Search found 98 matches

by DocInColo
Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bank account suggestions
Replies: 24
Views: 2835

Re: Bank account suggestions

Do you really need another bank? Most of us don’t have all that much in bank deposits. You and spouse are insured for at least $500,000. Gill Yes we have 100k in ally and concerned about putting so much in just one bank. So we want to keep 50% in another as a just in case back up. I posted on this a while back, but I was trying to do the opposite. I had money in multiple banks and wanted to consolidate. I think the fear of being locked out of an account, or having some sort of fraud where your account is wiped out is somewhat irrational in this day and age where banks have 24/7 customer service and are heavily regulated. Even if something did happen, you can probably live on credit cards for a couple days until it gets sorted out, or write...
by DocInColo
Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Vanguard Trust Services - minimum sensible size of assets.
Replies: 25
Views: 5349

Re: Vanguard Trust Services - minimum sensible size of assets.

blessyouall wrote: Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:10 pm Hi all

Can anyone suggest their views a minimum estate size at which enlisting Vanguard as a trustee makes sense? Looking for a 'floor size' at which it does (1M, 3M, 5M, 9M, 12M etc.) and don't want to be off by order of magnitude after my passing.

Also how do we initiate this with Vanguard so they green light the designation.

Thank you!!
I think $5+ at least. Professional trustees can be pretty expensive and also cumbersome unless you have a need for professional management.
by DocInColo
Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Going to grad school, help for a good financial transition?
Replies: 7
Views: 607

Re: Going to grad school, help for a good financial transition?

Finding it difficult to discern what you need? Do you need more cash reserves? In this case it's easy: get rid of expensive car. A phd is difficult enough, I wouldn't stress over funding retirements, but if you have some left over, contribute.... Man, yeah, I've been thinking about the car. I wouldn't hate the idea of trading in but here are the details on that: -It has dents from acorns and cracked headlights because I'm an idiot with a pressure washer. So those are losses in value I have to realize if I do anything with it. They're unrealized losses if I just keep driving it. -It has a 5 factory year warranty, but also isn't amazing on gas, however very comfortable, high tech/safety, and fun to drive. -To go hard, I could get a car with ...
by DocInColo
Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPad for reviewing documents, and what size?
Replies: 27
Views: 1851

Re: iPad for reviewing documents, and what size?

Part of my work involves reviewing medical records in PDF format. I was thinking of picking up an iPad to make it easier/more comfortable, rather than trying to read them on a desktop computer. Anyone use their iPad for something similar, and if so, what size did you get? The 12.9 seems a little unwieldy, but I am concerned the 11" might not fit the PDFs properly on the screen (have to zoom, scroll, etc.). Hi Doc, how will you be viewing the iPad? While seated at a table? While walking around the clinic/hospital? That makes a big difference. If you're going to hold it with one hand while standing, for example, the 12.9" is too unwieldy. It even hurts my wrist after a few minutes. But with the 11", I can definitely hold it wi...
by DocInColo
Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:09 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Buying a house with a necessary future move?
Replies: 11
Views: 833

Re: Buying a house with a necessary future move?

Currently as a renter, the housing market in my area continues to explode. The current location of our rental isn’t in the desired school district and that’s ok this year with online education but next year we want to be in the school district of choice. We are considering a house purchase for our current needs, with young kids, and not future needs, which includes kids growing to become teenagers. At a younger age sharing one bathroom and one sink and even one bedroom is much easier. Rather than buy a house out of budget, is there any merit to buying a house now, knowing we’d want to move in 5-10 years? With a less expensive house we’d clearly be able to put some extra money to the side to help with a future home downpayment of something ...
by DocInColo
Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I cancel earthquake insurance?
Replies: 37
Views: 4017

Re: Should I cancel earthquake insurance?

You should shop around. Is $1800 a year the total HO coverage or just the earthquake component? If the latter, that seems very, very expensive. Your area is on a fault line. I personally wouldn't want to go without the coverage if I lived where you do.
by DocInColo
Fri Mar 12, 2021 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPad for reviewing documents, and what size?
Replies: 27
Views: 1851

Re: iPad for reviewing documents, and what size?

