Search found 3370 matches

by telemark
Sun May 21, 2023 12:13 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Investing directly into a mutual fund at Fidelity
Replies: 6
Views: 816

Re: Investing directly into a mutual fund at Fidelity

It looks like the answer is yes. This url will walk you through it, or you can just go to

https://digital.fidelity.com/ftgw/digit ... transfers/

sign in, and play along. You will need a bank account already linked and are limited to investing in mutual funds you already own.
by telemark
Sat May 20, 2023 10:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5993
Views: 699341

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Maniac has been streaming on Netflix since 2018, and in typical fashion I just got around to noticing it. The title is a reference to old computer names like Eniac or Multivac (the suffix standing for Automatic Computer), and the show is completely batsh*t crazy in the best sort of way. Much of the joy is in the details: I'm tempted to watch it all over again to see how much I missed the first time around.
by telemark
Wed May 17, 2023 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: A Boglehead in this week's Doonesbury
Replies: 27
Views: 3590

Re: A Boglehead in this week's Doonesbury

Stinky wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:57 pm
telemark wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 5:59 pm Sunday strips are new, the rest of the week is reruns. This sequence is a classic.
Classic as in renowned high quality?

Or classic as in old?
Yes.

And to address previous comments, it's funny because the crazy old bag lady is actually very sharp.
by telemark
Wed May 17, 2023 5:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: A Boglehead in this week's Doonesbury
Replies: 27
Views: 3590

Re: A Boglehead in this week's Doonesbury

ResearchMed wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:18 pm :D

Terrific!
(I didn't even realize Doonesbury was still around!)

RM
Sunday strips are new, the rest of the week is reruns. This sequence is a classic.
by telemark
Wed May 17, 2023 12:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A surprising security issue with Google Drive
Replies: 45
Views: 4636

Re: A surprising security issue with Google Drive

Looking through my email spam folder this morning, I notice a message from "account (at) Dropbox.com" saying "You have received Business 4 documents in folder shared with you!!". I don't have a dropbox account.

"Don't touch that, you don't know where it's been" is good advice for the internet in general.

(edited not to create a mailto: link)
by telemark
Wed May 10, 2023 7:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interest vs Dividends
Replies: 35
Views: 4183

Re: Interest vs Dividends

exodusNH wrote: Tue May 09, 2023 10:23 am Credit unions use weird terminology sometimes.
Yep. Checking accounts are shares, savings are certificates, and loans are, um, loans. That one is normal anyway. And yes, interest on savings is called dividends. I've forgotten what CDs are called. Depending on the institution, you may have suffixes instead of separate accounts. The underlying idea is that a credit union is not a bank but a bunch of people with common interests joining together for mutual benefit, although these days the difference is somewhat abstract.

And if the CU ran on an older IBM computer, they would IPL it from DASD.
by telemark
Mon May 08, 2023 6:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bicycle Questions
Replies: 71
Views: 9092

Re: Bicycle Questions

hunoraut wrote: Mon May 08, 2023 4:41 pm all bicycle helmets sold should have CPSC certification sticker/labeling.
Yes, the operative word being should. At least in 2019 that was not always the case.

https://www.consumerreports.org/bike-he ... available/
by telemark
Mon May 08, 2023 3:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bicycle Questions
Replies: 71
Views: 9092

Re: Bicycle Questions

psteinx wrote: Mon May 08, 2023 9:38 am Buy bike helmet at bike store or Wal-Mart or general sporting goods store?
Look for something that's certified for bicycle use. You'd think that would be all of them, but it isn't. Some are just plastic shells with a little foam inside.

I skateboard using a Thousand Heritage helmet, which is dual certified for biking and skating. There may be better choices for bike-only use.
by telemark
Mon May 08, 2023 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Some thoughts about using different desktop OS
Replies: 40
Views: 2687

Re: Some thoughts about using different desktop OS

jebmke wrote: Mon May 08, 2023 5:57 am Nothing better than a Mac Windows war to start the day.
And a "do you use cash" thread. It must be a Monday...
by telemark
Sun May 07, 2023 4:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Received 401(k) contribution from old employer nearly 2 years after leaving
Replies: 15
Views: 1365

Re: Received 401(k) contribution from old employer nearly 2 years after leaving

About a year after I retired and rolled my 401K into an IRA, I saw a much smaller amount suddenly appear in the old 401K. I called the human resources guy at my former employer (it was a small company and we were on good terms) and he explained that when employees leave before their matching contributions are fully vested, the unvested part gets distributed among everyone else who worked there that year.

