Search found 68 matches

by jupiter_man
Mon Jul 24, 2023 9:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience
Replies: 11
Views: 1466

Re: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience

Morgan22 wrote: Thu Jul 20, 2023 12:27 pm You can go through 23 and me or ancestry to get your DNA test done. Then take the raw data and upload to Prometheus to get a DNA analysis. It was $5 or $10 about 5 years ago. Not sure if the cost is still the same. You can search through the Prometheus analysis results for specific ailments to see if you have a predisposition or not.
Thanks for the information about Promethease.com
by jupiter_man
Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience
Replies: 11
Views: 1466

Re: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience

I have used 23 and me (early on, when you got the data and could run it through a program called Prometheus) and that was a few $100. The Grail test is a test to see if you have any circulating DNA in your blood (cfDNA) that arises from cancer. I think it is a better cancer screen than whole body scanning, as there are many fewer false positives and thus, fewer unnecessary work ups. Mine was $1,000 out of pocket and while it was negative, there was virtually no information that comes to you as a patient. So it’s reassuring, but a negative test has no actionable data. I am currently undergoing whole genome sequencing (WGS) through George Church’s Nebula. The cost of that was ~$500 for fairly good oversampling of the data. Nebula has so far ...
by jupiter_man
Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience
Replies: 11
Views: 1466

Re: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience

life in slices wrote: Thu Jul 20, 2023 8:14 am I have used the raw data from my 23 and me test to run through various 3rd party site to pull pull out data of interest - including determining my ApoE genotype

Have had two annual tests through GRAIL, for early cancer detection; super easy, but need to work with a physician who will need to approve it
Thank you for the information about grail.com and their Cancer Detection Test.
by jupiter_man
Mon Jul 24, 2023 8:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience
Replies: 11
Views: 1466

Re: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience

pawtucket wrote: Thu Jul 20, 2023 7:42 am I had a series of tests performed by Ambry Genetics in connection with a diagnosis. I didn't qualify for insurance coverage for the testing, but I think I benefited from some pricing that the hospital had arranged. It was only $250 for a series of cancer panels. Turnaround time on results was reasonably quick.

Thank you for the information on Ambry Genetics, their website has lot of good information.
by jupiter_man
Wed Jul 19, 2023 10:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience
Replies: 11
Views: 1466

Genetic Testing (Health) - Options, Cost and Experience

I am considering a Genetic Test (USA) to find out if am Predisposed to any known health problems. I am not interested in the ancestry aspect of it, but if that is part of the package then so be it. I did Google some companies, but getting lost in options, varying degree of pricing and worry about privacy. Does anyone have any personal experience experiences they can share? What types of genetic tests are available for health predictions, and how do they differ in terms of the information they provide, etc. Costs, and did the insurance cover anything? Can individuals request the deletion of their genetic data after receiving the results? I am concerned about privacy and how my personal DNA info could be used by the company. Please do not get...
by jupiter_man
Mon Sep 20, 2021 2:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1276928

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Better : 2.25% Fixed 15 Y. No lender credit. Cash out Refinance. Total Loan below 0.5m

How are people getting the $6k credits or AMEX deals? Is this a good deal?
by jupiter_man
Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Move to Denver (Job) or stay in NoVA ?
Replies: 53
Views: 7966

Re: Move to Denver (Job) or stay in NoVA ?

Thanks for the feedback. I am adding more information below for some of the questions: 1. We have no family in NoVA area. Closest family is in the New England area. 2. The pay raise is probably in the ball park of 40% once I add the Bonus and other Long term Stock compensation. 3. Wife is employed in a Federal related private company here and earns 35% of what I make today (less than 100K), and we have health insurance through her. 4. I will get a severance package of 1 year (salary) if I decline the move and all current unvested stock options (RSU) will vest which I would value approx equivalent to 2 years of base pay. So in a nut shell I will get 1 yr salary (on a monthly basis) + immediate vesting of stock worth 2 yr of current pay. 5. O...
by jupiter_man
Thu Jun 02, 2016 10:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Move to Denver (Job) or stay in NoVA ?
Replies: 53
Views: 7966

Move to Denver (Job) or stay in NoVA ?

