Search found 1548 matches

by FoolStreet
Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Wine - what are we paying more for … ?
Replies: 185
Views: 33186

Re: Wine - what are we paying more for … ?

I do think you get more for your money, so I always buy the most expensive bottle of wine they have at Costco for under $20.
by FoolStreet
Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tesla - ARgh [Frustrated with tech support]
Replies: 60
Views: 10515

Re: Tesla - ARgh [Frustrated with tech support]

Cruise wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:04 am A bit OT, but related to the technical aspect of Teslas: I've hear that there is no Apple Play resident in the car. What kind of integration is there for those who use iPhones? Messages show on screen? Phone conversations heard through car speakers? Etc....

Thanks.
You connect your phone to the car via bluetooth. You have the option to sync contacts, messages and calendar. The steering wheel has a scroll wheel that you can use with your thumb to prress -- when you press, you can interact via tesla's voice commands, eg, "call mom."

Overall, the UI is way more integrated than anything you could get from the iphone, so it's a net positive.
by FoolStreet
Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tesla - ARgh [Frustrated with tech support]
Replies: 60
Views: 10515

Re: Tesla - ARgh [Frustrated with tech support]

[Title clarified. Moderator Pops1860] Kind of a rant, but more a WWYD. Ok, so I'd like to get an EV. Tesla Model Y Long Range was great. Ready to buy. Wanted to get a friend referral (so he gets charging perks for his Tesla and I get some perks) and his Tesla app won't generate a code. Tesla can't help him (he's tech savvy, deleted app, redownloaded it, etc). Tesla tech support cannot help him. Also they say they cannot just grant credits, even though they have his login and VIN. But you're a tech company? What if something really goes wrong with the car? So going to test drive some other cars. But nothing catching my eye. Tesla could care less if I buy one of theirs. But it just seems silly to buy a mostly tech product, when they can't so...
by FoolStreet
Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

DoubleComma wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:47 pm
WapelloHawk wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 3:20 pm Not on topic for the OP question, but I can't imagine going to the same place over and over again for vacation. Way too many great destinations in the world.
Why do people always say this. Who say's the owner of a second home has to go the same place for every vacation? Many people who own second homes, myself included, go on vacation to many other destinations other than their second home. Its just not helpful.
I have this fantasy of being able to work remotely from a 2nd home in the mountains. This is in addition to having money for other vacations. I'm not sure if my budget will allow, but thats one of my goals.
by FoolStreet
Thu Dec 07, 2023 5:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: People In The Car Sales Business: Question About Transportation Cost
Replies: 19
Views: 3108

Re: People In The Car Sales Business: Question About Transportation Cost

OK, you're at the dealership, and you and the sales consultant agree on a price after kicking the tires and going for a test drive. Next you go to the "finance guy". His job is to extract even more cash from you. One of the items he will add in to the cost of the car is "transportation", the cost for the manufacturer to get the car do the dealership. As the buyer, do you have to pay for transportation? I have seen it both ways on the internet - one way as the cost of a new car, and another as a way to extort more money from you. Which is correct? Anyone here have any experience at buying a new car without the transportation costs, and how did you do it? I always learned that one should download a spec sheet from the int...
by FoolStreet
Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

Being considering about potential purchase of fractional shares so following with interest. The biggest huddle for me is the high annual maintenance fee at the moment, the value added is not sufficient to justify it yet. Your post got me curious how big the markup is here so just looked online and they say there is no markup According to Pacaso "All operating expenses are passed through at cost, and all cost statements are available to owners upon request. Pacaso cannot increase its fees without cause. As the LLC manager, we will only increase what is collected from owners as necessary to cover a change in household expenses (e.g., an increase in insurance rates)." The monthly fee covers property taxes, maintenance, utilities, cl...
by FoolStreet
Tue Dec 05, 2023 5:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

How do the 8 co-owners decide who gets what time slots? I've got to imagine that there are certain prime times that everyone wants, while there are other times that nobody wants. Do the owners do a "draft" to pick their slots? Are high season times weighted heavier than low season times? Honestly, it would be hard for 8 people who are friends to figure out how to divide up the time. I can't imagine 8 strangers trying to do this without having legal counsel! There is a booking system. You can read about it on their website. The gist of it is you can book up to six stays at one time (and can book a new 7th stay when your next stay is within 30 days. There are 8 special dates per year (mostly holidays although they’re location speci...
by FoolStreet
Tue Dec 05, 2023 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

