Search found 279 matches

by doug91
Thu Sep 23, 2021 12:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Steps to take before taking a job risk
Replies: 7
Views: 1355

Re: Steps to take before taking a job risk

Kenkat wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:27 am One thing to be aware of is that there is a minimum income requirement to be able to use an ACA plan; that’s $26,500 for a four person family so you’d need to find a way to generate some income in order to qualify.
Super important point! Thank you, I had no idea.
by doug91
Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Steps to take before taking a job risk
Replies: 7
Views: 1355

Re: Steps to take before taking a job risk

123 wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:14 pm
doug91 wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:00 pm ...Set aside $150K in cash based on expense projections and promises already made to the kids (e.g. going to the Aus/NZ-hosted Women's World Cup in 2023)
...Profile:
Age: 47 (wife is 48, children are 10 & 7)...
If you don't mention the Women's World Cup happening in 2023 to the kids again they'll likely forget and you can easily save $20K - $25K+ in travel expenses. Amazing that kids that age make such long-range plans.
In their defense, that might have been my idea, not theirs :)
by doug91
Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Steps to take before taking a job risk
Replies: 7
Views: 1355

Steps to take before taking a job risk

Hi - been a while since I have posted. I am about to kick off a tech startup with a few other folks, leaving a Fortune 1000 company to do so. I've done startups before (pre-kids) so am familiar with the day-to-day of it. That said, when I did it before we were able to use my wife's insurance so I didn't have the opportunity to negotiate the ACA marketplace, and I was way more casual about risk anyway because... pre-kids. :) The startup is still pre-funding, so I won't be drawing a salary until we've secured investors and sufficient run-rate revenue to maintain a good expense/revenue ratio. I would love advice from this group about what steps you've taken in similar situations - basically ideas on how to prepare myself & the family for a...
by doug91
Mon Jul 24, 2017 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Keep inherited Florida Fixed Fund?
Replies: 2
Views: 703

Keep inherited Florida Fixed Fund?

I have just inherited a 457 which holds the Florida Fixed Fund, a Nationwide investment fund which has a 3.5% rate of return. There are a number of other threads on this fund on the site and it seems to be generally thought of as A Good Thing. Based on my AA (which isn't totally accurate below but is directionally correct) and on the fact that not much else has a 3.5% rate of return, I think that I should move money out of my total bond market holdings, leave my inflation protected / I Bonds in place, and keep the NRS fund as-is. Any alternative suggestions? Profile: Age: 43 (wife is 44, daughters are 3 yr & 6 yr) Tax Filing Status: Married filing Jointly Tax Rate: 28% Federal 0% State (FL) Salary: $200,000 (him, she’s a SAHM) Emergency...
by doug91
Wed May 31, 2017 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TIRA vs Roth IRA for inherited 457 (govt)
Replies: 7
Views: 1130

Re: TIRA vs Roth IRA for inherited 457 (govt)

Great, thanks very much to everyone - looks like it isn't any more complicated than I thought and that it can be drawn down more slowly than my original misinterpretation led me to believe. I really appreciate the help as always.
by doug91
Tue May 30, 2017 9:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TIRA vs Roth IRA for inherited 457 (govt)
Replies: 7
Views: 1130

Re: TIRA vs Roth IRA for inherited 457 (govt)

Good catch, thank you - I totally misread that.
by doug91
Tue May 30, 2017 8:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TIRA vs Roth IRA for inherited 457 (govt)
Replies: 7
Views: 1130

TIRA vs Roth IRA for inherited 457 (govt)

My father just passed away unexpectedly and I am a beneficiary of his governmental 457. Based on my research thus far, my plan is as follows; I would appreciate any advice to the contrary, since I'm unfortunately (or luckily, I guess) exploring some of these topics for the first time. That advice could include seeing a financial advisor if I'm oversimplifying things, but I think this looks pretty straightforward. Step 1: Open an Inherited TIRA at Vanguard. [Discussion: other than the usual taxes now vs taxes later Roth vs TIRA, any other considerations that might lead me to do an inherited Roth?] Step 2: Arrange for trustee-to-trustee transfer into Vanguard Step 3: Invest funds (approx $285K) according to current asset allocation mix Step 4...
by doug91
Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition
Replies: 21
Views: 3464

Re: If you are sure

davebarnes wrote:If you are sure you are going to move, then start the house selling process now.
Tricky, isn't it? I might *not* lose my job, in which case I wouldn't move. But once I know if my job is actually in jeopardy, it'll might be an imminent thing, in which case I will most likely have to move... but again, maybe not, because I've now worked for 2 Fortune 500 companies from a home office, and that streak might continue.

