Search found 34 matches
- Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Buying a house without a realtor
- Replies: 55
- Views: 7664
Re: Buying a house without a realtor
Unless you are an experienced real estate person, use a hard working experienced realtor to help you Hard working? My last two houses I found on my own by driving around in neighborhoods I liked. All they did was open the door and let me walk around. At closing, once I signed the contract and they got their check the realtor stood up and walked out. I am sure some realtors work hard for people that have no idea what they can afford, how to finance, or where they want to live but I suspect that for many Bogleheads the realtor does very little other than split the commission check. Ditto your remarks, including finding your own houses. Many of the realtors I worked with weren't showing me what I was asking for and I had to do the foot work o...
- Sat Oct 07, 2017 7:54 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Tradittional vs Roth?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 940
Tradittional vs Roth?
I need some advice. I feel like I have a pretty substantial nest egg. It hit me that I will need to start paying taxes on withdrawal of 401/IRAs when the time comes. I am 60 and currently in the 28% bracket and still working but looking forward to semi-retirement soon. My tax bracket would probably not change much for the next 3 or 4 years. I think I could easily wait until 70 for SS with the amount in my retirement funds. Should I be putting everything after my employer match into a Roth? I can easily absorb the tax hit now. I don't understand the IRA to Roth conversion rules.
- Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:45 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: First job, first everything
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2179
Re: First job, first everything
DON'T STOP CONTRIBUTING AT 6%. This is a newbie's #1 mistake. Contribute as much as you can afford at least up to the max amount allowed before taxes, if you can. The only exception to that rule is if you need to save for known expenses, i.e., saving for a home purchase. If you find your personal budget comes up short, you can always lower your contribution at any time. Once you have a reasonable or considerable amount, for smaller financed purchases, you can consider taking out a loan from your 401k. A lot of people advise against this. I would also, unless you feel as if your job is very secure and you are certain you can pay back the loan. In this case you are paying yourself back, while hopefully, the balance of your 401k is accruing in...
- Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:31 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Who do you listen to? (Podcast, etc)
- Replies: 48
- Views: 13191
Re: Who do you listen to? (Podcast, etc)
Unfortunately, many of the financial podcasts, i.e., Marketplace seem to be dated if you wait a day or two before you listen. It's amusing when you listen to some commentary based on the day's events, only to see how wrong it is a few days later.
For entertainment, try Fresh Air with Terri Gross. This is one of the most diverse, and best interview shows ever. Subjects which ordinarily I would have no interest in are made to be very entertaining.
For entertainment, try Fresh Air with Terri Gross. This is one of the most diverse, and best interview shows ever. Subjects which ordinarily I would have no interest in are made to be very entertaining.
- Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Florida in the summer [thinking about moving there]
- Replies: 132
- Views: 18858
Re: Florida in the summer
Adding to fear mongering: don't forget the gators, coral snakes and hurricanes. Palm trees, and rum runners help mask the fear.Toons wrote:four7s wrote:It hasn't been mentioned so I will. Bugs and mosquitos. The heat and humidity creates a perfect environment for them. An elderly Floridian once told me to learn to "get used to them and love'em cause they were here first and they ain't leavin'."
Don't forget Fire Ants
- Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Florida in the summer [thinking about moving there]
- Replies: 132
- Views: 18858
Re: Florida in the summer
There have been times during the summer when the NJ weather was oppressively hot but milder while I was in Florida. You didn't say where you lived in NY but if you are from the city, take a relatively hot day, and make it a common occurrence nearly everyday throughout the summer. It is pretty persistent except for the daily thunder shower that usually occurs. It might cool the temperature a few degrees or make it more humid. That's okay, I like it that way. If you like to live in short pants, this is the place to be. You can't do that in the dry climates. When the sun goes down, you will need long pants and a jacket.
- Mon Dec 29, 2014 5:59 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Appalachian Trail thru-hike in retirement?
- Replies: 78
- Views: 13964
Re: Appalachian Trail thru-hike in retirement?
My $.02 is worth even less than that. Appalachian Trail hiking is more for the personal challenge rather than taking in vista views. I have done many segments, climbing, climbing, climbing, and expecting a great view at the top only to find the vegetation so dense, only a peek of the valley could be seen. The AT can be very very mentally stressful when this happens. Of course, there are some great views but not like the Pacific Crest Trail where every step is to be savored. I recall reading about Earl Shaffer who was the first to walk the trail from end to end. He completed his third thru hike of the trail in 1998 at the age of 79 and commented (paraphrasing) "to do this hike is just insanity".