How do the 8 co-owners decide who gets what time slots? I've got to imagine that there are certain prime times that everyone wants, while there are other times that nobody wants. Do the owners do a "draft" to pick their slots? Are high season times weighted heavier than low season times? Honestly, it would be hard for 8 people who are friends to figure out how to divide up the time. I can't imagine 8 strangers trying to do this without having legal counsel! There is a booking system. You can read about it on their website. The gist of it is you can book up to six stays at one time (and can book a new 7th stay when your next stay is within 30 days. There are 8 special dates per year (mostly holidays although they’re location speci...
by FoolStreet
Tue Dec 05, 2023 1:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

It is not a 30% premium. They mark up the property by 12%, which isn’t ideal but on day 1 you already have 7 other owners who have paid that same price, so I’d argue that is really the market value. Even if you don’t think of it that way, you’d theoretically make up the 12% after a few years of potential appreciation. The main thing is you get to buy (not rent and not a timeshare) a portion of a luxury home for a fraction of the cost and for many people it better aligns with their needs as up to 44 nights a year is plenty. There is a reason they’ve done so many homes using this model and raised money in 2023 at a $1.5 billion valuation. No, it’s 30. I looked at a share of 4br old greenwood in Truckee and compared it to comps. The pricing w...
by FoolStreet
Tue Dec 05, 2023 12:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

As you pointed out, vacasa charges a 30% premium. Immediate loss of 30% of your equity.. Ugly. Why not just buy with some like minded friends? I've thought about setting up my own TIC and buying a cabin. Maybe a cabin or townhome in one of the truckee compounds. Split 2 or 4 ways. Not bad. Give each owner a right of first refusal to be bought out. It's my dream anyway... It is not a 30% premium. They mark up the property by 12%, which isn’t ideal but on day 1 you already have 7 other owners who have paid that same price, so I’d argue that is really the market value. Even if you don’t think of it that way, you’d theoretically make up the 12% after a few years of potential appreciation. The main thing is you get to buy (not rent and not a ti...
by FoolStreet
Mon Dec 04, 2023 10:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?
Replies: 95
Views: 12507

Re: Fractional Real Estate Ownership - Thoughts?

As you pointed out, vacasa charges a 30% premium. Immediate loss of 30% of your equity.. Ugly. Why not just buy with some like minded friends? I've thought about setting up my own TIC and buying a cabin. Maybe a cabin or townhome in one of the truckee compounds. Split 2 or 4 ways. Not bad. Give each owner a right of first refusal to be bought out. It's my dream anyway... It is not a 30% premium. They mark up the property by 12%, which isn’t ideal but on day 1 you already have 7 other owners who have paid that same price, so I’d argue that is really the market value. Even if you don’t think of it that way, you’d theoretically make up the 12% after a few years of potential appreciation. The main thing is you get to buy (not rent and not a ti...
by FoolStreet
Thu Nov 23, 2023 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hey Men, what are you wearing to the gym?
Replies: 123
Views: 17950

Re: Hey Men, what are you wearing to the gym?

Maybe I'm not yet consider "older" ( though I feel it at 42), but I've spent a very significant portion of my life since my early teens in gyms. You're likely to get a bunch of recommendations for LuluLemon, Vuori, Gymshark, Ten Thousand, Rhone and other trendy (and crazy expensive) brands, but we've tried most of them (thanks mostly to gift cards from wife's Bay Area tech employer) and don't get the fuss. When I'm not training in a jiu jitsu gi, I'm generally wearing old cotton t-shirts and $5 shorts from the clearance rack at Sierra. Where what's comfortable to you ; IMO nothing else should matter. We're in the Bay Area too. Vuori is much too comfy and nice to sweat in. lol. Ever since the pandemic and working in comfy clothes,...
by FoolStreet
Thu Nov 23, 2023 10:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hey Men, what are you wearing to the gym?
Replies: 123
Views: 17950

Re: Hey Men, what are you wearing to the gym?

I think the trendy thing to wear nowadays is Gym Shark.

