Search found 5671 matches

by btenny
Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:20 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: VGENX/VGELX Transition
Replies: 18
Views: 2115

Re: VGENX/VGELX Transition

The big thing I see is Vanguard has decided to change VGENX away for VDE. Before both were big oil stock funds with similar holdings. Now VGENX has been changed to a go anywhere (including international) energy fund with 50% holdings in utility stocks (DUKE energy etc. ) and 50% in oil/NG resource stocks. VDE is still a pure big oil stock fund. VDE still owns a lot of XOM. VGENX owns none.

VGENX pays a dividend of 3.65%

VDE pays a dividend of 4.97%
by btenny
Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car suggestion for 70+ year-old mom
Replies: 160
Views: 11839

Re: Car suggestion for 70+ year-old mom

The Lincoln MKX has a big touch screen in the dash like a Tesla that lets you adjust everything. It has controls for navigation, audio, phone, seats, climate, etc. It is a very easy user friendly interface. I can adjust the seats in all the different ways from this screen via a picture of each front seat high lighted as you select each adjustment. There are also separate buttons for most of these features for those who prefer that method.

The special 22 way seats also have back massage and lumbar massage features that are great for tired backs.....

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Feb 27, 2021 10:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car suggestion for 70+ year-old mom
Replies: 160
Views: 11839

Re: Car suggestion for 70+ year-old mom

I bought a nice used 2016 Lincoln MKX in 2019. It is much nicer and way more comfortable than any Subaru. It is a very nice car. It has 22 way power seats that are great. It has a quiet ride and all the latest safety features. My wife really loves it. She is like your Mom in age and tastes. You can buy a slightly used 2017-18 model off lease for $25K. https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=563766324&zip=85253&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D85253%26city%3DParadise%2BValley%26incremental%3Dall%26modelCodeList%3DMKX%26makeCodeList%3DLINC%26listingTypes%3Dused%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26location%3D%255Bobject%2BObject%255D%26state%3DAZ%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Dinclude%26...
by btenny
Fri Feb 26, 2021 5:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A gift for DW
Replies: 58
Views: 5329

Re: A gift for DW

Regarding pearls. There was a very famous lady named RBG who wore pearls a lot. She showed a lot of people how to achieve great things. So giving an accomplished lady some pearls sounds like a great idea to me.

Enjoy and Good Luck
by btenny
Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A gift for DW
Replies: 58
Views: 5329

Re: A gift for DW

Buy her a expensive and nice bottle of perfume, something like Chanel No. 5. Most women love this stuff even the frugal ones. Plus it does smell nice and will be a nice reminder of your love and her hard work every time she uses it for years.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where would you live in Phoenix if you could WFH
Replies: 126
Views: 11689

Re: Where would you live in Phoenix if you could WFH

Lexx and Work. I know my palate is not that refined. I grew up in Arizona and ate my Moms southern style cooking and dined out on Mexican mostly. But I worked and traveled all over for over 30 years and ate some great meals. Have you tasted Kangaroo steak in Adelaide, Australia? Or done San Antonio or Phoenix or Santa Fe for various good Mexican meals. Each town has different styles. I also like the London theater district for great Indian and good for Sushi. I also find the east bay of SF (downtown SF not so much) to be good for Chinese. I go to Maryland or DC for good seafood and crab. SF has OK sea food. Arizona has poor seafood. This is why I am not a fan of the Scottsdale road show restaurants like RA. You are paying a bundle for the d...
by btenny
Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thoughts or suggestions: upgrading from Honda Fit for DW's comfort on long road trips...
Replies: 40
Views: 3006

Re: Thoughts or suggestions: upgrading from Honda Fit for DW's comfort on long road trips...

