Search found 176 matches

by communipaw
Mon Oct 31, 2022 3:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: the Bogleheads conference
Replies: 10
Views: 1588

Maybe a repeat: Bogleheads in the WSJ

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek] Meet the Bogleheads By Jason Zweig Good morning. Earlier this month, I joined more than 350 other folks at the Bogleheads conference. The Bogleheads are individual investors who offer each other, and the rest of the world, free investing advice on their online forum and Wiki pages. Although Jack Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group, died in 2019, the Bogleheads still follow his simple principles of low-cost, no-frills investing. Bogleheads crowding around Jack Bogle (seated, center) at the previous in-person meeting, October 2018 (photo: Ryan Collerd for The Wall Street Journal) [Quote trimmed by Ladygeek. Please limit quotations and reproductions of external materials to the minimum necessary to ...
by communipaw
Mon Oct 31, 2022 2:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Dan Wiener's newsletter shutting down after October 2022 issue
Replies: 35
Views: 10260

Re: Dan Wiener's newsletter shutting down after October 2022 issue

When I began investing around 1990 I read the available information that was common wisdom and accepted by most, including me, but didn't have the confidence to jump in. Then I subscribed to the Weiner newsletter and felt more confident about buying mutual funds. Moreover, without his newsletter I never would have bought the Health Fund or what used to be called the Short Term Investment Grade Bond fund which both have been very advantageous for me. I used his annual reference book of all the Vanguard funds over and over.
By the teens when I retired I started skipping years of renewal and haven't used Weiner for 5 or more years.
But not having confidence in my financial abilities, I did much better with Weiner than if I had gone it alone.
by communipaw
Tue Jul 06, 2021 3:30 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard's recent customer quality performance
Replies: 10
Views: 1177

Vanguard's recent customer quality performance

I haven't been on the board for close to a year so maybe this topic has come up and been resolved. I've dealt with Vanguard over the telephone since the late 1980s and have been satisfied with the company/company's staff. Not surprisingly with the pandemic and the move to working from home things began getting shaky last year: long waits [45+ minutes], need for call backs, being transferred from, one agent to another [and sometimes to a third]. But I would have expected that by now things at Vanguard would have settled down .. but in my experience they haven't and customer service is noticeably poorer than it was in 2019 or 2009 or 1999. Am I an outlier or have others experienced a drop in Vanguard's telephone service which has not risen up...
by communipaw
Wed Nov 15, 2017 4:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Virginia to New Jersey income tax
Replies: 20
Views: 4111

Re: Virginia to New Jersey income tax

mmunipaw....The 'where' in NJ really matters here. It would help if you named a town or township. Why? Because there are huge differences in terms of property taxation. Example: I lived in Rutherford, NJ (Bergen County) for some time. Talk about high property tax....OY!!! I then relocated to South Jersey (Burlington county), and while the towns are very comparable in terms of quality and schools....the property taxes here in South Jersey are significantly lower. The 'where' really does matter. My advice would be to consider PA, if at all possible. Lower property and income taxes. That 30 minute difference in driving time might be worth thousands of dollars annually. It is something to consider very seriously. I would also add - NJ state fi...
by communipaw
Tue Nov 07, 2017 12:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Virginia to New Jersey income tax
Replies: 20
Views: 4111

Re: Virginia to New Jersey income tax

Thanks to all of you for your information.
by communipaw
Mon Nov 06, 2017 4:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Virginia to New Jersey income tax
Replies: 20
Views: 4111

Virginia to New Jersey income tax

I'm considering a move from which most people consider a medium tax state, Virginia, to what is called a high tax state, New Jersey, where almost all my family is. I realize there are many things such as car registration fees, car taxes, real estate taxes, exemption of federal pensions, etc. that enter into the equation. But right now I'm looking to see with my current income how New Jersey state income tax compares to my Virginia state income tax. Does anyone know of a website that allows you to enter in your total Federal income and see a comparison between two states? I realize there are benefits such as reduced taxes if you have a low income, if you're blind, etc. etc. But at this point I'm just looking to get a general idea of how smal...
by communipaw
Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Replies: 158
Views: 24336

