Search found 2204 matches

by interplanetjanet
Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 401k rollover for new job
Replies: 6
Views: 797

Re: 401k rollover for new job

LadyGeek wrote:1) Any time there is an opportunity to take control of your own money, I would do it. Roll your old 401(k) into a traditional and Roth IRA. Why would you put your funds back into the hands of someone else?
I largely agree, but if the OP is above the phaseout for Roth IRA contributions, it may be worthwhile either keeping the money in the old 401k (if it's better than the new one) or rolling it into the new 401k. This avoids having to convert some of it when doing a "backdoor" Roth IRA. I rolled my old funds into my current 401k (which has a very low expense SP500 fund and Vanguard's Total Bond) for this reason.
by interplanetjanet
Mon Dec 09, 2013 4:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 6 days for ACH transfer?
Replies: 15
Views: 4105

Re: 6 days for ACH transfer?

6 days does seem excessive. USAA ACH pushes generally seem to clear the next business day, though I haven't done 5-figure or above ones. I mostly use the pushes to pay some recurring bills that would otherwise have to go by check (such as alimony).
by interplanetjanet
Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [Eating] Fish
Replies: 119
Views: 26346

Re: [Eating] Fish

I eat a range of fish, but have a particular fondness for sardines and anchovies. Large non-tinned are really wonderful on the grill, they're just packed full of flavor. We eat a whole catfish periodically, baked in a little foil tent. If you have a good source for fish they are very tasty - I recommend checking out Asian markets if you have any in your area. If you like smoked food, try kippered herring - Bar Harbour of Maine in particular is excellent. I can also recommend hot smoked mackerel as a usually cheaper alternative to smoked salmon that I actually prefer. Now I'm hungry... Oh, one rule of thumb for tinned fish - the good stuff is generally packed in extra virgin olive oil, though some of it is just in its own juices. Keep an eye...
by interplanetjanet
Thu Dec 05, 2013 3:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I sell my car, or wait?
Replies: 23
Views: 1968

Re: Should I sell my car, or wait?

tjschraf wrote:Agree, no replacement for displacement!
The only substitute for cubic inches is cubic dollars. ;)
by interplanetjanet
Mon Nov 25, 2013 4:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Medical bills -- getting the discount without insurance
Replies: 19
Views: 2288

Re: Medical bills -- getting the discount without insurance

staythecourse wrote:It is actually ILLEGAL to bill one person with insurance one way and not another with the same insurance. In this example, your allergist could be liable legally if another person who also paid out of pocket paid more then you. It is illegal to not only overbill, but also UNDERBILL.
I can see where there could be an issue with the contract between the provider and insurance company in cases where there was one. However, in the example here there is no such contract - aside areas where discrimination is prohibited by law, what's the specific law that's being broken here?
by interplanetjanet
Thu Nov 21, 2013 8:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retiring at 50
Replies: 67
Views: 11839

Re: Retiring at 50

Oh one of the things I learned is Social Security projections you get from the gov't are optomistic as they assume you will keep working and making a bundle until you are 66ish. Of course if you retire early like I did you no longer have big deposits into the system for lots of high earning years. In my case from 52-66. So I ended up with some lower earning years in my SS calculation and thus lower SS payments. I suspect there are better SS calculators around so seek them out if SS is a big part of your plan.... Well, strictly speaking, Social Security looks at your highest 35 years of earnings. If you reached the SS wage base when you were fairly young, then you don't really receive anything extra from SS by continuing to work and make co...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Nov 20, 2013 5:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: utilizing a collection agency
Replies: 12
Views: 1682

Re: utilizing a collection agency

You probably do want to be careful, though I believe that if you have a debt collector working on your behalf (as opposed to selling the debt to a third party collector) you avoid the consequences of the FDCPA. Some states do regulate original creditors, though. A former friend of mine toys with debt collectors - he said that the vast majority of the time, they will do something during their collection process that violates the FDCPA. He's in a state where he can record all phone conversations, and when something is done that's a willful violation he sends them a letter, points out the statutory damages clause, and they end up settling, paying him, and wiping the collection from his credit. Last I heard, he was 9 for 9 doing this. So...I wo...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Nov 06, 2013 12:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Liability Insurance [umbrella policy questions]
Replies: 28
Views: 4499

