Search found 12004 matches
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 1:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: High spenders what do you spend on?
- Replies: 244
- Views: 23640
Re: High spenders what do you spend on?
I looked into upgrading to business class on an upcoming international flight. It’s a bit over 3 hours and would cost me $550 each way for two....guys I just can’t do it. Ditto. We will start traveling again soonish, but we just don’t pay out-of-pocket for business or first class. We have enough mo...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: walking the last mile - selling our family home
- Replies: 8
- Views: 809
Re: walking the last mile - selling our family home
Your timing could not be better (except maybe the pied).
Just do it. We moved out of the house we raised our kids in; nobody has looked back.
Just do it. We moved out of the house we raised our kids in; nobody has looked back.
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:57 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: For a 40/60 Allocation, what would you choose ?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 551
Re: For a 40/60 Allocation, what would you choose ?
Total Bond, Total Stock, and Total International Stock.
Or
Total Bond and Total World.
Or
Total Bond and Total World.
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:51 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What's your definition of "Family Money"?
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2090
Re: What's your definition of "Family Money"?
Family Money = older generations have so significant wealth that they gift every year up to the gift limit to start wealth transfer early. I don’t think of us as being wealthy or having “family money,” whatever it turns out to be defined as, but we do gift to the annual max. A term that we use in t...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:18 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Gift Tax
- Replies: 13
- Views: 448
Re: Gift Tax
Am I able to reduce my taxable income by reporting a monetary gift of up to $15,000 per person? I don't think that is the case, but why else would I need to report this to the IRS. You report gifts of greater than $15k because they reduce your Federal lifetime estate exclusion. Not a worry for most...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:44 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Do brokers close accounts of angry customers?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 2452
Re: Do brokers close accounts of angry customers?
I got snarky with a Fidelity rep when their bank (UMB) refused payment on a Vanguard order because they held an ACH from BoA for 5 days after receipt. It was the first time in 50+ years I’d bounced anything, and I found it humiliating and emotional. My rep (not the person I spoke to, but my identifi...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:38 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Fidelity pushing deferred annuity
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1237
Re: Fidelity pushing deferred annuity
Thanks for the replies. MYGA's may be the way to go for increased return; I will need to think on it. Maybe I stay with Fido, but I think I will do it without the "consultants" help. He seemed more interested in talking than listening, and things I told him in previous calls he did not se...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 6:38 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: High spenders what do you spend on?
- Replies: 244
- Views: 23640
Re: High spenders what do you spend on?
I was thinking about this thread yesterday and I realized that we spend a significant amount paying other people. Particularly the nanny, who recently requested a healthy pay increase. Nanny. Cleaning service. Landscapers. Pest control. There’s a lot of people to be paid. Some days as I pull out of...
- Tue Apr 13, 2021 6:08 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
- Replies: 159
- Views: 7097
Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
I've read the study multiple times and I never saw a convincing argument for why being REJECTED from Princeton should make you more successful in life or be a proxy for unobserved student ability. To the extent applying to a school which rejects you is a proxy for anything, it's a measure of whethe...
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Fidelity pushing deferred annuity
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1237
Re: Fidelity pushing deferred annuity
My experience is similar to dbr’s. They’ll occasionally offer to help and I tell them that I’m fine, thanks. They’re not pushy beyond the occasional poke.
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:56 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Risk/Reward of Private Investments
- Replies: 12
- Views: 781
Re: Risk/Reward of Private Investments
One private investment 20 years ago for $10k. Never returned a dime. K-1s were always late.
Everything considered, cheap tuition. DW reminds me every 5 years or so.
Everything considered, cheap tuition. DW reminds me every 5 years or so.
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:25 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Bird Repellent Methods
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1019
Re: Bird Repellent Methods
Try a decoy scarecrow owl. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R7T12QV?pd_rd_i=B08R7T12QV&pd_rd_w=w6XhH&pf_rd_p=3465d0d7-4e28-4692-b633-326c458deaa4&pd_rd_wg=cKWyQ&pf_rd_r=GJFY5GTEYGVK28JERQWW&pd_rd_r=f96732e8-233b-4a53-83df-635c632112c9 Hahahaha. The birds use ours for target practice...
