Search found 74 matches

by The Woodbutcher
Fri Feb 02, 2024 7:34 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Staying in 12% tax bracket w/ annual Roth conversion
Replies: 26
Views: 4052

Re: Staying in 12% tax bracket w/ annual Roth conversion

I try to do something similar what you're trying to do. However, since the zero percent capital gains tax bracket is very close to the 12% income tax bracket, I try to manage income below the zero percent capital gains tax bracket. Invariably, I miss or underestimate an income source. Therefore, I usually try not to cut it to the exact dollar and leave a slight buffer. Also, you might look at your current and/or past tax filings to see what has been included in your income in the past (wages, dividends and interest, capital gains, RSU vesting, RMD's om inherited IRA, etc.)/
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Dec 31, 2023 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I-Bond interest rate
Replies: 8
Views: 1129

Re: I-Bond interest rate

If you bought a new I-bond today, it would pay 5.27%. Your I-bond purchased in May 2022 is paying 3.94%.

https://treasurydirect.gov/files/saving ... -chart.pdf
by The Woodbutcher
Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: WWII Non-Fiction Book Recs
Replies: 103
Views: 8187

Re: WWII Non-Fiction Book Recs

I've read and enjoyed many of the books already mentioned. My FIL is a retired Naval Officer so I have an affinity for naval books. Two books that I have not seen mentioned that I enjoyed were:

Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freeman
The Admirals by Walter Borneman

One of the things that always amazes me is how certain points in time produce exceptional people in certain occupations or roles. If you've ever read Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers, I think), you will know what I mean. The Admirals is an example where a few extraordianary midshipman all attended the Naval Academy around 1900 and all achieved the rank of five-star admiral.
by The Woodbutcher
Thu Jan 26, 2023 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mediocre performance review - what next
Replies: 69
Views: 5665

Re: Mediocre performance review - what next

I'm retired, but I did primarily for two, large corporations in my career. Both corporations used forced ranking systems and I bounced around quite a bit throughout my career. Fortunately, some of my best performance years were near the end of my career and the associated salary increases had a very positive impact on my pension (which I know I'm fortunate to have in the first place). I say this only to encourage you to keep striving to improve your performance. One of the common things at both corporations is that the employees basically wrote their own performance reviews using a template provide by the corporations. I don't know if this is the case with your employer or not. If it is, don't minimize the importance of writing a good perfo...
by The Woodbutcher
Tue Jan 17, 2023 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Digital SLR lens of choice for 10+ mile hike/landscape photography
Replies: 47
Views: 3318

Re: Digital SLR lens of choice for 10+ mile hike/landscape photography

I'm a complete novice wen it comes to photography. However, there may be something in this website link that helps you. Drew Robinson does a lot of
wonderful hiking and photography.

https://trailtopeak.com/photography/
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jan 13, 2023 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Top Load vs Front Load washers?
Replies: 58
Views: 7993

Re: Top Load vs Front Load washers?

I know I'm not addressing your decision criteria, but one thing I've never liked about front loading machines is the necessity to bend over or get down on my hands and needs to take laundry out of the washer. I know you can place them on pedestals, but I could never get mine to stop vibrating (on the pedestals) on a typically framed floor. I think it would have done better on a concrete floor. I leveled mine many times and even bought rubber vibration isolators. With all that said, my wife and I currently have stackable, front loading Bosch appliances that were here when we bought the house. They are of the heat pump variety. Although they look to be compact, they actually do quite big loads and are not an issue for just my wife and me. The...
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Nov 06, 2022 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Pension Lump Sum option Reduced
Replies: 17
Views: 2338

Re: Pension Lump Sum option Reduced

I meant to add that many pensions are reduced if taken early. For instance, at my former employer, the pension was reduced by 5% for every year the pension was taken prior to age 60. Therefore, a pension taken at age 55, would be reduced by nominally 25%. The math isn't exactly that straight forward due factors like time in market, but this factor often led to folks delaying the distribution of their pension. This does expose them to the risk of rising interest rates, though.
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Nov 06, 2022 8:39 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Pension Lump Sum option Reduced
Replies: 17
Views: 2338

Re: Pension Lump Sum option Reduced

The pension lump sum is simply the net present value of future cash flows. These future cash flows are based on your company's specific pension formula, but generally factor in your years of service and highest average pay. To calculate the net present value of future cash flows, these future cash flows are discounted based on a discount rate or "interest rate". The higher the discount rate, the lower the net present value of the future cash flows. I'm not sure if all companies get their discount rates from the IRS, but mine did and many more do. https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/minimum-present-value-segment-rates At my former employer, I could ask my benefits group to run pension calculations based on different assumptions (d...
by The Woodbutcher
Thu Sep 08, 2022 8:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendations for Garden Hose?
Replies: 54
Views: 4501

