Bogleheads.org

OP - It seems to me that you have (perhaps inadvertently) followed J.P. Morgan's purported advice to a nervous equities investor years ago: "Sell down to the sleeping point" . That, in my opinion, is not a bad or wrong thing to do. Now you are left to examine how you got into that uncomfor...

Well, they'd better get those "fighter jets" out of the hangar.

My two cents:

Not being able to totally justify a decision on a solely financial basis does not necessarily make it a bad decision.

2b2

Thank you, Kathleen.
The very same to you.

2b2

Also, don't forget the most important consideration in a boglehead/non-boglehead mixed marriage :

How will the children be raised ?

2b2

Welcome to the forum, dyeusdi.

2b2

Taylor,
Thank you for all the service you have performed - both at home and overseas.
Happy Birthday !
2b2

Leveraged derivatives - what a splendid idea !
What could go wrong ???

I am retired and have been withdrawing from my Vanguard IRA for 4.5 years. I do it the way livesoft describes. Automatic monthly transfer directly into my checking account. Easy as pie. Also, I do not 'sequester' any amount of living expenses outside of the IRA into a MM fund or anywhere else. I sta...

What's all this talk about Eisenhower ?
I thought Dewey beat him.

wastenot,
Your coop's managing agent (if applicable) should be able to replace your stock certificate if it is lost, stolen, or destroyed.
2b2

Valuethinker,
I offer condolences on the loss of your father.
2b2

Thanks very much, Mike.
I downloaded a copy and sent the link to a friend (non-Boglehead) who is mapping out his claiming strategy.
Very helpful !

2b2

Many thanks to both of you.
Much good info.

--2b2

Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a yearly maximum Social Secutity benefit for both spouses receiving a benefit ?

Thanks,
2b2

I have used this procedure for a number of years since retirement.
No penalties, no problems.

Since you are concerned that 50/50 is too aggressive, then 50/50 is probably too aggressive - for you.

Every day.
Roughly four years ago, I checked and saw a 5 figure omission in my Vanguard account.
One of the funds I own was shown, but with a zero balance. I immediately called the rep and they got it strightened out.
Not sayin' they wouldn't have caught it on their own, but......
...yep...
Every day.

Thanks to those who answered my question regarding synthetic oil.

2b2

Slightly off-topic, so forgive me.
Does anyone know, with a reasonable degree of certainty, if synthetic oil breaks down over time?
Remove mileage considerations - can one leave synthetic oil unchanged indefinitely?
Thanks.

I find that holding mutual funds rather than individual stocks or ETFs reduces the urge to trade in and out of the markets.

When you own index funds, someone brags about his stock picks, and you nod and say "Yeah, I've got some of that..." ...and if you own Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund exclusively for your US equity exposure, you can truthfully say : "AAPL is my second largest US stock holding&q...

I use synthetic oil in my 2003 Porsche. I only drive that car about 2-3,000 miles a year.
I am under the impression that synhetic oil does not break down over time (only due to mileage), I wonder if anyone can comment on this ?
-Thanks

2b2

Spike79,

Thanks for your service and welcome to the forum.

2b2

Slide rules ??!!! DANG !!... you people had it easy !!
I used an abacus. One room schoolhouse with outdoor plumbing.
I had to walk 12 miles each way.

2b2

This thread is a good reminder to me that 'bad' news is so much more impactful than 'good' news is. Do we remember about 2 months ago (?) that the S&P 500 actually rose roughly 4.5 % in a two week period ?. If there was a thread devoted to how much individual portfolios had gained for that perio...

rylemdr wrote:

pkcrafter wrote:Verrry Bogleheadish.

Be sure you diversify toppings, or just buy total pizza.


Paul

I literally LOL'd.

I've seen no discussion of the Sliced and Diced Pizza. Also, if considering the delivery option, think about adding some TIPS.

2b2

Welcome, Mike !

After taking early benefits, if I live past the break-even age I will count each additional day as a blessing and a benefit in and of itself - regardless of the size of my social security check.

2b2

Regarding early social security benefits, I have read (here and elsewhere) the advice that goes : "If you can afford to wait, then wait". OK, hypothetical question for extra credit: Let's say we are all billionaires ... Who, besides me, will still take social security benefits at 62 ?? 2b2

Epsilon Delta -
Very interesting. Thanks for that info.

sscritic -
And the all important 4th question : "You feelin' lucky, Punk?"

I will start benefits at age 62. Here is my reasoning : --My spouse (4 months younger than I) will receive close to the same benefit that I have earned, so no real spousal survivor benefit available to us . 2b2 I'm pretty sure this is not true. I believe two spouses with equal ages and PIA gives th...

I will start benefits at age 62. Here is my reasoning : --I am fully retired and have assets in tax deferred accounts only. Early benefits will allow me to immediately reduce the amount of those assets that I draw down monthly. --My spouse (4 months younger than I) will receive close to the same ben...

The quoted maintenance is not outrageously high for a coop of that size, especially in the West Village. As has been mentioned, normally that maintenance payment includes the underlying building mortgage (with deductible interest), and property taxes which are also deductible. Unfortunately, unless ...

nisiprius,

Thanks for a great post !

And I gotta tell you, having had cataract surgery on one eye last week and the second eye scheduled for tomorrow - I especially appreciate the dual charts !!



2b2

Thanks, JJ.
Very interesting.

2b2

Nisi,

I, too, enjoyed your (hic) post.

2b2

Reubin, Earlier you said that you had been told by your lawyer that if you rent out the apartment, the tenant would have to be approved by the board. Your lawyer is probably correct. Most co-op bylaws that I'm aware of require interview and approval of renters as well as purchasers. But you didn't s...

I strongly suspect there is much more to this
story than we have been told.
Reubin, I wish you the best.
2b2

blevine,

Could you explain how you become an enemy of the board when you decide to sell your shares?

Thanks,
2b2

Hi again, Reubin - You didn't respond to my earlier suggestion, so I'll repeat it. Contact the building's management company - if you haven't already done so. Boards work closely with their management agent and it is very possible that you might gain some information from that source regarding your ...

100 % at Vanguard in six different Vanguard mutual funds.
They are six different firms.
Mamma didn't raise no fools.

2b2

Reubin, My condolences on the loss of your sister. My suggestion is to contact the company that manages the property and see if they can shed any light on the problem. I am president of the board of directors of a co-op corporation in NYC and I can understand your frustration. There may be some ulte...

spinkter,

Thank you for the words of wisdom.
To be clear, my original post was made after I had read several derisive remarks about the state of Texas. I am no great fan of Texas, but I am interested in keeping the discussions at a certain level of civility.

Carry on.

2b2

spinkter,
Yes, Sir !!! Ha!

My opinion ?...this thread should be locked.
Many of the responses are beneath the usual level of Bogleheads.
There is no value to be gained from this.

I have been retired for several years. All my investments are in tax advantaged accounts with Vanguard. I spent down all the taxable account balances before hitting up the tax deferred stuff and I do not maintain an emergency fund of any type. I hear the argument often that selling equities to meet ...

Thanks for that magic trick, Munchkin Man. If you had not revealed to us how the trick was accomplished, we might have mistaken you for a WIZARD.

Keep the wife working. One income is better than none.

2b2 (retired)

I'm in the process of refinancing my 30 yr. mortgage to a lower rate (zero cost) 30 yr. mortgage. The savings will be $250 a month over the existing payment and I will apply that $250 toward additional principal payments on the new loan. So my monthly outlay will be unchanged. By making those additi...