Re: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

Yup, using PureVPN I can choose the country server and log on. I did try it using Canada and was easily able to watch Canadian TV online. I'm sure most VPN providers have numerous servers located all over the world.
Thanks for the information.
by communipaw
Sat Mar 25, 2017 4:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Replies: 158
Views: 24336

Re: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

If yiu use a VPN, does it hide your country so that you can receive UK, French German Netflix?
by communipaw
Fri Jan 20, 2017 5:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Turbo Tax 2016 purchase source
Replies: 91
Views: 20575

Re: Turbo Tax 2016 purchase source

I've gotten an email offer today from Turbotax for 40% off until January 23: Deluxe $35.99 Premier $53.99. The comparison of those two reads: Additional help for investment sales such as stocks, bonds, royalties, mutual funds and employee stock plans in Premier".

I've only "sold" mutual funds to satisfy my RMD and all my mutual funds and stocks are with Vanguard. Is there any special reason to get the Premier over Deluxe? Thank you
by communipaw
Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home network Guru's for 30 devices on router.
Replies: 57
Views: 8948

Re: Home network Guru's for 30 devices on router.

I'm getting confused. One has 5 devices connected to a wifi network, 3 of them are plugged in/powered but not being used and 2 are plugged in and operating. Are you using up 5 devices of data flow or only 2?
by communipaw
Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [All weather car mats]
Replies: 59
Views: 6618

Re: [All weather car mats]

communipaw wrote: 1. Most people are recommending Weathertech; when I look that up it appears to be Herrington? Is there a difference in quality /price between Weathertech and Herrington? Is one just the sales arm and the other the manufacturer? 2. I've a 2013 Accord Sedan used in the city and on the highway; no unpaved roads, no construction sites. I see no need for an "extreme duty floor liner " rather than an "all weather mat ". But maybe I'm missing something: is there any reason for a floor liner over a good mat that I'm overlooking? Thank you Ever enjoy a hot or cold beverage on the way to/from work? Ever transport children? They are typically dirt magnets, and well versed in the art of spillage. Broken Man 1999 M...
by communipaw
Sat Oct 17, 2015 10:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [All weather car mats]
Replies: 59
Views: 6618

Re: Mats for Car

1. Most people are recommending Weathertech; when I look that up it appears to be Herrington? Is there a difference in quality /price between Weathertech and Herrington? Is one just the sales arm and the other the manufacturer?

2. I've a 2013 Accord Sedan used in the city and on the highway; no unpaved roads, no construction sites. I see no need for an "extreme duty floor liner" and an "all weather mat". But is there any reason for a floor liner that I'm overlooking? Thank you
by communipaw
Thu Oct 08, 2015 3:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tipping at a Barbershop
Replies: 54
Views: 8651

Re: Tipping at a Barbershop

From my experience there's a difference between tipping an employee and tipping the owner / sole barber owner.

I've been tipping $7 on a $20 haircut to the owner of a barber shop that employs a half dozen barbers.
by communipaw
Thu Jul 23, 2015 5:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Calendar you can set as wallpaper
Replies: 3
Views: 924

Re: Calendar you can set as wallpaper

the Google calendar option seemed like a great idea, but the month view has the day cells and the contents too small to be practical.
I'm not sure what compatibility mode is but will look it up.
by communipaw
Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Calendar you can set as wallpaper
Replies: 3
Views: 924

Calendar you can set as wallpaper

You were helpful on my question about cable vs wifi connection to my new desktop so I've come to you again. I just changed to a new computer running Windows 7 Pro and am unable to use one of my old programs, even though I have the original CD, Calendar Creator 4 [Softkey]. I've so far found no new version that will run on 7 Pro. I realize there are 100s of pay and free calendars available that show holidays and family birthdays and appointments that you add in. But this one had one particular feature that I wanted t keep it for: you can set the current month or 4 week period as wall paper, so you see it every time you start or even pass by the computer. As in the past, I’m still using Google’s calendar but although it sends email notices, I...
by communipaw
Wed Jul 15, 2015 4:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Desktop wifi connection + keyboard
Replies: 9
Views: 1249

Re: Desktop wifi connection + keyboard

thanks for the responses
as long as it doesn't involve too much configuration, I'll experiment with the WiFi connection and if it isn't good enough to transfer 700 mb -1000mb files to my external hard drive, I'll switch to the cable connection from router to computer.
by communipaw
Mon Jul 13, 2015 7:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Desktop wifi connection + keyboard
Replies: 9
Views: 1249

Desktop wifi connection + keyboard

I'm purchasing a new desk top and would like to pose two questions.