Doesn't sound all that much like your situation, but maybe something of the kind?
by telemark
Sun May 07, 2023 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Will We See 20 Year Old Hybrid Cars?
Replies: 178
Views: 22624

Re: Will We See 20 Year Old Hybrid Cars?

Gas powered recreational and homecare equipment is trivial in world terms v private passenger vehicles. Completely trivial. (Caveat: except. Below. But the rest of the world probably doesn't have anything like the US densities of such equipment). If they are banned, it's probably more about noise and air pollution concerns? There's some number for what percentage of pollution emissions in Southern California are gas powered leaf blowers, and it's a significant number? (I can't recall exactly, just that it was a big enough number to register). https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/california-bill-takes-aim-scourge-gas-powered-leaf-blowers Think about that: Leaf blowers, generators, lawn mowers, and the like emitted more pollution statewide than...
by telemark
Fri May 05, 2023 5:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11148
Views: 2085106

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film), streaming on Hulu. I read the book a few months ago so I was interested in trying out the films. I went with the more recent one first. The first half of the movie seemed to generally follow the book with minor differences. However the second half of the movie veers way off course from the novel and I found it very silly in comparison. I only recommend this if you didn't or won't read the novel. The soundtrack is very good though! Here is a link to the soundtrack on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfXC3mks8Yk I haven't seen this one, but last week I watched The Mask of Zorro from 1998, and was amused to notice that in a single scene it manages to steal from The Count of Monte Cristo and Spart...
by telemark
Sun Apr 30, 2023 8:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can I use my Fidelity settlement a/C instead of local bank checking a/c
Replies: 8
Views: 1075

Re: Can I use my Fidelity settlement a/C instead of local bank checking a/c

But I hesitate. I still have my Treasury Direct account linked to my bank account, and it would require a Medallion Signature to link it to my Fidelity account. Fortunate, Fidelity is capable of providing a Medallion signature, and would be motivated to do so. Being able to deposit cash is another benefit of a bank, but Im not sure how often I would need that. But I can convert my current bank checking account to a lower minimum balance account, $750, if I wanted to keep it around, just in case. I'm not sure if Treasury Direct is currently requiring Medallion signatures. It seems to be an off and on thing; I added a new bank a few years ago without needing one, and I've seen reports of others doing so since then. It might be worth trying t...
by telemark
Sat Apr 29, 2023 2:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11148
Views: 2085106

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Lala Land, on Netflix. I like movies that aren't carbon copies of something else, and this definitely qualifies.
by telemark
Fri Apr 28, 2023 6:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unexpected IRS refund
Replies: 59
Views: 5366

Re: Unexpected IRS refund

I've had corrections a few times, for example this year my refund was $17 more than I had calculated. In each case I eventually got a letter in the mail explaining what happened, always due to a minor data entry error on my part. I double and triple-check the hard stuff, the dividends and capital gains, and then goof something simple like my final estimated payment.
by telemark
Sun Apr 23, 2023 10:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to Select an "Induction" Stovetop
Replies: 67
Views: 6538

Re: How to Select an "Induction" Stovetop

rgs92 wrote: Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:20 pm Wow, good catch. That's what I have. And that's something I missed. Thanks!

My cooktop is a Duxtop LCD P961LS Professional Portable Induction Cooktop Commercial Range Countertop Electric Single Burner,1800 watts.
That's what I have too. I bought it as an experiment, and now it gets more use than the electric range. But for cooking tortillas I still prefer a light aluminum griddle over an electric coil.
by telemark
Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to Select an "Induction" Stovetop
Replies: 67
Views: 6538

Re: How to Select an "Induction" Stovetop

rgs92 wrote: Sat Apr 15, 2023 9:50 am Also, if you want to turn something down to a lower heat, you can't do it quickly.
If your portable is a Duxtop, pressing Menu twice jumps you to half power. Just holding the minus key is annoyingly slow.
by telemark
Sun Apr 16, 2023 3:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to Select an "Induction" Stovetop
Replies: 67
Views: 6538

Re: How to Select an "Induction" Stovetop

Here is a resource I found while researching sauce pans. You might find it useful.