My frugal side says just wear whatever for clothes, but make sure you have new shoes, especially if running. If lifting, then trainers or court shoes like converse

The "invest in yourself" side say, go ahead and buy trendy clothes that make you feed "good" about going to the gym. I assume as a Boglehead, you have the $ and gym time has some of the highest ROI*, so worth paying extra fluff for anything that helps get you moving. (As compared to say a heart attack). In this category, I like Ten Thousand and No Bull.
by FoolStreet
Sun Oct 08, 2023 10:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car Buying: What's the "smart default" for a Boglehead?
Replies: 113
Views: 40341

Re: Car Buying: What's the "smart default" for a Boglehead?

StevieG72 wrote: Sun Oct 08, 2023 6:54 pm The “smart default” is still a Corolla, you can buy it new and drive it until the wheels fall off!

2024 Model 3 - $39,285

2024 Accord Hybrid - $38,990

2024 Corolla - $24,000

Buy the Corolla invest the difference and retire early!
Absolutely. When the wheels fell off our Corolla, we bought the Tesla Model 3.
by FoolStreet
Sun Oct 08, 2023 10:03 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Thoughts on generating passive income from $500k?
Replies: 82
Views: 13051

Re: Thoughts on generating passive income from $500k?

to op: 1 How important is it to preserve principle? IE: if you invested it in a certain fund and the value drops 30 percent. Then what? 2 How important is liquidity...in case of emergency..you need the money..now? 3 How important is accessibility..in case of emergency..you need the money..right away? 4 can you better define "passive"??? with examples? Otherwise, it's interpretive and can be perspectively opinionated. j 1. Preservation of capital is important as I have exposure to stocks and other risky assets outside this capital 2. Liquidity is not very important. I'm willing to lock in for a period of 2-5 years 3. No would not need access immediately 4. Mail box money. Have rentals and I wouldn't say it is fully passive. Open t...
by FoolStreet
Sun Oct 08, 2023 1:37 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Thoughts on generating passive income from $500k?
Replies: 82
Views: 13051

Re: Thoughts on generating passive income from $500k?

Mid 40s and would like to start generating passive income. Wife wants to quit working as she's tired of the rat race. She was making around $200k. I'd like to supplement my income by investing around $500k cash that I have. It's not going to replace the income wife was making but I'm hoping that with modifications to our lifestyle, we should be okay. Thoughts on where I could invest that can be truly passive and have a good rate of return? Thanks I hear a lot of folks in my real estate circles talk about passive income, and thats fine, we do it and like it. It is a bit of work, but very flexible. But lets refer to boglehead basics: 72t SEPP withdrawals from your IRA. This is why I max my 401k and after-tax 401k and mega backdoor contributi...
by FoolStreet
Sun Oct 08, 2023 12:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car Buying: What's the "smart default" for a Boglehead?
Replies: 113
Views: 40341

Re: Car Buying: What's the "smart default" for a Boglehead?

You can't go wrong with a used Honda Accord. Or a new Tesla Model 3 or Y.
by FoolStreet
Sat Sep 09, 2023 11:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gym etiquette [exhausted-put a fork in it]
Replies: 82
Views: 8618

Re: Gym etiquette

I am assuming this is a consumer issue as I pay a membership fee for a workout center and this relates to the access to the equipment, which is essentially what I am paying for. This is the second time this is happened. There is a dual pulley machine that is used a lot and almost always occupied. It is most commonly used for cross chest pulls but can be used for just about anything pullies can be used for. It’s the only one. I walk up to it. It’s empty. Someone has left a gym bag nearby. Or a towel. Or a phone. I look around, nobody is to be found. So I start using it. Then somebody comes and says they were using it, going back and forth between two machines. They are usually kind of body builderish type, and they tend to occupy the machin...
by FoolStreet
Thu Sep 07, 2023 11:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Recommendations for Texas Property Tax Appeal Company
Replies: 53
Views: 5431

Re: Recommendations for Texas Property Tax Appeal Company

Can anyone recommend a tax protest firm who works with multifamily properties in Texas? Waco area?
by FoolStreet
Fri Aug 25, 2023 7:53 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?
Replies: 10
Views: 1004

Re: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?

placeholder wrote: Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:19 am
FoolStreet wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:29 am - I called my ATM Bank and asked them to reverse the transaction. I told them they shouldn't have cashed the check since it wasn't made out to me.
What did they say because I wouldn't go doing stuff then have them do something else that complicates so relax for a bit.
Good point. I don't expect anything from my bank since they said they would send me a letter with the results of my inquiry, which leads me to expect a form letter with some formative words closing the case.
But if I have a 60d window then I can wait until next week or so to see if they will respond with anything
by FoolStreet
Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:29 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?
Replies: 10
Views: 1004

Re: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?