Part of my work involves reviewing medical records in PDF format. I was thinking of picking up an iPad to make it easier/more comfortable, rather than trying to read them on a desktop computer. Anyone use their iPad for something similar, and if so, what size did you get? The 12.9 seems a little unwieldy, but I am concerned the 11" might not fit the PDFs properly on the screen (have to zoom, scroll, etc.). I've been considering getting an iPad with a pencel for similar reasons. To follow-up on what a previous poster said, it *appears* that a new iPad may be released on March 23rd. https://www.macrumors.com/2021/03/08/apple-event-march-23-kang/ If you're not in a hurry, you might want to wait to buy until then. That way you can make su...
by DocInColo
Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPad for reviewing documents, and what size?
Replies: 27
Views: 1851

iPad for reviewing documents, and what size?

Part of my work involves reviewing medical records in PDF format. I was thinking of picking up an iPad to make it easier/more comfortable, rather than trying to read them on a desktop computer. Anyone use their iPad for something similar, and if so, what size did you get? The 12.9 seems a little unwieldy, but I am concerned the 11" might not fit the PDFs properly on the screen (have to zoom, scroll, etc.).
by DocInColo
Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Re: Personal Finances and Minimalism

Come on. As long as you don't get carried away, it's not THAT complicated to have multiple bank accounts, brokerage accounts, & credit cards. Most people wind up with a few of each due to sign up bonuses, or happenstance, or just the way things historically play out. And then eventually, you find yourself at 90-something years old, and guess what? It suddenly is a lot more than you really want to deal with, but by that point, it's actually a lot of work to consolidate that you many not want to take on at that age, either. It's best to begin the process of consolidating your assets while you're still agile and sharp. Or limit asset scattering in the first place. So don't take advantage of the benefits FOR DECADES, because at some point ...
by DocInColo
Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Re: Personal Finances and Minimalism

I have moved toward financial simplicity over the past few years (despite my innate optimizer personality): -One bank -One broker (CMA here acts as a back-up checking account) -One mutual fund -One credit card used (admittedly, we do have two sock-drawer cards that could be used in travel or emergency situations) -A small amount of cash at home for the power outage scenarios (i.e. Texas) Personally, I like this system. I think it is robust enough to avoid major inconveniences, but very simple to manage and my spouse or heirs could take it over without missing a step should something happen to me. I am striving to get where you are. With interest rates where they are, chasing the best savings rate is barely worth it anymore. That is my last...
by DocInColo
Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Airpods Pro vs competitors?
Replies: 20
Views: 2148

Re: Airpods Pro vs competitors?

EarPods or AirPods will never sound as good as around the ear headphones. They are nice and convenient for throwing in to make calls or when going for a run... until the battery dies. That is the biggest weakness of their small size. Mine lasted two years until they wouldn’t hold a charge and now they’re useless. I guess you can probably purchase an extended warranty, but I didn’t. It’s annoying that such an expensive product is basically disposable.
by DocInColo
Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I buy this 4Runner with my current situation?
Replies: 46
Views: 4419

Re: Should I buy this 4Runner with my current situation?

I’d drive a 4Runner before you buy one. They are really a niche vehicle for people who need the serious off-road capabilities, or want to give the impression that they do. They are very popular in Colorado with folks in the latter group. We were looking at them until we test drove a couple. They don’t have great road manners, the engine has way less power than you’d think, and the gas mileage is atrocious for a V6 in 2021. I don’t think they’re particularly good at towing either. If you’re looking to tow a small camper, maybe look at the newer, more powerful subarus, Ford Explorer, or even some of the Hyundai/Kia/Honda crossovers. They are much nicer to drive on a day to day basis and will still get the job done. Edit: they also lack a lot ...
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 28 & 29 Year Old Looking for Investment Advice
Replies: 26
Views: 2988

Re: 28 & 29 Year Old Looking for Investment Advice

Max get TRADITIONAL 401k (not Roth) ($19.5k/year). Your tax bracket is too high in my opinion not to max this and do traditional contributions. Use the Fidelity funds in her 401k. I’d probably just use the 500 index. Max both his and her Roth IRA. Move his IRA to someplace like Fidelity, Schwab or Vanguard. Invest in 500 index or total stock market index. Max all of those before doing any taxable investing. What are you spending $8.2k/month on ($300 is insurance and 529)?! That seems like a lot in a relatively low cost state. You don’t mention the number of children so maybe you have a big family. This just seems like high spend, unless it includes saving and investing too. But you don’t show many contributions for that. I think our averag...
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much do you spend nightly for hotels (leisure/vacation)?
Replies: 227
Views: 19629

Re: How much do you spend nightly for hotels (leisure/vacation)?

