Search found 353 matches

by yosef
Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is this mega roth? Company offers $16k work contribution on top of 401k?
Replies: 8
Views: 1145

Re: Is this mega roth? Company offers $16k work contribution on top of 401k?

Thank you very much for this an exciting that it might be a back door Roth. Having never done one of these, could someone please help with exactly what is the question that we would ask and who at a company would likely know the answer to know if / how to put the mega roth in place? Also, is this something that can be done on autopilot or do you have to actively do an in-service distribution every paycheck or year? I just set this up with Fidelity myself, they have the ability to setup immediate conversions of the after tax dollars to Roth on an ongoing basis when they are contributed. This avoids the possibility of having capital gains on the after tax contributions which would be taxable for you. I am not sure how much of this is due to ...
by yosef
Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:10 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I am stuck with Fidelity Zero in brokage account with over 1.2M and 50% gain.
Replies: 76
Views: 14364

Re: I am stuck with Fidelity Zero in brokage account with over 1.2M and 50% gain.

Apologies, but could someone explain the "non-portability" of this fund for the uninitiated? I'm assuming this means the fund has to be held in a Fidelity account? Where is this limitation documented? Nothing jumps out on the fund info page: https://fundresearch.fidelity.com/mutua ... /31635T708
by yosef
Mon Dec 18, 2023 1:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

Update: apparently there is a true up, it just didn't happen until June for last year and strangely it only shows up in Fidelity (our 401k provider), not in any payroll records. Hopefully HR will take my suggestion to expand and clarify on how this works going forward.
by yosef
Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:32 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

Nate79 wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 9:48 pm You know, when you attack posters who try to help don't expect to come on here and get help in the future.
No one was "attacked", whether they tried to help or not.
by yosef
Mon Dec 18, 2023 6:26 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

No offense intended, or taken, but it appears that it's not me who is being obtuse here. So far you haven't offered any specific content of your employer's 401k policy byond your own interpretation of it, or any specific reasons to argue against it. This is literally the entirety of what is spelled out with respect to the match: Matching - 50% of the first 6% of employee deferral It's actually quite common for employers to limit their matching 401k contributions to a specific maximum amount or percentage of the employee's salary. Now you're making the same mistake I did - have you read the thread? As mentioned previously, if you have issues with your "entitlement" benefits as an employee you should probably first address them wit...
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 7:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

I've recently discovered that because I am maxing out my (pre-tax) 401k before the end of the year, I'm apparently not receiving the entire employer match that I'm entitled to. At the risk of stating the obvious, you don't appear to actually be entitled to this money. I'm pretty steamed about this; it has likely cost me thousands over the years, and frankly I feel stupid for not noticing before now. Is this common? I find it indefensible that there is no true up. Once again, it doesn't appear that you're entitled to your employer's money under the circumstances you've described. Your "indefensible" argument seems quite defensible from your employer's perspective given the info you've provided anyway. Also, how has it "cost&q...
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 2:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

Silverado wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:57 pm To add another story, my megacorp (Fortune 100) keeps matching in real-time after one maxes out. You just have to leave your contribution rate alone in the system. The Summary Plan Description is awkwardly worded on the subject, but it works. Our bonuses are eligible for the match and are paid December 15th, and are a significant percentage of yearly compensation. It would be impossible to plan maxing the match in a system like OP has.
Our bonus is eligible as well, though it is paid in April. I typically have a good idea of how much it will be, but regardless it would almost certainly require additional changes to contributions to max the match.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

Actually I think this problem will fix itself going forward as I've recently started making mega backdoor contributions. Nevertheless I am going to reduce my pre-tax contributions as well so I don't max out as early.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

Nate79 wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:56 pm It is normal to not have a true up. If you want to be mad, be mad at yourself as its fully on you.
This was established early in the thread. Thanks for...well nothing.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

RyeBourbon wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:07 pm
yosef wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:05 pm
Normchad wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:58 am You didn’t get shorted. I’m sure your disclosure packet says exactly how the match works…. This is very common. I’ve never worked any place that did it differently.
I can assure you it's not in either the material our HR department puts out nor in the summary plan description. Minimally they should spell this behavior out clearly so people know they need to calculate the exact percentage to contribute such that they are contributing through the very end of the year. That's a calculation that will likely have to be done multiple times per year due to things like bonuses, raises, etc.
They save themselves some money by not spelling it out clearly.
Yes I'm trying to not be cynical here but I don't see any other explanation.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