AlanS, Walkure is correct. My Roth holds a position in a small LLC which sent me the quarterly earnings in the name of my IRA Custodian.

Overall, the advice is to just treat it as an indirect rollover. I guess I will just write a check to my IRA for this amount.

I want to thank everyone for the great advice! Thank you ExodusNH, Silk McCure, AlanS and Walkure
by FoolStreet
Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:38 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?
Replies: 10
Views: 1004

Re: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?

Hi, I hold some money with a Custodian that allows me to invest my Roth IRA money into limited partnerships. I received a distribution check made out to: "Custodian Name fbo FoolStreet IRA" and accidentally put that into the ATM and it was cashed. What are my options to avoid the distribution and put the money back into the Custodian account? - Can I just put the same dollars directly into my Custodian account by ACH and just say "whoops?" - I called my ATM Bank and asked them to reverse the transaction. I told them they shouldn't have cashed the check since it wasn't made out to me. - Ask the Limited Partner administrator to stop payment on the check and see if we can reissue that way? I can pay the $30-100 fee. Other ...
by FoolStreet
Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Talk me out of buying a Tesla Model 3
Replies: 963
Views: 103970

Re: Talk me out of buying a Tesla Model 3

investor997 wrote: Sat Aug 12, 2023 3:34 pm
harikaried wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 2:22 pmWith the increased energy usage, have you looked into solar (& storage)?
We live in a condo so solar isn't an option for us. As of today, juice costs $0.26/kWh during off-peak hours. That's approximately double what it cost in late 2018 when I first got the car. Nonetheless, it's still less than what we'd pay to gas up comparable ICE vehicles. Premium gas is $4.79/gal at the nearby Costco.
"I love it when a plan comes together." - Hannibal Smith, the A-Team
by FoolStreet
Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?
Replies: 10
Views: 1004

Cashed Roth IRA Custodian check - next steps?

Hi, I hold some money with a Custodian that allows me to invest my Roth IRA money into limited partnerships. I received a distribution check made out to: "Custodian Name fbo FoolStreet IRA" and accidentally put that into the ATM and it was cashed. What are my options to avoid the distribution and put the money back into the Custodian account? - Can I just put the same dollars directly into my Custodian account by ACH and just say "whoops?" - I called my ATM Bank and asked them to reverse the transaction. I told them they shouldn't have cashed the check since it wasn't made out to me. - Ask the Limited Partner administrator to stop payment on the check and see if we can reissue that way? I can pay the $30-100 fee. Other c...
by FoolStreet
Tue Aug 01, 2023 1:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?
Replies: 70
Views: 5371

Re: EV: Regular Outlet or Install 220v/50a?

I’ve had an EV since 2018. I see no reason to upgrade. I’ve used my 110 with an extensions cord just fine.
by FoolStreet
Sat Jul 22, 2023 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Life Insurance Investments - Index Linked UL
Replies: 3
Views: 713

Re: Life Insurance Investments - Index Linked UL

Lemon&Lime wrote: Sat Jul 22, 2023 7:23 pm Hello Fellow Forum Participants!

I had purchased life insurance policies now into the 7th year (3 more left) of paying it off. However, since I'm new to this I had no ideas you can use it as an investment tool. Indexed UL is so expensive and being a rookie at all of this back then we purchased a very small 150k policy.

I'd like to seek advice on how to use it to grow the cash value and what else it would be prudent to do in order to make the best of it.

Thank you

LL
I think most people suggest selling it now and cutting your losses, then investing in a 3-fund portfolio with low fees.

https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Three-fund_portfolio
by FoolStreet
Sat Jul 22, 2023 6:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?
Replies: 122
Views: 11152

Re: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?