We haven’t stayed in a hotel on vacation in quite a while, especially internationally. It’s all VRBO (often the same properties as Airbnb but less fees). We love having a place to ourselves and are not a resort family, so we don’t need all of the hotel amenities. The sweet spot for us seems to be $150-300 a night. It’s certainly location dependent, but after a lot of good and bad experiences we realized that less than that range the properties are generally not great and more than that it’s really diminishing returns.
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Article: HS personal finance class using real money and Boglehead principles
Replies: 2
Views: 495

Re: Article: HS personal finance class using real money and Boglehead principles

Pegasus_RPG wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:30 pm Just ran across this and thought it would bring you warm fuzzies: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-o ... 2019-05-03

What an excellent program!
This is awesome! I hope the idea takes off. Schools need to do more to give kids a basic financial education because a lot of parents don’t. Teaching kids good financial habits early is never a bad thing.
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Re: Personal Finances and Minimalism

LeeMKE wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 4:41 pm
I guess if companies stop accepting cash, a different mitigation method would be required
During this pandemic, many places required payment with credit card only, and would not accept cash. 🤯
I think the pandemic has finally made us think about how gross paper money is. :( who knows where that one little piece of paper has been and how many people handled it (or where they kept it). I for one am glad contactless payments are taking off. At least I know where my card has been and I can Lysol wipe it!
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Re: Personal Finances and Minimalism

An example of #1 is with credit cards. We carry multiple credit cards to take advantage of various cash back offerings and other rewards for certain spending categories. Another example would be our solo 401k vendor which we only use for that account because our primary broker's plan is suboptimal. Credit cards are a trade off. On the one hand there is supposedly a lot to be gained by churning cards and trying to always optimize spend, but for me it’s way too complicated and time consuming. I know it’s all the rage now because travel bloggers push cards to make big bucks off referrals, but unless you’re (1) constantly opening new cards for bonuses or (2) spend 6 figures on the card a year, how many people are truly earning enough points to...
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Re: Personal Finances and Minimalism

JoeRetire wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:38 am
DocInColo wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:33 am
JoeRetire wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:12 am
DocInColo wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:30 pmI’ve struggled with trying to simplify everything while not wanting to have all the eggs in one basket. For example, I’d like to have all my cash at one bank, but don’t want the risk of a single point of failure.
How much cash do you have?
Does that happen often for you?
Hasn’t happened yet but that doesn’t mean it won’t. Plenty of people on here have posted about weird things happening to accounts and not having access to funds. Question is, is it worth worrying about...
by DocInColo
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:33 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Re: Personal Finances and Minimalism

JoeRetire wrote: Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:12 am
DocInColo wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:30 pmI’ve struggled with trying to simplify everything while not wanting to have all the eggs in one basket. For example, I’d like to have all my cash at one bank, but don’t want the risk of a single point of failure.
How much cash do you have?

How often do banks fail in your part of the world?
Not necessarily banks failing but something happening where you lose access or all of your accounts get frozen for some reason
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal Finances and Minimalism
Replies: 52
Views: 7346

Personal Finances and Minimalism

The thread on minimalism was fascinating and a great read. I thought it would be interesting to hear the perspectives of financial minimalists or wannabe financial minimalists like myself.

I’ve struggled with trying to simplify everything while not wanting to have all the eggs in one basket. For example, I’d like to have all my cash at one bank, but don’t want the risk of a single point of failure. Same thing with brokerages and credit cards.

How do you incorporate minimalism in your financial life while also dealing with the risk?
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Airport lounges
Replies: 24
Views: 4034

Re: Airport lounges

I wouldn’t get a premium card for the lounge access. Lounges are not what they used to be, especially domestic lounges. Things seem nice now because less people are flying during COVID but wait until things open back up...

Ever since all of the premium cards started giving people priority pass access (many with guest access), the lounges became terribly overcrowded. The food/snacks are gone the second they are put out, people talk on their cell phones and it’s loud, many lounges had no seating or outlets at peak times, the bathrooms can’t be cleaned fast enough, etc.

