Search found 123 matches
- Tue Jan 23, 2024 4:14 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Does double taxation occur if the amount of dividends are harvested from a taxable account?
- Replies: 62
- Views: 4255
Re: Does double taxation occur if the amount of dividends are harvested from a taxable account?
To double check with a real life-scenario: So, if my son withdraws from his taxable account to buy an I-Bond, only dividends will be taxed. Correct? I wonder if you're confusing "withdrawal" with selling funds from his taxable account? I'll make up some numbers to try to give an example: Let's say the account has a balance of $10000 in a mutual fund, purchased several years ago for $1000. So the current unrealized gain is $9000. Since the gain is unrealized (it's a 'paper profit'), it is not yet taxable. But you can't withdraw any of this money unless/until you sell the fund. Dec 2023 - the fund pays a dividend of $100. This is taxable income and will be reported on the 2023 1099 statement you get in early 2024. It doesn't matter...
- Wed Sep 27, 2023 8:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: I need some peer career counseling
- Replies: 34
- Views: 3414
Re: I need some peer career counseling
I thought I'd just ride it out for the base salary and benefits until they fire me, but it's messing with my mind. So, I'm thinking I'll resign so I can go gracefully and on good terms. I'd like to take about 4 months off then figure out what to do next. You sound pretty clear-headed about what you want to do, i.e., end the relationship with your current employer on good terms, then take some time off to figure out what you want to do next. No job is perfect but some are less perfect than others, and it sounds like this job is no longer a good place for you to work. I like the suggestion that others have made to take a few weeks of vacation (real vacation as in no contact with the office). Take that quiet time to really think things throug...
- Sun Sep 24, 2023 6:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: My Elderly Parents Can't Resist Answering the Phone
- Replies: 127
- Views: 38937
Re: My Elderly Parents Can't Resist Answering the Phone
OP, you have my sympathy. With my parents, I was eventually able to convince them to never give out personal information -- I think what helped was printing out newspaper articles and other 'official looking' web articles so they could see it in print -- that seemed more convincing than anything their child tried to lecture them on :-). But even after they stopped answering the 10 calls an hour, the calls continued. Eventually I helped them set up a block on their phone that blocks all calls except for numbers that we put into a whitelist. (I also made sure their doctors, etc, have my number as a backup contact in case they can't reach my parents). Check with whoever is providing their landline to see if you can set up something similar. Or...
- Thu Sep 21, 2023 10:57 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Help me quell my brother-in-law’s nerves
- Replies: 45
- Views: 3787
Re: Help me quell my brother-in-law’s nerves
How about Discover Bank? They might be best known for their credit card but they also have decent rates on savings accounts and CDs. In my experience they also have very responsive customer service via phone.
- Wed Aug 16, 2023 4:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help with housing - disabled w/ inheritance
- Replies: 31
- Views: 3398
Re: Help with housing - disabled w/ inheritance
We are retired without a pension and only hubby’s SS as monthly “income”. We are currently renting a house, and simply showed a copy of our financial statements (with account numbers redacted) and that along with our credit scores (800+) were sufficient for all property management companies we spoke to. +1 I had no trouble finding a rental with very little income. I did the same thing, showed redacted statements that proved I had enough assets to satisfy the landlord. That plus a good credit score was enough. To get some reassurance that you'll be able to find something when the time comes, you could try checking rental ads on craigslist or zillow or wherever. I've seen ads that say something like "X monthly income or proof of assets&...
- Tue Aug 15, 2023 2:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Fidelity Down? [Website]
- Replies: 138
- Views: 9554
Re: Fidelity Down?
I've found downdetector.com to be useful for checking if a website is having problems, or if it's just me . Right now downdetector is showing many reports of Fidelity being down in the last hour or so.
- Sun Aug 06, 2023 3:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: contractor issue potentially
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1785
Re: contractor issue potentially
These sound like fairly minor issues, possibly only cosmetic? And maybe there's only one issue since you're not sure yet if there's anything wrong with the ridge vent. You did the walk-through with the contractor and didn't notice these issues then. If you make a stop payment, his bank might charge him for the returned check or it could cause other hassles for him. That doesn't seem fair when as far as he knows, he finished the job to your satisfaction.
- Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Mayo Clinic Question
- Replies: 40
- Views: 6731
Re: Mayo Clinic Question
It's very helpful and kind of you to share your knowledge galawdawg. Best wishes to you and to LifeIsGood's daughter-in-law too!
