Search found 157 matches

by SeattleLaw
Tue Mar 05, 2024 10:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Chase or BoA for personal and business checking, which would you choose?
Replies: 7
Views: 1326

Chase or BoA for personal and business checking, which would you choose?

Which of these two would you choose for business and personal checking? Does one do anything better than the other? This is purely a transactional account for income/expenses. I'm not interested in opening a brokerage at either bank, even for the Preferred Rewards at BoA. I like to keep brokerage and checking completely separate. I'd have a month or two of expenses in there, and that's it. No savings accounts, no brokerage accounts. I'm tired of smaller banks and CUs with bad mobile applications, limited customer service hours, slow transfers, etc. I just want an account that has Zelle, good bill pay, an easy to use website, and an app that doesn't crash every time I open it. I've narrowed it down to these two banks because they are everywh...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Mar 04, 2024 7:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tom Bihn briefcase worth the money? Looking for a quality, lightweight laptop briefcase.
Replies: 21
Views: 2481

Re: Tom Bihn briefcase worth the money? Looking for a quality, lightweight laptop briefcase.

Researched Tom Bihn years ago, finally decided that the price wasn't justified. Since then have heard some CS anecdotes that justify my decision. The bag I bought was a Filson, kind of limited in style options but well made and has held up very well. I'm a little confused by this. I'm a big fan of Filson, but the current cost of their briefcase is $495. The two briefcases OP is asking about are ~$185. Do you think the Filson has that much more value to justify the cost? I was not a big fan of the Filson briefcase I had. I got it before they were the cool thing to have and Filson doubled the price. The fabric starts to smell weird and it picks up marks and dirt too easily. Not worth anywhere close to $495 in my opinion. The same can be said...
by SeattleLaw
Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tom Bihn briefcase worth the money? Looking for a quality, lightweight laptop briefcase.
Replies: 21
Views: 2481

Tom Bihn briefcase worth the money? Looking for a quality, lightweight laptop briefcase.

I have an expensive leather "lawyer" briefcase that looks great but isn't really practical. I'm looking for something lightweight to carry a 13" laptop, sunglasses, water bottle, keys, and maybe a file folder or two. Bonus points if it can double as a cabin bag for traveling. A friend raves about Tom Bihn, but they seem expensive for a such a simple nylon bag. I saw some older threads where people recommended them, but I'd like to get some opinions on the Pilot and Cadet briefcases, specifically. Anyone have one? Does the quality justify the cost? I was also looking at a Thule backpack, but they can be pretty heavy and I'm not a huge fan of all the straps. I used to have a Filson (before they were cool), but the cotton fabric...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Denver car theft and crime issues - how bad is it?
Replies: 15
Views: 2836

Re: Denver car theft and crime issues - how bad is it?

. Yet statements like "avoid downtown Denver at all costs" seem overly alarmist. Is the area crime free? Of course not. I don’t mean to sound alarmist, and that probably sounded harsher than necessary :D , but I just meant I wouldn’t want to live downtown. I worked part time in an office downtown for about a year and on two separate occasions the building went into lockdown because of shootings nearby. In broad daylight. On a workday. In the financial district. That was pretty unsettling. But we still go downtown for Rockies games and shows at the Pepsi center. You just need to be aware of your surroundings as you said. It’s nothing that doesn’t happen in every other big city in America, but people still think of Denver as a smal...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Denver car theft and crime issues - how bad is it?
Replies: 15
Views: 2836

Re: Denver car theft and crime issues - how bad is it?

Live in Denver now, formerly in Seattle. I can confirm that auto thefts are (were?) a real issue here. Something like three cars a day were being stolen from Denver international airport. Supposedly that has gone down though because people were getting upset and the city finally stepped in. I agree with the poster above that Aurora seems to be the hot bed of crime in the metro area, at least per the news. But Aurora is huge and there are really nice areas and really bad areas. The further S and E you go in Aurora the nicer it is. Avoid downtown Denver, Capitol Hill, and Green Valley Ranch at all costs. Downtown has gotten progressively less safe, which is a shame. The light rail can get kind of gross, at least when I was on it last. At one ...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Feb 10, 2024 5:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Law School Debt: Is It Worth It?
Replies: 115
Views: 10662

Re: Law School Debt: Is It Worth It?