JD you really need to look at "luxury" cars or SUVs like a Lexus or Lincoln or Volvo or similar make. The key is big multi way adjustable power seats and a smooth quiet ride. My wife and I found that most economy/mid size car models have OK power driver seats but poor passenger seats with no or little adjustability. We love road trips and routinely drive 500-750 miles in one day to our second home. We also put a cooler for food in the back seat. So way back in 2008 we moved to a Lincoln sedan. That car drove well at highway speeds and was quiet. It had a BIG trunk and great 10 way power seats. But it wore out. So we bought a slightly used 2016 Lincoln MKX with 22 way power adjustable seats for both driver and passenger. It is a bi...
by btenny
Tue Feb 23, 2021 6:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where would you live in Phoenix if you could WFH
Replies: 126
Views: 11689

Re: Where would you live in Phoenix if you could WFH

Lexx. You really need to expand where you dine in Phoenix. I live in the Paradise Valley area of north east Phoenix. I have very nice Italian and Chinese and Mexican restaurants all within a mile of my house. Each are run by ethnic owners and chefs. Each serves good food, Maybe not MICHELIN rated but very good. There are lots of others. And I too spend a lot of time in Napa for wine tasting and club events and SF for baseball so I have visited some of those named places. OP. Phoenix is BIG and has dozens of nice towns and neighbor hoods spread out all over. I live in the PV area and have been here for 40 years. I am partial to this area for lots of reasons. It is in town now and close to everything. But as Scottsdale and Phoenix have grown ...
by btenny
Sat Feb 13, 2021 12:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Logistically how do I pay LTCG
Replies: 10
Views: 1075

Re: Logistically how do I pay LTCG

Many brokerage houses offer a way to withhold taxes from a sale or transfer of money. I have done this at Wells Fargo and TD Ameritrade. I suggest you call your broker and ask them if they can pay Fed Tax for you based on your recent stock sale.

If not you will have to fill out and file a estimated quarterly tax form and then send the Fed a check.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Engineering Physics as a major
Replies: 92
Views: 6777

Re: Engineering Physics as a major

Electrical engineer here. Got a BSEE and MSEE a very long time ago from a big state university. My school offered lots of choices. Back then physics was a core part of a BSEE degree. I studied semi-conductor physics and communications. Those study areas both used lots of physics and math and still do to this day. Think 4G/5G cell phones or computer microprocessors. I also used a lot of physics in my job.

I suggest your son go to a big school with lots of degree alternatives and look into EE and how physics/math is the foundation of that degree.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:30 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TD Ameritrade contact method is a joke
Replies: 15
Views: 2112

Re: TD Ameritrade contact method is a joke

I have not called them in a year or more. The response then was fast but I have a special number for high account value customers. They have also called me 2 times or so in the last year to say one of my local offices was closing and representatives were being let go. They did say that they still had local offices in Scottsdale and Reno so I could also walk in to the office as needed.

So drive to and walk into a local office if the phone is too slow.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should we buy this house - Relocating/Working From Home
Replies: 3
Views: 6419

Re: Should we buy this house - Relocating/Working From Home

Maybe you can afford it but is it the right move? I think it depends a lot on all the details if this will work with your particular job (both jobs). Because of Covid right now all the bosses are saying OK just work from home. But I am pretty sure long term most jobs (and any very high paying job) and most bosses will still require at least 1 day a week working at the office in person t\and going to meetings or doing some work travel. So how are you going to do this in person work and work travel.

Please tell us your plan. Good Luck.
by btenny
Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: I sold my boat today
Replies: 41
Views: 8856

Re: I sold my boat today

Arizona is nice. I hope you learn to like it. It is a lot different than other places in many ways. Phoenix used to be small then millions of people came here so now it is like LA, just huge. The weather in the desert half of the state is cold for 6 weeks each winter and nice or hot the rest of the year. This makes it good for swimming and boating and fishing and jet skiing almost year round. I have boated on almost every lake in the state. Back then I had a ski boat and I trailered it all over. We have lots of desert lakes all around and most of them are man made so the federal government owns most of the land on the water. So no lake homes and very few marinas directly on the water. But you can trailer a jet ski or boat to all the various...
by btenny
Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: I sold my boat today
Replies: 41
Views: 8856