It’s truly more relaxing to pay for a decent meal and take it to an empty gate at the airport and sit in peace. I gave up on lounges a few years ago.
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 6:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio Review and Advice on Possible House Purchase
Replies: 15
Views: 1764

Re: Portfolio Review and Advice on Possible House Purchase

For 1. I work from home, so this won't change post pandemic. I think for us it has really been some wants regarding bigger bathrooms, and a need for more space as my wife and I both utilize a small spare bedroom as an office which is right near a bathroom and steps away from our kids rooms. 2. I completely agree on your insight, we honestly weren't even looking while ironically most of our friends are building or buying/selling. Then we came across a couple that checked all the boxes and then some. I think the interest rates make it very attractive along with also selling our existing home at the top of the market. Unfortunately as you pointed out that also means buying at the top. It strikes me very odd that in the middle of a pandemic it...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 5:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unrecognized charge from COLOADTEST.com
Replies: 49
Views: 9748

Re: Unrecognized charge from COLOADTEST.com

I am sure banks/cc companies lose millions if not billions of dollars to fraud every year but something as simple as having a PIN could prevent 95% of it. PIN attacks two sources of fraud (a) stolen credit cards which have not yet been reported as stolen, (b) cloned cards used at merchants with mag stripe readers. Magstripe readers are being phased out as chip cards become universal. I'm not sure how much fraud is committed this way, but nowhere near 95%. CHIP is a huge improvement and eliminates the risk from card-cloning (except for the time being at mag stripe readers). IIRC, one reason the US rolled out CHIP cards without PIN is because most Americans tend to carry several cards and change them frequently (see other threads on "be...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 2:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Email - Gmail or iCloud and does it matter?
Replies: 28
Views: 5370

Email - Gmail or iCloud and does it matter?

Longtime gmail user, but all my devices are Apple. I know google makes its money on user data, but Gmail is by far the most ubiquitous and user friendly personal email service. Google hasn’t updated the Gmail app on iOS and I’ve read it’s because they don’t want to disclose the privacy data that Apple requires for apps on the App Store. Either way, it’s frustrating because there are problems with the app that need to be fixed and it also concerns me about google’s privacy policy. I don’t want it’s app tracking me or gathering data. Has anyone made the switch to iCloud Mail and how was it? Are you sacrificing anything that Gmail had but iCloud doesn’t? I’m not interested in any of the super secure overseas email services like Proton. I can s...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unrecognized charge from COLOADTEST.com
Replies: 49
Views: 9748

Re: Unrecognized charge from COLOADTEST.com

Cheez-It Guy wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:38 am We have signature!
:D It's always embarrassing in Europe when they have to print out a receipt for you to sign from their table-side credit card machines because our technology is so antiquated.
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:36 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unrecognized charge from COLOADTEST.com
Replies: 49
Views: 9748

Re: Unrecognized charge from COLOADTEST.com

It still baffles me that in 2021 we don't have some sort of credit card PIN system in the US. I am sure banks/cc companies lose millions if not billions of dollars to fraud every year but something as simple as having a PIN could prevent 95% of it.
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:16 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fraudulent Auto Insurance Opened in My Name
Replies: 36
Views: 4066

Re: Fraudulent Auto Insurance Opened in My Name

One problem is if they opened this to make some sort of fraudulent claim. If a claim is made, and its your info on the policy, that's going to follow you every time you renew and probably affect your rates. Yes, I had wondered about the same thing, and I’m glad that I’m not alone. I got hung up on the scamster needing to get a fake police report on a car he didn’t own in order to file an accident claim. (Then again, maybe I just don’t have a “criminal mind”.) :D I don't think you need a police report to make a claim. Usually people just exchange insurance info without getting the police involved. But you're right that Geico would need proof of the claim (inspecting the car or medical bills) which seems like it would identify the scammer. E...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Minimalists on here?
Replies: 345
Views: 43416

Re: Any Minimalists on here?

I'm curious for the minimalists on this thread, do you translate that simplicity into your finances, and if so, how?

There are always discussions about people opening accounts to chase bonuses or having multiple credit cards to optimize rewards, etc. which seems to be the polar opposite of simplicity. Do minimalists have one checking and savings account and one credit card to keep things simple and hassle free? What other tips do minimalists have to keep your financial life simple?
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone upgrade from iPhone XS to 12 Mini?
Replies: 7
Views: 775

Re: Anyone upgrade from iPhone XS to 12 Mini?

climber2020 wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:34 am
DocInColo wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:10 am Curious who else made the switch from an XS to the mini and what you thought.
The biggest advantage for me is the size and weight. I go running frequently, and it makes a world of difference having a lighter phone that doesn't bounce around my front pocket like a giant slab of metal.
Is the difference in weight/size really that noticeable? That's one thing that I don't like about the XS is that its heavy/cumbersome in your pocket, especially if you have a case on it.