Re: garden hose, good quality

I agree with the positive comments regarding Eley brand hoses and reels. They are expensive, but their quality and customer service are hard to beat. Nevertheless, we started using Dramm Colorstorm hoses a few years ago. We buy the "safety yellow" ones. Here is a link: https://www.dramm.com/html/main.isx?sub=472 We like them because the very rarely kink, are tough and abrasion resistant and use high quality nickel-plated hardware. In addition, the bright yellow hose is hard to miss with yard tools and it helps make the hose less of a tripping hazard. My elderly neighbor recently broke a bone in his foot/ankle due to a fall caused by tripping on a black hose. Finally, most hoses can be easily repaired depending on the location and ...
by The Woodbutcher
Thu Jul 14, 2022 6:49 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Unused refrigerator in basement
Replies: 27
Views: 2654

Re: Unused refrigerator in basement

Refrigerator to Kegerator Conversion?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9UW-QLg9d0

And you may be able to keep the freezer.
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

Thanks again for all of your thoughtful responses. You've help me better frame the situation with my wife and we obviously have a lot to learn. Your feedback will help us in this process.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but my wife's family probably would not be happy with me sharing any more personal details. In addition, the guidance you've provided re: questions to ask, insurance norms, long-term financial considerations, etc. are what I needed at this point.

Thanks
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

Thanks again for all of your responses. You've given me a lot of information that will help knowing what questions to ask BIL, medical professionals, insurers and family members. We have begun discussions about possibly having the surgery and/or rehab done where the parents live. Given my in-laws ages, I'm sure we would be spending a lot of time down there helping out. His current insurance is a Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy written in our state that he obtained earlier this year. Would he probably need a new policy written in his parents' state or am I overthinking this? All of your comments about being realistic about the possibility of never being able to work again are something that my wife and I are more and more concerned about. I'd ...
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jun 03, 2022 10:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

Thnk you Sandi. I've been careful in trying not to share too much personal information. However, you are very perceptive and I think there is a mental illness component at play here. That is what makes the tough love approach so difficult. Will he end up on the street or harm himself if we hold him more accountable?

My BIl is a merchant mariner and he seems to think that taking medication to treat a mental illness will disqualify him from working again. This is another situation in which I am unqualified. In this day and age, I would not expect taking medications to treat mental illness would disqualify one from working. However, he is adamant that it would.
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jun 03, 2022 8:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

Thanks again for all of your input. This has been a wake up call for us. It has gone from "helping him get back on his feet" to a whole new level very quickly. In addition, the fact that he is a family member and we have the means to help him makes it challenging. It would help if he seemed to be putting in the effort to help himself. Many of his decisions aren't rational or logical and hinder progress. On many days, it seems like we're trying harder to help him than he is willing to help himself. I will be doing a lot of work trying to figure out all of the alternatives available to him and my family. I guess I'm fortunate that I've only started to deal with these types of issues for the first time at my age (58). I did not face ...
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jun 03, 2022 4:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

Thanks all. Deep down, I know open communication is the right answer.
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jun 03, 2022 3:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

He has no income currently. His line of work means that he normally works a few months and is off for few months. Unfortunately, the "off" periods are getting longer and his recent work history is spotty. Other than his vehicle, he has very few other assets. I'm not sure about his insurance coverage. He is a very private person and doesn't seem to want us involved in his health care discussions. However, I'm concerned that his financial and health care support will fall on his family and we have very little insight on what may be involved. It seems like he needs some type of a patient advocate and we would be willing to do that for him. Unfortunately, he hasn't asked for our help. This makes it very difficult to understand what in...
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jun 03, 2022 2:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Re: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

Unfortunately, he is not a veteran.
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Jun 03, 2022 2:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL
Replies: 44
Views: 4105

Back Surgery Recovery Options for BIL

My brother-in-law is in his mid-fifties and is currently unemployed. He recently began living in our home with the intention of us helping him get back on his feet financially and health-wise and ultimately back to work. He has private health insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I believe his parents are helping him with the premium and deductible payments. Unfortunately, he is having back issues and his orthopedic doctor is recommending major surgery. This will be his second back surgery (1st one over ten years ago). My wife and I aren't privy to the discussions he's been having with his doctors and he is not open to discussing them with us. Therefore, I may not have all of the information that you will need to help me. His parents are o...
by The Woodbutcher
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Freaking out about retirement in 2 years, please help!
Replies: 39
Views: 7342

Re: Freaking out about retirement in 2 years, please help!