My 37 yo brother went to a T10 law school and now makes $3.5M per year as a big law partner in manhattan. It was certainly worth it for him. My understanding is that those firm jobs are really only available to those graduating from a top school. Not necessarily the top of class at those schools, but from those schools. What type of school you want to go to (and debt you want to incur) is definitely dependent on the field law you want to be in. No one cares about what school you went to unless you are looking for a job in big law. And big law is a very, very, very miserable way to make a living. You "may" make 3.5m a year, but you never have time to spend it. I've met very few big law lawyers who seem happy with their jobs. Local...
by SeattleLaw
Sun Jan 14, 2024 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Business owners: risks of manually reconciling bank account?
Replies: 2
Views: 378

Re: Business owners: risks of manually reconciling bank account?

stan1 wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 12:20 pm What accounting software are you using? If the accounting software version is no longer supported switching banks may not be a long term solution.
Xero. It’s 1/4 the price of QuickBooks and much easier to use. They are very popular in Europe, but not here since QB has the market cornered. They have direct feeds with the big banks but smaller ones have to use Yodlee (basically Plaid) which doesn’t work with my bank now.
by SeattleLaw
Sun Jan 14, 2024 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Business owners: risks of manually reconciling bank account?
Replies: 2
Views: 378

Business owners: risks of manually reconciling bank account?

I previously posted asking for bank recommendations. My current, regional business bank stopped offering a feed for my accounting software. I have the ability to download OFX files and upload them to “manually” reconcile them, but it’s not great about recognizing duplicates. What are the risks of manually reconciling your bank accounts? I don’t have a lot of transactions, but moving banks is also a HUGE hassle and none of the mega banks that offer feeds for my software are very compelling. Looking for real world experience from folks who have small businesses and do their own accounting. I don’t want to mess up the books and spend a ton of time trying to delete transactions and re-upload, so if direct feeds are the way to go I suppose I can...
by SeattleLaw
Wed Jan 10, 2024 2:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Banking Advice: BoA, BMO, Chase, Wells, or Citi?
Replies: 13
Views: 1780

Re: Banking Advice: BoA, BMO, Chase, Wells, or Citi?

Thanks everyone. Looks like Chase may be the best bet. What’s the best savings option for their brokerage? If you buy a MMF is the same/transfer to checking relatively quick?
by SeattleLaw
Mon Jan 08, 2024 2:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Banking Advice: BoA, BMO, Chase, Wells, or Citi?
Replies: 13
Views: 1780

Re: Banking Advice: BoA, BMO, Chase, Wells, or Citi?

...Here's what I am looking for: 1. low to no fees, and no foreign transaction fees would be a big plus 2. lower minimum balances for the business account (some places require 20-50k)... Business accounts are where the banks make their real money. Unless you get a fee list/quote from each bank you won't know which one works best for your business. Many businesses are sensitive to only a couple of fees that will really impact their total banking expense. Its a matter of knowing the banking services your business requires and which bank gives you the best deal on those services. Dollar volumes and transaction counts can make a huge difference. If you get "no foreign transaction fee" you could still suffer plenty on the exchange rat...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Jan 08, 2024 1:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Banking Advice: BoA, BMO, Chase, Wells, or Citi?
Replies: 13
Views: 1780

Banking Advice: BoA, BMO, Chase, Wells, or Citi?

My business accounting software used Yoodle to "sync" accounts, and this week it stopped interfacing with my bank. I've seen some other gripes about this online. Here are the banks that offer direct feeds without the need to use Yoodle: BoA BMO Harris Chase Wells Fargo Citibank I'd prefer to consolidate all banking at one of these banks. With the exception of Citi, they all have branches in the area. Our investments are at Vanguard, and I have a credit card at BoA. I don't want to move our investments, but I'd consider moving our emergency fund over to a brokerage if it's worth it. Here's what I am looking for: 1. low to no fees, and no foreign transaction fees would be a big plus 2. lower minimum balances for the business account...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Dec 04, 2023 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Protection Against Lawsuits
Replies: 38
Views: 5600

Re: Protection Against Lawsuits

Do the easy/cheap/effective stuff first: Max out retirement accounts Learn your state asset protection laws Increase liability coverage/add on umbrella insurance Evaluate your activities to see if the joy they bring you is worth the increased liability Title properties appropriately (tenants by the entirety often wise for marrieds in many states) Then figure out whether more advanced/expensive/complicated/less certain steps are worth it. These includes things like equity stripping, trusts, family limited partnerships etc. Don’t trusts and FLPs really only work for asset protection if you already have a big chunk of assets to set aside? If you’re in your 30s and still accumulating with your income, can you continue to add to taxable account...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategy questions.
Replies: 5
Views: 899

Re: Irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategy questions.