Decisions, decisions. :confused
by doug91
Thu Jul 17, 2014 11:45 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition
Replies: 21
Views: 3464

Re: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition

Um, yes you can. You can always withdraw Roth IRA contributions for any reason without any taxes or penalties. You simply can't touch the earnings . That's the beauty of a Roth and one of the reasons it can "double" as an emergency fund. I would absolutely run my MMA dry before touching Roth funds. If you need to then no problem, but it should be a last resort not a first resort. You can refill your MMA no problem when you get a job, but when the Roth is gone it's gone (especially if your new 401k plan doesn't allow after tax contributions, which many do not). So I'd keep going with your after tax 401k contributions for now, since you can easily withdraw them from the Roth IRA once you roll it over when you leave the job. Thanks ...
by doug91
Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition
Replies: 21
Views: 3464

Re: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition

Thanks for all the replies. Ironically, work has been crazy and I haven't had a chance to check in until now. Do you think you would get a severance package that might include things like continued healthcare, 6+ months of salary, etc? Or would you sign up for unemployment? I think I'll get a standard package which is either 1 or 1.5 months of pay, and possibly a month of health care coverage. I'll have to compare that to unemployment benefits, I understand that they're pretty sparse in Florida. Rather than suspending 401(k) contributions, I made sure that I finished my annual max contribution. I hit my annual pre-tax max a few months ago, so all 401k contributions are now going in after-tax for Roth rollovers. That's the only reason I'm co...
by doug91
Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition
Replies: 21
Views: 3464

Re: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition

dickenjb wrote:Are you certain that ACA exchange is better than COBRA coverage?
My employer's HDHP plan would be around the same price as an ACA platinum plan in Florida, assuming both were unsubsidized. I can't speak from experience to better or worse, but ACA does appear to be more cost-effective.
by doug91
Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Likely about to lose job, planning for transition
Replies: 21
Views: 3464

Likely about to lose job, planning for transition

The department that I run is about to be outsourced, and although no one is saying anything explicitly, I'm getting friendly suggestions that I should prepare to be let go (or find another job within the company, which is shrinking on all fronts, so not a high-probability outcome). I don't think it'll be a long time before I find a job, but it's hard to predict and will almost certainly require a relocation, so I'm trying to plan out the best use of capital for a possibly-long job hunt. Just wanted to bounce a few ideas off the folks here to see if I'm thinking about things the right way. Full profile is below in case that's relevant. Question 1: Health insurance: I assume that losing my job & family coverage will be a qualifying event ...
by doug91
Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Was frugality a mistake? The downsides of saving too much.
Replies: 115
Views: 26575

Re: Was frugality a mistake? The downsides of saving too mu

It's funny that so much of the frugality regrets are centered around women, because at least when I lived in San Francisco and Chapel Hill, the most beautiful women were almost invariably having their flings with physically fit, poorly groomed, musically talented, and nigh-impoverished young men. When I think about what it would have taken to have a fling with a supermodel, I usually come back to learning to play the guitar and working out, but I haven't seen a reliable correlation between money and attractive partners. (Caveat: I have never lived in Manhattan.)
by doug91
Wed Feb 19, 2014 12:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Please Help Me Find A Doctor
Replies: 23
Views: 2725

Re: Please Help Me Find A Doctor

Most of the "doctor finder" applications on your health insurer's website - and they all have one - will let you select on varying criteria. I wanted a relatively recent grad, a generalist (since this was going to be my GP), and a male doctor - basically someone my age & gender so that we'd have those things in common. I've stuck with him since, but it's always easy to change GPs so don't over-sweat the decision at this point. Lots of doctor rating tools out there as well, seems like you have to be in a fairly major metro area to get enough critical mass for a decent number of reviews.
by doug91
Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What's Your up to the minute AA?
Replies: 110
Views: 15252

Re: What's Your up to the minute AA?

Asset: Target % (Actual %)
Total Stock Market: 26.00% (26.10%)
Total Bond Market: 17.50% (17.00%)
Inflation-Protected: 17.50% (17.20%)
Total International: 26.00% (25.70%)
Small Cap Value : 6.50% (6.90%)
REIT: 6.50% (5.20%)
CASH: 0.00% (2.00%)
by doug91
Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much a baby costs?
Replies: 85
Views: 9452

Re: How much a baby costs?

