Search found 3913 matches

by texasdiver
Sat Dec 02, 2017 12:43 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP I Fund - Director asks board to add emerging markets and small cap int.
Replies: 7
Views: 2053

Re: TSP I Fund - Director asks board to add emerging markets and small cap int.

It's a good change. Too late for me though. After 11 years of investing in the TSP, it has finally been filled with the G fund for me as I haven't made a contribution to it in 7 years and it has gradually become a smaller and smaller part of my portfolio. Maybe if I do some huge rollover into it at some point that'll change. My problem is I now have to find something else to use in addition to the G fund for nominal bonds! Leaning toward the VG intermediate muni fund. Happy to see this change. I rolled all my traditional IRAs into the TSP and after changing jobs and relocating last year I rolled all my accumulated Vanguard 403(b) funds into the TSP. I haven't been a Fed since 2003 but it is still the bulk of my traditional (non-Roth) retir...
by texasdiver
Fri Dec 01, 2017 7:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: housing for in-laws
Replies: 48
Views: 5262

Re: housing for in-laws

pangea33 wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2017 8:17 am
letsgobobby wrote: Fri Dec 01, 2017 7:13 am man cave is cheaper than a new house.
I'd build a tiny house as an "office" hideout. Wouldn't be able to hear them in the kitchen on their loudest days.
Here's a guy who did that sort of thing. Fascinating web site and blog also:

https://granolashotgun.com/2017/06/14/the-bitter-suite/
by texasdiver
Fri Dec 01, 2017 12:16 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: housing for in-laws
Replies: 48
Views: 5262

Re: housing for in-laws

If you are in a suburban area with a lot of new construction then I think you'll find that the big builders are doing a lot of multi-generational housing these days. Some very nice designs with dual entrances, living spaces, and kitchens that are very well thought out. When my wife and I were home shopping in a new city last year we toured some quite nice Lennar and DR Horton subdivisions that had those kinds of homes. If you are in an older area without much new construction then you'll probably need to go the custom home route or do a serious remodel if that is possible. I don't know your family dynamics. My wife is also from a foreign country. Her parents are elderly but very upper class and independent. They travel all over the world an...
by texasdiver
Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:25 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What did you do right?
Replies: 96
Views: 13678

Re: What did you do right?

Right : Mostly invested maximum contributions to TSP/403b)/401(k) plans over the years and left them on autopilot in mostly vanguard target retirement funds Married the right woman. A younger doctor from a foreign country (no student loans out of residency) Wrong : Bought a new 27 ft cabin cruiser boat in Alaska that we had custom made to be a dive boat and fishing boat. Did this together with a partner. It cost a tremendous amount just to fuel the thing up with diesel for a weekend trip and the maintenance and monthly marina costs were huge. We lost maybe 30% when we sold it 5 years later. Which wasn’t really bad for boats. Bought a camping trailer that we didn’t have time to use or a place to store. Turns out most nice fall and spring we...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: overseas vacation questions
Replies: 22
Views: 2057

Re: overseas vacation questions

1. I'd find better parking than on the street. Remote airport parking is a possibility for one of them. EDIT. From the original post it isn't clear if you are talking about on the street or just in your own driveway. I'd be fine leaving cars in my own driveway or personal parking space. 2. Notify any credit card you plan to use of your travel plans to avoid having one of them frozen when overseas charges start to appear. Now days you can usually do this online through the credit card web sites. This has happened to me and is a giant pain to call your credit card long distance back to the US from some restaurant in South America to get your card turned back on. 3. I always take cell phone pictures of all my family's passports and other ID ca...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: full spectrum lighting for SAD?
Replies: 7
Views: 932

Re: full spectrum lighting for SAD?

You may want to look at the lighting research done by fish-keepers. If ever there was a group of hobbyists devoted to analyzing the spectral distribution of multiple different brands of light bulbs, it would be people who need to pay mind to such things to keep their fish, invertebrates, and plants healthy. For comfort, you'd want your household lighting to primarily have a good color-rendering-index (CRI), preferably in the 90s, with closer to 100 being better. Full spectrum lighting can be all over the place for CRI and the last thing you want is to have everything cast in a blue, pink, or green tone. And I would not personally bother with the light boxes. They're usually a gimmick and can be rather expensive to replace the bulbs, if the...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: full spectrum lighting for SAD?
Replies: 7
Views: 932

Re: full spectrum lighting for SAD?

