Search found 1295 matches

Return to advanced search

Re: Seriously? Vanguard recommends 80% equities?

"Age in bonds" is advice meant for people whose attention span extends no further than three words. For anyone willing to put time into reading this forum and related resources it is completely irrelevant. "Age in bonds" is like training wheels - very nice when you need them by v...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:44 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Seriously? Vanguard recommends 80% equities?
Replies: 21
Views: 2592

Re: Should I invest in TIAA Traditional in my 403b?

For what its worth I've started putting new money each month into my TIAA traditional, after neglecting it for a long time, for the same kind of reasons you point to. It currently accounts for about 45% of my non-equity holdings, and I'd like it to be at least half.
by Aptenodytes
Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:37 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Should I invest in TIAA Traditional in my 403b?
Replies: 22
Views: 1010

Re: Free Cars for Life [POLL]

Makes sense to me, but why stop there. Why not get your HOUSE for free? 1) Buy a house, live in it for a three years, and then sell it for the same price you paid for it. 2) In the meanwhile, pay yourself a bunch of money and invest it at a high rate of return. 3) Buy a new house using the money you...
by Aptenodytes
Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:04 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
Replies: 77
Views: 3449

Re: Selling older car vs. keeping it for low level use

I agree with Watty. If you think $7K is too high replace the number with whatever you think is right and carry out the same thought experiment. The OP's scenario seems to reflect a classic instance of the behavioral trap of inflating the value of something purely as a function of the fact that you ...
by Aptenodytes
Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:49 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Selling older car vs. keeping it for low level use
Replies: 27
Views: 1975

Re: Used Hondas & Toyotas

I agree. My last two cars were a Volvo and a Honda. I bought the Volvo used (three years) but bought the Honda new.
by Aptenodytes
Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:42 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Used Hondas & Toyotas
Replies: 41
Views: 3577

Re: Miami trip- help with where to stay, what to do

If you are a baseball fan, try to catch a Marlins game. They have very few local fans so you can get decent seats at a reasonable price even on short notice. In comparison with what I have to pay in places like Boston, NY, Phillie, the seats are basically free. Yes, and you will get to watch one ma...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:35 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Miami trip- help with where to stay, what to do
Replies: 17
Views: 993

Re: Discussion with Adviser

10 funds? That is crazy. Have you thought through that rebalancing nightmare? 3 - 5 funds tops is all that is needed. Really anything more is diminishing returns and probably won't move the needle. Keep investing simple. Mine is in a spreadsheet, so the answer is always there. However, even if I di...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:24 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Discussion with Adviser
Replies: 32
Views: 2553

Re: Selling older car vs. keeping it for low level use

Lots of questions like these can be turned around to get a different perspective. What if someone asked you; "I have $7000 sitting in the bank, should I buy a used car just so that I can have it for these occasional uses?" Most likely you would think they were crazy, but it is the same qu...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:58 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Selling older car vs. keeping it for low level use
Replies: 27
Views: 1975

Re: El-Erian: Walk, Don't Run From Equities Risk

Mohamed A. El-Erian, born August 19, 1958 (age almost 55) in Cairo, Egypt is the CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO, must love his job, and earns easy and significant money while at it !! Otherwise, IF over the years he knew exactly what WILL happen in the market, why is he still working ? Reportedly he made ...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:12 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: El-Erian: Walk, Don't Run From Equities Risk
Replies: 36
Views: 3670

Re: Selling older car vs. keeping it for low level use

Unless you can repair cars unusually cheaply because you can easily fix them yourself the problem with the "keep it for low-level use" scenario is that at some point the car could need a major repair. At that point you have to either pump a lot of money into it or sell it far below what yo...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 12:02 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Selling older car vs. keeping it for low level use
Replies: 27
Views: 1975

Re: Miami trip- help with where to stay, what to do

If you are a baseball fan, try to catch a Marlins game. They have very few local fans so you can get decent seats at a reasonable price even on short notice. In comparison with what I have to pay in places like Boston, NY, Phillie, the seats are basically free.
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 10:26 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Miami trip- help with where to stay, what to do
Replies: 17
Views: 993

Re: How important is "dry powder"?

In a 75/25 portfolio your dry powder is the 25% in bonds John I read the OP as having 75% in stocks, 25% in cash, and no bonds. Hmm. I read the situation as 100% stocks. Cash being saved for a house down payment isn't part of a retirement portfolio. The OP now wants to rule out buying out a house, ...
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:30 am
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: How important is "dry powder"?
Replies: 28
Views: 2268

Re: HSA account included as part of Emergency Fund?

abuss368 wrote:I only consider cash.

Remember cash is king.

You can keep the emergency portion of your HSA in cash.
by Aptenodytes
Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:33 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA account included as part of Emergency Fund?
Replies: 10
Views: 878

Re: HSA account included as part of Emergency Fund?

