I would add a previous-generation Nissan Altima (2007-2012) to your list. That's what I drive and I find the seats to be more comfortable than the other mainstream sedans. The road noise is much quieter than an Accord of the same year.
The only thing that might bother some people is the CVT transmission. I find a CVT under heavy throttle to be loud and somewhat annoying since it holds the revs at a relatively high level. If you're like me and 99% of the driving you do is commuting around town, then a CVT can actually be very nice. I find that it tends keeps the revs low during most driving conditions which further contributes to a quiet cabin.
My 2007 Altima has been very reliable. No major issues.
Search found 63 matches
- Wed Aug 06, 2014 1:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What Used Car Should I Get for <10K
- Replies: 30
- Views: 5196
- Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:52 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Summer indoor humidity levels
- Replies: 18
- Views: 15744
Re: Summer indoor humidity levels
I've always heard a good rule of thumb is 500 sq ft per ton of cooling. This is highly dependent on a number of significant factors, including:
1. One story or 2-story. A 2-story house needs less tonnage because there is less square footage with attic space above it.
2. Orientation of large windows in the home. South to West facing windows have more heat gain.
3. Amount of insulation in the attic
.
.
.
2.5 tons for a 1500 sq ft one-story in NC seems about right to me.
I don't know what you expect the humidity level to be, but 49-54% sounds about right.
1. One story or 2-story. A 2-story house needs less tonnage because there is less square footage with attic space above it.
2. Orientation of large windows in the home. South to West facing windows have more heat gain.
3. Amount of insulation in the attic
.
.
.
2.5 tons for a 1500 sq ft one-story in NC seems about right to me.
I don't know what you expect the humidity level to be, but 49-54% sounds about right.
- Wed Aug 06, 2014 11:22 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Summer indoor humidity levels
- Replies: 18
- Views: 15744
Re: Summer indoor humidity levels
I have a hygrometer in the house and our humidity level ranges from 48% to 54%, being higher at night and in the morning when the AC is running less. The humidity in the house reaches its lowest level in the late afternoon when the AC is running the longest. I set the AC to 77 degrees from late morning until early evening and 76 degrees after that. My AC system is also equipped with a variable-speed air handler which controls humidity by running the air handler at a lower speed when the humidity in the house is high. I keep it set at 52% humidity. When the humidity in the house is higher than 52% it runs at a lower fan speed. When it reaches 52%, the fan speed is increased to cool the house better. I live in the Tampa Bay area which is, of ...
- Sat May 17, 2014 11:37 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Replace Gas Guzzler with Toyota Prius Lease?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 3402
Re: Replace Gas Guzzler with Toyota Prius Lease?
My wife sold her Hyundai Veracruz 3 years ago and leased a 2011 Prius. Normally we wouldn't have leased, but there was a subsidized lease program at the time that made it very attractive. She was getting 19 MPG in the Veracruz and has gotten 54 MPG in the Prius over the past 3 years. She drives about 12,000 miles per year. At an average of $3.50 per gallon, she saved about $1,200 per year on gas. We just made her last lease payment and are going to either buy her Prius or a similar one, depending on how the residual value of her car compares with current market prices. We looked at other vehicles, but when you get used to 54 MPG, it is hard to give it up, believe me. She really likes the Prius. it's quite versatile and, of course, one of th...
- Sat Apr 19, 2014 10:50 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Does this strategy invite unnecessary risk?
- Replies: 42
- Views: 4915
Re: Does this strategy invite unnecessary risk?
I have followed Paul Merriman for a while and I like his approach to investing. I just wanted to clarify something that I think was in accurately stated about his recommendations by the OP. Merriman doesn't recommend tilting as a young investor, then not tilting as an older investor, He recommends using the same tilting percentages within the equities portion of the portfolio all the time. He also slices the bond side of the portfolio in the same percentages regardless of investor age. All Merriman recommends adjusting with respect to age is the percentage of equities to bonds. He isn't afraid to recommend 100% equities to younger investors who are very risk tolerant. I just wanted to make sure people didn't think Paul Merriman only recomme...
- Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Oh No! My Tilt has untilted!
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3298
Re: Oh No! My Tilt has untilted!
I assume you're talking about how your portfolio looks in the the Morningstar style box. I have noticed the same thing with my portfolio as well. My assumption is that it has something to do with the valuations of all asset classes increasing over time. Value stocks have become less "valuey" when measured using price to earnings or just about any other way.
- Sat Mar 29, 2014 9:32 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What makes a boglehead different [Behavior of saving]
- Replies: 36
- Views: 5879
Re: What makes a boglehead different
Interesting post.
I know I derive much satisfaction from saving and watch my money grow. I guess you could consider that aspect of it immediate gratification. I will say, however, that my thoughts on how I'd like to spend the money later in life are very clear. No way am I just "saving for savings sake".
I know I derive much satisfaction from saving and watch my money grow. I guess you could consider that aspect of it immediate gratification. I will say, however, that my thoughts on how I'd like to spend the money later in life are very clear. No way am I just "saving for savings sake".
- Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: VXUS versus VEA/VWO/VSS?
- Replies: 12
- Views: 13985
Re: VXUS versus VEA/VWO/VSS?
Since you've been lurking for a while, I assume you are aware that tilting one's portfolio is a frequently debated topic. I would expect some of the responses you'll get to be somewhat dependent on the responder's stance on tilting in general. I'll attempt to give you a neutral response. If you're happy with the overall asset allocation in VXUS and you would essentially be purchasing separate ETFs to achieve the same asset allocation, you should probably just stick with VXUS. Why add any complexity in this case? If you decide to implement a small-cap or value tilt in the future, you can always sell your VXUS and buy the other ETFs you mentioned. Because you are investing in a Roth IRA you don't have to worry about the tax implications of ca...
- Fri Mar 21, 2014 5:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Prius performance in extremely hot climates
- Replies: 14
- Views: 13839
Re: Prius performance in extremely hot climates
My wife drives a 2011 Prius and gets 54 MPG. We live in the Tampa area where we use the AC every day from May through October. The car cools fine, with no noticeable difference compared to a conventional car.
- Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What investments for a Minor Roth IRA?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 704
Re: What investments for a Minor Roth IRA?
Here's hoping. That would be terrific...Texas hold em71 wrote:Be careful- a good babysitter makes a lot more than $300 a year in 2014. If she gets a good reputation with parents and kids, you may meet the mutual fund minimums sooner than you think.
- Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:52 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What investments for a Minor Roth IRA?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 704
Re: What investments for a Minor Roth IRA?
It obviously doesn't matter in the short-term. I guess I am hoping that she will "buy and hold" whatever ETF I purchase for the 50-year investment period. If so, VWO vs VT makes a significant difference. Perhaps that's me just applying too much sentiment to this situation.livesoft wrote:Also in these amounts, you have got to joking to think that VWO vs VT vs anything else will really make a difference.
- Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What investments for a Minor Roth IRA?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 704
What investments for a Minor Roth IRA?
My 13 year old daughter has starting earning income providing babysitting services. I would expect her to earn around $300 per year (possibly a bit more) for the next few years. I intend to open a custodial Roth IRA for her and contribute the exact amount of her earnings each year into her account. To be clear, the money she earns will be hers to spend / save / donate. I will contribute money into her Roth on her behalf. My question has to do with choosing a suitable investment. I think Vanguard ETFs are a good way to invest since they don't have the high minimums that mutual funds do and I can trade them commission-free in a Vanguard brokerage account. I'm wondering if I should invest in something like Vanguard Total Work Stock Index (VT) ...
- Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Is there a 2013 asset class chart?
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1523
- Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Do CDs make sense for investors with a long time horizon?
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3347
Re: Do CDs make sense for investors with a long time horizon
Kevin,Kevin M wrote:Better to have initiated the transfer on Dec 1 than now, but you may still have time.