My current desktop is connected to my router by a cable. The new desktop will have N wifi and will be about 30 inches from the router. I was told that connecting the desktop to the router via wifi would provide as good/fast connection as a cable. Is this correct? I'd rather have one less cable in my rat's nest, unless the performance will be degraded.

Keyboard: in the 90s [?] keyboards had a firm touch and a sharp click. Can anyone recommend such a keyboard today, best if it has some sort of illumination. Thank you
by communipaw
Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Donating old books and getting tax writeoff?
Replies: 18
Views: 16147

Re: Donating old books and getting tax writeoff?

In the past two years I've donated about 3,000 books and there was a problem involved. I didn't want to have the books just destroyed but wanted them to benefit people who needed/wanted them. My books are academic/scholarly/foreign language and do not command a wide reading audience. I could have sold them on the internet and known I would be selling to people who would actually use them; but I was too lazy to go through selling, boxing, mailing, handling payments for thousands of books. I could have donated them to Goodwill [I believe it's 80¢ per soft back and $1.80 per hard back] but I knew the books would wind up pulped/destroyed because there'd be no market for them. To donate them to a to the local library system, would have the same ...
by communipaw
Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: ceiling fan
Replies: 13
Views: 2940

ceiling fan

My bedroom ceiling fan has conked out and in case it isn't practical to repair it, I'm researching new ones. My present one is Hunter or Harbor, about 10 years old, 3 speeds, 5 blades, 52 inch with the control switch mounted on the wall next to my bed. The control chooses among 3 speeds, turns the fan light on and off but it cannot change the rotation direction of the fan; I have to do that manually, standing on a chair. Beginning research shows that remote controls now have 3, 4 or 6 speeds and some can change the direction of the fan rotation. Also there seems to be new blade setups: curved/torqued 3 blades instead of 4 or 5 straight blades. I'd prefer more than 3 speeds and would like remote rotation change, if there are no negative fact...
by communipaw
Sun Mar 22, 2015 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: RMD Vanguard state tax withholding
Replies: 12
Views: 1684

RMD Vanguard state tax withholding

Last year I began having to take RMDs from my Vanguard IRA.

Although federal tax is withheld, Vanguard won't/can't withhold the state tax and it's annoying to juggle my pension's state withholding to have the RMD at least partly covered for state tax.

Vanguard is known as a thrifty company and maybe it's trying to hold down expenses by not withholding the the state tax. But do other large mutual fund companies [Fidelity, American Funds, T Rowe Price, etc.] also refuse to withhold state tax from RMDs?
by communipaw
Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Two CSRS Fed Employees Retiring 2015 - Need Input Please!
Replies: 49
Views: 6765

Re: Two CSRS Fed Employees Retiring 2015 - Need Input Please

I did a rollover from my VC [interest to TSP, contributions to a ROTH IRA through Vanguard] six years ago, just after the procedure was beginning.

I've now forgotten the details of what I did but it involved forms from both the federal OPM/TSP side and from Vanguard. I did have several telephone conversations as I was beginning the process with the OPM office in Boylestown Penn. Unfortunately, the only details I can tell you now were that it was easy, went correctly and did not take a long time.
by communipaw
Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When will / did you claim Social Security benefits?
Replies: 152
Views: 21266

Re: When will / did you claim Social Security benefits?

I began SS at full "retirement" [66? 67?] . I had no immediate need for the money and would have waited until I was the highest age but I was a federal employee. As such I lost 40% of my SS benefit as soon as I retired and was advised it would take 12 - 15 years for the extra [but still reduced] payments at 70 to equal what I would lose in income by waiting the 3 or 4 additional years.
by communipaw
Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tourists in Manhattan
Replies: 53
Views: 9166

Re: Tourists in Manhattan

Staying/Not staying in NJ
"NJ" is big. Staying in Newark IS inconvenient. But there are 4 or 5 hotels in Jersey City at the Exchange Place and Pavonia PATH Tube stations: Exchange Place 3- 4 minutes from Lower Manhattan, Pavonia-Newport 5 minutes from Greenwich Village.
by communipaw
Tue Jan 20, 2015 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Two CSRS Fed Employees Retiring 2015 - Need Input Please!
Replies: 49
Views: 6765

Re: Two CSR Fed Employees Retiring 2015 - Need Input Please!