All that said, you say you are young and so you will want to think long and hard about any of this. I have seen many people over the years who set up irrevocable estate planning trusts and later regretted it or wanted to change them. Good asset protection does involve some element of irrevocability - you can control that to some extent through the spouse's power of appointment, but you must trust the spouse completely, and especially if your marriage goes sideways you could regret this planning a lot. That's a good point. Are there other options out there like family limited partnerships or some sort of LLP/LLC that can be used for some degree of asset protection? Again, we are trying to be as responsible as possible by carrying high limit...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategy questions.
Replies: 5
Views: 899

Re: Irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategy questions.

evancox10 wrote: Mon Nov 27, 2023 9:20 am Again I am just a lay person, definitely talk to a well qualified estate planning attorney about this.
That's the idea. It seems like a lot of estate planning lawyers either want to stick to the easy wills/revocable trusts they have templates for, or try to upsell you into some complex plan you don't need that they charge big bucks for. Hard to get straight advice. Hoping to hear from a few others who are in our situation on what they ended up doing.
by SeattleLaw
Mon Nov 27, 2023 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategy questions.
Replies: 5
Views: 899

Irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategy questions.

It's estate planning time. I've been reading a lot about trusts, and am wondering if irrevocable trusts and asset protection strategies are worth it for us. We are young, high income, I work in a field that is very litigious, and live in a state with a minuscule homestead exemption. Most of our wealth will be in a joint taxable account in the years to come, completely unprotected under state law. Our state does not have tenants by the entirety ownership. Our #1 asset protection strategy is always to insure first. We carry a big umbrella and a big professional indemnity policy. But there is always the risk of an above-the-limits verdict. I read some of White Coat Investor's posts about asset protection, which got me interested. Is it worth s...
by SeattleLaw
Tue Oct 31, 2023 8:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Lawyers who left the practice of law: what do you do, and how'd you get there?
Replies: 53
Views: 10392

Re: Lawyers who left the practice of law: what do you do, and how'd you get there?

I'm no longer that challenged or interested by the work and increasingly question why I chose a career where I'm fighting with people for a living. And looking at people 25 years more senior, I'm realizing they're basically doing the same job I do now. I do not want to be doing this when I'm 60. Plus, my practice is one where it would be hard to say with a straight face that I'm contributing in a positive way to the world around me through my job. Do you mind sharing what your litigation practice area is? I can say, as a litigator myself, I've definitely felt the same way as you. Maybe it's your firm or your area of law? I find that the job can be extremely demanding and stressful some days, but others it can be extremely challenging and r...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Oct 28, 2023 4:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple apps and Microsoft 365 don't play nice. Any suggestions?
Replies: 6
Views: 976

Apple apps and Microsoft 365 don't play nice. Any suggestions?

My company uses Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). I do not want my work email on my cell phone, only my calendar. I have an iPhone and use the default apps. For some reason, Apple and Microsoft don't work well together. If I, or my assistant, delete a calendar invite from my outlook calendar (or I decline an invite from someone external to my company), it syncs perfectly in Outlook, but on my iPhone, the appointment shows up as grey with "Cancelled" in the title until I manually click "delete" or "OK" in the inbox at the bottom right of the calendar app. Not really practical when we're talking about hundreds of calendar invites. I've deleted the account, re-added it, but it still happens. I know Microsoft wa...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Oct 28, 2023 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home warranties
Replies: 21
Views: 1945

Re: Home warranties

As I get older, I am inclined to purchased a home warranty plan. What is the recommendation and what I should look for so many companies out there that just want to sell but I want to have somebody that will come through when I need them. All suggestions are welcome We had some "platinum" plan with America's First Home Warranty (or something like that) which the seller threw in when we bought our house. It was completely useless when the fridge broke. I wouldn't pay a dime of my own money for a home warranty. They are a lot like a third party extended warranty for a car. It makes the warranty company a lot of money, but they have lots of exceptions and hoops to jump through, and it's a toss up if they'll ever pay. What crippling ...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Google Nest thermostat frustrations; alternatives? Temp sensors?
Replies: 2
Views: 544

Google Nest thermostat frustrations; alternatives? Temp sensors?

