replies: 36
Views: 5164

Re: Windfall - inherited IRAs. Advice at age 55.

Sorry about your loss. I think you need to plan a vacation since you have had a difficult number of years. Your mental and physical health is important now.

A couple questions came to mind while reading through your post. What was your schooling/training in? How many years of work do you have recorded that paid into social security and Medicare? Sone of your primary concerns seemed to be getting enough work credits and answers to these questions may help the community answer those concerns. It is noteworthy that you have quite a large amount of savings outside of the inheritance even though you have stated a limited work history.
by The Stone Wall
Wed Mar 29, 2023 8:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Athletics pathway to college
Replies: 110
Views: 10862

Re: Athletics pathway to college

Fortunately, tennis is one of the six 'full-ride scholarship' sports. All of the other sports are 'partial scholarships', which means the program pieces together athletic money with other resources. Athletic programs do a pretty good job of listing the rosters of their teams. You should pull up a few rosters and take a look at the biographical sketches of some of the players. In most cases, it will show you how those athletes performed prior to entering college. Is your athlete on that track?
by The Stone Wall
Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Problem getting passport
Replies: 37
Views: 4465

Re: Problem getting passport

I completed the online renewal on 1/10. My renewal status still shows "received".
by The Stone Wall
Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 58 yo old asks, Can I retire?
Replies: 41
Views: 4493

Re: 58 yo old asks, Can I retire?

If I understand correctly, nearly all of your retirement assets are from the inheritance. Your wife and you have 'saved' very little through life. It will be very important for you to develop a good budget and understand all of your expenses. If you haven't done so, now is a good time to start tracking all of your expenses in a spreadsheet. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge in this forum and I am glad you found it. Have you had access to workplace retirement plans like 401ks? A home has a lot of advantages, but it comes with a lot of added expenses: maintenance, insurance, property taxes, etc. Depending on where you want to live, and your skills, owning a home doesn't always beat the option of renting. I say this since you have disc...
by The Stone Wall
Thu Feb 23, 2023 10:23 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Newly retired - Roth conversion and IRMMA help?
Replies: 28
Views: 3356

Re: Newly retired - Roth conversion and IRMMA help?

I'm trying to understand why your mother is still working? Essentially, every dollar she earns will go to taxes or be left for inheritance/charity. You could generate a lot more Roth conversion space if she stopped working.
by The Stone Wall
Tue Feb 21, 2023 8:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help me calculate and understand how much my parents can spend in retirement?
Replies: 22
Views: 2710

Re: Help me calculate and understand how much my parents can spend in retirement?

LFKB wrote: Mon Feb 20, 2023 10:21 am
CaptainT wrote: Mon Feb 20, 2023 10:18 am If they have 2 million in assests why do they have a reverse mortgage??
They took it out prior to inheritance when assets were not nearly that high so they could lower monthly expenses in retirement
So, they were expecting to live off of the social security and reverse mortgage in retirement? They should have a relatively modest level of expenses. I'm trying to figure out how they are proposing to spend that level of inheritance on top of their current spend rate? Am I missing something regarding their current conditions?
by The Stone Wall
Mon Feb 20, 2023 12:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Choosing my next academic job and location
Replies: 64
Views: 6913

Re: Choosing my next academic job and location

By interviewing at 6 different institutions, it is obvious that you want to get out of your current situation and you have an above average CV. Generally speaking, you should want to make a major step up in the ranking of the engineering school/institution for your next position. You know that you don't want another mediocre job situation. I would look at the quality of the school, the faculty, students/post docs, and facilities. Are you going to be the 'star' at the new institution with a lot of dead weight around you or is it a vibrant opportunity where you will be intellectually stimulated by your colleagues? Since you care about leadership potential, does the department operate with a head or chair? What is the turnover rate in leadersh...
by The Stone Wall
Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HVAC Questions/Solutions
Replies: 34
Views: 2580