8foot7 wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:18 pm What's the rush to max out your 401k? So much so that you don't even monitor your accounts to realize you aren't receiving the match you expected?
Part of it is because as my salary has risen it didn't occur to me to lower my 401k contibution, so I've been hitting it earlier. Another part is that getting a bump in net pay around the holidays helps with cash flow. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't get the maximum match as long as I maxed contributions.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

I should have added that I've emailed HR about this and am waiting for a response. I suppose I'm glad to hear this is common, even if it is quite absurd. Seems especially bizarre given livesoft's point about higher income employees being perhaps the most likely to be affected. I can't seriously imagine a true up is onerous to perform.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Re: Shorted on 401k employer match

Normchad wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:58 am You didn’t get shorted. I’m sure your disclosure packet says exactly how the match works…. This is very common. I’ve never worked any place that did it differently.
I can assure you it's not in either the material our HR department puts out nor in the summary plan description. Minimally they should spell this behavior out clearly so people know they need to calculate the exact percentage to contribute such that they are contributing through the very end of the year. That's a calculation that will likely have to be done multiple times per year due to things like bonuses, raises, etc.
by yosef
Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question on 401k employer match - solved!
Replies: 76
Views: 11056

Question on 401k employer match - solved!

[Topic is now in Personal Finance (Not Investing) - mod mkc] I've recently discovered that because I am maxing out my (pre-tax) 401k before the end of the year, I'm apparently not receiving the entire employer match that I'm entitled to. We are matched 50% on the first 6% and that seems to annualized such that it you'd need to have it paid each pay period to get the full amount. But once you hit the contribution maximum they stop paying the match also. Looking back to last year there seems to be no EOY true up either. I'm pretty steamed about this; it has likely cost me thousands over the years, and frankly I feel stupid for not noticing before now. Is this common? I find it indefensible that there is no true up. Edit: title changed to cla...
by yosef
Fri Nov 10, 2023 2:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Intuit's Mint App Shutting Down...Replacement Recommendations?
Replies: 773
Views: 146492

Re: Intuit's Mint App Shutting Down...Replacement Recommendations?

Based on what I'm seeing and reading Monarch is the closest product to what Mint provides, and I'm likely to switch to Monarch for that reason. I tried Personal Capital in the past and was turned off by a multitude of factors, not least of which was the cold calling and harassment by their staff. Does anyone have serious criticisms of Monarch before I pull the trigger and make the switch? Assuming you download transactions, where is the username password kept? On your device or on their servers? I really dislike on their servers because I have to trust them a lot. This is a problem for me with Tiller. No information on how they store login info. https://www.tillerhq.com/security/ Just FYI. I'm not a customer but this thread has piqued my i...
by yosef
Wed Dec 28, 2022 10:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Trust or Don’t trust the keys to the kingdom into a password manager
Replies: 182
Views: 19570

Re: Trust or Don’t trust the keys to the kingdom into a password manager

I'm shocked at the number of folks that are saying they don't use/would not trust a password manager. There is no practical home grown system that offers the security or convenience of one, full stop. Folks claiming these services can fall by the wayside are not wrong, but there are some very well established players in the game for which these products comprise their entire business. Also, many provide documented data formats and allow you to export your data, so even if that should come to pass, what have you lost? I used Keepass in the past many years ago but have used 1Password for many years since and recommend it whole-heartedly. IMO it has significant advantages wrt security over say, LastPass.
by yosef
Sun Aug 29, 2021 7:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What should i do with company stocks?
Replies: 17
Views: 2482

Re: What should i do with company stocks?

You know what company you work for and in what industry. So unless you really believe the stock will rebound (based on something other than your CEO's rhetoric), I agree that you should sell it and take the loss. One thing not mentioned is that if you participate in an ESPP and/or get or already have RSUs, you'll be getting more stock in the future, so you'll still be in a position to benefit from a rise in the price even if you sell what you currently have.
by yosef
Fri Sep 27, 2019 3:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IT compensation comparison
Replies: 269
Views: 33021