Our old house had an Ecobee thermostat that worked great and still got software updates. Our new house has an old Gen 2 (?) Nest Thermostat and I hate it. Google has basically abandoned their Nest line, and this thermostat still uses the old Nest app, which hasn't been updated in a long time. One thing I like is that it uses geofencing, which definitely saves energy. But, when the seasons change this thing goes haywire. I went in and manually set a schedule in the Nest app, but then it still does whatever it wants. I turn the heat to 67, but 20 minutes later the thermostat is back down to 62. It seems like it takes a long time to "learn" anything, and creating a set schedule it sticks with is basically impossible. You are at its m...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Oct 21, 2023 8:49 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Disability insurance - amount, private policy, riders
Replies: 5
Views: 986

Re: Disability insurance - amount, private policy, riders

BruDude wrote: Wed Oct 18, 2023 12:47 pm I am curious why the Guardian policy was both more expensive and limited to $5k/month. Can you expand on that? Guardian's class 6 occupation for attorneys is almost always the least expensive coverage for attorneys (or very close to it), and they'd calculate your income and bonus in the same way that MM and Principal do so I'm not sure why that one would be limited to $5k/month if the others are at $10-15k/month max.
I think Guardian had a harder time with my income since I am not a W2 employee and my very high income was relatively new. The salesperson was very nice and told me I'd be better off shopping around, which I appreciated. I ended up with Mass Mutual which seems to have a very similar policy.
by SeattleLaw
Sat Oct 21, 2023 8:46 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Disability insurance - amount, private policy, riders
Replies: 5
Views: 986

Re: Disability insurance - amount, private policy, riders

What did you end up deciding? I am an associate at a large law firm which has the same LTD group benefit. I’m considering getting supplemental disability insurance in the hope of “locking in” a low premium at a young age. Just realized the original post is from January but same info above might help I got a separate, private DI policy. My understanding is that the private policy and my group policy act sort of like "co-insurance." In other words, you can only insure a certain % of your income so the policies get reduced by "other benefits" (i.e. disability from the government or payment under another DI policy). But, the group policy's max is only a small part of my actual take home pay, which is why I got the private p...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Oct 21, 2023 7:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advantages of a credit union?
Replies: 37
Views: 4413

Advantages of a credit union?

I've seen many posts of people who are loyal to credit unions, suggesting them as a better alternative to banks. But I'm curious what the benefits are and why credit unions aren't paying better interest? Every time I've looked at local credit unions, they aren't a great value. Their loan rates are generally in line with - or worse than - the big banks, they are paying maybe 0.5 %to 1% interest on their highest yielding savings accounts when online banks are paying 5%, they still have a lot of fees for certain things (wires, stop payment, etc.), and their online banking and apps are generally pretty basic and bare bones. I understand that the co-op network could be helpful to some, but in an age where the majority of people do their banking ...
by SeattleLaw
Fri Oct 13, 2023 5:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Any Experiences with UMB Bank?
Replies: 9
Views: 1255

Re: Any Experiences with UMB Bank?

I wanted to bump this to the top and see if anyone else had experience with UMB bank?

They seem to be growing in Colorado and are offering pretty good checking account options with low/no fees and a 4.3% money market account which is on par with online banks. It would be nice to have the benefits of a B&M bank with the yield of an online bank. Consumer Reports also ranks them pretty highly in their bank ratings, although that is pretty old, so I'd like to get some more recent opinions.
by SeattleLaw
Sat Sep 30, 2023 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 4 runner or Outback or Passport: help me decide new car
Replies: 83
Views: 7587

Re: 4 runner or Outback or Passport: help me decide new car

We looked at a 4 Runner several years ago and decided against it. Great truck, but didn't fit our needs. Definitely test drive before you make a decision. I didn't like how much it felt like a big truck. Cons - very underpowered, naturally aspirated engine - bad gas mileage for the size of the engine - interiors are very dated and plastic-y for a $50k+ SUV - accelerates/stops/corners like a truck - not very comfortable - not the best safety ratings Pros - very reliable (probably because the engine has been around for a long time) - extremely good off-road Other considerations: unless you get the Limited trim, it will have RWD or part-time 4WD, not AWD, which can be very annoying if you live in a snowy climate. Full-time AWD is much more con...
by SeattleLaw
Wed Sep 27, 2023 5:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Flood insurance, should I get it and how much?
Replies: 28
Views: 3003

Re: Flood insurance, should I get it and how much?

