Search found 217 matches

by dgm
Sat Jul 15, 2023 5:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bogles in 40s and 50s, how should I spend 30s
Replies: 91
Views: 15238

Re: Bogles in 40s and 50s, how should I spend 30s

take care of your health just as much as your financial health. ppl told me this and I didn't listen.

this is essentially akin to save now so you don't regret it and can retire.

much of the stuff on this forum matters very little if you're not healthy. seriously.
by dgm
Fri Jun 25, 2021 10:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Housing price prediction for 2021
Replies: 55
Views: 7165

Re: Housing price prediction for 2021

RoadagentMN wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 10:01 pm Indeterminate until until the no pay and slow pay mortgage holders are liquidated, additionally prime rate will likely move ultimately impacting sale price.

My .02
Does anyone know the latest on when this happens?
by dgm
Thu Mar 25, 2021 8:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tales from this insane real estate market [Home sales]
Replies: 2923
Views: 521086

Re: Tales from this insane real estate market

You have to wonder where all the money is coming from. After all, no matter how you slice it, buying a $1+MM home ain't cheap. You still have to make the monthly payments. It would seem that all that media and political coverage about folks being out of work and struggling is a bit hard to fathom given the escalation in house prices. I don't doubt many are struggling. But clearly many have done quite well regardless of Covid. With no place to spend their money, everyone is going big on housing. All you can do is wait until the supply catches up with demand, then house prices will moderate a bit - or at least not escalate as rapidly. I do not mean to be morbid or impolite, but I do wonder -- with covid hitting seniors particularly hard, whe...
by dgm
Mon Feb 08, 2021 10:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Stationary Bike Program for Weight Loss
Replies: 50
Views: 4423

Re: Stationary Bike Program for Weight Loss

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/28/study-reveals-that-exercise-alone-wont-cause-weight-loss#:~:text=Exercise%20alone%20is%20not%20enough,extra%20calories%2C%20researchers%20have%20found. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/well/move/to-lose-weight-with-exercise-aim-for-300-minutes-a-week.html there are many studies that seem to suggest exercise does not equal weight loss. more recently, that second article seems to indicate people unconsciously eat a tad more to compensate for the exercising and they need to do 300 min/wk in order to overcome that. It is probably different for you, but the overall point probably still holds that you are probably unconsciously eating a tad more and its offsetting your exercising. excerpt: Can exe...
by dgm
Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I paydown 1% interest family loan?
Replies: 39
Views: 2680

Re: Should I paydown 1% interest family loan?

Pay it back as soon as you can. This is not a business transaction. Its a family doing a favor because they care about you.

You should be respectful and do the same. I would consider it poor character if someone I lent money to under similar circumstances were "taking their sweet time to pay it back" because the interest rates were low.

The loan interest rates are super favorable as a favor to you as a family member. You would never get those rates in the private market.

If you want to be nickel and dimey about it, take out a conventional loan from a private company, pay your family back and then be nickel and dimey about that conventional loan.
by dgm
Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:33 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 1.99% Refinance - Closing Costs Questions
Replies: 15
Views: 1325

Re: 1.99% Refinance - Closing Costs Questions

its a good deal. its not an amazing deal. refi is popular right now and i know a few ppl w/ better deals, but many more w/ worse deals.

just double check on bankrate.com zillow.com and nerdwallet.com

the main tradeoff with lender credit is if you plan on refinancing at a later time, the upfront costs may be slightly worse than taking a higher interest loan with fewer upfront costs. but the difference is likely to be minimal.
by dgm
Tue Jan 05, 2021 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mortgage payoff question
Replies: 37
Views: 3384

