Bogleheads.org

If one has a HDHP and negotiates and pays instead of submitting the bill to their insurance, doesn't that mean that the expense does NOT apply to their deductible? If one keeps doing that then they essentially don't have health insurance at all because their deductible will never be met and they wi...

Does the insurer negotiate a good rate for customers who have a high deductible ($3000)? Or am I treated as a cash customer and will end up with a large bill? It's all negotiable. You can either take their rate and have it counted against your deductible. Or you can ask to be treated as a cash cust...

While I appreciate emergdoc's rant, he needs to understand that he is far, far better able to evaluate what is and is not an emergency, because he works in an ER! For the average person who is not an ER doc or nurse, a sudden-onset malady or injury causes a great deal of concern. If it's your kid an...

I haven't been to Yosemite, but I've been to Reno and Lake Tahoe. My family spent a week at Tahoe. We did some hiking around the lake, and also went fishing on the lake on a chartered fishing boat. Lake Tahoe is probably the prettiest place I've ever been. The lake's water is crystal clear, and you ...

Overall an excellent description and it covers an aspect not mentioned before, that is, the situations where it is most and least favorable. (This is from the buyers' perspective.) Two additional points, or expansions on the points you already made... ⋅ It does not contribute to the unfav...

I would keep my mouth shut and be thankful. It is the government's system and they are responsible for properly assessing properties via a mass assessment. The county (or state) cannot spot reassess and raise your assessed value. The only way they can reassess is to do universal reassessment, either...

Please answer the question directly. I place a bid early on with a $29 maximum. How do you manage to get that item for less than $29 by "waiting until the last few seconds?" What are you not saying here? Is there some illicit secret technical glitch whereby I can bid $29, you can bid $20 ...

As an aside, as I recall, I needed their account number, but not the routing number. Again, I'm not a banking expert, but I don't see why anyone would need a routing number to deposit cash, in person, at a bank. You don't need the routing number. The routing number is not on a deposit slip. I see n...

Can't they just have their bank accounts auto send you a check every month? Read the second sentence of the original post. Seems to me that would work if the tenants really do deposit the rent. I don't see how they would be able to withdraw any money from your account, which I'm sure is a concern. ...

Trulia.com is another source. It's similar to zillow. Not really any more accurate, I'd say, but offers different data and conclusions. But it will provide a second source. I wouldn't call either zillow or trulia accurate or reliable, but they are interesting to look at. Sometimes. None of the three...

Property taxes vary dramatically from county to county and state to state. And the variances are biggest for vacant land. Add in the fact that you are talking about development land and you are adding even more variability. I've seen land and/or vacant lots across the street from each other that pay...

Didn't read the replies on this, but the first thing that came to mind is that you have free will and can change banks. The second thing that came to mind is that an average monthly balance of 300 smackers is not asking too much. The financial incentive for banks to hold very small accounts for fre...

Anybody insulted at a gift worth $1500 should probably be the recipient of another blender. Indeed. I think it's a great gift... and I am not an investor in gold. It's pretty, it's luxurious, it embodies good wishes for financial prosperity. It is not bulky. It is not the sort of thing that needs t...

Whether a particular account makes money for a bank is irrelevant. I don't worry whether a store is making money on a sale item, only whether or not it is an attractive deal to me. The pertinent advice is to shop around for whatever deal floats your boat. There are banks and savings loans all over t...

A $300 balance is peanuts. I can see the bank's position in this, as a bunch of small accounts with less than $300 in them are a nuisance. I'm curious what kind of account this is and what the OP uses it for. I would inquire whether the account can be tied to other accounts at the same bank to avoid...

If I had "multiple offers" well above a certain price, I would not accept that low price that I thought was unreasonable. Did none of the offers include a sizable down payment where appraised value isn't so important? Was there only one lender and one appraiser in this market? Did anyone p...

It's my opinion based on personal experience that prices got pushed below their "natural" level by changes in the appraisal process. Appraisers were baking in assumptions about a falling market into their valuations, which became a self-fulfilling prophesy. I sold a house a few years ago ...