Re: HVAC Questions/Solutions

Is your main HVAC duct trunk accessible (e.g. in an unfinished basement or in the attic)? If so, you probably need a larger duct off the trunk into those cold rooms. You can simulate this by closing off other rooms which will force more air into those colder rooms, but you can only take that so far before the system is over constricted. It is also possible that your duct takeoff's for those rooms have detached from the trunk, are crushed, or leak badly. Either way, you need to find the trunk and those ducts to assess the problem. Worst case, you need to replace the duct from the trunk to that room register. That can be major drywall surgery. Increasing the takeoff from a 6" to a 7" and reducing back down to a 6" will help, b...
by The Stone Wall
Tue Feb 14, 2023 9:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Building a House -- Criticize My Decision and Floor Plan
Replies: 117
Views: 12624

Re: Building a House -- Criticize My Decision and Floor Plan

I suspect the future you will wish he had the ranch on the big lot. It seems to be functional for you and particularly for your child. You have a lot of negative feelings about the house currently because of the septic tank issue, but that is a short term problem. The lot does have some nice qualities regarding location, but does it really have anything else? There are some significant setback issues that really affects any home design. You should spend a lot of time with an architect to fully understand the limitations. With that in mind, I would look at a design that maximizes living space. That would mean a two story structure including rooms over the garage. I would also put a kitchen/family room in the back of the house and the sitting...
by The Stone Wall
Thu Feb 09, 2023 9:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Septic System Train Wreck
Replies: 229
Views: 19911

Re: Septic System Train Wreck

If the OP purchased the home around 6 months ago, that would have been a June/July/August time frame. This would imply 'drier' soil profile conditions with maximum evapotranspiration and potentially better water removal. December/January has limited ET and potentially higher soil profile water. I certainly see how this could possibly cause a cyclic pattern of septic tank problems. I suppose it is possible for the septic system to be pass the septic system inspection (in the summer) but in reality has some issues in the wetter months? I do believe the OP has a legitimate complaint if the owners knew the sump pump existed (highly likely) and did not disclose the issue.
by The Stone Wall
Mon Jan 30, 2023 8:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Can anyone recommend a quality desk [or a place to shop for one]?
Replies: 33
Views: 2520

Re: Can anyone recommend a quality desk [or a place to shop for one]?

If you happen to live near a university/college, check out their surplus department. There is often significant turnover of office furniture (and other items). You might be able to find a really nice wood desk.
by The Stone Wall
Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Steering through the shoals of IRMAA past the SS Tax Torpedo
Replies: 196
Views: 22972

Re: Steering through the shoals of IRMAA past the SS Tax Torpedo

Thank you for the series of posts on this topic, Since I'm essentially a "Cheryl" teetering between the large and medium TDA situations, I was curious about the results. I was fortunate to find Bogleheads around 2005. I learned about maxing out both my 403b and 457 at a very fortunate time period! Seeing posts by Celia and others about the potential pitfalls of having a large TDA, I retired and started living off of the TDA while also making modest Roth conversions. The RPM model seemed to support that tactic of leveling out my tax burden throughout my life. I've gone from no Roth to just under 10% of my portfolio in Roth and I still have 8 years to go before RMDs. It's always refreshing to see that the cumulative minds of the Bog...
by The Stone Wall
Tue May 31, 2022 1:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sedona Vacation Recommendations
Replies: 26
Views: 2284

Re: Sedona Vacation Recommendations

Look up vortexes in Sedona. The energy may or may not be real.
by The Stone Wall
Mon Apr 11, 2022 6:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Drawdown until age 70
Replies: 53
Views: 6171

Re: Drawdown until age 70

You really need to visualize this in I-ORP extended version. It might highlight some of the topics various posters have discussed including the ramifications of RMDs in your future.
by The Stone Wall
Tue Apr 05, 2022 1:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Did Not Plan for Retirement...What Now?
Replies: 22
Views: 5690

Re: Did Not Plan for Retirement...What Now?