Re: Mortgage payoff question

1. before you do any of that consider a refinance. interest rates are now 2% or lower depending on your situation and credit score. I'd recommend the 15yr fixed which is the lowest right now. Go to bankrate.com and see what you can get.
1a. If you do that, remember that the loan is "reset" to the length you refinance to. So if you get a 30 yr loan its going to take 30 yrs to pay it off. To stay on the same pace, make sure you pay off a bit of the base each month too. (or take a loan like the 15 yr which would keep the timeline about the same.
2. at 3.5% the hurdle is a bit higher. It is not guaranteed you will outperform it. However, at sub 2% after refinance and with tax deductions...it is starting to look compelling for you.
by dgm
Thu Mar 12, 2020 11:30 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: A guided meditation for when the market is dropping
Replies: 0
Views: 248

A guided meditation for when the market is dropping

I thought some of us could use this today. I don't mean to be snarky or off topic. And before you write this off as irrelevant mumbo jumbo, I'd like tos ay Jim Collins is a very boglehead-ish investment author and the meditation is very on topic for bogleheads.

Some meditation lines:
"If you are listening to this, you have been making regular investments into VTSAX or similar total stock market fund..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOGU94eL07E
by dgm
Thu Nov 28, 2019 3:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Birthday/Christmas presents for new in-law?
Replies: 11
Views: 1320

Re: Birthday/Christmas presents for new in-law?

we do not do gifts but same amount as your child (their other half) would be a nice sentiment i think.

it makes one feel like you are a 'full' member of your new family.

regarding whether the unmarried child gets more or equivalent is up to you i think.
by dgm
Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity mobile: sf bay area
Replies: 8
Views: 880

Re: Xfinity mobile: sf bay area

been using them for a while now.
verizon -> xfinity transfer
good. no complaints. a few more dropped calls but almost the same.
literally saving almost a thousand dollars per yr on my household mobile bill.

do it and you will never look back. you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner though.
by dgm
Mon Oct 21, 2019 6:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advice: Windfall Makes Working Worse Than Not Working
Replies: 70
Views: 11628

Re: Advice: Windfall Makes Working Worse Than Not Working

McGowan wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:47 am My advice would be to not make life decisions based on things that have not happened and/or taxes. For perspective, I've been in the Private Equity business for 35 years and have had experience with many companies and IPOs.

MANY things could effect the valuation, timing or even IF the IPO happens at all. It is a big risk to make life decisions on a possible event with this level of uncertainty.
this +1

pretty sure a bunch of employees took out loans for mortgages based on their IPO stock this yr in the bay area and are regretting it after watching the prices slide....

but imagine being a wework exec...oof...
by dgm
Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:14 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Making money with oversized rooftop solar system?
Replies: 22
Views: 3266

Re: Making money with oversized rooftop solar system?

one thing you are missing potentially is whether those rates you can sell for are guaranteed.

if not, in 2 years its possible they change what the rates are and you make far less than you thought you would
by dgm
Tue Sep 24, 2019 11:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Solar panel advice & experiences
Replies: 64
Views: 4872

Re: Solar panel advice & experiences

Got solar a few years ago and am very happy with it overall. Everyone I know who has gotten it is happy with it. A few points of learning

- get at least 3 quotes, at least one from a local installer (not nationwide chain). local was cheapest for me, and their actual installation work was solid. its a PITA but will save you thousands. negotiate a little to get a bit more off. there is some flex there.
- consider getting a little more generation power than you need. like TVs, almost everyone I know wishes they got a bit more
- do not pay them the last installment until EVERYTHING is buttoned down and working and verified. made that mistake and it took forever to get them to do the last bit (cleanup and some adjustments)
by dgm
Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:12 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Fidelity beating vanguard now? switch to Fidelity?
Replies: 121
Views: 9590

Re: Vanguard is Falling Behind Compared to Fidelity

a number of times in my lifetime, i have switched brokerages, etc for lower costs.
my experience is that they will get their pound of flesh somewhere down the line later -- usually in a different area -- while you are not paying attention. so even though its a 'passive' investing style, its not really passive in that you have to watch out for where they might be making their money.

at the end of the day they are there to make money for its owners, and you are the person they are making money from.