I retired in 2009 as CSRS and I had had a Voluntary Contribution account for many years, contributing $25 a pay period.

As I was about to retire I learned that it was no longer necessary to take the VC out as a lump sum or an annuity when you retired. So I began contributing a lot of money from anything I didn't need to VC. I used Vanguard and OPM rolled the interest from the VC into my TSP and my contributions into Vanguard's Wellesley fund as a ROTH IRA. Things went easily and that was the beginning of the new rules. It should be even easier now.
by communipaw
Wed Dec 31, 2014 6:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cheapest Way to Watch Netflix
Replies: 27
Views: 4828

Re: Cheapest Way to Watch Netflix

If you already have a wifi signal in your house/apartment, I'd recommend the cheapest Roku at $49. It's very simple to use, handles Netflix [and many many other services. I've used it for 3 years and have been very happy with it.
by communipaw
Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712710

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

The Sleepwalkers [WW1]
by communipaw
Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Vanguard "glitch"
Replies: 3
Views: 1232

Vanguard "glitch"

Tonight I looked at my Vanguard web page and noticed I had about 20% less than I had had on Friday.

I contacted Vanguard and was told that a glitch had occurred today on many customers' web pages that caused accounts to be hidden, even though the customers hadn't requested it.

Vanguard refreshed my page and things are back to what I was expecting.
by communipaw
Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:24 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: POLL: What was the first stock you ever bought?
Replies: 74
Views: 6235

Re: POLL: What was the first stock you ever bought?

Studebaker-Packard.

In high school I had saved up some Christmas and birthday present money [$30 ?? -- a lot at that time] I felt sorry for Studebaker-Packard and wanted to help the company out [in defense, I was 15 and not trained in economics].

My high school was in Manhattan and on my way home I went down to Wall Street, walked into several lobbies, saw a sign that said "brokerage" and went upstairs to buy the stock. It wasn't that simple since I had to get my parents to countersign a document [?] and I had to go back another day to complete the deal.
by communipaw
Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:03 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP funds in Morningstar Xray
Replies: 2
Views: 1841

TSP funds in Morningstar Xray

I've added in all my holdings to Morningstar hoping to get a clearer view of the categories I own through Xray. But I got stopped when tying to put in my TSP, since there are no ticker names. Is it possible to add the F, G, C, I and S TSP funds to Morningstar's portfolio for an Xray view? EDIT after I posted the question, I found this answer. Does it sound reasonable? TSP I (EAFE): VDMIX or VEA TSP C (SP500): VFINX or VOO TSP S (TSM Completion Index): VEXMX or VXF (TSM Completion Index is Total Stock Market less SP500, or close to the Extended Market Index) TSP F (Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index): VBMFX or BND TSP G (stable value) can be entered as AAA bond of 5 yr maturity with an appropriate coupon and the value as units at price of $1; ...
by communipaw
Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Renting forever: financial suicide?
Replies: 135
Views: 36371

Re: Renting forever

My aunt was a lifelong renter in Southern California until about age 60. As she was thinking about retiring, she was afraid of all the unexpected rent increases and what she would have to pay for rent 10, 20, 30 years down the road. I'm retired, live in the Washington DC area, 10 easy miles from the White House, in a condominium apartment with the mortgage paid off but with a high condominium fee, $600, that will keep going up with inflation. I really want to live in a rental apartment in the middle of DC and not own and can afford to do so ...now. Just as the aunt of one of the posters, I am worried about inflation as a renter. But is that maybe an exaggerated fear? Mortgage payments, if any, are stable but isn't everything else in a plac...
by communipaw
Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Salzburg or Graz?
Replies: 18
Views: 4015

Re: Salzburg or Graz?