Since moving from sunny Texas to the darker cloudier and more northern Pacific Northwest my wife has suggested that we look into installing some full spectrum lighting in the house to combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Apparently there is evidence for the medical benefits of full spectrum lighting. So I've started to do a little bit of reading on the topic and it is somewhat hard to discern scientific information from the promotional materials of companies eager to sell expensive products. First, it appears that there is no real scientific definition of "full spectrum" light. It seems to be more of a marketing term. It is hard to discern if there is any difference between ordinary "daylight" LED bulbs of the sort...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Are there any unspoken rules to "keep in touch" with previous boss?
Replies: 21
Views: 4582

Re: Are there ant unspoken rules to "keep in touch" with previous boss?

That's what linkedin is for. I have five former bosses on linkedin. All on good terms. At times I have had to go back to them for recommendations (I've been in government and education) and that makes it easy to track them down as people change jobs and email addresses and such over time.
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 26, 2017 12:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: full spectrum lighting for SAD?
Replies: 7
Views: 932

full spectrum lighting for SAD?

Since moving from sunny Texas to the darker cloudier and more northern Pacific Northwest my wife has suggested that we look into installing some full spectrum lighting in the house to combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Apparently there is evidence for the medical benefits of full spectrum lighting. So I've started to do a little bit of reading on the topic and it is somewhat hard to discern scientific information from the promotional materials of companies eager to sell expensive products. First, it appears that there is no real scientific definition of "full spectrum" light. It seems to be more of a marketing term. It is hard to discern if there is any difference between ordinary "daylight" LED bulbs of the sort ...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 19, 2017 12:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?
Replies: 43
Views: 5816

Re: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?

I had a Leaf for two years and I think your plan is great. No need for an extra charging station at all, normal power outlet is all you need for overnight charging and the guesstimated 20 miles a day, charge in no time anyway. Just be aware that the car is no so great in winter conditions (absolutely would need winter tires), the heavy torque on the front wheels make ice driving a bit of an issue and the thing drives very 'sporty' - just like a go-cart. Your daughter will probably get the very wrong idea of driving after having a leaf for a while...just saying, he next combustion car will need a lot of horses to come close to the same drive feeling. The idea of clipping the wings is great, cool comeback on range anxiety ! Interesting info ...
by texasdiver
Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?
Replies: 43
Views: 5816

Re: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?

Sounds OK to me. Yeah, I see the safety report. Kinda have to balance that against other concerns, it doesn't seem like a complete dealbreaker to me. Have you discussed this with her? Does she like the idea or dislike it? I assume she'll have a cell phone and can call you if she gets stranded. The main "fear" I have is silly but practical. Exactly how is she going to "just plug it in?" Via a long extension cord? Where, exactly, does she live? With you? Is it absolutely certain that she can park every night within easy extension-cord distance of an outlet? Do you have a garage with an outlet in it? An exterior outlet on your house? Any risk of casual just-for-fun vandalism of the cord? Suburban house. We have a parking s...
by texasdiver
Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to buy new iPhone?
Replies: 19
Views: 2912

Re: Where to buy new iPhone?

Just order one from the online apple store. Apple will likely have better stock than any other reseller and I think they have free shipping.

You'll get an unlocked phone shipped to your house. Getting it set up and working is trivial and easy.

Problem with buying directly from Verizon is that you'll get a locked Verizon phone which is a hassle if you ever change providers or decide to travel overseas and want to insert a non-Verizon SIM.
by texasdiver
Sat Nov 18, 2017 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?
Replies: 43
Views: 5816

Re: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?