It's not all sunshine and rainbows. I really caution people to not just look at the positive experiences. * ABRP works well only under ideal conditions when there is no line and no chargers are broken. Conditions change rapidly once you are on the road. With an ICE car, I don't need anything like ABRP. If I know the route with ICE, I just jump in and go. * The Tesla map will show availability when there is actually none on a very few occasions, usually when you need it the most. * The few heavily discounted superchargers during peak hours will have a line and it will be much longer wait than predicted because most people override the 80% limit and change it manually back to 100% which takes much longer time for the last 20%. When I'm in a ...
by FoolStreet
Sat Jul 22, 2023 5:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?
Replies: 122
Views: 11152

Re: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?

...and a followup on the earlier post: I did a 200 mile circle around the Casper location... it won't even get you into the park (Yellowstone) and the closest charger is in West Yellowstone (on the other side, exiting the park). (and the parking in EV charging spots is epidemic in certain areas, referred to as "ICE-ing"..... but there have been ways to deal with that: https://www.powernationtv.com/post/tesla-owners-have-found-a-way-to-get-back-at-pickup-drivers-blocking-charging-stations) Adding to my post above to give an example. You are right, Superchargers aren't everywhere. However, there are a ton of L2 in and around Wyoming and the national park. Check out https://www.plugshare.com/location/321221 and use the map feature t...
by FoolStreet
Sat Jul 22, 2023 5:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?
Replies: 122
Views: 11152

Re: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?

That is great as that is the program we used to 'test' routes as well. Except when we actually drove a couple of the routes as if we had an EV a few things happened... - the chargers were required extra miles driven - one or more was broken - one of more was in use - when we linked the legs of a few routes they were problematic When the problems for these types of trips decrease, we will be in the market again - until then I believe inventory is rising and prices will be falling. Which route did you drive and what chargers did you sample? Tesla app gives you real-time update of charger availability and status. As of right now: Goodland: 4 of 6 open, none down Russell: 6 of 8 open, none down Abilene: 11 of 12 open, none down Price: 8 of 8 o...
by FoolStreet
Thu Jul 20, 2023 10:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?
Replies: 122
Views: 11152

Re: For people with EVs what do you for road trips?

I'm considering getting an EV and keep one of my ICE cars but even if I had both I'm not sure what I would do for road trips. I would prefer driving the newer, nicer, more fuel efficient EV but not sure if it would be worth spending 15-20 minutes to charge every < 200 miles. If you own an EV what do you prefer doing for road trips? A few tips/tricks: 1 - When you plan your trip, look for the supercharger that is 250kw, not 150kw. You can charge just a little faster on 250kw. 2 - If you want to maximize your drive time, then manually set your next supercharger location so that you can plan your arrival charge %. You will charge faster from 10% to 70% than from 20% to 80%. Certainly don't charge up to 100% since it is always slower from 80% ...
by FoolStreet
Mon Jul 03, 2023 9:52 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Considering an investment property in a Colorado ski town
Replies: 15
Views: 2878

Re: Considering an investment property in a Colorado ski town

I recently moved to Steamboat Springs, CO from NYC. Next year, I am planning on splitting my time between NYC and Steamboat (remaining a CO resident) and want to see if I can buy a condo or townhome to live here in the off seasons and rent out during the busy seasons. However, I've never bought a home and want to make sure I am looking at the income, expenses, and tax implications* correctly. The rent vs buy calculators are not really designed for investment properties that you live in part-time. I spent some time looking in the wiki and couldn't find a spreadsheet that would allow me to plug in the expenses and income to determine if it's a good investment or not. Is anyone aware of a good spreadsheet / website or some useful rules of thu...
by FoolStreet
Sat Jun 17, 2023 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Bay Area remodeling and addition costs?
Replies: 9
Views: 2353

Re: Bay Area remodeling and addition costs?

