Search found 51 matches

by RyanC
Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2016 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST
Replies: 667
Views: 60439

Re: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2016 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST

2145.3 for a modest 5% gain. Here's hoping I'm too low!
by RyanC
Thu Jan 01, 2015 10:12 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2014 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST WINNER
Replies: 23
Views: 3822

Re: 2014 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST WINNER

14th! Whoo Hoo!

Who wants to sign up for my newsletter? Just send me a PM.

Congrats FinancialDave!
by RyanC
Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pull-ups and Push-ups
Replies: 678
Views: 182792

Re: Pull-ups and Push-ups

In summary I'm a total convert to bodyweight exercises. "You are your own gym" is another excellent resource on the topic. Here's another vote for "You are your own gym" I've been using this book and app on my Ipod for about 2 years, it's remarkable that I've been able to keep at it, normally I'm very lazy when it comes to exercising. I've worked my way up to one armed pushups with my had on the foot board of the bed. Its about mid-thigh height, someday I'll get to the floor with that exercise. I've also enjoyed working up to one-legged squats. I now have muscle definition where I didn't know they existed! Generally I spend about 30 minutes, 4-5 times per week exercising in my spare bedroom. The app has become my favori...
by RyanC
Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: engagement ring purchase
Replies: 30
Views: 4535

Re: engagement ring purchase

My wife has a sapphire and palladium ring, very unique, and didn't break the bank.
by RyanC
Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:57 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2013 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST REGISTRATION
Replies: 481
Views: 37810

Re: 2013 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST REGISTRATION

1567.23

Thanks Taylor!
by RyanC
Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to get email to use gmail and not outlook?
Replies: 35
Views: 3817

Re: How to get email to use gmail and not outlook?

Don't know if this will help, but I have Firefox set up to do what the OP is asking to do.

In Firefox, go to Options, Options, Applications, then scroll down to get to "mailto" and use the dropdown window to select Gmail.

When I tried the links Jeri posted a Gmail tab opened on my browser.
by RyanC
Fri Dec 14, 2012 6:53 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Expense Ratios
Replies: 62
Views: 7285

Re: Expense Ratios

Ours is 0.08%; more as a result of luck than skill, though. My wife has access to institutional plus shares in her 401k and I have Spartan advantage class in my 403b. We have the three fund portfolio.
by RyanC
Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1566762

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

I just discovered John Jake's historical fiction series about his fictional Kent family. As a big fan of historical fiction, I'm surprised I'm just learning about the author and his books (I know they've been around a while). This series spans from before the American Revolution to about 1890. I'm at 1845 right now, and have really enjoyed them.
by RyanC
Tue May 29, 2012 2:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Skylights?
Replies: 28
Views: 5175

Re: Skylights?

We just had one installed in our great room when the roof was replaced. I was told by the roofer that it would cost twice as much if I did the work after the new roof was installed. (meaning if we decided to wait a few years) Ours is Velux, the roofer said it was the best on the market and wouldn't leak. Haven't had any problems yet.
by RyanC
Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: At home exercise book
Replies: 7
Views: 1483

Re: At home exercise book

I've really been impressed with "You Are Your Own Gym": http://tinyurl.com/6owe3vc

I've even been able to get my father using it, which was really surprising to me.

Good luck
by RyanC
Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help with a simple exercise/workout routine
Replies: 33
Views: 6105

Re: Help with a simple exercise/workout routine

Regarding simple bodyweight exercises, I've been using this book since the beginning of the year (2012):

http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own- ... 266&sr=8-1

(use that link to buy it and you'll support our favorite website, too)

Its been worth every penny, and I've really been impressed with the simple workouts for only 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a week. I highly recommend it. I just finished the 1st 10 week program and can already see a difference. I actually found the book after reading another thread on exercising back in December on Bogleheads.

It sounds like the OP, from her recent update, is performing several of the exercises mentioned in the book.
by RyanC
Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Does anyone use a wireless internet radio?
Replies: 17
Views: 2621

Re: Does anyone use a wireless internet radio?

