Search found 170 matches

by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Apr 15, 2023 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College Decision: Health/Pre-Med Track In-state vs Out-of-State
Replies: 71
Views: 6350

Re: College Decision: Health/Pre-Med Track In-state vs Out-of-State

All, Yes, Its decision season. This is for my DD who is leaning pre-med/life sciences track with good academics overall. (3.9+ GPA, 10+ APs and Near-Perfect SAT, Summer/research Internships, Average Clubs/leadership positions, Kite Surfer, music tutor) Notable college acceptances are below (We are in CA). InState: UCSanDiego, UCDavis and all UCs except UCB and UCLA Out-of-State: NYU, UWSeattle, UIUC and few others Shortlist : NYU vs UCSD vs UChicago [Updated on 04/14]: UChicago waitlist moved Unfortunately got waitlisted at the Top-Tier UCs (UCLA and UCB), which were her dream schools. Congratulations! to all the parents and kids who got through to their dream schools Few Questions: Costs : In-State UCSD cost is 40K per year. Out-of-State ...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Hydromod's Okay Adventure: Leverage, Momentum, and Risk Management
Replies: 89
Views: 15626

Re: Hydromod's Okay Adventure: Leverage, Momentum, and Risk Management

Do you have access to matlab? It's expensive as a personal tool; a student version isn't nearly so bad, though. If you do, I can try some enhanced documentation this weekend. The home version is 150 bucks? Or is a home license insufficient? I don't think that there is nearly enough data to train a ML algorithm on this approach. The duration with suitable data doesn't really cover a full range of market conditions, and the reallocations really shouldn't be more frequent than weekly with this approach. I think ML is more suited to the frequency of day trading, where you'd be looking at second-to-second or minute-to-minute signals. Entirely different set of signals. Although there are certain types of short-term signals that would apparently ...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Frugal Tip: Black Tea vs Coffee -- we save around $600 per year this way.
Replies: 248
Views: 22108

Re: Frugal Tip: Black Tea vs Coffee -- we save around $600 per year this way.

You can get bulk pharmaceutical grade caffeine for much cheaper and dissolve in water to save even more money.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Nov 16, 2022 1:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: teaching math to 5 year old
Replies: 35
Views: 3544

Re: teaching math to 5 year old

Edge215 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:14 pm any good resources or advice for starting to teach math to a 5 year old?
Khan Academy
https://www.khanacademy.org/
by ElJefeDelQueso
Tue Oct 04, 2022 9:14 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: MarketWatch: Many young people shouldn’t save for retirement
Replies: 193
Views: 20041

Re: In Retirement, You May Not Need to Spend So Much

MarketWatch has a piece today quoting a purported Nobel Laureate named Robert Powell. The gist of the piece is that you don’t need to save until you are older. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/many-young-people-shouldnt-save-for-retirement-says-research-based-on-a-nobel-prize-winning-theory-11664562570 It's a bit more nuanced than that. Some good points, some silly points, IMHO. Not sure if it’s a similar argument to what is in the NYT article It's not really the same thing. It focused more on "optimal spending" throughout your life, than "spending less in retirement". The concept is to smooth out your lifestyle by spending more (and saving less) when you are young and when you are old, and spending less (and saving mo...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Back Yard Fence -- DIY or Pay Someone?
Replies: 49
Views: 3133

Re: Back Yard Fence -- DIY or Pay Someone?

My wife and I get possession of our new house next week. I want to build a fence in the back yard. Aesthetically I like the idea of a horse rail fence (this is in a rural part of town about 1 mile from city center). Here is what I mean by horse rail fence: https://i.ibb.co/w44bkDP/rail-fencing-horse.jpg Below is a picture of my house. We get possession on August 22 and don't have to be moved in until September 9. In addition to some other small projects (painting the bedrooms), I'm leaning towards DIY-ing this fence in phases. The yellow (protection from the road) is top priority. Red is something I'm considering and might put off until next year. My plan is as follows: 1. 4x4 pressure treated posts, six feet long, two foot holes and four ...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Natural Gas/Propane adapters for gas grills
Replies: 22
Views: 1628