Re: I sold my boat today

Sorry for your loss. What kind and size of boat did you have? Selling stuff that brings us great pleasure is hard. Maybe you will find renting a jet ski or a boat occasionally to be good enough. Or maybe you just need to travel to a lake/beach regularly and go swimming. I am curious where was your lake home? I too live in Phoenix and have a second home by a lake and a boat. We use ours a lot. We escape to the mountains and lake for the whole summer and a month or so each winter. But as we get older (now 70++) I am wondering if all the back and forth traveling to our second home is worth it. We are just not as active and agile as younger days. Plus there is the constant churn of repairs and updates on two places versus one. I used to fix a l...
by btenny
Mon Feb 08, 2021 11:43 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Replies: 35
Views: 3441

Re: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

I love Jeeps. I have owned one for 22 years. They are great in big snow and big snow berms and bad roads. They have huge ground clearance. The front seats are very nice and comfy. The driver controls and AC and the heater etc. are just great. The back seat is tight for two adults but works great for kids. The fold down back seats makes them really useful for hauling stuff. I currently own a 1999 Jeep GC and a BIG boat that weighs 6200 pounds. I tow the boat with this JGC 2-4 times per year around my town and to the boat launch and to the storage yard. The short wheel base of the JGC makes it a great tow vehicle which maneuvers well when parking the boat at the storage lot or in my drive way. The 4WD also works great on the slick boat ramps....
by btenny
Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ski racks?
Replies: 8
Views: 619

Re: Ski racks?

Skip the ski rack if traveling by air. Rent a mid size or larger SUV and put the skis inside in the back. Most modern skis are not that long so they fit if put in at an angle. Or lay down one of the back seats and put the skis over that area. If going local I suggest you also skip the ski rack. I do this all the time.

I have a good ski rack and put it on my Jeep/Subaru crossbars if I am traveling long distances and taking a lot of luggage. Other wise I never use it.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Wed Feb 03, 2021 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Selling house - not buying another - invest the $ ???
Replies: 6
Views: 724

Re: Selling house - not buying another - invest the $ ???

Sorry for your situation. Try to enjoy what time you have left together. I suggest you keep the house money in the bank for a few years. You may need to provide proof of money available to pay medical costs to some clinic or hospital in the near term. Break the money up into $50K or $100K chunks and invest it in 3-24 month CDs. Then early register your wife for Medicare and a good Medigap policy so all her medical bills go to them when she is eligible. Make sure you buy a Medigap policy that offers 100% coverage. Then hope she does not incur too many big bills or long hospitalizations before that date. The gotcha in our great medical system is you will not know or have any idea if you go over this $1M limit until 6 months after it happens. ...
by btenny
Wed Feb 03, 2021 11:20 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: No T. Rowe Price?
Replies: 85
Views: 12905

Re: No T. Rowe Price?

Way back when before I found Bogleheads I bought some TRP Capital Appreciation fund (PRWCX ). It has done very well for 18 years so I have kept it. But I also own some Vanguard Wellesley and Vanguard Total Stock market.

I hold these in a TDA Ameritrade account.
by btenny
Wed Feb 03, 2021 10:54 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Did I win the game? What shall I do with this money?
Replies: 58
Views: 7119

Re: Did I win the game? What shall I do with this money?

Buy the boat but do not go quite so big. I suggest maybe getting a nice used 23-25 footer. This size is big enough to handle well on medium rough water (2-3 foot waves) and OK in bigger 4-5 foot waves but small enough to run fast with a single I/O or twin outboards. Keep the engine hours under 500 or so and get something in good shape and you are fine. Plus 25 foot is still small enough to trailer easily without a giant truck. And the price is within your budget.

https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2005-se ... n-7717206/
https://www.boattrader.com/boat/2006-tr ... e-7701642/

Have fun. Enjoy.
by btenny
Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Suddenly, life "retired" us! How should I position my portfolio for the future?
Replies: 46
Views: 10231

Re: Suddenly, life "retired" us! How should I position my portfolio for the future?