I have been using my iPod touch as an internet radio with either Pandora or Tune In app. I've docked it on a set of Logitech ipod speakers, so the volume is more than loud enough. I occasionally have "outages," but I think the problem is with the iPod settings and have been working on fixing it.
by RyanC
Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1566762

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

Currently I'm reading Herman Wouk's "War and Rememberance." It is book 2 of his 2 part historical fiction work on WWII. The first is "Winds of War."

As I really enjoy historical fiction, and WWII history, I am really enjoying this book. Highly recommended. It is similar to works by James Michener, but encompassing a much smaller time frame.
by RyanC
Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:26 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Doing my own taxes.
Replies: 32
Views: 3624

Re: Doing my own taxes.

It's not prorated for time; it is prorated for the fraction of your income that was earned in NY. As a part-year resident, you should have computed the tax on your total income, then paid a fraction of that tax which is equal to the fraction of your income you earned while a resident (or from NY sources while a nonresident). However, if your wife earned more than you did, that could still have resulted in a tax increase; for example, if you earned $100K in one year, and you earned $100K and your wife earned $150K the next year but you earned $50K in NY, then your NY tax would be 20% of the tax owed by a married couple earning $250K, and that is more than 50% of the tax owed by a single person earning $100K. Conversely, if you earned more t...
by RyanC
Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Doing my own taxes.
Replies: 32
Views: 3624

Re: Doing my own taxes.

^ Not to derail the OP, but if I remember right, I had NY income that was exactly half of my NY income from the previous year, yet I didn't pay exactly half of the NY state tax of the previous year. I paid more because I had to put in our total income from the year as we were MFJ, so while it was pro-rated for the time I spent in NY, it was pro-rated on a much larger amount of money than I would have had alone. I think I just got caught in some bureaucratic black hole as a part time resident and newly married individual. I talked to someone at the NY tax office, read their publications, and tried a "tax professional" at H&R block, in addition to using two tax software programs. I might have asked about my situation on this for...
by RyanC
Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Doing my own taxes.
Replies: 32
Views: 3624

Re: Doing my own taxes.

A few years ago I moved out of NY to a new state in the middle of the year, and got married in October of the same year. NY was able to tax all my money that I made the entire year, even though the majority of it was made after I no longer was a resident. Since I got married that year, not in NY, and my wife never lived in NY the entire year, NY got to tax her income that year too. It was only about $300 or so extra, but I was still mad about it.

So I second the thought that while your federal return might be pretty straightforward, your state return will not. I would at least use some software to prepare that return.
by RyanC
Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/2010)
Replies: 1507
Views: 403105

Re: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/201

I just listened to "Pacific Glory" by P. T. Deutermann. It is an historical fiction account about WWII in the Pacific. Really a great book, got me thinking/re-reading about several battles in that theater.
by RyanC
Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: happy with AA except 1 thing
Replies: 8
Views: 907

Re: happy with AA except 1 thing

I too have learned a lot from this forum, and one thing I've learned is that if it is in your AA (and you said that you've put one together that you are happy with), then just make the change and/or rebalance according to the AA. There is no better time than now. My wife's 401k is invested primarily in total bond market, with the majority of new contributions put towards that fund, too, if that helps.

I'm sure you'll get some more moral support from others!

Great job educating yourself!
by RyanC
Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:47 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: JACK BOGLE'S MESSAGE TO BH: Two Birthdays!
Replies: 56
Views: 10025

Re: JACK BOGLE'S MESSAGE TO BH: Two Birthdays!

Thank you Mr. Bogle! And happy heart birthday to you sir!

I am proud to be a (mostly silent) member of this forum, and am very thankful to have found it when I did. I know it has made a significant difference in my investing for the future. Thanks to all the great contributors here.
by RyanC
Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Engagement Rings
Replies: 93
Views: 9511

Re: Engagement Rings

I bought my wife a custom palladium and sapphire ring for her engagement ring. It cost $1500, and she was at first pretty uncomfortable with me spending that amount of money, especially in graduate school. (My wife was a boglehead before I was and before we knew the term!) To spend much more than that on something that really doesn't do anything nor pay dividends seems excessive, in my opinion.