I lived in Graz for a year and have visited Salzburg many times.
Both beautiful and well preserved cities in scenic settings. Salzburg is well known and very touristed; Graz is much visited by Europeans, not as much by Americans. Both have fascinating architecture and a vibrant city life.
I would visit both; if you must choose one, I'd say Graz.
by communipaw
Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wall Street Journal Subscription Increase
Replies: 29
Views: 4563

Re: Wall Street Journal Subscription Increase

I have found that if one reads The Wall Street Journal, there really is not a need for any other business publications such as Barron's, BusinessWeek, etc. unless one has a personal preference. It just struck me [and I should be embarrassed since this is Bogleheads with a focus on finances] but I hadn't realized that most people apparently read the WSJ for business/money/financial reasons. I don't. I read/skim the market place and money-finance sections because I've paid for them. But it's the OTHER sections like technology, background politics, international affairs, local New York news, theater, music, unaffordable real estate, book reviews, etc. that are the real reasons I subscribe. Apparently I'm out of step with the Boglehead philoso...
by communipaw
Sun Jul 27, 2014 10:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2014 Honda Civic EX-L vs 2014 Acura ILX(Base)
Replies: 49
Views: 9119

Re: 2014 Honda Civic EX-L vs 2014 Acura ILX(Base)

Question is, how do I quantify this to a dollar amount. How much is a longer(1 year, ~ 10K) warranty worth? Any thoughts?
To me, the extra year warranty and the original parts/accessories difference, added to the positive points others have mentioned about the ILX would make the price difference so small that I would not overthink it.
by communipaw
Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2014 Honda Civic EX-L vs 2014 Acura ILX(Base)
Replies: 49
Views: 9119

Re: 2014 Honda Civic EX-L vs 2014 Acura ILX(Base)

Doesn't the ILX have a substantially longer warranty than the Civic?
by communipaw
Fri Jul 25, 2014 6:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wall Street Journal Subscription Increase
Replies: 29
Views: 4563

Re: Wall Street Journal Subscription Increase

unless you have specific business needs requiring you to keep up with something (in which case the business would pay for it), what do you actually lose from your quality or pleasure of life by not reading it at all?
I think you lose the theater reviews, book reviews, the analyses of works of art, the weekend essays, local news about NYC, comments on social issues, etc.
by communipaw
Mon Jun 23, 2014 6:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Article: bonds pensions SS
Replies: 49
Views: 4697

Article: bonds pensions SS

A New Perspective on Your Portfolio

Don't overlook your house and Social Security in assessing your asset mix.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-take ... 1403470472
by communipaw
Sat May 10, 2014 8:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: WSJ story on IRA rollovers
Replies: 11
Views: 2005

WSJ story on IRA rollovers

pdated May 9, 2014 6:19 p.m. ET
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... reno64-wsj

A veteran tax lawyer argued his own case in U.S. Tax Court about an individual-retirement-account maneuver that long had been blessed by the Internal Revenue Service. He lost, and now all IRA owners face dangers they didn't before.
by communipaw
Sat May 03, 2014 6:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Rent vs buy again ... but with a twist
Replies: 10
Views: 1963

Rent vs buy again ... but with a twist

[I'm leaving out emotional, non-financial reasons that impel people to rent or to buy]. Over and over there are articles on the advantages of renting vs buying, usually in regard to money. For example, today's WSJ on page B7 has in big letters "3.6% increase in house prices in the last 30 years vs the 11.1% increase in the S&P 500". In my case, since 1980 I've owned [not unhappily but also not Harry Homeowner happily] ; first a house and then a condominium apartment whose mortgage is paid off. I have often thought of selling and moving to a rental apartment; and now that I'm retired, even more so. But there is one thing that has held and still is holding me back from switching to renting: Fear of the consequences of higher tha...
by communipaw
Wed Apr 02, 2014 6:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving SEP IRA from American to Vanguard
Replies: 2
Views: 546

Re: Moving SEP IRA from American to Vanguard

I plan on opening a new Vanguard SEP account for the American Fund SEP or else merging it into my current Vanguard SEP fund account.
by communipaw
Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving SEP IRA from American to Vanguard
Replies: 2
Views: 546

Moving SEP IRA from American to Vanguard

I have one SEP with Vanguard and another one in an American Funds mutual fund; to simplify things, I intend to move the one in American Funds to Vanguard after my 2014 RMDs are taken care of. I'm looking for the simplest non tax event way to do it.