Angel of Empire wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 9:23 am Severe weather patterns? As if major hurricanes, floods, fires, rains didn't exist 30, 50, 100, 200 years ago. History says otherwise.

Water in basement isn't considered a flood. If not in a flood zone, skip flood insurance.
Just because risks have existed for a long time doesn't mean you don't insure against them - especially where severe weather events continue to increase and weather patterns change. Look at what is happening with the insurance industry. Many people are hard pressed to get coverage in FL and CA because of the massive increase in natural disaster risk.

I am not in a designated flood zone, but live adjacent to one. That is concerning.
by SeattleLaw
Wed Sep 27, 2023 9:03 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Flood insurance, should I get it and how much?
Replies: 28
Views: 3003

Re: Flood insurance, should I get it and how much?

vrr106 wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 8:46 am Is the private insurer one of these?
The private insurer is Neptune
by SeattleLaw
Wed Sep 27, 2023 6:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Flood insurance, should I get it and how much?
Replies: 28
Views: 3003

Flood insurance, should I get it and how much?

Live in Denver, CO. Newer neighborhood, not in a designated flood zone, but with a fully finished basement. Severe weather patterns have been increasing and it's likely going to continue to get worse, so I've been wondering if flood insurance is worth it? I asked my agent to quote me, and they offer policies from Neptune, a private insurer. If the policy insured almost the full value of the home, the premium would be nearly as much as my homeowners policy, which seems kind of crazy. 1. when is it a good idea to get flood insurance? 2. how do you decide how much coverage to get? 3. does basement vs. slab vs. crawlspace play a role in your decision? 4. is private flood the way to go if you get the insurance? 5. how much can you expect to pay?
by SeattleLaw
Mon Sep 04, 2023 8:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Am I Underpaid? (Lawyers)
Replies: 71
Views: 9281

Re: Am I Underpaid? (Lawyers)

I am an attorney with 10+ years of experience, and I currently earn $150k in a public-sector position. I know some lawyers who are making that and still trying to bill 1800+ hours a year, working day and night, and hating their jobs. I'd say you're doing great based on your salary and work-life balance. No reason to switch jobs if you are happy where you're at and have enough $$ to live. You can probably make more money in the private sector, but that comes with its own set of downsides. People generally have a skewed idea of what lawyers make, because they immediately think of someone working at a big corporate law firm who makes a ton of money (but also has to work a ton of hours). For every one of those lawyers, there are probably 10 do...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Sep 02, 2023 7:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone get a new 15” MacBook Air?
Replies: 22
Views: 4454

Re: Anyone get a new 15” MacBook Air?

Gecko10x wrote: Mon Aug 28, 2023 10:17 am Just last month had to replace a broken 2018 15" MB Pro and I went with the 15" Air. Same screen size/resolution basically, but much smaller bezel. No more shitty butterfly keyboard. It's nearly the same thickness I think, but a bit lighter and much better battery life. I really like it.

If you really value size/weight and don't mind a small screen, I'm sure the 13" would be good, but for me I really like the bigger screen and the 15" air is perfect.
Thanks! I'm very used to working on an iMac all day, and I've only had 13" laptops in the past and found them hard to see on. I think I'll go with the 15".
by SeattleLaw
Mon Aug 28, 2023 7:36 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone get a new 15” MacBook Air?
Replies: 22
Views: 4454

Re: Anyone get a new 15” MacBook Air?