Re: Liability Insurance [umbrella policy questions]

If umbrella liability is coverage over and above the protection afforded by auto/home insurance, then how does umbrella liability work for those who don't own a home and/or a car? In that case, is the requirement to carry the base amount of auto and home insurance waived? Or does the individual pay an extra premium to cover the bottom of the insurance bucket (the first $250,000 or $500,000), or how does it work? If you don't own a home, you will generally need renters' insurance with liability coverage. This is common and generally quite affordable, and you should probably have it regardless of whether or not you have an umbrella. If you only drive other vehicles occasionally, a "non-owner" auto insurance policy will work. If you...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)
Replies: 12
Views: 1503

Re: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)

Since you are, of necessity, looking for piecemeal ways to provide for disability financially, look at credit disability coverage on any consumer loans you might have. Most credit union loans offer (up to age 66) the option of purchasing credit disability. Typically, if your choose the disability coverage, there is no underwriting. If you are working more than 25 hours a week, you qualify. There is often a "pre-existing condition" exclusion - but that is not too bad. Typically, if you are disabled in 6 months (from getting the loan/insurance) by a condition for which you have been treated within the previous 6 months, that is excluded. So, in your case, if you are being treated for XYZ, but get hit by a bus the day after you get ...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: best value for EV/PEV CA carpool eligible vehicles
Replies: 13
Views: 2909

Re: best value for EV/PEV CA carpool eligible vehicles

If you're not wedded to electricity, consider other AFVs such as the CNG powered Honda Civic GX. Similar tax credits are available, refueling stations are plentiful in urban California (look at http://www.cngprices.com) and they qualify for identical HOV lane privileges and bridge toll reductions. Refueling is fast and easy and prices run around $2.25 per gasoline gallon equivalent in CA. The Civic GX has the lowest carbon footprint of any non-ZEV vehicle sold in the USA, and may even do better than some EVs when power production emissions are factored in (though that is contentious).

The technology is very well sorted, the GX has been sold (primarily as a fleet vehicle) for over 15 years.
by interplanetjanet
Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Son's first car
Replies: 50
Views: 6243

Re: Son's first car

Steelersfan wrote:
Polar_Ice wrote:Volvo 240DL wagon

safe
built like a tank
reliable
inexpensive
That just might qualify as one of the least sexy automobiles ever. :annoyed

Well done! :happy
I don't know, those rear seats fold down to make a really...spacious area. ;)

I had a 240 wagon, but mine was a turbo intercooled stick...it was surprisingly zippy for the time.
by interplanetjanet
Tue Oct 08, 2013 5:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)
Replies: 12
Views: 1503

Re: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)

I think AD&D is an abbreviation for "Accidental death and dismemberment", which pays you a one time fixed dollar amount described in the contract for loss of an eye or limb, or your beneficiary if you died in an accident. It doesn't cover injury or death from an illness. It isn't the same as disability insurance, which would pay you a monthly income if you became unable to do your job because of a disabling accident or illness. I agree with Jeff that the small premium may make AD&D worth it just for whatever peace of mind. Right, I'm aware. I have group long-term disability coverage but cannot qualify for individual coverage, so I'm just trying to cover what I can. I went ahead and elected AD&D coverage, which was ver...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Oct 08, 2013 5:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Savings & Priorities
Replies: 3
Views: 814

Re: Savings & Priorities

TimesAWastin wrote:The 35% rate I derived from going down 1 marginal bracket, and I live in California. :-) My present marginal tax rate, excluding medicare and social security, is 38.23%. Maybe I will move somewhere with no/little state taxes, but I think assuming a worst-case scenario is what I should do. At the end of the day, when I look at my paycheck, if I remove all benefits deductions, I'm sitting at about 35.5% right now.
That's why I said effective - your average rate during withdrawals is what counts here, not your marginal rate. Remember that some of the dollars coming out of your 401k will be taxed at 0% and some at quite low rates, if you do not have a pension to "fill up" the low brackets.
by interplanetjanet
Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Savings & Priorities
Replies: 3
Views: 814