Congratulations! You appear to have done very well accumulating significant savings and investments. This suggests a good level understanding of asset allocation, tax advantaged investments, budgeting, etc. However, my recommendation would be to pause and ask yourself if you have the same level of proficiency and knowledge when it comes to retirement planning strategies in drawdown phase of life. These are quite different and aren't commonly known and discussed among folks at your relatively young ages. I'm thinking of things like: Optimum drawdown strategies (SWR, adjustments for inflation/performance, asset allocation, etc.) Optimum pension strategies (annuity vs. lump sum, timing, benefits to delaying, impact of interest rates, reliabili...
by The Woodbutcher
Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Portable Gas Grill (for RV)?
Replies: 50
Views: 3666

Re: Portable Gas Grill (for RV)?

I know the original poster did not ask for alternative recommendations, but my wife and I like our Eureka SPRK grill. Since it's just the two of us, we prefer the small size and we like the plastic carrying case with handle (size of a briefcase). https://www.amazon.com/Eureka-Portable-Butane-Camping-Grill/dp/B08QS365B5/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1IOEFWJ9AGD91&keywords=eureka+sprk&qid=1648308343&s=outdoor-recreation&sprefix=Eureka+SPR%2Coutdoor-recreation%2C139&sr=1-2 I've never used the grills the original poster asked about, but cleaning the Eureka grill can be a chore depending on what we make. Like some else said, I think this is an issue to some degree with all gas grills. The grate itself is easy to clean on the Eureka, it's t...
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Grass seed brands?
Replies: 21
Views: 2537

Re: Grass seed brands?

BTW - Jonathan Green is a NJ company and they probably would be able to provide "local" support.
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Mar 25, 2022 3:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Grass seed brands?
Replies: 21
Views: 2537

Re: Grass seed brands?

When I lived up north and had a fescue lawn, I followed a lot of advice from a YouTube channel called Silver Cymbal. He uses Jonathan Green grass seeds and that is what I switched to one fall. This included aeration, starter fertilizer, seed and lots of water. I always received a lot of compliments on our yard. In my experience, it may take a couple of seasons of good lawn care to get the results you a trying to achieve. This video is an example of his videos and it discusses overseeding in the spring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAVDDeP ... aA&index=5

Good luck
by The Woodbutcher
Wed Mar 23, 2022 12:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What has been your best volunteering experience?
Replies: 56
Views: 5697

Re: What has been your best volunteering experience?

My best volunteering experiences include the following: Guardian for Honor Flight to Washington DC. Unfortunately, COVID limited the opportunity to more actively support this great organization as almost all flights were grounded and new flights are only being added for the larger Honor Flight hubs. Laying wreaths for Wreaths Across America prior to Christmas and going back after Christmas to remove the wreaths. I'm looking into opportunities to be more active with this organization. Cooking meals for our local Ronald McDonald House. Again, opportunities to volunteer at RMH have been severely limited by COVID. Filling meal packages at our local food bank and care packages for military personnel. Many of our volunteer opportunities were thro...
by The Woodbutcher
Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Denver vs Cincinnati
Replies: 160
Views: 13015

Re: Denver vs Cincinnati

I agree with Sport above. We lived in one of the outside the loop suburbs in Cincinnati and our property taxes never exceeded $6k/yr on a property worth 4-5 multiples above the poster's $80k condo.

I also agree with the post about the green vs. brown high desert. My only experiences in Denver were to fly into Denver to attend meetings. For some reason, the brown high desert was something that I noticed and still remember.

Also, while the average temperature in Cincinnati is close to what you will find in places like Washington, DC, there isn't any water or mountains to moderate the temperature. Therefore, summer highs are higher and winter lows are lower, but the average is the same.
by The Woodbutcher
Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Denver vs Cincinnati
Replies: 160
Views: 13015

Re: Denver vs Cincinnati

I haven't spent enough time in Denver to comment on it. However, IMHO Cincinnati is one of the nicest, most affordable and underrated cities in the US. We lived there for 24 years and it was a fabulous place to raise a family. It has great restaurants, pro sports, excellent metro parks and a culture that I found to be unique in the Midwest. Also, the medical facilities are some of the best in the country. It is nothing like Cleveland or many of the other cities metioned in a post above (although I like many of them, too). In many ways, it has a southern feel. Othertimes, the German heritage stands out. Sometimes, the river city vibe is strong. The traffic is nothing compared to many larger metropolitan areas, but people still complain about...
by The Woodbutcher
Wed Mar 09, 2022 10:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Time to switch to an electric car?
Replies: 94
Views: 8653

Re: Time to switch to an electric car?

