Bogleheads.org

Thanks for the post, Taylor. I always appreciate learning from your years of wisdom. Thank you.

Curly, Sounds like you put in a reasonable effort to make things work. I have always had a problem with the concept of a vow that can be broken. Maybe the vow should be removed from the ceremony, so that it is clear to everyone involved the marriage is really a legal contract subject to various ter...

I applied for the Fidelity Amex today. I got a "thank you" that also said "...an instant decision cannot be provided at this time. You will receive a written response within the next 30 days with further information." Having heard that it's good to call with a follow-up if you're...

Is it 2% per transaction or per swipe of the card? (i.e. do I get 2% back for my monthly Netflix subscription which is recurring)

[/quote] So he doen't get the best possible rate for free but he reduces by 2-2.5% for free. Its a good deal for him. Refi the vacation home for sure. The enemy of a good plan is the perfect plan.[/quote] Thanks Snowboarder. What do you mean "for free"? Is the bank still in support of the ...

Thanks frugal and calm man, The vacation home could probably sell for $100k+ more than what he owes. We use it quite often in the summer (cabin) but yes it's costly to keep and maintain. He's been debating selling this for several years. Perhaps compared to the average member of this site he doesn't...

He uses an adviser because, fairly, all of his investments are a bit complicated since they're in many funds. This sounds like a viscous circle. Guessing an adviser got him into many funds, now he stays because he's in many funds. Thanks Runner. But what can I really do besides encourage him to rea...

I would look at refinancing before considering payoff. A no-cost refi will make it irrelevant whether he keeps the property or not. Brian Thanks Brian. Sounds like it's a no cash refinance essentially? If you have a good resource link, please send. I googled "no cost refi" and saw article...

Hey BHs! My Dad is not a Boglehead. He uses an adviser because, fairly, all of his investments are a bit complicated since they're in many funds. Nonetheless, that debate is on hold as I try to show him the value of a forum and the value of asking questions through his mortgage conundrum: He's marri...

Ask him to sign a piece of paper saying that this fund will outperform the S&P 500 in the future and that if is doesn't he will be financially liable. If he won't sign it, ask him why not.

For reference, both our Roths are at Vanguard and my 401(k) is with Fidelity so lots of flexibility in those accounts. Her 401(k) choices have a Total Bond Fund with ER of 0.98, a few Int'l Stock funds with ER of 1.25 - 1.50, and the Target Retirement funds with ER of 1.2 - 1.3. The lowest ER (besi...

It's not a bond fund, it's a balanced fund. Fairly high ER, but many 401Ks have similar. The cash is probably for in-and-out. RCITX, while having a higher ER, seems a tad more age-appropriate (and aggressive). I would note it also has a fairly large cash stash, maybe larger. Any way to get 80/20 an...

My wife's 401(k) options are pretty bad. The least bad option is the American Bond Fund (RLBCX) with an ER of 0.95%. Here is the breakdown of holdings: -- 64.4% U.S. Equities -- 20.7% U.S. Bonds -- 7.8% Non-U.S. Equities -- 2.6% Non-U.S. Bonds -- 4.5% Cash & Equivalents Why would I want Cash &am...

Honestly, it's only been two years and cannot fully remember...around $2,000 in 2011. I knew what design she was interested in and picked it out myself. She loved it. :D You'll get lots of advice up until wedding day - here's mine: Plan for the marriage, the wedding will be great regardless of how m...

Think and Grow Rich-Napoleon Hill: Taught me to identify a "definite major purpose" and visit it daily as a reminder on where to stear the ship. How to Win Friends and Influence People: Very good foundation for interacting with others. The Bible: A source of strength daily. The Intelligen...

We base our giving on gross. We do not give more than 10% but someday would like to. I don't think 10% is the min or max.

This is apples and oranges. Term life and a Roth IRA have nothing to do with one another. Do you need life insurance? I do not have life insurance at the moment. I was thinking of putting the money saved from life insurance into the roth ira. My wife doesn't have it either, but her income is so low...

Spry, You sound interested in learning: I strongly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Bogleheads-Guide-Investing-Taylor-Larimore/dp/0470067365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367377153&sr=8-1&keywords=bogleheads+guide+to+investing I read it about 3 years ago in college and am very gratef...

Hello and welcome to the forum!

We use the Galaxy S2 and are very happy with the bigger screen. You can probably get for free with 2-year contract. We use Sprint. That said, however, I miss having a physical keyboard. I have never owned an iPhone and am not interested.

Bump...

Hello and welcome to the forum!

In short term funds you have 160K + 150K + 240K = 510K. Why not buy the house for 250K in cash? Good luck.

Savvy

Went there for a day a few years ago (at age 20) and enjoyed it. If it's still there, check out Cafe Retro for breakfast or lunch.

Just bought a used 2010 Honda Civic in March. Determine what make/model/trim/year you want. Of course, this may be done through reading online reviews and test driving. The hunt for a car will then become much simpler when you actually start discussing prices with dealers. Don't let them make you fe...

Just wanted to post by saying that you are spending ~$27+ per day on groceries! Plus, if you eat out sometimes, that sometimes doesn't include dinner! If you add up the costs of each item in a day that you ate (estimates) I cannot imagine how it comes to $27. Granted, there are a few toiletry items ...