Re: Savings & Priorities

Put the Roth IRA into "safe" investments such as a money market or short term bond fund. Consider it part of your emergency fund for now - that brings you up to 6 months and should allow you to throw money at your 401k. Once you get to where you can save additional money, you can take parts of the IRA out of "emergency fund" status, assuming you don't have to use them. 401k contributions can actually be a fairly good place to have "emergency" money - the largest emergency for most people is job loss, and in that event your tax bracket is likely to drop substantially, making the withdrawals relatively cheap even with a penalty. Obviously you don't want to have to do this, but it softens the blow some. An effecti...
by interplanetjanet
Sat Oct 05, 2013 6:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How did you/your child pay for college?
Replies: 151
Views: 15452

Re: How did you/your child pay for college?

Or, are you asking to try and figure out what the general consensus is? Almost all my friends now graduated debt free or very close to debt free even though we were part of the high tuition generation. Among the USA peers in my social circle, I definitely received the least parental help. A few are still semi or mostly supported by parents despite all having professional jobs. It doesn't end with college! I guess I move in the wrong social circles. I don't mean to sidetrack the discussion here, but doesn't that cross a line into encouraging dependancy and enabling a lifestyle that they cannot support on their own? I still am not entirely convinced of the value of a college education for many workers, but I accept that statistics are probab...
by interplanetjanet
Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Young Guys [and Gals] Making Good Money
Replies: 242
Views: 36082

Re: Young Guys [and Gals] Making Good Money

Seems to me it's pretty rare to reach six figures by age 25 without having attended a top 10ish college or law school and being willing to work 50+ hours a week in a high cost of living city. Even the very successful sales people who've replied here had to pay their dues and didn't break six figures until late 20s. It's uncommon but very doable. I had no degree but started working at 18, so by my mid 20s I already had 7 years or so of experience - plenty of time to job hop and get ahead. I wasn't seeking money so much as a challenging work environment that let me do interesting things - the money came along as a side-effect. I did dip back below 6 figures for a couple of years during the dot-com crash, but that was largely because I took r...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How did you/your child pay for college?
Replies: 151
Views: 15452

Re: How did you/your child pay for college?

I'd think that would be pretty obvious, just reading the news - a lot of parents see children as a burden at best. I left home when I was 18 and never looked back, it sounds like livesoft probably took a similar path. I don't really expect to hear from my family again. One positive thing that comes out of it is that children in that kind of situation are motivated to get self-reliant, as they know that the only person they can really depend on to be there is themself. I am trying not to pass on the same sort of message to my own children, though. Because they only paid his room and board? That is a whole lot more than my mother was able to contribute. She has devoted her entire life to her 5 birth and 2 step children, because she was not a...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best way to collect rent?
Replies: 23
Views: 3234

Re: Best way to collect rent?

When I was a landlord, I went around to all of the apartments on the evening of the 1st of the month and collected the rent in cash, certified check, or money order from each tenant, unless the tenant had previously contacted me to make an appointment to pay at an earlier time. Probably not the best method for many, but worked for me. If they weren't going to pay/wanted to lay excuses on me, I figured it out pretty quickly. No offense, but was this a pretty sketchy area? I've been renting for about 15 of the last 20 years in multiple cities, and have never had anyone demand any payment other than a personal check. I would feel nervous dealing with other forms of payment - a receipt would be necessary of course! I've heard horror stories of...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:02 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 18 Months Till Retirement, Need Suggestions
Replies: 49
Views: 7025