https://therationalkitchen.com/best-induction-ranges/
by telemark
Fri Apr 14, 2023 7:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car for car camping
Replies: 63
Views: 7126

Re: Car for car camping

To control condensation, you can buy window screens or make them yourself. Or with the right hybrid or electric vehicle, you can just leave the climate control system running. A web search on "prius camping" turns up all sorts of interesting things, though a Prius is probably not what the O.P. is looking for.
by telemark
Tue Apr 04, 2023 8:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity can’t setup investments to be bi-weekly?!
Replies: 29
Views: 2903

Re: Fidelity can’t setup investments to be bi-weekly?!

beezlebub wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 8:07 am Vanguard allows fractional ETF purchases now .
My mistake. Vanguard supports fractional purchases, but only for Vanguard ETFs, and the OP is investing in Avantis ETFs.
by telemark
Tue Apr 04, 2023 7:49 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity can’t setup investments to be bi-weekly?!
Replies: 29
Views: 2903

Re: Fidelity can’t setup investments to be bi-weekly?!

JoMoney wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 7:39 am
telemark wrote: Tue Apr 04, 2023 7:35 am Note that if your Vanguard settlement fund is VMFXX, that's currently showing a 30-day SEC yield of 4.77%, so your money isn't sitting completely idle before it goes into your ETFs.
I don't think you can setup automatic investments into ETF's, pretty sure it's just traditional mutual funds.
Right. I was referring to the OP's previous thread. Vanguard only sells whole shares of ETFs, and the OP's reason for moving was to avoid having to keep the remainder in cash.
by telemark
Tue Apr 04, 2023 7:35 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity can’t setup investments to be bi-weekly?!
Replies: 29
Views: 2903

Re: Fidelity can’t setup investments to be bi-weekly?!

Note that if your Vanguard settlement fund is VMFXX, that's currently showing a 30-day SEC yield of 4.77%, so your money isn't sitting completely idle before it goes into your ETFs.
by telemark
Mon Apr 03, 2023 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to move Roth IRA from Vanguard to Fidelity or M1?
Replies: 13
Views: 1684

Re: How to move Roth IRA from Vanguard to Fidelity? Should I?

jeffyscott wrote: Mon Apr 03, 2023 8:29 am
telemark wrote: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:32 am Or you can skip the ETF conversion and just exchange VTIAX to FTIHX at Fidelity after the transfer is completed. FTIHX has an expense ratio of 0.06%, less than the 0.07% for VXUS or the 0.11% for VTIAX.
FSGGX is also at an ER of 0.055%, I don't know what the differences are between that and FTIHX.

There's also FZILX with ER of 0.
Interesting. I mentioned FTIHX because that's what I've been using. Apparently FSGGX excludes small cap.

https://www.investamind.com/the-best-fi ... ndex-fund/
by telemark
Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:32 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to move Roth IRA from Vanguard to Fidelity or M1?
Replies: 13
Views: 1684

Re: How to move Roth IRA from Vanguard to Fidelity? Should I?

I did this last year . Fidelity makes it very easy and painless. I transferred mutual funds in kind and then exchanged them for the equivalent Fidelity mutual funds. There is no fee to do this, but you will be out of the market for a couple of days since it's what Fidelity calls a cross-family exchange. Converting to ETFs first would keep you in the market but requires a phone call to Vanguard. When I call Vanguard to do this, what do I tell them exactly? I know Ill turn off the auto investments with Vanguard first and switch that over to Fidelity before I make the call to them. I get paid this Friday and the Vanguard website wont let me change things beginning on Thursday usually. Should I start the change to ETFs and the rollover to Fide...
by telemark
Sun Apr 02, 2023 4:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to move Roth IRA from Vanguard to Fidelity or M1?
Replies: 13
Views: 1684

Re: How to move Roth IRA from Vanguard to Fidelity? Should I?

I did this last year. Fidelity makes it very easy and painless. I transferred mutual funds in kind and then exchanged them for the equivalent Fidelity mutual funds. There is no fee to do this, but you will be out of the market for a couple of days since it's what Fidelity calls a cross-family exchange. Converting to ETFs first would keep you in the market but requires a phone call to Vanguard.
by telemark
Thu Mar 30, 2023 10:47 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Utah income tax NOT pay as you go?
Replies: 1
Views: 513

Re: Utah income tax NOT pay as you go?