OP - I'm not sure what you are asking us. Are you asking for permission to make a purchase of a EV or are you asking us to do some sort of financial analysis for you? If the latter, we don't have enough information to do the analysis. Therefore, maybe you could post your assumptions and calculations and we could comment on them. I would think we would need to know whether or not you own the Audi and how much you would get for it in a sale. We would need to know the purchase price of the Tesla. We would need to know the financing costs for each vehicle. We would need to know the insurance costs for each. We would need to know the annual maintenance costs for each. We would need to know the annual operating costs for both gas and electric. We...
by The Woodbutcher
Sat Mar 05, 2022 1:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Folding or inflatable kayak recommendations?
Replies: 27
Views: 2904

Re: Folding or inflatable kayak recommendations?

My wife and I are very happy owners of a Sea Eagle Explorer 380X kayak. We mainly use it with the skeg attached for lake kayaking. We purchased it for the reasons you cite (storage), but also for its versatility (up to class IV rapids, as a fishing platform, etc.). We also find the seating position to be more comfotable than other kayaks. Finally, we don't find it to be difficult at all to inflate (dual action hand pump) and our primary launch does not require us to carry it very far. We do leave it inlated if we know we are going back out on the water soon. Sea Eagle makes a number of nice kayaks that would probably serve you well.
by The Woodbutcher
Thu Mar 03, 2022 2:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pickleball Paddle Choices
Replies: 23
Views: 3331

Re: Pickleball Paddle Choices

I found the following helpful:

https://www.pickleballcentral.com/Pickl ... e_s/49.htm

I currently play with a Prince Response Pro. I am very happy with it.
by The Woodbutcher
Mon Feb 21, 2022 5:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hard alcohol/mixed drinks Qs
Replies: 36
Views: 3720

Re: Hard alcohol/mixed drinks Qs

You might like a Pimms Cup. Here's one recipe. I enjoy them in the summer and there are only a couple of ingredients.

https://themodernproper.com/pimms-cup
by The Woodbutcher
Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Proper Cost Basis and Gains / Reporting RSUs for Taxes
Replies: 7
Views: 1035

Re: Proper Cost Basis and Gains / Reporting RSUs for Taxes

Here is what I am following:
]
https://thefinancebuff.com/restricted-s ... uance.html

The Finace Buff has other articles on his website that address RSU issues.

It is my understanding that the income and taxes withheld due to vesting are included in your W-2. When you sell the shares, your cost basis is the value of the shares on the vesting date. When you sell them after time has passed, you will have a capital gain/loss to report based on the sales price and cost basis.

If someone interprets it differently, I'd be interested.
by The Woodbutcher
Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:53 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: More Roth Conversion Strategy Questions
Replies: 19
Views: 1344

Re: More Roth Conversion Strategy Questions

Thanks to everyone for their responses. It is nice sometimes to gain a little confirmation from others that we generally understand the subject.

FWIW, I left our partuclular details out in an effort to maybe be more helpful to a larger audience. Nevertheless, we are married and file jointly and are both pre-59 1/2. We live in a LCOL area.

I fully agree that a detailed analysis of income sources is required to answer the questions I posed for our exact situation, but sometimes it's good to know all of the issues and rules that need to be considered and followed before doing the analysis.
by The Woodbutcher
Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:30 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: More Roth Conversion Strategy Questions
Replies: 19
Views: 1344

More Roth Conversion Strategy Questions

Question #1 Assuming a retired couple can live off an an income under the current 12% federal tax rate with added standard deduction (about $108k annually), why would they do Roth IRA conversions up to the 22% or 24% brackets? Is it that they are worried that tax rates will rise in the future or that they are trying to avoid higher taxes in the future (after age 72) when RMD's, SS and any pension income push them into higher tax brackets. It seems to me that if their Traditional IRA balance was not sufficiently large to throw off large RMD's in the future, they likely should avoid such large Roth conversions now that push them into these higher brackets. Question #2 Assuming one has an adequately sized Roth IRA, can manage five-year withdra...
by The Woodbutcher
Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Mid 30's, worked hard-made money, now what?
Replies: 37
Views: 5852

Re: Mid 30's, worked hard-made money, now what?