Re: 18 Months Till Retirement, Need Suggestions

janet-may i call you janet-everyhing you say is correct. the actual dollar amount gotten from ss vis a vis the 62/70 is as you say break even at 82. I have always said that is correct. but if you take at 62 and use the 1000 from ss for expenses-this is ALSO 1000 dollars you did not take out of savings . what i am saying is this money not taken out of saving s makes the EFFECTIVE(money in your pocket) break even point 90 years old. if you use ss money from 62-70 for expenses is not that actual amount of money still in your savings and was not removed-you just want to ignore this pile of money as if it does not exist. thats your choice. I clearly showed the impact on savings in both cases, and the "money in your pocket" in both cas...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Young Guys [and Gals] Making Good Money
Replies: 242
Views: 36082

Re: Young Guys [and Gals] Making Good Money

anna_indiana wrote:This thread is fascinating--it's like seeing what life is like on the other side of the tracks. Anyone else out there scraping by in the nonprofit world?
I did, for a few years, and had some of the best memories and coworkers of my career. I was making a third of what I do now and if I could find another place like that and didn't have some ugly fixed expenses - I might well go back.
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 18 Months Till Retirement, Need Suggestions
Replies: 49
Views: 7025

Re: 18 Months Till Retirement, Need Suggestions

of course it's double counting-but it is the EFFECTIVE result of taking at 62. the money is still there :mrgreen: No, it's not. Let's do math! Say, for example, that you have a pension that satisfies your income needs during retirement except for $500/mo, and you have $500k in savings. Let's assume that everything is in real dollars and there's basically 0% growth after inflation, just to keep it simple. Situation 1: you retire at 62 and collect $1k/mo in SS. $500 of this goes to living expenses every month, and you save the other $500. You therefore add $500/mo to your savings, and by age 82 you have 20 * 500 * 12 = $120k deposited in your savings from social security, for a total of $620k. In the meanwhile, your living expenses were cove...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 18 Months Till Retirement, Need Suggestions
Replies: 49
Views: 7025

Re: 18 Months Till Retirement, Need Suggestions

my premise is this. if you take at 62 the money you get from ss will pay that amount of expenses. you do not have to remove it from retirement accounts or savings so at 70 you have a pile of money NOT REMOVED from retirement accounts. It is the effect of not removing it. IT IS NOT additional money from social security. However it is there. if you add this sum to the social security you will actually receive from ss the EFFECTIVE break even point of starting at 62 versus starting at 70 becomes about 90 years old. I have made other posts about this and some have denounced this as double counting but it is the actual money in your pocket effect of taking at 62. http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=117041&p=1705494&h...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:21 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Young Guys [and Gals] Making Good Money
Replies: 242
Views: 36082

Re: Young Guys [and Gals] Making Good Money

..... why the [blank] did I become an engineer. Side note, seems like SW sales is the way to go. Everyone and his brother on this forum make 300k and work 30 hours a week. So, uhh, where do I sign up? Honestly, engineering can pay extremely well if you have exceptional or unusual skills and can find a company that values them. Frequent job-hopping early on may be needed to climb the ladder, though. My own observations are that for a highly skilled engineer or technical architect, mid 200's including bonuses is very achievable and more is possible. I do not have a college degree - you can feel free to tell me that calling myself an engineer is dishonest, but it's not a title I chose (some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hav...
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 6:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Poll: $ monthly contribution to 529/college savings
Replies: 60
Views: 12571

Re: Poll: $ monthly contribution to 529/college savings

None. I had my children in my early 20's and I should be solidly in my peak earning years when they are in college in the next few years, so it will be paid out of cash flow (the child support I pay already comes out of cash flow, the money will just get redirected to college when they graduate high school and the support terminates).
by interplanetjanet
Sun Sep 29, 2013 6:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How did you/your child pay for college?
Replies: 151
Views: 15452

Re: How did you/your child pay for college?

frugaltype wrote:i am really beginning to think, reading this thread and a similar one, that some parents don't like their kids. Or something else unknown to me is going on.
I'd think that would be pretty obvious, just reading the news - a lot of parents see children as a burden at best. I left home when I was 18 and never looked back, it sounds like livesoft probably took a similar path. I don't really expect to hear from my family again.

One positive thing that comes out of it is that children in that kind of situation are motivated to get self-reliant, as they know that the only person they can really depend on to be there is themself. I am trying not to pass on the same sort of message to my own children, though.
by interplanetjanet
Sat Sep 28, 2013 6:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How did you/your child pay for college?
Replies: 151
Views: 15452

Re: How did you/you child pay for college?

I plan on arranging things so that my children will qualify for need-based financial aid (their other parent and I share custody, and he is in grad school with a very low income). That, plus a redirection of the child support payments I've been making that will end once they graduate high school, should cover things without a need for them to take out loans provided they maintain a reasonable GPA.

I've been very successful in life without a college degree, but I recognize that it may make things easier for them and that my own career and life track was unusual.
by interplanetjanet
Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best way to collect rent?
Replies: 23
Views: 3234

Re: Best way to collect rent?

Just set up a new checking account used only to take those deposits. Automate a transfer into your regular account on a monthly basis. Problem solved. More complicated, plus I don't see how "New" checking account would be more impervious to fraud than "old" checking account. The point is that by having a separate account, you compartmentalize any damage that can be done with a withdrawal. If money goes into this new account and then moves into your "main" account in a regular fashion, you only expose the money that has just been deposited, and only for a brief window of time. That said, I think it may well be overkill - as has been mentioned, you already give out your routing and account number on every check ...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Sep 25, 2013 9:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2nd Car for local driving-suggestions please
Replies: 35
Views: 3414

Re: 2nd Car for local driving-suggestions please

cheaper to maintain, so you can drive it for the next 20 years. Do you actually know anyone that has driven a Honda Accord for 20 years? Just curious. I've never known anyone that has driven a Japanese car of any make or model for that long. I bought a 1986 Acura Legend from its original owner, in 2006. 195k miles on it at the time. It was well maintained and had some work done to it during those 20 years including a partial engine rebuild, and honestly it was the best 20-year old car I have ever driven. The engineering definitely impressed me. I kept it for 3 years and put 60k miles on it during that time, having only minor issues during that period. After that I gave it to a good friend, I think it's still running fine now with almost 30...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)
Replies: 12
Views: 1503

Re: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)

Have you ever looked into critical illness coverage? AD&D policies are pretty useless. The claims rate is very low, hence the incredibly cheap rates. I have not - I am a bit worried that the underwriting would exclude me, I have an uncommon medical diagnosis in my history that's poorly understood (in my opinion) and unfortunately is frequently cause for a blanket denial. Is there anywhere where I could see some sample rates? I'm honestly more concerned with a "minor" lifelong disability than a major one - with a truly major one I would think that the any-occupation provision of my LTD plus SSI benefits would probably cover me. I'm single and my children will be leaving the nest soon, so I'm primarily concerned about just supp...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Sep 25, 2013 12:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)
Replies: 12
Views: 1503

Covering holes in disability coverage (is AD&D useful?)

Some background information: High-middle earner (by most people's standards, maybe not here) who is ineligible for individual disability insurance (long story). I have group disability through my employer with the usual 2-year own-occupation, followed by any-occupation - this is fairly standard at larger employers in my field. I'm in my late 30s and expect to work for about another 15 years, though that could be longer or shorter, depending. My job involves sitting in front of a computer and on a phone, and my likely risks for disability involve either the loss of use of my hands, sight, or mental function. Without an individual disability policy obviously I cannot cover everything that may disable me, but I've been trying to address what r...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Sep 24, 2013 2:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Nanny Taxes
Replies: 11
Views: 1765

Re: Nanny Taxes

I did it myself, in Massachusetts. Issuing a W-2 in and of itself cost $20 or less for the forms and some included software from Staples/OfficeMax. This also covers the W-3, the thing the employer sends to the SS folks. In theory you can fill them in by hand on carbon forms from the government, but handwritten W-2's are sort of frowned upon. For the past few years I just used the free W2/W3 submission tool at www.ssa.gov. It works fine, lets you print out W2 forms to hand out to your employees, and there's no messing around with printing onto special forms. For state taxes (UI and SDI, generally, in California), you can just create an account at www.edd.ca.gov and the process is straightforward. You can file quarterly and submit payment on...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Investing for expenses besides retirement
Replies: 11
Views: 2069