The sapphire isn't the best quality, but I can only tell when its about 10 inches from my eye, so it really doesn't matter to me.
by RyanC
Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:40 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gettysburg visit
Replies: 24
Views: 3179

My wife and I visited Gettysburg when we were in NY for grad school. It was worth the drive. We recommend hiring a local, authorized guide who will travel with you in your car and have you stop at a number of places. She was able to answer all our questions, had a lot of great info, and it was one of the best $50 we ever spent. I can't remember who it was, but our B&B set it up. I'm sure you can find a list of guide services in a visitors brochure or on the visitors website.
by RyanC
Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Finger Lakes, NY - Things to see and do - Recommendations
Replies: 22
Views: 3128

I second Dolomite's comments.

If you get to Ithaca, be sure to check out Buttermilk Falls just south of town.

As others have said, Taughannock Falls, along with the entire gorge at Watkins Glen, are two of the coolest things I've seen.

There is a nice little gorge hike at Fillmore Glen State park, north of Ithaca near Moravia.

My (now) wife and I stayed at a lovely B&B in Canadaigua several times, but I think they are closed now.
Just about anywhere you look in the Finger Lakes you'll see some beautiful country. I'm sure you won't go wrong no matter what you decide to do!
by RyanC
Mon May 02, 2011 7:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How do you organize your pockets?
Replies: 106
Views: 14605

Right front: money clip
right rear belt loop: keys attached by a small carabiner, then tucked into the top of the right rear pocket

I hate the feeling of bulky keys (or anything really) sitting in my pockets. And I was also told by a doctor to keep the fat (I wish) wallet out of my back pockets. My phone occasionally makes its way to the left front pocket, but most of the time I leave it in the car or on my desk.
by RyanC
Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Digital SLR
Replies: 72
Views: 9613

Thanks, I'm willing to put out $1200 or so, but I couldn't justify spending twice that just for the camera body. Of course, that would be just the start, I'd still have to buy the glass and all the other paraphenalia. It would probably set me back $7-8,000 or more by the time I was done, which is a lot of money to take photos of my family and (rare) vacations. gatorman Exactly, I'll probably never switch to full frame for that reason. Too much cash to spend on just the body, before you even get to the expensive lenses that are designed to work well with it. I just bought the 10-22 mm so I could take wide angle photos with the crop body. Its an awesome lens, but pretty pricey. Time will tell if it ends up being my most used lens. I'll secon...
by RyanC
Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Digital SLR
Replies: 72
Views: 9613

Ryan-When I bought my first SLR many years ago, an Olympus OM-1, which was a great camera, the salesman told me that a 50mm lens would produce a photo with no magnification, i.e., the same as the human eye sees. So, given the 1.6 factor, should I now be looking at a 35mm lens to get that same "no magnification" effect? gatorman Hi Gatorman, I'm sure others will have something to say about this, but I can tell you that when I use my 50 mm lens on my Rebel XSi (with 1.6x crop) it is just about what my naked eye sees. So the lens will give you the same field of view, its just as though you "cropped" the original image to be about 1/1.6 of the original size, directly from the center of the original, full frame image. In ord...
by RyanC
Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Board Game?
Replies: 66
Views: 8757

I have to put in another vote for Settlers of Catan. My roommates and I would play that for hours on a Saturday afternoon in college. There are so many different variations, now, its hard to get bored with it.
by RyanC
Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Digital SLR
Replies: 72
Views: 9613

Hi Gatorman, if your old Canon lenses are EF lenses, they should work with the 60D. Keep in mind that is a small sensor dSLR, so your lenses will work as though they are 1.6 times as long. ie a 100 mm lens will act (on the new dSLR) like a 160mm on an older 35mm film SLR. I have the 18-135, it is a nice lens, I like having the longer reach vs the normal 18-55 kit lens. The image stabilization is nice, too. I think you'll find that you can get clear shots at much slower shutter speeds than you could with the film SLR. If you know anyone who owns a canon dSLR, I'd highly recommend trying it out. Any camera store will also let you play with the demo model. Once you try a lens with image stabilization, you just might conclude that all your old ...
by RyanC
Tue Mar 22, 2011 2:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Poll: are you male or female?
Replies: 119
Views: 14039

staythecourse wrote:I'm thinking about a poll to determine how many of our spouses/ significant others make fun of us for spending time on a website discussing finance.