Re: Natural Gas/Propane adapters for gas grills

I just bought and hooked up a Weber Genesis II natural gas grill and connected it up to the natural gas stub out at the back patio. They make the same grill for use with LP gas (propane). If I already had the LP version of that grill I would have bought the conversion kit to retrofit it for natural gas. My advice is to go to a legitimate hardware store, like ACE Hardware and ask them about it, bringing pictures on your phone of what you've got. They sell natural gas converters all the time. Or you could just buy a new grill that is already outfitted for natural gas. Bring the picture you posted of the stub out to make sure you don't require an additional female to male, or male to male nipple. If you do end up using the natural gas stub ou...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Jan 29, 2022 2:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Natural Gas/Propane adapters for gas grills
Replies: 22
Views: 1628

Re: Natural Gas/Propane adapters for gas grills

Hi all, Our home has a natural gas line that they tee'd off to the outside with a shut-off and quick-connect valve to provision for gas grills, heaters, etc it looks like. I have a couple portable gas grills that run off the small green Coleman propane tanks and I also picked up a small 20lb propane tank to refill those or just to use with the grills back when we were at our condo. I was wondering if it's *safe* to use my grills (one is a Coleman Xcursion and the other is a Blackstone griddle) with the natural gas line and if so, what types of adapter(s) and or hoses would be needed to convert from quick connect to the small propane tank fittings. I have a couple of adapter hoses right now that connect from the larger propane tank directly...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sun Dec 19, 2021 3:10 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What adjustments are you making to your portfolio for 2022?
Replies: 141
Views: 12834

Re: What adjustments are you making to your portfolio for 2022?

tvubpwcisla wrote: Wed Dec 15, 2021 8:04 pm I am curious what adjustments you may be making to your portfolio heading into 2022?

Thanks!

:sharebeer
Anticipated funds will be invested in broad market funds according to IPS (although have considered alternative strategies). Ultimately realize it is impossible to know whether I am making a mistake. Statistics my only guide.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is your favorite scotch/alcoholic drink?
Replies: 66
Views: 6692

Re: What is your favorite scotch/alcoholic drink?

Somethingwitty92912 wrote: Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:53 pm Title says it all. Christmas ideas are a bonus.

Right now I am sipping on some blue label.
Wautoma Springs - El Prat
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Dec 17, 2021 10:20 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why not 100% PSLDX? [PIMCO StocksPLUS Long Duration Fund]
Replies: 2106
Views: 391576

Re: Why not 100% PSLDX?

Rainier wrote: Fri Dec 17, 2021 9:39 am Where can you buy this? At Fidelity I see a $1,000,000 minimum.
You can buy at Vanguard, Schwab, Ally, TDA (as I recall).
You can ACATS transfer to Fidelity brokerage accounts and hold there. DRIP works.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Dec 15, 2021 11:09 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bonds now ??
Replies: 72
Views: 10069

Re: BONDS now ??

Rajsx wrote: Wed Dec 15, 2021 4:30 pm What do we do with Total Bond Index (VBTLX) ?? Now that Interest Rate Hikes seem to be coming next year.

That is our main Bond Fund in Tax Deferred Accounts .
I commiserate and agree but suspect the professional bond market has repositioned their risk profile before I forgot to eat breakfast this morning.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What do people do for beneficiary naming on joint accounts
Replies: 16
Views: 1922

Re: What do people do for beneficiary naming on joint accounts

BF3000 wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:27 pm Why not re-title the joint account to the living trust? I did.
I tried to do this but Vanguard would not retitle the account. They made me create a new account.
At Fidelity I had no problem retitling accounts in the name of the trust however.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What do people do for beneficiary naming on joint accounts
Replies: 16
Views: 1922

Re: What do people do for beneficiary naming on joint accounts

From another thread, this issue has come to my attention. For our joint brokerage account, we have no beneficiary named. I logged onto Vanguard and sent them a message (rather than long hold times), since their website says "Your Vanguard joint accounts don't need beneficiaries. Joint accounts simply pass to the surviving owner." My question is: What happens if both spouses passed away in an accident? Our retirement accounts have the living trust as a secondary beneficiary, but what about the Joint account. How did others deal with this? At Vanguard, I wanted a trust to be beneficiary of a joint account, but they did not allow this. The only solution was to create a trust account and transfer assets there. Fidelity lets you have ...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What do people do for beneficiary naming on joint accounts
Replies: 16
Views: 1922