I am looking for some recommendations from the experienced community. My kid was lucky to get into TJ (Thomas Jefferson H.S. for Science and Tech) , which as some of you may know is a leading STEM school in the country. Spouse and Kid both are very happy with the selection, as the process of getting in was very rigorous and tough. As luck would have it, the company is moving my job to Denver area with a promotion and with a good bump up in salary, so we are in a bind now. Should we decline the move to Denver or look for another job in the NoVA area? Schools in Denver are good, but from what we can tell based on our internet research they are not at the level of TJ. Spouse is ok to move, but I am hesitant to let go the learning opportunity m...
by jupiter_man
Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Switching from Vonage to Ooma Phone Service
Replies: 16
Views: 4171

Re: Switching from Vonage to Ooma Phone Service

One sticking point for me in giving up Vonage is that I'm hooked on their automatic speech-to-text transcription feature for voicemail that gets forwarded to email. I like being able to read voicemails instead of listening to them, especially when I'm on the go and need to quickly determine if I need to deal with a message. Does anyone have a setup with Google Voice and Obi where voicemails get automatically transcribed and sent to them by email? Does it work well? Hi magellan, I have the Obi and setup the Google Voice # to Obi, I do get the Speech-to-Text emails from Google to my gmail account. The emails also have an attachment to play the actual message. If you have a smartphone and sync your gmails to the phone you can listen to the vo...
by jupiter_man
Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What temperature for house for long winter absence?
Replies: 70
Views: 188052

Re: What temperature for house for long winter absence?

atfish wrote:We always winterize a property, that is going to be vacant for a long period, by blowing out the water lines with a air compressor attached to a outside facet. With air pressure applied to the water lines close all the facets in the house and open them one at a time till all the water is gone. After blowing out all the water lines we pour antifreeze in all the drains and in the commode. We turn off the heat and leave the freezer & fridge running. We have done this for many years & never had a problem.
Is there a specific "AntiFreeze" to pour down the drain?
by jupiter_man
Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:38 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: You folks think [a market crash] is coming?
Replies: 64
Views: 8496

Re: You folks think the big one is coming?

Might as well drop now instead of in 2025, at least it gives us time to buy low.
by jupiter_man
Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Comcast's XFINITIWIFI
Replies: 29
Views: 4832

Re: Comcast's XFINITIWIFI

Apparently not everyone is pleased with this - http://consumerist.com/2014/12/09/comcast-customers-sue-cable-giant-for-making-their-home-routers-into-wifi-hotspots/ http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Comcast-sued-for-turning-home-Wi-Fi-routers-into-5943750.php http://speedify.com/blog/comcast-class-action-suit/ http://speedify.com/blog/hidden-cost-xfinity-router-2/ {the experts here claim that it costs approx $20 to $30 / year that YOU are paying in electricity costs due to the extra WiFi Network} Of course I do the benefit of using other peoples home network when traveling, what I don't know is that I am generally traveling to Public places not close to Residential or homes so not sure how I can take advantage of this network. I like i...
by jupiter_man
Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 23 year old... Can I afford a Rolex?
Replies: 213
Views: 45563

Re: 23 year old... Can I afford a Rolex?

Hello Bogleheads, I've been debating for some time whether it is the right time to buy a Rolex for myself. I have numerous watches but have never payed anything over a few hundred for one. My financial situation is currently 100% debt free with maxed out roth ira contributions as well as a secure "safety nest" if I ever needed funding. The question isn't whether I can afford it or not, but is it better spent else where? Let's say I spend $5,000 on a rolex tomorrow, because indefinitely I plan on getting one in the future.... the question is do I get it now, or should I wait till I'm 30 perhaps? While I have numerous other watches owning your first rolex is just something different. (plus it can be resold). What are your personal ...
by jupiter_man
Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you use a phone book?
Replies: 51
Views: 4393

Re: Do you use a phone book?

I can't find the news link, but I vaguely remember that there was a law passed by Congress to have the Phone Companies (Copper wire kinds) to send out a Phone Book.
by jupiter_man
Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What percent "Boglehead" are you?
Replies: 125
Views: 15492

Re: What percent "Boglehead" are you?