My wife is sick of me talking about guys like Ben Graham, Jack Bogle, and Harry Browne. Anyone else?
Absolutely right, my wife would say the same thing!
by RyanC
Thu Mar 03, 2011 5:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My non-owners auto and umbrella insurance experience
Replies: 12
Views: 12698

Re: My non-owners auto and umbrella insurance experience

[/quote] I understand umbrella insurance, but I don't understand non-owner's auto insurance. Wouldn't any car you drive, normally be covered by the owner's policy? Perhaps someone could elaborate on such coverage.[/quote]

If I borrow my friends car and get in an accident, I'd much rather be able to use my insurance coverage. I would feel pretty bad if I was responsible for his auto insurance premium increasing because of something I did.
by RyanC
Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:33 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What was your first fund that you brought
Replies: 92
Views: 10268

The first fund my parents bought (or, more correctly, were sold) for me was probably Templeton Growth or some other Templeton fund. Then when I was in grad school their adviser had me move that account into the Franklin Founders Fund, and when I asked about the 5.75% load and 1.21% ER, I was told that because it was a "fund of funds" it cost a bit more. Needless to say, I've since done my homework. Thanks to all the forum members who are so willing to help others.
by RyanC
Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:27 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED 30 NEW ACCOUNTS WITH 0 POSTS
Replies: 19
Views: 5281

Thanks for all you do for the forum, Alex.


-Ryan
by RyanC
Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Admiral shares
Replies: 7
Views: 1776

nisiprius wrote: More realistically, I'd be saving $0.55 a month by that maneuver, until Vanguard caught up with me. I can make more than that just by being more organized and careful with my grocery coupons.
Well Said! I think we all need to remember that while Admiral Shares with a 0.07% ER are very nice, there is not exactly a ton of difference when compared to the 0.18% ER of VTSMX. Perhaps if you have a million in the account, then it's about $1000/yr, which I don't think anyone will turn down, but if one has a million in the account, there is probably little chance of a "Mandatory Conversion to Another Share Class."
by RyanC
Sat Jan 08, 2011 8:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gas Grill - Natural Gas vs Liquid Propane
Replies: 46
Views: 17477

LynnC wrote:Weber Genesis 320 NG is SWEET. I would prefer the Weber with the charcoal, but usually end up with everything tasting like lighter fluid. :D

LynnC
Try an electric charcoal starter. You can get them at Lowes or any hardware store for about $10. It takes about 30 minutes to get the coals ready, but no need for any lighter fluid. It works great in my Weber!
by RyanC
Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2011 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST REGISTRATION
Replies: 374
Views: 44264

1335.6
by RyanC
Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Essentials of Hiking
Replies: 96
Views: 11198

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but I'd make sure she has all non-cotton clothes. Nylon zip-off pants are awesome, hopefully you can find them on sale, but whatever the price, they are well worth it.

Also, polyester shirts, short and long sleeve for layering. Cotton is no fun when you get wet or sweaty.

I've found that even in the summer, if I wear a thin liner sock under my thicker synthetic or wool socks, my feet are much more comfortable in my boots.
by RyanC
Tue Oct 26, 2010 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Noise in my attic
Replies: 307
Views: 95678

We just evicted some squirrels from our attic. Looking at the insulation, it was very obvious there were squirrels there, and one time when I was crawling around, we saw one come up from the wall. That was pretty exciting. If you don't see them in the attic space, could they be in the vertical walls below that space? Sometimes the squirrels would get to the middle of our house and rustle around in the wall, it was really noisy.

Also, have you checked the exterior for any possible entrances for animals? We had a chewed plastic roof vent, and a small crack under the eaves where the top roof met a lower roof. Once I got both openings sealed, the noises stopped.