Do you think the new higher PenFed 3% 5-year rate is a temporary "promotional" offer? I know the 2% 3-year rate has been around for a while now, so I was hoping the same would be true of the new 5-year rate as well.
I do wish IRA transfers were quicker and easier.
- Mon Dec 09, 2013 2:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Do CDs make sense for investors with a long time horizon?
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3347
Re: Do CDs make sense for investors with a long time horizon
My TBM is in a Rollover IRA. I would sell some of it and transfer the funds to an IRA at PenFed.
I was considering a "mini-ladder" with a 3-year CD and a 5-year CD to help mitigate the risk of rates rising rapidly.
I agree that a 3-year CD at 2% and even a 5-year CD at 3% is not going to make me rich, but it sure beats -1% or worse in TBM if rates continue to rise.
Perhaps the effort is not worth it, but I can't help but think squeezing an extra 1-2% out of my fixed income for a few years can't be a bad thing.
I was considering a "mini-ladder" with a 3-year CD and a 5-year CD to help mitigate the risk of rates rising rapidly.
I agree that a 3-year CD at 2% and even a 5-year CD at 3% is not going to make me rich, but it sure beats -1% or worse in TBM if rates continue to rise.
Perhaps the effort is not worth it, but I can't help but think squeezing an extra 1-2% out of my fixed income for a few years can't be a bad thing.
- Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Do CDs make sense for investors with a long time horizon?
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3347
Do CDs make sense for investors with a long time horizon?
I have read numerous Boglehead articles from people who advocate moving some or all of their bond holdings to CDs. With the recent announcement of 2% on a 3-year and 3% on a 5-year CD from PenFed, its understandable that some people are considering this. What's not clear to me is the investment time horizon of those who are advocating this strategy and what their strategy is for moving back into bonds at some point. Those in or very close to retirement are obviously more concerned with income / preservation of their portfolio. What about those of use who have a long way to go until retirement? Take my situation as an example: 15 years until retirement, currently have an 80/20 asset allocation, bonds are all Total Bond Market. With such a lo...
- Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: iPad deal at Target
- Replies: 23
- Views: 4802
Re: iPad deal at Target
I just sold my 1st generation iPad to my local Target store in the Tampa area Wednesday night for $200. They asked me what tablet I wanted in exchange. I told them I wanted the new iPad Mini with Retina Display which ships later this month, so they just gave me a gift card.
The whole process took about 5 minutes once the mobile rep was done with the customer ahead of me.
You can't beat this deal on a trade-up from a 1st generation iPad.
The whole process took about 5 minutes once the mobile rep was done with the customer ahead of me.
You can't beat this deal on a trade-up from a 1st generation iPad.
- Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: David Weekley homes - Building New Home / Negotiation
- Replies: 14
- Views: 9569
Re: David Weekley homes - Building New Home / Negotiation
We only lived in the home for 2 years and never noticed any sagging drywall. New homes in Florida are built on a concrete slab, so our floors are never bouncy on the ground floor. Ours was a single story home so our floors were solid.
- Mon Oct 14, 2013 9:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: David Weekley homes - Building New Home / Negotiation
- Replies: 14
- Views: 9569
Re: David Weekley homes - Building New Home / Negotiation
My wife and I built a home with David Weekley Homes in the Tampa Bay area back in 2003. It was the second new home we had built. The first was built by US Homes in 1997. David Weekley was considered a premium builder in the subdivision where we bought. Our experience with them was excellent overall. 2003 was a sellers market, so our sales rep was reluctant to make many modifications to the floor plan. We did get a few changes made that suited us, and found that another sales rep that worked out of the same office was a bit more willing to work with us on that. I think the rep you work with can make a big difference in getting customizations approved. We were able to negotiate a lower price on the home. Not a huge discount, but a discount no...