Using 'nisiprius' format:


1 - Develop a workable Plan: 9
2 - Invest early and often: 6 and 10 [6 because started only in a 401K when I was close to 30, often - Yes 10] so avg : 8
3 - Just enough risk: 9 [ between 70 - 75% ]
4 - Diversify: 9 [ Now Mostly Index since last 8 years; Some historical individual fund and other that is in Taxable so don't want to trigger a gain: Total less than 5%, ]
5 - Don't time the market: 10
6 - Index: 10
7 - Keep costs low: 10
8 - Minimize taxes: 10
9 - Invest with simplicity: 10
10 - Stay the course: 10

95% !
by jupiter_man
Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:29 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Gold to tank in 2014: Goldman Sachs"
Replies: 112
Views: 15414

Re: "Gold to tank in 2014: Goldman Sachs"

Bump Up, its almost end of the year. So how are the predictions holding up on the Gold Price?
by jupiter_man
Tue May 06, 2014 6:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Identity Theft Scam
Replies: 20
Views: 3234

Re: New Identity Theft Scam

I have always wondered why these scammers use poor English and those sentences in all CAPS is just annoying. MS Word or even Open Office can do some basic spelling and grammar check ! :happy
by jupiter_man
Tue Apr 01, 2014 9:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Maintenance $$'s spent over the lifetime on your Car
Replies: 38
Views: 4741

Re: Maintenance $$'s spent over the lifetime on your Car

Thanks everybody.

Here is the breakup of what I have spent
First 5 Years : $2,300 (0 - 50k Miles) Only had one Car
5 - 10 Years : $3,700 (50K - 90K Miles) (Timing Belt/Water Pump , new Tiers,etc ) Bought a Van for Spouse as a second vehicle, and use that for Vacation Trips etc
10 -14+(now) : $1,700 (90K - 113K+) (New Tiers) Small commute

Insurance cost is $360/Year (Property Damage + Bodily Injury are almost $200 out of this $360/year).

What are some decent cars that I should start looking at that can be next BH Car , has the Hybrid or Electric Technology worth the cost ?
by jupiter_man
Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best ways to show daily news to 9 year old
Replies: 28
Views: 3262

Re: Best ways to show daily news to 9 year old

I see the "Nightly News with Brian Williams" everyday at 7pm on NBC and I want my daughter to join me so that she can also get an update on what's happening around the world. But the advertisements in the middle of the news(like "Cialis") are age inappropriate and I wish this kind of ads are not there. What are some best ways of updating kids with daily happenings? Live news is tough in the US Channels. Do you get the BBC World News or could be the BBC International Channel , I have found that to be clean and to the point and it also gives a better world view as compared to the 24 hour news "improve your ratings" US Cable Channels. Also see if your local newspaper (online / Print ) has a Kids section. I found ...
by jupiter_man
Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Maintenance $$'s spent over the lifetime on your Car
Replies: 38
Views: 4741

Maintenance $$'s spent over the lifetime on your Car

I have a 14 Year old Car, and I have maintained all the servicing records and money spent over the years on the car. Yesterday I calculated that it cost me $550/Year over the last 14 years for the Service (Oils Change, Filter, Tires, Battery, Timing Belt - which was expensive etc) . Spouse says to get rid of it and buy something new(er), but as a BH I want to continue to use it for my short commute to work, and see if I can use it for another 2 years. In cumulative dollar terms the $550/Year is about $7,700 over the 14 years. Mileage on the Car is about 115K , so its not that much, but age is a concern in terms of any structural issues. Do the BH's recommend I go for a replacement ? How much money have you typically spent on your car's main...
by jupiter_man
Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Purchasing New Tires for Car and Need Suggestions
Replies: 38
Views: 5014

Re: Purchasing New Tires for Car and Need Suggestions

+ on Purchasing from Costco.

Recently got Michelins from Costco for my Car. They fill in Nitrogen , but I have not done any research on the value of Nitrogen over regular Air. The BF Goodrich were about $15 - $20 cheaper , so that will also work.
by jupiter_man
Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Need advice: Lost lot of money in trading.
Replies: 65
Views: 9248

Re: Need advice: Lost lot of money in trading.