I would say it isn't worth the hassle unless you can answer yes to two questions: 1. Do you think the house will increase in value significantly over the next three to five years? 2. Are there lots of qualified, honest, respectful potential tenants moving into and out of the area on a regular basis....

Examine the "grass is greener" phenomenon. As someone who works regularly in finance, I've known a lot of accountants, CFAs, CFPs, etc. There is a lot to dislike about accountant-related jobs. The details can be mind-numbing. How do you feel about staring at Excel spreadsheets all day? If...

Case-Shiller index does show Phoenix up about 25% from Jan 2012-Jan 2013, but it's still take about another 80% increase to get back to the 2006 peak :shock: .- Yeah, you can't look solely at the low point in a market like Phoenix's (or Las Vegas or Florida). Home prices plummeted so much in some m...

According to Ruger's website, the LCP (Light Carry Pistol) is NOT available in .22, but the LCR (Light Carry Revolver) is. FWIW, though, I disagree that .22LR is a good choice for either a carry or home defense gun. I am hesitant to get graphic regarding pertinent issues on this forum, but anybody c...

I can't think of much at a jewelry store that doesn't have a large markup between wholesale/resell and retail values if the store doesn't sell gold or silver coins. I think the suggestion to buy gold chains might be the best. At least you have the gold content.

There is no question that reliability and longevity have declined compared to appliances of days gone by. We built a new kitchen and also bought a new washer and dryer in 2005, and within the first several years, we had to make repairs to the dishwasher, fridge and dryer. More recently, I've had to ...

You make a convincing case including the picture, but it looks tiny. I'm definitely checking the xd springfield, s&W Shield, kahr cw9. some reason can't get on with the revolvers, though the Judge would be great for house. Thanks to all for your insights. S That's exactly what mine looks like w...

For a quick-access pistol safe, look at various models made by Gunvault. I've had one for a decade under my bed, holding a 9mm CZ pistol with laser sights. It has four indents for your fingers and you "type" in a code you choose and the front door springs open. I can have my pistol in a se...

This is confusing, so I'm summarizing what I read (correct if anything is wrong): ⋅ The 2012 car with 12K miles with a fair market value of $27K has a $37K outstanding loan (or $10K negative). ⋅ You are considering a $15K used 2008 car with 60K miles and $25K loan (including $10...

But the point is that there's really no reason to be unhappy, unless there are extraordinary circumstances that we don't know. The manufacturer is living up to its obligations. This is more than one year after the warranty expired. Offering to assist in the repair would be exceptional customer serv...

Thanks for the warning. Our case is a little bit different so I'm hoping there will be fewer obstacles. My grandmother's brother willed the bank account to my grandmother, but my grandmother refused to accept it (long story). Since she is now passed, my mother, the only heir, is available to collec...

Large apartment owners typically create the equivalent of an emergency fund that they call a "reserves for replacement" account. They sock away money each year to pay for replacement of long-life components. If considering roofs, HVAC, and parking lots, owners usually save about $200 to $4...

ThatGuy, I'm wondering if you (or anyone else) has acted on the situation of deceased relatives. The form for California just has a place to put in your own name. Not a place to delineate the lines of succession. I found my deceased uncle's name a few years after his death. I notified my aunt, who ...

I've been buying silver coins from a local coin/gold/silver store. When I called around, I found one store that charges a reasonable amount over spot, while several others charge much more. And the OP and others should realize that about half of the states do not charge sales tax when you buy precio...

My local market is in a bit of flux regarding commissions. A new low-commission agency has opened several offices, and has the brokerage community in a tizzy. For years, the standard was 6% commission, split equally between listing and selling brokerages. The new agency charges 4.0%, but splits that...