Re: What do people do for beneficiary naming on joint accounts

From another thread, this issue has come to my attention. For our joint brokerage account, we have no beneficiary named. I logged onto Vanguard and sent them a message (rather than long hold times), since their website says "Your Vanguard joint accounts don't need beneficiaries. Joint accounts simply pass to the surviving owner." My question is: What happens if both spouses passed away in an accident? Our retirement accounts have the living trust as a secondary beneficiary, but what about the Joint account. How did others deal with this? At Vanguard, I wanted a trust to be beneficiary of a joint account, but they did not allow this. The only solution was to create a trust account and transfer assets there. Fidelity lets you have ...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seen new Dune Movie? Your opinion??
Replies: 226
Views: 19267

Re: Seen new Dune Movie? Your opinion??

andypanda wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 6:40 am Part 2 = October, 2023
A novel like this cannot reasonably be split into two pieces, the second possibly never to be seen. Something of an injustice to a great piece of literature. They should have made a 6-hour epic and built in bathroom breaks.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Oct 28, 2021 10:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seen new Dune Movie? Your opinion??
Replies: 226
Views: 19267

Re: Seen new Dune Movie? Your opinion??

goshenBogle wrote: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:45 pm I have read several reviews of the movie that rate it only so-so, not very good, which is disappointing since I am a BIG fan of the book.
Have you seen the new Dune movie?
If so, what is your opinion?
Liked it. Upset I have to wait until 2023 for the second half. I've read all the the books.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Are Your Simple Pleasures?
Replies: 313
Views: 42933

Re: What Are Your Simple Pleasures?

Evidently for most bogleheads, reading and posting on the boglehead forum.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dreaming - where [should I] spend 1-2 months in the US?
Replies: 69
Views: 7694

Re: Dreaming - where would you spend 1-2 months in the US?

joetro29 wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:29 am Santa Barbara
Came here to say this.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Las Vegas Aria Hotel Deals?
Replies: 9
Views: 1853

Re: Las Vegas Aria Hotel Deals?

bmelikia wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:36 pm Looking to book a Friday night and Saturday night at the Aria hotel in Las Vegas during February 2022.

Does anyone have any tips/websites I should be aware of for getting a good rate?

I was just planning on checking Expedia for the next month or so and finally booking but didn't know if there was a better way. . .

Thank you for your help
Another option is Vdara. Next door, non-smoking, and condo-size rooms with kitchenettes. Also connected to Bellagio as well as next door to Aria and Cosmo.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Oct 06, 2021 12:49 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Washington State Long Term Care Trust Act - 0.58% payroll tax - $36,500 lifetime maximum benefit
Replies: 1772
Views: 194718

Re: Washington State Long Term Care Trust Act - 0.58% payroll tax - $36,500 lifetime maximum benefit

WoW2012 wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:29 pm
ElJefeDelQueso wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:24 pm
Let's focus on the positive actionable things. I'm not worried about our fellow boglehead friends committing fraud.
Why not? More than one has suggested it on this forum and have not been banned for it.
It's fractious.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Washington State Long Term Care Trust Act - 0.58% payroll tax - $36,500 lifetime maximum benefit
Replies: 1772
Views: 194718

Re: Washington State Long Term Care Trust Act - 0.58% payroll tax - $36,500 lifetime maximum benefit

WoW2012 wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:16 pm
drk wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 10:09 pm
chance wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 9:13 pm What basis do we have for thinking that the state can't compel you to continue to pay for a policy or face back taxes?
The text of the law itself is very clear about the nature of the exemption. Speculating about future policy changes is out of bounds for this forum, so I won't do that.
Permanent opt-out means that once someone opts out they can never choose to opt-in again.
Permanent opt-out does NOT mean the government is powerless to revoke someone’s fraudulent opt-out.
The intent of the law is very clear. I'm looking forward to discussing future legislative changes on this forum in about 6 months.
Let's focus on the positive actionable things. I'm not worried about our fellow boglehead friends committing fraud.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Tue Oct 05, 2021 4:37 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Facebook stock
Replies: 116
Views: 11819

Re: Facebook stock

anon_investor wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 10:55 pm
cmc89585 wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:41 pm
Brianmcg321 wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:38 pm VTSAX and chill
This site is becoming like reddit. How is posting obscure references helpful when I clearly have said I'm a novice? Are only experts allowed to post here?
You should really read the Wiki. It has a lot of valuable information.
https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Getting_started
+1. Please read the wiki. It only takes a few minutes.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Sep 29, 2021 8:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help invest $350K that is not correlated to stock/bond portfolio
Replies: 56
Views: 6766

Re: Help invest $350K that is not correlated to stock/bond portfolio

anon_investor wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 6:43 pm
quattro73 wrote: Wed Sep 29, 2021 6:42 pm I think we’d all love a 7% return that is liquid, protects principal, and not correlated to the market.