Enjoy this new phase of life. I think you can retire from working for money. Go find some good activities and have fun. Do not buy a house right away. Rent for now. Find out where and what you want to do for the next few years first. I suggest you invest $500K or so of that cash in short and intermediate term muni bond funds. Make this your emergency money and 5 or more years of spending money. This will reduce your taxable income some. Then set aside $500K in Cds for a new house some time in the future. Then invest the $300K balance at 40% stocks and 60% or so bonds and Cds. Do a complete asset allocation covering all your accounts and funds (less the $500K house money) and make sure you have enough stocks to get you to 40% stocks. Rebalan...
by btenny
Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does anyone still file fed taxes by mail? Why?
Replies: 103
Views: 8520

Re: Does anyone still file fed taxes by mail? Why?

In the past I paper filed because e-filing gave the government all kinds of extra Turbo Tax information and extra forms and extra data beyond what was needed for calculating my taxes. I preferred they only store and enter the minimum data by hand from the few paper forms I submit. I was especially worried about my K1 data. So I paper filed. But now that I have sold those K1 stocks and OCR has gotten so good I bet the government e-reads all the data and shreds the paper. So who knows. Not sure what I will do for 2020.
by btenny
Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: We are NOT in a bubble
Replies: 164
Views: 25119

Re: We are NOT in a bubble

This chart says stock are expensive vs PE ratios and history. I do not know if this is a bubble about to pop or just a high PE due to low interest rates and cheap money.

https://www.macrotrends.net/2577/sp-500 ... ings-chart
by btenny
Mon Feb 01, 2021 12:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trips from Scottsdale in April
Replies: 29
Views: 2426

Re: Trips from Scottsdale in April

Or take a 2-3 hour tour of Old Town Scottsdale and the Civic Center mall and park and then all the old shops and stores and then over to Fashion Square and the canal area. Go by a Segway tour or a Golf cart tour. Be careful to keep your wife's credit cards so she does not spend too much at all the fancy stores.

https://scottsdalesegwaytours.com/?keyw ... m0EALw_wcB

https://www.joyridesaz.com/
by btenny
Mon Feb 01, 2021 12:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trips from Scottsdale in April
Replies: 29
Views: 2426

Re: Trips from Scottsdale in April

Take a day trip to Papago Park and the Phoenix Zoo and east Phoenix and see all kinds of animals. Kids will love the reptiles and lizards and lions etc.. https://www.phoenixzoo.org/explore/animals/ Or only use part of the day at the Zoo so you have time to climb the red rocks mountain and see the hole in the rock next door. Or walk through the Desert Botanical Gardens (also right next to the zoo) and see all the desert trees and cactus. https://dbg.org/ https://www.google.com/search?q=papago%20park%20trails&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS689US689&oq=papago+park&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j46i175i199i433j0j46i67i175i199j46i175i199j0i395l3.16257j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&tbs=lrf:!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIA...
by btenny
Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Quest Labs and Medicare-require credit card before drawing blood?
Replies: 38
Views: 5541

Re: Quest Labs and Medicare-require credit card before drawing blood?

Old guy here with a few medical issues. I need regular cholesterol and lipid and PSA tests. Before Medicare I used to get blood tests every 6 months to check stuff due to previous issues (not diabetes). On Medicare I have to wait one year and one day after the previous test to get blood test cost coverage. So my doctor and their blood draw people are all really careful and will not schedule any stuff inside that time window. And the fees the local doctor/clinic gets for the blood work from Medicare is more than LabCorp charges. But I have to drive 25 miles to another state to get to LabCorp so I use the local clinic. Medicare does not care which place I use. I never give any one a credit card. I do sign some forms that say I will pay any bi...
by btenny
Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Quality Of Life Change After Transitioning To Part Time?
Replies: 28
Views: 2290

Re: Quality Of Life Change After Transitioning To Part Time?