I wanted to bump this thread up now that the 15 inch MacBook Air has been out for a while. The USB connector on my iPad Pro finally went out, so it’s time to get a replacement. I’m thinking of getting a laptop instead of an iPad this time. I like having a big screen, but not at the cost of portability. Has anyone tried both the 13 and 15? How much of a difference is the 15 inch in terms of weight and size? Will it still fit in a carry-on? What about on an airplane tray table?
by SeattleLaw
Sat Aug 26, 2023 8:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?
Replies: 47
Views: 4038

Re: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?

I have Amex but I get CDW when I rent a car in the US. I looked into it but decided to get it despite the cost to reduce hassle. Does it make sense to get CDW in the US? I was talking about this with a friend who always gets CDW. One time they made a sharp a turn in a parking garage, scraped up against a concrete pillar, and did serious damage to the side of the rental SUV. All they had to do was turn the keys back in, sign a form, and never heard about it again since they had CDW. I’m starting to be on the camp of getting the CDW. It seems like relying on your own auto insurance is risky because if usually won’t cover the admin and loss of use fees the rental companies will tack on, and relying on a credit card is also risky if you read a...
by SeattleLaw
Sat Aug 26, 2023 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?
Replies: 47
Views: 4038

Re: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?

JDCarpenter wrote: Fri Aug 25, 2023 8:59 pm
(By travel insurance, I do not mean medical/evac insurance, for which we maintain an annual policy.)
Just curious, who is your annual policy through?
by SeattleLaw
Sat Aug 26, 2023 8:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?
Replies: 47
Views: 4038

Re: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?

bendix wrote: Fri Aug 25, 2023 6:40 pm I had a $5,000 claim in Europe six, seven years ago covered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve without any problem whatsoever. I am having a claim now on something else with them and it takes forever, though.
That’s where my hesitation comes in. In some countries (especially parts of South America) the rental contract says you will be responsible for the entire value of the damage up to the cost of the car. Others let you buy the deductible down to $5,000 USD. I wouldn’t want to be on the hook for $25-30k if the car is totaled and just “hope” that Amex and Chase come through in a reasonable period of time.
by SeattleLaw
Fri Aug 25, 2023 8:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?
Replies: 47
Views: 4038

Do you buy rental car CDW insurace?

For overseas trips, do you buy the rental company’s CDW? It adds about $20/day, which adds up quick. We usually just use Amex Premium Rental Coverage which is $19 for the whole trip and is primary. I’m just worried about whether Amex will be a hassle if a claim is made, especially with an overseas company like Europcar.

I know people who have wrecked rentals and had the company’s CDW and walked away with no hassle. I’ve also read some threads on flyertalk where Amex took 6 months to pay a claim. I don’t want to have to pay for the damage up front in the hopes that it’ll be reimbursed.
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 08, 2023 8:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Getting rid of my wallet?
Replies: 101
Views: 10825

Re: Getting rid of my wallet?

Hillview wrote: Sun Aug 06, 2023 9:43 am my insurance "cards" are in my iphone wallet
my ATM "card" is in my iphone wallet
I’ve always carried my health insurance card in my wallet just in case something happened to me and I was unconscious. I don’t know if there’s any truth to this, but I’ve heard you’re more likely to be taken to a good hospital if they know you have private health insurance. Do people not carry their insurance cards?

For the ATM card, my understanding is that you can only use the “tap” function at your banks branded ATM. So if you bank with chase, you can’t “tap” at a Wells Fargo ATM to get cash. I carry my ATM card for that reason alone.
by SeattleLaw
Mon Aug 07, 2023 7:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Charitable giving - donor advised fund? How much?
Replies: 51
Views: 4022

Re: Charitable giving - donor advised fund? How much?

Is it always better to donate appreciated shares, or is cash to the DAF a good idea?
by SeattleLaw
Mon Aug 07, 2023 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Extended car warranty (Volvo specifically)? Experience with Steingold?
Replies: 7
Views: 1246

Re: Extended car warranty (Volvo specifically)? Experience with Steingold?

Do you spring for a manufacturer's extended warranty when buying a CPO vehicle if you intend to keep it longer than the manufacturer's original warranty? Given how electronic the modern Volvos are, I thought it would be worth considering. The dealer offered what was basically a 35% discount off the "list" price if we bought the Volvo warranty through them, but I've seen a lot of people recommending Steingold Volvo, which is the same Volvo warranty, but generally cheaper. All of these are Volvo warranties, not a third-party, and my understanding is that they are fully transferrable (which should increase trade-in value when it's time for us to get something else). There are several packages available with varying deductibles. It c...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Aug 07, 2023 8:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Extended car warranty (Volvo specifically)? Experience with Steingold?
Replies: 7
Views: 1246

Extended car warranty (Volvo specifically)? Experience with Steingold?

