Search found 216 matches

by fidelio
Tue Apr 14, 2015 3:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Beach vacation in So Cal
Replies: 52
Views: 7992

Re: Beach vacation in So Cal

l.a. native says laguna beach. hotels in all price ranges, some decent restaurants, nice orange co. setting away from the madding crowd.
by fidelio
Mon Dec 22, 2014 6:30 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Keynes’s Investment Principles
Replies: 23
Views: 10543

Re: Keynes’s Investment Principles

interesting to note that john bogle wrote the foreword to wasik's book on keynes' investing history.
by fidelio
Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:06 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Just retired...any reason to move 401K to IRA?
Replies: 50
Views: 23381

Re: Just retired...any reason to move 401K to IRA?

i retired about two yrs ago from a mega-corp. fido manages the employer's 401k, and i had planned to roll everything over to a vanguard ira. however, on careful examination of the fees for their index funds (comparable to vanguard's), etc., but mostly bcs. of the existence of a svf, i stayed in the fido 401k. it seems a prudent decision, as no fixed income investment otherwise available has been as attractive to date, to me, as the svf.
by fidelio
Sun May 18, 2014 3:01 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: stable value stable?
Replies: 6
Views: 1130

stable value stable?

there has been a lot of discussion on the dangers of owning bond funds. what about stable value funds? there must be scenarios in which these vehicles lose (such as everybody cashing out at once for some black swan reason).
by fidelio
Sun May 18, 2014 2:57 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Social Security at 62? Let’s Run the Numbers
Replies: 101
Views: 16230

Re: Social Security at 62? Let’s Run the Numbers

taking it at 62 = mistake at 81. call me a fool, but i kinduv like the idea that it's a bet i'd like to lose ....
by fidelio
Fri May 16, 2014 3:26 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Books for someone who is not that interested
Replies: 48
Views: 6582

Re: Books for someone who is not that interested

thanx cyberbob, i emailed the forbes art. to my son (26) -- short and to the point (invest in a 3-fund port.!). i gave him bogle's common sense book but i don't think he ever read it. maybe now that he's making a little money ....
by fidelio
Fri May 16, 2014 3:08 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Wealth/asset insurance? Is this a thing?
Replies: 14
Views: 1460

Re: Wealth/asset insurance? Is this a thing?

you'll find that it is not a generally available type of policy unless you place all your ins. at the same carrier. it is also not an "absolute" protection -- in other words, like any ins. contract, it will only cover some assets under some fact circumstances. speak to an ins. person you trust (not the guy about to sell you the policy) for details, and / or do some research. as stated above, there are also other ways to protect assets, involving esoteric estate planning vehicles. then you're dealing w/ lawyers. again, discuss w/ someone you trust to get the facts (not the probate lawyer you just hired to do expensive wills and trusts).
by fidelio
Sun Dec 29, 2013 3:53 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Buy VS Rent as a factor in Asset Allocation
Replies: 26
Views: 2484

Re: Buy VS Rent as a factor in Asset Allocation

david,

do you somehow factor in the property equity, which presumably increases over time, and the tax benefit, which presumably is also of value?

artie
by fidelio
Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Are you an Iphone or Android guy?
Replies: 112
Views: 12254

Re: Are you an Iphone or Android guy?

iphone but i have a kindle. not a google fan ....
by fidelio
Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:49 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sci-Fi Short Story Recs
Replies: 60
Views: 5951

Re: Sci-Fi Short Story Recs

many great stories have been mentioned, but i can't believe no one has yet offered philip k. dick, who wrote dozens of great sci fi shorts. also, the granppappy of sci fi (although some would classify him as horror), h. p. lovecraft.
by fidelio
Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mini Cooper or Fiat 500?
Replies: 49
Views: 7548

Re: Mini Cooper or Fiat 500?

i've got a mini s and it's a great little car, fast -- but a bit of a toy. i think you have to be careful about the engines. has the bmw-sourced 3-cyl come out yet? that may be the one to go for. not too confident abt. the french engines, the chryslers were ok but that's getting vintage. anyway, a great driver for fwd + made in england!