Re: Investing for expenses besides retirement

bbt wrote:what are the suggested places to store savings for purchases that are 3-6 years away? ie. down payment on home, car, wedding, etc.
A lot depends on your savings rate relative to the total amount, how certain you are about the size of the purchase (and in nominal or real dollars), and the consequences of a shortfall.

Holding cash or similarly safe investments (CDs, Series I bonds) will protect your purchasing power in nominal dollars. If the consequences of missing your target are just that you save for a little bit longer and your savings rate is high compared with the amount needed, reaching for yield may be appropriate.
by interplanetjanet
Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:27 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Agree/disagree with my opinion of my/my wife's 401K options?
Replies: 13
Views: 2143

Re: Agree/disagree with my opinion of my/my wife's 401K opti

nerdymarketer wrote:3) On a side note, the money market looks pretty good--if I'm reading this correctly, I can get a 3% return from it--I wish I could find a place to stick our emergency funds that returns 3%!
This may be enlightening:

http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Placing_ ... ed_account
by interplanetjanet
Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The Perils of Debit Cards
Replies: 14
Views: 2677

Re: The Perils of Debit Cards

I've described my system before, but I use three accounts for isolation and bookkeeping - one is my main account and things only go in and out of it via ACH. One is "checking" and only has checks drawn on it, and one is "debit" and is the one I carry a debit/ATM card for. When I write a check (or do a debit withdrawal) I transfer funds from the main account to checking or debit, this way I never have to worry about enough funds being available for a check and can easily tell what hasn't cleared by how far away my balance is from the "buffer" number in my checking account. Balancing my checkbook consists of me checking weekly to see what has cleared, if anything, and putting a check mark by the stubs that have a...
by interplanetjanet
Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:12 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Changing banks - recommendations?
Replies: 29
Views: 3849

Re: Changing banks - recommendations?

In my personal experience small banks and credit unions have treated me better than big banks, period, end of story. So unless you actually need specific services you can only get at the big banks, I would go with a local one with a small number of branches. There are no economies of scale, there is nothing that all the advertising and impression of ubiquity does for you. All the small banks I've used give you access to wide ATM networks, they all have online banking, etc. etc. They can pump the same photons over the same fiber-optic networks as the big guys. I do much the same. I do most of my banking online with USAA, but have a free checking account with a local bank (less than a dozen branches) for "in-person" transactions. O...
by interplanetjanet
Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 109
Views: 12102

Re: general (financial) advice about musical instruments/les

It's hard to truly x-over. The thinking process is totally different even though the 'notes' come out are the same medium. One is reading notes off a page, exactly , and the other is open-ended improvisation, which isn't anywhere as open-ended as it seems - it's actually extremely structured, just that you prebuild the structure of scales, arpeggios, and melodies into your repertoire before you craft pieces with them. Kind of like, I don't know, the continuo playing I used to do with Baroque works? Some later versions of those works had example figured bass parts written in, but they tended to be matters of interpretation more than anything. I think that seeing classical music as frozen and unchanging and uninterpretable is a bit like seei...
by interplanetjanet
Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which is the better car deal?
Replies: 38
Views: 3658

Re: Which is the better car deal?

An elephant for a dime is only a good deal if you need an elephant and have a dime.

Either you want to drive the BMW over the Camry or you don't. If you do, only you can put a price on what sort of a premium it is worth to you. I wouldn't be surprised to see a number of "you're crazy for not trying to be as frugal as possible with reliable transportation" posts on this thread, but they've become rather predictable.