Good luck.
Sounds like what Madoff offered..
That's one thing he did well - credit where it's due.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microwave ovens with rotating turntable/plate
Replies: 108
Views: 8075

Re: Microwave ovens with rotating turntable/plate

nisiprius wrote: Sat Sep 25, 2021 5:34 am Image

This one is on the Shapeways site (3D-printed, don't know if you can just buy it)

Image
This has me rethinking my handleless mugs. Innovative.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Sep 25, 2021 12:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microwave ovens with rotating turntable/plate
Replies: 108
Views: 8075

Re: Microwave ovens with rotating turntable/plate

livesoft wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:03 am Does your microwave oven turntable no matter what the "cook" time always return to its starting position?

That is, if you put a dish or cup with a handle in the microwave, will the handle be in the same location when you open the microwave door? Or will it be rotated off to the side or the back where you cannot reach it? I can see that turntables are probably set to rotate once per 30 seconds, so that the popular cook times of 30 and 60 seconds do get back to where they started. (Yes, I know one can manually rotate the glass plate themselves.)
I only use radially symmetric food preparation containers, so I have no idea what you mean.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sensible, Prudent Quality of Life Upgrade at 50+
Replies: 42
Views: 4518

Re: Sensible, Prudent Quality of Life Upgrade at 50+

So you are 54 and earning $290k, living like a college student and only have $1.8M saved? That implies that you are spending quite a bit somewhere. To decide how much you can afford, you really need to look at your retirement goals. You are likely within a decade of retirement, so what does your budget look like? Do you have a pension pending? How much of your costs will be covered by SS? I spend around $45k a year (I can PM you specifics if you want) plus $76k in taxes. I’ll have a small pension and social security totaling around $60k, specific numbers to come from my HR dept next week). I didn’t start the 401k until my mid 40s. and I spent too much in my 30s, but always saved at least 1/3. I appreciate your candor - until this forum I t...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Patent Application Costs?
Replies: 20
Views: 1934

Re: Patent Application Costs?

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 7:25 pm A friend is a very entrepreneurial kind of guy who has a few interesting and inventive new product ideas, three in the automotive accessory space and one in household/personal care. Anyone know ballpark figures for getting a non attorney to submit a patent application these days? or does it have to be done by a lawyer. Thank you in advance for any suggestions for someone going through this process.
Probably budget 20k per. Most of the time for a small player trade secrets are better. It's expensive to defend a patent.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:43 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: 100% EM?
Replies: 30
Views: 6962

Re: 100% EM?

Elias Paris wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 2:46 pm Hi everybody, i'm 38 years old, i live in Paris, i would like to invest 70.000 euros in the stock market, i have a long term perspective (10 years).
I'm currently considering investing 100 percent of my money in an Emerging Market index fund (Amundi Emerging Market, 0.20% fee).
I know it's a bit risky but i'm willing to take that risk. I know that emerging markets are more volatile and i'm ready for that.
Do you think it's a stupid idea ?
Is it far from Jack Bogle's philosophy? (hold your position)
Thank you for your opinions!
In my opinion it's a bad idea. Buy total world perhaps. If EM explodes and takes over, you will not miss out.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:39 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Is anyone hedging against a US default?
Replies: 116
Views: 16587

Re: Is anyone hedging against a US default?