what i really lust for here however is the fiat 500e. probably only practical for those w/ multiple cars.
by fidelio
Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendations for a Laptop Computer???
Replies: 41
Views: 5328

Re: Recommendations for a Laptop Computer???

i guess i'm hard on computers, as i just had the hd on my 17" dell inspiron laptop replaced at 3 yrs. they were good about it even though it was out of warranty. i had two apple laptops, an ibook and macbook pro. they both fell apart, literally -- the hinges on the screens crapped out, eventually rendering them useless. i did pay an aftermarket shop to repair the macbook and it lasted about a month. it's a mess, bent, w/ an exploded battery -- completely destroyed. again, that's my experience only and most people i know love their macs. i like them too, but it's unlikely i'll ever buy another given the facts and the prices. i do throw my laptops around a bit and use them for all kinds of service, including some travel. note that this e...
by fidelio
Thu Sep 05, 2013 8:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How do you "rent" movies?
Replies: 87
Views: 10215

Re: How do you "rent" movies?

+1 netflix. using the blu-ray option is a bit of a luxury, but i have an extreme home theater rig and really enjoy the pic. and sound qual.
by fidelio
Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:54 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Anyone have VG's Managed Payout funds in their INV Portfolio
Replies: 19
Views: 2061

Re: Anyone have VG's Managed Payout funds in their INV Portf

there is some cheerful promotional language on vanguard's site on these funds, but i have found no one here who will admit to owning them. it may be worth noting that during a conversation w/ one of vanguard's own c.f.p.'s, although he did not disparage them, he steered me away from the idea. after spending a fair amount of time looking at them prior to retirement, i didn't invest in a m.p.f. for a retirement payout fund, i would pick wellesley over a life strategy -- mostly a personal preference, but the former has a mechanism for quarterly dividends to be automatically paid out, not that it's any great strain to withdraw money in some other way, and an admiral version exists (although i probably wouldn't heavily invest in wellesley today ...
by fidelio
Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Boglehead Car -- What is It?
Replies: 150
Views: 17501

Re: The Boglehead Car -- What is It?

hhmm .... i've had over 30 cars over the decades, a few new, but mostly beaters. is a beater a "boglehead" car? not really. i would say a boglehead car would be a 1980s benz diesel. there are many with several hundred thousand miles on them. i've had a few -- none ever completely died while in my possession (although my son managed to blow a head gasket on one i gave him, an '84 300sd). however, they're trendy now and hard to find. for the record, i presently own a 2001 ford pickup (for camping, cordwood and such), a 1971 benz 250c (perhaps a boglehead car, as i've owned it 12 years and paid 3k for it), and an '07 mini cooper s (probably not a boglehead unit, but it gets great mileage and is fun to drive). all in all i agree w/ mi...
by fidelio
Thu May 30, 2013 3:52 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Include Social Security in Asset Allocation?
Replies: 25
Views: 3135

Re: Include Social Security in Asset Allocation?

well, this has been discussed many times; search for threads if interested.

fwiw, i calculated my asset allocation both counting and not counting s.s. i found identifying it as f.i. in these calculations resulted in a level of equity ownership with which i would not be comfortable in retirement.
by fidelio
Mon May 27, 2013 3:38 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Total bond or Stable Asset?
Replies: 10
Views: 1180

Re: Total bond or Stable Asset?

dave, fwiw i retired a year ago and have left my 401k at the employer's fidelity acct., and i have my whole f.i. allocation in a stable value fund there (not generally an option outside of 401k accts.). the numbers are like the one you posted. in my view, it's a great option. i suggest you research what these are, as you don't want to be invested in anything you don 't totally understand. i, again fwiw, have a roughly 60-40 bond - equity allocation. you may wish to look at the guidelines and post your asset allocation over on "help w/ personal investments." the responses are often very helpful. as far as all the noise on bonds, well, who can really say what the future holds -- many people have made a lot of money in bonds during t...
by fidelio
Fri May 24, 2013 10:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Liability For 19 yr Old Son Driver
Replies: 5
Views: 952