I had a Leaf for two years and I think your plan is great. No need for an extra charging station at all, normal power outlet is all you need for overnight charging and the guesstimated 20 miles a day, charge in no time anyway. Just be aware that the car is no so great in winter conditions (absolutely would need winter tires), the heavy torque on the front wheels make ice driving a bit of an issue and the thing drives very 'sporty' - just like a go-cart. Your daughter will probably get the very wrong idea of driving after having a leaf for a while...just saying, he next combustion car will need a lot of horses to come close to the same drive feeling. The idea of clipping the wings is great, cool comeback on range anxiety ! Thanks for the he...
by texasdiver
Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replace TVs with Smart Tvs or not?
Replies: 57
Views: 6900

Re: Replace TVs with Smart Tvs or not?

I've got a Samsung Smart TV in the living room. Also happen to have a Chromecast and 4K Blu Ray player attached to it that can both stream.

Honestly the Blu Ray player does a better job of streaming than the TV itself because it seems to have a better WiFi connection to our network. The Chromecast works fine but is a bit clunkier because I have to find my phone or iPad in order to control it so it takes a bit longer to get on Amazon or Netflix but also works just fine.

What the smart TV does nicely is give you a slick interface to hop between cable and streaming services with just one simple remote. Other than that, there isn't much there to get excited about.
by texasdiver
Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?
Replies: 43
Views: 5816

Re: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?

dbltrbl wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 7:51 pm For the kind of driving you are talking, Leaf would be just fine. If she was driving on highway, I would be concerned not on city streets.
No freeway driving at all in her daily routes. Just suburban driving around the cul de sacs and on wide suburban thoroughfares that have 30-45 mph type traffic.
by texasdiver
Fri Nov 17, 2017 7:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?
Replies: 43
Views: 5816

Electric Car (Nissan Leaf) for a teen driver?

Daughter #2 is about to earn her learners permit and I'll soon be having to think about what kind of car to get her. Our oldest daughter got her mother's hand-me-down 10-year old CR-V. But we don't have any cars ready to hand down at this point so we will need to find something for Daughter #2. Her round-trip mileage to and from school will be about 10 miles per day. Maybe 12 if she swings by to drop her younger sister off at middle school. With after school lessons and such she might push 20 miles per day on some days but rarely more than that. A electric car seems like the perfect option for a teen driver. She can park it along side our garage right next to the meter so it should be easy to install a good charging station there. I'm seein...
by texasdiver
Thu Nov 16, 2017 10:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dive computer recommendations
Replies: 8
Views: 1322

Re: Dive computer recommendations

Most of my diving is cold weather drysuit diving where a big bulky wrist computer is what you want to fit over the heavy drysuit sleeve and insulation.

If you're looking for something small and sleek for warm weather diving then I think Suunto makes some nice watch-size models. You'll have to research them to find the model that suits you. If you rent equipment then you probably don't want a fancy air-integrated model.
by texasdiver
Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: ASUS Student Chromebook - thoughts?
Replies: 22
Views: 2126

Re: ASUS Student Chromebook - thoughts?

Alexa9 wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 7:28 pm Chromebooks are great but useless without wifi. Does he have a smartphone? That would be the most useful on a road trip (camera, maps, email, text, calling). I would also get a cellular enabled iPad/Chromebook unless you're planning on using wifi all the time or smartphone as a hotspot.
Good point I wasn't thinking about for travel.

Although it seems to be getting easier and easier to use your cell phone as a wifi hotspot. I do it know with my Verizon iPhone and there are no extra charges, you are just using up your existing phone data.
by texasdiver
Wed Nov 15, 2017 7:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: ASUS Student Chromebook - thoughts?
Replies: 22
Views: 2126

Re: ASUS Student Chromebook - thoughts?