Congratulations! You've worked hard and appear to have been richly rewarded for it. That should make you proud. I think you've gotten a lot of good advice in the preceeding replies, especially as it pertains to medical insurance. In my opinion (not judgemental), you have been very fortunate not to need insurance. In addition, many would argue that things like insurance need to be in place (i.e. the foundation in homebuilding terms) prior to investing. Also, I agree that you have an opportunity to let your money make money and not be so reliant on your labor to generate additional wealth. There may come a time when this forced on you due to health or injury and you're in a good position to make some of that transition today. Finally, if I ma...
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Dec 12, 2021 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Rockwool Insulation for Basement and Attic (R15 or R23?)
Replies: 31
Views: 4929

Re: Rockwool Insulation for Basement and Attic (R15 or R23?)

I could be wrong, but I think the R15 is for 2x4 wall constriction and the R23 is for 2x6 wall construction. Therefore, I would use whichever is appropriate. I used the R15 in my detached garage for both insulation and soundproofing reasons. I live in SC and R15 is all that I need in this application. I do like the product. Without seeing it, I would tend to remove the old insulation if for nothing else but a neater job.
by The Woodbutcher
Sat Nov 06, 2021 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Volunteering “Bucket” List
Replies: 40
Views: 4209

Re: Volunteering “Bucket” List

In 2019, I was a guardian for a veteran on an honor flight. It was very satisfying and surprisingly emotional for me. Also, my wife and I have had the pleasure of volunteering at our local Ronald McDonald house, primarily preparing meals for patients' families. Unfortunately, opportunities to serve these wonderful organozations has been limited by the pandemic.
by The Woodbutcher
Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:30 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard's service as Peanuts strip
Replies: 46
Views: 4605

Re: Vanguard's service as Peanuts strip

I understand the original poster's complaint and I have had similar frustrations on the few occasions that I have called Vanguard. However, I don't care who you call today (cable company, retail store, manufacturer of things in your home, 401(k) manager, etc.), customer service pretty much stinks everywhere (except for Chick-Fil-A :happy ). This is especially true now with the struggles many companies have had adapting to the challenges presented by COVID.
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Dec 25, 2020 6:43 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: "The Hills of Bastogne"
Replies: 93
Views: 9142

Re: "The Hills of Bastogne"

Taylor, Thank you for your service and for this incredible site. I don't post often, but I've benefitted greatly from all who share their knowlwdge here. In 2019, I served as a guardian on an Honor Flight from Cincinnati to Washington, DC. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. One of the veterans on my flight served in the Battle of the Bulge. I believe he was 93, but I think he could still kick butt! Unfortunately, all flights have been cancelled this year due to COVID. Hopefully, we can get back to flying in 2021. I ride motorcycles and I really enjoy this young lady's channel. In particular, I was taken by the reverence the folks in the Netherlands have for the Allies who liberated them from the Germans. I believe it was shortly ...
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Dec 25, 2020 6:01 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: My Christmas Gift to You
Replies: 71
Views: 11529

Re: My Christmas Gift to You

Taylor, Thank you for your service and for this incredible site. I don't post often, but I've benefitted greatly from all who share their knowlwdge here. In 2019, I served as a guardian on an Honor Flight from Cincinnati to Washington, DC. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. One of the veterans on my flight served in the Battle of the Bulge. I believe he was 93, but I think he could still kick butt! Unfortunately, all flights have been cancelled this year due to COVID. Hopefully, we can get back to flying in 2021. I ride motorcycles and I really enjoy this young lady's channel. In particular, I was taken by the reverence the folks in the Netherlands have for the Allies who liberated them from the Germans. I hope you also enjoy it....
by The Woodbutcher
Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Truck Purchase
Replies: 105
Views: 10237

Re: New Truck Purchase

I drive a 2012 4X2 F150 with the Ecoboost engine. I purchased it in 2019 with 85K miles. I love the truck, especially the engine.

I bought this truck based on how I intended to use it. With all of the options out there, I agree with many other posters that how you intend to use it should drive your decision. You may not be like me, but I couldn't see myself buying a new truck and then proceeding to haul mulch, yard waste, etc. in the bed and potentially scratching paint, dinging the bed liner, etc.