Re: Liability For 19 yr Old Son Driver

+1 to overthehills submission. depends on the state, but your agent knows, or at least someone at his company.

i was involved in casualty claims investigations for 32 years. i am therefore ridiculously over-insured. insurance is a sort of modern curse, but if it's not there when you need it, well ....
by fidelio
Fri May 24, 2013 10:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you pay for access to www.nytimes.com ?
Replies: 30
Views: 3734

Re: Do you pay for access to www.nytimes.com ?

it can be gotten around, but i pay, for the reasons stated by the OP. plus the wife of one of my best friends is an editor there, so it would be unseemly to poach.

i've taken it at different times as paper, in l.a. it's a little pricey, but the real problem is i want to read every article, and it really piles up, as reading the whole paper takes many hours (not possible).
by fidelio
Fri May 24, 2013 10:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Does Vinegar kill weeds?
Replies: 31
Views: 4555

Re: Does Vinegar kill weeds?

to hell w/ roundup and the horse it rode in on. horrible poison. as it's beds: pull all weeds, dig up roots; vinegar solution (not salt, unless we're talking a driveway or something never to be planted again), but some use a little soap added in, can apply w/ old school watering can if area not too big, spraying tricky as will get on wanted plants; after a week dig it all up w/ a pick (or hire a young person), turn it over, toss much of the debris, rake flat, then cover whole bed w/ a heavy weed cloth (also called landscaping cloth - two layers even better) - pin cloth down closely w/ garden staples; employ an appropriate edging (depends on ground cover). cover that w/ bark mulch, or another favorite (dg (+1), crushed rock, etc.). i don't l...
by fidelio
Fri May 17, 2013 5:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Carmax Question
Replies: 4
Views: 1182

Re: New Carmax Question

i believe many of their cars are lease returns, usually well-maintained, as stated by the previous poster. it's the "telltale" mileage -- 30,000, for example. everybody makes money in the car game (except for the retail buyer, of course -- he or she gets to lay rubber and burn fuel, for a stiff fee).
by fidelio
Fri May 17, 2013 5:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone with experience with Carmax?
Replies: 74
Views: 27009

Re: Anyone with experience with Carmax?

i bought a vehicle there last year. no problems at all. as other posters have stated, they will sell you a car for about market price, and buy yours for the wholesale price. i think the difference is that they have employees who are real mechanics who inspect and recondition all their product, and they therefore can provide a real warranty.
by fidelio
Wed Apr 24, 2013 1:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1565432

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

just finished "prague fatale," p. kerr. diff. title in european ed. i believe. have degree in european hist., love both kerr and alan furst.

if you're not familiar w/ kerr's protagonist bernie gunther, and you like chandler, you can't miss. he's a detective w/ berlin's criminal police and not a party member. no spoilers, but "prague" is brutal, as most novels full of nazi ss members must be, but also includes a "locked room" mystery, which gunther solves. both kerr and furst provide a fascinating viewpoint on a fascist europe.
by fidelio
Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:16 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Total Bond Market or Stable Value (3.25%)
Replies: 23
Views: 3641

Re: Total Bond Market or Stable Value (3.25%)

"Yep, at least half of fixed income in the SV fund, if not all."
+1
by fidelio
Mon Apr 15, 2013 3:13 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: REITs vs. rental property
Replies: 7
Views: 2673

Re: REITs vs. rental property

i own both (a little reit in a roth and an income property), and i think it's obvious that the two are vastly different. it's like owning a car vs. owning gm stock, to present a clunky simile. as far as reits diversifying a portfolio, my understanding / experience is that they can twist a little differently than conventional equities and f.i., but i'm no expert on the numbers. rather pricey today, just like the greater stock market. the one great thing that a rental property does (one hopes) is provide monthly income that can generally be kept away from the taxman.
by fidelio
Thu Apr 11, 2013 3:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Charles Ellis says stay out of bonds
Replies: 122
Views: 15178

Re: Charles Ellis says stay out of bonds

what happened to short term bond funds?
by fidelio
Mon Apr 08, 2013 3:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 30 year bond prices up 2-3% today!!
Replies: 39
Views: 5221