High School Teacher here: I have a cart of 32 chromebooks in my classroom and both my own kids have their own chromebooks issued to them personally through their schools. So I'm pretty used to using and messing with them. For casual internet usage they are frankly hard to beat. The alternative is a much more expensive iPad that lacks keyboard or one of the cheaper android tablets, or perhaps a Kindle Fire. If your Dad is looking to do ordinary internet-based tasks like email, web surfing, photo viewing, Facebook, occasional document writing (but not complicated business document prep) then Chromebooks are an excellent choice. The keyboard is really nice to have, especially for older folk who aren't really comfortable with the screen based k...
by texasdiver
Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:54 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Quest for better fund selection in 401 K
Replies: 22
Views: 2922

Re: Quest for better fund selection in 401 K

Went through this with my wife's previous 401k plan (actually a 403(b). It was being administered by Standard Insurance. Turns out that they were more than happy to add some more funds to the portfolio. They added a suite of Vanguard index funds at her request (Not all, but enough of them) and they added target retirement funds but oddly from T. Rowe Price. The kicker was that they plan was still mediocre because although the fund choices improved, they still had their management fee of 0.55% added on top of all the ordinary fund fees. So fund selection isn't everything. The only way to reduce that management fee would have been to change plan administrators and that simply wasn't going to happen. The day she left that job we put in the pap...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:14 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The average American retiree household
Replies: 57
Views: 13112

Re: The average American retiree household

... They would probably have to spend several hundred dollars a month for taxes, insurance, and maintenance if they still owned their house. Obviously these expenses do not apply to renters , so the net result is that they would still save that money even if they spent the whole $900 on rent. Unless one moves the goalposts by comparing owning a house to renting a much less desirable apartment, how is it the landlord's expenses , over the long term and of course taking any price appreciation into account, like taxes, insurance, and maintenance, are not included in the rent ? PJW Rents are driven by market forces not the individual finances of each landlord. Landlord A may have inherited his complex 30 years ago, owns the place free and clea...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:46 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The average American retiree household
Replies: 57
Views: 13112

Re: The average American retiree household

The military and the federal civilian workforce plans have also become defined contribution rather than defined benefit oriented. Change has been slower in the public sector but it is happening. Fed civilians still have defined benefit (though newer employees pay in 3-4x what older employees are paying in). You are right on military. Retirement for fed civilians currently more generous than military (both now get the same TSP match) but you could argue the health benefits for vets make up for it. Congress was going to get rid of civilian pensions last year but got sidetracked so still out there for now. Here in WA the state has implemented a new pension program for newer teachers. Basically they sliced the pension in half (changed the mult...
by texasdiver
Sun Nov 12, 2017 12:35 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Fidelity 10X Retirement Rule - - Valid???
Replies: 46
Views: 5615

Re: Fidelity 10X Retirement Rule - - Valid???

It's probably not that far off for someone at the median US income of about $50,000. Someone with that income level will earn a social security benefit of $15-20,000 after a lifetime of employment depending on when the benefits start. 10x annual income would mean savings of $500,000 which would spin off another 20k or so of retirement income giving the retiree a retirement income in the 40k range which is reasonable for someone accustomed to living off 50k per year and saving a portion of that income. Especially if they have a modest home that is all but paid off. And is frankly going to be better than the great majority of people in that income range are going to see. The formula falls apart of course at higher income levels where a much g...
by texasdiver
Sat Nov 11, 2017 6:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The average American retiree household
Replies: 57
Views: 13112

Re: The average American retiree household

I'm curious what a "typical" pension looks like: Monthly amount relative to previous salary? Inflation adjusted? Single life, or joint? Survivor benefit? Age when you can start to collect it? I've considered buying an SPIA when we retire to mimic a pension. Teacher here. I’ve contributed to two different pension plans, one in TX and one in WA Texas Teachers Pension: 2.3% X number of years worked X average of 5 highest years salary. No COLA and more importantly NO SOCIAL SECURITY. So the average teacher retiring at 65 after a 40 year career with a final average salary of $50,000 would have a fixed pension of $46,000 and no social security. Early retirement kicks in once you have 30 years of service or meet the rule of 80 (age plus...
by texasdiver
Thu Nov 02, 2017 10:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Credit Card auto-pay updates?
Replies: 9
Views: 1480

Re: Credit Card auto-pay updates?

Thanks guys.

I guess this was new to me. Or I never noticed it before.