- Mon Jul 29, 2013 12:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Pre-tax HSA contributions / family vs individual
- Replies: 1
- Views: 391
Pre-tax HSA contributions / family vs individual
My wife and I are currently enrolled in my company's HSA-eligible HDHP. Our children have their own separate plan. I am considering removing my wife from my employer's plan and placing her and the kids into a new HSA-compatible HDHP family policy together. I would remain on my HDHP as an individual. If I do this, will I be able to use pre-tax deductions from my employer to fund the full family limit ($6450 in 2013) or will I be limited to the individual amount ($3250) since my employer-provided insurance is now for an individual instead of a family? The reason I am asking is that my wife's employer is not capable of performing the pre-tax contributions so we would have to contribute post-tax and take a tax deduction. Unfortunately, this mea...
- Sun Jul 21, 2013 4:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: SS strategy - married same age, one with much higher income
- Replies: 3
- Views: 633
Re: SS strategy - married same age, one with much higher inc
ResearchMed wrote:You've got the right idea
Spousal benefits max out at both Spouses' full retirement ages, so assuming that 67 is your FRA (depends upon birth year, as you've probably already checked), that would be when both of you are 67.
RM
This is the key piece of information I didn't understand. I thought the spousal benefit continued to increase past FRA. Now it is clear to me why the AARP calculator recommended she begin taking a spousal benefit at 67.
Thanks!
- Sun Jul 21, 2013 4:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: SS strategy - married same age, one with much higher income
- Replies: 3
- Views: 633
SS strategy - married same age, one with much higher income
My wife and I have a ways to go until retirement, but I have been doing some retirement income planning to make sure my financial plan is set. (Please no comments about the state of SS, the likelihood of receiving it at all, etc.) My question has to do with claiming SS as a married couple. We are the same age (5 months apart), but have a much different income. We have both earned enough credits to receive benefits. Him: Monthly benefit at age 67: $2400 Monthly benefit at age 70: $3000 Her: Monthly benefit at age 67: $800 Monthly benefit at age 70: $1000 With the difference in income, clearly my wife will want to claim a spousal benefit instead of claiming her own benefit under any scenario. Assuming we are both healthy, expecting at least a...
- Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:07 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Lucky so far - Now transitioning to a balanced portfolio
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1441
Re: Lucky so far - Now transitioning to a balanced portfolio
Your portfolio is very similar to mine. I agree with the others that you should treat all of the accounts as one large portfolio in order to lower your expenses and put the various asset classes in the optimal account. With your long time horizon you should consider placing the higher expected return asset class's in the Roth IRAs. I put US small value, US large value, and emerging markets in mine and my wife's Roth IRAs. Maximizing the growth of your tax-free money an be a very good strategy. This type of asset allocation and location strategy can make rebalancing tricky. I have a rollover IRA at Vanguard with some of the same asset classes as my Roths in ETFs in order to make rebalancing easier.
- Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:41 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What to expect from the stock market-
- Replies: 41
- Views: 5782
Re: What to expect from the stock market-
I use a long-term expected return of 7% for stocks for planning purposes. That's close to the 4.4% real + 2.5% expected inflation number. Lower expected returns increases the importance of reducing expenses in one's portfolio. I think it also increases the reason to consider a more diverse asset allocation (slice-and-dice) to improve the efficiency of the portfolio. Since we have been in a bull market for bonds the past 30 years, the impact of bond-heavy asset allocations (more than 50% bonds) on historical returns over the past 30 years has been minimal. Bonds have done a remarkable job of providing high return for a relatively low amount of risk. Going forward I think those with bond-heavy portfolios need to be prepared to see an even low...
- Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Just Starting Out, unique advice needed
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1672
Re: Just Starting Out, unique advice needed
Another poster mentioned this, but have you considered the impact of inflation on the price of your boat? in 20 years will it cost 3 to 4 million or did you already account for inflation in your numbers? I agree with you that traditional IRAs don't seem like a good place to grow the money you need to purchase the boat. You'll be 49 and she'll be 56, still well below age 59.5. The basis you paid into the Roth IRAs can be withdrawn without a penalty or taxes. That would be $220,000 you could withdraw tax-free if you both maxed-out your Roth IRAs over the next 20 years at the current contribution limit. As you say, you could invest in tax-efficient index funds in a taxable account to the point where you have a nice accumulation in 20 years. Ho...
- Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:53 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What do you wish you had learned sooner?
- Replies: 104
- Views: 19640
Re: What do you wish you had learned sooner?
In order of importance: 1. The true impact of compound interest and the impact it has on the savings rate throughout your working career. 2. The impact of compounding expenses how you "get what you don't pay for". 3. The importance of asset allocation and rebalancing in determining the risk/return of a portfolio. 4. The benefit of contributing to a Roth IRA early in one's career when at a relatively low tax bracket. As a young, naive investor I was "aware" of some of these topics, but didn't really understand their importance. I remember learning about compound interest in high school and college finance classes. Maybe I was just tuned-out, but I don't remember it making much of an impression on me back then. Maybe it wa...
- Wed Jul 17, 2013 10:20 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Roth IRA contribution/conversion - Social Security Taxation
- Replies: 2
- Views: 541
Roth IRA contribution/conversion - Social Security Taxation
I have been reading up on the various benefits of contributing to or converting to a Roth IRA. One of the benefits sometimes mentioned is the reduction or even elimination of taxation of SS benefits. Keep one's taxable IRA distributions and other taxable income small enough and you will either greatly reduce or eliminate taxation on one's SS benefit. While this concept certainly makes sense to me, especially for those who are in or near retirement, I see a flaw in it for younger investors who still have many years to go until retirement. The problem is that the income limits used to determine taxation on SS are not adjusted for inflation. These limits were set back in 1983, and revised in 1989. Since then, inflation has eroded these limits ...
- Mon Jul 15, 2013 3:16 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Splitting Growth And Value Leads To A Worse Return
- Replies: 36
- Views: 6670
Re: Splitting Growth And Value Leads To A Worse Return
Here's the size/valuation on 100% IWB:
25 26 27
7 7 7
1 0 0
And 50% IWF, 50% IWD:
25 26 27
7 7 7
1 0 0
Exactly the same. It makes sense that the reduction in annualized return is about the same as the increase ER of the split funds.
25 26 27
7 7 7
1 0 0
And 50% IWF, 50% IWD:
25 26 27
7 7 7
1 0 0
Exactly the same. It makes sense that the reduction in annualized return is about the same as the increase ER of the split funds.
- Thu Jul 04, 2013 8:30 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best place to get inexpensive glasses
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3345
Re: Best place to get inexpensive glasses
I buy my glasses from eyebuydirect.com. They have a very nice selection and the prices are LOW. If you select one of their many low-cost frames and just stick with the standard lenses, you can get a pair for $20. They frequently run buy-one-get-one-free sales too. About the only complaint I have with them is that it takes about 10-14 days to get your new glasses shipped. I have ordered standard eyeglasses, sunglasses, and progressive lense glasses and all were an excellent value. If you go the online route, have your sister get an eye exam and have her prescription printed out. She'll need the get the pupillary distance (PD) from the eye doctor also. She'll need to enter the prescription and PD on the website when she sets-up an account. I ...
- Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8422
Re: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
This then gets back to is using permanent insurance or an annuity a good way to invest? If you had invested that money in a boglehead manner instead of the permanent insurance then you would have a lot more money. Have you looked at the return on such a policy over the 40-50 years (if purchased at 30 or 40 given your age 80 example) and the difference in money available? Would you invest with a group charging 3% AUM fees? While LTCi has many issues with it(and im not an agent or financial professional and of course all of this is my opinion), its still better to buy a seperate ltci policy and invest seperately then it is to buy a combo product. Heck at least this way if your policy doesnt cover enough bc of inflation/rise of health care et...
- Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8422
Re: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
An interesting point from the WSJ article is that a lot of the financial pressure on companies is because they projected the rate at which people would drop policies (after having had them for a while) as being 3x what it actually is. This is related to what I was referring to in an earlier post. Once you have paid into a policy for a while you feel as though you have made an "investment" (I know, bad word for it) in the policy and can't stomach the thought of cancelling the policy. There has been a lot of media coverage in the past couple of years about the rising costs of healthcare and the rising costs of long-term care. This has raised awareness and created a more widespread fear that is an incentive to keep a policy in-force...
- Wed Jul 03, 2013 11:12 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8422
Re: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
Dhodson, what you are saying makes sense. I understand the math and the "no free lunch" mentality. The death benefit is reduced as the policy holder uses money to cover LTC costs. This makes sense since you are removing value from the policy. Reading through some of the other Bogleheads threads and the link you provided, the analysis in these threads always seems to assume LTC will in fact be needed. What if it isn't needed? What if I get to 80 years of age, am in good health, and am essentially self-insured with other assets. I suppose I could just keep paying the LTCi policy premiums in that case since I can certainly afford it. If I had a CV life policy with a LTC rider, I could use the cash in the policy for something else or ...
- Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:20 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8422
Re: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
This has been discussed many times. You may wish to search. Thanks dhodson, I will search the forums to see what I can find on this subject. In essence combo products are the worst since you can find a seperate ltci and whatever permanent product (annuity or life insurance) for cheaper then the costs of the combo products. My thoughts on your response... According to what I have read you can usually purchase such a rider for an additional 20% or so above the usual life premium. I don't see how that incremental cost makes the hybrid product more expensive than a LTCi policy + a separate life policy. Also, when combining a life policy with a LTC rider aren't your premiums guaranteed depending on the structure of the contract? If so, that see...
- Wed Jul 03, 2013 9:55 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8422
Re: Long-Term-Care Insurance Leaves Customers Groping
I know how most Bogleheads feel about permanent life insurance, but has anyone who is looking at a LTC policy considered purchasing a hybrid life policy with a "chronic illness accelerated benefit" rider instead? The rider allows you to access a portion of the death benefit for LTC costs. With the cost of LTCi going up and the fact that there is a good chance it will never be used, it seems these hybrid policies might be more attractive. If you never use it for LTC, the death benefit would pass to your beneficiary. You also have the flexibility to use the cash in the policy for anything else during retirement. I don't think either of these is true for most LTC policies.
- Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Best asset allocation book to read?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 13318
Re: Best asset allocation book to read?
If I had to recommend a single book, it would be Ferri's "All About Asset Allocation" Second Edition. I read it a few months ago and it impressed me as a I read it and stayed with me after I was done. I found the organization of the book, the use of charts and examples, and the amount of technical detail to be just right for me.
- Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: fidelity bogleheads
- Replies: 22
- Views: 5577
Re: fidelity bogleheads
Those are the same funds I hold in my Fidelity IRA account. FSGDX contains emerging markets and Canada, which makes it a good all-in-one international fund.feh wrote:Very similar to my list:livesoft wrote:My 401(k) offers (and I have used or currently use):
FUSVX S&P500 index
FSEVX ext-market mid/small, completion index
FSGDX all-world ex-US int'l
FSITX total US bond index
The FUSEX is just a more expensive share class of FUSVX.
FSTVX
FSGDX
FSITX
FSRVX (REIT)
- Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:28 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Wife's IRA
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1017
Re: Wife's IRA
I would recommend building a single unified portfolio between you and your wife without unnecessarily duplicating funds between your accounts. Your wife does not need a complete coffee house line up and you have a complete coffee house lineup. Whatever portfolio you want, just create it between your accounts. This will simplify life. In general, there should be only a few funds per account. I agree. I just finished restructuring my portfolio to treat all accounts, including my wife's Roth IRA, as part of one large asset allocation. By doing so I was able to lower my overall expense ratio from .28% to .12%. I am a slice and dice investor, so I am very happy with a .12% ER. By doing this, you can also more effectively place asset classes in ...
- Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:54 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bank of America HSA options getting better!
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4962
Re: Bank of America HSA options getting better!
Aside from their obvious tax benefits when used to pay for qualified medical expenses, HSAs have another significant advantage over traditional IRAs: No required minimum distributions at age 70-1/2. If HSA investment choices were truly as vast and low-cost as most 401K and employer plans, then wouldn't the HSA be a better account to fully-fund before an employer plan? True, you do have to wait until age 65 to withdraw for non-medical expenses (unless you withdraw the equivalent of qualified expenses paid out-of-pocket while saving in the HSA). Waiting until age 65 shouldn't be a problem since you will still have some 401k assets to withdraw until that time. In the wiki and in threads throughout this forum, the order for funding retirement a...
- Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
- Replies: 77
- Views: 6922
Re: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
Goodman60, I like your idea of an automotive "half-life". As you mentioned, the half-life period is different depending on the car. One huge factor in determining the half-life you didn't mention is the amount of options on the car. For example, a base model will have a longer half-life than a fully-loaded model. There's a lot of markup on optional equipment that the used market discounts heavily. I try to purchase cars with very few options for that reason. I partially agree with your thoughts on leasing being a good idea for people who are going through a lifestyle change, especially students. Many of these people fall into the category of someone who can't afford the down payment or taxes up-front. If you can afford them, then ...
- Fri Jun 07, 2013 1:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
- Replies: 77
- Views: 6922
Re: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
Leasing is typically for people who want to drive a more expensive car than they can afford to purchase, those who don't have enough saved for a down payment and taxes, or those who want to be in a new car every 2-4 years. I have leased cars in the past for many of the reasons listed above, but probably won't do it again (at least not while I am still in my accumulation years).
- Fri Jun 07, 2013 12:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
- Replies: 77
- Views: 6922
Re: Free Cars for Life [POLL]
Personally I like to purchase a reliable, fuel-efficient, non-premium car (Toyota, Honda, Nissan) that is 1-2 years old, drive it for about 10 years, sell it for whatever it is worth, and repeat. - Buying a 1-2 year old car avoids the initial depreciation hit - Keeping it a minimum of 10 years ensures you aren't paying taxes, tag, and title fees too often - Selling it after 10 years of ownership ensures you stay up-to-date with modern safety innovations and avoids most of the inevitable costly repairs of owning an older car Whether to pay cash or finance the next car purchase is purely a function of interest rates on a loan. If they are low, as they are right now, financing a car can be a good financial decision. I'd rather keep my capital ...
- Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:36 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bank of America HSA options getting better!
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4962
Re: Bank of America HSA options getting better!
Bank of America has a $4.50 per month maintenance fee which can be waived if the account is opened on behalf of some employers. This is according to their website. That being the only fee would make the net monthly fees lower than HSA Bank (currently the lowest fee option for purchasing Vanguard mutual funds). This assumes you are paying both the maintenance fee and investment fee with HSA Bank due to a low balance in the cash account.
The quoted Vanguard funds above are all Investor class. I wonder if you would automatically be upgraded to Admiral class once the fund balance reached $10,000? If so, this is getting pretty interesting.
The quoted Vanguard funds above are all Investor class. I wonder if you would automatically be upgraded to Admiral class once the fund balance reached $10,000? If so, this is getting pretty interesting.
- Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Premium Products That Are Worth It To You
- Replies: 368
- Views: 65029
Re: Premium Products That Are Worth It To You
I used to buy more premium products a few years ago, but have become more frugal. With that said, I still think the premium for the following products is worth it:
iPad
iPhone (not really a premium product any more since most smartphones in this class are about the same price)
Macintosh
Beer (microbrews and imports)
iPad
iPhone (not really a premium product any more since most smartphones in this class are about the same price)
Macintosh
Beer (microbrews and imports)
- Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Whole Life vs Term? Help please...
