Search found 544 matches

by ProfessorX
Sun Feb 28, 2016 3:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TaxAct Plus vs TurboTax vs H&R Block for 2015
Replies: 117
Views: 17492

Re: TaxAct Plus vs TurboTax vs H&R Block for 2015

If i'm used to using Turbo Tax is it worth it to switch to Tax Act? How much do I save? I usually spend less than $100 on Turbo Tax. I'd rather do the easiest thing than save a few bucks. How easy is Tax Act compared to Turbo Tax?
by ProfessorX
Thu Jan 07, 2016 11:34 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [Fidelity drops AmEx, Bank of America credit cards]
Replies: 289
Views: 65175

Re: [Fidelity drops AmEx, Bank of America credit cards]

Ok I filled out the application for the new Card even though I have both of the old FIA cards. Took five minutes and the card is on the way in the mail. I'd like to try it out before just being forced to switch on my own since these were my main credit cards. Excited to finally be able to use ApplePay. Person on the phone at Elan told me that opening the new card wouldn't force cancel my old CC's at FIA. Did you ask about reward points transfer? It is suppose to be automatic when they make the change mid year. No I didn't ask. I just figured I would cash in my points at some point, and then stop using the card at the same time. I pay large monthly expenses on this CC so I accumulate points quickly. Excited to finally be able to use ApplePa...
by ProfessorX
Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [Fidelity drops AmEx, Bank of America credit cards]
Replies: 289
Views: 65175

Re: [Fidelity drops AmEx, Bank of America credit cards]

Ok I filled out the application for the new Card even though I have both of the old FIA cards. Took five minutes and the card is on the way in the mail. I'd like to try it out before just being forced to switch on my own since these were my main credit cards. Excited to finally be able to use ApplePay.

Person on the phone at Elan told me that opening the new card wouldn't force cancel my old CC's at FIA.
by ProfessorX
Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [Fidelity drops AmEx, Bank of America credit cards]
Replies: 289
Views: 65175

Re: [Fidelity drops AmEx, Bank of America credit cards]

Can I apply to open the new Elan Visa 2% rewards card now and link it to my FIDO account and use it with Apple Pay and then just cancel my FIA FIDO cards when I want to do so?
by ProfessorX
Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Poll: Average E/R [Expense Ratio]
Replies: 49
Views: 11668

Re: Poll: Average E/R

Weighted ER = .1008% (Disclaimer I haven't checked to see if my ER's have changed at Vanguard in a long while so it may be lower or less likely higher)
by ProfessorX
Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:41 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio Checkup for 2015 - How is my AA? Changes Needed?
Replies: 5
Views: 1508

Re: Portfolio Checkup for 2015 - How is my AA? Changes Neede

Thanks for your comments! It looks good to me. We were at 80/20 at your age too. I would consolidate the funds I had total control of at either Vanguard or Fidelity for simplicity. But I understand some people feel more diversified spreading between 2 companies. Our taxable savings are stock funds only. But our retirement accounts are a bigger balance. Another thing to consider is to consider paying down faster on your mortgage rather than adding bonds to your taxable savings. Best wishes, lafder Regarding consolidation. It is not about "diversification" for me. I started at Fidelity, and I like their services (checking account and credit card etc), so I stay there because I can get an equivalent investing experience in terms of &...
by ProfessorX
Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:52 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio Checkup for 2015 - How is my AA? Changes Needed?
Replies: 5
Views: 1508

Portfolio Checkup for 2015 - How is my AA? Changes Needed?

Hello Bogleheads! Happy New Year! I joined about 3.5 years ago without much investing knowledge. Since then I have learned a lot. Here is my first post requesting portfolio advice from back then (https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=77707&p=1103457#p1103457). I am currently looking for some portfolio advice. It seems like we are doing fine but it's always good to ask for a checkup. So here goes. Emergency funds: Ample Debt: Mortgage is a good balance at 3.5% 30 year fixed Tax Filing Status:Married Filing Jointly (One 2 year old child, second child due in May) Tax Rate: Not sure xx% Federal, xx% State but Turbo Tax says my 2013 "effective tax rate" was 14.35% State of Residence: PA Age: 39 (just a few days a...
by ProfessorX
Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:23 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Annual POLL] What was your 2014 return?
Replies: 144
Views: 22726

Re: [Annual POLL] What was your 2014 return?

