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Use term calc at yahoo, excellent tool I used when determining needs. This calculator is great. All the fields are on one page and the clearly explained. I'm sold on the 30 year argument. My initial hesitation was being slightly overinsured early on, but we strongly desire to have three kids. I've ...

Great points, Grt2bOutdoors. Thanks again for your thoughts.

Thanks for the input. I would not count on the employer provided life insurance unless you know that if you switch jobs you'll be able to keep it (plus I'd be surprised if it's cheaper than what you can get on your own individually rated policy if you are young and healthy). I've thought about this ...

My wife and I are expecting out first child this summer. We're getting ready to purchase term policies, and I'd like to gather opinions from the good folks here. We're in our late 20's, and in good health. We plan to have 3 kids. My wife will be taking a long break from her job to be a stay at home ...

I heard it's better to have gas stove-top, electric oven. Electric heating can be more even, and because it doesn't rely on combustion, provides a drier heat. That said, if you don't bake very much, or are satisfied with the results from your gas oven, you might not notice an advantage. Also, you m...

I got a Slim Clip as a gift a few years ago and I really like it. It holds cards on one side and cash on the other. I tried the paperclip for a while, but I always seemed to be fiddling with separating cash from credit cards.

Thanks again for all the information! Bogleheads really are a wonderful resource. Assuming all my application stuff goes well, I will start some pre-reg's this summer,with A&P 1 and 2 coming first. After that, I will assess what classes to take next. Am leaning towards the BSN program here loca...

I have a stationary 220V unit because I run wrenches and grinders as well as nail guns. How big of a unit do you have? Do you have a separate portable unit? I've considered getting a large unit to run impact guns for the cars, and maybe just running longer hoses to reach the rest of the house on th...

It really depends on the intended use. If really going to use it just for trim nailers, an oilless pancake compressor should serve you well. They often come in kits with a finish nailer, brad nailer, compressor, and hose. I used one of these to complete a significant amount of finish work in my hous...

I appreciate all the thoughtful responses. The main thing about career change is to try to get experience in the target area... I agree that this is very important. I'm fortunate to have a department supportive of exploring other roles within the company, and I hope to take advantage of that. Lwfitz...

Thanks, Rich. I know a few people who have started down the path you describe, but I never really considered it. A consequence of the current state of r&d is that there are several people who have made related career moves already.

I belong to the cohort that the OP described and I've had better luck talking about the process of saving in terms of not-spending than directly saving. In other words, I've noticed that it's much easier to start water-cooler conversations about ways to spend less - bringing lunch from home, cancell...

Thanks, Calm Man. You summarized precisely what I'm thinking and what worries me. What's your take on how far and how fast to run? It's my understanding jobs on the development side (clinical, regulatory) should more stable than research, since in-licensed drugs, medical devices, biologics and gener...

I'm a non-phd bench chemist at a large pharmaceutical company. While there are several other pharmaceutical companies in the area, there isn't much demand for non-phd chemists, and options for advancement within my current department seem limited. I've been out of school for about 5 years and while ...

The website is tricky to decode. Above the car information is the cipher for the important info: "The vehicle shown is not an interference engine unless noted "Interference Engine Application" in the comments column of the Cam Belt application section. " The Cam Belt application ...

Im sorry. I meant to include a link and forgot: http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index.cfm?location_id=3598&go=Interference The timing belt is, in my opinion, the biggest service item on the list. With an interference engine, a timing belt break could destroy the engine. Not so with a non-inter...

Replace · - Air filter element · -Coolant · - Engine oil · -Fluid-A/T · -Fluid-Differential · -Oil filter, engine · -Timing Belt -Thermostat · -Spark plugs - do they have to be platinum? Most of those things are routine maintenance items that you would likely replace sooner than 180k miles, eg. oil...

Have you checked with your credit card company? When we went to France last May, Visa would cover us for damages only if we didn't take any other rental car insurance.

I'd be tempted by one of the semi-autos available with shims to adjust drop, cast, and length of pull. There are several options in a wide range of prices. The higher end models will rival the price of entry-mid level over/unders. You mentioned that you don't expect him to grow much more, but an adj...

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm really interested in the Little Book of Economics. It seems a bit like a light textbook, and I think that's what I'm looking for. It looks like Against the Gods and Unexpected Returns would be good followups after getting a good foundation.

I hope this is the right forum for this. I'm interested in learning about the global economy and how markets work (topics like the underlying economics of financial markets, the role of the Federal Reserve, the role of the Treasury, etc). This is really to satisfy personal interest in the subject an...

You might try John Talbott's restaurant reviews for researching Paris: http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/ We used it when we visited in May and agreed with the favorable review of the restaurant we visited (Christophe in the 5th arrondissement or district was our special dinner of the trip). You ...

I am comfortable rebalancing occasionally. I think if you're comfortable rebalancing going with a split of the large cap index and total bond index would work well and save you a bit in expenses. As stated it definitely doesn't scare me, but I wouldn't want to increase risk without increaing reward...

I'm sure others will offer a more thorough analysis and answer, but here are my thoughts.. 1. If you're a set it and forget it type, staying with a Target Retirement fund is an easy way to go. The typical advice is to pick a TR fund with your desired allocation, not necessarily the fund with the yea...

If you're looking to get outside, try the Red Hook ball fields. You can catch the free Ikea ferry from the lower east side piers to the Ikea in Red Hook, and then its a short walk to the fields. You can watch soccer and dine on excellent Latin American offerings from the well-renowned food trucks. M...