DW and I purchased our first home and are considering remodeling and/or expansion options. We are boggled by the range of cost estimates: they seem to be centering on $400-$500k to gut remodel about 1350sf, and about $1000/sf for new construction in the ~1000sf range. This is for higher quality, architect-directed projects with nice but not outrageous materials. Have any bay area residents had recent experience with similar full renovation/new construction costs that you could share in similar format (sf of project, and whether it was renovation or new square feet)? Thanks in advance. To OP: Suggestion: 1 Get at least 3 quotes from reputable licensed architects in your area for: a) complete "building plans" and "specs" ...
by FoolStreet
Mon Jun 12, 2023 1:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Newspapers Keep Asking for Passwords
Replies: 13
Views: 2018

Re: Newspapers Keep Asking for Passwords

I subscribe to the NYT, WaPo, LAT and WSJ - though the WSJ subscription is recent. Until recently, I rarely had to log in to read articles on my iPhone - I'm not referring to links on Facebook. Now, logins are required multiple times every day. Is this a change by newspapers, or could it be an upgrade or setting on the iPhone? I'm also frequently asked by the NYT to use their app, rather than my browser, to read. I try to avoid apps, but presumably this is because the NYT would benefit financially from tracking me - even though it's an iPhone? Is it Apple that's benefiting when I read the NYT on Safari? I use my google account to authenticate. I also prefer to read on the browser instead of apps, but no one wants to enter user I’d and pass...
by FoolStreet
Mon Jun 05, 2023 12:49 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Independent Financial Advisor or Brokerage House Wealth Management
Replies: 38
Views: 3075

Re: Independent Financial Advisor or Brokerage House Wealth Management

Dear All, Thank you so much for your warm welcome! I thought my post wasn't approved, please pardon my delay! Answering the questions asked: I am bad a picking stocks for my brokerage account. I decided to reinvest the money from dividends and picked 3 stocks to invest $1,000 each. These are the only 3 stocks in my portfolio I chose, and those are the only ones losing money (most of the investment). I do have a 401k, but I just started it last year with my new job, and it only has 8k in it. I did have my IRA in a Freedom Fund (to the age of my retirement - I am 48), but Fidelity told me I would get more out of it if it was managed. Unfortunately, I already moved the money to a Managed account. Will I be able to retract and put it back to m...
by FoolStreet
Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, Jaguar, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Toyota, Subaru, VW join Tesla
Replies: 178
Views: 31115

Re: Ford EVs (and other EVs?) switching to Tesla chargers

Harikaried, I think this is getting beyond my ability to offer meaningful advice, so I will default to some tenets. Is the goal to provide a nice perk to employees and you are okay having the business eat the relatively low cost of the kw the same way you might offer free coffee? If so, some ideas below. First off, this is most easy if you have a gated parking lot (I'm imagining the parking lot from the tv show, "the office") or a secluded one, then consider providing unmetered free* usage to employees. You can either give it to them truly free, or you could offer some small subscription cost based on honor code of $20-$40/month or something like that. With that, I'd consider going ahead and installing some residential chargers, m...
by FoolStreet
Sat Jun 03, 2023 10:25 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Independent Financial Advisor or Brokerage House Wealth Management
Replies: 38
Views: 3075

Re: Independent Financial Advisor or Brokerage House Wealth Management

Hello! I have an IRA and a brokerage account with Fidelity at the moment. The company has been contacting me for about year to manage my account. I finally had a meeting and they are offering to manage my accounts at the tune of 1.1% per year, to be charged quarterly. I have tried to do it solo in the past, but am horrible at it, so I definitely want someone to manage. IF the rate is the same, at 1% or 1/1%, is it best to go with the brokerage house or an independent financial advisor? What are the pros and the cons? Also, how important is it to have the account manager, be it the independent or the brokerage house, know my tax situation/work with my tax advisor? Given that I want the advisor to take care of sale and purchase of stocks, wo...
by FoolStreet
Sat Jun 03, 2023 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, Jaguar, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Toyota, Subaru, VW join Tesla
Replies: 178
Views: 31115

Re: Ford EVs (and other EVs?) switching to Tesla chargers

If you have 2 teslas, I would certainly install the Tesla chargers at home. The discussion above is funny. For work, there is a lot more info needed. Often, the cost is running electrical, not the end plug. I’m hesitant to offer an opinion since it’s not clear whether you are talking about two plugs in a workshop office or a row of 30 plugs in a commercial building. Also, unclear on your local users. Work chargers tend to be charge point j1772s and is appropriate for diversity. Also, suggest making the chargers farthest away from the building to prevent misuse by engine cars. Also, consider longer cables accessible 2 bays to the left and 2 bays to the right and on both sides of the aisle. This allows a morning charge by 2 cars and as long a...
by FoolStreet
Wed May 24, 2023 2:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What video games are you currently playing?
Replies: 529
Views: 88302

Re: What video games are you currently playing?

rockstar wrote: Wed May 24, 2023 2:19 pm The older D&D games have hit Amazon Prime Gaming. I grabbed Torment. I haven’t played it since high school.
How about Pools of Radiance? How would you compare it to Torment?
by FoolStreet
Tue May 23, 2023 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What video games are you currently playing?
Replies: 529
Views: 88302

Re: What video games are you currently playing?

