Search found 6689 matches

Return to advanced search

Re: Refinance: 30 yr fixed to 15 yr fixed

If you can get a true no points and no closing costs refinance then it might not apply, but I'm hardly an expert in this. :happy I was never lucky enough to find that, perhaps I didn't look hard enough. Every time I pursued one of those "no points or closing costs" refinance offers the de...
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 4:32 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance: 30 yr fixed to 15 yr fixed
Replies: 15
Views: 712

Re: Free Books

I mentioned in the book thread the Baen Free Library (mostly SF and fantasy):

http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 4:26 pm
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Free Books
Replies: 21
Views: 949

Re: Vanguard Slow to Process Rollover

I was going to a rollover from my 2nd 401 k-i have 2 from different employers. My current 401 k provider would not transmit or send check directly. it had to be sent to me first.the broker i was sending it to sent me an email with a scan tag enabling me to get special federal express envelope. i wa...
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 4:10 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Slow to Process Rollover
Replies: 15
Views: 839

Re: Help with my 81 Year old Mother's portfolio

Don't get a VA, and get away from anyone suggesting it. Who is the trustee for the trusts? Those Eaton Vance funds are closed-end, I believe. If I'm reading it right, the one I looked at, EOI, has a discount to NAV of nearly 10%. http://funds.eatonvance.com/Enhanced-Equity-Income-Fund-EOI.php Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 4:05 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my 81 Year old Mother's portfolio
Replies: 6
Views: 339

Re: Savings bonds -- current interest rate & value

What do you do with a series EE bond when they stop earning interest? Do you have to cash it in right away? You are required to pay the interest in the year that it reaches final maturity. If it's held at Treasury Direct they will cash it for you. Paper ones generally get a 1099 issued by the bank ...
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 2:09 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Savings bonds -- current interest rate & value
Replies: 15
Views: 1006

Re: how to max 401(k) mechanics question

Things vary by employer. At MyMegaCorp, they allow after-tax non-Roth contributions. So if you hit the employee deferral limit, they switch to after-tax (matching continues) rather than cut it off.

This is a discussion for your plan administration.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 1:37 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: how to max 401(k) mechanics question
Replies: 9
Views: 814

Re: Asset Allocation

One problem is that your allocation adds up to 105%. I'm not sure what you mean by "World bonds". Is that including US or not? At any rate, it's difficult to give advice with sketchy information. I recommend a full review following the guidelines here: http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewt...
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 1:00 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Asset Allocation
Replies: 4
Views: 341

Re: Timing buying a (future) classic Muscle car-Mustang BOSS

Right now, the market for the cars I know is red hot. It's brutally cyclical. The brokers and auction houses make money in all the markets. One result of that (and probably to an extent vice-versa) is that there are a number of car-flipping TV shows. Like the house-flipping shows of the past, those...
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 10:52 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Timing buying a (future) classic Muscle car-Mustang BOSS 302
Replies: 31
Views: 1505

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

At one point many of Schmitz's works were available in the Baen Free Library in electronic form. Unfortunately, not so at this time. Thank you! It's too bad the Schmitz works are off. I had planned to recommend that people go there to try them. I went to get links, and found that they weren't avail...
by Default User BR
Fri May 24, 2013 1:41 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 1456
Views: 204045

Re: Emergency Room Visit -- HDHP

What I don't get (not saying this in reference to the OP) is folks complaining after they get the treatment they sought they decide to later complain about the charges?? Does anyone go to McDondald's eat a burger and then go up and say "boy I don't think I should have had to pay full price&quo...
by Default User BR
Thu May 23, 2013 1:39 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Emergency Room Visit -- HDHP
Replies: 58
Views: 3824

Re: Financial Check & Advice

At your income level, maximizing tax-deferred makes sense. I'm surprised a little that you can't easily do both 401(k)s. If your mortgage is at a good rate, especially if you can deduct the interest, then I wouldn't accelerate the payments. Personally, I am not afraid of debt. I think that it gives ...
by Default User BR
Thu May 23, 2013 1:31 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Financial Check & Advice
Replies: 4
Views: 319

Re: Treasury Bills only in retirement

A 30-year treasury bond is risky! You will be eaten alive with inflation. There is no such thing as a risk-free investment. Ultimately, you'll have to decide how much and what type of risk you're comfortable with. Yes, and that's why those who purchased 30 year treasuries in the early 1990's have b...
by Default User BR
Thu May 23, 2013 2:10 am
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Treasury Bills only in retirement
Replies: 14
Views: 954