Yes try the part time thing. You have saved a ton for your age. Who knows it may make you a lot happier. Or it may not change things lot. So I suggest you set a firm time line of say 3-12 months to decide if part time is better or the job is just not that fulfilling any longer.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:22 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Retirees--Are You Spending Too Much?"
Replies: 46
Views: 7150

Re: "Retirees--Are You Spending Too Much?"

I retired year end 1998 from a Mega Corp. I was worried about a stock market bubble and not having enough money to stay retired but I wanted a new job or life style. I only spent about 4% per year for many years. I was able to stay retired by doing a few key things. First. I downsized out of my large kid home to a smaller retirement home. My youngest kid was off in college so this was an easy decision. Second. When I down sized and sold my big house I had BIG $$$ to invest after paying off my retirement house. I decided to buy a lot of muni bonds (instead of stocks) with this $$ in my taxable account. This gave me a good sized emergency fund and plenty of spending money for many years with little tax costs. This let me sleep good at night k...
by btenny
Thu Jan 28, 2021 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 1999 – 2009 “The Lost Decade” experience
Replies: 52
Views: 4205

Re: 1999 – 2009 “The Lost Decade” experience

I retired at year end 1998. I took a golden parachute out of my Mega Corp as I could see things going bad in the near future at my company and tech companies in general. In 1999 I sold all my Mega Corp stock options and reduced my stock asset allocation to 50/50. In 2000 I started selling out my 35% or so fixed real estate allocation. RE continued to go up a lot during those years and I sold the last item in 2002. I moved this money to stocks and bonds. I had +41% stock/bond returns for the 2003-09 period. This is an average of 5.85% per year. Not great but OK. My worst year was -14.4% in 2008. I have no data for 1999-2002.

So I made OK returns for the whole decade.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Thu Jan 28, 2021 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Do you see any benefit to these portfolio changes recommended by Vanguard PAS
Replies: 27
Views: 3056

Re: Do you see any benefit to these portfolio changes recommended by Vanguard PAS

I split my taxable bond holdings into three parts in my taxable account. I hold 3 years spending $$ in limited term munis to give me low risk bonds that are available to sell in crisis as emergency money. I also hold 1-2 years spending money in BIL 3 month tbill fund. I hold 4 years additional money in intermediate munis. I also hold some Vanguard high yield munis for better return.

I can sell any of this in a long market crash or emergency rather that selling stocks and creating a big tax event that would push me into higher Medicare brackets and income tax brackets. In early retirement before RMDs I was spending more of these bonds funds annually.

You may have similar needs. Good Luck.
by btenny
Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Ugh Fidelity! May have to leave!
Replies: 92
Views: 10856

Re: Ugh Fidelity! May have to leave!

You people are finally understanding why I quit Fidelity back in 1999ish. Lousy customer service. Go somewhere so you have a real person you can talk to in person about issues. Move your money to TDAmeritrade or Wells Fargo.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sun Jan 24, 2021 2:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wedding
Replies: 78
Views: 6137

Re: Wedding

The best wedding I have ever attended was in Green Bay Wisconsin. It lasted about 12 hours for all the events. The wedding was held in a small chapel at noon and attended by 10 or so witnesses. The groom wore a nice suit. No tie. The bride wore a nice long white dress. No expensive wedding gown. There were a few flowers and she had a pretty corsage. After the wedding two limousines took the wedding party on a tour of the bride and grooms favorite bars all around Green bay to get toasted by all their friends at each bar. These toasts were scheduled and each had 10-30 people and some great drinks. Then we went to the reception at a local motel meeting room. It was a buffet BYOB affair with kegs of beer and a DJ. The bride and groom were both ...
by btenny
Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendation(s) for Banks or CU's in Scottsdale, AZ
Replies: 7
Views: 715

Re: Recommendation(s) for Banks or CU's in Scottsdale, AZ

I bank at US Bank and Wells Fargo to have brick and mortar money management and real people for issues as the come up. Both have lots of offices all over the Phoenix area and all over the western states. Both do mortgages. I also know Guaranteed Rate mortgage company handles all kinds of new mortgages and refinancing. That is their main business. They have offices in Scottsdale, Glendale and Phoenix.