It's even better. You can file as early as you like and still schedule the payment to take place in April.
by telemark
Sun Mar 26, 2023 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS Pub 590-B for 2022 has been released (IRA distributions)
Replies: 7
Views: 1236

Re: IRS Pub 590-B for 2022 has been released (IRA distributions)

Tdubs wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 4:55 am And no penalty to waive in the years leading up to 2032 because it says you don't have take any distributions till then. But this is the same language as the 2021 version.

If they are going to change this to required annual distributions in years 1-9, this publications gives no warning to that effect.
Thanks. The IRS seems in no hurry to make a decision, and my more cynical side says they have no incentive to ever do so.
by telemark
Sun Mar 26, 2023 2:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS Pub 590-B for 2022 has been released (IRA distributions)
Replies: 7
Views: 1236

Re: IRS Pub 590-B for 2022 has been released (IRA distributions)

Hmm. I am a non-eligible designated beneficiary of a traditional IRA whose original owner died in 2020 at the age of 85. I decided not to take a distribution in 2022 when the IRS said that penalties would be waived for that year. If I'm reading the underlined section above correctly, it now appears that there is no penalty to waive ... for 2022. Of course it is now 2023.

Does this document have any effect for 2023 and following years? Has the IRS made a final decision on its proposed regulations, or are we still waiting?
by telemark
Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tesla (or EVs in general) - real-world inconveniences?
Replies: 139
Views: 13577

Re: Tesla (or EVs in general) - real-world inconveniences?

mhalley wrote: Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:40 pm Make a bad getaway car.
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/03/08/sus ... -charging/
Two people accused of stealing $8,000 of merchandise used a Tesla as their getaway vehicle.
But they stopped to charge it 15 minutes down the road, where police located them.
An image shared by police on social media shows the Tesla packed full of gaming systems.
Until the police start using them too :D
by telemark
Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Understanding an Inherited IRA (Traditional) under the Secure Act
Replies: 8
Views: 938

Re: Understanding an Inherited IRA under the Secure Act

To the original poster: is the IRA traditional (tax-deferred) or Roth? The advice quoted by mariazzz is specifically for Roth and may not apply to traditional.

Taking annual RMDs anyway is probably the safest course, if you can figure out what age to use for the calculation.
by telemark
Mon Mar 06, 2023 1:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: WHEN do you prefer to file your taxes?
Replies: 141
Views: 14363

Re: WHEN do you prefer to file your taxes?

I try to owe a small amount, but it isn't precise and sometimes I end up with a refund. For 2022 it's a little under $300.

I do most of the work as early as possible, during the first week of January. I don't have all the documents then, but I can still estimate the numbers by going over my statements. This lets me tweak my final estimated tax payment before the mid-January deadline. Then I check and perhaps make updates as the documents arrive. Following that, I usually wait a few weeks more just in case something comes up I hadn't known about, and then do the actual filing in early to mid March. If I owe money I schedule a payment in the first week of April.
by telemark
Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electric range stove top burner - how to get rid of the odor?
Replies: 7
Views: 746

Re: Electric range stove top burner - how to get rid of the odor?

For old stove parts I've had good luck with

https://www.appliancepartspros.com/

I have a fifty year old GE electric stove, and they still stock stove top burners and oven bake elements for it.
by telemark
Sun Mar 05, 2023 12:22 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Frugal Tip: Black Tea vs Coffee -- we save around $600 per year this way.
Replies: 248
Views: 22279

Re: Frugal Tip: Black Tea vs Coffee -- we save around $600 per year this way.

I started brewing my own green tea at work, using an infuser that fits into the cup, then transferred the habit to home after I retired. I buy loose leaf tea at the local Asian market and re-use the leaves. One $10 bag of Bi Lo Chun lasts me six to eight weeks, so the yearly cost is somewhere under $100, not counting the electricity to heat the water. I also brew my own coffee, but only a few times a week. I don't add sweeteners to either one: it took a while to train my palate but now I don't miss them.
by telemark
Sat Mar 04, 2023 4:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pull-ups and Push-ups
Replies: 678
Views: 182745

Re: Pull-ups and Push-ups

tc101 wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 8:51 am I can't do a regular pushup any more. I'm 73 and have lost lots of muscle and strength. I do a modified pushup with my hands on a chair. I haven't figured out how to do a modified pull up. Any ideas?
I'm currently recovering from a shoulder injury, but I have a suspension trainer, an earlier version of this one, that I use for assisted pullups and muscle-ups.
by telemark
Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cars: Max you'd pay? How long do you keep cars? Plans to go EV?
Replies: 99
Views: 9063

Re: Cars: Max you'd pay? How long do you keep cars? Plans to go EV?