Are those Social Security numbers something you calculated or do they represent SSA estimates based on you continuing to work longer? Do you know if you have 35 "working years"? If not, it may be advantageous to clear out those zeroes from your work history.
by The Stone Wall
Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HELP: Calling all PhDs...need advice for niece
Replies: 105
Views: 8310

Re: HELP: Calling all PhDs...need advice for niece

OP - Some of the factors I would like you to consider when making this choice between schools: 1. For the specific sub-field/research area of chemical engineering that your niece is intending to pursue PhD, what is the ranking of current university vs others under consideration? 2. How well known and influential (in terms of industry/national labs) is the current advisor vs other potential advisors from other schools. How is his/her publication record, funding record etc. 3. How are the facilities in terms of lab equipment, support etc in the current school vs others. PhD is a long term commitment and requires one to be aligned with department/advisor/professors/dissertation committee and it is a very lonely pursuit. So I don't have a dire...
by The Stone Wall
Tue Feb 01, 2022 4:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is there a "Turo" for Camper vans?
Replies: 6
Views: 1593

Re: Is there a "Turo" for Camper vans?

Look up Peace Vans in Seattle.
by The Stone Wall
Mon Jan 24, 2022 10:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help me diagnose a mystery - motor noise in the house
Replies: 34
Views: 4466

Re: Help me diagnose a mystery - motor noise in the house

I would hook something up to any of those compressed air fittings to see if you have air pressure. If you do, a compressor is likely making the noise. As a side note, have you measured all of the rooms in the house to make sure there aren't any hidden spaces? The former owner seems to have been quite creative.
by The Stone Wall
Mon Dec 27, 2021 11:33 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Buyout house during divorce?
Replies: 14
Views: 2144

Re: Buyout house during divorce?

Please take care of yourself during these trying times. A 1.7M dollar house seems like a lot of extra effort for you going forward. Are there nice upscale apartments in the area?
by The Stone Wall
Sat Oct 30, 2021 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best way to learn to draw and sketch? Good books to learn from?
Replies: 45
Views: 3861

Re: Best way to learn to draw and sketch? Good books to learn from?

Many years ago, I read a popular book caled "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain." It's still available. It's not a book that teaches you techniques. What it does is teach you how to see objects as simply collections of shapes and lines, rather than thinking "I'm going to draw a face from my preconceived notion of what a 'face' is." There are some simple exercises to get you started. All you need is a pencil and a pad. I think this is a good start. The key is to draw something each day. Get a pad of paper. In your free time.... draw. Google "pencil nature scenes". Pick one and draw it. Google "pencil animals". Pick one and draw it. Stay away from faces until you have some practice. At the end of a...
by The Stone Wall
Mon Sep 13, 2021 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Supplementary Math/Logic/Puzzle Programs for 8yo?
Replies: 23
Views: 1959

Re: Supplementary Math/Logic/Puzzle Programs for 8yo?

Check out the base version of Lumosity. Don't pay for the extra stuff. It has a lot of brain teaser games including math games. It would give your child a broader selection of brain work. Sudoko might also be something to do?

edit: Looks like Lumosity is for 13 and up.
by The Stone Wall
Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ways to lower electricity costs?
Replies: 94
Views: 8407

Re: Ways to lower electricity costs?

With all those modifications, our electric bill was still $303 last month. During the winter it was between $140 and $180. So, your base electricity usage is around $150 per month (with no heat or air conditioning) and your max monthly air conditioning usage is roughly $150 (for south Florida). It seems to me that you need to first concentrate on the base usage as that is high in my mind . As others have mentioned, that pool pump seems like an energy hog because the other electrical usage is not terribly out of line. (I am a little curious what you make every morning for breakfast as it must be yummy!) Of course, there may be something you have forgotten about, but you have listed the main ones. Honestly, your air conditioning usage is not...
by The Stone Wall
Sun Aug 29, 2021 8:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Landlord won't fix contaminated water in the apartment
Replies: 188
Views: 19723

Re: Landlord won't fix contaminated water in the apartment

You have eliminated quite a bit of the potential problems thus far. If boiling the water removes the problems you have been having, then your problem seems to be biological. Boiling simply concentrates most chemicals and would make a 'chemical' problem worse. I would wonder what the chlorine level is in any test of your water. Chlorine is used in a water distribution system to remove biological contaminants. Chlorine dissipates in the pipes and this can be problematic at the end of a water distribution system. The fact that you limit your water usage (because it makes you sick), means that water moves slowly in your pipes. If you (or your apartment) is at the end of the distribution line, and chlorine has dissipated, biological colonies can...
by The Stone Wall
Sat Jul 17, 2021 5:31 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Do Roth Conversions Make a Difference? (i-ORP Doesn't Think So)
Replies: 82
Views: 10005