Does it feel too small when you use it for calls/texts?
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:40 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio Review and Advice on Possible House Purchase
Replies: 15
Views: 1764

Re: Portfolio Review and Advice on Possible House Purchase

Looking for advice- we are looking at houses since my wife and I both work from home and are outgrowing our house with our growing family. Houses in our area are going way over ask and a house that will work for our growing family and give us the space we need/want is around $600-$650K, which seems like a lot for us. 1. Will you be both be working exclusively from home after the pandemic subsides? A lot of people are believing their house is too small during this pandemic because everyone is at home all the time. It may feel small right now, but once the kids are back at school and one or both parents go back to the office, and things fully reopen, are you going to need all of the extra space? Be really honest when you answer that. 2. This...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are there benefits of local lender? (Jumbo Mortgage Loan)
Replies: 5
Views: 876

Re: Are there benefits of local lender? (Jumbo Mortgage Loan)

Been hunting for a house for quite some time and finally (hopefully) found one. We were pre-approved by a local bank a while back for a jumbo loan, and we used this pre-approval along with our offer. The loan officer here is local, familiar with our market, and has been beyond helpful - with several 30+ minute calls to explain different questions I've had for the past 1+ years. Just out of curiosity, I called another larger, national bank to see how competitive the rates / fees would be. They were the exact same on the rate at 3.00% but said they would waive the fees (approximately $2K-$3K) - i.e. interest rate and APR both 3.00%. They also had some additional benefits vs the original lender I was working with - no escrow required for taxe...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon Firestick vs. Roku
Replies: 72
Views: 5916

Re: Amazon Firestick vs. Roku

We bought the cheapest fire stick and I probably won't buy another. It is extremely slow, which isn't entirely surprising given its size and price, but it can be frustrating when it freezes or takes a long time to load Netflix. That is a great point. We have both the standard unit and the 4K unit. The 4K unit not only runs 4K video but has a much better processor and more memory. The entire device runs significantly better than the standard unit. We almost never have slowness or freezing problems on the 4K Firesticks. The standard Firestick is workable but I find we have to restart it from time to time to clear up the issues. I would not recommend the standard Firestick as I agree, they do not run well. I do recommend the 4K models. That's...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone upgrade from iPhone XS to 12 Mini?
Replies: 7
Views: 775

Anyone upgrade from iPhone XS to 12 Mini?

Is it worth upgrading from a perfectly good XS to the 12 mini? I had an iPhone 8 and went to a refurb XS about a year ago. I like the OLED screen, liked Face ID (pre-pandemic), the camera, etc. but the size and weight I don't like. I mainly use my phone for messaging and calls. Even with larger hands, I can't reach the top of the XS without adjusting my grip, and it gets awkward to hold on longer phone calls. I also can't find a screen protector that doesn't start peeling off the curved screen after about a week. I am intrigued by the idea of the 12 mini, but my XS works perfectly fine and paying $700 for a cell phone seems like a lot (I can't even imagine paying $1k +). I was reading the 12 mini production is being scaled back because its ...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fraudulent Auto Insurance Opened in My Name
Replies: 36
Views: 4066

Re: Fraudulent Auto Insurance Opened in My Name

One problem is if they opened this to make some sort of fraudulent claim. If a claim is made, and its your info on the policy, that's going to follow you every time you renew and probably affect your rates. That's also odd that Geico would let someone pay for a policy with a pre-paid card...
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon Firestick vs. Roku
Replies: 72
Views: 5916

Re: Amazon Firestick vs. Roku

We bought the cheapest fire stick and I probably won't buy another. It is extremely slow, which isn't entirely surprising given its size and price, but it can be frustrating when it freezes or takes a long time to load Netflix.
by DocInColo
Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Summer vacation in Colorado
Replies: 28
Views: 3372

Re: Summer vacation in Colorado

If you're trying to get out of the heat, don't expect it to be significantly cooler on the front range. Boulder/Denver get hot in the summer and there is a lot of sun (which makes it feel a lot warmer too) Look up in Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, etc. Lots to do in the mountains in the summer.
by DocInColo
Tue Feb 02, 2021 7:36 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help me add value and/or small cap...
Replies: 3
Views: 387

Help me add value and/or small cap...