Work out what is a better deal *for you*. And, to heck with what anyone else thinks. :)
by interplanetjanet
Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:46 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Reverse Logic: Bonds in Taxable, Stocks in Tax-Sheltered
Replies: 25
Views: 3048

Re: Reverse Logic: Bonds in Taxable, Stocks in Tax-Sheltered

Artsdoctor wrote:So of course I'm piling into munis in my taxable account and beefing up equities in my tax-advantaged accounts. But I don't know what the landscape will look like in 3-5 years. I could not have anticipated the current situation 5 years ago.
I'm doing much the same - with a high marginal tax rate, I feel that munis are a pretty good deal at the moment. If/when rates eventually rise, the NAVs will drop, and I can sell them for a loss and rebuy them in tax-advantaged.
by interplanetjanet
Thu Sep 12, 2013 3:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help understanding HSA
Replies: 11
Views: 1245

Re: Help understanding HSA

Jack wrote:
interplanetjanet wrote:I believe that the option exists to provide no-deductible preventive care, but it is not required.
Required by ACA after January 1, 2014 for all plans including HDHP.
Yes, that's right, though it's not a differentiator of HDHP compatible plans.

Don't grandfathered plans not have to do this? Or has that changed.
by interplanetjanet
Thu Sep 12, 2013 3:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help understanding HSA
Replies: 11
Views: 1245

Re: Help understanding HSA

tadamsmar wrote:The plan has to provide preventive care for without any deductible. See:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p969.pdf
I do not believe that is the case.
IRS Pub 969 wrote:An HDHP may provide preventive care benefits without a deductible or with a deductible below the minimum annual deductible.
(emphasis mine)

I believe that the option exists to provide no-deductible preventive care, but it is not required.
by interplanetjanet
Fri Sep 06, 2013 4:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: My firecalc need for certainty
Replies: 20
Views: 2502

Re: My firecalc need for certainty

I would ask how accurate your prediction of expenses really is, and how flexible it is. Being able to downsize your expenditures to some degree if necessary will probably do more to increase your likelihood of avoiding a portfolio crash than many other things.

When failure is not an option, success can get expensive.
by interplanetjanet
Fri Sep 06, 2013 4:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seeking secure way of sending personal data email / fax?
Replies: 23
Views: 4237

Re: Seeking secure way of sending personal data email / fax?

If it's just the passport they want, I probably wouldn't be too worried, as it doesn't have sensitive information on it such as your address or social security number. In fact, several people I know use their passport as ID for that fact alone. I do this, though I use the state department's "Passport Card" instead. It is basically a US passport in card form, with the same information - just no places to put stamps or visas and you can't enter other countries by air or outside of North America with it. It's not a bad deal for $3/year, even just as convenient backup identification that also happens to prove nationality. Passports contain very little information that can be considered compromising - even the passport number is likel...
by interplanetjanet
Fri Sep 06, 2013 1:33 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Rental real estate post - what's the catch?
Replies: 97
Views: 11036

Re: Rental real estate post - what's the catch?

Something else to remember is that all real estate is local.

In many areas you will not get that good of a cap rate on houses - apartment complexes and lower end housing tends to do better. Unfortunately while cap rates are better in cheaper areas, there may be more trouble keeping things steadily occupied. A small number of properties = a lack of diversification, and you may suffer a significant hit if you have a tenant who can't or won't pay for a while and you have to go through eviction proceedings.

You can get lucky and you can get unlucky. By putting in more effort you can increase your chances of getting lucky.
by interplanetjanet
Thu Sep 05, 2013 6:43 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Another fun 'help me with the 401k' thread...
Replies: 14
Views: 1750

Re: Another fun 'help me with the 401k' thread...

3wood wrote:Thanks for the replies. I was considering doing 100% s&P in the 401k and place bonds and some int'l in the Roth but wouldn't that hamper the returns and,ultimately the assets I will wind up with in the Roth? It would seem to me that I would want to maximize the tax free advantage of the Roth.
If you tax-adjust your asset allocation, there is no real "tax free advantage" of the Roth IRA - other than the freedom from RMDs and the advantages for your inheritors.