And in case any of these costs make it sound scary, my three-month old just laughed for the first time. Totally, totally worth every penny. Well, dollar. Well, hundred-dollar. Still, though. Worth it.
by doug91
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much a baby costs?
Replies: 85
Views: 9452

Re: How much a baby costs?

Your washing machine will instantly get double the work when you bring the little one home, or more. You will have to wash all of the burp rags, clothes, bedding, etc, etc. You will also be washing more of your own clothes too. If the machine is old, prepare to buy a new one. All the laundry also means lots of baby-friendly detergent (Dreft or store brand). Actually, this was one area where we were able to save a ton - my wife makes our laundry detergent at home, and it really doesn't take very long at all. This detergent doesn't work for cloth diapers, they kinda need their own thing (we use "Rockin' Green"), but it works great for everything else and is dirt cheap: http://wellnessmama.com/462/how-to-make-nautral-homemade-laundr...
by doug91
Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much a baby costs?
Replies: 85
Views: 9452

Re: How much a baby costs?

In re: the initial post, if you're buying everything vs getting hand-me-downs (and by the way, used baby clothes are easy to find, and many cities have a large consignment event for clothing & toys), breastfeeding, and cloth diapering, you're probably looking at a first-year outlay of about $2,500, based on my spending records in Mint from our first year. That assumes consignment / used clothing (new could add substantially to that total), some used & some new furniture (added), factors in one or two "urgent care" visits for that first high fever, higher-end cloth diapers (hemp & wool are much more absorbent, which leads to happier baby), the inevitable set(s) of nice clothes for holiday / family portraits, and a decen...
by doug91
Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much a baby costs?
Replies: 85
Views: 9452

Re: How much a baby costs?

I get frustrated when I see people recommending cloth. There isn't an expense I would hesitate to due without, outside of the mortgage, in order to ensure my kids wore throwaway diapers. It's not even close. Mortgage, diapers, everything else. I think it was one of our wedding vows. Why would it frustrate you if someone else wanted their kid to wear cloth diapers? Some people don't like the waste, not to mention the chemicals that are in constant contact with their children's skin, that come with disposable diapers. While a disposable diaper affects many people because it will sit in a landfill for hundreds of years, my children's cloth diapers don't negatively impact you. The majority of our friends and family cloth diaper without issue, ...
by doug91
Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:38 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do you invest in a taxable account?
Replies: 111
Views: 19045

Re: Do you invest in a taxable account?

1. 401k up to the company match
2. Set aside funds for backdoor (or front door) Roth depending on 2014 income
3. Max out HSA
3. Max out 401k to pre-tax+after-tax limits
4. 529 to budgetary plan
5. I-bonds
6. Taxable Investing

I don't always make it to #6. :)

DM
by doug91
Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: POLL: Do you use your HSA funds to pay for medical expenses?
Replies: 84
Views: 9269

Re: POLL: Do you use your HSA funds to pay for medical expen

Wow, so far 10 people (45%) have voted " No, I have HSA funds, but I use taxable funds instead. ". Could you please elaborate on your record keeping and strategy? My HSA allows recording of each expense and attachment of a scanned receipt image. If it didn't, I'd probably have giant folders and go on a scanning binge at irregular intervals. Interesting. I will start an HSA this coming January 1, so I'm curious how this works. Are you saying that you can submit and record the expenses with your HSA now, get them approved, but defer the reimbursement into the future when you feel like withdrawing it? If this is the case, then you could essentially build up a "to-be-reimbused-balance" in your HSA that could sit there and j...
by doug91
Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: POLL: Do you use your HSA funds to pay for medical expenses?
Replies: 84
Views: 9269

Re: POLL: Do you use your HSA funds to pay for medical expen

Wow, so far 10 people (45%) have voted " No, I have HSA funds, but I use taxable funds instead. ". Could you please elaborate on your record keeping and strategy? My HSA allows recording of each expense and attachment of a scanned receipt image. If it didn't, I'd probably have giant folders and go on a scanning binge at irregular intervals. I had an HSA. What do you mean by "allow recording of expense"? Funding and tax-free withdrawals from an HSA had nothing to do with expense records, there was no requirement except for an IRS audit. Did the HSA save the record for you or something? Please explain. Sorry, that wasn't very precise language on my part. The website set up by my HSA administrator (Chase) to manage my HSA ...
by doug91
Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: POLL: Do you use your HSA funds to pay for medical expenses?
Replies: 84
Views: 9269