Re: 30 year bond prices up 2-3% today!!

i guess the "Federal Thrift Savings Plan G Fund" is like a stable value fund run by the fed. employee retirement system?
by fidelio
Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:29 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: My thoughts on REITs
Replies: 20
Views: 4144

Re: My thoughts on REITs

i have a rental property and a little bit of a roth in a reit index. it's a long-haul thing ....
by fidelio
Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:22 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Core Four
Replies: 320
Views: 251862

Re: The Core Four

i have something pretty close in a roth at fido:

- spartan s/t treas bd fid advantage class (fsbax) 15%

- spartan extended mkt index fid adv class (fsevx) 10

- spartan real estate index fid adv class (fsrvx) 10

- sprtn total mkt indx fid advantage class (fstvx) 40

- fidelity inter bond (fthrx) 25
by fidelio
Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:39 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: Make Peace With T-Bills
Replies: 50
Views: 6182

Re: Bernstein: Make Peace With T-Bills

i believe bernstein's main point is that f.i. will "revert to the mean" eventually, and those in junk or longer bonds will take a haircut, while those who stayed short will be able to re-invest at the new higher rates.

my question is, hasn't benanke announced that the fed will do its utmost to keep rates low until 2015? i don't see it as exactly a "play," but based on that, couldn't a prudent investor stay at least partly in intermediate f.i. until then, or is there a reasonable fear that inflation or some other event will wreck the fed's plans during those years? i'm aware that they can only control the short term, so i imagine there are various scenarios in which this could spin out of control.
by fidelio
Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:56 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What investment does well as interest rates rise?
Replies: 29
Views: 5469

Re: What investment does well as interest rates rise?

grokster,

+1. those funds or bonds look great until the issuers are stressed; probably lots of defaults then.

have to be grateful uncle sam is trying to help john q public deal w/ such issues (ibonds, tips, now the floating rate treasuries this year).
by fidelio
Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Wellesley Vs. Target Retirement Income
Replies: 46
Views: 6951

Re: Wellesley Vs. Target Retirement Income

i think wellesley's philosophy is solid, old school formula. i owned it for many years but don't now, as i've shortened my bond durations and don't have a place for it in my no-tax side. i hope to own it again after the fed gets out of their interest rate expedition.
by fidelio
Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Five Really Dumb Money Moves You've Got to Avoid
Replies: 24
Views: 5386

Re: Five Really Dumb Money Moves You've Got to Avoid

i've done 3 our of 5 (fancy b.f.a., oh well, part of being a dad, and even the kids w/ j.d.'s can't get jobs; and, stock options). these things aren't really "dumb," just moves which can breed regret on hindsight. i've got other real worries.

as far as #5, wish i'd put everything into l.t. treasuries in 1978 (or was it '79?). that would've been the smartest financial move of two centuries. and all bogleheads are convinced taking s.s. late is the only way, but what about all the guys who keel over in their 70s? that's giving back to uncle sam so he can pay the interest on the old bonds .... the reality is that the whole thing is a giant roulette wheel.
by fidelio
Sun Mar 31, 2013 1:15 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What investment does well as interest rates rise?
Replies: 29
Views: 5469

Re: What investment does well as interest rates rise?

agree w/ keith that "diversification" is best policy. equities are gonna go up + down, nothing to be done. however , if one is concerned w/ bond prices dropping as interest rates rise, the only mutual funds i know about that supposedly follow rates up are money market and floating rate bonds. fidelity has a product, ffrhx, which is a floating rate bank loan fund which supposedly tracks rates up. looks risky, though .... what happens to credit quality when rates spike (hint - the bad credit gets worse)? ibonds will follow rates up, but you cannot buy many or hold them anywhere but the treasury site. we all know what being in the money market is like. your final option is cd's. really, anything but determining an appropriate asset a...
by fidelio
Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Convertible securities
Replies: 7
Views: 680