I recently beat and got to 100% on the Hogwarts Legacy game. That was pretty enjoyable, and I'd recommend it to any fans of the Harry Potter books out there. Next up for me is God of War: Ragnarok. I played the old God of War games on PS2 almost 20 years ago, so looking forward to that one. My good human, have you played God of War (2018)? If not, definitely play it before Ragnarok, as the latter is a continuation of the story started in GoW. GoW has been the series that forces me to upgrade consoles. I played 1 and 2 on the PS2, but then had to get a PS3 for GoW 3. Also got a PS4 for GoW (2018). Will probably have to break the streak and get a PS5 for Spider-Man 2.... Currently playing: - Rocket League (PS4) with the work peeps - Mario Ka...
by FoolStreet
Tue May 23, 2023 7:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What video games are you currently playing?
Replies: 529
Views: 88302

Re: What video games are you currently playing?

Red Dead Redemption 2 is probably the best video game I've ever played... Great western. Great gameplay. Great voice acting. Great story. Great side missions. Huge open world. I ran through the story once, had a blast, and then about a year later replayed it all again, and went for 100% completion. Just recently got that accomplishment... Took months. I quit my job in January 2022 and played this game for about 4 months full-time. All those things you said and this is by far the best game I've ever played. I actually quit playing it twice because I found it boring, the controls awkward and the first few missions scripted. But once I got the hang of it and started exploring the vast detailed open world, the array of fascinating characters a...
by FoolStreet
Mon May 22, 2023 4:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What video games are you currently playing?
Replies: 529
Views: 88302

Re: What video games are you currently playing?

Red Dead Redemption 2 is probably the best video game I've ever played... Great western. Great gameplay. Great voice acting. Great story. Great side missions. Huge open world. I ran through the story once, had a blast, and then about a year later replayed it all again, and went for 100% completion. Just recently got that accomplishment... Took months. I quit my job in January 2022 and played this game for about 4 months full-time. All those things you said and this is by far the best game I've ever played. I actually quit playing it twice because I found it boring, the controls awkward and the first few missions scripted. But once I got the hang of it and started exploring the vast detailed open world, the array of fascinating characters a...
by FoolStreet
Mon May 22, 2023 4:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Evaluating lifestyle choices and a big move
Replies: 37
Views: 3923

Re: Evaluating lifestyle choices and a big move

I'm wrestling with a big decision - or at least what feels like a big decision to me - and would love some input from the wise and experienced folks in this community. It may be a bit long winded, I'm partly laying this out for my own thinking, so bear with me. :happy Background and Finances Age: late 30s, married with three kids ages 8 and below Occupation: senior manager at FAANG-type company Location: Seattle We own a primary residence in Seattle, worth around $900K with a ~$200K mortgage at 2.75%. We also own a vacation home worth around $350K with a ~$240K mortgage at 3.75%. Both are 15 year mortgages. No other debt. The mortgage payments for both (inclusive of tax, insurance, etc.) total around $5,000k/mo. Finances: Income: ~$1,000,0...
by FoolStreet
Mon May 22, 2023 3:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cycling vacation packages?
Replies: 21
Views: 2123

Re: Cycling vacation packages?

faanger101 wrote: Sun May 21, 2023 11:20 am I went to service my bike to a Trek store and they were advertising their cycling tours. Looks amazing!
Do anyone have any experience with it / alternatives?
I’d prefer to choose a US one, lodging doesn’t matter (hack, can sleep in camping), need a nice route, provided bike, great guide + support van :sharebeer
I obsess over the Trek emails I get with all the tours. I would love to do one with my wife. I am not that good, but I can wear the outfit and make my way around Silicon Valley roads.

