Bogleheads.org

Just to give a quick update, I bought my tickets yesterday for $280 r/t, pre-tax ($302, I think, with tax). A couple of things I thought might be helpful to mention (which are already noted in another thread I responded to). I ended up buying based on a price I found when I searched for flights on t...

kayak.com also shows trends and recommendations. That might help a little. Yeah, good point. I was using kayak.com for my recent purchase. I guess I was hoping for more detailed trend analysis, i.e., for specific flights on a given day, as opposed to all the flights for a given day which is my sens...

Victoria - I'm a strong believer that the process of purchasing airline tickets is currently broken and is a field ripe for disruption in the coming years. In the meantime we have a lack of visibility and are left hoping we got the best deal at the time of purchase. One thing that may help is to de...

Its 18 to 24 months from when you last *applied* for an AA card. Other banks are different. Also, there are links on flyertalk that will guide you to a 50K sign on bonus. Really? You mean if I applied for an AA card, say, 5/2010, cancelled it last month, today would be over 18-24 months later, so t...

I recently cancelled a couple of AAdvantage credit cards (different banks). I didn't want to pay the annual fee, plus I just felt like earning points in other reward programs. But in researching flights for an upcoming trip I was on AA's site (as a guest) and when I priced a particular flight, I go...

I recently cancelled a couple of AAdvantage credit cards (different banks). I didn't want to pay the annual fee, plus I just felt like earning points in other reward programs. But in researching flights for an upcoming trip I was on AA's site (as a guest) and when I priced a particular flight, I got...

The local paper that I read now requires pay access after reading a small number of articles, along with the NY Times as others mentioned. I'm cheap, so I just use the "In Private Browsing" feature on Internet Explorer to get around this. Interesting idea. Are there any drawbacks to doing...

I pay for the FT and the NYT. But then I paid for them when they were paper too. I used to pay for the WSJ but canceled when Murdoch bought it and announced he was taking it down market. The FT is head and shoulders above it anyway. Like comparing the Economist to Time or Newsweek. I also like the ...

jebmke wrote:

eucalyptus wrote:With 6 million people or so living in the area, Miami isn't just a seasonal destination for tourists ....

Right, it is also a major connection point to Caribbean and South America.

Right. Both fair points!

First of all, there is a forum where you will learn more than you could possibly ever want to know about buying pianos: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ +1. Fwiw, I took piano lessons as a kid, played eh, and restarted after as an adult after a multi-decades hiatus. I took a leap of faith and got m...

Calm Man wrote:I live in NJ. When I fly anywhere, the car service costs for me round trip is about $300. Think about it - NYC to Florida for $300 round trip. It seems like so little !!!

I always try to take public transport to the airport. Much more green that way.

Do not, under any circumstances fly Spirit, yuck. Also, $300 is reasonable. Stop being cheap and book off now. The longer you wait the more likely prices will rise, although since it is all the way in August I guess you can play the waiting game and try to save an extra 25 here or there. I know, I ...

You can get the train from FLL to Miami - it's not that far. Great info, thank you! I only saw some outrageous fare to taxi between the two airports. I found the train schedule (which looked reasonable, in terms of frequency and travel time), but I couldn't figure out how to calculate the fare. Do ...

We need to fly this routing for a wedding. I am kind of surprised that the current round-trip fares seem to be about $300. I mean, is Miami really that popular in August! Anyway, we have little flexibility on the travel dates, given that we will want to be there for the wedding day (Saturday) and pr...

I left my job to teach in China for about seven months. In all, I took off about a year, if you include the travel before and after my teaching position. (I'm not a teacher by profession so it didn't really count as "working".) I feel it was a very worthwhile and enlightening experience. N...

Update: I e-mailed my audio guy this morning to let him know to expect an REI e-gift card soon, as a small token of my appreciation. He was very nice but said a gift was totally unnecessary. I'm sure REI will come through on the card, but just to avoid any chance that he may think I didn't proceed w...