I should have clarified that it is only the portion of my HSA that already qualifies for no- penalty withdrawal that I count as part of the emergency fund.
by Aptenodytes
Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:54 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA account included as part of Emergency Fund?
Replies: 10
Views: 878

Re: HSA: Save it or spend it (again)

I treat my HSA as part of my emergency fund, and your circumstances would seem to warrant doing the same. If you agree, then don't start investing any of the HSA until you surpass your emergency needs.
by Aptenodytes
Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:35 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: HSA: Save it or spend it (again)
Replies: 10
Views: 775

Re: Dave Ramsey's 7 required types of Insurance

Not everyone needs life insurance. That's silly.
Same reasoning applies to disability.
Identity theft insurance is a stretch.
by Aptenodytes
Tue Jun 04, 2013 11:09 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dave Ramsey's 7 required types of Insurance
Replies: 41
Views: 3356

Re: What you tell yourself when you end up buying at a peak

You are regretting a lack of omniscience that, if you had it, would make you a billionaire. Do you really want to waste your time agonizing over why you aren't a billionaire? Set your sites on something more practical and the micro-timing of your investments will fade into irrelevance.
by Aptenodytes
Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:21 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: What you tell yourself when you end up buying at a peak
Replies: 47
Views: 3331

Re: Where to stay in Barcelona

I stayed in a very simple hotel on La Rambla, and would second the recommendation to stay in that part of town.
by Aptenodytes
Mon Jun 03, 2013 12:57 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to stay in Barcelona
Replies: 14
Views: 474

Re: Rebalancing through 08, what were the results?

Hmm. If we assume that the rebalancing "premium" is slim and impossible to time (which I do), and that the primary function of rebalancing is to maintain a preferred level of risk (which I also do), is there then an argument to rebalance more aggressively using tighter bands in up markets...
by Aptenodytes
Mon Jun 03, 2013 12:42 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Rebalancing through 08, what were the results?
Replies: 14
Views: 931

Re: Closing my brick & mortar bank acct

The couple of times I've sold used cars I had to deposit several thousand dollars in cash. I suppose I could find another way to deal with the cash, but I was happy to have my local bank for that task. Almost as rarely, we sometimes get checks that aren't made out quite right -- a name is off in som...
by Aptenodytes
Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:38 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Closing my brick & mortar bank acct
Replies: 29
Views: 2344

Re: Oslo

Good suggestions. I'd add the Munch museum.
by Aptenodytes
Sun Jun 02, 2013 6:26 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Oslo
Replies: 12
Views: 792

Re: What is your equity allocation to international?

1/3 International, 2/3 domestic because I like the fractions. It means I have twice as much domestic as I do international! Or conversely, half as much international as I do domestic! I think anywhere between 20% and market weight is great, but the thirds appealed to me in a way that only thirds ca...
by Aptenodytes
Sun Jun 02, 2013 6:12 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is your equity allocation to international?
Replies: 56
Views: 3106

Re: Investing: Is it an art or science?

. I have one (4-part) parting thought. 1. We know that water boils at 212°F (99.98°C) at sea level. 2. Since I am quite close to sea level, in boiling an egg tomorrow I know that the water WILL boil at 212°F (99.98°C). 3. To invest intelligently, we studied market(s) past behavior, theory(ies) on r...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 30, 2013 7:27 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Investing: Is it an art or science?
Replies: 47
Views: 1996

Re: Investing: Is it an art or science?

You really don't see any science behind this? The quote you cited states that many of the ideas came from Nobel winning economics research. The Nobel prize for Economics is a science award. Each item on that list is either derived by scientific thinking or can be proven via scientific experiment (w...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 30, 2013 2:18 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Investing: Is it an art or science?
Replies: 47
Views: 1996

Re: Start portfolio investing from 0: lump sump or DCA ?

There's no formula you can use for this. The only reason not to lump sum is to help you control your anxiety and regret. But anxiety and regret are not universal -- each person is different so you have to choose your own path. The more worried you are about bought-too-soon regret, the slower you nee...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 30, 2013 1:20 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Start portfolio investing from 0: lump sump or DCA ?
Replies: 3
Views: 268

Re: Why do Vanguard funds not weight foreign allocations rig

Vanguard doesn't weight international by market cap in its target date funds for the same reason that nobody else does (as far as I know) -- very few investors want it. Even on this forum I believe only a minority set their US percentage based on market cap. Most investors tilt toward their home mar...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 30, 2013 1:14 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why do Vanguard funds not weight foreign allocations right?
Replies: 5
Views: 451

Re: If I pay off my mortgage... I can save more...