OK BUDDY! I retract my previous statement, you need to get out and not buy any stocks at all. At double the current market cap NIHD would still be buying almost pure debt (or the debt of the debt!). You did no research on this or completely flawed research that would indicate that you just gambled money for no reason. GET OUT and don't buy any stocks until you understand a good reason to buy them. I know this is after the fact but this explains the why the PPS could be halved (aside from Mr Market rarely behaves rationally): http://247wallst.com/telecom-wireless/2014/02/28/the-endgame-for-nii-holdings-nears/ I read this but that articled failed to mention few things: 1) NIHD signed a deal with TEF where TEF indrectly become stakeholder in ...
by jupiter_man
Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Switching from Full-Time Career to Contractor - Pros/Cons?
Replies: 14
Views: 2480

Re: Switching from Full-Time Career to Contractor - Pros/Con

You need to go a minimum 30% - 40% above your current salary - so go for at least $85/hr. Try to shoot for $90/hr.
by jupiter_man
Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best Non-Stick Pan or Skillet
Replies: 52
Views: 11224

Re: Best Non-Stick Pan or Skillet

Thank you for the great suggestions and recommendations :happy
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: fluorescent tube light bulbs
Replies: 12
Views: 4223

Re: fluorescent tube light bulbs

A couple of at least ten year old fluorescent light bulbs in the garage need replacing. They're marked Econ-O-Watt Rapid Start Only F40D/RS/EW-B 40 watt. So I've been grubbing around the Lowe's website, and it's not clear to me if the "lamp shape," i.e. T8, T12, etc. matters. I found on the web that the current bulbs are T12. Will a T8 or whatever fit the fixture and work properly with it, or do I have to replace the fixture? T8s seem to be a smaller diameter, but I can't tell whether or not the pins are spaced differently. Thanks. Please take one out and visit a Brick mortar Lowes / HomeDepot or closest home store, its difficult to compare the options on the internet. I had the same issue and found the information on the web sit...
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Reasons why you're choosing your tax software this year
Replies: 39
Views: 3467

Re: Reasons why you're choosing your tax software this year

dewey wrote:Turbo-Tax via Vanguard
+1
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: best tips for passwords?
Replies: 141
Views: 19482

Re: best tips for passwords?

Length.
Use a long phrase at the end. e.g. BASE+SITE+Common-Phrase

BASE is same for all sites - this could be your fav complex key
SITE - this changes based on site - fidelity , vanguard etc
Common-Phrase - a long line e.g. ilikegoingtothegym or myfirstcarwasanissan
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Postage paid envelopes
Replies: 49
Views: 5795

Re: Postage paid envelopes

AQ wrote:I'm still old-fashioned, and snail mail a check to Vanguard to add investment..

Recently I asked for a few new postage paid envelopes. Today I got paid Fedex Extremely Urgent envelopes. Is this the perk for being a flagship account? :D

If you are using the postage paid to add $50K+ good for all of us that have Vanguard accounts :happy I hope you are not using these FedEx envelopes to send $100 contributions.
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Getting Best Price for a Prescription Drug
Replies: 71
Views: 19612

Re: Getting Best Price for a Prescription Drug

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/world ... ealth&_r=0

How do you know if the cheaper generics or for that matter any prescription drugs are from Asia ?
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Dual Income Family Emergency Fund Help
Replies: 11
Views: 2130

Re: Dual Income Family Emergency Fund Help

chicago_meatball wrote:Hi,

…. but its very stable right now.
As you said your job is very stable , so add to the 2013 Roth , please don't cut the 401K , continue to max it if you can. Day Care expense tends to gets cheaper when kids are older in K+, so your Day Care expense should start to reduce soon, please check and see if that is indeed the case in your area. Isn't your older kid going to start school this year ? Do they have a after school care that is cheaper ?
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: taxes done and…why is my spouse working?
Replies: 90
Views: 12784

Re: taxes done and…why is my spouse working?

Spouse works for social interaction and has flexibility to work from home at least once a week, remember that in 10 or years when the kids are in High School or College, there may not be much to do at home all day. We keep our expenses within a single income , so that we have flexibility in case spouse wants to leave the job. Don't get trapped into the two income spending limit.
by jupiter_man
Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best Non-Stick Pan or Skillet
Replies: 52
Views: 11224

Best Non-Stick Pan or Skillet

Any recommendations for a non stick pan or skillet ? We are trying to reduce the quantity of oil we use in cooking, we were using a Teflon coated T-Fal product but that has started to peel so we are looking for a replacement. A quick amazon search turned up Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Pan http://www.amazon.com/Textured-Ceramic- ... roduct_top the product has good reviews.