I have no idea if these companies have good rates or how they handle mortgage service.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best State and National Parks in the Southeast
Replies: 54
Views: 5434

Re: Best State and National Parks in the Southeast

My wife and I had a great time driving across Everglades national park. Stopped at 2-3 places and looked at the trees and alligators and birds and swamp stuff. Took a long air boat ride and tour to describe what we were seeing. Ate some gator tail and fries for lunch. https://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm https://www.captainjacksairboattours.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAr6-ABhAfEiwADO4sfTmyntz1de_Ica5cDp3BSGtOQYzc91pMCZQsmd_JtHbVqYh8z8EUFBoCTHYQAvD_BwE Drove across Mississippi on the Natchez Trace National park highway. Loved the scenery and total forest atmosphere with NO signs or stores anywhere. Just highway and trees. Really cool. We drove by some exits but did not stop. There are lots of side hikes and camp grounds and scenery. See the video below ...
by btenny
Fri Jan 22, 2021 5:34 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Inflation
Replies: 72
Views: 6857

Re: Inflation

I lived and invested through the crazy high inflation 1970s. I was young and working in tech. Back then salaries were going up big each year for high tech workers. Home prices were also going up big. Interest rates were going up as well. We had huge oil crisis in 1974 and again in 1979 driving up energy prices. This all combined to drive up inflation. Buying leveraged rental houses was the place to invest. Fast forward to 2020. Salaries for tech workers have started going up a lot. Salaries for lower wage service workers are going up a lot. Home prices (and rents) are going up a lot in many markets. Interest rates are going down (so far). Oil prices are crazy, they crashed to below $10 in the spring but are back up above $50 now. So we have...
by btenny
Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to buy a boat? (the process)
Replies: 39
Views: 3989

Re: How to buy a boat? (the process)

Long time owner (50+ years) of power boats. I currently own a 1995 cutty cabin Maxum that is 23 foot long. It has a 8.1L Mercruiser I/O drive. I bought it used from a private party for $14K in 2004. It had 200 hours but was dirty and needed work so the price was low. I knew I could fix it up for low $$. It is worth $18K or so now. But this particular boat has a big engine and a great interior and cabin layout in a small size. It is good for day trips and single over night stays. I bought it and the trailer for cash after a 30 minute try out ride. This boat is fast and rides good in rough water and has trim tabs to adjust the ride. I use it on fresh water at Lake Tahoe. Since Tahoe is 6.3K feet altitude this effects speed dramatically. It on...
by btenny
Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:36 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Brokerage Account at TD or Vanguard
Replies: 46
Views: 4973

Re: Brokerage Account at TD or Vanguard

You do recognize that many banks and brokerage firms have issues and regularly pay big fines. See below for Bank of America issues and fines they paid. Also discussed is how Merrill Lynch was involved with the predatory mortgage lending crash of 2007.

https://www.corp-research.org/bank-of-america
by btenny
Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Signature Golf Holes that are worth traveling to? . . . And. . Most Memorable Golf Experiences?
Replies: 78
Views: 6223

Re: Signature Golf Holes that are worth traveling to?

In memory of my good friend Malcom who passed last year. He loved golf and lived in St Andrews Scotland. Here are the web sites. I leave it to you to look at the pictures. It is a great town and both courses below are fun and beautiful. It is well worth it to travel there.

18th hole THE OLD COURSE St Andrews
https://www.standrews.com/play/courses/old-course

15th hole Kingsbarns St Andrews Scotland
https://www.kingsbarns.com/home/

Good Luck
by btenny
Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:44 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: When active fund management makes sense to you?
Replies: 79
Views: 6657

Re: When active fund management makes sense to you?