I would even consider an e-bike if it meant I could go farther. I just need to train a bit more to do 50 m per day consistently. For mountain biking, I would love to tour all the mountain towns and check out the Colorado hut to hut experience.
by FoolStreet
Fri May 19, 2023 12:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should we buy this vacation/investment condo?
Replies: 31
Views: 2720

Re: Should we buy this vacation/investment condo?

I want to do the same thing. It drives me crazy to think it costs $500 to $1k peer night to rent, so I should pay $1M to buy and build equity. Then my wife points out the math.

So, for now I just try to invest my money so that I can keep up with housing appreciation and will buy later.
by FoolStreet
Sat May 13, 2023 10:07 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bill Bernstein's new book available [Four Pillars of Investing]
Replies: 114
Views: 25724

Re: Bill Bernstein's new book available

I don't want to make too many unsolicited descriptions of the book on this thread, since the forum has pretty strict rules about author self-promotion, except to say that the book has two new overarching themes, which will be familiar to many forum members: 1) Investing is half math and half Shakespeare, and mastering the former does you no good, in the long run, if you can't master the latter, and 2) The first rule of compounding, as Charlie Munger famously said, is not to interrupt it. Therefore, your portfolio should be designed with the worst 1%-2% of the time in mind. 'Nuff said; the Foreword and Introduction are linked above, at the bottom of the book's page. This book made an incredible impression on my when I was out of my Masters ...
by FoolStreet
Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:09 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What are the pitfalls of falling interest rates?
Replies: 19
Views: 2255

Re: What are the pitfalls of falling interest rates?

With low rates, investors may take on too much risk when reaching for higher yield. For example, buying long term bonds to earn a high interest rate, but then needing the money in a short time frame and having to sell at a loss.
by FoolStreet
Sun Mar 12, 2023 6:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: South Lake Tahoe?
Replies: 16
Views: 2085

Re: South Lake Tahoe?

White Coat Investor wrote: Sun Mar 12, 2023 2:38 pm It's been a long time, but when I went to South Lake Tahoe it was to climb at Lover's Leap.
I have fond memories of climbing the Leap. Where are some of your other favorite climbing spots? We are not in technical shape anymore, but love easy multi-pitch climbs with lots of exposure. Cathedral Peak in Yosemite comes to mind. Max 5.9, yet 1000 vertical feet of face.
by FoolStreet
Tue Feb 14, 2023 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tour de France
Replies: 21
Views: 2630

Re: Tour de France

I might join a tour, like the ones at Trek if I wanted to ride nearby or along a portion of the route or past years routes. Might need an electric bike for some of the HCs. And I have seen the tour on the victory laps in Paris. That’s fun because you can plan the rest of the trip around sightseeing. There might be a big music concert that night, but otherwise you do the normal touristy stuff.
by FoolStreet
Mon Jan 09, 2023 12:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Estate Planning young kids and when to pay out
Replies: 104
Views: 8832

Re: Estate Planning young kids and when to pay out

The term asset protection trust is more akin to the restrictive legacy trust you describe. It does not allow the beneficiary to have any or very little say in how the assets are invested or distributed, instead relying upon third parties to ensure the beneficiary is protected from themself. This trust does not have to run for several generations and can terminate after a certain period or upon the next generation. This is odd. I've generally don't refer to a trust as an "asset protection trust," but I do feel that a properly drafted trust should provide asset protections. I don't understand why you are suggesting that such a trust does not allow the beneficiary to have any input into how the trust assets are invested. To the cont...
by FoolStreet
Sun Jan 08, 2023 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Estate Planning young kids and when to pay out
Replies: 104
Views: 8832

Re: Estate Planning young kids and when to pay out

I have a hypothetical and a question: 1. Lily is 45. At her parent’s death a trust was created for her and her two children for the purpose of providing for the needs of Lily and her two children. Currently Lily is a trustee of the trust, along with a co-trustee. The co-trustee is a bank. Lily has a contact she talks to in the trust department at the bank, but any material decisions about the trust are made by a committee in the trust department. 2. Lily owns a profitable design firm in Los Angeles with 30 employees. She wants to open an additional location in San Francisco but needs to use money from the trust to do so. Although Lily can unilaterally draw money from the trust for healthcare, education, housing and food within certain limi...