Take a look at REI Darn it...just remembered I purchased something from Amazon this week and didn't remember to use the Bogleheads' link.... :oops: Using the Bogleheads' link for Amazon only applies when purchasing Boglehead-related books, right? Using the link for all of one's Amazon purchases doe...

I'm strongly leaning towards getting him an REI gift card. I'm an REI fan, and they seem to offer a large selection of cycling gear. The other route I'm considering would be if I could feel him out on a bike shop he likes. Frankly, I'm not sure he really has much time now to bike, so he may not have...

Take a look at REI Darn it...just remembered I purchased something from Amazon this week and didn't remember to use the Bogleheads' link.... :oops: Using the Bogleheads' link for Amazon only applies when purchasing Boglehead-related books, right? Using the link for all of one's Amazon purchases doe...

Most people today do not wear watches. They use their cellphones to tell them the time. I have two watches that I never wear. The batteries died. I replaced the batteries and didn't wear the watches. They died again. Watches are obsolete. I bought a nice watch over 20 years ago. Like OP I really, r...

Thank you all for some great ideas! I like REI and will have a look at their site to check on the more cycling-specific options. Will also look at the other sites mentioned. Still open to any other recommendations others may have.

I would like to buy a gift card for my audio technician. In terms of hobbies (apart from perhaps audio stuff), I only know that he likes to cycle. But I'm not even sure how much time he has for this pursuit, though he seems to imply that he's fit enough and would enjoy joining a group cycling tour f...

I renovated and paid cash. I don't think I would have felt comfortable financing the work. That said, I was combining two apartment units. I already owned the first (no mortgage outstanding) but took out a mortgage for the second unit. I guess I borrowed a bit more, just because rates were so low an...

A friend I was speaking with recently kind of made a blanket statement that you always want the index-ETF as opposed to the index-fund in a taxable account. Not sure what the exact explanation was, but now it seems the case that his statement isn't even accurate, is that right? Frankly, I find Vang...

For a blanket generalization, yes it's on track. But you should never blindly follow gross generalizations. Thankfully, this thread shows you will not! :) Thanks -- so if I want to just continue to buy the same VANGUARD index mutual fund in my taxable account I can do so without suffering adverse t...

Name the fund and the ETF. If this is a Vanguard index fund with an ETF share class, then there is absolute no difference in tax-efficiency. If this is a Schwab index fund and you are comparing to a Vanguard ETF, then I believe the Vanguard ETF will be more tax efficient. I currently own Vanguard i...

I own some broad-based index funds in my taxable account. Is it true that I would be better off owning the same broad-based index via an ETF instead? Are ETFs more tax-efficient than index funds?

multivoiced wrote:Am I correct in understanding that the only credit cards which earn Delta are American Express, and they all have annual fees?

No, I believe there is a no-fee Amex option. I had one for years but recently canceled it. I never paid an annual fee.

I haven't read all the replies to your OP, but I went with a very reasonably-priced indemnity health insurance plan from Blue Cross / Blue Shield when my COBRA coverage ran out. Since I'm in good health I was comfortable holding more of a "disaster insurance" plan. My monthly premium is o...

How much is medical insurance for someone over 50 without major medical conditions per month? I haven't read all the replies to your OP, but I went with a very reasonably-priced indemnity health insurance plan from Blue Cross / Blue Shield when my COBRA coverage ran out. Since I'm in good health I ...

Just wanted to circle back and thank everyone for all their feedback. I ended up getting two gift certificates from two different restaurants. I know the person reasonably well. With that background and a little legwork I was able to come up with a short-list of restaurant ideas. I bounced the ideas...

I guess another consideration could be your longer-term career plans as well as personal ones. I've heard that it can be hard to return to the States once you're based overseas. What I mean is that if you decide you want to come "home" at some point then either you need to get your company...

1) Tax: in NY, the top fed rate is 39.6%. Add state and city tax rates and it could easily go north of 45%. Was told the top rate in London in April is 45%, but not sure what types of things it includes. Also in the states we have to pay SS, Medicare, etc. 3) weather: I like mild weather in CA. In ...