I have the Fidelity 2% Amex and don't have anything other than a "Fidelity Cash Management Account" with a $0 balance. I accumulate 5,000 points transfer it as $50 to the "Fidelity Cash Management Account" and then transfer it out to my Regions account. A better card is the Pric...

Why not just open the Cash Management account and then ACH the rewards funds somewhere else instead of investing with Fidelity? You could ACH the money to your house down payment account at Ally. That's what I plan to do when I open the card sometime this year. Thank you for the response - I hadn't...

Hey Bogleheads! My wife and I decided that a good "everyday" credit card would be the Fidelity Amex CC: https://www.fidelity.com/cash-management/american-express-cards Sounds like the steps to take are: 1. Deposit $2500 into a Fidelity brokerage account 2. Apply for Fidelity Amex CC (credi...

1. Manage expectations (are they too high?)
2. Offer grace (when expectations aren't met)

It's definitely not always easy...but SO worth it!:)

If someone gave you $100,000 cash, would you use it all to buy his company's stock?

That is effectively what you have done. That's not what I would do with $100,000 or $200,000. Scary.

livesoft wrote:Too many emotions happening here. Walk away and then buy a house when you can keep your emotions out of it.

Agree with this.

I just think you're not as confident as you wish you were. If that makes sense.

How long have you been searching for a home?

Im looking for some general advice. I have a BS and an MBA in Business and cant seem to find a job so I'm working as a part time waiter where I pull some good money in the meantime. Besides saving and planning to do a 401k whenever I get a job is there anything I can focus on now. SpaceSashimi: If ...

Opening a new credit card now should have zero effect on a home purchase that is years away. I bet it will even help by lowering your credit utilization percentage. Interesting...in that case I will compare this AAA card to priceline's as well as cards with competitive sign-up bonuses and apply to ...

My wife and I live in a 450 square foot apartment and pay a total of ~$625 a month (including utilities). We love it. Easier to manage and clean and prevents us from buying more stuff since we don't have room!

Thanks for the advice, tfb.

Do you think we should be applying for another credit card? How much damage can it really do to a credit score?

Savvy

Should we apply for this AAA Credit Card? It seems like this would become our primary card. No. Much better cards elsewhere. 1x on everything else is just run of the mill. Get it up to at least 2x. Thanks, tfb. Are you referring to cards that offer 2% cash back on all purchases, such as the Priceli...

My wife and I recently got a Credit Card offer in the mail. It's from AAA: - No annual fee - $100 Gas card after opening and qualifying purchases - 3X points on AAA expenses and "qualified" travel - 2X points on gas, groceries, and drug stores - 1X points on everything else Cons to applyin...

Are you on track for early retirement? Yes.

Will you retire early? Maybe.

Drbaseball mom&dad, Full disclosure - My total investments are mid-5 digits and I am 23 . I am not as smart as Rick Ferri - check out this article: http://www.portfoliosolutions.com/index-fund-portfolios-reign-superior/ Or, check out the studies done by vanguard: https://personal.vanguard.com/p...

Drbaseball mom&dad, Full disclosure - My total investments are mid-5 digits and I am 23. I am not as smart as Rick Ferri - check out this article: http://www.portfoliosolutions.com/index-fund-portfolios-reign-superior/ Or, check out the studies done by vanguard: https://personal.vanguard.com/pdf...

FWIW, we bought a Certified Used 2010 Honda Civic DX-VP with 21,000 miles for drive-off-the-lot price of $14,600.

We are very happy with the purchase and are very appreciative of your advice!

Take care,
Savvy

My piece of advice to add: Recognize that some dealers simply are not as helpful via email. Of the five dealers I emailed, two strongly preferred regular phone calls rather than back and forth emails. The dealer that I felt was least helpful and responsive via email was actually the dealer I ended u...

It's helpful to discuss a plan of action for tackling debt once you're married, but I recommend not helping one another financially (re: Roth IRA, debt) until married. My two cents.

In general, there are a couple of fantastic hikes in Rincon de la Vieja. Specifically, catarata la congreja. Google it. Bring some food, have lunch and swim at this private water fall! It's SO beautiful. Edit: cheap, incredible cabins near the tamarindo beach: lasavellanasvillas.com, walking distanc...

What do you expect your monthly payment to be? What do you expect to come in from renters?

Swampy: Did you keep the same asset allocation % in equities when the market bounced back after the 2001 and 2008 crashes? How did that go? It seems like you are concerned to put cash in equities now that the stock market has picked up. Yet, I would guess you were concerned to put cash in equities w...

Holycow,

How come your savings for a house down payment are "on track" but you also state that you have no debt except for a mortgage?

Savvy

Are you able to survive on just one car, rather than two?

A couple of thoughts... 1) I-bonds 2) Invest heavily in tax-advantaged accounts and wait until the probability and/or timing of future events becomes more clear. Once it becomes clearer, spend a year or two investing less in tax-advantaged accounts (but still at least get 401K employer match) and ad...

My upbringing made me aware of living within your means. I have always been frugal. Part of it was family, part of it was self-taught. I was going through college from 2007-2011, so I learned that a job/income must not be taken for granted. Money earned should be appreciated and saved, since the eco...

I will "join the chorus" of congratulations. You have been liberating yourselves and can look ahead to future possibilities instead of backwards toward past problems. You are getting some good advice and perspective already, as concerns things to do with the spare money you have. But in y...

I would simply recommend quality time with her parents.