with vanguard I don't worry about that.
by dgm
Sat Aug 03, 2019 12:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help me choose my next Boglecar!
Replies: 52
Views: 4714

Re: Help me choose my next Boglecar!

friend was eyeing the rav-4 but went with the cx-5 due to price and has no regrets. loves the car
by dgm
Sat Aug 03, 2019 12:55 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 401K Rollover Purchases and New China Tariffs
Replies: 4
Views: 577

Re: 401K Rollover Purchases and New China Tariffs

its up to you if you want to time the market but just be sure it is deposited into your new account in a timely manner.
you can have cash sitting around in the new account but you don't want it sitting outside of either account for a while b/c it will be considered as a withdrawal I believe.
by dgm
Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: For those who include international bonds, do you use hedged or unhedged?
Replies: 10
Views: 914

Re: For those who include international bonds, do you use hedged or unhedged?

D-Dog wrote: Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:00 am Would unhedged international bond funds provide more diversification than hedged? They seem to be less correlated with many of the standard asset classes.
I use unhedged for the following reasons:

- its generally cheaper for the fund (hedges cost money)
- more diversification (almost everything else in my life is dollar denominated)
- i believe there were some old vanguard studies that showed it was all a wash long term
by dgm
Wed Jul 24, 2019 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Getting New House Fever... Advice?
Replies: 26
Views: 2438

Re: Getting New House Fever... Advice?

Studies show the number one stressor in our daily life is commuting. People get used a small house, no view, lots of other inconveniences but something about commuting is a stress that one never gets used to. In light of that I'd suggest optimizing for commute time of your wife esp if she thinks she will be there long term.

things may be manageable now but a bit further out if you plan on having kids...

imagine one of you dropping two kids off, one to daycare, the other to grade school, then going to work in the morning.

then you have to drive from work to pick both kids up and then go home

the driving starts adding up fast. soon you're spending 10% of your life in your car
by dgm
Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When family members fight over the check when out to eat
Replies: 103
Views: 10081

Re: When family members fight over the check when out to eat

KingRiggs wrote: Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:03 am We sometimes have this drama at family dinners.

What REALLY bothers me, however, is when the plan is to split the dinner two ways, but when the bill comes I pull out a credit card and the other guy hands me cash...C'mon, man! I get stuck with the whole amount on my credit card and cash in my wallet that I'll likely just fritter away... :greedy
here's a positive view on that -- if you have a benefits card (cash back, airline miles, etc) that is yours to keep!
by dgm
Tue May 28, 2019 11:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What goes wrong after index enlightenment
Replies: 50
Views: 11197

Re: What goes wrong after index enlightenment

thank you. so much of this rings true that it hurts.
by dgm
Tue May 28, 2019 11:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: FIRE in 6-7 years vs 20+ years
Replies: 44
Views: 5953

Re: FIRE in 6-7 years vs 20+ years

what you are doing now is like contemplating never running again while running the final mile of a marathon.

understandable, but don't be hasty! recover first and then decide!

in the meanwhile, like everyone says, try to avoid lifestyle creep in order to keep your options open.

congratulations on graduating! :beer
by dgm
Wed May 22, 2019 12:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I encourage my kids to work in high school/college?
Replies: 224
Views: 18709

Re: Should I encourage my kids to work in high school/college?

FrugalInvestor wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 10:24 pm
Sandtrap wrote: Mon May 20, 2019 9:05 pmWhere a teenager finds out where they don't want to end up, or who they don't want to be, or are inspired to achieve. :D
This is a big one that I failed to mention. I had one job in particular that made a huge impression on me......that I didn't ever want to have to do that kind of work for the rest of my life. It was a great motivator to finish my education.
not to say this would happen but -- my parents did not want me to have a job in hs on the offchance that i liked it enough/felt i could earn enough that I would not be motivated to achieve in school. (i.e. i'd feel like i could always find an ok job even if i didn't do that well)

what do you guys think of that?
by dgm
Tue May 21, 2019 9:15 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: $400,000 gift to stepdaughter
Replies: 76
Views: 10253