Do you spring for a manufacturer's extended warranty when buying a CPO vehicle if you intend to keep it longer than the manufacturer's original warranty? Given how electronic the modern Volvos are, I thought it would be worth considering. The dealer offered what was basically a 35% discount off the "list" price if we bought the Volvo warranty through them, but I've seen a lot of people recommending Steingold Volvo, which is the same Volvo warranty, but generally cheaper. All of these are Volvo warranties, not a third-party, and my understanding is that they are fully transferrable (which should increase trade-in value when it's time for us to get something else). There are several packages available with varying deductibles. It co...
by SeattleLaw
Sun Aug 06, 2023 9:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?
Replies: 133
Views: 11812

Re: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?

We decided to wait on buying an EV and just replace the Subaru with a pre-owned ICE vehicle with the intent of waiting 3-5 years to see how the EV market shakes out. I really wanted an EV, but when I sat down and crunched the numbers, there were just too many compromises for us to make it worth it right now, especially based on our lifestyle and where we drive. Living in Colorado, we like to enjoy the mountains. But, charging infrastructure isn't great outside of the big towns and tourist areas, and it gets cold here, which significant reduces EV range. It just doesn't make sense to us right now given the high cost of entry for a new EV. Hopefully more automakers will start producing EVs in the next 3-5 years, prices will drop, and technolo...
by SeattleLaw
Sun Aug 06, 2023 8:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Charitable giving - donor advised fund? How much?
Replies: 51
Views: 4022

Re: Charitable giving - donor advised fund? How much?

prd1982 wrote: Sun Aug 06, 2023 8:42 pm From a financial standpoint, a DAF is only useful if:

* you itemize on you tax form the year you give to a DAF.

* you spread sending the money to the charities over a few years.
We generally itemize every year. I'm a bit confused on how the tax deduction works; is it when you donate to the DAF or when you give from the DAF to charity?
by SeattleLaw
Sun Aug 06, 2023 8:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Charitable giving - donor advised fund? How much?
Replies: 51
Views: 4022

Charitable giving - donor advised fund? How much?

We give to charity, but given our income, I’ve started thinking about increasing our charitable giving and possibly starting a donor advised fund.

We pay so much in taxes, it would be great to use some of that money we’d otherwise send to the IRS to support causes that we are actually passionate about and where we can see a direct impact in our local community.

How do you determine how much to give to charity? Are donor advised funds as good as they sound on paper? Since we are in the accumulation phase, we can’t give away too much, so is there a good compromise of charitable giving vs saving, with taxes in mind?
by SeattleLaw
Wed Aug 02, 2023 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?
Replies: 133
Views: 11812

Re: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?

I get that the OP is thinking about ID4, but has he looked at the KIa and Hyundai offerings, which seem quite compelling to me? Without a tax rebate, they might be more competitive. I don't like Hyundai or Kia and don't think I'd ever buy one. They've tried to rebrand themselves in the last few years, but that's after many years of making cheap, terrible, and sometimes unsafe cars. Even the new Ioniq (which has a Top Safety Pick Plus from the IIHS) only gets an "Acceptable" for the safety cage. I wonder how they managed to get a TSPP without getting "Good" on the safety cage? There seems to be a major bias towards car manufacturers in Asia where reviewers just assume they're going to be great cars. For example, CR rates...
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 01, 2023 8:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?
Replies: 133
Views: 11812

Re: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?

I’ve read that if you lease an ID4 you can get the benefit of the rebate baked into the lease without actually qualifying for the rebate. I have no experience leasing but it might be worth a look. PS- have owned a 2021 ID4 FE for 3 years and, except for slow software updates it’s been great. I looked into that but the dealer was extremely cagey about the numbers. When I ran them it seemed like I was actually paying a lot more, even if I bought the lease out quickly. I didn't trust the dealer at all. Good to know you like the ID.4! Have you had any maintenance or repair issues, did your insurance go up significantly, and how is real-world range in winter? There are a LOT of new ID.4s sitting on the lot and quite a few used ones being traded...
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 01, 2023 8:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When estimating tax liability for 110% of last year, what is included?
Replies: 7
Views: 1084

Re: When estimating tax liability for 110% of last year, what is included?