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:26 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Bird Repellent Methods
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1019
Re: Bird Repellent Methods
Perhaps you could make another area more enticing. We have our “giving tree” that has a great variety of different foods available, bird baths, etc., so the birds spend most of their time over there.
- Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:23 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best 4 wheel drive vehicle
- Replies: 56
- Views: 4074
Re: Best 4 wheel drive vehicle
Any Rover is going to be able to do the offroading duties. While they are very expensive, they are designed to get you through terrain that's very rough. We have owned a number of Rovers and spent a week in one on an African safari. They are absolutely rock solid in any weather/off-road situation, ...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
- Replies: 154
- Views: 10958
Re: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
What states tax Roth IRA withdrawals? I am not aware of any. There aren't any. I was trying to point out the futility of speculating on future tax law changes. While speculation, I would expect RMDs to be included with Roth IRAs before taxation. I think the risk is small as Roth’s represent a very ...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
- Replies: 159
- Views: 7097
Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
I do agree (and stated as much earlier) that few schools are worth what they charge. I wouldn't pay $300K for USC. Your spreadsheet is very interesting for a number of things, but it’s hard to imagine the meeting where $4,000 merit aid was decided (unless it was formulaic and deterministic). Tuft’s...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
- Replies: 159
- Views: 7097
Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
No amount of money can repeat 4 years being surrounded by highly motivated peers. Smart highly motivated kids end up together in the harder classes, no matter where you go to school. If your kid is smart enough to get into the top schools, they will be in the top 5% at Flagship State. And they will...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
- Replies: 159
- Views: 7097
Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
I do agree (and stated as much earlier) that few schools are worth what they charge. I wouldn't pay $300K for USC. Your spreadsheet is very interesting for a number of things, but it’s hard to imagine the meeting where $4,000 merit aid was decided (unless it was formulaic and deterministic). Tuft’s...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
- Replies: 159
- Views: 7097
Re: The primary factor for picking a College/University is out of pocket cost
As someone jokingly said it's where you can meet your spouse, but there's a lot of truth in that. And I think we're WAAAAY past the point of thinking that any parent or student should believe that any part of the value of college is a MRS degree. I don't know why you are dismissive of this. All ane...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
- Replies: 154
- Views: 10958
Re: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
What states tax Roth IRA withdrawals? I am not aware of any. There aren't any. I was trying to point out the futility of speculating on future tax law changes. While speculation, I would expect RMDs to be included with Roth IRAs before taxation. I think the risk is small as Roth’s represent a very ...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: In-Laws' HOA demanding $8000 lumpsum payment
- Replies: 91
- Views: 10496
Re: In-Laws' HOA demanding $8000 lumpsum payment
Also in many communities the trend is to let your yard becomes more natural and eco-friendly rather than a manicured lawn that sucks down water and chemicals. +1 I think there’s a common belief that a meadow just means that you have neglected a beautiful natural lawn. Since we are on our own well, ...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:26 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best 4 wheel drive vehicle
- Replies: 56
- Views: 4074
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Financing to Purchase Law Firm
- Replies: 45
- Views: 3643
Re: Financing to Purchase Law Firm
There is nothing to say that you are going to be able to keep clients coming in the door once the other folks leave, or even keep the current clients. Not a lawyer or a doctor/dentist, but I would think that it’s a big difference when buying a practice. Everything equal, if my dentist sells his/her...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:43 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
- Replies: 154
- Views: 10958
Re: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
I've just seen so many posts about people simply ranting about having to eventually pay taxes on tax-deferred funds, as if they forgot that tax-deferred does not mean 'never pay taxes', that I'm quite jaded about this specific issue. I agree! Most people think of their tIRA and t401k balances as “t...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:20 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
- Replies: 76
- Views: 5552
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:41 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
- Replies: 154
- Views: 10958
Re: Ed Slott's new book NEW RETIREMENT SAVINGS TIME BOMB
For the most part, only a small minority of retirees will be in a higher tax bracket than when they were working (unless they move to a state with higher taxes). And I don't feel sorry for those who are because it will nearly always (apart from the potentially lost child tax credit) mean that they ...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 7:40 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Seeking advice - College selection - Premed
- Replies: 51
- Views: 2837
Re: Seeking advice - College selection - Premed
Not sure if TomatoTomahto was commenting on the undergrad or medical school at Rutgers. New Brunswick area is a huge campus, some thrive in the environment and some don't. I had one child at the New Brunswick campus for undergrad. He was a non-traditional student which might have been a factor. The...
- Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:26 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Seeking advice - College selection - Premed
- Replies: 51
- Views: 2837
Re: Seeking advice - College selection - Premed
My wife was similarly convinced that she would be in human or veterinary medicine. She has had a great career in banking and technology :D Changing majors and intention is normal, not abnormal. One child’s school preferred that a major not even be announced until after the first year. Regardless of ...
- Sat Apr 10, 2021 5:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: In-Laws' HOA demanding $8000 lumpsum payment
- Replies: 91
- Views: 10496
Re: In-Laws' HOA demanding $8000 lumpsum payment
Sorry to have taken the thread OT. FWIW, I made my choice about where to live.
- Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: In-Laws' HOA demanding $8000 lumpsum payment
- Replies: 91
- Views: 10496
Re: In-Laws' HOA demanding $8000 lumpsum payment
HOA is such a nonsense. Its a free country people! Why would you get Involved with HOA in the first place. Freedom is an illusion. There are countless laws and regulations that effect every moment of our lives. There are even rules that govern my response to you here. It appears the OP's in-laws mi...
- Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Remodel during housing hysteria?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 3554
Re: Remodel during housing hysteria?
We haven't even put solar on because we'll probably need to reshingle in about 9 years. Everyone’s situation and available land is different, but when we saw the house we ended up buying, it had a large ground mounted solar installation. Dumb as I am, I hadn’t considered a ground mount until I saw ...
- Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:39 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Remodel during housing hysteria?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 3554
Re: Remodel during housing hysteria?
I would tear down and build new with a twist. I would contact a modular builder. This is where they build off site and then combine those pieces and finish on site. This is a very high quality build. The reason I would do this is that it would allow me to keep living in the current house for most o...
- Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:34 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Remodel during housing hysteria?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 3554
Re: Remodel during housing hysteria?
What about traditional fiberglass insulation instead of spray foam? You could probably do the whole house in a weekend all by yourself. In my neck of the woods, the spray foam guy drives a Mercedes... the difference is cost is potentially significant. The difference in insulation value is immense. ...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 3:52 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Remodel during housing hysteria?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 3554
Re: Remodel during housing hysteria?
Our builder and plumber had floated the idea that we actually just start over. Tear down the house and build a new house. This has major pluses, because it would be exactly what we want. I had originally thought the idea was quite wasteful but there would certainly be advantages. The house would ha...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 3:10 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Beat the market by only holding after hours
- Replies: 56
- Views: 3326
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 1:23 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: who here is tempted to pullback on stocks?
- Replies: 238
- Views: 46968
Re: who here is tempted to pullback on stocks?
I’m somewhat tempted in the opposite direction. As part of a quasi-Liability Matching Portfolio (LMP) (emphasis on quasi rather than LMP :D ), I put $3M in “safe-ish” assets (eg, TBM, Stable Value, cash, etc). That has grown to $3.7M while I wasn’t watching. Should I trim it to $3M? It’s tempting, b...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Allocate 401k by contribution source
- Replies: 15
- Views: 921
Re: Allocate 401k by contribution source
... Person C: waits to gather information and have an informed view.
You say Tomato and I say Tomahto.
You say Tomato and I say Tomahto.
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:16 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Allocate 401k by contribution source
- Replies: 15
- Views: 921
Re: Allocate 401k by contribution source
OP, You should not contribute to Roth 401K. So, where is the problem? In 90+% of the time, when we go into the details of someone contributing to Roth 401K, it always ended up that the person made a mistake. In summary, you had made a mistake if you contributed to Roth 401K. All your contributions ...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:09 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Sanity Check - Factor Portfolio Review
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1146
Re: Sanity Check
+1lazynovice wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:01 am Maybe retitle the thread with something about “Factors” to attract other Factorheads.