$100? Dagnabbit, I eat venison, rabbit, duck, pheasant, turkey, bass and trout nearly every day of the year. If'n I was using factory ammo, it might cost me $1.00, but I use hand loads. You won't catch me payin' for worms, either, as I raise 'em in my worm bed. So I'm spending about 10 to 50 cents f...

zed wrote:How does one go about finding a health insurance broker?

In addition to yellow pages, I would check with the local Chamber of Commerce. I met the broker I used through my county's COC.

I can appreciate your apprehension. Figuring out health insurance options and costs is not like car insurance, where you can get a number of competitive quotes in a few hours on the web and making phone calls. You need to fill out EXTREMELY detailed applications that take considerable effort, and th...

It almost funny how the appriased value will equal what you have on the contract... just wait and see... Note the appraiser's financial interests are aligned with neither your interests nor the bank's interests, and the appraiser has almost no liability for a poor appraisal. From my experience, in ...

The local gas company just sent a licensed plumber to my home on my request to give me an estimate on converting from oil to gas. The bill would be more then 10G's, including installing a water heater. This was higher than I was expecting considering that the gas company would run the gas to my hom...

My eyebrows lowered when I read the word "intrinsic" in the OP. There is no intrinsic value in a home. It is worth what buyers are willing to pay. I realize the OP wasn't referring to the cost of building a home, but many people erroneously think cost equals value for a new or relatively n...

I don't know the nature of your neighborhood, but I think you're over-reacting to the news. And I also think you are probably worrying too much about value loss. It's hard enough proving a value loss from other nuisances, let alone a tower that is 200 yards away. Once it's up, it will become part of...

Browser, I have a 4G phone (HTC Inspire), but regularly use it in areas that do not have 4G signals. For the uses you indicate, I don't think 3G will be noticeably worse than 4G. My phone works fine for Pandora, file sharing and navigation, whether in 3G or 4G. Certainly, speeds are faster in 4G, pa...

Boy, that's a toughie. As someone who lives in an area that has a pretty even mix of homes heated with oil, propane, electricity and natural gas, there's little doubt that NG is the most attractive due to heating costs. And likely to remain so due to NG supplies. I would think most buyers would be t...

The executor should be working an experienced estate attorney, who would outline the rights and responsibilities of the executor, and handle any coordination with the probate court. Brian Good advice. This is going to be a pretty complicated estate to settle, with property (and likely other assets,...

As others have mentioned, I would strongly recommend against investing more than a tiny amount of money into the properties in hopes of recovering later. First off, that places the executor in the position of being a property manager, making lots of decisions and holding onto the properties for an e...

As others said, in our state kids don't need to be added to the policy while they still have a learner's permit, but need to be added once they get their license. You need to check with your insurance agent. The "away at college" is a secondary issue. My son is away at college without a ca...

When my father passed I haggled for the price of the coffin, flowers, and everything else. My brother was so embarrassed he walked out of the room. The funeral director actually called his manager. In the end I got the discount. Dad would have been proud. I love this post. It's funny how our cultur...

Why not let it in there for the ten years and then decide? As other said, I imagine you are in an initial period where surrender fees will eat up most of the gains. I would let it go until the ten years are up and then look at the numbers. I'm not that familiar with annuities, but is this one where ...

OP, I've been in your shoes, and there is no right or wrong answer. On the positive side, you can refinance and get a low interest rate that might look like a tremendous bargain in years to come. The house is located near a military base. I owned two houses in the past that I rented to military fami...

I just haggled for an oil change on Friday. Took my car in to have some unrelated work done, and I said it needed an oil change. I asked how much it would be, and was told $40. I said "I've used discount cards and coupons before, do you have any current deals on oil changes?" The writeup g...

I have to say it makes me laugh every time I hear a driver in a Subaru or Nissan with a CVT floor it and their engine just goes up to 5500 RPM and stays there. It's the weirdest thing. I would never buy one, and with conventional 8 speed automatics becoming the norm, I don't see any reason for CVTs...

Not only are they becoming more common, they are becoming ubiquitous. I'm fairly certain the feds have mandated that all cars have them soon.