20% Bonds. 11.5% XIRR return.
by ProfessorX
Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for advice on creating a Will
Replies: 39
Views: 4357

Re: Looking for advice on creating a Will

TexasPenny wrote:Where did you get the idea it would be $3-$5k? We did a complete will/POA/Health directives with an attorney for $500. Why don't you call around to some estate lawyers and ask what the basic package is? Most of this stuff is fill-in-the-blank with the lawyer clarifying your wishes and making sure everything is covered.
See the post from the Estate Lawyer just above yours.
by ProfessorX
Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for advice on creating a Will
Replies: 39
Views: 4357

Re: Looking for advice on creating a Will

...I don't have a lot of good experience with lawyers in Philadelphia, the city where I live. And I anticipate that if I walk into some highly recommended lawyers office in Philly they won't consider me worth their time for less than $3K-$5K. That's a lot of money to me!... Philadelphia is a large city, and there are lots of excellent trusts and estates lawyers there. If you'll give some thought to the key issues before you see the lawyer, that will reduce the amount of time involved, and hence the cost, though it still may be more than what you had hoped it would be. The key issues are (i) the degree of control you want the surviving spouse to have, (ii) after the second spouse's death, at what age should each child control his/her share,...
by ProfessorX
Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: So where's that inflation many forecasted?
Replies: 43
Views: 4442

Re: So where's that inflation many forecasted?

I think some of the people who predicted inflation were using economic models that do not work very well in situations when we have a "liquidity trap". Many of the "liquidity trap" advocating economic theorists got inflation and other predictions right. It's just that not everybody was listening to them.
by ProfessorX
Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for advice on creating a Will
Replies: 39
Views: 4357

Re: Looking for advice on creating a Will

What happens if you have more children? Do you have to draw up a whole new Will? Or can it be amended?
by ProfessorX
Thu Aug 07, 2014 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for advice on creating a Will
Replies: 39
Views: 4357

Re: Looking for advice on creating a Will

Thanks for everyones feedback. My main issue is that I don't have a lot of good experience with lawyers in Philadelphia, the city where I live. And I anticipate that if I walk into some highly recommended lawyers office in Philly they won't consider me worth their time for less than $3K-$5K. That's a lot of money to me!

So I was hoping people might be able to recommend some informative reading on the topic of Wills and Trusts etc before I choose whether or not to get involved with talking to a lawyer. Thanks again!
by ProfessorX
Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for advice on creating a Will
Replies: 39
Views: 4357

Re: Looking for advice on creating a Will

flyingbison wrote:I also have a 2 year old, and her mother and I have very basic wills leaving everything to each other and creating a trust for the minor child in the event that both of us are dead. The will names a trustee and an alternate/secondary trustee, as well as a guardian for the child.

Our state provides a free template for this, so we did not use a lawyer.
What state is that? How did you find out about it? Thanks!
by ProfessorX
Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Looking for advice on creating a Will
Replies: 39
Views: 4357

Looking for advice on creating a Will

My wife and I have a two year old son and we live in a HCOLA. We both took out substantial life insurance policies about six months ago. We have a house, a mortgage, and retirement savings etc. All accounts and property are either joint or the accounts themselves have beneficiary designations. So do we need a Will?

Are web sites like legalzoom etc worth using to create a will? Or otherwise how much does one usually pay to create a Will etc? Does it make sense to consider creating trusts? Where is a good place to start reading good advice on all of these issues? :confused

Thanks!
by ProfessorX
Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"
Replies: 87
Views: 13065

Re: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"

It's disappointing that whoever these companies are don't reveal the password breach to their customers. They might not even know. Being vulnerable to SQL injection implies a very low level of expertise. It sounds like they do know: Hold Security would not name the victims, citing nondisclosure agreements and a reluctance to name companies whose sites remained vulnerable. At the request of The New York Times, a security expert not affiliated with Hold Security analyzed the database of stolen credentials and confirmed it was authentic. Related: Hold Security will tell you if your passwords are compromised for only $120! No potential conflict of interest there. http://mobile.theverge.com/2014/8/6/5973729/the-problem-with-the-new-york-times-b...
by ProfessorX
Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"
Replies: 87
Views: 13065