Re: POLL: Do you use your HSA funds to pay for medical expen

natureexplorer wrote:Wow, so far 10 people (45%) have voted "No, I have HSA funds, but I use taxable funds instead.". Could you please elaborate on your record keeping and strategy?
My HSA allows recording of each expense and attachment of a scanned receipt image. If it didn't, I'd probably have giant folders and go on a scanning binge at irregular intervals.
by doug91
Wed Dec 18, 2013 3:06 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with Chase HSA Investment selection
Replies: 7
Views: 1281

Re: Help with Chase HSA Investment selection

BTW, I know you didn't ask for advice on your 401(k) holdings, but I'll echo the earlier comment that you've got a lot going on in there. I suspect you'd benefit from consolidating it down to Total Stock Market Index, International Stock Market Index, and a low-cost bond index. Or, while that 401k is your only retirement account, maybe just throwing it into the Target Date fund (assuming it's a reasonable expense ratio).
by doug91
Wed Dec 18, 2013 3:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with Chase HSA Investment selection
Replies: 7
Views: 1281

Re: Help with Chase HSA Investment selection

I have that one too. OGEAX (S&P 500 Index) is the cheapest one (expense-wise) although the idea of paying 0.45% for an S&P 500 index makes me a little sad, on top of the $2.50 / month administrative fee for the privilege of investing in it. The Core Bond fund is 0.76% ER, Blackrock International Index is 0.69% ER, so if you've got a need for either of those in your asset allocation, they're not awful either. Because these aren't all that appealing, and because I've got a family that might conceivably have high health care costs, I'm actually treating my HSA as part of my emergency fund, leaving it in the (low) interest-bearing HSA cash account, lowering my emergency fund total from savings, and using the (former) emergency fund mone...
by doug91
Thu Dec 05, 2013 3:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car seat for toddler
Replies: 26
Views: 2278

Re: Car seat for toddler

bungalow10 wrote:Diono RadianR100 or Radian RXT. We have two of their predecessors, the Radian 65, and love them. We also have two Britax seats and they collect dust in the garage. They just aren't as comfortable for the kids and they seem really light-weight (ie, not made well) compared to the Dionos.

eta: I think the Britax seats we have are the Marathon and Regent, but not positive.
Ditto the Diono, our pre-schooler has been in hers since she was 1 1/2 or so, finds it (the RXT) really comfortable and since it works as a booster seat, she'll be able to use it for a really long time.
by doug91
Wed Nov 27, 2013 10:56 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any new IRS guidance on after-tax 401K and Roth?
Replies: 4
Views: 668

Re: Any new IRS guidance on after-tax 401K and Roth?

You're right! Sorry, it's only 0% taxable because the funds have losses. :)

The change that threw me off is that my in-service withdrawals used to be all-or-nothing (vested employer match + after-tax contributions), now they allow withdrawals just from the after-tax account (with the gains, if any, of course).
by doug91
Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:59 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Execute my IPS rule re: I Bonds and TIPS?
Replies: 4
Views: 746

Re: Execute my IPS rule re: I Bonds and TIPS?

Well, given that I don't have any reason to assume that LTCG will decrease on my one taxable account (which has a total of one fund in it), I figure I'm going to have to answer this question at some point even if it's not this year. So I didn't really think about it explicitly when putting my IPS together (I'd probably naively assumed I'd always have $20K laying around... ah, optimism), but now seems like as good a time as any to answer the question "How and when to rebalance outside of tax-sheltered accounts?" using taxable investments -> I Bonds as my case study. :happy
by doug91
Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any new IRS guidance on after-tax 401K and Roth?
Replies: 4
Views: 668

Any new IRS guidance on after-tax 401K and Roth?

I know for a few years running, there has been a question about what the IRS's formal rules are / will be about the tax implications of an in-service move of after-tax contributions to a 401K into a Roth account (pro-rated vs isolated accounts). Since last year, my employer's plan has made their sub-account treatment even more explicit (I now have an "After-Tax Withdrawal" option from the 401K website that lets me pull out just after-tax funds from those sub-accounts, doesn't even carry the gains over). I've been watching, searched around, read my Fairmark, and haven't seen anything - anything I've missed, or am I right that 2013 is yet another safe year for in-service withdrawal of after-tax 401k funds with no tax implications wh...
by doug91
Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Execute my IPS rule re: I Bonds and TIPS?
Replies: 4
Views: 746

Execute my IPS rule re: I Bonds and TIPS?