- Sun Dec 14, 2014 7:41 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Best travel rewards card for my unique situation
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2742
Re: Best travel rewards card for my unique situation
I try to use my Discover card whenever I purchase. 1% cash back to use on anything you want. It's not accepted at every location but I would say close to 90% acceptance in the US. It is also growing in Europe piggybackng on the Diners Club network. Since I use it for almost all purchases, it's nice to get a few hundred dollars back in my pocket every year.
- Mon Oct 27, 2014 7:02 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Lightweight Electric Blanket.
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2191
Re: Lightweight Electric Blanket.
[off-topic comment (and followup) removed by admin alex. Medical discussions are off topic on this site.]
- Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:58 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Florida Retirement Communities advice/thoughts
- Replies: 33
- Views: 8094
Re: Florida Retirement Communities advice/thoughts
I have a condo in North Naples which was planned to be my retirement home (renting it out at the moment). I've been to Punta Gorda and it looks very appealing to me.pgi wrote:Punta Gorda Fl.
.
.
Don't tell everyone,though, its Florida's best kept secret
- Fri Oct 24, 2014 8:49 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Phone for Europe trip
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2859
Re: Phone for Europe trip
If you only need to call home, rather than locally, use Skype on the smart phone you already own. Of course, you need to be sure you will have dependable wifi along your travels. I managed to get by for 4 weeks and when I needed to contact someone locally in Europe, email was sufficient.
- Wed Oct 08, 2014 5:50 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Sump Pump Running Every 8 Minutes?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 82217
Re: Sump Pump Running Every 8 Minutes?
Much depends on the water level and the porousness of the soil. My house is on a sand base and after some excessive rains, you can actually see water percolating up through the ground in my crawl space. My sump ran every 6 minutes for almost 3 months one year. Underground streams flow in my soil and find a normal level at some point. Normally, the water pumped out is deposited outside my house which just returns underground and back into the crawl. In abnormal times, I have bought a collapsible hose that I can unroll out to the storm drain which is about 200 feet away.
- Thu Oct 02, 2014 6:03 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: fidelity v.s. vanguard
- Replies: 18
- Views: 2700
Re: fidelity v.s. vanguard
I have 80% of my portfolio with Vanguard and 20% with Fidelity. Most of each were built up through 401k rollovers. Since one of my 401k was with Fidelity to begin with, I thought it easier to stay there but I was turned off by the front loaded fees and I never contributed more to Fidelity. I have to say, though, over time, my Fidelity funds have outperformed my Vanguard funds.
- Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:29 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Does anyone know of a college FASFA expert?
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1583
Re: Does anyone know of a college FASFA expert?
After going through this process with two children, it is my opinion that there is very little benefit in filling out the FASFA accurately unless you are at or near the poverty level. Of course I wouldn't grossly underestimate your income or assets in order to meet some threshold for aid. Most colleges and universities offer aid packages and it is your requirement to fill out this form, but unless, as I've said, there is some asset/income threshold, it usually doesn't make any difference if you only provide estimates on your form. True to government forms, it is unnecessarily agonizing to complete but knowing what I've said, don't sweat it.
- Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:00 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Eldertreks to Costa Rica
- Replies: 1
- Views: 472
Eldertreks to Costa Rica
I am looking at one of Eldertreks' tours to Costa Rica. I am not accustomed to tours. I normally make my own arrangements and I get impatient waiting for others to get their act together so we can get moving. This should be a small group so I hope there will be less of that. Does anyone have experience with this tour operator and tips for traveling to Costa Rica? We probably will have very little time on our own to wander, likely only in San Jose, just before and after the tour itinerary. Thanks for the input.
- Tue Sep 16, 2014 8:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Australia and New Zealand
- Replies: 47
- Views: 7505
Re: Australia and New Zealand
I beg to differ. Yes, the further south you are the further you need to go to get to the reef. I took a small charter out of Cairns and went snorkeling just a few miles from town. The sea life was spectacular. Large turtles, schools of rainbow fish and giant clams cohabitate in shallow water < 30 ft on the top edge of underwater canyons.MtnTraveler wrote:One thing I would note is doing a day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef is (in my opinion) a waste of time. Those ships can only go so far from land so most of what you will see will be damaged and not amazing.
- Tue Sep 16, 2014 8:34 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Australia and New Zealand
- Replies: 47
- Views: 7505
Re: Australia and New Zealand
My advice would be to pick one country or the other. If you are an outdoors person, I tell people that they shouldn't go to New Zealand unless they can take five weeks. We did it in three and it felt rushed. We didn't get to spend near the amount of time we wanted to in any location. We went as backpackers with plans to do three three day hikes. We ended up only doing about 1.5 of the hikes and still felt rushed. There is so much to see and do in that country. Some good points here. Other things to note, climate is quite the opposite in each place (sans Tasmania). Hot and dry vs cool and wet. Distances are far and beyond in Australia, closer in New Zealand but travel is slow because of the terrain. If you are bound to see both countries pi...