I’m sure this is Boglehead heresy (but I hope allowed as a post), but is anyone concerned about Congress not raising the debt ceiling this time, which would lead to a default situation, and thinking of doing something about it? Outlandish catastrophic events are warned about near daily in the financial press and this might be no different, but many articles broke today about what might happen if Congress doesn’t extend the debt ceiling. Basically the consensus seems to be that it would cause an immediate recession and “30-50% crash” in the equity markets. It might be political posturing, but what if it has teeth? Would it be crazy/stupid to convert some equities to cash in tax advantages accounts and wait out until a decision is made in Oc...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:17 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Outperforming The Stock Market Long Term!
Replies: 120
Views: 29253

Re: Outperforming The Stock Market Long Term!

invt wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:55 pm Simple question: How can I outperform the stock market over the long-term?
Its easy, and everyone can do it. You just need to know the future and make sure nobody else does. But it would be unethical to do this, and maybe that's why most of us stick with market returns.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need advice on new windows laptop
Replies: 58
Views: 4798

Re: Need advice on new windows laptop

I posted recently about some issues with my 6 year old Lenovo (z51-70) laptop, and instead of trouble shooting and trying to figure out these different issues I've decided to get a new laptop. I don't really know which specs(processor, memory, storage, etc.) I should be looking for in a laptop but I use mine mostly for surfing, Microsoft office files, and watching videos. I want something that's going to last and not slow down within the first couple of years. I was considering a Lenovo Thinkpad but don't which model/specs would fit my needs. I'm hoping to get something under 1500 but will spend more if it means a machine that's going to last. The laptop I have now has the 15.6 inch screen so I would like to stay with at least a 14 inch or...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retired at 61 why do I feel guilty
Replies: 162
Views: 28959

Re: Retired at 61 why do I feel guilty

Dear Bogleheads, I retired last year after extensive research on whether I am financially sound. I am assured by multiple advisors I am good to go. I have multiple sources of income. Pension, investments and no debt. I have been doing a part -time job. I do volunteer as well and have hobbies. I was totally burnout and the job did not make me happy given the stress and long hours plus the bureaucracy of the organization. I have worked for 30 long years and raised kids who are independent single handedly. I feel it is my time to live life on my own terms. That is what made me decide to retire. Most my colleagues are working. I don't plan to return to the grind :) Is this a normal process for the retirees? Would appreciate some advice. Regard...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 10, 2021 7:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cost to Install Electrical to Outside Shed
Replies: 37
Views: 5650

Re: Cost to Install Electrical to Outside Shed

Rob54keep wrote: Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:27 am I have an outdoor shed (12 x 20) that I want to connect to power at house. Shed is about 100' from electrical panel. In the shed I need power for a few small tools/drill press, lights and a small window AC (6000 BTU). What kind of price ranges would I expect from certified electricians? What are some key items I should be aware of as I compare bids?
Landscaping crews will usually trench, lay conduit and prep for final electrician work, at least in my area. Might ask local landscapers if they'll help you out. In my case they brought in the electrician as a sub and coordinated permitting and inspection.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:21 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What's your favorite buy and hold stock for the next 10 years?
Replies: 59
Views: 7203

Re: What's your favorite buy and hold stock for the next 10 years?

BarbBrooklyn wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:23 am On March 5 2020, we were sitting in the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, on a layover after a 2 week NCL cruise through the Mediterranean and Middle East. The markets were falling and I decided to buy 100 shares of NCL ( you get on board credit with each cruise) and 100 shares of Costco (because I shop there all the time).

I have never owned any other individual stocks nd will never buy any others. But owning these two gives me something to talk about with friends and colleagues who do this sort of thing. Find a company you love and buy a little bit. Stick to VTI for the rest.
+1
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 10, 2021 3:05 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Schwab Pinnacle Status
Replies: 120
Views: 19092

Re: Schwab Pinnacle Status

smectym wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:58 am Surely a simple internet search would unearth all the wisdom in the world about whether or not Schwab Pinnacle Status is still a thing.
This sort of information is not on the internet. It requires a secret handshake.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Fri Sep 10, 2021 2:58 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Chinese real estate about to go *pop*?
Replies: 56
Views: 8518

Re: Chinese real estate about to go *pop*?