One of the rules in my IPS seemed straightforward enough, but I'm now pausing based on what'd be required to execute it. The rule is simple enough: - Move funds from TIPS (TIPS Index fund) into Series I Savings Bonds whenever possible My asset allocation calls for a 50/50 split between TBM and "Inflation-Protected" Bonds, but due to the purchasing limits on I Bonds, I use a low-cost TIPS Index fund in my 401(k) to make up the difference. Usually I have the free cash to purchase new I Bonds every year, but that didn't happen this year due to a new (well, new to me) car purchase. So in order to execute my IPS, I'd need to do the following: 1. Sell $20,000 of Total International from taxable (LTCG of $2,700, no TLH to offset as this ...
by doug91
Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: A "What's Your Number" Follow-Up Question
Replies: 16
Views: 2885

Re: A "What's Your Number" Follow-Up Question

I've read with interest many of the posts responding the the question: "What's your number?" One subject I haven't seen discussed on this topic is how that number moves (if at all) depending on the type of accounts that form the number. Let me provide an example. If a 60 year old is still working, plans to retire at age 65 with $2.8 million, and has saved $2 million, doesn't it make a difference it a large portion of the $2 million already saved is in Roth 401(k) or Roth IRA accounts? Aren't those Roth dollars worth a lot more to that person than regular 401(k) or tIRA dollars? For simplicity's sake, since it's speculation at best as to what the tax rates might be in 20+ years, I just multiply our tIRA and 401k dollars by 0.75 an...
by doug91
Mon Nov 18, 2013 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Storing pennies
Replies: 8
Views: 1988

Re: Storing pennies

When I collected coins as a kid, we used the Whitman books for coins that weren't necessarily special / high value, but which completed a set (years, mint marks, etc). We used the hard plastic tubes for coins that might have some value, but only time would tell. (The "hoarding" coins, in other words - probably should have just spent them. :) ). We used the cardboard-with-plastic-insert coin holders for coins that had some, but not a lot, of measurable value according to the coin collecting club (yes) or the coin value books. A few things (silver dollars, etc) got the plastic-coin-case treatment, but not many. Luckily, those went into a safety deposit box, because our house was broken into and categories 1-3 were largely stolen. :)...
by doug91
Fri Nov 15, 2013 10:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Advice on what to do summer before senior year high school
Replies: 63
Views: 4849

Re: Advice on what to do summer before senior year high scho

Duke's also got a four-week program for high schoolers that simulates campus life (live in dorm, take classes for credit). I suspect many others schools do as well. If he's not particularly independent, things like the Yale / Oxbridge / Duke program would actually give him some experience that might help with that. I did a "Governor's Summer College" that the state of Florida put on in high school, and it really helped me in pursuing passions and left me chomping at the bit for the (relative) independence of dorm life. Kept me from making a lot of dumb mistakes that my peers made, too, since I wasn't totally shocked by the cut over from sheltered to unsheltered. That said, the other big transformative moment for me was a stint wit...
by doug91
Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: iBonds for tax sheltering
Replies: 18
Views: 2325

Re: iBonds for tax sheltering

lightheir wrote:ANy worry about the opportunity cost of sinking money into a low-interest yielding ibond right now compared to the other investment options like stocks?

I know a balanced portfolio is the goal, but the prospect of a 5+ year (or 30 year if held all the way) 0.2% over inflation seems really low for a long-term holding, bond or no bond. Am I'm definitely not a market timer.
Thanks to rebalancing, it's not either-or. If I put money into I Bonds, it allows me to rebalance from funds like a TIPS Index or Total Bond Market in my 401k into even more stocks. So by buying I Bonds, I get fewer TIPS / TBM shares, not fewer Total Stock Market / Total International shares.
by doug91
Thu Nov 14, 2013 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: iBonds for tax sheltering
Replies: 18
Views: 2325

Re: iBonds for tax sheltering

Here's my savings budget; #4 and #5 could be interchangeable.