Re: Do Roth Conversions Make a Difference? (i-ORP Doesn't Think So)

As I approach early retirement, I believe Roth conversions will be a good idea before Social Security and RMDs begin. I expect the Roth conversions to provide more spendable money over my life time. However, when I look at different options with i-ORP, it shows no significant difference between no conversions and unlimited conversions. What am I missing? What is a typical difference to expect? If there is no real difference, why take the risks of paying taxes up front? To simplify things and to illustrate my finding, I created an example of a scenario I expected to have significant additional income with unlimited Roth conversions. RESULTS: No conversions: Projected , maximum, annual Disposable Income = $109,000 Total Account Balances at R...
by The Stone Wall
Sat Jul 17, 2021 12:42 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Do Roth Conversions Make a Difference? (i-ORP Doesn't Think So)
Replies: 82
Views: 10005

Re: Do Roth Conversions Make a Difference? (i-ORP Doesn't Think So)

As I approach early retirement, I believe Roth conversions will be a good idea before Social Security and RMDs begin. I expect the Roth conversions to provide more spendable money over my life time. However, when I look at different options with i-ORP, it shows no significant difference between no conversions and unlimited conversions. What am I missing? What is a typical difference to expect? If there is no real difference, why take the risks of paying taxes up front? To simplify things and to illustrate my finding, I created an example of a scenario I expected to have significant additional income with unlimited Roth conversions. RESULTS: No conversions: Projected , maximum, annual Disposable Income = $109,000 Total Account Balances at R...
by The Stone Wall
Fri Jul 16, 2021 9:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Do Roth Conversions Make a Difference? (i-ORP Doesn't Think So)
Replies: 82
Views: 10005

Re: Do Roth Conversions Make a Difference? (i-ORP Doesn't Think So)

As I approach early retirement, I believe Roth conversions will be a good idea before Social Security and RMDs begin. I expect the Roth conversions to provide more spendable money over my life time. However, when I look at different options with i-ORP, it shows no significant difference between no conversions and unlimited conversions. What am I missing? What is a typical difference to expect? If there is no real difference, why take the risks of paying taxes up front? To simplify things and to illustrate my finding, I created an example of a scenario I expected to have significant additional income with unlimited Roth conversions. RESULTS: No conversions: Projected , maximum, annual Disposable Income = $109,000 Total Account Balances at R...
by The Stone Wall
Mon Jul 05, 2021 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: DIY - Roth Conversion Engine Template
Replies: 66
Views: 7652

Re: DIY - Roth Conversion Engine Template

I realize we are probably not seeing all of the spreadsheet, but I added named variables at the top of mine. For example 'Rrate' and 'Irate' to allow me to look at the effect of a 2% rate of return, 3%, 4% etc. in my Roth and IRA accounts without having to change any formula in the columns.
by The Stone Wall
Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:07 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Roth conversions plans via RPM -- help me compare
Replies: 73
Views: 7263

Re: Roth conversions plans via RPM -- help me compare

Why would you completely spend down the taxable account while letting the tax-deferred grow? That means when you start using up the tax-deferred, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR YOU NEED FOR LIVING EXPENSES WILL BE TAXED. And if you do early no Roth conversions, your estimated RMDs of $60K (in your early years, increasing as you age) added to your SS of $43K (at age 70) will give you Taxable income of $60K + 43K - $13K (standard deduction) = $90K, which is in the bottom of the current 24% tax bracket, WITHOUT DOING ANY ROTH CONVERSIONS. At that point, tax brackets would have reverted back to 2017 levels, so you would be at the TOP of the 25% bracket, about to fall into the 28% bracket. +1 I know many people will suggest using the taxable account, but ...
by The Stone Wall
Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ***Cincy!***Looking at Retirement Area Indianapolis->Cincinnati->Lexington->Knoxville-> Ashville
Replies: 205
Views: 36066