This makes me think of a thread from March that was revisited earlier this month:

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=90658

Things look so good, in part, because the fund started when things looked so bad.

Great tip! I found a similar price discrepancy when I was looking for a ring. The local jeweler didn't have the model I wanted, and a compromise would have cost several hundred dollars. I checked online and found what I wanted for $40. Some places will even send you multiple rings, and ask you to se...

Thanks again, retiredjg. I'm glad my thinking checks out and I appreciate your perspective.

I remember reading in Lonely Planet that there are half day tours available. I suspect that the more popular the tour, the better it is to book ahead. If you're open to renting a car, there is a car rental within walking distance of 'downtown' Bayeux (Bayeux is a small town). The roads of Normandy a...

retiredjg, Thanks for your extensive and thoughtful response...' I think you brought my attention to the less-than-optimal nature of the international in my 401k in an earlier post. At the time, I was considering ways to cut costs and you highlighted the difference in holdings. After further conside...

We visited in May. In addition to the recommendations above, I'd also suggest watching Ken Burns's The War. We stayed in Bayeux and rented a car to visit memorials, and it took one day. You might also visit a German cemetery. It's quite different than the American and British cemeteries, but also qu...

I had this discussion in mind when I thinking of pro rata rules, and the Roth/tIRA distinction (Cloud's posts in particular): http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=66208 I read the 2009 Kaye Thomas Article, and some follow-ups on the Fairmark forum, but I'm still confused. So an ex...

You should check your 401k for after-tax contributions and in-service withdrawal/rollover to Roth IRA/401k options. I looked into it and my 401k does allow in-service rollovers. I talked to the plan administrator and a rep that I can do inservice rollovers and that there is no frequency limit. Afte...

A slight bump for the thread and more questions... How significantly good/bad is paying off the mortgage right away? I thought a 4 year trajectory was fairly aggressive, and that the interest per year wasn't too bad. Paying down would reduce our portfolio 33%, which seems like an awfully large cut. ...

Thanks for your reply bdpb. Sell your taxable accounts to pay off the mortgage. I've considered this and go back and forth. With biweekly payments I pay about $1500/year in interest and we're on track to payoff in 4 years. The taxable holdings are slightly more than the mortgage balance and I'm on t...

We’ve been implementing a Core Four portfolio and things are going smoothly. My wife is starting a new job (public school teacher) with a 403b/Roth 403b option and a 457b. I have my 401k fund selection squared away, and I’m fairly certain about her offerings from TIAA-CREF. My primary concern is whi...

Another vote for REI. They have frequent sales and they stand behind their products should you be dissatisfied with a product or experience premature product failure.

I think you are splitting hairs at this point.

I suspected this was the case. Glad to hear everyone's thoughts. Thanks for the link to the wiki hoppy - that's what I was looking for originally.

I'd like to mix an S&P 500 fund and an R2000 fund to approximate a TSM fund; the first two are the only domestic index funds available in my 401k. Instant x-ray gives the following style boxes: TSM 24 23 24 6 7 7 3 3 3 85/15 SP500/R2000 23 23 23 4 4 4 6 7 7 90/10 26 26 26 5 4 4 3 3 4 It's no sur...

Thanks all. It is such a small difference that it's easier and just as well to leave things as are.

Great point. I overlooked that, which stands in favor of keeping it in taxable. Does that tip the scales?

I'm following a Core Four asset allocation (48/24/8/20 TSM/TISM/REIT/Total Bond) spread over my 401k, my Roth, wife's ROTH, and a taxable account. The current location of assets is as follows, with expense ratios given in parentheses: My 401k TSM (0.02) TISM (0.09) Total Bond (0.06) My Roth TSM (0.0...

Like the OP, I like the principles of Sarah Susanka's designs, but was surprised at the size of her homes. In reading about similar designs I happened upon the 'New Economy Home' designed by Marianne Cusato. It was the concept home at the 2010 Builder show and emphasizes the small, quality build man...

Nukeboilermaker wrote:I have written a letter to my wife that instructs her what to do in simple terms if I were to pass

That's a very good idea.

How does this matter? Maybe I'm misusing or misunderstanding tracking error or overestimating its impact. I thought maintaining a similar asset allocation would be the most beneficial because there wouldn't be losses introduced by reallocating at an inopportune time (if for instance a tilted portfo...

WJO and Tom_T I like the idea of a financial advisor under certain circumstances. We're still young and I'm trying to think the downstream effects of a tilt. The more I read, the more simplicity appears essential. Tilt performance (and I guess any portfolio's performance) hinges on rebalancing, and ...

However, a tilted portfolio has an increased chance of tracking error, and simplification into a target retirement fund could net a large loss. If there would be a "large loss" then your tilt much be HUGE. Maybe just reducing the tilt would work? That makes sense. The tilt has been referr...

Sorry I wasn't clear. Right now I manage our investments and am happy to do so. If I pass away I leave my wife with our investments. The easiest thing for her to do would be to roll everything into a TR fund. An lazy portfolio (un-tilted) would probably align closely with a TR fund and track closely...

I've been reading about small/value tilt trying to decide if it's right for us. As several sources point out, the premium can be small and may not show itself for extended periods of time. While there are several threads on the merits of tilting, I'm curious if anyone has thought about their spouse'...

Thanks.

That's exactly what I was looking for. I didn't want to get into an agree/disagree discussion. I simply wanted to understand the reasoning. Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers.