Search found 14 matches

by Joe H
Mon Oct 09, 2023 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Can't log on [to Vanguard website]
Replies: 242
Views: 21771

Re: Can't log on [to Vanguard website]

No details provided - nearly 2 hours on the line and still no access! Unacceptable.
by Joe H
Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Can't log on [to Vanguard website]
Replies: 242
Views: 21771

Re: Can't log on [to Vanguard website]

I was told accounts some log ins were locked due to "external breach".
by Joe H
Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thoughts on potential job change for Sonographer?
Replies: 16
Views: 5866

RDMS - RVT

Agree with many of the above comments including emerdoc. As an MD who is also an RDMS, I have worked with many sonographers. It is a tough job and attracts independent types who seem to complain more than many other sub-specialty technologists (not an attack but an observation after working with hundreds of techs). They are often pushed to be highly productive and tend to get hand and wrist problems as they must use significant pressure when scanning obese people (who have become very common)There is always burnout especially at hospitals and I have know some who have switched from clinic to hospital three or four times. I would agree that the clinic job is a risk and many are run by entrepreneur types who may not last long in this market. ...
by Joe H
Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Deed: Tenancy by the entireties vs. JTROS
Replies: 16
Views: 6835

Legal Subspecialization

Several years ago in Mississippi I attended an asset protection seminar and the lawyer suggested changing one's home to the tenancy by the entirety designation. Two additional estate lawyers confirmed this and I when I asked my real estate lawyer who one year earlier had titled my house (jointly) told me he was unaware of the advantages of this designation. I told him what I had learned and he changed my title and billed me for the entire conversation (at least half of which was spent educating him on estate law). A month or two later the same real estate lawyer was soliciting many in the community with an offer to change titles for asset protection purposes for a fee. He even offered a dinner seminar to promote the very service which I had...
by Joe H
Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to be a (safe) Wi-Fi user
Replies: 23
Views: 5076

truecyrpt great for partions or files or flash memory

I have used truecyrpt for years usually on flash drives but it also can be used to protect the system partition. Tom's Hardware tested it in this fashion and there is a small performance hit but it is quite usable and it is free. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/tru ... 25-11.html[/url]

Joe H
by Joe H
Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to be a (safe) Wi-Fi user
Replies: 23
Views: 5076

wifi security

My understanding is if you are exclusively going to a well run https: site and have no problem with an unpatched browser your communication should be ok assuming you have a good software firewall and no unpatched exploits. BUT when you are on a public Wifi your computer is connected to a public local network and if there are any communications that are not HTTPS (like most email and most websites) your communication can be monitored and used against you as your in conjunction with local info gained from your presence at the local network. Also if have any holes in your software firewall then access can be gained to your computer and programs like keyloggers can be placed on your pc and your passwords stolen (https becomes useless at this po...
by Joe H
Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to be a (safe) Wi-Fi user
Replies: 23
Views: 5076

vpn for the masses

I use http://www.witopia.net/ on my travel laptop. You basically purchase an annual vpn account which protects you from the local network and gets you to the internet. Once you have an account they send you a customized program which connects the vpn notify you of your new ip address. This can also be used from work to bypass local dns restrictions. Another way is to set one up at home with open software and your router but it is much more complex.

Joe H.
by Joe H
Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Larry - Subprime Risk -question regarding insured munis
Replies: 5
Views: 2135

As feared ACA downgraded to junk

ACA was downgraded today to junk and will likely not survive. Some munis are now naked and will become unrated or revert to their native rating likely causing sales and decreasing prices. If the other larger "monolines" are downgraded then could be very bad for muni market. Vanguard's funds loaded with insured issues but they also evaluate underlying risk before adding issues - how this will play out in the short term is uncertain.

Native AAAs will likely see price bump and yield drop.

Joe H.
by Joe H
Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:30 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Larry - Subprime Risk -question regarding insured munis
Replies: 5
Views: 2135

Here is the S&P link

Good read for anyone invested in insured munis:

http://www.aca.com/pdf/news/March%2028, ... posure.pdf

Some are very concerned about the risks these companies are taking.

Joe H.
by Joe H
Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:28 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Emergdoc and other physician/healthcare diehards
Replies: 5
Views: 2530

Be very very careful

I have always steered clear as a personal investor as these deals are often quite complex. I have friends who have invested in hospitals and none have done well over the intermediate term. The big success stories that I have heard have to do with an ASCs (with strong physician backing) or imaging centers (which I would no longer consider due to DRA cuts that began this year). Overall hospitals are more profitable than group physician practices; however, are complex to run and can lose money- management is key and often hard for physicians to objectively access. They have high fixed costs and are quite dependent on volume and labor ratios. Remember geographic diversification is important - owning an expensive house, and working and investing...
by Joe H
Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:08 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Larry - Subprime Risk -question regarding insured munis
Replies: 5
Views: 2135

thanks

Larry - thanks for the quick reply.
by Joe H
Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:41 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Anyone in the New Orleans area?
Replies: 39
Views: 16649

New Orleans Region

I am in the greater New Orleans region.
by Joe H
Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:37 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Larry - Subprime Risk -question regarding insured munis
Replies: 5
Views: 2135

Larry - Subprime Risk -question regarding insured munis

Larry in your book " The only guide to a winning bond strategy you'll ever need " you discuss the municipal bond insurance industry on page 178. " All municipal bond insurers are monoline insurance companies-they can only insure municipal bonds and are thus not exposed to risks to which property and casualty insurers are exposed. They are also highly regulated by state insurance departments." You do not discuss the exposure of these insurance companies to structure finance risks and sub-prime MBS risks. It is hard to avoid insured munis these days even if one restricts purchases to GO bond and I am sure many Bogleheads have insured bonds in their muni portfolios (often through funds). These companies such as ACA and AMBA...
by Joe H
Tue May 29, 2007 3:54 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Calling all Docs! Physician Chapter/Interest Group
Replies: 169
Views: 91171

Count me in

Interested - infrequent poster been around diehards for years.

Live in Gulf South - Physician mid career.

Thanks EmergDoc for your many contributions.

Joe H