Way back when (2000 to 2015ish) I owned a lot of one Harbor fund as a large cap international stock fund. Specifically HAINX. I did well for ten years or so. They had good active management and lots of people in various countries looking at foreign companies. They had good performance in all these unregulated places. But now the managers have gotten old and retired and the knowledge is less. Plus in most countries they now have more mature markets. So the active advantage is gone so I sold out. I also own TR Price Capital Appreciation (TRWCX) and Vanguard Wellesley (VWIAX) as active funds. Both have good performance that is slightly better than their index benchmarks. They have done this for decades. I expect to hold them forever. Good Luck.
by btenny
Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:11 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Brokerage Account at TD or Vanguard
Replies: 46
Views: 4973

Re: Brokerage Account at TD or Vanguard

Everyone. Do you understand that selecting a stock brokerage company is a compromise? Yes Wells did some account stuff to some customers back when. Good customers were not effected. They have fixed their issues. They have great customer service and lots of product offerings all bundled. Vanguard has terrible customer service and makes huge mistakes sometimes. They take weeks and months to do things or fix and correct errors. As far as I know Vanguard has not done anything to fix these problems or improve service or reduce the error rate. They remind me of Mr Scrooge. Never spend any money no matter if it might improve things and help lots of customers. TDA has poor cash account offerings and limited check writing but great customer service....
by btenny
Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Splitting time between 2 states (Florida)
Replies: 15
Views: 2129

Re: Splitting time between 2 states (Florida)

When you rent a place (apartment or house or condo) to live in while in Florida you can use that rental agreement to register a car and provide a Florida address for the paperwork. Just take the car you buy to the Florida DMV.

I did this in California. I have two cars registered in California and a second home there. Note that I am a Arizona resident and have a AZ drivers license and a AZ car and AZ house. I spend part of each year in both places. I insure the AZ cars and house with a AZ insurance policy and the California stuff with a CA policy.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Brokerage Account at TD or Vanguard
Replies: 46
Views: 4973

Re: Brokerage Account at TD or Vanguard

I like Wells Fargo and Wells Trade as the best combination better than all the ones listed above. I have been a Wells Fargo checking customer for decades and a Wells Trade customer for years. WF has all the account types I need at one place and one log on and easy management and transfers between all accounts. I have full checking, a brokerage account, a IRA account, a cash back credit card, a debit card and lots of ATMs all over the US to use as needed. They carry Vanguard funds and ETFs and I hold many of them in my accounts. They have low cash interest rates but I do not care as I use BIL (3month tbill etf) to hold most of my cash when it is not invested. In my case all trades are free. I also get a big safe deposit box to keep special p...
by btenny
Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Changing houses is not the issue, changing my mind is
Replies: 8
Views: 1614

Re: Changing houses is not the issue, changing my mind is

I down sized 19 years ago when we retired. We went from 3000 sq ft and 1.5 acres to 2100 sq ft on a city lot. My old place had a big pool and lots of trees and two big lawns to mow. It had 4 bedrooms and 3 baths. It needed a lot of maintenance that cost a lot. It had a great big patio by the pool and good views of the near by mountains. It was in a very quiet area. My neighbors were not close but shopping was good with a short drive. The new place is single story city home on a small lot with two story neighbor houses close on both sides. I look at the neighbors shower window when I BBQ. I have a block fence and some trees for a view from my patio. I have a few trees and some grass but no pool. The new house is a 3/2 split plan that works g...
by btenny
Fri Jan 15, 2021 11:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Death of Equities
Replies: 40
Views: 4851

Re: The Death of Equities

Here are some front page articles from last year.

The death of oil and gas.

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/0 ... iting-wall
https://www.ft.com/content/c343b958-63f ... 0d7740a843

Yes electric cars and solar panels will change the market demand for oil but not make it go away. Oil is still needed for all kinds of plastics and air travel and many other modern products. Last year many oil stocks were selling cheap and yielding 9% or more. I think these are real low cost stocks. I bought more. I have earned over 20% return since that purchase. I expect to earn more.
by btenny
Wed Jan 13, 2021 12:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any real world Tiny House experience here?
Replies: 29
Views: 2699

Re: Any real world Tiny House experience here?