- Sat Jun 03, 2023 9:49 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Gnucash best practices/workflows/habits for a newby
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1926
Re: Gnucash best practices/workflows/habits for a newby
I started using it about 5 years before I retired to track expenses. I had previously used Quicken so initially I set it up with similar categories. My breakdown is pretty detailed - e.g., I have categories for things like clothing, books, etc. But I also have a Miscellaneous category for, well, miscellaneous expenses. In setting up categories, I ask myself "Do I care how much I'm spending on this?" and if not, I just put it into Miscellaneous. I use it several times a month. My typical work flow is: at the end of the month, I log into all my accounts and manually enter every transaction into Gnucash. (This takes a little time but gives me an opportunity to really notice where my money is going :D ). Then, as each statement become...
- Mon May 08, 2023 11:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Treasury Direct statement issue
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1384
Re: Treasury Direct statement issue
I agree; it sounds like whoever you're dealing with isn't familiar with I-Bonds. The treasurydirect.gov user guide at https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/he ... e/001-010/ explicitly says:
A friend ran into a similar situation when applying for a mortgage and I think all they had to do was write a brief email that referenced the treasurydirect.gov website to explain what an I-bond is.Note: TreasuryDirect does not provide paper savings bonds or paper account statements. If you want a paper copy of your account information, you should use the browser's toolbar to print the relevant pages in your account that show your holdings.
- Wed Apr 19, 2023 8:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Ideas for 3 days in Dublin and 3 days in Galway Ireland
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1378
Re: Ideas for 3 days in Dublin and 3 days in Galway Ireland
If you're interested in Irish history, I'd recommend:
- touring the President's house. When I did it a few years ago, many of the other visitors were Irish citizens so it was interesting to take the tour with them and learn some local history. https://president.ie/en/explore-visit/tours-visits/. I think you'd need to take a lyft/uber to get there.
- touring the Kilmainham gaol https://www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/. If I remember right, it's walkable from the central area of Dublin.
Personally, I didn't think seeing the book of Kells was worth the wait and expense.
You might look into getting a Leap Visitor transit card before you go, to make it easier to get around Dublin.
Enjoy your trip!
- touring the President's house. When I did it a few years ago, many of the other visitors were Irish citizens so it was interesting to take the tour with them and learn some local history. https://president.ie/en/explore-visit/tours-visits/. I think you'd need to take a lyft/uber to get there.
- touring the Kilmainham gaol https://www.kilmainhamgaolmuseum.ie/. If I remember right, it's walkable from the central area of Dublin.
Personally, I didn't think seeing the book of Kells was worth the wait and expense.
You might look into getting a Leap Visitor transit card before you go, to make it easier to get around Dublin.
Enjoy your trip!
- Tue Jan 24, 2023 5:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: PC problem, help please?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1604
Re: PC problem, help please?
This might be out in left field, but have you made any recent changes to your display settings, or updated the display driver? I once had a problem with TurboTax showing a white screen instead of the registration page. I found a help topic that suggested changing the display settings and that did the trick. It looks like some people still have the problem: https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes ... 00/2451666
The registration page was a one-time only thing, so it might not be related to your issue but I thought I'd mention it. Good luck finding a solution!
The registration page was a one-time only thing, so it might not be related to your issue but I thought I'd mention it. Good luck finding a solution!
- Fri Jan 13, 2023 12:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Neighbor noise issues
- Replies: 80
- Views: 8718
Re: Neighbor noise issues
I can sympathize! It can be really hard to fall asleep after being jolted awake. It might help if you can distract yourself from concentrating on the noises that woke you up. I've found that my kindle helps alot with this. It's a paperwhite and I set it to the lowest light that I can see, and read something that is interesting but also kind of dull, usually non-fiction about geology or space exploration or something like that. It engages me enough that I can tune out the noise and fall back asleep.
Eventually you might get used to the noise so that it doesn't wake you up as much.
Eventually you might get used to the noise so that it doesn't wake you up as much.
- Fri Nov 04, 2022 9:04 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Roth question: 5+ years for the account or a specific contribution ?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1522
Re: Roth question: 5+ years for the account or a specific contribution ?
Thanks RM, that's very helpful!