Re: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"

So the NYT got tricked into acting like free advertising for a Cyber Security Firm that carefully tried to over dramatize a security thread for profit?
by ProfessorX
Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:48 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard sued for [failing to charge market rates to and then paying taxes on services to its mutual funds]
Replies: 806
Views: 174021

Re: Vanguard sued for charging too little

But unlike mutual insurers and credit unions, which operate under well-established federal laws, no law gives Vanguard the right to operate on a tax-free basis, Danon argued in his lawsuit and in interviews with The Inquirer. I think Danon is purposefully obfuscating the issue. Vanguard is not a non-profit, but it is a mutual. The two are not the same. Vanguard is not operating on a tax-free basis; it's operating on a profit-free basis. You can't pay taxes on profits that you never earned. To be fair, I also think Vanguard obfuscates by advertising itself as a mutual owned by its investors. It is a mutual, but it isn't owned by the fund investors, which is why we don't know how much the officers make. The fund trustees know... but they are...
by ProfessorX
Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Your opinion of mint.com
Replies: 55
Views: 8022

Re: Your opinion of mint.com

I have used mint for years and I am very comfortable with it. I consider my financial accounts to be MORE SECURE not less because I use mint. For instance, more than once I have discovered fraudulent activity on my accounts right away because of MINT. I am fairly certain that I would not have discovered these fraudulent transactions for quite some additional time if I was not using MINT. As a result of MINT, I was able to immediately protect myself from these illegal intrusions. Without MINT, these intrusions may have continued for sometime longer. I have numerous accounts across all different types of financial institutions. Mint makes it almost inconsequential for me to check my balances and transactions in all my accounts simultaneously ...
by ProfessorX
Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"
Replies: 87
Views: 13065

Re: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"

Ged wrote:
ProfessorX wrote:It's disappointing that whoever these companies are don't reveal the password breach to their customers.
They might not even know. Being vulnerable to SQL injection implies a very low level of expertise.
It sounds like they do know:
Hold Security would not name the victims, citing nondisclosure agreements and a reluctance to name companies whose sites remained vulnerable. At the request of The New York Times, a security expert not affiliated with Hold Security analyzed the database of stolen credentials and confirmed it was authentic.
by ProfessorX
Tue Aug 05, 2014 9:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"
Replies: 87
Views: 13065

Re: "Russan Gang Amasses Over A Billion Stolen Passwords"

It's disappointing that whoever these companies are don't reveal the password breach to their customers.
by ProfessorX
Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: New York City pension mess - NY Times
Replies: 15
Views: 2452

Re: New York City pension mess - NY Times

I created a thread about the Pennsylvania pension mess last year that got locked. IIRC, it had to do with the forum policy of not talking about politics and the stupidity of others and instead to talk about topics that help people invest.

In any event, if you are complaining about the 7% guaranteed return in the NYC pension system. Take a look at the 8.25% guaranteed return in the NYC TRS.
by ProfessorX
Fri Jun 20, 2014 8:14 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: best way to compare your investment ROR to a benchmark?
Replies: 2
Views: 466

best way to compare your investment ROR to a benchmark?

Hello Bogleheads! So I have a semi-tilted slice and dice portfolio with some Small Value, some REIT, some Emerging Markets, Total Stock Market, 20% Bonds, etc. A total of six funds. I wanted to figure out an easy way to compare my portfolio to a benchmark like a the target retirement fund that holds approx 20% Bonds. But this comparison seemed complicated because I (1) buy every month, (2) rebalance once or twice a year or in a band and (3) I also get distributions from the different funds. I have an excel spreadsheet that I update once a month with my new contributions and my current fund values. I use the XIRR function to calculate my pre-tax rate of return including new contributions and distributions etc since mid 2011. So is there an e...
by ProfessorX
Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

bnes wrote:While one can't argue with the level of bogglehead enthusiasm,
perhaps asking the question at a site such as http://diy.stackexchange.com/ or http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/
might result in a more focused answer.
Thanks! I already got help here and elsewhere that answered my questions. And I posted the results earlier in this thread. People are now posting in here about their own HVAC efficiency curiosities and other topics.
by ProfessorX
Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:05 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Dow going to continue up?
Replies: 22
Views: 2582

Re: Dow going to continue up?