Re: $400,000 gift to stepdaughter

I only have one child/stepchild. I don't want to significantly change my stepdaughter's life; I only want to make her life easier. And, I'd like to help her now, not through a bequest 30 years from now. sorry for your loss. that is a great thing you are considering doing. one thing to think about is that old age could be when your daughter needs it most, considering she will probably have little savings for retirement if her income potential is low (an assumption i'm making based on your comment about no college). so -- a bequest when she's 60 may be exactly what she needs... another thing to think about is to save it and give it to her as needs arise so it isn't frittered away on nice but not critical things. for example -- helping pay fo...
by dgm
Mon May 20, 2019 4:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4 ?
Replies: 98
Views: 14180

Re: Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4 ?

researcher wrote: Thu May 16, 2019 8:03 am Go with the Mazda CX-5 instead.
a frustrated friend once said if she marie-kondo-ed her life she would only be left w/ her new cx-5 and her baby son

:D
by dgm
Tue May 14, 2019 10:31 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: refusing inheritance
Replies: 45
Views: 6339

Re: refusing inheritance

thanks to all for the thoughtful responses!

re: the useage of the word "laziness" -- that is a poor choice of words on my part :oops:

re: disclaiming and lifetime exemptions and annual gift exclusions -- as suspected, i see it is more complex than i thought. thanks for the various options and for pointing out the various issues he'd need to think through

re: perspectives that the parents wishes should be honored -- that is a very good point, I never even considered his parents perspective.

i will pass this thread on.
by dgm
Tue May 14, 2019 1:50 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: refusing inheritance
Replies: 45
Views: 6339

Re: refusing inheritance

thank you. i believe there are no other next of kin so this may be the best option. will let him know
by dgm
Mon May 13, 2019 11:27 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: refusing inheritance
Replies: 45
Views: 6339

refusing inheritance

hi bogleheads here is a strange question a friend asked me that i didn't know the answer to 1. my friend's parents will leave an inheritance (well under any amount that would trigger estate tax issues) 2. parents wish to split it equally amongst their two kids. partly through laziness of not wanting to think about death and partly so feelings are not hurt (they want to treat all children the same) 3. my friend has done well financially and the inheritance will not make a difference to his life and he does not desire it 4. my friend's sibling on the other hand has fared poorly financially, and it will make a big difference assuming the parents cannot be convinced of modifying the split, is there something the friend can do to ensure it goes ...
by dgm
Wed Apr 10, 2019 9:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Not much work at new megacorp job
Replies: 70
Views: 7583

Re: Not much work at new megacorp job

this may be a golden opportunity in disguise.

A very successful and young executive who was my senior who was widely considered the "golden boy" at my company for having shot up to the top of the organization had this advice:

60% of your time should be spent on your normal, assigned work
40% of your time should be spent on working on personal projects valuable for the company that you have assigned yourself as an extra initiative.

in practice most people can't fathom carving out time for the 40% because of how much work they have. but you--could be in a great position to accelerate your career on your own terms. A luxury many people do not have
by dgm
Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: I-Bond or VFINX; best asset to sell for Solar investment?
Replies: 13
Views: 845

Re: I-Bond or VFINX; best asset to sell for Solar investment?

I might suggest a bit of each, so if anything happens in the market, good or bad, you can look on the positive side and be glad you didn't go 100% the wrong way.