- Fri Nov 04, 2022 8:33 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Roth question: 5+ years for the account or a specific contribution ?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1522
Re: Roth question: 5+ years for the account or a specific contribution ?
I had the same question as the OP so I appreciate all the responses, and I read the cited articles (thanks Billy C for providing the links!) Regarding the quoted text from https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/26/1.408A-6, that text is from Section A-5, which is talking about when the 10% withdrawal penalty could apply to a non-qualified distribution: (c) The 5-taxable-year period described in this A-5 for ...(emphasis added by me)
Read Sections A-1 and A-2 to understand the rules for a qualified, i.e., nontaxable distribution. These sections state what other posters have already summarized: Once you are 59.5 and had a Roth for 5 years, all withdrawals are qualified.
Read Sections A-1 and A-2 to understand the rules for a qualified, i.e., nontaxable distribution. These sections state what other posters have already summarized: Once you are 59.5 and had a Roth for 5 years, all withdrawals are qualified.
- Mon Oct 03, 2022 3:49 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: If things are so bad, how come the market is up 900 points today?
- Replies: 141
- Views: 15316
Re: If things are so bad, how come the market is up 900 points today?
Thank you so much for sharing that!livesoft wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:21 pm What gloomy news? Get out there and embrace all the good things around you!
Here is one for you: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/opin ... po-67.html though a bit nostalgic.
- Mon Nov 11, 2019 11:48 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Los Angeles to San Francisco Roadtrip
- Replies: 29
- Views: 2800
Re: Los Angeles to San Francisco Roadtrip
+1 to both the Monterey Aquarium and the Madonna Inn. My other suggestions, mostly in northern CA: - Dream Inn in Santa Cruz. - the UCSC Seymour Marine center is sort of a smaller version of the Monterey Aquarium, but it's less crowded and has a cool whale skeleton. - Natural History museum in Santa Cruz (small, so you probably wouldn't spend more than an hour there). - Henry Cowell Park in Felton (has a 1 mile loop thru redwood trees) followed by lunch at the Cowboy grill. - Pinnacles National park has some pretty strenuous hikes but also some short cave hikes (if the caves are open). There's not much else in the area so it would be just a daytime stop on the way to somewhere else. - it's about as touristy as they come, but kids do seem to...
- Fri Oct 18, 2019 7:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Taking a short career break in silicon valley
- Replies: 13
- Views: 3862
Re: Taking a short career break in silicon valley
That's my perception too. I once took about a year off, although I ended up doing some very part-time contracting with my previous employer for 5 or 6 of those months. I think they would have hired me back if I asked, but I didn't ask and I found a new job without much trouble. I don't think a year long gap raises many eyebrows, as long as your skills don't get too rusty.curmudgeon wrote: ↑Fri Oct 18, 2019 12:48 pm My perception is that anything under a year is no big deal. Just the standard round of looking for a new job in SV afterwards. Being out of the loop more that two years can be pretty hazardous to your career.
- Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Retirees, when did you start really planning your retirement?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 6591
Re: Retirees, when did you start really planning your retirement?
I have never thought about retirement until early 50s. The goal of life is not how to prepare for retirement, but how best to use your life before that turning point. Since my early 50s, I saved crazy and achieved FI. I have practiced LBYM all my life. As long as I will do OK in retirement, I will be OK. Again, how you live before retirement trumps how you live during retirement. To me, retirement is an appendix to a book. A splendid appendix does not make a book shine, but it should not blemish it. Nicely put. I also didn't spend much time (or didn't seem to have much time!) to think about retirement until my 50s. But I have also practiced LBYM and, after paying off my student loans and a loan for my first car, I've avoided debt completel...
- Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Advice on selling real estate (Family Property)
- Replies: 30
- Views: 2749
Re: Advice on selling real estate (Family Property)
Words of wisdom there. It's a difficult situation but your choice is either to continue struggling to keep the property or sell it and move forward with your life.
- Tue Aug 20, 2019 10:05 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Looking for a computer coding mentor
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1546
Re: Looking for a computer coding mentor
I think the admissions counselor gave you good advice -- you are likely to get alot more out of the bootcamp if you go into it with some coding experience. I don't use Java or JavaScript but if I needed to learn it, these are some resources I might try. - Take a look at the Khan Academy videos https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming . - Udemy has a low cost intro to Java https://www.udemy.com/course/java-for-beginners-create-10-useful-complete-projects/ . - Coursera also offers many online courses. Two that might be helpful to you: https://www.coursera.org/learn/web-development or https://www.coursera.org/learn/java-programming I haven't ever taken a Udemy course but I've taken several Coursera courses and found them to b...