If he loses his job two months from now he will be able to handle it better using supersharpie's plan. If he pays off his mortgage, the only way to access that money is to sell the house or get a home equity loan (which might be difficult without a job). Obviously he would have more liquidity if he...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 30, 2013 8:18 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: If I pay off my mortgage... I can save more...
Replies: 43
Views: 3399

Re: If I pay off my mortgage... I can save more...

vpotus wrote:I'll finally be able to max out my 403b and Roth.

I understand the attraction in paying off the mortgage, but I don't understand the sentence quote above. How would not paying off the mortgage make it any harder to max out your 403b and Roth?
by Aptenodytes
Wed May 29, 2013 3:11 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: If I pay off my mortgage... I can save more...
Replies: 43
Views: 3399

Re: What are your favorite android smartphone apps?

I like many of the things others have mentioned. I'll list some of the less well-known first that are among my favorites: JuiceDefender -- tremendous increase in battery life CamScanner -- generates cleaned-up PDFs of documents using input from your camera. CardStar -- stores all those horrible loya...
by Aptenodytes
Tue May 28, 2013 12:16 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are your favorite android smartphone apps?
Replies: 19
Views: 1244

Re: Yet another LS vs. DCA question

You should move in as fast as you can tolerate. Only you know how fast you can tolerate. If you are completely immobilized and need some external guidepost, try this: deposit 12 equal monthly sums over the next year, arriving at your AA in one year. Any scheme is as good as another as long as it get...
by Aptenodytes
Tue May 28, 2013 11:58 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Yet another LS vs. DCA question
Replies: 5
Views: 430

Re: Overweighting China

The logic sort of makes sense, but it would mean overweighting many more countries besides China -- emerging markets would need to be overweighted by a large multiple, because their exchanges are so small relative to the economies. Is there a South Sudan company you can invest in? You'll want to buy...
by Aptenodytes
Mon May 27, 2013 11:27 am
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Overweighting China
Replies: 10
Views: 568

Re: Using inherited IRA to pay off mortgage

Your post doesn't make sense. The first part says you don't listen to Dave, say his advice is lunacy and following it would cost you money. Then you go on to agree with his advice to the caller. PS - there are many Bogleheads that agree with his debt-reduction advice and his steps for doing so. Me ...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 23, 2013 3:21 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Using inherited IRA to pay off mortgage
Replies: 19
Views: 1298

Re: Using inherited IRA to pay off mortgage

I've never listened to the guy but from what people say here he fetishizes debt out of proportion to its actual importance for careful, responsible people. For the average boglehead his advice would be complete lunacy. If debt plays a role in your financial life that is analogous to what alcohol doe...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 23, 2013 3:06 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Using inherited IRA to pay off mortgage
Replies: 19
Views: 1298

Re: Would you invest a lump sum or dollar cost average?

I suspect you may be asking the wrong question. If you need the money in just ten years, you should be scrutinizing your AA much more carefully. If I needed money in ten years I would not have it in 80% stocks, more like 20% or 0%. In the end your choice of AA is going to have a far bigger impact on...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 23, 2013 12:49 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Would you invest a lump sum or dollar cost average?
Replies: 47
Views: 1563

Re: What to do after paying off the car loan?

Normally you get a title when you first buy the car, and it lists your loan provider as a lien holder. You normally get a release-of-lien letter after the loan is paid off. That plus your title give you full rights to the car. That's how it is has worked for me -- I imagine this is all regulated at ...
by Aptenodytes
Wed May 22, 2013 12:53 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What to do after paying off the car loan?
Replies: 7
Views: 837

Re: how to safely sell a car

Craigslist is good, but definitely less than smooth all the time. We recently sold our car for $7500, but I went through about two weeks of getting 3-4 calls per day asking if we would take $5000, etc. I got very tired of the question "What's your best price?" or "How low are you wil...
by Aptenodytes
Wed May 22, 2013 12:20 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: how to safely sell a car
Replies: 29
Views: 1770

Re: how to safely sell a car

I sold our last two cars through Craigslist and Cars.com. We keep them too long to be able to get much through the dealers and services. I sold a 2001 Honda Odyssey just yesterday. If you set your goal of making the process run quickly and smoothly, it can be done very straightforwardly. + write a g...
by Aptenodytes
Wed May 22, 2013 11:09 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: how to safely sell a car
Replies: 29
Views: 1770

Re: glide path vs. fixed asset allocation [POLL]

I do a simplified version of the kind of glide path that the target date funds use. When I worked up my plan a few years ago, I was comfortable with a very aggressive allocation, but I knew I'd want something more conservative when I got older. I drew a straight line from where I was in equity perce...
by Aptenodytes
Wed May 22, 2013 10:51 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: glide path vs. fixed asset allocation [POLL]
Replies: 35
Views: 1379