Re: IT compensation comparison

Kafka is not groundbreaking. It’s just convenient and free. I don't know what this means; in what way is it not groundbreaking? Please don't mention MQ. There just isn’t anything particularly groundbreaking at linked in or Facebook etc etc. Most of Silicon Valley these days is business model innovation not tech innovation. Imo the interviewing and competitiveness has more to do with screening out the bottom 80% of the software development workforce who are marginal than it is about finding brilliant ground breaking research/innovator type guys. You can certainly argue that the products at LinkedIn, Facebook, etc are not groundbreaking in what they do . But as has been mentioned, the difficultly in producing them, and consequently the compe...
by yosef
Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:28 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: First Post: Pay Down Debt vs. Invest
Replies: 8
Views: 1006

Re: First Post: Pay Down Debt vs. Invest

TravelforFun wrote:I would contribute to 401K enough to get the match and throw the rest of the money at the non-mortgage debts. Focus of the highest-interest debt while making minimum payments on the rest. Good luck!
I agree with this, but would add that after killing the car loan you should consider building up additional savings. $4k is practically nothing relative to what your monthly cash flow must be.
by yosef
Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Have been accidentally reinvesting dividends in taxable
Replies: 12
Views: 2888

Re: Have been accidentally reinvesting dividends in taxable

Thanks all for the replies. Yes, I changed it to spec ID. This is a relatively small account that I am contributing to sporadically (my priority remains tax-advantaged). My choice of spec ID is mostly to keep my options open for potential future TLH.
by yosef
Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:54 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Have been accidentally reinvesting dividends in taxable
Replies: 12
Views: 2888

Have been accidentally reinvesting dividends in taxable

So I was reading through my statements this morning and discovered that my VCSH holdings have been reinvesting dividends and cap gains despite the entire account being set to "Transfer to settlement fund". This is in my (fairly new) taxable account; I had wanted everything to go to the settlement account to control the number of purchase lots I have. Now that ship has sailed and I have a dozen or so tiny lots, I'm wondering if I should still set my cost basis tracking to SpecID or whether I should now use Avg Cost. Is this something I can change at any time?
by yosef
Sun Jan 03, 2016 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Saved half of income last year - struggling to see the point
Replies: 62
Views: 14553

Re: Saved half of income last year - struggling to see the point

Normally, I'd say you are saving too much. But since you say there's nothing you want to spend the money on either, I mostly think it sounds like you need to find something in life you enjoy, and do more of it. If your high-stress, high-hours profession gets in the way of that, then maybe that's something you could look at changing; you've more or less established that you don't need the extra money...
by yosef
Thu Oct 29, 2015 9:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Scared to take the BH jump (30yr old) (portfolio)
Replies: 53
Views: 9434

Re: Scared to take the BH jump (30yr old)

You should read The Bogleheads Guide to Investing. The single best predictor of mutual fund performance is expense ratio. You don't say what the expenses are on your current fund, but I'm sure it's higher than Vanguard index funds. That expense ratio difference is not a fad - it's guaranteed money in your pocket. You're right to be skeptical of advisor fees also; you don't need one. Just do some reading here (don't forget the wiki) and get some answers from the Boglehead sages.
by yosef
Fri Sep 18, 2015 1:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Group Fires Whistleblower Who Told TheStreet About Flaws in Customer Security
Replies: 26
Views: 4111

Re: Vanguard Group Fires Whistleblower Who Told TheStreet About Flaws in Customer Security

How do they define a "typo"? Let's say my high school mascot was The Spartans. Which of these should the site accept as the answer:

The Spartans
the spartans
spartans
Spartans
...
...

Is it reasonable to expect people to recall the phrase exactly as typed originally (which is likely years earlier)? If this is the type of thing they are talking about I think calling it a "security flaw" is an exaggeration.
by yosef
Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:42 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Does my portfolio make zero sense (in its current state)?
Replies: 12
Views: 1590

Re: Does my portfolio make zero sense (in its current state)?

Agreed perfect sense. The whole point of the TR funds is to be a one stop shop. Once you start throwing other funds in the mix it's harder to keep track of exactly what your AA is.
by yosef
Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: ESPP redemptions
Replies: 7
Views: 1164

Re: ESPP redemptions

This sounds like an unusual plan. The frequency and prices of the purchases seem to work against you compared to a "normal" ESPP regardless of whether the stock is trending up or down. I don't really have any advice but am curious to hear what others would recommend.
by yosef
Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:58 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Target Date Funds
Replies: 26
Views: 4956

Re: Vanguard Target Date Funds

The standard Boglehead advice, which it sounds like you took, is to choose the fund based on asset allocation rather than date. I agree that can make you feel a bit like you're choosing wrongly when the dates are way off of when you actually plan to retire. It's not clear to me the extent to which Vanguard actually thinks the composition of these funds is what it ought to be vs them just trying to keep performance comparable with funds from other providers with the same date. At the end of the day all that matters is that the allocation is one you can live with. You can always switch down the road if you decide to shift the glide path out.
by yosef
Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's Your Monthly Food/Groceries Spending? My is through the roof?
Replies: 201
Views: 24991

Re: What's Your Monthly Food/Groceries Spending? My is through the roof?