I think i'd do equal proportions to your asset allocation.
So if you are 60/40 stocks to bonds, I'd use 60% VFINX funds, 40% ibond funds, or adjust slightly from there based on your preferences
by dgm
Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help me cross shop a new Nissan Maxima
Replies: 13
Views: 1048

Re: Help me cross shop a new Nissan Maxima

I'd love to hear from any current model Maxima owners as well as those that cross shopped and ended up with something else. I inherited a mid 2000s nissan maxima and sold my older civic but my insightss may not apply since I tend to be a utility-only car owner. 1. the nissan maxima's turn radius is terrible for me as a city driver. getting into tight parking spots, making a u turn and so on. sometimes i find myself saying "oh come on!" when i can't make a turn i used to easily handle. this is mostly due to a difference in car size but i have owned camrys, accords and elantras and they all had better turning radius if my memory serves me 2. it uses a lot of gas. 3. i am not a fan of the configuration of the shifting (automatic, bu...
by dgm
Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Boglehead teachers or those married to one: some questions about career and life...
Replies: 101
Views: 9363

Re: Boglehead teachers or those married to one: some questions about career and life...

For me, my wife sacrificed some fairly significant things early in our careers during a crucial time in my career. Now its my turn to support her career by taking up more of the burden at home/kids and we are prioritizing her career.
by dgm
Tue Mar 12, 2019 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Childhood dreams you can now fulfill but do not care to
Replies: 2
Views: 798

Childhood dreams you can now fulfill but do not care to

A fun thread: What are some dreams you had as a child that you thought you would fulfill once you were an adult? But have no desire to fulfill now that you are an adult?

a few of mine:
1. swim in a pool full of fruit punch
2. eat a whole pack of watermelon flavored bubblicious bubble gum AT ONCE
3. buy a teddy bear 5 ft tall
4. play video games all day
5. eat ice cream and cake all day every day
by dgm
Wed Mar 06, 2019 12:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: K-12 Financial Literacy
Replies: 22
Views: 2291

Re: K-12 Financial Literacy

I think math proficiency is an indispensable part of financial literacy.

A surprisingly large number of adults are not very good at percentages, compounding and are not adept at doing addition, subtraction, division and multiplication on the fly (or even estimating).

mortgages, credit card debt, financing, sales at the store, budgeting, stock options, taxes, insurance -- these are just a few of the every day items where being handy with math is a big advantage.

I would make sure that was a solid basis for any financial literacy. Math should be almost second nature.

To that end:
Singapore math curriculum (one of the most advanced in the world)
by dgm
Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: A different kind of midlife crisis
Replies: 60
Views: 8261

Re: A different kind of midlife crisis

i made the transition. has it been more lucrative? so far better than corp for me, but i think it will end up to be on par with a very successful corporate climber. i have taken significantly more risk but also had much more freedom and lower hours worked. i have tons of friends for which entrepreneurship did not work and they just went back to corporate after a few yrs. the hit is more ego based but no one has been fatally derailed. generally the outcome distribution is exponential as expected. i know one person who just sold their company for a quarter billion and many many others almost equally smart and hard working who started things which seemed equally promising to me but never found traction. its really tough to be on the majority l...
by dgm
Thu Feb 07, 2019 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Money saving move you regret the most?
Replies: 120
Views: 13964

Money saving move you regret the most?

We have tons of threads on the best money saving tip but what about the thing you did to save some money that you sorely regret?

I have many, but most notable for me is buying cheap Q-tips to save a few bucks.

Every time I use my off brand Q-tips (multiple times a week) and the cotton unravels exposing the cheap plastic stem it reminds me of how much I regret that decision.

I have a thousand of these things. So many opportunities for regret...all to save a few bucks....never again...
by dgm
Tue Feb 05, 2019 5:16 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: HEDGEFUNDIE's excellent adventure [risk parity strategy using 3x leveraged ETFs]
Replies: 3353
Views: 888761

Re: HEDGEFUNDIE's excellent adventure [3x leveraged ETF strategy]

:sharebeer to your endeavor and a thank you for allowing us to follow along.

taking risk w/ 15% of your portfolio sounds large but manageable. i'd recommend maybe slightly less and a good plan on understanding margin calls and what your plan is for those, should the worst case happen.