TropikThunder wrote: Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:52 am
Somethingwitty92912 wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 8:43 pm There is no Chinese market. It’s all owned by the government.
So there is zero individual business ownership in China? Chinese citizens holding shares of Chinese companies is all fake?
Yes.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car for teen
Replies: 121
Views: 7139

Re: Car for teen

One problem with new cars is that they are so fast. All of them. Even the relatively cheap econoboxes are as fast as "sports sedans" from 15 years ago. So while the safety technology is great, I am not a huge fan of the general lack of visibility out of the passenger compartment, the ability to go very fast, and the technology distractions. My kids aren't driving age yet, but getting there, but I might consider an older Volvo. You could go classic with an early 90s 240DL - built like tanks, 115 hp on a good day so they cannot go that fast, ridiculously good visibility, and no distractions from tech. Repairs on anything European can be pricier than a non-European car, but Volvos aren't awful and 240s are simple. Another option wou...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Sep 09, 2021 7:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1007858

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

There is really no such thing as one investment house which offers everything you want and has the best performance of all of its competitors. Vanguard has superb bond funds; the quality and price of the muni funds (especially state-specific funds) are going to be difficult to find elsewhere. You can buy individual munis at auction through Fidelity but most people don't want or need this. You can forego the state-specific line up at Vanguard and use the national MUB ETF at Fidelity, for example. And you can certainly buy state-specific funds at Fidelity but the ER will be quite a bit higher than Vanguard and the performances are certainly no better. Why would you buy MUB if you can buy VTEB ? VTEB seems like the best choice at Fidelity tha...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Sep 09, 2021 5:57 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Whole life policy for children
Replies: 32
Views: 3047

Re: Whole life policy for children

retired@50 wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 5:33 pm
Ned Nederlander wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:25 pm Thank you all for the feedback. To answer a very common question, yes my in laws are paying it. Eventually it will become our responsibility but hopefully not for a long time. I don’t think I can ask them to cancel the policy. We would come off as very ungrateful and they were very happy to take it out for them. I guess we’ll just have to revisit in the future but when you do the math my 6.5 year old would have a lot more than $1100 if $46 a month was put in the S&P! Out of curiosity is the surrender value taxed?
Maybe you should send them a link to this thread.

If they realize that they're wasting their money, maybe they would change course.

Regards,
+1
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Sep 09, 2021 5:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why not 100% PSLDX? [PIMCO StocksPLUS Long Duration Fund]
Replies: 2106
Views: 391576

Re: Why not 100% PSLDX?

. I have it at Fido, and fido doesn't play nice with Pimco, I called Fido yesterday and they said not only could I not make an initial purchase of PSLDX, but also they can’t guarantee I could even purchase more after transferring in PSLDX from another broker. They said it was likely I could only place sell orders. Is that your experience too? I’d like to start investing in my Roth but not excited about transferring assets out and opening a new account elsewhere In the process of consolidating to Fidelity and this is what I've been told by Fidelity - Can transfer and hold PSLDX, DRIP will work, and can sell. But no buying more unless/until PIMCO decides to give Fidelity that status. Apparently it's a PIMCO decision rather than a Fido one.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best non-savings acct place to park emergency fund
Replies: 16
Views: 1641

Re: Best non-savings acct place to park emergency fund

62nc wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:08 pm If we wanted to have $15-25K sitting on the side, and not in a terrible near-zero bank savings account, would VSGBX be a good very low risk option? Risk seems very low based on 25 years of history, ranging from -0.94% to 5%+ years. What are some good other options?
I use Vanguard intermediate muni fund VWIUX and Fidelity long (slightly longer duration) muni fund FTABX. Reasonably happy with this. It's nice to not have to deal with taxes (in my state - yet).
by ElJefeDelQueso
Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: opening investing account for 12 year old
Replies: 11
Views: 1602

Re: opening investing account for 12 year old

Thomas93 wrote: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:34 pm I want to open an investment account for a minor (12 year old daughter) at Fidelity. How do I do so? How are taxes treated? Thanks!
Click the open account button and open a UTMA account. I guess if they're 13 you can open a Youth account which is not a custodial account.

My understanding is the child can have up to $2200 unearned income this year (edit: low or no tax) then your marginal tax rate applies, but have not had to deal with this yet.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sun Aug 29, 2021 12:41 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do you invest in Real Estate ? Why ?
Replies: 175
Views: 33574

Re: Do you invest in Real Estate ? Why ?

Every things free wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 9:40 am I've owned 35 different properties in my investing career. I began in my 20's.
Why real estate? Because I knew nothing about stocks/bonds.

I've had one renter for 20+ years. Another renter, in a commercial property, has been with me for 18+ years and his accumulated rents have exceeded $850k. I have a property manager.

Five years ago I sold 9 properties and focused on stocks/bonds. I no longer enjoyed dealing with tenets even with a property manager.