Re: Looking at Retirement Area Indianapolis->Cincinnati->Lexington->Knoxville-> Ashville->Outerbanks

With your conditions, Lexington is probably the best alternative. Sometimes considered a "city within a park" because of the surrounding farms. Cincinnati is too large and sprawling, is there a small city in southern Indiana?, Knoxville does have the Smokey's but no real airport and I've never seen the Asheville airport but nature is fantastic. Bloomington is a typical college town in an area of rolling hills. If I were the OP, I'd consider Bloomington well before anything in the Indy metro area. No Costco though. :twisted: :D Bloomington is a wonderful small college town. The downtown is walkable and IU is beautiful. When I lived in Indianapolis, we would drive down to the area to get out of the city. Airport seemed to be high o...
by The Stone Wall
Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Roth conversions plans via RPM -- help me compare
Replies: 73
Views: 7263

Re: Roth conversions plans via RPM -- help me compare

Why would you completely spend down the taxable account while letting the tax-deferred grow? That means when you start using up the tax-deferred, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR YOU NEED FOR LIVING EXPENSES WILL BE TAXED. And if you do early no Roth conversions, your estimated RMDs of $60K (in your early years, increasing as you age) added to your SS of $43K (at age 70) will give you Taxable income of $60K + 43K - $13K (standard deduction) = $90K, which is in the bottom of the current 24% tax bracket, WITHOUT DOING ANY ROTH CONVERSIONS. At that point, tax brackets would have reverted back to 2017 levels, so you would be at the TOP of the 25% bracket, about to fall into the 28% bracket. +1 I know many people will suggest using the taxable account, but ...
by The Stone Wall
Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:37 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ***Cincy!***Looking at Retirement Area Indianapolis->Cincinnati->Lexington->Knoxville-> Ashville
Replies: 205
Views: 36066

Re: Looking at Retirement Area Indianapolis->Cincinnati->Lexington->Knoxville-> Ashville->Outerbanks

We'll start in southern Indiana, Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville, Asheville and finish in coastal North Carolina. Never been to this area but interested to see if it would be a good fit for retirement. Having lived in Lexington for a few years, my thought when I drive up to Cincy is "holy heck, how do people live with all this traffic and sprawl". Cincy just seems so out of place with the rest of your list. Metro Cincy is north of 2 million people. With your conditions, Lexington is probably the best alternative. Sometimes considered a "city within a park" because of the surrounding farms. Cincinnati is too large and sprawling, is there a small city in southern Indiana?, Knoxville does have the Smokey's but no real air...
by The Stone Wall
Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Roth conversions plans via RPM -- help me compare
Replies: 73
Views: 7263

Re: Roth conversions plans via RPM -- help me compare

Why would you completely spend down the taxable account while letting the tax-deferred grow? That means when you start using up the tax-deferred, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR YOU NEED FOR LIVING EXPENSES WILL BE TAXED. And if you do early no Roth conversions, your estimated RMDs of $60K (in your early years, increasing as you age) added to your SS of $43K (at age 70) will give you Taxable income of $60K + 43K - $13K (standard deduction) = $90K, which is in the bottom of the current 24% tax bracket, WITHOUT DOING ANY ROTH CONVERSIONS. At that point, tax brackets would have reverted back to 2017 levels, so you would be at the TOP of the 25% bracket, about to fall into the 28% bracket. +1 I know many people will suggest using the taxable account, but ...
by The Stone Wall
Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:59 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Roth Conversions - McQuarrie study
Replies: 445
Views: 57599

Re: Roth Conversions - McQuarrie study

In addition, for super savors, the period between 2009 and now has magnified their retirement portfolios. Bogleheads tend towards the high savers if not super savors.
by The Stone Wall
Sun Jun 20, 2021 10:35 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roth Conversions: Spouses Both Have Traditional IRAs
Replies: 23
Views: 2473

Re: Roth Conversions: Spouses Both Have Traditional IRAs

Given the similarities in accounts, I'm not certain there is an advantage to drawing from either account first. If there is an unknown advantage, by doing the mixture, you have at least hit some of the advantage.