- Sun Jul 07, 2019 9:01 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Survived the First Week [of retirement, what's next?]
- Replies: 70
- Views: 11207
Re: Survived the First Week [of retirement, what's next?]
Congratulations on your retirement! It will probably take some time to adjust since it happened earlier than you were expecting. I think the most important thing for you to do next is to concentrate on your health. Get physical therapy and/or start a regular exercise routine (with your doctor's OK). Convince yourself that concentrating on your own physical well-being is a worthwhile project. After all, you need to be healthy in order to contribute fully to your next "job" no matter whether that job is contracting, volunteering, or working around your house.
- Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:25 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Not much work at new megacorp job
- Replies: 70
- Views: 7540
Re: Not much work at new megacorp job
If you did get laid off, what would you put on your resume for the two years you've had this job? It might be harder to pad your resume than it is to pad your monthly report. Can you come up with your own projects that require you to learn something new? I can relate to wanting to relax and enjoy your free time, but if it was me, I would spend at least part of that time doing something that I could talk about in my next interview.
- Thu Jan 10, 2019 9:28 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Travel Companies Similar to "Road Scholar"?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 4439
Re: Travel Companies Similar to "Road Scholar"?
Another possibility is BackRoads.com. Their trips are focused on activities like hiking or biking but they rate them by level of activity, eg how many miles of walking per day. I took one of their US trips several years ago and liked that they handled all of the logistics. They were well organized and the tour guides were great. Someday I'd like to take one of their international trips ... they're not cheap though.
- Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:41 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Autistic sister being targeted by Nigerian scammers
- Replies: 84
- Views: 8903
Re: Autistic sister being targeted by Nigerian scammers
It can be depressing and humiliating to get scammed, so confronting her with the evidence could just be making her more determined to believe that the relationship is real. Maybe it would help to frame it more as you're concerned that it's an 'unhealthy relationship' since it's causing her stress and making her unhappy. I agree with what other posters have said -- she's a lonely young adult and she needs to find a way to develop adult relationships with people who aren't her parents or sibling. I also agree that your parents need to protect their financial information from the possibility of your sister giving it to the scammers.
What a sad situation! I'm sorry for the stress your family is under.
What a sad situation! I'm sorry for the stress your family is under.
- Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:15 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: California 8 days road trip LA-SFO
- Replies: 40
- Views: 3132
Re: California 8 days road trip LA-SFO
If you want to see redwoods but can't get a reservation or don't want to deal with the crowds in Muir Woods, try Henry Cowell State Park in Felton (near Santa Cruz). There's an easy 1 mile loop and a small nature center. There are a few restaurants in Felton, all very kid friendly, so it could be a nice stop on your way to San Francisco. Or if you stop in Santa Cruz, the Museum of Natural History on E. Cliff Dr. is another possibility - it's small enough that you can get thru it in an hour but is fun for kids. Be forewarned that the weather in late Dec could be awesome, sunny and cool, but it could also be raining. And in CA a quarter inch of rain can be like a foot of snow anywhere else -- roads close, accidents pile up, and traffic slows ...
- Sat Nov 24, 2018 8:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Vacation for single parent and 2 teens: Belize or where?
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3168
Re: Vacation for single parent and 2 teens: Belize or where?
I don't know if it would fit your budget but you might check backroads.com. A friend of mine took her teenagers on a trip thru them and loved it since they handled all of the logistics. It wasn't cheap but she enjoyed travelling with other adults and her kids had fun with the other teens on the trip.
- Sun Sep 23, 2018 9:57 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Reverse Mortgages - Pros, Cons
- Replies: 55
- Views: 5755
Re: Reverse Mortgages - Pros, Cons
+1. After seeing several relatives decline in their 'forever homes' when they would have been less isolated and more financially secure by downsizing, I personally wouldn't consider taking out a reverse mortgage since it might make it even harder to make the right decision when it's time to move.Dandy wrote: ↑Sun Sep 23, 2018 9:02 am ...
I'm not saying the urge to stay in the home is wrong only that it can be. The reverse mortgage option can just reinforce that feeling when finances are tight and defer the move. My feeling is it is better to move while you still have most of your physical and mental abilities and your finances so you can adjust to the new setting easier. It may postpone or avoid a move to institutional care.