I have constructed a 3 fund portfolio across all of our accounts. We are 90 stock / 10 bond in the accumulation phase with decades until retirement. We are around 70 domestic / 30 international on the equities and all domestic on the fixed income. I am well aware that past performance is no indicator for future performance, but I am concerned about the TSM's reliance on large cap and growth stocks, especially tech stocks that I believe are extremely overvalued. I understand its market weighted, but right now the market is heavily weighted towards large growth stocks. TSM makes up a huge part of my portfolio, and so I am thinking it may be time to add in some value and small cap to get a little more balance between sectors. I am not making a...
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 31, 2021 9:05 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Direct deposit my salary into my wife's acct, does that protect against future lawsuits?
Replies: 37
Views: 4502

Re: Direct deposit my salary into my wife's acct, does that protect against future lawsuits?

Proactive deposit of my direct deposit salary into my wife's acct, does that offer protection against future lawsuits and collections? In a medical field with high lawsuit percentage and I'm just trying to figure out different ways to protect my assets. Obviously assuming no chance of future divorce etc. Go check out the White Coat Investor blog. There are plenty of articles on there that really put this in perspective. Make sure you have adequate insurance, and you should be fine. The majority of malpractice lawsuits are either a verdict in favor of the doctor, or if they settle, it's for within policy limits. What you are suggesting seems a little sketchy and I'm not sure that it would work. IF (and that's a big if) there were some chanc...
by DocInColo
Sat Jan 30, 2021 12:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How do you pay your taxes? Check or EFTPS?
Replies: 88
Views: 8183

Re: How do you pay your taxes? Check or EFTPS?

One thing to be aware of with EFTPS is you can't change the joint taxpayer or contact information online after the account is set up. That requires phoning the IRS. Normally I'd say that's an excellent security feature except IRS doesn't answer the phone now. Does it matter if you file MFJ but don't have your spouse listed on the EFTPS? I don't know about that. I'm guessing it's probably OK though. I need to change from joint filer to single for 2021. Also need to change the contact information since I'm not at old address anymore. I was able to add my spouse in a round about way on EFTPS. Requiring creating a new PIN and entering all of our info, but now we both show up. Thanks for the heads up! Not sure if it matters or not, but better s...
by DocInColo
Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How do you pay your taxes? Check or EFTPS?
Replies: 88
Views: 8183

Re: How do you pay your taxes? Check or EFTPS?

cheese_breath wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:58 am One thing to be aware of with EFTPS is you can't change the joint taxpayer or contact information online after the account is set up. That requires phoning the IRS. Normally I'd say that's an excellent security feature except IRS doesn't answer the phone now.
Does it matter if you file MFJ but don't have your spouse listed on the EFTPS?
by DocInColo
Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:06 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Dollar Cost Averaging vs Periodic Investments
Replies: 7
Views: 825

Dollar Cost Averaging vs Periodic Investments

Is there any downside to periodic investing as opposed to dollar cost averaging? For example, if your income fluctuates because you're self employed, but your goal is to put aside Y% of gross income each time you pay yourself (let's say every 2 weeks), is that almost the same as dollar cost averaging? Is there any downside to doing this when you are invested in index funds? Does the equation change if your bi-weekly draw is really big and then not so big the next time?
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 24, 2021 6:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?
Replies: 45
Views: 5268

Re: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?

Do you have a reference for liability limitation with no overdraft? Yes, per my bank, if someone stole my debit card or tried to write a check on my checking account, they would only have access to that and no other accounts (savings, money market, etc) because overdraft is disabled. Do you have a reference that this reduces your liability? It's simple. If I have $2,000 in my checking account and overdraft protection is OFF, the most they are going to get out of my bank is... $2,000. If I have overdraft protection ON, they can get that $2,000, and if they keep writing checks/making debit card purchases, the bank will continue transferring money from my savings accounts to cover those checks/debits until it is caught and stopped, therefore ...
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?
Replies: 45
Views: 5268

Re: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?