[quote="stemikger] I know people who pay such high property taxes that having no mortgage does not eliminate that big monthly nut. Having said that I would never live in a house with high property taxes.[/quote] What is the justification for paying high property taxes? I'm interested in what t...

I take the opposite view. I like not being in debt. ... I know people who pay such high property taxes that having no mortgage does not eliminate that big monthly nut. Having said that I would never live in a house with high property taxes. What is the justification for paying high property taxes? ...

ryuns wrote:-I've finally come across products I really like for grout cleaning, but it doesn't mean I like doing it.

Agreed, grout cleaning is a necessary evil. Do tell, please -- what your special weapon for cleaning grout????

We installed a dimmer, and actually really like it (dim light in the morning shower is soooo much nicer), but may seem kind of cheap/cheesy. I don't think dimmers are cheap or cheesy. In fact, we put them all over in our house...one of the kitchen lights, bath, and our master bedroom. They're great...

My Homeowners is up for renewal in February. I went to the GEICO website and filled out the prelims. I'm in Michigan and GEICO uses Liberty Mutual for coverage here. I got transferred to LM and finished the form. After I adjusted the coverage to match what I currently have, the premium jumped over ...

Be aware of teasers quotes. I had a friend who had State Farm insurance. He was blown away be liberty mutual quote. One year later they jacked up his premium so high that he is back with State Farm. Good point. I hadn't even considered that! I'm not looking to switch back-and-forth, given how time-...

My agent informed me that I would save if I bundle auto with homeowner's insurance. Perhaps you will want to look into that. Also, when I contacted both Liberty Mutual and Geico they were both very high. Presentely I am with ACIC. Their premiums are much lower and I pay 11 monthly premiums via ETF....

dratkinson wrote:List of mutual insurance companies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_insurance

Thanks. So are mutual insurance companies arguably more desirable insurance providers, given the shareholders-ownership component, similar to one of the arguments for investing via Vanguard?

What do you guys think? Does anyone have experience leaving the US? Dealing with expat taxes? Or even better, moving to Switzerland from the US? Thanks in advance for your input! Switzerland is a small country. It's very easy to get around, which arguably makes for a pleasant place to live. The pop...

There is a big difference between going to a place as a tourist or living there. Your experience of living there will be much better if you speak the language of the region where you want to live - you will easily get by speaking english (most people speak some english) but you will not be able to ...

Check out Liberty Mutual. I had a local insurance company that I felt was a little too high. My wife did the leg work and called Geico, Allstate, etc and found significant savings at Liberty. We have two houses and two cars. I have better coverage for the houses, same coverage for the cars (just li...

GEICO,no need to call. ( I am not affiliated with GEICO) :happy http://www.geico.com/getaquote/homeowners/ Thanks. I spoke with GEICO. For the amount of dwelling coverage I need they can only offer a Chubb policy. Apparently, they use Chubb for anything over $150,000, either in personal belongings ...

Anyone know of dressy pants for short/petite women? I'm 4'10 and really struggle with finding dressy pants that fit me properly even in the petite section. I don't mind spending a bit for good quality but I just haven't been able to find anything in my size and style that I like. Have you tried Ban...

The great thing about Amazon Prime that many people don't know about is the "owner" of the Prime account can grant Prime shipping status to up to 4 "family members and coworkers" for no charge. This grants those 4 people the ability to get free 2 day shipping on all purchases wi...

I just got my Chubb renewal notice and I just feel the premium is high. I already spoke with my broker last fall, to explore other options. Basically, the only other option she had for me was Travelers. I no longer recall the exact details but I think Travelers wasn't much cheaper, and there were dr...

Sticking with this "morbid" perspective, do you feel adequately covered in the event one of you required long-term care and / or incurred significant medical costs not covered by your medical insurance? In that case I would think it's conceivable that your current expenses (less travel) m...

Most of the advice here is saying that you can afford it, but do you really want to. I think that's probably true, but I think it's at least worth revisiting the can you afford it thing for a minute. You're showing your income exceeding your expenses. But I just wanted to check on whether that inco...