...
- Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:08 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: The more I learn the less I know: general checkup, lots of questions.
- Replies: 19
- Views: 3082
Re: The more I learn the less I know: general checkup, lots of questions.
I'll comment on #1 Work, worth, and future impact vs lifestyle now. It sounds like you're doing fine here. I'm a software engineer and I raised my kids in the 90s when engineers were pretty much treated like gold, so obviously YMMV, but I worked part-time/flexible hours for about 5 years. I tended to take on the grunt work that no one else wanted (code maintenance instead of development) because it was lower pressure, so my salary fell behind what it could have been. But I kept my skills up and once I went back to full-time, my salary caught up within a year or two, due to promotion + a job change. I think the important thing is to keep your job skills current. Then just enjoy the time with your little one -- it goes by quickly! P.S. Pat yo...
- Fri Jul 27, 2018 11:09 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Tips for staying active / injury-free into older age
- Replies: 162
- Views: 18798
Re: Tips for staying active / injury-free into older age
As others have mentioned, walking, swimming, yoga or some other kind of stretching.
And also - be sure to get enough sleep. Accept the fact that your body needs more recovery time as you age.
And also - be sure to get enough sleep. Accept the fact that your body needs more recovery time as you age.
- Wed Jul 04, 2018 9:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What to add to the baby registry?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2145
Re: What to add to the baby registry?
This made me smile. I bought this book 30 years ago, when we *really* needed it. I don't remember much about it except that it helped. And we eventually got some sleep .
- Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:15 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Robert Merton on NewRetirement Podcast
- Replies: 46
- Views: 6439
Re: Robert Merton on NewRetirement Podcast
I'm an average Jane who luckily stumbled across this forum pretty late in the game, so posts like this are more relevant/helpful to me than the "I only have 5 Million, is that enough?" posts. Thanks for posting it, Horton!
- Mon May 07, 2018 9:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Condo Association - who pays for septic repair?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2275
Re: Condo Association - who pays for septic repair?
Are you sure the backup was caused by negligence? A common source of backups is a crack in the line that lets roots grow into the pipe.
And a septic backup can be a pretty unpleasant experience; unless there were well established procedures already in place for getting board approval *quickly*, I probably would have called the plumber myself too.
And a septic backup can be a pretty unpleasant experience; unless there were well established procedures already in place for getting board approval *quickly*, I probably would have called the plumber myself too.
- Fri May 04, 2018 9:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Does it make sense to rent as a retiree?
- Replies: 83
- Views: 12549
Re: Does it make sense to rent as a retiree?
It’s a good question and I've also been pondering it. To me one advantage of renting when I retire is that it will encourage me to downsize and get rid of ‘stuff’ while I’m still capable of doing it myself. Also, I’ve had several relatives who I think stayed in the house they owned longer than they should have, even though their quality of life suffered and it caused a bigger burden for their children. I think being a renter might make it easier to accept when it’s time to move closer to the kids or into assisted living, or whatever. Of course the downside is less predictability in housing costs and the possibility of being forced to move when I don’t want to, but for now I’m leaning towards renting for at least the first few years of retir...
- Wed Apr 11, 2018 12:25 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Weekly Commuting
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2920
Re: Weekly Commuting
Use Southwest. You could book 1-way flights a couple of months in advance whenever they have a sale. Then you'll have some flexibility to make last minute changes since Southwest doesn't charge change fees (you'd have to pay the regular ticket price of course which is probably higher at the last minute).
+1 on getting TSA PreCheck.
+1 on getting TSA PreCheck.
- Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Thin/light but warm blanket for California winters?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1720
Re: Thin/light but warm blanket for California winters?
Try a lightweight down comforter. They breath, they’re warm, but light. We use a mid weight one for our Colorado winters. I lighter weight version maybe just right. We bought ours here http://www.thecompanystore.com/down-comforter?cm_mmc=BING-_-%5BADL%5D%5BNon-Brand%5D%5BUS%5DBedding-Comforters(Exact)-_-Comforters-Down-_-down%20comforters_e%7Ct&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5BADL%5D%20%5BNon-Brand%5D%20%5BUS%5D%20Bedding%20-%20Comforters%20(Exact)&utm_term=down%20comforters&utm_content=Comforters%20-%20Down&kwid=31088670870x5206218801x31799824 I'm in CA and for years have used a light weight Company Store down comforter plus a cotton blanket in the winter. I buy a new comforter every decade or so when...