anecdotally i have occasionally shorted 3x funds. overall i am positive but not by any insane margin.
1. due to the large safety margin needed to handle the volatility
2. my desire to only risk a little capital due to my feeling it is fundamentally unsound as a strategy.

honestly i would've probably gotten a better return spending that time working harder at my primary job.
by dgm
Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Please share some lifestyle creep you regret.
Replies: 226
Views: 33057

Re: Please share some lifestyle creep you regret.

staying on the expensive verizon plan that we switched to when we lived in a apartment w/ poor reception but never switched out afterwards because we were afraid of the experience not being as good (even though objectively our friends have no problems on cheaper networks)

its been many many years and thousands of dollars wasted.

---------------

trying to cut down on eating out and buying coffee/drinks on the go
by dgm
Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Currently at Personal Capital, need advice
Replies: 17
Views: 1846

Re: Currently at Personal Capital, need advice

deltaneutral83 wrote: Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:58 pm The 79 bps for AUM fee is probably just the beginning as they probably have you in high ER actively managed funds. Also no mention of front end loads or commission structure.
actually i think they are pretty good about minimizing the other fees...they just have that up front fee and thats mostly it.

i would just do vanguard. i find that out of all the other firms, vanguard's interface nudges you to do the smart things whereas the other providers are neutral at best.

it is kind of like a grocery store that sells fruits and vegetables mainly and keeps the junk food out of reach vs a grocery store where everything is available and maybe some of the high margin junk food products are pretty easy to reach for.
by dgm
Fri Jan 18, 2019 10:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay off a 30 year mortgage in 15 years? The cost of flexibility
Replies: 100
Views: 17783

Re: Pay off a 30 year mortgage in 15 years? The cost of flexibility

Granted, the above numbers are nominal, so the inflation-adjusted difference would be smaller than $8,659.80, but the point remains that the financial cost of the flexibility offered by this approach is not trivial. My personal opinion is that the better approach is to take out a 15 year mortgage and build up an adequate emergency fund to the point that you're very unlikely to genuinely need the smaller 30 year mortgage payment. Another option if you are seriously considering paying off in 15 yrs (and its pretty easy to do so) is an ARM with an initial fixed period. Say a 10/1 ARM (30 yr). The interest rate is lower than a 15 yr fixed and if you are paying it aggressively by the time the rates reset you will have paid off the bulk of the d...
by dgm
Wed Jan 16, 2019 4:36 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: John Bogle has died at age 89
Replies: 856
Views: 82096

Re: RIP Jack Bogle

Another one of my heroes passes away.

Thank you John Bogle for the difference you made in this world.

If I can say that I made a small fraction of the difference you made when I die, I will consider my life a resounding success.
by dgm
Tue Jan 15, 2019 4:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Real value of NYC real estate, 1899-1999.
Replies: 52
Views: 6342

Re: Real value of NYC real estate, 1899-1999.

I found this paper very interesting though I am not in a position to critique the authors' methodology, and I admit I did not try. https://economics.mit.edu/files/5887 They looked at the value of Manhattan commercial real estate , 1899-1999, and concluded: 1. In real terms there was no long term appreciation- in fact prices were 30% lower in 1999 than in 1899 when adjusted for inflation 2. There was tremendous volatility, with fluctuations (gains or losses in real terms) of 20-50% per decade 3. The data was consistent with studies of historical residential real estate prices in Boston and residential rents in NYC, Chicago and SF, and real estate values in Amsterdam since 1628 (I believe that was the quoted year) The implication being that ...
by dgm
Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:17 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: When did the musicians on the titanic realize their fate?
Replies: 132
Views: 13592

Re: When did the musicians on the titanic realize their fate?