Depends on what you consider "Food/Groceries". Our family of 4 spends around $1k. But I categorize anything bought from a grocery store as groceries, including household items like laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc. I also tend to categorize mega-mart trips consisting primarily of groceries as all groceries. So my numbers are probably artificially high. Oh well, I gave up splitting transactions for budgeting purposes long ago. Nowadays I value my time too much.
by yosef
Mon Jun 22, 2015 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tech jobs - is job-hopping the best way to get ahead?
Replies: 92
Views: 21031

Re: Tech jobs - is job-hopping the best way to get ahead?

I will offer proof by example that it's possible to 'get ahead' financially without job-hopping. I've been in my current job for ~3.5 years, at a well-known tech mega-corp, in their NYC office. It's my first job out of college. My job title when I started was 'Software Engineer' and now its 'Senior Software Engineer', but I still do the same thing (not being pushed into management or anything like that). Year / Salary / Total Comp (including salary, bonus, and vested stock at mkt price) 2012 / $100K / $120K 2013 / $115K / $170K 2014 / $130K / $200K 2015 / $150K / $240K 2016* / $165K / $250K *2016 based on current base salary (changed mid-year this year), and all RSUs vesting next year, current market value minus 5%. So, it is possible to d...
by yosef
Mon Jun 22, 2015 12:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tech jobs - is job-hopping the best way to get ahead?
Replies: 92
Views: 21031

Re: Tech jobs - is job-hopping the best way to get ahead?

I will offer proof by example that it's possible to 'get ahead' financially without job-hopping. I've been in my current job for ~3.5 years, at a well-known tech mega-corp, in their NYC office. It's my first job out of college. My job title when I started was 'Software Engineer' and now its 'Senior Software Engineer', but I still do the same thing (not being pushed into management or anything like that). Year / Salary / Total Comp (including salary, bonus, and vested stock at mkt price) 2012 / $100K / $120K 2013 / $115K / $170K 2014 / $130K / $200K 2015 / $150K / $240K 2016* / $165K / $250K *2016 based on current base salary (changed mid-year this year), and all RSUs vesting next year, current market value minus 5%. So, it is possible to d...
by yosef
Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Disadvantages from moving 401k to IRA
Replies: 37
Views: 13378

Re: Disadvantages from moving 401k to IRA

joyo23 wrote: I'm using a non-dictionary, strong password with 2 factor authentication. I have made account access even stronger by using fake answers to easy-to-guess security questions. If you actually use real answers to security questions you are most certainly not secure and this is Vanguard's problem.
And yet you didn't store your fake answers somewhere secure? I'm not unsympathetic; I get that it was a long time ago and stuff happens. I just don't buy that any of this is Vanguard's problem, much less a reason to leave them. This is where we are with internet security right now. But to each their own.
by yosef
Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:50 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Disadvantages from moving 401k to IRA
Replies: 37
Views: 13378

Re: Disadvantages from moving 401k to IRA

TomatoTomahto wrote:All true, but I would think that 2-factor authentication is stronger than any security password. For example, if you know my wife's name and look her up on FB, you'd have no trouble figuring out her favorite hobby/sport, or the names of our pets. Names of nieces and nephews a bit tougher, but not impossible. Favorite book is more difficult. OTOH, having access to her phone would be really difficult, and then you'd have to break through the fingerprint signon to gain access.
Agree 100%, and I use 2 factor auth for pretty much every service that offers it. But many folks frankly aren't willing to (I'm sure this group overlaps heavily with those that use very weak passwords). It's a compromise.
by yosef
Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Disadvantages from moving 401k to IRA
Replies: 37
Views: 13378

Re: Disadvantages from moving 401k to IRA

The funny thing to me is that the security question was, "what is your favorite hobby?" How can that be considered taking security seriously? Using social media people could easily find one's favorite hobby. Certainly my friends, family and acquaintances would know my favorite hobby. I'm sure I used a made up hobby in the past because it is so INsecure. The other question was, "what is your favorite book?" I opened my Vanguard account 20 years ago, how am I supposed to remember what my favorite book was sometime in the mid-nineties? I have been using Vanguard exclusively online for years and years so no longer remember my security questions. Sorry, this is not Vanguard's problem. You almost certainly chose these questio...
by yosef
Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I just don't understand bonds...
Replies: 27
Views: 6040

Re: I just don't understand bonds...