- Mon Sep 15, 2014 7:10 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: FIOS [versus cable]
- Replies: 47
- Views: 6324
Re: FIOS [versus cable]
[OT comments removed by admin LadyGeek]
- Mon Sep 08, 2014 7:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Favorite airbnb/vrbo properties?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1382
Re: Favorite airbnb/vrbo properties?
I had mixed experiences: Toronto: I rented a very nice apartment in a converted warehouse on a trolley line straight to downtown. The owner was in India and had no local contact in case of a problem. Indeed something came up and I was a little stressed due to not knowing what to do. In the end, I wound up helping him out but that is part of the community. Now that AirBnB has gone IPO, I would be wary of that community disappearing. Florence, Itay: Had a fantastic flat near the Domo. Unfortunately, there were 70 steps to climb to get to it without an elevator. No problem for me, (my wife, not so happy) but if you forget something like a camera, you really have to question whether you want to go back up for it. More unhappily, someone seemed ...
- Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:25 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell from House?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3505
Re: Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell from House?
Gets rid of the smell but not all the tiny particles trapped in the carpet and air ducts.
Yes, beware, my air ducts are compressed fiberglasss (ductboard). All particles running through the air ducts may be captured by the fibers and may be released years later if/when the fiberglass breaks down
- Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:01 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Suggestions for 10 days on Hawaiian Islands
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2754
Re: Suggestions for 10 days on Hawaiian Islands
I may be skewered for this post but I was surprised to see the amount of racial animosity of the islanders towards the mainland visitors on Oahu. Everyone was very friendly on Maui and the Big Island and I felt no tensions there. It is possible that the largest city is on Oahu and city influences exist throughout there and to be sure there were plenty of transplanted mainlanders that I was suspicious of. Some of the Islanders warned me to be sure to secure my valuables and others who had warned me, if my vehicle broke down and I had to leave it, not to expect it to see it in one piece. After driving around the island, I could not count the many burned out vehicles on the side of the road. I must add that I never felt unsafe, but I was there...
- Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:22 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Road Trip, New England to Cailfornia
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1962
Re: Road Trip, New England to Cailfornia
I drove through Saguaro National Park at dawn and it was very inspiring.
- Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:19 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Any Tips on wintering in the Bahamas ?
- Replies: 29
- Views: 5157
Re: Any Tips on wintering in the Bahamas ?
I have only been to the Bahamas once, about 20+ years ago in Nassau. Beaches and resorts were beautiful, infrastructure reminded me as to something that was built in 1960's with no expense spared, but hasn't been upgraded since. We are not the type to strictly stay at the resort and beach, we like to wander. We found a Botanical Gardens that didn't seem visited or tended to in years but the overgrown look was very enjoyable. I have traveled a bit and what surprised me most that in the obviously middle class neighborhoods that I had been through, the houses had bars on the windows.
- Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:03 am
- Forum: US Chapters
- Topic: Master Thread for Philadelphia PA Area Bogleheads Chapter
- Replies: 213
- Views: 115352
Re: Master Thread for Philadelphia PA Area Bogleheads Chapte
What's up with this thread? The title has no relevance to the posts. At some point I would like to attend a meeting, but some of us still work for a living (1 pm ??) and somewhere closer to Center City would be more accommodating.
- Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:57 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Arches-Bryce-Zion road trip: Where to stay?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2195
Re: Arches-Bryce-Zion road trip: Where to stay?
Bring a tent, it's the only way to really enjoy these places. That said, I was a little perturbed with Zion's facilities. No showers, there was a motel or restaurant outside the park that provided outside shower stalls for a fee. The campsites cost more than a night at a small casino hotel/motel right at the Nevada border. What's wrong with that picture?
- Tue Aug 26, 2014 6:48 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Moving to Eastern PA - need advice
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3829
Re: Moving to Eastern PA - need advice
I live in Atlantic County NJ. I wouldn't call it a growth area but it is a pleasant place to live, traffic is light in most areas, and although NJ is notorious for high property taxes, it is relatively low in this area. It is less than an hour to PHL if you avoid rush hour and if you only plan to fly to Florida, cheap airfare from ACY which is only minutes away. A four bedroom house on a few acres can be had in the $300Ks.
- Tue Jul 08, 2014 1:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Windows 7 free support will be ending in 2015
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3296
Re: Windows 7 free support will be ending in 2015
No problem. There are plenty of wrong answers provided by Microsoft in their own support forums. Google what you need to know. Take it from an engineer with 30 years experience.