- Sun Apr 08, 2018 2:43 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: “Women-led companies perform 3x better than S&P 500”
- Replies: 32
- Views: 2963
Re: “Women-led companies perform 3x better than S&P 500”
Pajamas wrote:
I haven't noticed that. I've always thought it was pretty standard bogleheads terminology, along with DH (dear husband), DD (dear daughter) and DS (dear son)."Dear Wife"
Mostly seems to be used by older men and without irony even when discussing feminism.
- Fri Apr 06, 2018 12:04 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Any hardworkers here who half-a** at work?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4762
Re: Any hardworkers here who half-a** at work?
If you're trying to figure everything out on your own without asking for help, then it's probably taking you longer to get things done. Maybe they want you to ask for help so things get done more quickly. Or maybe they think you don't value the experience/knowledge of the more senior people. It's admirable that you're working so hard to become an expert at your job, so don't get discouraged, but take KlangFool's excellent advice and try to view things from your employer's perspective as well.I don't mean to complain at all and I only mean business but when they ask me why I didn't ask someone else, etc, my tactful answers can only seem positive after so many times.
- Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Family dilemma involving wills/trusts
- Replies: 24
- Views: 3344
Re: Family dilemma involving wills/trusts
If I understand correctly, the will changed from: Old will: 50/50 between Son #1 and Son #2. If Son #1 dies before Mom, then Son #1's children get his share. If Son #2 dies before Mom, then Son #1 gets 100%. New will: 50/50 between Son #1 and Son #2. If Son #1 dies before Mom, then Son #1's children get his share. If Son #2 dies before Mom, then Son #2's wife gets his share. Family dynamics aside, that doesn't seem like a really outrageous change. In fact nothing changes unless one of the sons dies before Mom, who is 84 with stage 4 cancer. I can totally understand Son #1 feeling angry and frustrated over Son #2's actions. Son #1 is also probably under a lot of stress since he is taking care of Mom. So I agree with others that a short, focu...
- Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:13 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Help needed with a loan/payoff scenario.
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1358
Re: Help needed with a loan/payoff scenario.
In the past I've used the calculators at mtgprofessor.com to explore different payment scenarios.
- Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:13 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: $399 - New Course - Fire your Financial Advisor - By WhiteCoat Investor - Anyone?
- Replies: 121
- Views: 16593
Re: $399 - New Course - Fire your Financial Advisor - By WhiteCoat Investor - Anyone?
CollegePrudens wrote:
Thanks for expressing exactly what I was thinking as I read this thread.
+1I cringe at the harsh tone that we (forum members) sometime use on the forum. Obviously not everybody uses a harsh tone. But even so... I fear that it serves to drive away knowledgeable posters away.
I have learned a ton from being here, including from WCI and TFB mentioned upthread. I hope that he/they will not take this thread too hard and continue to be active members of this forum.
PS: I have no affiliation with WCI, have never communicated with him and don't always agree with his take on a situation (but that would be normal for any two people).
Thanks for expressing exactly what I was thinking as I read this thread.
- Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Life at a crossroad: seeking advice
- Replies: 54
- Views: 8300
Re: Life at a crossroad: seeking advice
OP, I'm glad you decided to start looking for another job. There are better bosses out there. Just don't jump at the first thing that comes along; you can afford to take your time and try to find a company with a better culture and a more supportive boss. Here are some suggestions that have worked for me when I'm trying to figure out if a potential job is a good fit for me: - I am very suspicious of any company that doesn't have me interview with at least a few of my future co-workers, ie people who report to the same manager I would report to. They should have some say in who gets hired, and I want some idea of who I'll be working with. - When interviewing w/ future co-workers, at the end I try to ask a few questions to get some insight in...
- Sun Jan 07, 2018 5:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Recommendations for 72 hours in Dublin, Ireland
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2412
Re: Recommendations for 72 hours in Dublin, Ireland
I thought the Bog bodies in the National Museum were fascinating.
- Thu Dec 21, 2017 10:44 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Christmas Bonus: Etiquette
- Replies: 47
- Views: 11594
Re: Christmas Bonus: Etiquette
The owner has shown appreciation for the hard work you've done this year. Unfortunately, not all bosses do that . I would thank him.