It looks like the simple way is not to roll the SEP over but to "transfer" it from American to Vanguard.
To avoid tax and other complications as much as possible, is it better to put it into a different Vanguard mutual fund than the one in which my Vanguard SEP Ira now is? Thank you
by communipaw
Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replacement for Windows XP Computer
Replies: 72
Views: 7747

Re: Replacement for Windows XP Cuters are preloaded omputer

I.ve noticed this with Microcenter but probably many other dealers/manufacturers do it The computers are preloaded with Windows 7 but have the right to install Windows 8 whenever you want to.

For example http://www.microcenter.com/product/4234 ... p_Computer

"This system is preinstalled with Windows 7 Professional software and also comes with a license and media for Windows 8 Pro software. "
by communipaw
Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Donating appreciated stock to charity
Replies: 7
Views: 950

Re: Donating appreciated stock to charity

I'm sorry to hear that donating bonds is impractical; glad to hear that it isn't too hard to donate appreciated stock in a DRIP. Thanks to all for your responses.
by communipaw
Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Donating appreciated stock to charity
Replies: 7
Views: 950

Donating appreciated stock to charity

I have several DRIPs that I've accumulated over the years and which I'd like to donate to a charity. Do you just somehow sign over a DRIP to the charity or do you have to figure out the cost basis and do something more?

And can you donate a fully matured US savings bond, E or EE, that has stopped accruing interest? Does the IRS recognize the face value of the bond plus its interest as the amount of the charitable donation?
by communipaw
Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Savings category in Quicken
Replies: 10
Views: 2924

Savings category in Quicken

I use Quicken [right now Quicken 2013] and once a month I transfer any "leftover" money from my checking account to my savings account .
I use quicken's "transfer" function which replaces the usual "Category" on the entry, so the transfer doesn't get categorized as savings. Any suggestions on how to categorize transfers as savings?
by communipaw
Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page
Replies: 9
Views: 2334

Re: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page

Laura » Mon Jan 06, 2014 8:11 pm
I have my TSP linked so it shows and updates on the Vanguard page. What is doesn't do it maintain an accurate asset allocation. I have everything labeled properly but it still shows as "other" in my asset classes which totally throws me off.
That is my situation: TSP updates occur automatically but the asset allocation no longer does.
by communipaw
Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:05 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page
Replies: 9
Views: 2334

Re: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page

On my page Outside investments—Linked online accounts appears below the Vanguard's funds and above Outside investments—Added accounts. Outside investments—Linked online accounts updates the TSP values each day.
by communipaw
Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:56 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page
Replies: 9
Views: 2334

Re: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page

When I spoke to Vanguard today I also suggested closer cooperation with the TSP data.

I was told that Vanguard used Cashedge for the IT work and did not have enough clout with them [which sounded strange] to be more effective with TSP. I was told that Vanguard has tried to get Cashedge to interface more closely with TSP but has been unsuccessful.
by communipaw
Mon Jan 06, 2014 3:30 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page
Replies: 9
Views: 2334

TSP on Vanguard's Linked Account Page

I had the TSP set up on the linked accounts section of Vanguard's "Balances and Holdings" but a few months ago, although the TSP refreshed, I stopped seeing it as a component of my Asset Mix on the Home Page.
Vanguard told me today that likely the TSP had changed something in connection with Cashedge and that I have to go back in and re-categorize the C, F, G, I S, accounts as stock, bond, cash etc. As far as I can tell there is no commercial listing for the TSP funds and I forget now what I used when I set it up on Vanguard's linked account section.
What do you use for your TSP funds' category, style, etc. ?
by communipaw
Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Federal Retirees: Why Medicare?
Replies: 58
Views: 10781

Re: Federal Retirees: Why Medicare?

​I'm a federal retiree, retired the beginning of 2009 at 67, and have FEHBP BC/BS and Medicare A and B. Since I'd paid into Medicare A all my working career, I took it [it isn't free, just prepaid;] BC/BS strongly suggested I get Medicare B [which I realized at the time was to BC/BS' advantage] but doing some figures I decided that adding B would increase my total premiums , co pays, annual deductions only slightly and I decided upon suspenders AND a belt. But there was an unpleasant surprise from taking Medicare B. As a federal employee I was allowed to save up my annal leave for almost 2 years and receive it as a cash payout. It was a one shot injection of income that pushed my medicare B premium from the standard premium to the second le...