Just felt like I was losing a little bit of control when my bank and the companies I do business with are talking to each other about my accounts and my money without my knowledge.
by texasdiver
Wed Nov 01, 2017 11:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to move kids' iPhones to a cell carrier without data overages
Replies: 18
Views: 2356

Re: Want to move kids' iPhones to a cell carrier without data overages

Another Verizon user here with 3 kids on a family plan. You don't want to just put your account on safety mode. What that will do is let your kids burn through all your shared data and then all the phones on the account get throttled including YOURS! What you want is to get the Family Base option which you pay extra for but it lets you set individual data caps for each kid. That way when they burn through their data it turns off for the duration of the billing period but you and your wife's phones don't get throttled due to your kids data wastage. Their phone still works fine for voice calls and for regular text messaging (but not iMessage) and they can use all the features of their phone when on WiFi. So it really isn't that much of a crip...
by texasdiver
Wed Nov 01, 2017 10:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Credit Card auto-pay updates?
Replies: 9
Views: 1480

Credit Card auto-pay updates?

Recently Bank of America notified me that my credit card number was possibly subject to fraud due to some merchant hack. Basically I got a form letter stating that they were cancelling my old number and re-issuing me a new card with a new number. So far so good. When the new car arrives I diligently go to Quicken to look up all the auto-pay utility accounts associated with this card and start logging onto those web sites to update my card info. But I am surprised to find that 3 out of the 4 utility and insurance company sites that had my old card on file for auto-pay had updated their information with my new card number. Is this a new thing? It is strangely disconcerting to find out that my credit card company is automatically communicating...
by texasdiver
Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?
Replies: 70
Views: 10332

Re: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?

The good news is that the main councilman that opposed the construction of the new I-5 bridge was voted out of office. His replacement is pro-bridge building. So, there will definitely be a new bridge. Kids say the darndest things. The CRC boondoggle was killed by the Washington legislature not some mob boss ruling Vancouver. The majority of people in Clark County did not approve of being extorted as evident by the advisory votes. $3 billion dollars + forever tolling to save 1 minute southbound. METRO decades long policy has succeeded in creating unbearable traffic through Portland. Look at a map and figure out how ten lanes over I5 bridge would solve anything when nothing would be expanded through the Rose Quarter. The primary purpose of ...
by texasdiver
Mon Oct 23, 2017 1:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?
Replies: 70
Views: 10332

Re: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?

Look at a map and figure out how ten lanes over I5 bridge would solve anything when nothing would be expanded through the Rose Quarter. It would get the thousands of people getting off before the Rose Quarter to go to the Port, the Airport, the Hayden Island businesses, and the NE commercial and industrial areas out of your way sooner. And then when the Rose Quarter project finally takes place, that area will benefit, too. And it will definitely help with the northbound commute, which still bogs down after the Rose Quarter. The Oregon side of the river has, for the most part, embraced urban growth boundaries and inward-directed growth and density. So there is little appetite for massive freeways running out to the suburbs. I observed very ...
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 22, 2017 9:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Drum sets?
Replies: 10
Views: 1142

Re: Drum sets?

warowits wrote: Sun Oct 22, 2017 1:56 pm Pearl export, buy it used and there should be plenty availible. There are lots of other good ones but these are ubiquitous. Cymbals are tricky. Good heads will make an entry level kit sound good. Cheap cymbals will never sound good. Get zildjian A or something comparable, Sabian AAX was great for Jazz.


Something like this, just upgrade the cymbals at some point.

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/msg ... 42381.html
Thanks guys. That set is more or less exactly what I was thinking of in terms of a budget. Is that a good price?
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 22, 2017 8:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?
Replies: 70
Views: 10332

Re: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?

The good news is that the main councilman that opposed the construction of the new I-5 bridge was voted out of office. His replacement is pro-bridge building. So, there will definitely be a new bridge. Kids say the darndest things. The CRC boondoggle was killed by the Washington legislature not some mob boss ruling Vancouver. The majority of people in Clark County did not approve of being extorted as evident by the advisory votes. $3 billion dollars + forever tolling to save 1 minute southbound. METRO decades long policy has succeeded in creating unbearable traffic through Portland. Look at a map and figure out how ten lanes over I5 bridge would solve anything when nothing would be expanded through the Rose Quarter. The primary purpose of ...
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 22, 2017 12:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Drum sets?
Replies: 10
Views: 1142

Drum sets?