Re: what to do with unsellable land

In some places you can simply tell the town you wish to relinquish ownership. You then stop paying taxes and eventually the town will take over ownership. I had a family member do this with an unsellable plot.
by Aptenodytes
Sat May 18, 2013 6:08 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: what to do with unsellable land
Replies: 32
Views: 2398

Re: What were the little things that led you to index invest

A few things clicked, in ratchet manner. + When I had my first academic job the only choice was TIAA-CREF, and their most popular funds were pretty close to passive indexing (if not entirely). So I got into the habit involuntarily, to a degree. + Around the same time I was at a meeting sitting next ...
by Aptenodytes
Fri May 17, 2013 5:31 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: What were the little things that led you to index investing?
Replies: 60
Views: 2788

Re: Smartphone with just voice but no data

You can't use a smart phone on AT&T without paying the data charges. They will detect the change and hit you with the fee immediately. I have a family member who has similar needs to your mother in law. We got him a Pantech P9020 Pursuit. AT&T doesn't consider it to be "smart" but ...
by Aptenodytes
Fri May 17, 2013 4:41 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Smartphone with just voice but no data
Replies: 23
Views: 1380

Re: Retiring Wall Street Strategist...Indexing

Preaching to the choir but a fun read regardless: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-investment-advice-2013-5 "This means that, if you plan to hold your investment for 3 or more years, you have about a 1 in 9 chance of picking a fund that will beat the market." This can't possibly be tru...
by Aptenodytes
Fri May 17, 2013 4:00 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Retiring Wall Street Strategist...Indexing
Replies: 2
Views: 633

Re: Contractor invoice double the estimate, what are my opti

Did you sign a contract? Does it commit you to pay for whatever labor is needed to get the done, regardless of the estimate? Or is it a fixed-price contract? Or is there no contract at all? There is a signed estimate, that constitutes the contract. The estimate only specifies if additional time is ...
by Aptenodytes
Fri May 17, 2013 11:49 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Contractor invoice double the estimate, what are my options?
Replies: 13
Views: 931

Re: Contractor invoice double the estimate, what are my opti

Did you sign a contract? Does it commit you to pay for whatever labor is needed to get the done, regardless of the estimate? Or is it a fixed-price contract? Or is there no contract at all?
by Aptenodytes
Fri May 17, 2013 11:25 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Contractor invoice double the estimate, what are my options?
Replies: 13
Views: 931

Re: 63yo moved 401k to 100% cash, how/when to restore AA?

Based on what you say he should probably stay where he is. You will provide better help if you talk him out of making more off the cuff moves rather than trying to steer the next one. You are [not] going to be at his side every time a whim strikes him. You could have him go through the exercise of a...
by Aptenodytes
Fri May 17, 2013 11:08 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 63yo moved 401k to 100% cash, how/when to restore AA?
Replies: 32
Views: 3086

Re: Inverse DCA vs. Lump Sum

When you cross a busy street because you want to get to the other side, do you ever deliberately walk slowly because you think that if you take longer to cross you'll improve your outcomes? Crossing a busy street slowly never improves outcomes. A better analogy is choice between taking an expresswa...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 16, 2013 1:59 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Inverse DCA vs. Lump Sum
Replies: 23
Views: 1247

Re: Inverse DCA vs. Lump Sum

That's an interesting question. If I interpret "wbern" correctly, valuations and volatility enter into the decision to employ DCA or not when purchasing into an allocation, so I would think they should also be considered when selling out of an allocation. When buying, high valuations and ...
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 16, 2013 1:41 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Inverse DCA vs. Lump Sum
Replies: 23
Views: 1247

Re: Another look at Jim Cramer's stock picks

bucksfan2 wrote:If someone said to you, you can beat the market by over 1% you would take it, wouldn't you?

Of course not. Such a claim would have no credibility.
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 16, 2013 1:31 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Another look at Jim Cramer's stock picks
Replies: 29
Views: 3566

Re: Emergency Room Visit -- HDHP

I have been in the same position as you. I ended up with a bill for $2300. I tried to negotiate the bill down because we were paying out of pocket, but had absolutely no luck.

The HDHP world is a very different world than what we lived in before.
by Aptenodytes
Thu May 16, 2013 10:20 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Emergency Room Visit -- HDHP
Replies: 58
Views: 4051

Re: How do you keep all your important documents?

...4) When I add something new to the paper archive, I try to remove something, to avoid having it grow. E.g. I need to keep two years of utility bills for Little League eligibility .... OK, my apologies, I tried hard not to thread-jack, but say what?? When my son plays in Little League tournaments...
by Aptenodytes
Wed May 15, 2013 9:44 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How do you keep all your important documents?
Replies: 21
Views: 1493
Next

Return to advanced search