I'd like to keep under $30k, would be happy paying half that. In the past I've bought used and CPO, because the deals were better. That may not be the case now. I replaced one car when a brake line rusted, three when they were totaled in accidents (yes, my insurance company hates me). I've had the current car for eighteen years now and it's showing signs of rust, so a replacement is probably in my future. I can't make the numbers work. I can't charge at home, and trying to install a charger would involve getting permission from the HOA, tearing up the parking lot, and spending more than I care to contemplate. Also, other than occasional road trips I do very little driving, so the fuel savings and environmental benefits would be minimal. On...
by telemark
Thu Mar 02, 2023 2:02 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Indexing Bomb
Replies: 98
Views: 15927

Re: The Indexing Bomb

It's a self-reinforcing process that is not going to stop until the entire market is passive.
It's true: every time Vanguard cuts its fees in half, their assets under management double. And Fidelity, with its Zero funds, has infinite market share. It's just an unstoppable snowball, in a magical world without diminishing returns.
by telemark
Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Did you take Social Security before 70 and not regret the decision?
Replies: 160
Views: 12363

Re: Did you take Social Security before 70 and not regret the decision?

I expect the incidence of regret on this forum to be quite low. First, by the time they reach 62, most of the people here will understand themselves, their goals, their appetite for risk, and their personal financial situation well enough to make a decision they will not regret later. Of the remainder, most will either rationalize their decision or sensibly decide that regrets are pointless. And second, for most the decision is close enough to neutral that it's unlikely to make a material difference in their retirement.

I will suggest that a fear of leaving money on the table is not a useful way to think about it.
by telemark
Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: which stud finder?
Replies: 58
Views: 5854

Re: which stud finder?

How do non-magnetic stud finders work? I was assuming they were all using magnets... I'm wondering the same thing. Presumably they react to a change in something that reflects what's behind the surface, but I can't begin to imagine what that might be. Actionably, if I understand how they are supposed to work I could also understand what their limits are. https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0hFID_Fs1NY/T8VnqJXXQrI/AAAAAAAABSg/vEjuVBqRgQ4/s1600/professor-cuthbert-calculus.jpg Answering the question myself, they use capacitive sensors, something like the ones in modern touch screens. The original patent was assigned to Zircon and expired in 1998. Currently, Franklin Sensors owns a patent on combining multiple sensors that seems to give them a definite...
by telemark
Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: which stud finder?
Replies: 58
Views: 5854

Re: which stud finder?

How old is your house, and do you know what the walls are made of? Most stud finders fail dismally on my plaster walls. About forty years. The wall is wallpapered, so no idea what is underneath, It's the wall in the bathroom that's next to the outside, which I think rules out electrical stuff, no sockets, lights, etc. How do non-magnetic stud finders work? I was assuming they were all using magnets... I'm wondering the same thing. Presumably they react to a change in something that reflects what's behind the surface, but I can't begin to imagine what that might be. Actionably, if I understand how they are supposed to work I could also understand what their limits are. https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0hFID_Fs1NY/T8VnqJXXQrI/AAAAAAAABSg/vEjuVBqRg...
by telemark
Sat Feb 11, 2023 3:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Withdrawing during retirement
Replies: 12
Views: 2695

Re: Withdrawing during retirement

The general principle is that eventually you will have to pay the taxes on your tax deferred accounts, and it's better to do this when your tax bracket is relatively low. Everything else follows from this, although the details get complicated and depend on your specific situation. The taxes become due when you withdraw from a traditional IRA or 401K, or when you convert part of one to Roth. Unless you need the money immediately, converting to Roth is usually better; you avoid further taxes on dividends and capital gains, and are free to rebalance or change allocations as you like inside the Roth account. With that in mind, what I have been doing in retirement is to use my taxable account for living expenses while doing yearly partial Roth c...
by telemark
Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Leaving vanguard? [How do I move from Vanguard to Fidelity?]
Replies: 29
Views: 4945

Re: Leaving vanguard? [How do I move from Vanguard to Fidelity?]