See "Asset Location" in the following:

http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Tax-adju ... allocation
by interplanetjanet
Wed Sep 04, 2013 10:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Another fun 'help me with the 401k' thread...
Replies: 14
Views: 1750

Re: Another fun 'help me with the 401k' thread...

This isn't a great selection, but all you really need are a usable stock and bond fund to make things work. Your first step is to judge your risk tolerance and what sort of a stock/bond ratio makes sense for you. Some here advocate for "age in bonds", some follow different glide paths - there are many different takes on this. You should probably get that worked out before diving into making portfolio changes. BR S&P index INV A Class (MDSRX) .56 That's basically a large-cap SP500 fund with a reasonable expense ratio. In your position I would probably put most of the 401k assets into this fund and then use your Roth IRA to cover bonds and international. Keep in mind that if you tax-adjust the value of the accounts, your Roth IR...
by interplanetjanet
Wed Sep 04, 2013 9:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much auto/umbrella insurance do I need?
Replies: 16
Views: 4154

Re: How much auto/umbrella insurance do I need?

I found that increasing liability coverage from the minimum to 100K/300K/100K or even to 250K/500K/100J with Geico doesn't cost that much at all if you have clean driving record. Geico offered me umbrella insurance with my 100K/300K/100K coverage. My experience was the same - raising liability limits is cheap if you have a good driving history and so is an umbrella. I didn't think that I would, but I actually do sleep better at night being a bit overinsured. It's nice to know that I'm well covered and my insurance would be sufficient in the vast majority of situations. As an aside, Geico dropped their rates considerably for me when I told them how little I drive (less than 5000mi per year per vehicle). If you don't drive much, estimate how...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to Decide on Deductible for Auto Insurance
Replies: 8
Views: 1824

Re: How to Decide on Deductible for Auto Insurance

The car is only worth 9k according to Kelley Blue Book. Right now the collision/comprehensive deductibles are set at $500 each. I'm thinking I want to increase the deductible this year. The quote for insurance for the year is $1,119 with the current deductibles. If I raise the deductibles to $1000, then the quote is $1,004 for the year. Not a ton of savings, but a $100 is a $100. So, the breakeven is 5 years before a (large) claim. With that kind of number I would probably increase the deductible. When I last investigated raising my deductibles, the premium difference was more like 7-10% of the change in deductible - so a 10-15 year breakeven. I consider myself a low-risk driver but I didn't see raising the deductible as worth it in that s...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Sep 03, 2013 3:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: NOT saving for college
Replies: 112
Views: 13216

Re: NOT saving for college

HomerJ wrote:Which means it will stop at some point. Tuition inflation will not continue upwards at the same pace. Like you said, the math doesn't work. I don't think you really have to worry about spending $2 million on college.
While I agree in principle, "Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent" comes to mind. It's not clear where the tipping point will be, and what will happen. Interesting times.
by interplanetjanet
Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: NOT saving for college
Replies: 112
Views: 13216

Re: NOT saving for college

1- the difference between the couples who have children in their early 20's vs. those whose children are born to parents in their late 30's. I fall into the late 30's camp. You will have different capabilities to support your children in the early stages of your working life than in the middle, and later on. Can't speak too much on priorities, but the capabilities are different. Pondering this, I think I appreciate some of the issues of older parents a bit more. Having children later gives you an increased ability to save, but you may have less of an ability to cash-flow college if you plan on retiring early. When I had mine we were just scraping by - not making a bad living, but in a high cost of living area saving was difficult. The incr...
by interplanetjanet
Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:15 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: withdrawing Roth contributions
Replies: 3
Views: 792

Re: withdrawing Roth contributions

SpecialK22 wrote:Regular contributions can be withdrawn tax and penalty free at any time.
Also, conversions can be withdrawn tax and penalty free to the extent that there was not tax paid on the conversion. That is to say, converting non-deducted IRA funds to Roth and then withdrawing them from the Roth will not incur taxes or penalties.

Note that ordering rules apply when taking money out.