Do any of you think these comments from here are valid? http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/talking-numbers/we-are-about-to-enter-the-greatest-bull-market-in-85-years-225051152.html It's inflation. Works the same whether more dollars are chasing the same number of widgets or the same amount of stock equity. We haven't seen massive consumer price inflation because the newly created money from the Fed didn't go to consumers, it went to the one percenters who own most of the stock market. So long as monetary policy keeps pouring newly created dollars into the pockets of those who buy stocks, stock price inflation will continue, and may turn to stock price hyperinflation. 01. Worst employment record since WWII or 73 years. 02. The Greatest U.S. deb...
by ProfessorX
Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

A "secret warranty" is one not included in your documentation but given by a manufacturer when you ask because they have had numerous problems with the equipment. They don't want to publish it, but it mysteriously it is given if you push them a little. Very common in the car industry. Also occurs in the HVAC business if the manufacturer wants to maintain their reputation and can get the part supplier to foot the bill. Yeah thanks. Well I have a York HVAC. I called the number on York's website, which directed me to another number. I called the other number, and it picked up with the same automated system as the first number, which again directed me to the second number that I just called. I pressed a few different buttons in the a...
by ProfessorX
Tue Jun 03, 2014 11:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Thanks to everyone for all your help!
by ProfessorX
Tue Jun 03, 2014 7:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

The cost of the R-22 freon was $60.00 per pound and he put in 8 pounds. That is a steep markup. Virgin R-22 is going for under $10/lb in 30lb tanks. It's worth mentioning that there are a number of R-22 alternatives that are EPA SNAP approved and while they generally require a full pumpdown, some do not require oil replacement (this makes the cutover much easier). They are not as widely used yet as R-22 is still quite affordable. There is an enormous installed base of R-22 systems and they should be maintainable for some time to come - though as has been mentioned, older systems should be scrutinized for expected lifespan and efficiency. Thanks! Yes it is a steep markup. R-22 sells for under $300 in 30lb containers on Amazon + shipping. Bu...
by ProfessorX
Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Easy Seal is just a temporary fix at best. You should just go ahead and replace the coil. Check to see if you have a warranty on the coil (manufacturer will tell you - sometimes there are "secret" warranties). If so, you may just have to pay for labor. Thanks! What is a "secret" warranty? So far I found the leak, or "a leak", and it is in the coils. To replace the coils with very good better coils and fix up my unit would cost $1850. To replace the coils and the condenser with a unit that uses r410a refrigerant would cost $4300. I am leaning towards just replacing the whole thing... but still not 100% sure... wouldn't want to spend $1850 to have the condenser fail within a few years and have to replace the who...
by ProfessorX
Thu May 29, 2014 6:00 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: question about Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
Replies: 7
Views: 5511

Re: question about Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Thanks! I will call both our jobs to ask too!!!
by ProfessorX
Tue May 27, 2014 10:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: question about Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
Replies: 7
Views: 5511

question about Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Hello! I work at a big University. So I am able to put money into things like a "Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account". Recently my wife was also offered the opportunity to pay into such an account at her job. Here are the contribution restrictions on such an account from my Job: Single, file as head of household $5,000 Married, file a joint return $5,000 Married, file separate returns $2,500 Highly compensated employee (salary of $115,000 or more) $1,800 I never paid into one of these accounts because I am a "Highly compensated employee" by their definition and I didn't think the tax savings on $1,800 was worth the effort. Then I saw this restriction too: "If both you and your spouse participate in a flexible s...
by ProfessorX
Sun May 25, 2014 12:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Thanks for everyone's help!

