Search found 22 matches

by aetos
Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Ultimatum Game - Your vote
Replies: 75
Views: 5612

Re: Ultimatum Game - Your vote

I guess ill be the rational neo classical player. Id accept as low as one dollar in either game as any rational player should. Unless the offer is zero im going to end up better off than before.
by aetos
Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:06 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: A Case for "Online Banking Only"
Replies: 58
Views: 8334

You guys are aware that atm limits aren't hard caps right? The few times a year I need more than 600 cash, I just call USAA, they ask how much I want and I can take it out of the atm. They say some arms have a limit set by the bank but I haven't encountered it and I've taken out $2400 at a time. The only time not having a local bank is inconvenient is when I've had to make a large cash deposit
by aetos
Fri Sep 16, 2011 8:02 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking to get a Lexus IS250AWD, new lease or buy used?
Replies: 32
Views: 4631

Tires for this car are the same as any other car. You don't need to spend $300 on one tire. That's just absurd. They are not. Depending on the year they came with Dunlops or Bridgestones. Think the base tires are 17X8. Unfortunately, $300 probably is the cost of getting one exact oem replacement tire. It is generally recommended to make sure all tires are the same make and type. Also, due to the wear on the tires if you get a flat and have to replace a tire it is sometimes recommended to replace both tires on a given axle. If you're driving in snow you might want to look into a set of snow tires and wheels. AWD is better than RWD in snow, but I doubt the all-season tires that come stock on the IS250 are made to handle snow. I assume you've...
by aetos
Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking to get a Lexus IS250AWD, new lease or buy used?
Replies: 32
Views: 4631

Tires for this car are the same as any other car. You don't need to spend $300 on one tire. That's just absurd.
by aetos
Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What are your thoughts on managing this apartment building?
Replies: 19
Views: 2027

Wow A 3.03% management fee. Are you guys looking for more properties to manage?
by aetos
Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Priceline Hotel Cancellation
Replies: 6
Views: 1746

So I called the hotel directly, explained that the event I was going to was canceled due to the weather, and they canceled my room, and didn't even charge a cancellation fee. The woman was very helpful and said that due to the weather they weren't holding the non refundable fee.

I guess that will be a lesson learned for me. I just barely snuck my way out of that one.
by aetos
Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Priceline Hotel Cancellation
Replies: 6
Views: 1746

Priceline Hotel Cancellation

I was going to an event in Massachusetts this Sunday. I booked the hotel through priceline 3 or so weeks ago and didn't do the name your own price. I just took the advertised rate. Due to the hurricane the event has been canceled and thus I no longer need the room. It says that the room is non-refundable but is there anything I can do to somehow recoup some of the money? I don't even mind paying a $25 cancellation fee or something, just don't want to be stuck with a $120 bill and nothing to show for it.

Will I be forced to cut my losses ans learn my lesson and not use priceline again? Seems like a big risk to take to save $10 off the advertised.
by aetos
Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Manly Men Question [which concealed carry firearm]
Replies: 98
Views: 15009

I carry a full size fb fiveseven. My friends have pocket pistols, lcp and keltecs. My hands are kinda big but when I've shot the pocket pistols I haven't been able to hit a thing. Id get a smaller size frame like a kimber ultracarry if I did it again
by aetos
Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Cash flow dilemma - want to increase savings
Replies: 16
Views: 3065

mozzer wrote:
Breezy wrote:And your expenses?
~$7300 - second sentence.
Difficult to answer your question without a breakdown of your expenses.
by aetos
Wed Aug 24, 2011 12:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I Loan My Kid Money for College
Replies: 81
Views: 11853

Having skin in the game doesn't necessarily make someone do any better. If you have certain expectations then you should tell that to your kid not try to use money to teach him a lesson. Forced lessons never work. But if you think burdening him financially will teach him a lesson then by all means
by aetos
Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:21 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Commissions on Life Insurance Products
Replies: 19
Views: 2039

I went through the training program at a shady investment and insurance place, first investors. I used to have all the paper work with payouts and bonuses. Unfortunately I through it all away but yes insurance sales paid the best
by aetos
Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ROI on your investment real estate
Replies: 59
Views: 8380

Maybe I am not doing it correctly but this is my formula: Numerator: annual rental income subtract annual mortage then subtract annual other costs (taxes, insurance, repairs, vacancy) Denominator: money tied up in the property which is my down payment which is 20% a real example is the most recent house I bought: I am renting it for $2200/month. My mortgage cost is (30 yr fixed at 4.25%) is $984 per month. My annual other costs are under $5000 so I use $5000 as a conservative number. My denominator is 50K which is the 20% down; got the house for 250K. That yields a numberator of 9592 and denominator of 50000 which is 19.1%. The reason you roil seems so high is because you considering the mortgage as an expense rather than splitting it betw...
by aetos
Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Loving my Xoom Android tablet
Replies: 44
Views: 7409