- Replies: 59
- Views: 3984
Re: Whole Life vs Term? Help please...
Deepsea, you are entering a spiraling vortex of point - counterpoint when debating whole life on these forums. I've been through it myself. If you have done your research and are comfortable with the results, then that should be good enough for you.
About the only thing most people here will agree on is that once you have paid premiums on a whole life policy for a certain period of time (often 10+ years), it may be better to keep the policy than to surrender it. This is because the majority of commissions and fees have been paid and the policy is starting to perform better, especially on any new money added to it.
About the only thing most people here will agree on is that once you have paid premiums on a whole life policy for a certain period of time (often 10+ years), it may be better to keep the policy than to surrender it. This is because the majority of commissions and fees have been paid and the policy is starting to perform better, especially on any new money added to it.
- Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What do I do with a rollover IRA?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1942
Re: What do I do with a rollover IRA?
I have a Fidelity Rollover IRA, although I may move it to Vanguard soon. I primarily invest in index fund ETFs. Fidelity currently offers 65 commission-free ETFs, many of which are low expense index ETFs:
https://www.fidelity.com/etfs/ishares
Personally, I hold a mix of some iShares ETFs and Vanguard ETFs in my Fidelity Rollover IRA. Since the majority are Vanguard, I plan to transfer the IRA to Vanguard to save a little money on trade commissions every time I rebalance.
Matt
https://www.fidelity.com/etfs/ishares
Personally, I hold a mix of some iShares ETFs and Vanguard ETFs in my Fidelity Rollover IRA. Since the majority are Vanguard, I plan to transfer the IRA to Vanguard to save a little money on trade commissions every time I rebalance.
Matt
- Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:09 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2905
Re: VWO up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
For those who wonder what the point of owning VWO instead of / in addition to VEMAX: I own VEMAX in a Vanguard Roth IRA that I dollar-cost average into each pay period. I own VWO (the ETF) in a Fidelity Rollover IRA account. Purchasing the mutual fund share class (VEMAX) incurs a higher trading fee at Fidelity. I am planning to move my Fidelity Rollover IRA to Vanguard, but I may go with a Vanguard brokerage account instead of a mutual fund account. The reason is that I can purchase ETFs for asset classes that Vanguard isn't necessarily the best choice (international large value) and because I may hold less than $10,000 in a particular asset class in that account, making the ETF a lower-cost alternative. Long-term I will probably convert mu...
- Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:17 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2905
Re: VWO up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
I guess it's not the actual premium that surprises me as much as he change in premium in one trading day. Net change of 1.6% in one day.
- Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:16 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2905
Re: VWO up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
I'm not worried about it. I've just don't recall ever seeing such a high premium to NAV on such a large ETF. I've seen it in some of the smaller iShares ETFs, sure, but not VWO. What does such a high discount/premium to NAV on a large ETF indicate?
- Mon Jun 03, 2013 7:10 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2905
Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) up 1.6%, VEMAX down .06% today?
I hold shares of Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) in one account and Vanguard Emerging Markets mutual fund (VEMAX) in another account. I noticed VWO was up 1.6% today and VEMAX was down .06%. Does anyone know why?
- Fri May 17, 2013 10:50 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Vanguard Should Have Passive Funds, Without Indexes
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1911
Re: Vanguard Should Have Passive Funds, Without Indexes
I think the OP poses an interesting question. I think a company the size of Vanguard could produce a set of funds similar to DFA in that they don't track an index per-se, are very low-cost, and don't require an advisor to sell them.
Let me re-phrase this in the form of a question: "Would you switch to DFA if their expense ratios were more comparable to Vanguard and they sold their funds directly without needing an advisor"?
Let me re-phrase this in the form of a question: "Would you switch to DFA if their expense ratios were more comparable to Vanguard and they sold their funds directly without needing an advisor"?