Good luck!
by RyanC
Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:50 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Taylor
Replies: 138
Views: 25082

Taylor, my best wishes in your fight. I've really enjoyed reading your many concise, informative and knowledgeable replies. I hope to see many more in the future!
by RyanC
Wed Sep 15, 2010 6:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Engineering Degree - MIT vs UW Madison
Replies: 280
Views: 49578

I'm glad to hear she chose the instate option. That's where I went for my BS, and then went to graduate school in chemistry at an Ivy league school, where all tuition was covered and I also received a stipend. That's the only way to do it, in my book. I didn't feel lost at the very large UW, but I certainly could have been, easily. Please encourage your daughter to explore the campus, take advantage of any opportunity or group that seems remotely interesting to her. At a school as large as UW, there is something for everyone. She will be getting a great education and will be well prepared for graduate school anywhere. I even wanted to do my graduate studies at UW, but was pretty much shown the door by my adviser. Not because UW was not a go...
by RyanC
Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: BCS Picks
Replies: 836
Views: 109617

I'll put my vote in for UW, lots of returning seniors on both sides of the ball. Although I'd just be happy with a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Boise State is fun to watch, would be great if they were in the national championship, but I think that would be hard to pull off, even with an undefeated season.
by RyanC
Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: getting married in december. tax and Roth question.
Replies: 10
Views: 1918

Married filling separately may result in a lot more taxes paid by the higher earner. I explored that option for '09, and it would have resulted in at least $2000 more paid by my wife.

Also, during that year I had worked in NY state, moved to IN and gotten married in October. turns out NY gets to tax my new wife's income, too, even though she never worked in NY that year.
by RyanC
Mon Aug 02, 2010 2:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Age At First Home Purchase?
Replies: 66
Views: 10328

28, one year after grad school and getting married
by RyanC
Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kilowatts in the Summer [Electricity Usage]
Replies: 113
Views: 16404

Our house is 2600 sq ft, and we keep the vents closed in two of the rooms. For June 16-July 16, we used 886 kwh, for a total cost of $93. The A/C was set at 76 F almost constantly during that period. We have two people and a dog in our household, and the entire house is electric. The heat pump is only a year old.
by RyanC
Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you bring lunch to work or buy?
Replies: 122
Views: 17730

I bring lunch about 90% of the time, the other 10%, I walk to the cafeteria with some colleagues. Gets me out of the office and talking to my colleagues, which is always a good thing for me. I rarely buy lunch/dinner when I'm just by myself.
by RyanC
Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:15 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: College decisions: privates with a big tab, worth it?
Replies: 77
Views: 10051

My wife and I both went to state schools, her to Cal State and myself at Wisconsin. She turned down a UC school due to cost and more scholarship opportunities at the Cal State school. Perhaps your son can look more into independent or private scholarships. My wife paid for her entire college/living expenses with scholarship money. Attending university is what you make of it. Can you get lost in the shuffle at Berkeley? Certainly, but with a little effort, your son can certainly find his niche. I can't imagine paying 50k for a year of school, that is more than I paid for all 4 years at Wisconsin. We both have good jobs, and both made it through a top 10 graduate program in our chosen fields. I think UC Berkeley with in state tuition is by fa...
by RyanC
Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? PART III (12/11/2009)
Replies: 424
Views: 84612

"The Count of Monte Cristo", my wife's favorite.

On the way to work, I'm currently listening to "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer. (I have a long commute)
by RyanC
Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How many financial institutions do you have accounts at?
Replies: 21
Views: 3889

We have

1 each at fidelity (403b and 401k)
1 each at Vanguard
2 brick and mortar banks
1 each online svaings
3 credit cards

For a grand total of 11. Wow, that seems like a lot, now that I think about it!
by RyanC
Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: New Boglehead seeking portfolio advice
Replies: 3
Views: 1254

Re: One possibility

Hi Laura, thanks for the thoughts. That seems like a very workable portfolio. I have one question about the Inflation protected securities in the rollover IRA. That puts the bond holdings at 28%. Did you recommend this setup because there would be no contributions to the rollover, and thus, with time (and an increase in the equities value) the desired AA would be reached? Or did you have a different reason that I'm missing?

Thanks again!