I'm retired and don't put a lot of miles on the truck. If this was my daily driver and I did more driving than working with the truck, then I may have a different decision.
by The Woodbutcher
Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pl recommend a garden hose
Replies: 32
Views: 2564

Re: Pl recommend a garden hose

I have used black rubber Craftsman hoses for many years. I would consider them to be above average hoses when it comes to durability, weight, etc. However, I use and abuse them a lot (dragging on concrete, dragging against landscape rocks, etc.) and I have historically chosen to fix them rather than replace them. Unfortunately, you eventually reach a limit on how many times a hose can be repaired. Therefore, I recently decided to replace rather than repair one of my hoses. I went with a Dramm 5/8 inch x 75 foot "Colorstorm" hose. One of the reasons that I went with it is that the fittings appear to be of higher quality. The fittings seemed to be the weak part of my Craftsman and many other hoses. So far I am very happy with the ho...
by The Woodbutcher
Thu May 14, 2020 7:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Secrets to a great lawn
Replies: 65
Views: 7104

Re: Secrets to a great lawn

You might check out the Silver Cymbal YouTube channel. He has a specific videos discussing an annual lawncare program and he is in the Northeast (MA, I believe).
by The Woodbutcher
Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Purchasing Vehicle Insurance
Replies: 13
Views: 1132

Re: Purchasing Vehicle Insurance

Thanks. Looks like I wasn't alone in asking this question. In addition, many posters never really received a specific answer. Maybe it just doesn't exist. I think the reference to asset allocation and risk tolerance makes sense. However, I also know that there are questionnaires, data (historical gain/loss for different asset allocations) and personal experience (what did you do in 2008 or 2020 and how did you feel) to help with the asset allocation decision. This is true over time as assets change and risk tolerance changes. In addition, looking at the asset allocations for various target retirement funds may give someone a ballpark estimate of the appropriate asset allocation for them. That is all that I was looking for in my post. Thanks...
by The Woodbutcher
Mon Apr 20, 2020 10:13 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Purchasing Vehicle Insurance
Replies: 13
Views: 1132

Re: Purchasing Vehicle Insurance

Thanks everyone for your replies. I did discuss it with my insurance company today (USAA) and they basically said that I had higher than normal coverage, but otherwise couldn't directly answer my question. We have had USAA for 39 years (very satisfied) and I believe they were being honest with me. Their advise was to call my financial planner. I then had a conversation with a financial planner provided through my former employer (I'm retired, but still get financial planning as a benefit). He didn't have any hard and fast rules and described it as akin to asset allocation and risk tolerance decisions. He also made a good point that the fact that umbrella insurance is fairly inexpensive should tell you something about how often umbrella insu...
by The Woodbutcher
Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Purchasing Vehicle Insurance
Replies: 13
Views: 1132

Purchasing Vehicle Insurance

I recently purchased a new motorcycle and was adding it to my coverage. It is my understanding that the purpose for insurance to to protect my assets and lessen my financial liability in the case of an accident. Therefore, it always strikes me as odd that the insurance company has never once asked me anything about my assets (home value, savings, etc.). Shouldn't there be some kind of questionnaire or survey to fill out to determine the appropriate coverage? I feel very confident that I'm adequately insured with my current coverage and umbrella policy. Our ages (wife and I) and driving records actually make it relatively affordable to carry what is probably excess coverage. I guess I'm more concerned about people who end up underinsured (i....
by The Woodbutcher
Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How many paid for kids' college?
Replies: 282
Views: 18808

Re: How many paid for kids' college?

My wife and I have three sons ages 25-30. All graduated from public universities in our home state of OH. Two are engineers and one has a business degree. All had > 4.0 GPA in HS and were active in varsity sports and all-state band. All received some levels of scholarships, but no where near free rides (probably < 25% scholarship). All worked summer jobs and internships through HS and college. My wife and I funded the rest of the bachelor's degees via 529 and regular cash flow and savings. None had any debt upon graduation. I am glad to hear from them how fortunate they are to be in this situation (debt free). Importantly for my wife and I is that their hard work and our financial support led to them quickly getting through college and onto...
by The Woodbutcher
Thu Apr 16, 2020 3:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Online / Gun Dealer Recommendations
Replies: 101
Views: 11647

Re: Online / Gun Dealer Recommendations

I also have had great experience with Bud's and a locall FFL. However, my local range and Bud's both offer the Glock 19 at about the same price. This is not often the case. When it is, I like to support my local range who helped me to rent and test drive different firearms.

Finally, if you are intrested in the latest generation of the popular Glocks like the Glock 19, I think you will have a hard time finding them in stock (even at Bud's) at the current time.