Well, bonds are at or at least not far off record low yields. So, yes they are not paying much and it probably won't get much better over the next few years if you believe the experts. So why invest in bonds over throwing money in your Ally account? Well, for one you can invest in bonds in a tax advantaged account. Secondly, historically speaking bonds have done better than savings accounts, dare I say by a substantial margin. That may or may not be the case at the moment, but certainly the expectation is that it will be true again at some point. I have no doubt others will give much better answers but those are the things that come to my mind first.
by yosef
Fri May 29, 2015 2:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Leaving a Company
Replies: 44
Views: 7556

Re: Leaving a Company

2 weeks is the standard. It's none of your current company's business when you start your new gig. If you decide to work longer because you have personal relationships with folks whom you believe you'd be hanging out to dry so be it, but I would definitely not feel obligated to do so.
by yosef
Tue May 26, 2015 7:02 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Ally Savings and MMA
Replies: 23
Views: 7604

Re: Ally Savings and MMA

Just pick one you are comfortable with and go for it. Any online institution will be a huge step up from a WF savings account (I know, I have one). We use Ally and like it. Their customer service, the couple or 3 times we have used it has been great. It is true they no longer offer the absolute best rates, but it's not worth moving every few years for a couple of tenths of a percent IMO.
by yosef
Fri May 22, 2015 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Not able to max out all the retirement accounts
Replies: 69
Views: 8470

Re: Not able to max out all the retirement accounts

How much are you saving? How much do you already have saved? Age? Honestly, the people on here that are maxing out two 401ks and two IRAs and throwing more into taxable are a rarity in the real world. Reading this forum makes it seem common, but the average person doesn't need to be maxing out to set themselves up for a comfortable retirement. Putting aside 15% will set you up very very nicely. +1 Working another job solely to save more for retirement seems quite a bit overzealous. It sounds like you're putting away a fair bit ($120k - $TAXES - 60k)? already. Don't project the norms you perceive here on BH to people as a whole. Do both you and your husband have 401ks? If so saving $47k seems difficult for a family of 4 on $120k/yr without ...
by yosef
Sun May 17, 2015 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I apply for manager's job or continue as a techie?
Replies: 145
Views: 18755

Re: Should I apply for manager's job or continue as a techie?

Agree 100% with previous posters. You decided you didn't want the job, did you not? I don't see how having more experience than and/or not liking the person whom you think may get the job changes that at all. Personally, I'm still getting the vibe that neither the job you have nor the one you have been debating applying for are particularly good. You would do well to polish your resume and at least see what's out there while there is still no pressure.
by yosef
Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I apply for manager's job or continue as a techie?
Replies: 145
Views: 18755

Re: Should I apply for manager's job or continue as a techie

The last two managers were promoted from the tech ranks. Do you feel that managers should mainly have excellent soft skills and not so much technical skills? It is a common complaint amongst techies that their managers are clueless when it comes to technology. They should without question have excellent soft skills. You're right that cluelessness is a common compliant. But I think the real problem are clueless managers who don't know they're clueless and/or don't trust their subordinates. Sure ideally your manager would understand what you work on pretty well, and be an excellent manager to boot. But those folks are rare. I'll take a good manager who looks out for and trusts his people over a promoted techie that doesn't want to be there. ...
by yosef
Sat Apr 25, 2015 2:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I apply for manager's job or continue as a techie?
Replies: 145
Views: 18755

Re: Should I apply for manager's job or continue as a techie

I'll be more blunt than some: No, you shouldn't apply for the job. I say that based on what I've seen from your responses thus far, and based on my own experience as a SW engineer. You aren't the management type, and once you make that leap you could find going back difficult. If you do apply, there are 3 possible outcomes; only 1 of which possibly bodes well for your future at that company: if you get the job and you accept. I personally find it a bit odd that your company is encouraging team members to apply for a management position at all, since it implies first that it is the natural progression for techies to make, and secondly that the skills required are similar. Folks who have that aspiration don't need to be asked, they'll apply a...
by yosef
Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: New York Times article on bond funds
Replies: 24
Views: 4314

Re: New York Times article on bond funds

Thanks for the explanation. I can definitely see how such a move would not be well received by individual investors.
by yosef
Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:53 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: New York Times article on bond funds
Replies: 24
Views: 4314

Re: New York Times article on bond funds

Can someone give a layman's explanation of in-kind redemptions?
by yosef
Mon Apr 13, 2015 7:52 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: ESPP Worth It?
Replies: 17
Views: 4654

Re: ESPP Worth It?