Any drummers here who can provide advice on drum sets? Youngest daughter has joined her middle school band as a percussionist. She wants to move on to playing in her school's jazz band next year which requires playing on a traditional drum set as opposed to the normal marching band type individual percussion instruments. She is taking drum lessons and has a cheap digital drum set at home but wants a traditional acoustic drum set for Christmas. Luckily we have a basement where we can set one up out of the way and out of acoustic reach of the rest of the house for the most part. So how does one find an economical but usable drum set? We are in the greater Portland area so lots of music stores and a vibrant Craigslist. But I have no idea where...
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:12 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 4% SWR Rule in Other Countries
Replies: 29
Views: 4045

Re: 4% SWR Rule in Other Countries

I scanned through the article twice but could not discern whether the model portfolios for each country were in that country's markets or in globally diversified investments. For example, the Japanese investor has a 35% failure rate with a 4% withdrawal. Is that for a Japanese investor invested in JAPANESE equities and bonds? Or a Japanese investor who owns a globally diversified portfolio like say Vanguard Total World Stock and Total World Bond funds? Because I don't think investors in any modern developed nation are in any way constrained to maintaining their investments in home-country equities and bonds. In other words, what exactly is causing the high failure rates in some countries? Is it the failure of the home country markets? Or so...
by texasdiver
Sat Oct 21, 2017 4:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Observation on Edward Jones
Replies: 27
Views: 7634

Re: Observation on Edward ones

That's also why they want mid-career professional types rather than fresh out of college 23 year olds. They want a sales staff that has thick lists of professional contacts to exploit.
by texasdiver
Sat Oct 21, 2017 4:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: When one reaches the 1 million mark what to do with all the money?
Replies: 33
Views: 8422

Re: When one reaches the 1 million mark what to do with all the money?

I have no idea if this is of any benefit, but I keep the paper statements "turned on" for all my major investment accounts and store them all away so that I have a paper trail of all my investment accounts. Not only will that help my wife or heirs sort things out should I pass, but provides an additional level of documentation should one of my accounts "disappear" for some reason. I like to have a quarterly piece of paper from Vanguard stating that I own X-number of shares worth Y-dollars. For accounts such as checking where I don't maintain large balances I'm perfectly comfortable with electronic statements and downloads. As for the rest of it. It seems to me that the three most common reasons why people's finances are ...
by texasdiver
Sat Oct 21, 2017 3:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?
Replies: 70
Views: 10332

Re: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?

The good news is that the main councilman that opposed the construction of the new I-5 bridge was voted out of office. His replacement is pro-bridge building. So, there will definitely be a new bridge. Kids say the darndest things. The CRC boondoggle was killed by the Washington legislature not some mob boss ruling Vancouver. The majority of people in Clark County did not approve of being extorted as evident by the advisory votes. $3 billion dollars + forever tolling to save 1 minute southbound. METRO decades long policy has succeeded in creating unbearable traffic through Portland. Look at a map and figure out how ten lanes over I5 bridge would solve anything when nothing would be expanded through the Rose Quarter. The primary purpose of ...
by texasdiver
Sat Oct 21, 2017 12:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?
Replies: 70
Views: 10332

Re: Work in Vancouver, WA..possibly live in Camas?

Camas resident here. We’ve been here 1.5 years so far. Like it a lot. Airport is close. Just dropped my parents off this morning and it was 13 min door to door to the airport at 6:30 am on a weekday. A bit later the traffic over the river starts to back up. Camas schools are good. About as good as it gets in the greater Portland area. And we like the community. Best advice is to find work on the WA side of the river. You pay much less taxes and the commuting is easy as long as you aren’t trying to cross over to Portland. My wife works in medicine. There are two large hospitals and and a lot of clinics and such in Vancouver so depending on what you are looking for there are options. Save Portland for shopping and recreation.
by texasdiver
Wed Oct 18, 2017 11:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: evicting my tenant for unlawful detainer
Replies: 7
Views: 1986