Can we back off on the tax payments or do we need to pay that much or a bit more because of last year's larger income? If you have a CPA, I'd ask them because it can get very complicated. It also depends on how much you earn through your self-employment vs. W2. It is even more complicated if you have a really good year one year and a not so good year the next. If that's the case, your business may not have cash flow to pay 110% of last year's tax obligation each quarter. A CPA can help figure that out. I may have a phenomenal year and pay a ton in taxes, and then a pretty mediocre year (and still feel like I pay a ton in taxes :x ) so I generally set aside X% of gross (non-W2) for federal because I know that is about what our effective tax...
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 01, 2023 8:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Right amount of car insurance coverage
Replies: 4
Views: 547

Re: Right amount of car insurance coverage

As someone who has used insurance-provided roadside assistance before... it's awful. I think the insurance companies, credit card companies, and sometimes AAA contract out the work and you are generally lower priority on the list when you call compared to someone who calls the tow company directly. I assume that's because they are getting paid more when you call them directly, but I'd rather do that than wait an hour for a jump or to have someone change the tire.
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 01, 2023 8:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?
Replies: 70
Views: 5370

Re: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?

You all convinced me. We are going to get a 240/50 plug installed. We got another quote around $2,500. It looks like the most expensive thing is the actual wire itself. Our install is a bit complicated given the detached garage and location of the breaker box. All in, I think its a good deal and if we ever decide to sell the buyers will probably expect an EV compatible plug!
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 01, 2023 8:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?
Replies: 133
Views: 11812

Re: Should I get new car? Go EV? If so, which?

To add a wrinkle to my original post... it looks like the forester is going to need new brakes and/or some suspension work (already replaced some of the bushings last year). This is pushing me even more towards getting a new car :? Someone in a thread also mentioned that 80-100k miles is about when the CVT starts to go out. Our biggest problem with buying an EV is that we make too much for any tax breaks, so we are basically stuck with MSRP if we go the new car route. I love Teslas, but have major concerns about repairs/parts, insurance costs, and their wonky pricing. Also loved the Mach-E, but they are pricy for the higher-range models and the sloped rear roofline looks cool but not sure our dogs would agree. Volvos are very nice inside, b...
by SeattleLaw
Tue Aug 01, 2023 7:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Would this car buying tactic work?
Replies: 51
Views: 5987

Re: Would this car buying tactic work?

The sales department proceeds to slap a 20%+ interest rate on the loan and happily agrees to the lower "out-the-door" price thinking they landed a big fish and I then pay off the total balance of the loan within a couple of month. I doubt this would work. We have been looking for a car, and the dealerships will not negotiate on the sticker price. Many dealerships are also moving to the “one price“ model, and they definitely won’t negotiate. Dealers may agree to add a few hundred dollars to your trade-in to sweeten the deal, but we got the same price regardless of whether we were going to pay cash or finance. It seems like the days of being able to drive a hard bargain with car dealers is gone. Even dealers that have a ton of inve...
by SeattleLaw
Mon Jul 31, 2023 7:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?
Replies: 70
Views: 5370

Re: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?

exigent wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2023 7:19 pm
SeattleLaw wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2023 6:54 pm Is it worth the $3k-4k to install a new outlet in the garage?
Is that the cost for a standard 220 outlet? Or is there some sort of fancy charger involved, too? Because $4k for a 220 outlet sounds crazy high.
Detached garage so it’s a pretty long cable run and has to go through the underground piping to the garage. I know a couple of people who paid over 1k for a simple outlet in an attached garage.
by SeattleLaw
Mon Jul 31, 2023 6:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?
Replies: 70
Views: 5370

EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?

For EV owners, did you invest in getting a 220v/50a outlet in your garage? We haven't purchased an EV yet, and are on the fence.

On the one hand, getting 40-50 miles per night from a regular outlet seems like plenty, but there's the off change that I would want to drive further and not want to find a public charger.

Is it worth the $3k-4k to install a new outlet in the garage?