This is a pretty bad deal as far as ESPPs go. Unless there is a substantial "look back" period and your company is growing like gangbusters I'd probably skip it.

Edit: I missed that this is every 3 months, which makes it a bit better I guess. If you can sell the shares immediately go for it.
by yosef
Fri Mar 20, 2015 12:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: job offer, 2x salary
Replies: 53
Views: 7162

Re: job offer, 2x salary

thanks for the advice. Frankly, if i could make 50%-75% more, i would stay. But for 100% more, it is hard to stay. I just have not switched jobs a lot, so this is fairly new to me. Some of you are quite experienced in switching every 5-10 years. I never listened to the headhunters until this happened.. After you switch your job once it will become much easier to switch it again. If the new job does not work out for whatever reason, moving to the next one will be straightforward. Victoria Agree with this; it's time to see what else is out there. Depending on your field, your current tenure could actually start to be viewed as a negative. It can invite questions like why you have been content to be underpaid for so many years, and do you not...
by yosef
Fri Mar 20, 2015 7:14 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Lowest income at which able to Max 401k and IRA
Replies: 31
Views: 5594

Re: Lowest income at which able to Max 401k and IRA

I make close to the same as you. Definitely switch to Traditional 401k, and keep the Roth IRA. And yes, that car payment is nuts. If you really feel like it's a mistake, you should sell the car and get into something more affordable. If the payment is $700 a month then I'm guessing it's a car that's going to cost you lots more to own even after it's paid for.
by yosef
Wed Mar 04, 2015 2:37 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Americans Aren't Saving Enough for Retirement"
Replies: 41
Views: 6676

Re: "Americans Aren't Saving Enough for Retirement"

livesoft wrote:I always chuckle when I read the statement that is the thread title. Americans keep retiring despite that statement. So what's wrong with that?
But aren't we only now starting to enter the era in which retirees are going to be depending much more on SS and their own retirement savings as opposed to pension plans?
by yosef
Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Talking Salary Tomorrow - HELP!
Replies: 17
Views: 3480

Re: Talking Salary Tomorrow - HELP!

Companies always give raises based on a percentage, and when viewed in that light, 9% is pretty darn good. If you are shooting for an instant, dollar amount bump to the average for your group then I have to agree with others that your only choice is to look elsewhere.
by yosef
Wed Feb 04, 2015 2:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are car loans really that bad?
Replies: 86
Views: 20599

Re: Are car loans really that bad?

Stop making payments on the loan, then you'll see how bad they can be when the tow truck repossesses your car - now you have no money and you have no car and there you are! :twisted: That's the main problem I have with a car loan (or any loan). It puts you "on the hook" for the payment every month. Maybe not that big of a deal as long as you have a nice, steady income for the life of the loan. But what if you don't? What if you don't make as much as you thought you would next year? What if you lose your job? Maybe I spent to much of my 20s working in jobs with varying and not-always-certain incomes, but I just don't like taking on that kind of risk if I don't have to. The less of my money coming in that it earmarked to go right b...
by yosef
Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to fire a client? [software ownership issues]
Replies: 69
Views: 7626

Re: How to fire a client? [software ownership issues]

You can't compare the licensing models of closed source, "shrink wrapped" software produced by a mega corp with independent development work done by a contractor. OP wants to bail on this client; that's his prerogative. But unless the application is trivial, it is useless to the client without the source code. Since he can neither support nor modify it, it's virtually guaranteed to become obsolete in a probably a few years at best, and a few months at worst. I would argue that ethically, the source code should go to the client. And in the absence of any written agreement, legally I think he is much more likely to have action taken against him to obtain the source (which he will have to defend regardless of how convinced he is that...
by yosef
Wed Jan 28, 2015 1:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Anyone know when CD rates will increase?
Replies: 70
Views: 16436

Re: Anyone know when CD rates will increase?

Not to derail the thread too much, but I agree that the new Ally site looks like it was designed for the visually impaired.