Thank you for this post and the follow ups. Many of these strategies are new to me. I would also add make sure you turn off any sort of overdraft protection on your accounts. My understanding is that this limits your liability for stolen checks/checking account numbers to whatever is in checking. If there is no overdraft, and someone tries to steal a bunch of money they won't be able to get it from your savings accounts. Do you have a reference for liability limitation with no overdraft? Yes, per my bank, if someone stole my debit card or tried to write a check on my checking account, they would only have access to that and no other accounts (savings, money market, etc) because overdraft is disabled. Do you have a reference that this reduc...
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?
Replies: 45
Views: 5268

Re: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?

palanzo wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:52 pm
DocInColo wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:37 pm
intendi wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:39 pm Thank you for this post and the follow ups. Many of these strategies are new to me.
I would also add make sure you turn off any sort of overdraft protection on your accounts. My understanding is that this limits your liability for stolen checks/checking account numbers to whatever is in checking. If there is no overdraft, and someone tries to steal a bunch of money they won't be able to get it from your savings accounts.
Do you have a reference for liability limitation with no overdraft?
Yes, per my bank, if someone stole my debit card or tried to write a check on my checking account, they would only have access to that and no other accounts (savings, money market, etc) because overdraft is disabled.
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?
Replies: 45
Views: 5268

Re: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?

intendi wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:39 pm Thank you for this post and the follow ups. Many of these strategies are new to me.
I would also add make sure you turn off any sort of overdraft protection on your accounts. My understanding is that this limits your liability for stolen checks/checking account numbers to whatever is in checking. If there is no overdraft, and someone tries to steal a bunch of money they won't be able to get it from your savings accounts.
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?
Replies: 45
Views: 5268

Re: Securing my accounts, what am I missing?

What is the difference between 1Password and the free Keychain that comes with Mac? The nice thing about Keychain is complete integration without needing any sort of browser plug in. I know 1Password is cross-platform, but I'm all Apple except for work computers, and I'm not going to be logging into any personal (especially bank) websites on my work computer.
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What paper records to keep?
Replies: 3
Views: 478

What paper records to keep?

What financial/other records should be kept in paper format? I typically scan everything to the computer and my files are backed up to the cloud as well as a USB drive every few months (just started doing this after reading about it here). That being said, are there any records (other than original documents like birth certificates, car titles, etc.) that should be kept in paper format?

For example, do you need paper tax returns and supporting documents? What about documents from a mortgage refi?
by DocInColo
Fri Jan 22, 2021 8:16 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why Vanguard?
Replies: 86
Views: 10849

Re: Why Vanguard?

The only advantage I see to Vanguard these days is if you use their funds. They have - by far - the worst customer service and tech/website of the big discount brokerages. A lot of people will tell you that's not important because they hardly ever log on or call Vanguard, etc. but just wait until they mess something up and you have to spend 45 minutes on hold to get someone who doesn't know what they're doing...

I think the only reason a lot of people stay (including myself) is pure inertia. I don't particularly like Vanguard, but they haven't messed anything major up, and I don't want to go through the hassle of transferring accounts. If I could do it all over, I would have started with Vanguard ETFs and gone with Schwab or Fidelity.
by DocInColo
Mon Jan 18, 2021 8:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: applying for auto financing at CU AND dealership
Replies: 6
Views: 560

Re: applying for auto financing at CU AND dealership

I always found that dealer financing usually has better rates than banks and CUs unless you have less than stellar credit. They make the money from selling you the car, whereas the bank/CU makes money from the loan interest. I highly doubt you will find an interest rate lower than 0.9%. I would go direct to Subaru, don't even hassle with the CU, put as much of a downpayment as you can comfortably afford, and then go from there. You won't tie up too much cash or have to sell investments, and the interest you'd be paying is negligible. The other option is to try a car buying service. I think AAA has one? You tell them exactly what you want (down to the color and trim) or if you want to test multiple cars, and they shop around to various deale...
by DocInColo
Sun Jan 17, 2021 5:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone Use a 3rd Party Bill Pay? (non-business)
Replies: 24
Views: 2310

Re: Anyone Use a 3rd Party Bill Pay? (non-business)

Just out of curiosity, what is the benefit of using a 3p bill paying service? I thought most - if not all - banks have bill pay functionality built in?

I use ACH "pull" by logging into the website where I have a bill (utilities, credit card, etc) and just click "Pay" and it withdraws the money from my account. I don't know is more or less safe than using Bill Pay, but its incredibly easy and I get an email as soon as I pay the bill, so I don't have to worry about checks getting lost or anything like that.