Thanks.
by jupiter_man
Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Will spouse have to pay Income Tax on Insurance
Replies: 1
Views: 458

Will spouse have to pay Income Tax on Insurance

I have a 20 year Term Life for $1M, will my spouse have to pay income tax on these proceeds of this life insurance. My calculation for the $1M policy was that it will be income tax free, if spouse has to pay 35% Federal tax rate + State Tax 6% then I will have to increase it to $1.5M to cover for the taxes. The $1M will cover the balance of the Mortgage and education of two kids and then some.

Thanks.
by jupiter_man
Tue Feb 04, 2014 7:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keeping internet provider without price hikes
Replies: 53
Views: 7459

Re: Keeping internet provider without price hikes

This afternoon I just switched from Verizon Fios to Cablevision/Optimum on Line. My comments below might be the same if I had switched the other way. I just exchanged 3 year old equipment for brand new. In the case of the WiFi, the upgrade gave me much better service. Companies do not want to upgrade equipment, so you may have to change providers to get the latest. I now have 802.11N. Before, it was 802.11G. I could not get service in my favorite chair with Fios. Also, switching gives me contact with a knowledgable person to help me configure access to community WiFi and other features that had become available with my other provider, but had not been set up yet. I heard from my friend who is the NY area that Cablevision/Optimum also has s...
by jupiter_man
Tue Nov 19, 2013 9:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Entry level DSLR recommendations
Replies: 19
Views: 2773

Re: Entry level DSLR recommendations

Fellow bogleheads, The wife has put in a request for a new DSLR. Entry level is fine, refurbished is ok too. Budget is approximately $400 (would prefer 18-55 lens included with the body). I have been doing my homework and found this deal for $339 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827671-REF/Canon_5157B015AA_EOS_Rebel_T3_Digital.html Brand new it is $429 with goodies included http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753766-REG/Canon_5757B002_EOS_Rebel_T3_Digital.html Another brand new choice for $426 with goodies included http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/730210-REG/Nikon_25472_D3100_Digital_SLR_Camera.html Any words on these choices? Any other recommendations? regards tamudude I am in the same situation and would not like to spend 4 d...
by jupiter_man
Sat Nov 16, 2013 9:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: VA529 NAV of Total Stock Different from Vanguard Ticker
Replies: 3
Views: 586

Re: VA529 NAV of Total Stock Different from Vanguard Ticker

Thanks "G-Money" and "sscritic" for the explanation.
by jupiter_man
Sat Nov 16, 2013 4:52 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: VA529 NAV of Total Stock Different from Vanguard Ticker
Replies: 3
Views: 586

VA529 NAV of Total Stock Different from Vanguard Ticker

Had a general question on the VA 529's VEST:

VA VEST Total Stock Market Index Portfolio is the "Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund – VITSX" . http://www.virginia529.com/invest/perfo ... /index.php shows the price is about $17.40. However according to Vanguard's site the price for the same mutual fund ticker is about $45.48 https://institutional.vanguard.com/VGAp ... undId=0855

Any idea why its different ?

Thanks.
by jupiter_man
Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: AAPL
Replies: 232
Views: 71618

Re: AAPL

I feel happy when AAPL goes up as I own them in the Total Index.
I feel indifferent when AAPL goes down as I own thousands of other companies as part of the Total index.

To be honest, sometimes work is so busy these days, I don't even get to see the business news all day. Only when I come home and have some time after kids go do bed to see whats going on from the bogleheads site. Thanks for your guidance in keeping the investments philosphy and my life so simple :-)
by jupiter_man
Sun Aug 18, 2013 6:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: VZ FIOS knows your personal WiFi Password, is this normal ?
Replies: 19
Views: 3121

Re: VZ FIOS knows your personal WiFi Password !!!

Did you change the default router password like VZ recommends? http://www.verizon.com/support/residential/internet/fiosinternet/networking/setup/security/128291.htm Correct Ged, I am not using the Default SSID / Default password that is printed on the Wireless Router. I am using my own SSID Name and password, that I setup by connecting a laptop directly on the router and going to the 192.168.1.1 address. While all financial and bank sites are HTTPS which implies End to End security, I am more worried that someone can hack into VZ get the WiFi Password and do "illegal" stuff by connecting to the Wireless Router. I have to check the 3 pages worth of T&C's to see if I have I "agreed" to this, and not sure if I can opt ...
by jupiter_man
Sun Aug 18, 2013 2:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: VZ FIOS knows your personal WiFi Password, is this normal ?
Replies: 19
Views: 3121