artking99 wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:01 pm In order to convert Vanguard MF to ETF, do I need to convert my MF account to brokerage account first? I still have the Vanguard MF account since I don't buy individual stocks or ETFs.
Yes. Converting to ETF requires a brokerage account.
Can I transfer VHCAX(Vanguard Capital Opportunity Fund) to Fidelity in-kind? It is held in a taxable account so I don't want to generate big cap gain by liquidating it.
I would guess probably yes but can't be certain. You could call Fidelity or start an online transfer to see if it will allow that. There are plenty of opportunities to hit cancel before completing the process.
by telemark
Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mask or respirator for air pollution
Replies: 19
Views: 1849

Re: Mask or respirator for air pollution

You can find a lot of mask reviews at

https://breathesafeair.com/

Of the various masks I've tried, I found the Meo mask and the Halo mask to be the easiest to breathe through and to exercise in. The Cambridge mask is also good and has an exhalation valve. Although I can't use any mask for exercise this time of year without my glasses fogging up.

Note that a pollution mask doesn't have to be perfect to still be useful.
by telemark
Tue Feb 07, 2023 9:45 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: ChatGPT implemented thread hiding functionality on bogleheads.org
Replies: 44
Views: 8810

Re: ChatGPT implemented thread hiding functionality on bogleheads.org

That's ... a lot cleaner than much of the code I had to look at when I was still working and doing code reviews. Very interesting indeed.
by telemark
Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:51 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Leaving vanguard? [How do I move from Vanguard to Fidelity?]
Replies: 29
Views: 4945

Re: Leaving vanguard?

The only glitch was that I had some Vanguard mutual funds in the retirement accounts and I mistakenly assumed that they would be liquidated and then transferred as cash. Instead they were transferred as the mutual fund so I had some Vanguard mutual funds(not ETFs) in my Fidelity accounts and I did not even realize that you could do that. There is something like a $50 to $75 dollar fee to trade Vanguard mutual funds in the Fidelity account. I call up Fidelity and they agreed to waive the fee to sell the Vanguard mutual funds so I sold those and reinvested the money in Fidelity mutual funds. My experience was a little different. I transferred Vanguard mutual funds in kind to my existing Roth at Fidelity and then was able to sell them with no...
by telemark
Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: I’m the nouveau riche
Replies: 148
Views: 25085

Re: I’m the nouveau riche

There's a story that when John Churchill, or possibly Randall Churchill, was asked "whose descendant are you", he replied "I am an ancestor". I am unable to verify this, but if either one of him didn't say it, he should have.
by telemark
Sun Feb 05, 2023 2:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590324

Re: What are you listening to now

Palimpsest, an album of arrangements for clarinet, marimba, and bandoneon. I can't decide if this is a naturally good if somewhat neglected combination or if it just means that the right people can make anything work. Either way, it works very well.

I'm streaming it on Napster (Nhapsody? Rhapster?), but I see it on Amazon Music as well.
by telemark
Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Infected by Ransomware
Replies: 16
Views: 3699

Re: Infected by Ransomware

QNAP issued a new patch on Monday, for what is described as a severe vulnerability. See

https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... erability/

for additional details.
by telemark
Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:34 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Collective investment trust vs. mutual fund or ETF
Replies: 13
Views: 855

Re: Collective investment trust vs. mutual fund or ETF

CITs don't distribute dividends, probably because in a 401K or similar plan there is nowhere to distribute them to, other than reinvesting in the fund. So they just get rolled into the NAV. This is not a disadvantage but it can be surprising if you're not used to it.

If you have one available that tracks an index you want and has a good expense ratio, I see no reason not to use it. I'm still using two in an old 401K.
by telemark
Tue Jan 31, 2023 1:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Linux Desktop today how is it as a daily driver?
Replies: 145
Views: 11930

Re: Linux Desktop today how is it as a daily driver?

My experience using Windows in a corporate setting (software engineer) was that the company Had People For That, who would show up periodically saying "here's your new PC" and would get very cranky if you started fiddling with things yourself or installing software without prior approval. So at least someone with experience thought this was more than mere programmers should be trusted with. And I know a retired schoolteacher who buys a new PC every few years, for email and web browsing, and always ends up complaining that it doesn't work any more. So I'm not entirely sold on the concept of Windows being easier for the hoi polloi. A possibly amusing story: around 2012 I decided to try Linux at home and ordered a Mintbox which was s...