Go to this blog to read good discussions and lots of pictures of tiny houses.

https://satisfyingretirement.blogspot.c ... house.html
by btenny
Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Any couples out there who retired at different times?
Replies: 26
Views: 2784

Re: Any couples out there who retired at different times?

I retired four years before my wife in my early fifties way back when. I spent that first retirement year doing financial planning for us and helping my last kid find a college. Then in September my daughter went off to college and in December I went off to teach skiing for the winter. So my wife was alone and by herself for the first time in 31 years. It was hard. She was lonely but had her friends at work and me by phone. She had our dog and took lots of walks and ate less (no need to make big set down suppers) but seemed happy. I was busy with teaching skiing and improving my skills. I was happy and having fun but also a little lonely. No kids around any longer. No complex people teams to put together at work. No complex electronic puzzl...
by btenny
Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Instacart Problem
Replies: 25
Views: 2435

Re: Instacart Problem

Back when before UBER, restaurant delivery food was about the same price the store charges for set down service. With Uber I do not know but costs are high. I think the delivery companies contract with each restaurant and get a 20% or so discount off the restaurant price. Then they add a fee for delivery and a tip. Most of those fees go to the (independent contractor) delivery person. Plus in most cases the customer also gives the driver a 10% or 20% added tip. So those drivers make good money if they have the right area and city. But 20% of a $50 food order is $10 for the company. $10 is a lot of $$ to run a website food order business that needs almost no people or capital investment.
by btenny
Sun Jan 10, 2021 11:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: expensive family vacations with adult children?
Replies: 43
Views: 4728

Re: expensive family vacations with adult children?

I have paid for parts of many vacations in the last few years for my grown kids. They live far away from me and could not afford visiting without some help. It is expensive to travel and we love to see things and take our kids along. In 2017 we went to England and Spain with my daughter and her hubby. She was already in England. In 2016 and 2017 I took my son and his sons to the Indy 500. He has a condo close. Sometimes I just pay for air fares and they come for a Arizona home visit or other times they come to Tahoe. Last year I planned a spring training baseball outing to Arizona. But CV19 canceled that. I lost about $4K that could not be refunded. Several of my friends do similar things with their kids. They pay for vacation rentals and a...
by btenny
Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Instacart Problem
Replies: 25
Views: 2435

Re: Instacart Problem

Am I the only person that hates the Instacart service. It is driving my wife nuts with the POOR service and wrong items and high costs. She placed a Frys order Thursday and tried to stop any substitutions without asking first. We got changes for 15 items out of a 35 item order and were never ask anything. They bought small sizes on lots of items which is OK but then we needed two. Nope they only bought one small size. We got two boxes of pasta we did not order. We got ground coffee instead of whole beans. We got red chili sauce instead of green Hatch chili sauce, etc. etc. . Oh and my wife cannot find a way to provide written poor feedback. Then there is the pricing. My wife started to place a Costco order before Christmas. She was floored ...
by btenny
Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:16 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What do I have covering my exterior wall and how to repair?
Replies: 13
Views: 974

Re: What do I have covering my exterior wall and how to repair?

This picture looks like a cement block house with a stucco finish. The stucco is then painted white. In this case some of the stucco has cracked open and fallen out. This happens with age or impact.

You need to scrape away any stucco that is loose or not cemented to the block wall. Then fill in the hole with stucco and paint the wall area. If you do not know how to do this repair hire a painter or handyman.

Good Luck.
by btenny
Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Cousin’s dilemma
Replies: 23
Views: 2362

Re: Cousin’s dilemma

Your cousin needs to get their kids into college and part way through as a minimum before quitting IMO. They are not sure of colleges and kid living costs or medical costs for the kids. What happens if their kids want to got to expensive state schools or really expensive private schools? One kid in a moderate state college raises yearly costs to $100K or more. Two raises income needs to $120K or more. And keeping it this low means the kids work to cover living costs. If one or more kids gets into a great private school these cost could go up to $150K or more per year. This big costs could go on for 4-6 years. Their savings will not support this without them working. Yes they could retire and force the kids to get college loans but that is a...