Re: VZ FIOS knows your personal WiFi Password !!!

pheleven wrote:That sounds pretty lame. Is this support/billing page using only HTTPS (I hope)? Your own suggestion of your own router is probably your best bet. That said, I suggest never trusting wireless even at home with a strong WPA2 passphrase for anything you want complete privacy with (IE Banking).
The VZ page to see the bill is https://www.verizon.com , once I login I can see my services that I subscribe to (TV, Internet, etc). On the same https page is where they are showing the WiFi Password.
by jupiter_man
Sun Aug 18, 2013 1:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: VZ FIOS knows your personal WiFi Password, is this normal ?
Replies: 19
Views: 3121

VZ FIOS knows your personal WiFi Password, is this normal ?

I have VZ FIOS Internet for couple of years. I recently logged in to the online account to check my billing details (http://www.verizon.com) and I was surprised that VZ showed me my custom WiFi SSID and WPA2 Password (in clear text). The SSID Name is what I setup locally on the VZ WiFi Router, not the default SSID that comes with the router. Obviously VZ was able to read the WiFi Router Settings and display it to me. It is really creepy for VZ to know my SSID Password. Any security experts have an thoughts on this ? Is this a new trend from the ISP companies to have total control and personal configuration information of the devices they own? Do other ISPs know the WiFi SSID Password ? Comcast, TWC, ATT, COX, etc Please post your experience...
by jupiter_man
Wed Jul 24, 2013 12:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Letter from Vanguard- "householding"
Replies: 3
Views: 1570

Re: Letter from Vanguard- "householding"

I think I got this sometime back when me and my spouse were getting two letters or other mandatory Notices from VG.
Basically they are asking if you would like to get a single consolidated Notices if you meet the conditions. I dont think this is merging the account statements, but SEC mandated notices.
by jupiter_man
Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Salary Raise - What to do?
Replies: 13
Views: 2974

Re: Salary Raise - What to do?

Congrats, these days people get no raise at all, or will get something small but the company adds another 50% of the workload.
You are saving 25% for Retirement, are you able to reach the 401K IRS Limit ? if not add the 2% towards that.
by jupiter_man
Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What Are You Using for Your Emergency Funds?
Replies: 63
Views: 8267

Re: What Are You Using for Your Emergency Funds?

VMLUX: Vanguard Ltd-Term Tx-Ex Adm
by jupiter_man
Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:37 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What did Bogleheads do when the stock market crashed?
Replies: 129
Views: 88569

Re: What did Bogleheads do when the stock market crashed?

I did not have much concept of AA at that time, regardless I continued to buy Stocks in my 401K and taxable accounts. (Of course the drop in the portfolio was very hurtful)
These days regardless of the Bond situation, I continue to add Short Term Bonds to my portfolio to offset the gains made in stocks. Thanks to the Bogleheads Investing Philosophy, I now have concept of AA, so I will try to maintain that AA regardless of the market.

Thanks.
by jupiter_man
Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Paper versus e-Reader
Replies: 60
Views: 6625

Re: Paper versus e-Reader

e-reader is convenient, but I do find the books to expensive as compared to the Library; but the way everything is going digital, I wonder what happens 5,000 Years from now. Someone will come across our civilization and when they dig stuff, there will no hieroglyphics, no words, no cave paintings, no pictures, no stone tablets with writings, no Emblem glyphs (Maya?). They will find buildings with "crippled machines" (our Cloud Data Centers), they will find some "Disks" but no mechanisms to read the 0's and 1's. Future generations will wonder how we communicated, lived, what our issues were and why our civilization ended. I wonder if the Internet goes down for couple of days, and we loose access to all this cloud informat...
by jupiter_man
Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do the majority of people pay their Credit Card bill online
Replies: 117
Views: 10978

Re: Do the majority of people pay their Credit Card bill onl

The last bill I paid using a check was in 2003. At least before the CC Bill or other bills would come with Postage paid envelopes, I think?
I pay everything online. Utilities , Water are all Auto Debit. The rest go on the CC, and the CC is NOT on ACH but I do review all charges at the end of the month and pay it via online Bank debit.
by jupiter_man
Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:31 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Sad news - Pat Larimore]
Replies: 225
Views: 26836

Re: [Sad news - Pat Larimore]

Taylor,

Sorry for the loss. Please accept my condolences.
We've never met, but I do feel like I know you through this site and this community.