Re: evicting my tenant for unlawful detainer

Rather than spend legal resources on an eviction when he's leaving in 2 weeks anyway I would think you'd be better off saving the money and spending it on recovering damages to the apartment (if there are any)
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 15, 2017 12:23 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: With panicked homeowners selling their flooded homes for 40¢ on the dollar, investors are flocking to Houston
Replies: 35
Views: 7960

Re: With panicked homeowners selling their flooded homes for 40¢ on the dollar, investors are flocking to Houston

It's a very sad situation overall. Many of these homes have been flooded three years in a row. The solution is to raise them onto piers above the base flood elevation level, but that is expensive and many of the homeowner's don't have the resources to do so. When most of these homes were built, they were not in a flood plain. The flood plain has expanded and changed dramatically due to urban sprawl and lack of planning on a city-wide, county-wide and regional basis. I think most newer houses in the Houston area are built on slab foundations. At least those in the suburbs that I’ve seen. There’s no raising them. Perhaps smaller older houses in older neighborhoods are built on pier and beam foundations that can be raised. But the ordinary su...
by texasdiver
Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Federal Employee looking to move to Private sector..!
Replies: 34
Views: 3444

Re: Federal Employee looking to move to Private sector..!

When I left Federal employment to work as a private contractor with my old agency I did the math and figured out I had to gross about 40% more than my old Federal salary just to break even. That was for a new job as an independent contractor with no benefits. How did it turn out to be in a long run! My circumstances were WAY different from yours. I was working for NOAA in Alaska doing environmental review work (writing big environmental documents) when my wife's career detoured us to Texas. At that time my agency had a hiring freeze but lots of money in the budget for contract work so they basically were happy to let me keep doing my old job remotely from Texas as a contractor. We ended up staying in Texas longer than we planned and I tire...
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 01, 2017 7:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Federal Employee looking to move to Private sector..!
Replies: 34
Views: 3444

Re: Federal Employee looking to move to Private sector..!

When I left Federal employment to work as a private contractor with my old agency I did the math and figured out I had to gross about 40% more than my old Federal salary just to break even.

That was for a new job as an independent contractor with no benefits.
by texasdiver
Sun Oct 01, 2017 2:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lost my job and looking for advice on next steps
Replies: 43
Views: 6986

Re: Lost my job and looking for advice on next steps

Thanks for the feedback. My wife is a teacher. I will need to explore if health coverage is remotely possible through her employer. I haven't looked at ACA yet notwithstanding all the uncertainty surrounding it at present. We live in HCOLA area. Until our son finishes college, we plan to stay put. Housing is, of course, our biggest expense. The education IRA is to over our son college expenses. I agree that my 100% equity portfolio is aggressive and will need to cut back. How much will COBRA costs compared with current contribution from employer (e.g.:2 or 3 times)? Teacher here. If your wife is a public school teacher then she almost certainly has access to a family insurance plan that will beat anything you can get with COBRA or on the e...
by texasdiver
Fri Sep 29, 2017 11:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Caught by speed camera
Replies: 49
Views: 7094

Re: Caught by speed camera

Just because it isn’t reported to the DMV or your insurance company doesn’t mean they can’t squeeze you for the $$$ and turn it over to a collections company and land you in collections company and credit agency hell if you don’t pay.

I would pay it and move on. Unless you are a natural gadfly type who delights in challenging this sort of thing. I have no time or energy for that sort of thing.
by texasdiver
Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Weekend trip in Portland, Oregon - ideas?
Replies: 22
Views: 2202

Re: Weekend trip in Portland, Oregon - ideas?

There are a bazillion and I'm not particularly up to date as my wife and I have mostly been exploring Vegan offerings on the east side for the past 6 months. Thank you for all the suggestions; I think they'll not only be useful to the OP. I have a couple of trips to Portland coming up. Any suggestions for vegan restaurants? There is an app my wife found called Happy Cow that is basically Yelp for Vegan food. Costs like $2 on the iPhone and well worth it. If I had to pick one great one I would say the Harvest at the Bindery for upscale sit-down Vegan food: http://harvestatthebindery.com/index.html For more casual fare our favorite place is called Sudra but it is a very tiny place with mostly outdoor seating so great on warm summer nights. M...
by texasdiver
Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Weekend trip in Portland, Oregon - ideas?
Replies: 22
Views: 2202

Re: Weekend trip in Portland, Oregon - ideas?