Re: Hi Bogleheads! I'm seeking some sound advice and insight

Those seem to be unrealistic expectations. $5000 for a trip is over 15% alone. How much in home repair money are we talking? She wants that AND to grow the money for heirs? You need to have an honest discussion about that with her. The better idea would be invest it conservatively, use it as she nee...
by Default User BR
Thu May 23, 2013 1:47 am
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Hi Bogleheads! I'm seeking some sound advice and insights.
Replies: 9
Views: 448

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

Before it was fashionable so to do, Schmitz wrote strong, believable female characters in Science Fiction. At one point many of Schmitz's works were available in the Baen Free Library in electronic form. Unfortunately, not so at this time. There's a message about reconstructing it and that some tit...
by Default User BR
Thu May 23, 2013 1:22 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 1456
Views: 204045

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

My original follow-up got losted too. The Black Company by Glen Cook- especially the first 3 . . . And his Garratt, PI series is Raymond Chandler set in the city on the edge of an interminable war orchestrated by the wizards who command the city, Garrett (like Philip Marlowe, and Chandler himself) i...
by Default User BR
Thu May 23, 2013 1:14 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 1456
Views: 204045

Re: Portfolio Advice for Newlywed Novice Investors

I would NOT pay off a 1.5% car loan.


Brian
by Default User BR
Wed May 22, 2013 7:08 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio Advice for Newlywed Novice Investors
Replies: 12
Views: 531

Re: Should I sell Taxable TSM to pay off 15 year Mortgage?

I was at about your point last year, although lower home value and therefore remaining balance. Mine was difficult to do a standard refinance on, so I went with the Penfed home-equity loan (5-year at 1.99%). That rate isn't available anymore though.


Brian
by Default User BR
Wed May 22, 2013 6:38 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Should I sell Taxable TSM to pay off 15 year Mortgage?
Replies: 22
Views: 1227

Re: what to do with unsellable land

Riverstwo wrote:I would put an ad in the paper and say "open space - garden for lease"

Many people who do not own land would love to have a garden

I doubt they're eager to have one in the desert with no water available.


Brian
by Default User BR
Wed May 22, 2013 10:42 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: what to do with unsellable land
Replies: 32
Views: 2310

Re: How many days should an ebay auction for a laptop run?

For the former, I prefer a 5-7 day auction so I have time to notice them, since I'm not at my computer every day. Longer ones are annoying since I don't want to monitor stuff that long. Even 7 days is pushing it. I don't care what day auctions end, but I prefer not in the middle of the night becaus...
by Default User BR
Wed May 22, 2013 10:31 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How many days should an ebay auction for a laptop run?
Replies: 7
Views: 363

Re: Roth vs traditional ira poll

Probably many here are like me, and there is no choice. I can't deduct a Traditional, so a Roth is the only sensible choice. I don't need to do any analysis. Furthermore, MyMegaCorp doesn't offer a Roth 401(k), so I don't even need to consider that. I max the Roth IRA, put all I can in the deferred ...
by Default User BR
Wed May 22, 2013 1:14 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Roth vs traditional ira poll
Replies: 28
Views: 1400

Re: Transfer from ordinary account to ROTH

No. However, why do you think you will have to take RMDs on it? What would that even mean for a non-tax-advantaged account?


Brian
by Default User BR
Sat May 18, 2013 12:06 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Transfer from ordinary account to ROTH
Replies: 5
Views: 204

Re: Another mortgage question

thorice wrote:
Default User BR wrote:Why not go for a 15 year, or even a 10 year?

We want to keep the current option: low monthly, but the flexibility to pay off early.

Under your circumstances, I think that's overly cautious. However, it's your call.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 10:28 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Another mortgage question
Replies: 13
Views: 830

Re: to invest now or wait?

The market is 'way up' since mid-April? Really? Like 5-8%, depending on when you start. I ask because on my first playing with the charts I started on April 15th and saw NASDAQ first went down 4% to end up 4%, Dow Jones down 2% then up 2% (though with today's numbers they're both up a touch more th...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 10:26 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: to invest now or wait?
Replies: 27
Views: 2499

Re: to invest now or wait?

roymeo wrote:The market is 'way up' since mid-April?

Really?

Like 5-8%, depending on when you start.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 6:56 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: to invest now or wait?
Replies: 27
Views: 2499

Re: Help Managing 1M IRA Account for a Retiree

Looks to me like she knows what's she's doing. How's your portfolio look?

