Bogleheads

My three cards consistent of a Visa and two MCs. The MCs I use rarely, only enough to keep them alive. The Visa is an airline affinity card we use for almost all expenditures to accumulate miles. W ...

I have 3 credit cards and would like to go down to two, replacing two of the existing with a new one. I want to do this without negatively impacting my credit rating. I'm OK with the combined credit ...

You can purchase $5,000 in paper bonds and an additional $5,000 online via Treasury Direct. If you are married, your spouse can also purchase a total of $10,000 for a grand total of $20,000 for the y ...

If you own shares of a stock on or past the ex-dividend date, but sell those shares before the dividend pay date, do you still receive the dividend?

- I would think the investment companies would have an interest in sponsoring the education of their future customers. Perhaps they already have programs?
I respectfully disagree about this statemen ...

The OP was suggesting that the Bogleheads might be able to contribute to the financial skills education of our youth. Most of this thread's posts then went on to discuss school curriculum, etc.

- ...

Thanks for the feedback. I thought it was a good deal but didn't take the time to quantify it in terms of an early withdraw. It's offered by our credit union (I should have stated NCUA, not FDIC).
...

FDIC.
180 days interest penalty for early withdraw.
Sound like a good deal?

Our 401k plan offers the SSgA S&P 500 and Stable Value options, both of which I'm using. I'm nervous about the Stable Value if they've been mismanaging risk. There's just no transparency in term ...

I've taken some of my equity gains of the past two quarters and used it to pay off 60K of my mortgage, 10K of my HELOC and 7K in CC debt. In doing so, I relied more on common sense than on running th ...

mrwarmth

Tell me more about Finger Lakes. The only one I've done tastings at is Konstantin Frank. Unfortunately they don't ship to residents of Massachusetts so I can't swill their super Rkatsite ...

We've all read about corporate implosions where people have not only lost their jobs but a major portion of their worth because they held a lot of their employers stock.

What do you think is a reas ...

I am referring to NQ options given to me by my employer. When you do a "cashless hold" they sell enough of the resulting shares to cover taxes at my stated Federal rate. If that rate goes ...

The prevailing wisdom (at least that I've read) is to hold on to options as long as possible. However, there seems to be a strong likelihood of tax increases in the coming years. Do you think it wou ...

It is a fun hobby. Like others I've been away from it for a while but want to start up again. I had the dreaded wert boil over in the kitchen with my very first batch. The wife was not happy. I ho ...

Does the removal of the income limit only apply to conversions? I don't have a traditional IRA (non-deductable), only a Roth that I was not eligible to contribute to due to income limites. Will the ...

It wasn't clear which definition of account the OP was using. For me, an account in MS Money is the same as a registration in Vanguard. So I have a taxable, an IRA, a Roth IRA, a taxable brokerage a ...

I see. So if I invest in fund XYZ in taxable and XYZ in a Roth, it's still one "account" but the contributions and earnings are reported to me, and the IRS, segregated by the investment typ ...

If I open a traditional, nondeductable IRA this year with VG and take advantage of the opportunity to convert it to a Roth next year due to the elmination of the income limit, will it become a part of ...

Bangor? I didn't even know her!

(In reference to the Pennsylvania town)

Ok, sort of not really a true punchline, but it was in my head....

Wow, a slate belt joke!

I keep my PCs for about 4 years or so. I don't "upgrade" to the latest OS or spend on other upgrades in the interim. I buy a mid to upper level machine and in effect upgrade everything at ...

Worth the $5,000 from Home depot. A happy wife is a pleasure to be around.

Murfield

Amen.

I want to replace our swing patio door with a slider. The current one is metal but I'd like wood, at least on the interior. The names I know are Pella, Anderson and Jeld-Wen. Thoughts, recommendati ...

Thanks everyone. 6-months for 6m to 5y certificates.

I'm about to purchase my first PenFed certificate. I've been looking on their site for information on the early withdraw penalty but haven't found it. Under "Disclosures" is says "Not ...

We are also driving older cars!
Every 12 years we buy new Buicks and run them 12 years, that is until road salt shows some effect. We have a 2002 Buick LeSabre and a 2004 Buick Century, love those ca ...

I can not answer for Bogleheads - well, I probably could, but I hate Bond Funds, personally. I can not stand their fluctuating NAVs - particularly a drop that exceeds 5%. It is not what I expect from ...

Jayne Mansfield

Mariska, I hope you're taking care of your collapsed lung.

I love you! Laughing

How ever did you guess?

Jayne Mansfield

I keep track of my net worth and expenses down to the cent on an Excel spreadsheet. It's not compulsive really though; I find it fun to classify stuff and see where my spending is going and how it cha ...

It is my belief the fixed rate will go to 0 as well. The reason? First, the Fed is buying treasuries and taking them off the market so why would treasury then just turn around and raise interest rates ...

I'm trying to decide whether to buy I-bonds now, or on May 1, or to just buy a 3 year CD from PenFed paying 3.5% APR (5 year is 4.0%). Any recommendations? (I'm 25% federal and 8.25% state). thanks
I ...

Penn State!

Oh yea, they got stiffed.

I just moved a substantial amount from PMM to a 1yr CD yeilding about 3%.

Ditto

Credit card debt.

OK. Is the idea that you can convert your traditional IRA, regardless of the balance and also make a 2010 contribution?

Any idea what the income limits will be in 2010 that could prevent one from converting their non-deductable IRA to a Roth?

Given where the CPI is now it doesn't appear that the next I bond rate or the TIPS rates are going to be that impressive.

ray/tfb,

Thanks. I appreciate the different perspectives. I tend to analyze by starting with the worst case scenarios.

So, for up to $20k a year for a couple, don't I bonds offer a good combination of safety, inflation protection and flexibility? Plus, taxes on the gains are deferred.
Yes, but you pay a price for th ...

If my post on Saturday comparing TIPS to CDs accurately describes the trade-offs, then it seems to me that I bonds represent a sweet spot between the two. You get the inflation protection of TIPS and ...

Second in taxable accounts of course the AT return after taxes and inflation may be negative. But still that is wrong way to look at it. The right way is to determine if there is a less risky alternat ...

So I'm taxed twice?

As the OP, I'm still in a bit of a quandary and my question has morphed into whether I want to use TIPS at all. For context purposes, the money to be invested will be for use at least 5 years out and ...

Well, I'm glad I started this thread even though it quickly went over my head. But, I'm learning a lot as I swim back to the surface.

As I now contemplate a fund vs. individuals TIPS, doesn't it h ...

I did all the research...then just bought the Vanguard TIPS Fund and went to sleep.

That is an option I've been considering.

I bought some of both to start out with and am tracking how each ty ...

I have a basic understand of TIPS and I want to add them to my 401k. I'd like to build a ladder but want to get started before the next auctions. First, is that a good idea or should I wait for the ...

My wife's 401k administrator is adding 3 VG funds: vmfxx, vipsx and vbtix. I was considering adding TIPS to her acount via a linked brokerage option but have held off because of the fees they charge ...

Live well within your means, and live well your entire life.

I hate to admit this, but I missed the boat by reading the Settlement Date instead of the auction date in the tentative schedule document I downloaded. Any idea when the next auction for 20-year is l ...