Kim
All it takes is one nightmare tenant...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Aug 26, 2021 8:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Removing Fence Stain From Driveway
Replies: 9
Views: 1022

Re: Removing Fence Stain From Driveway

BashDash wrote: Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:46 pm Hi!
I was staining one side of my fence today using Ready Seal and even though I was using tarps there are a couple stains on the driveway. Wondering the quickest way to clean these up! Thanks!!
Ready seal is oil based. I use it and have cleaned up spills on concrete and porous pavers using bioremediation powder. There are several brands that probably work. This worked where solvents and soaps had little effect.

https://www.amazon.com/CAF-Outdoor-Clea ... UTF8&psc=1
by ElJefeDelQueso
Thu Aug 26, 2021 12:33 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Just got 50k. Lumpsum or DCA?
Replies: 44
Views: 4578

Re: Just got 50k. Lumpsum or DCA?

newyorker wrote: Wed Aug 25, 2021 9:18 pm I am such a wuss. And market is ATH.

Should I lump sum? Or DCA in 1 month.
Lump sum. 60% of the time it works every time.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Aug 21, 2021 8:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: High income physician seeking financial and life advice
Replies: 202
Views: 42601

Re: High income physician seeking financial and life advice

I am a mid 30s sub-specialized radiologist married to another subspecialty physician. We have a toddler, another on the way, and live in a MCOL region. Annual income: $1M Liquid net worth: $5.2M. Including home equity and subtracting $450k remaining mortgage, total net worth is $5.8M. —Liquid asset allocation is 95% equities and 5% bonds+cash. Of the equities, 85% is in VTSAX (total US stock market index fund), 10% is in assorted individual equities, and 5% is in VTIAX (total international stock index fund). —$215k invested 100% in VTSAX in toddler’s 529 plan. Plan to similarly aggressively fund a 529 plan for next child. —Approximately $1M of our liquid NW lies in tax-advantaged accounts; remainder (majority) lies in taxable accounts. —An...
by ElJefeDelQueso
Sat Aug 21, 2021 6:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gym equipment for apartment
Replies: 36
Views: 3428

Re: Gym equipment for apartment

yosemite_mountain wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 4:59 pm I'm looking for a cardio machine for my apartment. I am a 33 year old female. PS: I'm unable to work out at the gym because gyms in the Bay Area are either closed; or have restrictions.

Equipment I have tried out so far:
-I tested out the peloton bike but my bottom hurt after about 15 minutes.
-I tried out the Sole E35 Elliptical. It felt amazing and I loved it; it felt like the elliptical at the gym. However its 80" by 24" which takes up a lot of space.

Question:
Ay suggestions for something that feels like the Sole E35 Elliptical but is not as huge?
I have a Peloton and really like it, but use a padded seat cover purchased from Amazon. This made the seat comfortable enough that I have not thought about it since.
by ElJefeDelQueso
Tue Aug 17, 2021 10:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: I'm 70 Years Old and I Can't Spend My Savings
Replies: 418
Views: 68027

Re: I'm 70 Years Old and I Can't Spend My Savings

Watty wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 9:16 am
Small Law Survivor wrote: Tue Aug 17, 2021 8:18 am So what's the problem? None of this makes me happy.
Have you considered supporting a charity where some of your money could make a profound difference in peoples lives?

You would need to research it to find something appeals to you but I have heard of projects that do basic things like provide a well for an area that does not have safe drinking water or run a midwife clinic in an area that has not have basic medical care. There are lots of things like that where for the price of a car you could make a huge difference in the lives of a lot of people. There are likely also a lot of needs within an hours drive of where you live.
+1
by ElJefeDelQueso
Tue Aug 17, 2021 4:39 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: were to park a child's savings?
Replies: 19
Views: 1683

Re: were to park a child's savings?

I have a two year old who has a very generous grandfather. Where do you all think I should invest/save the money? Some is earmarked for education, so we have a 529 for that (has around 25k in it). We have an additional 7k in a her savings account. I hate getting essentially no interest in the savings, she won't need this money for quite awhile obviously - at some point when she is older we will have a checking account for her to learn to use. Do I go with one of the online higher interest savings banks? (Ally, Marcus, etc). I bonds? (not sure if those are an option for a minor) CDs? I am hesitant to invest in anything too risky at all - if I did, I am sure it would have to be in my name (I am guessing??). When I was younger my parents boug...