BTW, 60/40 is more in the moderate category.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 5:45 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help Managing 1M IRA Account for a Retiree
Replies: 9
Views: 500

Re: Help with funds.

Any advice on the funds. I was going to pick the VEIRX because of low expense ratio. That's a good candidate. However, it doesn't form an entire portfolio. I cant have Roth IRA because of high income. That's not the case. Anyone can have a Roth through the backdoor method. However, that works best ...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 5:38 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help with funds.
Replies: 4
Views: 291

Re: Another mortgage question

Why not go for a 15 year, or even a 10 year?


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 5:23 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Another mortgage question
Replies: 13
Views: 830

Re: to invest now or wait?

There have been a number of threads on this. No one knows what the market will do. Certainly not me. If I knew, I'd make a LOT of money.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 4:16 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: to invest now or wait?
Replies: 27
Views: 2499

Re: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable acco

Are these blended funds better able to track the entire stock market versus an all growth or all value fund? Yes. By definition, a growth or value fund eliminates some stocks. A blend fund generally holds all the stocks within a valuation range. The S&P 500 is a bit different in that it is a cu...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 3:42 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable account
Replies: 16
Views: 783

Re: Credit score hurt because I don't borrow enough

JupiterJones wrote:I think you guys missed the last part of my post.

No, I didn't. There's a big difference between insurance scores and the other things you mention.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 2:27 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Credit score hurt because I don't borrow enough
Replies: 23
Views: 1532

Re: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable acco

Don't use the canned mix. Too much overlap and too high of an expense. I would at a minimum consider all of "his" to be one portfolio. If you'd prefer to keep "hers" as a separate one in a TR fund, that's probably fine. I think 90/10 is too aggressive, but that's up to you. You s...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 2:00 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable account
Replies: 16
Views: 783

Re: Calculating How Well/Poorly I've Done

tomd37 wrote:Thanks for all the replies. I ended up using #Cruncher's method and I am satisfied with the resulting gain between the end of 2002 and end of 2012.

Now that you have calculated it, what will DO with the information?


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 12:25 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Calculating How Well/Poorly I've Done
Replies: 9
Views: 1036

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

Just to pour a little more gas on this, I would be very skeptical of a 3.5% return going forward. Stable value funds have returns like short term bond funds, which are more like 1.5% right now. I have a very good Megacorp 401k and the stable value fund has a current yield of 1.3%. I don't think it'...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 12:14 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 63yo moved 401k to 100% cash, how/when to restore AA?
Replies: 32
Views: 2931

Re: Vanguard Should Have Passive Funds, Without Indexes

I've never understood the thinking that Vanguard should be all things to all people. Vanguard is a store. If you like some of the products it offers, you should buy them. If you don't like some of its products, but prefer the products of DFA instead, you should buy those. You can still be a Boglehe...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 11:32 am
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Should Have Passive Funds, Without Indexes
Replies: 13
Views: 1193

Re: Credit score hurt because I don't borrow enough

JupiterJones wrote:I was about to say the same thing. If you "don't borrow money any more", who cares what your credit score is?

Insurance scores.


Brian
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 11:08 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Credit score hurt because I don't borrow enough
Replies: 23
Views: 1532

Re: Fidelity has the best customer service I know of

i am moving my brokerage taxable account (basically only vanguard ETFs) to Fidelity from a small-time low-commission online tradehouse that is raising their commissions. as many of us know, there is a one-time ACAT transfer fee when you transfer OUT of one house's account (no fee from the receiving...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 10:49 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity has the best customer service I know of
Replies: 57
Views: 2950

Re: Tesla S

In some cases the car is slightly faster than a bike in actual drive time. "Some cases"? "Slightly faster"? You have to work hard to find a case where an electric bike isn't much slower than a car. Yeah, gridlock city traffic. But not any real commuting. Bikes can't even go on t...
by Default User BR
Fri May 17, 2013 1:50 am
 
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tesla S
Replies: 57
Views: 5636

Re: Moving from Bond Fund to Stable Value Fund in 401K

My only comment is that it seems a common misconception that stable value funds are an adequate or equal replacement for bond funds. Like they are fungible. However, don't let the adjectives lull you into thinking a stock fund of that nature is somehow less volatile or equally volatile as a bond fu...
by Default User BR
Thu May 16, 2013 4:39 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Moving from Bond Fund to Stable Value Fund in 401K
Replies: 9
Views: 627

Re: Is there anything to be gained by talking to advisor?