Apologize for not replying. I returned my xoom last week to Costco. I had it for three months. I was disappointed in the os very much. The whole device felt rushed. Card reader wasn't enabled, sometimes webpages wouldn't load. Apps would not even open and instead crash, im looking at you think or swim. For what I paid 589.99+tax I was expecting a polished device that would wow me much like my DROIDX does. This however was not the case and could not justify spending so much on it? Is it a good device? Sure its good, I liked being able to use it while in bed or watching tv but the most id be willing to pay is about 3-350 new max. I didnt have the 3g enabled xoom since I have wifi everywhere so it was even a savings from that. As for the 399 ...
by aetos
Thu Jul 28, 2011 11:49 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Trying to get out of debt / Start Saving / Start Investing
Replies: 21
Views: 4323

So now that I realized until I pay down my credit cards I should not build the emergency account. So my question is: I started saving $400 each paycheck to put into Savings. Should I also use the $400 each paycheck to pay down credit cards? Here are all the bills which should with my math. Right now my company pays for my overseas housing, water, electric, etc. Basically the only bills I have are the the credit cards, and my wife's loans from college: -Her NFCU @ 13% $8,843.78 Each month pay $400 -Her Lasik CC @ 0% $1,198.14 Each month pay $300 -Her USAA CC @ 7.75% $3,579.00 Each month pay $300 -Our Joint CC @ 7.75% $9,372.00 Each month pay $500 -I have a Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Policy which I pay into $300 a month -We have a month...
by aetos
Thu Jul 28, 2011 11:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Loving my Xoom Android tablet
Replies: 44
Views: 7409

Apologize for not replying. I returned my xoom last week to Costco. I had it for three months. I was disappointed in the os very much. The whole device felt rushed. Card reader wasn't enabled, sometimes webpages wouldn't load. Apps would not even open and instead crash, im looking at you think or swim. For what I paid 589.99+tax I was expecting a polished device that would wow me much like my DROIDX does. This however was not the case and could not justify spending so much on it? Is it a good device? Sure its good, I liked being able to use it while in bed or watching tv but the most id be willing to pay is about 3-350 new max. I didnt have the 3g enabled xoom since I have wifi everywhere so it was even a savings from that. As for the 399 s...
by aetos
Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: donating a car: tax question
Replies: 8
Views: 1107

Not sure how this works but my guess is it reduces your agi by 2000 and since your 25% it would reduce what you owe the irs by $500.

Hopefully someone can confirm this
by aetos
Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Giving money to your alma mater: Have to vent
Replies: 166
Views: 23127

I guess I feel the same as others. I paid for an education and that's what I got. I would never donate to the school itself, I would however donate to the individual clubs that I partook it, many of which received no funding from the university.
by aetos
Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Wi-Fi–Hacking Neighbor From Hell Sentenced to 18 Years
Replies: 36
Views: 5013

Surprised no one has mentioned changing your router password from the default.
by aetos
Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: College Costs increase 6% per annum
Replies: 68
Views: 5966

My father went to a state university in the 70's and he said that he made enough money in the summer to cover his school cost for the year.
by aetos
Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Loving my Xoom Android tablet
Replies: 44
Views: 7409

Returning my xoom on Monday. Was very excited for it but completely let down with it. Thank god for three month return policy at Costco. All these refurbs are just the first batch of xoom returns from early adopters. Though the 399 price is pretty good I don't think I would even consider it.
by aetos
Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is anyone an economics professor/teacher in this forum?
Replies: 83
Views: 7834

I fail to see how this is academic dishonesty. When I was younger my parents used to check my homework. Should I have worried about academic dishonesty then too? He has nothing to worry about, especially with the teacher finding out about him posting it on the internet. I have seen all the same questions before. I have an econ degree and these all look like stuff from intro to macro.

While he should have posted the ones he was unsure of rather than the whole test, asking for help is not academic dishonesty.
by aetos
Tue May 03, 2011 11:40 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagon TDI (Diesel)
Replies: 102
Views: 28696

65mph cruises at about 2100rpm. In top gear? That seems pretty high for a diesel. Might be a little less like 2k. Drop it much lower and you aren't getting anything from the turbo. The gearing between the DSG and manual are a little different too, if I recall correctly the manual is a tad taller. I also only have 13k miles on it and I've read others report gains in power output on the way to 100k miles. Either way it gets twice the mileage of my 4-cyl 2005 Tacoma. This is not true. The turbo boosting is more a function of how open the throttlebody is, not rpm. 90% of the time you aren't benefiting from having a turbo charger, and almost always on the highway. Unless you really put your foot on the pedal you aren't benefiting from it. Besid...