- Mon May 19, 2014 8:35 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Jersey shore recommendations?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1894
Re: Jersey shore recommendations?
I'm an offshore local. Golf at several places in Galloway (Seaview, National, Blue Heron) and 15 minutes to the AC Boardwalk or Brigantine Beach. Free parking most everywhere in Brigantine, one block from the beach if you come early. Worst I've ever walked was 3 blocks on a holiday weekend. Beware, greenheads are brutal late July/early August on the north end, not a problem any other time. AC Boardwalk is fun, no trolls please. Show me a city without problems. Gardiner's Basin, neat aquarium, good food and drinks near the water. If you look, free parking in AC, right at the boardwalk, 2 blocks from Revel. Very active and safe during the day, safe at night also but not well lighted so some may not be comfortable.
- Mon May 19, 2014 8:18 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Hotel suggestions Washington,DC
- Replies: 32
- Views: 3788
Re: Hotel suggestions Washington,DC
I'm a Marriott fan so I always stay in Rosslyn, 3 blocks from the Metro for Key Bridge Marriott, Courtyard and Residence Inn. If I am paying, I avoid KB Marriott, only because it annoys me to pay for internet access. In the past, not much to do at night in Rosslyn but it is improving. It is just a short and scenic walk to Georgetown. In the past, parking was free on the weekends at the Courtyard. I also like to stay at Residence Inn at Dupont Circle but the nightly rate varies to over $150 between different nights, so I guess it depends on occupancy.
- Mon May 19, 2014 8:09 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Travel insurance mysteriously appear on the credit card bill
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1067
Re: Travel insurance mysteriously appear on the credit card
Spirit Air is good for this tactic. One time they charged me travel insurance after unclicking the option and when I tried to call both the airline and the insurance company, I could not reach a live person to speak with. I called my credit card company and they interpreted it as an unauthorized purchase, changed my account number and revoked payment to both the insurance company and airline. Spirit never came back to me to ask for payment. Thus, I got to travel for free.
- Wed Apr 02, 2014 6:34 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Windows XP to Linux Question with existing HW
- Replies: 61
- Views: 5996
Re: Windows XP to Linux Question with existing HW
If you are really intent on keeping this machine, and experimentation is really for you, consider upgrading your hard drive and memory. I run 8 computers at home, mostly old and un-useful in the windows world, but fully functional for my needs. There are a few XP & windows2000 running under a KVM VM (virtualized environment) because some of the apps that I have only run under these environments. They all run some version of Fedora linux. I have a file server that has not been rebooted in 6 months and is still chugging along.
- Fri Feb 28, 2014 5:58 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Advice needed on problem neighbors
- Replies: 30
- Views: 4301
Advice needed on problem neighbors
I have some neighbors who live quite close but we are both off the main road, mostly unseen by anyone driving down the road. I am told the house is in foreclosure with the owner abandoning it to his two teenage adult children. They have had a history of problems with frequent police activity prior to the owner moving out and obvious drug dealing going on. Now there is a lot of activity with parties and people coming and going constantly. There is nothing disruptive yet, but when the weather gets warmer I fear it will become a problem. Calling the police is always an option but unless they can catch them in the act of something illegal or disruptive, nothing will be done and then you open yourself up to retribution. Anyone have any advice on...
- Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: John Bogle on International Investing
- Replies: 73
- Views: 23817
Re:
I've got about 20% of my equities invested in International funds and am reluctant to go higher. Two of the 3 primary reasons have already been mentioned (currency risk and higher costs). However, the biggest reason is proven governmental stability in the U.S. In the last ~30 years, the U.S. governmental system has suffered presidential asassination, impeachment, and a very close election that was settled by a recount in Florida. We've fought unpopular wars that resulted in a change of ruling party. Despite all this, the basic rules of law haven't changed, the economy has continued to tick along, and all power changes followed the rules of law. The same cannot be said for the dominant emerging markets. The rumblings in North Korea are pret...
- Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:31 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Real Estate Agent in Naples/Bonita Beach Florida
- Replies: 6
- Views: 800
Re: Real Estate Agent in Naples/Bonita Beach Florida
I tried using multiple agents and after you identify type of housing, location, and price range they will all show you the same units (BTW, I have a condo in this area). The last four properties I bought, were found on my own because none of the realtors were showing me what I was looking for. The procedure was all the same, first property was laughable, the next few got better, then the last was the best they had to offer. Prepare to spend some time in the area, explore the different neighborhoods, and don't be afraid to seek out opinions of the neighbors about what they like and don't like. Also, if you are buying into a property with a homeowners association, be sure to look at their books to make sure they are financially sound and what...