Church Lady wrote: Tue Sep 26, 2017 7:22 pm If you are into roses, a visit to one of Portland's rose gardens might be in order. I recall visiting one such garden with my family years ago, but don't remember its name. This article here might help:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roses_in_Portland,_Oregon

Enjoy your trip!
International Rose Test Gardens. They are in Washington Park near the Japanese Gardens and the location of the best views in Portland. But I think October is the wrong month to see actual roses. Maybe there are some but it isn't peak season for certain.
by texasdiver
Tue Sep 26, 2017 6:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Weekend trip in Portland, Oregon - ideas?
Replies: 22
Views: 2202

Re: Weekend trip in Portland, Oregon - ideas?

I use AirBnB while traveling but have never looked at Portland because I live here....well the suburbs. So I went on to see what is available for 2 in Mid-October. The AirBnB map shows neighborhood names. And there are a lot of places available. So I would stay in any of the neighborhoods around downtown on the west side of the Willamette such as Northwest District, Nob Hill, Pearl District, and Slabtown (using the names on the AirBnB map) On the east side of the river basically anything west of 39th Ave, the closer to the river the better if you want walkable neighborhoods with amenities. Neighborhoods such as Buckman, Kerns, Sunnyside, Hosford-Abernathy in SE Portland and Alberta in Northeast Portland. But if it were me and I was just in ...
by texasdiver
Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: DIY gas fire pits. Propane or Natural Gas?
Replies: 13
Views: 2975

Re: DIY gas fire pits. Propane or Natural Gas?

Thanks guys. We are in a neighborhood adjacent to a forest green belt and have had nearby forest fires all over the place this fall in this part of the PNW. Open burn bans not withstanding if I was to be putting wood smoke into the neighborhood some evening it would probably freak out the neighborhood and get a visit from the fire dept. So wood is out.

I'll get some quotes on running a natural gas line and go from there. Now is the time to lay a gas line before I put in pavers and paths.
by texasdiver
Mon Sep 25, 2017 8:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: DIY gas fire pits. Propane or Natural Gas?
Replies: 13
Views: 2975

DIY gas fire pits. Propane or Natural Gas?

I'm in the middle of some back yard landscaping projects and would like to put in some kind of gas fire pit. The traditional round type made with paver stones. Don't want to mess with wood. We have frequent outdoor burn bans here. So propane or natural gas looks like the options. I haven't priced out the cost of running a natural gas line out to the location. Looking at my house I think it would need to be teed off the gas meter on the side of the house and run out underground which would require about 100 ft of line down a steep hillside. So I'm guessing well over $1000 for a plumber to do it. Maybe a lot more? The main downsides of propane seems to be two: First, one can only get about 120,000 BTU from a standard size propane tank so that...
by texasdiver
Mon Sep 18, 2017 11:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Processing time for 401K transfers into the TSP?
Replies: 1
Views: 382

Re: Processing time for 401K transfers into the TSP?

Well, it took 3 weeks but the $$$ finally make it into my TSP.

Guess I've gotten too used to the world of instant electronic financial transactions.
by texasdiver
Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Processing time for 401K transfers into the TSP?
Replies: 1
Views: 382

Processing time for 401K transfers into the TSP?

Just wondering if anyone here has a good sense of how long it takes to transfer funds from a 401k plan into the TSP using the TSP-60 form.

I had a legacy 403b plan with Vanguard from my previous employer. I decided to roll it all into my TSP account and sent off all the paperwork to Vanguard. My Vanguard online account access shows that the funds were withdrawn from Vanguard on Friday September 1 which is basically 2 weeks ago. I understand they mail the paper checks to the TSP and then it will take some time for the TSP to process the mail and deposit it into my TSP.

I'm just wondering how long the process usually takes and at what point I should start following up to see what happened.

Thanks