1. 401k up to the company match
2. Put aside enough cash to max out non-deductible tIRAs at year-end for later Roth conversion
3. Max out 401k to pre-tax+after-tax limits (b/c plan allows in-service withdrawal of after-tax contribs, which can be put into a Roth)
4. 529 to budgetary plan
5. I-bonds
6. Taxable Investing

So my answer to your question about what to do after running out of tax-advantaged vehicles is to go with I Bonds prior to putting money into index funds in a taxable account.
by doug91
Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:52 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Question about opening HSA
Replies: 13
Views: 2961

Re: Question about opening HSA

Quick note: HSA is a great idea, but limited FSAs can be made available alongside HDHP/HSA plans specifically for covering dental and vision expenses.

http://www.myshps.com/hsa/limited_fsa.stm

If you're planning to save the money long-term, HSA is a great option, but if you've got specific expenses earmarked for a particular year, an limited (dental/vision) FSA might be worth looking into.
by doug91
Wed Nov 13, 2013 7:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Morbidity
Replies: 33
Views: 3375

Re: Morbidity

Big blast of Arctic air is knocking the leaves off the trees in much of the country, we're due for our first freeze of the season tonight (and we're in Florida). Might just be a side effect of the season. :) That said, I'm glad the threads have popped back up, because it reminded me to bookmark that "Death Book" thread so that I can convert it into a shared Google Doc for my family to use. Funny how easy that stuff is to put off.
by doug91
Fri Nov 01, 2013 9:16 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Nov 2013 I Bond Rate - 1.38% (0.20% Fixed)
Replies: 94
Views: 12009

Re: Nov 2013 I Bond Rate - 1.38% (0.20% Fixed)

A pleasant surprise, even. Thanks for posting.
by doug91
Fri Nov 01, 2013 8:39 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Another HSA newbie thread
Replies: 7
Views: 1223

Re: Another HSA newbie thread

P&C actuary wrote: Regarding the tax benefit of the HSA, I can contribute $2500 to a flex account under the PPO. Yes it is use it or lose it, but I will likely be able to use it based on recent year's experience. So, I would say the HSA tax benefit over the flex benefit is on 5550-2500=3050. Using your tax rates, the additional tax benefit is 996.
While it won't do nearly as much, I believe that "Limited FSA" options are allowed alongside HSAs to cover vision and dental expenses, so depending on where you were spending that $2,500 (e.g. orthodonture), you might still have some options there if you go the HDHP/FSA route.
by doug91
Thu Oct 31, 2013 1:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA newbie questions
Replies: 5
Views: 835

Re: HSA newbie questions

If I weren't getting a company HSA contribution & my wife had a good PPO, I'd probably just join hers. Can you just wait until her open enrollment period & get added to hers?
by doug91
Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tis the Season....How about another HSA Quesion
Replies: 11
Views: 1503

Re: Tis the Season....How about another HSA Quesion

Do you adjust your 'regular' Emergency fund since you're using the HSA as that in a way? As am example, if I decide I need a 6 months EF, but yet I don't have to worry about medical expenses because I have that covered in the HSA, could my regular EF be adjusted to say 4 months. Realize the easy answer is do what let's you sleep at night, just curious others experience. This is exactly what I'm doing. Contributions to HSA let me invest cash out of my money market savings, since I expect that my EF is most likely going to be used in between employers, during which time I should be eligible to use HSA funds to pay for my insurance. No penalty or taxes will apply if the money is withdrawn to pay premiums for: 1) Qualified long-term care insur...
by doug91
Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:02 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Poll For Those Who Don't Have a LTC Policy
Replies: 34
Views: 3442

Re: Poll For Those Who Don't Have a LTC Policy

Johm221122 wrote:There should be a choice of "I don't have one and may consider one "especially if there is change in the industry
This is where I am right now. I tend to be over-insured, being a generally nervous person, but I just can't see a clear path to LTCI the way things are set up right now. I'd really like a set-it-and-forget it, predictable cost, predictable benefit policy like my term life policy, but that just doesn't seem to be what's out there.
by doug91
Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TIPS fund in 401k - bad idea?
Replies: 6
Views: 1514

Re: TIPS fund in 401k - bad idea?