Re: Convertible securities

fwiw, i had the convertible fund at fidelity for some years, based on the supposed "downside protection." long story short, in my view overall, the fund underperformed / was disappointing (nor enough upside?). also fwiw, i'm a big fan of real basic index funds now. my view is that all the "plays" (small cap value, convertibles, floating rates, foreign real estate, active funds) are for smarter guys ,,,,,
by fidelio
Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:37 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Stable Value Fund fee increase!
Replies: 20
Views: 4806

Re: Vanguard Stable Value Fund fee increase!

my s.v.f. at fido has an expense ratio of .29, has since end of 2011. i'll watch for any change. funny how those two things are "backwards" between the two outfits. the main reason i have stayed in the fido 401k in retirement is the very low e.r.'s in my co. funds w/ fido -- .02% for total us stock, .04 for int'l stock, etc. and the ann. fee is negligible. i worked for a huge corp., presumably they worked this deal out w/ fido when they switched to them from a home-grown type of 401k maybe 10 yrs. ago. they have "retirement year" funds as well, w/ low er's, but i have basically a 3-fund there - us stock, intl stock, and the stable value.
by fidelio
Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:36 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: cpa costs
Replies: 5
Views: 922

cpa costs

long story short, i acquired a rental property a couple of years ago and the tax returns are over my head. i retained a high-end cpa firm on the rec. of a friend who is a real estate investor, and have had two returns done. i'm definitely not wealthy, just ok, and just retired, doing a little consulting, have a decent investment portfiolio, nothing great. last year's return cost $800 and 2012 was $1350. that seems pretty pricey, but i'm wondering if the cost would be comparable at any upper-tier accountancy for returns involving wages, corporate bonuses, stock options, consulting fees, investment income, and rental income. fwiw, i'm in greater l.a., where little is cheap (except maybe the women's perfume). i have researched other well-liked...
by fidelio
Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:57 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bonds and interest rates
Replies: 18
Views: 2142

Re: Bonds and interest rates

i think the important issue is: when will you need to spend the bond fund monies? if the fund has a duration of 5 yrs. (as, say, vanguard's int. term calif. muni. fund), then you can ask yourself, if interest rates do rise, and the principal sinks, can you avoid spending the money in that account for the period of time required for the fund's value to "catch up" - five years? if you must spend that money, it will "cement" the loss. pretend you had a 2% bond and had to sell it to use the funds in a market in which rates were rising -- that sale would be at a loss, as the market will price it down due to its lower-than-market interest rate. same thing with any bond fund. w/ bond funds, i believe duration is the key (assumi...
by fidelio
Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:16 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What asset classes to put in a Roth?
Replies: 61
Views: 6889

Re: What asset classes to put in a Roth?

i can see that there is no consensus here -- for asset class, some say bonds, reits, others have microcaps in their roths; and, it seems taxes, while always relevant, should not be the driving force in roth choices. i guess anything goes ,,,,,
by fidelio
Tue Feb 26, 2013 5:23 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why an Annuity vs Wellesley
Replies: 49
Views: 5365

Re: Why an Annuity vs Wellesley

Just to throw some gasoline on this fire, why Wellesley rather than Managed Payout Growth & Distribution? :) wow! now we're talkin' .... but not everybody at vanguard is a m.p.f. fan. as the poster stated somewhere that the money had to last, and a legacy was not a concern, it has to be a spia, even given scone's worries (fwiw, i was in "risk management" for 32 years, and i would say if the ins. industry "blows up," we're all pretty screwed in the general sense). but i like wellesley, in that even though it is an active fund, it follows a pretty rigid income/equity formula, and has low expenses. really "semi-passive," given its formula. playing the end against the middle, why not split your 100 between bot...
by fidelio
Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Poll - how many stock and bonds funds do you own?
Replies: 11
Views: 1600

Re: Poll - how many stock and bonds funds do you own?

i don't even know the exact number, it depends on how you count 'em, as other posters have pointed out. but i do have a rule that limits to five the funds held in any one account - so, vanguard ira has five, fido 401k has five, etc. there is a little fudging going on as one of the five in an ira owns scv and one of another holds reit index. a little sleight of hand slice + dice.
by fidelio
Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: a john c. bogle book for a lad
Replies: 15
Views: 2428

Re: a john c. bogle book for a lad

c00kie wrote:
SurfCityBill wrote:
fidelio wrote:my son is a 25-year-old musician, but a bright lad,
Not to pick on you but I found your choice of words amusing. The implication being that musicians by nature are not very bright.
Yes, I got quite a chuckle on that one also.