An HVAC tech came over with a leak detector and found out that my coils leak. Someone else recommended to me this product "easy seal". It is some kind of additive:

http://www.amazon.com/Nu-Calgon-EasySea ... B005DTLM1O

Some people say its a really bad idea, other people say it works. Anyone have any experiences with it? Thanks!
by ProfessorX
Tue May 20, 2014 9:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Three Fund Portfolio: "Make more money and worry less"
Replies: 8
Views: 2988

Re: The Three Fund Portfolio: "Make more money and worry les

If you're investing for a long-term goal such as retirement, then keeping it simple with a portfolio of three to six broad-based, low-cost mutual funds can pay off in the long run. Rebalance on occasion, and you'll be well on your way.
I'm closer to the six funds.
by ProfessorX
Tue May 20, 2014 2:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Thanks to everyone for your feedback!

I am researching purchasing a whole new HVAC system now. (Not sure what I am going to do.)

Does anyone know what are good brands of manufacturers that make HVAC systems? Is Lennox good? Coleman? Other brands? What is a good way to research HVAC brands?

One guy quoted me $5500 to just replace the cooling unit,
or $8500 replace cooling and heating and put in a better fan for increased circulation to the third floor of my house.
by ProfessorX
Tue May 20, 2014 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

FWIW my leak was so slow the refrigerant sniffer did not find it - and the tech said it was good down to ppm levels. This is not a DIY project IMHO. When they evacuate and pressure test, they can isolate the inside coil, outside heat exchanger, and lines between the two. Thus narrowing the search down to 1 of 3 subsystems. Pray that it is the lines as they just need to be brazed. If it is the internal or external coil, you are looking at 4 figure bill on top of fee for evacuation, pressure test, and refrigerant recharge. In my situation the lines are inside the walls of my house in unknown locations, so if it were the lines I would not be able to braze them. Instead I would have to run a new ugly line outside of my house somehow. Or I woul...
by ProfessorX
Tue May 20, 2014 6:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Had a new Carrier unit put in about two years ago. It did not seem to be running quite right so I called the same company who installed it for an inspection. Service tech found the refrigerant was quite low. The service tech went into my attic where the air handler is located and used a small electronic device that he said "sniffed" for refrigerant leaks. Within a few minutes the sniffer started to beep and he found one of the coils in my air handler was cracked and had a slow leak. Replaced part under warranty, minus a $200 charge for installation of the new coil and to top-off the refrigerant. A couple phone calls to Carrier corporate and they reimbursed the $200. You can find sniffers at auto part stores and hardware stores su...
by ProfessorX
Mon May 19, 2014 7:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Ged wrote:
ProfessorX wrote:Yeah HVAC techs where I live charge $80+ an hour. Their leak checking visual inspection with soapy water last year took several hours.
The use of soap bubbles seems pretty strange to me. There are all sorts of relatively inexpensive devices available for refrigerant detection that would be far faster.
Can you tell me about these devices?
by ProfessorX
Mon May 19, 2014 5:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Yeah the builders who bought my HVAC unit probably bought it because they got it on clearance because it uses R-22. LoL.
by ProfessorX
Mon May 19, 2014 4:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Is the system not under warranty? If it is, putting in the dye may void the warranty. I had a similar problem and it turned out that the leak was in the inside coil. The pressure test did not reveal a thing until they sent out another tech who turned on my furnace (in July). Once the interior coil heated up the crack got larger and the pressure fell like a rock. Fortunately everything was covered by a 10 year parts and labor warranty otherwise it would have cost 4 figures to diagnose and repair. My system was 9.5 years old but used 134A refrigerant (Freon is a tradename of DuPont, the gernic name is refrigerant). I am surprised your 5 year old system uses R22, that stuff is going to be really expensive in a few years since production was l...
by ProfessorX
Mon May 19, 2014 4:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Yeah HVAC techs where I live charge $80+ an hour. Their leak checking visual inspection with soapy water last year took several hours.