What are the conditions where people on this site become concerned? I think it differs by personal circumstance. Obviously people have different tolerances based on personality but even the same person has different tolerances depending on their own situation. 1. where are you in your career? Just getting started/mid career with a secure job and plenty of future earnings to come? I wouldn't be surprised if you're pretty stoked! Just retired and watching your nest egg dwindle every day? I wouldn't be surprised if it is concerning. If you are at the end of your career/retired, this could be the titanic. If you are at the beginning, this is more like a temporary sale. 2. how invested are you in the market? Do you have lots of cash on the side...
by dgm
Tue Dec 18, 2018 12:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any advice for buying a used car?
Replies: 79
Views: 5435

Re: Any advice for buying a used car?

sport wrote: Sun Dec 16, 2018 7:57 pm For cars with good reputations, like Toyota and Honda, a slightly used car will cost almost as much (and perhaps more) than a new one. If you want to get a meaningful discount for buying used, you need to look at makes/models that have much lower demand. Personally, I would suggest a new Toyota or Honda if your budget permits.
I have had great luck w/ slightly used cars from up and coming brands like korean car companies. quality is good, but market perception isn't quite there yet. warranty is good to compensate for bad market perception.
by dgm
Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gift Ideas for wife
Replies: 76
Views: 7592

Re: Gift Ideas for wife

my wife gets whatever she wants and says "thanks for getting it for me!"
by dgm
Mon Dec 17, 2018 12:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Purchase of 2018?
Replies: 265
Views: 28769

Re: Favorite Purchase of 2018?

solar panel installation on roof

pays for itself and its pretty cool watching how much its generating
by dgm
Mon Nov 19, 2018 7:14 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 1-3 Year Investment Plan
Replies: 7
Views: 864

Re: 1-3 Year Investment Plan

averagedude wrote: Mon Nov 19, 2018 6:34 pm You could do a 1 year treasury at Vanguard for 2.7% and you wont have to pay state taxes like you might with a CD.
Can you elaborate? do you mean the vanguard treasury money market fund https://investor.vanguard.com/mutual-fu ... file/VUSXX or just straight up buying a 1 year t-bill?

just curious as i am in a similar situation
by dgm
Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite "free stuff"?
Replies: 137
Views: 14235

Re: Favorite "free stuff"?

praxis wrote: Fri Nov 09, 2018 2:25 pm
I have 176 "free" books in my Kindle today. I delete them when I finish, or return them to the library, if borrowed through Overdrive or their app called Libby.
Libby and Overdrive are awesome for checking out ebooks / audiobbooks from the library. You can do it from your sofa and it'll automatically check it out for you if you are waiting in line to reserve it. My favorite new additions since rediscovering the library after decades of ignoring it.
by dgm
Tue Nov 06, 2018 1:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Time to splurge. MB E class, BMW 5 or Audi 6?
Replies: 70
Views: 7933

Re: Time to splurge. MB E class, BMW 5 or Audi 6?

Bryan995 wrote: Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:33 pm Tesla. S or 3 performance. Be sure to drive one before you settle for a bmw/audi, ;) That is all.

i would second just test driving a tesla. everyone I have spoken to -- even non-electric car fans -- have told me it is an impressive experience.

and this is coming from someone who thinks teslas are overpriced and drives a civic.
by dgm
Thu Oct 11, 2018 5:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Budget Coffee
Replies: 107
Views: 10450

Re: Budget Coffee

admittedly i am no connoisseur but i really like this one in an aeropress

https://www.traderjoes.com/digin/post/j ... und-coffee
3.99 i think for almost 1 lb
by dgm
Thu Oct 04, 2018 12:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Solar Panel Installation?
Replies: 19
Views: 2105

Re: Solar Panel Installation?

- If you don't plan on an electric car in the immediate future I wouldn't add the extra capacity now. I'd install the current panels with the intention of adding more capacity later (keep room available on the roof). Panels will get better/cheaper so I don't think getting the extra now is worth it.
- If you have a kid and plan to have more, they will eat up a lot of electricity -- more laundry, dishes, lights, electronics...I'd definitely err on the overcapacity side.
- I agree about no one wanting less solar panels. I got 20% more than my estimated usage and feel like I should've gotten a bit more.