Actually, Fidelity offers bonuses to new deposits of existing customers. You should at least ask him about your bonus money and when it will appear in your account. :) You usually have to get the account coded for the bonus. They can probably do it after the fact, but I'd contact regular customer s...
by Default User BR
Thu May 16, 2013 3:18 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Is there anything to be gained by talking to advisor?
Replies: 24
Views: 1612

Re: rebalancing

Wellesley is managed, so there's no hard and fast rule as to when or if they will rebalance. It will be whenever and to what extent the managers decided.


Brian
by Default User BR
Thu May 16, 2013 2:11 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: rebalancing
Replies: 6
Views: 289

Re: Fund Offer

Does anyone know about SSgA Russell All Cap Index Fund? It is being offered by my new carrier which is Merrill Lynch. I can't find it listed anywhere. All I have is that it is a Russell 3000 Index mirror. I would like to pair it with the SSgA US Bond Collective Investment Fund which is SSINX. It wo...
by Default User BR
Thu May 16, 2013 2:01 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Fund Offer
Replies: 2
Views: 258

Re: Fidelity has the best customer service I know of

How many people here have IRAs and/or taxable accounts with Fidelity? I have an IRA with Vanguard and will soon be starting a taxable account. I was wondering if it makes sense to open the taxable account with Fidelity? I opened a taxable account at Fidelity in December for the transfer bonus. I ha...
by Default User BR
Thu May 16, 2013 11:15 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity has the best customer service I know of
Replies: 57
Views: 2950

Re: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable acco

The percentages you show should be of the total. We need to get a feel for how the Roths stack up against the 401(k). That determines fund selection and placement.


Brian
by Default User BR
Thu May 16, 2013 1:31 am
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable account
Replies: 16
Views: 783

Re: taxable acct: tilt anyway?

For those who are tilting, how do you maintain your allocation? Or do you just let the allocation float to wherever it goes? Tax-loss harvesting can only get you so far. New money goes a long ways towards keeping things on track. I have a spreadsheet that aggregates all the fund information, comput...
by Default User BR
Wed May 15, 2013 1:32 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: taxable acct: tilt anyway?
Replies: 25
Views: 1655

Re: 3-funds portfolio - but not the time for Bonds?

What I meant to say is that bonds would lose value if the interest rates rise. (They have to rise - they cannot go much lower.) This is a common, but incorrect, sentiment. This is a false dilemma, in that you present only the two choices, "yields go up" and "yields go down". The...
by Default User BR
Wed May 15, 2013 1:13 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 3-funds portfolio - but not the time for Bonds?
Replies: 12
Views: 1456

Re: pay down 1.99% mortgage?

inbox788 wrote:I tried to take out a 1.99% Penfed HEL last year, but things dragged out and fell through.

How did it fall through? Things were slow last year, but most I heard about eventually finished. Mine took about five months, but some of that was my fault.


Brian
by Default User BR
Wed May 15, 2013 11:05 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: pay down 1.99% mortgage?
Replies: 30
Views: 1799

Re: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable acco

That canned portfolio is not a good one. There are few good funds, you concentrate on those.

You haven't said how much is in the Roths. Does your wife have a company plan?


Brian
by Default User BR
Wed May 15, 2013 1:36 am
 
Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
Topic: Help with 401K in Mass Mutual & opening new taxable account
Replies: 16
Views: 783

Re: Hussman: Now is one of the worst times in history to inv

InvestorNewb wrote:I'm just going to do the opposite of what the forecasters are predicting.

Given that it's easy to find forecasters with contradictory positions, that could get challenging. Here's a radical thought, don't anything based on what they say.


Brian
by Default User BR
Tue May 14, 2013 4:06 pm
 
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Hussman: Now is one of the worst times in history to invest
Replies: 51
Views: 6363

Re: pay down 1.99% mortgage?

By the way, if anyone is thinking of taking one out, it should be noted that the 1.99% rate is history these days. The best you can do from PenFed is 2.49%. Looks like the <2% rates on PenFed's used auto loans is gone, too, unless you have a 2012 or 2013 vehicle. So they have. Good to know, as I wi...
by Default User BR
Tue May 14, 2013 1:03 pm
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: pay down 1.99% mortgage?
Replies: 30
Views: 1799

Re: pay down 1.99% mortgage?

By the way, if anyone is thinking of taking one out, it should be noted that the 1.99% rate is history these days. The best you can do from PenFed is 2.49%.


Brian
by Default User BR
Tue May 14, 2013 10:23 am
 
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: pay down 1.99% mortgage?
Replies: 30
Views: 1799
Next

Return to advanced search