The guys I have been using said the R-22 coolant is very expensive because of the EPA restrictions on it nowadays. They have big maintenance contracts with office buildings, and they also do large installs with big businesses, as well as small jobs like mine. They may be expensive but they seem honest. Their inspection included using soapy water to look for bubbles but no expensive tech gear like a freon detector.
by ProfessorX
Mon May 19, 2014 4:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

Re: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Calm Man wrote:Professor, I am worried about this "banned substance". Is it potentially harmful if leaking to you or others? Also, if the pressure test shows there is a leak, will it actually localize it or just confirm it? Because after that I assume it would have to be located.
R-22 is being phased out as a coolant: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseou ... seout.html
Up until a few years ago most air conditioners used R-22 coolant.
Now new ones use something else.

The pressure test is supposed to determine for certain if the leak is in one or more of three places: (1) in the line set going through my walls from my roof to my basement, or (2) in the HVAC unit in my basement or (3) in the condensing unit on the roof.
by ProfessorX
Mon May 19, 2014 3:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak
Replies: 50
Views: 13728

advice regarding hard to find HVAC freon leak

Hello, I have a five year old new construction house with a leaky freon HVAC. (It uses the banned R-22 kind too.) Last year they filled up the freon and did a human inspection for leaks (with no high tech leak finders) for $350. This year the freon is about half empty and they want to do a pressure test with chemicals to see if there is a line set leak (i.e. a leak in the coolant line going through the walls of my house) and to definitively figure out which piece of the system is leaking. It would cost about $425. It takes a few days because it is an extremely slow leak so they have to come back days later to check the pressure levels. Costs either go up astronomically or double astronomically after that depending upon what they discover to...
by ProfessorX
Tue Feb 04, 2014 8:22 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: madsinger monthly report (January 2014)
Replies: 32
Views: 6614

Re: madsinger monthly report (January 2014)

Thanks!

Anyone know what is in the "Hot Hands" portfolio?
by ProfessorX
Tue Feb 04, 2014 8:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bought in, and then they start tumbling
Replies: 67
Views: 12047

Re: Bought in, and then they start tumbling

What do I do? First thing, whenever I make a large contribution I also "rebalance my AA". So even if the market starts tumbling, and it was high, I likely sold stocks and bought Bonds and I remind myself that I just took some stocks off the table. Second thing, I never buy stocks if I don't plan to "buy and hold" for 15+ years and probably much longer. So I remind myself that my long term outlook has not changed and that I expect the present to be minor price fluctuations in comparison to where I think the market will be when I do finally sell. Last thing, I look at my total gains in my investments, and remind myself that I am still "way up" even with the current market tumble. (As long as this is possible.) Fi...
by ProfessorX
Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keurig vs normal coffeemaker?
Replies: 131
Views: 14268

Re: Keurig vs normal coffeemaker?

I've had my Keurig for over six years, using it every day several times. It is still going strong. I know other people whose broke after a while though. The machines are not too expensive though.
by ProfessorX
Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keurig vs normal coffeemaker?
Replies: 131
Views: 14268

Re: Keurig vs normal coffeemaker?

I don't understand the comments about being able to make a single cup without wasting the rest of the pot. I make a single cup of great tasting coffee every morning in our 12-cup coffee maker, with no waste. You don't have to brew a full pot just because that's the max. When we've stayed with friends who have a Keurig, everyone lines up at the machine with a different flavor of coffee or tea, and half an hour later I finally have my single cup of coffee . And by then, the first people are lining up again behind me, waiting to make their second cup. Reminds me of standing in line at Starbucks behind a group of young girls who are taking forever to order overly-complicated lattes, when all I want is a decaf. When we have company, we grind fr...
by ProfessorX
Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keurig vs normal coffeemaker?
Replies: 131
Views: 14268

Re: Keurig vs normal coffeemaker?

sscritic wrote:If you only drink one cup a day you don't end up throwing out the eleven cups you didn't drink from your twelve cup coffee maker. Now if you drink twelve cups a day, the one cup Keurig is not the best idea.
I have a keurig and this is not true IMO. They make decent coffee.

This is coming from someone who likes good coffee and I do own an expensive fully automatic espresso machine.

It's very nice to be able to turn on one machine and make a single hot cup of flavored coffee with the touch of one button like with the K-Cups.