I hope not, it's exactly what I do. :)

Basically, I believe that some percentage - I picked 50%, but cases have been made for more, less, or none - of my bonds should have inflation-protection. My preferred vehicle for that is Series I Savings Bonds, but because of their purchase limits, I can't get all 50% of my bond allocation into Series I Savings Bonds. My 401k, like yours, has a cheap (low expense ratio) TIPS Index, so I put whatever I can't fit into I-Bonds into that TIPS Index Fund. Over time, I may be able to sell off / rebalance from my TIPS Index Fund into I Bonds, depends on whether my assets grow faster than my purchasing limits (which isn't a problem I'll complain about).
by doug91
Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are you Super-Saving? [CNN Money looking for interviewees]
Replies: 9
Views: 2495

Are you Super-Saving? [CNN Money looking for interviewees]

Thought some folks on this board might make interesting interview candidates for this CNN Money request for interviewees:

http://moremoney.blogs.money.cnn.com/20 ... d=HP_River

Apologies if it's a duplicate, I promise that I really did search the forums before posting.
by doug91
Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: letting money get in the way of everything?
Replies: 34
Views: 4489

Re: letting money get in the way of everything?

I know that this is sounds off-topic and is a very personal question, but I'm curious about it as it has a very direct parallel to a situation that I'm dealing with in my family, so please don't be offended, but has anyone in your immediate family struggled with either hoarding behaviors or eating disorders?
by doug91
Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:52 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Priority of These In Roth?
Replies: 11
Views: 938

Re: Priority of These In Roth?

That would mirror exactly what I'm aiming for, so I certainly like it. :) As time allows, I'm liquidating my TIPS Index Fund and exchanging it for Series I Savings Bonds, so I'll eventually be 50% Total Bond Market at Vanguard and 50% Series I Savings Bonds at Treasury Direct (which as you say, is the only place that you can purchase them).
by doug91
Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:38 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Priority of These In Roth?
Replies: 11
Views: 938

Re: Priority of These In Roth?

My bond allocation is 50% BND and 50% "inflation-protected," which is the combination of a cheap TIPS Index in my 401(k) and Series I Savings Bonds. Those I Bonds are pretty cool, in that they allow me to get tax-deferred growth within my bond allocation without taking up any space in my tax-deferred investment vehicles like 401k or IRAs.

If I were rebuilding from scratch, I might be tempted to add that new international bond index that Vanguard offers, but based on some posts here, it's intriguing but not super-compelling.

Given that you're throwing money into taxable vehicles anyway, take a look at Series I Savings Bonds as one bond option that might free up some of that Roth space for inefficient / semi-efficient assets.
by doug91
Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Priority of These In Roth?
Replies: 11
Views: 938

Re: Priority of These In Roth?

Makes sense - the wiki is definitely authoritative. The challenge you're experiencing with Wellington is a big reason that I don't own any mutual funds that mix stocks & bonds. It seems like a shame to give up the tax sheltering of the Roth for the 60% of Wellington that is in stocks, because presumably that 60% is more efficient than your corporate bond or international bonds holdings. But if you're wedded to that fund, you may be right that its holding 40% of long-term US bonds makes it less efficient than the other bond assets that you hold. Sounds like you've got a good handle on it, though, and thanks for the pointer to REIT's relative efficiency in the wiki - I hadn't looked over that in a while.
by doug91
Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Priority of These In Roth?
Replies: 11
Views: 938

Re: Priority of These In Roth?

Assuming you don't have any 401k or other rollover IRAs, I'd put the bonds in your Roth first, then if there's room left, the REIT. The rest could go into taxable. Again, that's assuming you don't have any other tax-deferred retirement vehicles - if so, the whole portfolio should be looked at together so that you can make sure that all of the tax-inefficient assets are put into tax-efficient accounts.
by doug91
Thu Aug 22, 2013 9:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Spending down HSA to invest in Roth?
Replies: 10
Views: 1354

Re: Spending down HSA to invest in Roth?

Plan 2: Pay from HSA, then contribute the $5000 from checking in ways which eventually gets it into a Roth. This leaves $0 in HSA and $5000 in Roth, which can be taken tax free in the future, and no need to keep documentation of the medical spending. On the other hand, after-tax 401k --> Roth conversions are not necessarily that simple, and can be a pain. Depends on custodian and how comfortable you are with the tax-reporting requirements. Which plan is better? I think they come out the same mathematically. In each case, there is $5000 left which is tax free. Nope, because you haven't accounted for gains. In both cases you have $5k invested. In Plan 1, any gains on that $5k are taxable when you withdraw in retirement. In Plan 2, the gains ...