Thread only got me to click because I’m interested in sanity. I’m not at all interested in factors.
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:04 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Sanity Check - Factor Portfolio Review
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1146
Re: Sanity Check
Bump.... over 200 views and no opinions? I've been lurking here every few months for years. Never seen this before. I'm not sure how to read the lack of reaction? I am responding, but tbh, it’s not my kind of thing. It’s too fussy for me, and I suspect many other BHs also. Many of us are 2 or 3 fin...
- Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:04 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Beat the market by only holding after hours
- Replies: 56
- Views: 3326
Re: Beat the market by only holding after hours
[sarcasm]It’s a good thing that HFTs haven’t arbitraged this away. Shhh. Don’t tell them.[/sarcasm]
- Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: walking shoes with wide toes?
- Replies: 45
- Views: 2547
Re: walking shoes with wide toes?
+1
For gym shoes, I use NB, but I don’t like a shoe that’s wide in the heel. Keens are the best for walking and hiking. Their steel toed boots are great for bucking and splitting logs, just in case.
- Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:41 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: So what are you cooking
- Replies: 461
- Views: 36215
Re: So what are you cooking
I often make lamb bolognese in the slow cooker. Last night, for the first time ever, I tried doing the thing where you toss the pasta with the sauce (and some of the pasta water) rather than just putting sauce on top. Hey didn’t I do that before? Very tasty! I also found out that I should be using l...
- Thu Apr 08, 2021 6:15 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anyways to improve financial aid?
- Replies: 70
- Views: 3659
Re: Anyways to improve financial aid?
Instead of leaving college 2 or 3 semesters early, they either pick up a second major or a masters, all within 4 years. I suggest you allow them to have the full 4-year college experience as their peers do. Instead of saving money, they will be more likely to have their choice of better job opportu...
- Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anyways to improve financial aid?
- Replies: 70
- Views: 3659
Re: Anyways to improve financial aid?
Was being a kid always this stressful? "No sports with your friends DD, you have to get to your job, then homework, then bed." Rinse repeat? When do kids get to be, well, kids? I don’t know... both of my kids played travel hockey and school sports, had GFs and friends, one of them had a j...
- Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:54 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: How to lose the desire of outperforming the market?
- Replies: 112
- Views: 6983
Re: How to lose the desire of outperforming the market?
+1lazynovice wrote: ↑Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:58 am Sounds like you will need to underperform the market a few more times. Keep going, you’ll get there.
We just focused on earning more from gainful employment. If you’re doing it right, it will give you plenty to think about during your waking hours.
- Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:19 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Fidelity Cash Management check clearing and transfer times
- Replies: 12
- Views: 829
Re: Fidelity Cash Management check clearing and transfer times
Where is the money coming from that is going into Fidelity by check? If there is a way to switch that to an electronic payment/transfer, it will probably go faster. I had a large amount EFT from BoA to Fidelity CMA on two consecutive days. They total was just over $100k, and they didn’t free the fu...
- Wed Apr 07, 2021 9:07 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Fidelity Cash Management check clearing and transfer times
- Replies: 12
- Views: 829
Re: Fidelity Cash Management check clearing and transfer times
I bounced a check for the first time since college (I’m almost 70 now) because of the delays at Fidelity (actually UMB bank). I still use it, but have reverted to my wife’s old BoA account for most checking and bill pay. The concept outweighs the reality.
- Tue Apr 06, 2021 3:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anyways to improve financial aid?
- Replies: 70
- Views: 3659
Re: Anyways to improve financial aid?
Make sure your student gets perfect SAT scores and get a 4 or 5 on 15 or more AP exams. Also make sure they have a job in high school. Anybody who can juggle a jobs and do great academically does not really need extracurriculars like sports, music, chess, and rowing. Make your student one that stan...
- Tue Apr 06, 2021 3:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What is the expected percentage (raise) for a manager position?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2270
Re: What is the expected percentage (raise) for a manager position?
As others have said, it’s company specific (and also perhaps industry specific). There was a time when my wife and I made a few k more than our admins; the delta was in the variable (incentive) compensation. Salary was always the slowest growth component of our compensation. Look at total compensati...