- Sat Dec 02, 2017 10:47 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Hard time deciding how much to spend on rent
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2386
Re: Hard time deciding how much to spend on rent
Sandtrap wrote: You can also cut expenses in other areas to make up for the 30% of net for rent. You can't put a price on happiness and contentment if the new place provides this. +1. Choose your new location carefully -- if you want to expand your social life, e.g., find a neighborhood with a lot of young professionals; if you like to go to the gym, find a neighborhood with a low-cost gym; etc. Paying a third of net income to make a big improvement in the quality of your life doesn't sound excessive to me, it sounds sane :-). Plus you might find that some of your other expenses decrease -- no more commuting expense, lower utilities due to the smaller space, etc. Living in a small space encourages you to not accumulate too much stuff, which...
- Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Does it make sense to drop health insurance?
- Replies: 198
- Views: 13989
Re: Does it make sense to drop health insurance?
My 2 cents on the original question: Is my family at the point where it is rational to forego coverage? I don't think so. My employer's high deductible plan is upwards of $1800/month for family coverage, with the employee paying about $400/month and the employer covering the rest. Deductibles are 2000/4000 and max out-of-pocket is 3500/7000. Coinsurance is 30%. So your plan doesn't seem that different, except that in your case, you have to bear the entire cost. That's why contractors get paid more :-). Another way to look at it is, $1300/month for 3 people is less than $450 per person. You and Wilma can afford that, and do you really want to gamble on Pebble's health for $450 a month? I'm not sure where I'd draw the line on deciding coverag...
- Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:29 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: [UPDATED 1/26/2018 ] 55+ Early retirement offer.
- Replies: 90
- Views: 16295
Re: 55+ Early retirement offer.
Dottie, your post could have been written by me 3 years ago except I was a few years farther away from retirement and my Megacorp wasn't contemplating any early retirement offers. Many days by 10am I would need a walk around the parking lot to decide whether that was the day I was quitting. What worked for me eventually was I found a software job that is not in development, it's more sort of an internal support position. So I'm still writing software, but it's not production software. No agile :-). The pay is less but so is the stress. My current plan is to continue working here until I'm within COBRA distance to Medicare. But if they gave me a buyout offer now, I might just take it. Like you, I would need to cover 2-3 years of insurance af...
- Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:55 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND
- Replies: 49
- Views: 4258
Re: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND
GerryL wrote:
I-5 between Redding and Ashland has winding, mountainous road, lots of big rigs, and at least in my experience, consistently bad weather. Not a fun drive!
+1Hope you're planning to fly up to Portland.
I would love to drive down to SoCal for my annual Thanksgiving visit with my brother, but driving over the pass from OR to CA can be very iffy that time of year. If you drive, you will need to be sure to carry snow chains with you. Lots of mountains in Northern California.
I-5 between Redding and Ashland has winding, mountainous road, lots of big rigs, and at least in my experience, consistently bad weather. Not a fun drive!
- Fri Oct 27, 2017 9:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND
- Replies: 49
- Views: 4258
Re: Going to SF, Yosemite and Sacramento and NOW PORTLAND
Henry Cowell is an alternative to Big Basin for seeing Redwoods. If you go in the main entrance, there is an easy one mile loop thru some second growth redwoods as well as some longer hikes. The Fall Creek section is about a mile away and is a beautiful place to take a 2 or 3 hour hike. In any of the coastal CA parks, be sure to stay on the trail to avoid poison oak. Yosemite is amazing but the best hikes from the Valley lead up and you might be limited by snow or ice at higher elevations. I'd still recommend spending a night or two there even if you never leave the Valley. I've only been to Alcatraz once but I thought the tour was very interesting and well done (you wear headphones that narrate as you walk around). Plus you get a ferry rid...
- Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help With Rental Property Decision
- Replies: 30
- Views: 2922
Re: Help With Rental Property Decision
Personally, I would not put another 100K into the condo. You would be moving 100K from the safety of a CD into a much riskier real estate investment; how does that change your overall investment allocation? I am pretty risk averse, so I wouldn't make such a big change in my allocation even if I expected/hoped it was temporary -- stuff happens.
Maybe take 10K out of the CD when it matures and use that to pay expenses until you can sell it?
Maybe take 10K out of the CD when it matures and use that to pay expenses until you can sell it?