Cookie
well, in reality, he's classically trained, so not at all a numskull like his dad ....
by fidelio
Mon Feb 18, 2013 1:10 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Convincing youngsters to save seriously
Replies: 12
Views: 1716

Re: Convincing youngsters to save seriously

i think i agree w/ the posters who state that a personal involvement is needed - their name on an account. when i was 21, i inherited a little money from my grandparents. i considered all kinds of foolish ways to spend or invest it but managed to hold on to some of it, and eventually it went into a down payment for my first house, which was a dream come true for the young me. i also had help from a couple of family friends who were market-savvy, and willing to sit down with me when i was young to explain what markets were about. here i am 40 years later, still trying to figure out the market .... but i saved as much as i could for over 20 years. once you have a real job and realize that a large part of your paycheck will go either into taxe...
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:24 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: a john c. bogle book for a lad
Replies: 15
Views: 2428

Re: a john c. bogle book for a lad

well, i have the right, having served in the bar bands in the 70s.

perhaps you haven't heard some of the classic musician tales:

"what is a bass player w/o a girlfriend?"
homeless

"how do you know if the stage is level?"
drool comes out of both sides of the drummer's mouth equally.

etc.
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:48 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Luck, skill, or Beardstown Lady?
Replies: 64
Views: 6959

Re: Luck, skill, or Beardstown Lady?

years ago during one of the bull fevers i had a physician friend who explained to me one day that he would no longer have to practice medicine, as he was successfully day trading. he'd gotten a t-1 line, new desktops and displays, the whole deal. then one day he lost $40k. when his wife fund out, he disconnected the t-1 line and went back to hanging around by the pool on weekends.
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:38 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is there an Adrian's Rule for Bond Funds ?
Replies: 49
Views: 3161

Re: Is there an Adrian's Rule for Bond Funds ?

+1 drs85.

my plan is to be grateful i have anything which has a n.a.v. to potentially drop.
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Why [do] people have 2 IRAs.
Replies: 33
Views: 4041

Re: Why [do] people have 2 IRAs.

well, there could be many variations on the stories above. i had a bunch of iras from diff jobs and ended up at a place w/ a good 401k program. i worked w/ a cpa to convert the iras to a roth, as my tax situation etc. allowed. meanwhile i maxed out the 401k but had no funds for ira contributions. i still had a small amount in an old ira. some years later when i retired (last year), i rcvd. a lump sum from the employer as part of the package, and rolled that into the old ira. i did investigate converting, but it appeared to be a wash, so i simply set it up as the 2d draw-down fund, after taxable, in my "distribution phase."
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:26 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Biggest Financial Asset in Your Portfolio
Replies: 53
Views: 6477

Re: The Biggest Financial Asset in Your Portfolio

VictoriaF wrote:Some aspects of the human capital are more clear than others. For example, deciding about going to college after high school poses a trade-off between immediately getting a salary and building one's human capital.

Victoria
what if you get a b.f.a. in music?
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:21 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Putting cash in an Ally CD, via Vanguard IRA
Replies: 10
Views: 3046

Re: Putting cash in an Ally CD, via Vanguard IRA

fwiw, vanguard's broker one-yr. cd rate is presently 0.4% not too exciting, but remember that many of the outfits that pay high cd rates are in receivership or some flavor of bankruptcy. yes, it's fdic insured, but this could lead to hassles. i believe only the principal is insured, and the wonderful interest rate can evaporate. then again, i don't think this has happened since the bank failures of the early 80s (fdic needing to step in to pay off investors). so you see, there is no free investment lunch! the wall of worry ....
by fidelio
Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:04 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: a john c. bogle book for a lad
Replies: 15
Views: 2428

Re: a john c. bogle book for a lad

thanks all. you'll be happy to know i gave the lad the little red book of common sense investing, which he stated he would read. now all he needs is something to invest .....