Bogleheads.org

AllieTB1323

We have VWINX happy with it. A more "Boglesque" similar fund (or "Sharpesque") might be Life Strategy Moderate Growth VSMGX, which is total market index. Believe performance is a notch above VWINX. In Fidelity I use PONDX as a surrogate which seems to match VWINX Given VWINX is ...

AllieTB1323

A Fidelity site search for "FIDELITY FREEDOM" will return a list of their target date funds. Don't consider the Fidelity Freedom Funds. They have higher expense ratios. Consider only the Fidelity Freedom Index Funds. They have lower expense ratios. Yup, Fido has about 33 target dated fund...

AllieTB1323

tennisplyr wrote:I'm in Vanguard (75%) and Fidelity (25%). Does anyone else believe they shouldn't have all their eggs in one basket??

My thoughts exactly. I worry more about the backend IT function than I do about liquidity.

AllieTB1323

Mike Scott wrote:There is something very satisfying about laying a hard drive on an anvil and smacking it with an 8lb sledge. It's effective as well as being cheap entertainment.

In much the same fashion I put one in a large vise then tried to put a ninety degree bend in the case using a hand sledge.

AllieTB1323

I leave $5 on the desk. This is one of the few activities where I still use cash. The only other things that come to mind are the barbershop and to pay for parking at the stadiums in Philly to see one of my teams lose again. Ditto, five bucks a night. For us it's a trip to Seattle to watch the M's ...

AllieTB1323

I pay all our utility bills using a Cash Back reward CC. The CC is on autopay from the check account.

FYI: Debit cards, since they are a direct line to the checking account scare the heck out of me.

AllieTB1323

chinto wrote:
bondsr4me wrote:
Wricha wrote:Personally over the course of 30 years I have been with all three, Schwab's service is heads above Fidelity and heads and shoulders above Vanguard (this is capital offense on this site)

+1

I tend to agree with it all.

Don

I agree too.

Yup, never cross the third rail of Vanguardism.

AllieTB1323

Since my Fido index funds have an insignificant lowered cost than the comparable Vanguard fund then they are inferior. Thanks for setting me straight.

AllieTB1323

Personally over the course of 30 years I have been with all three, Schwab's service is heads above Fidelity and heads and shoulders above Vanguard (this is capital offense on this site) +1 I tend to agree with it all. Don Haha, make that a +2. In my world this is an example of experimenter bias.

AllieTB1323

See the difference? Not in the fund, but in the fee. Why pay more? People do because Fidelity makes the first fund very visible, but you've got to dig deeper to find the other (lower class index) fund. Why do you suppose that is? Be careful out there. Know what you're paying. Don't be duped. Vangua...

AllieTB1323

My father's actions always spoke louder than his words. He was the epitome of stealth wealth. I had no idea how much money he had until he passed away, but I always knew from the way he conducted himself that he had great financial confidence and assurance. Now I know why. My dad always said people...

AllieTB1323

You can apply to have the IMRR recalculated/reduced when or if you or your spouse stop working or your income is reduced to the next lowest income tier. Otherwise, you will have to wait for SSA to adjust it downward based on your future lower-MAGI tax return. You will need to verify your new income...

AllieTB1323

Vanguard Wellesley (VWIAX), Own a small position and haven't any plans to sell. Our timeline is measured in decades so the day to day noise isn't important. Reflexive trading raises costs and brings down the return. Isn't Jack Bogle's advise something like "Don't do something; just stand there&...

AllieTB1323

Seller financed business sales are scary. Check around, too many come back to the seller. I'm a proud, retired former owner of a small service business. The business provided us with about 300K per year. We sold it for about 3.5X the cash flow. We financed the sale. Our goal was NOT to have the buye...

AllieTB1323

what are the most convincing arguments people have heard against passive investing or in favor of active investing? Vanguard Wellington +1 Wife & I hold Wellington & Wellesley in our TIRAs. With those track records & ER's it feels kinda wrong to call them active. :happy Ditto, DW and I ...

AllieTB1323

Two retirement accounts and a brokerage account at Fidelity. One brokerage account at Vanguard. Two money market accounts; one is at AMEX and the other is at GS. DW isn't comfortable having everything at one firm. Think it is wise to invest in TSM at both VG and Fidelity? Can't see it being a probl...

AllieTB1323

Is the account taxable? If so wouldn't the rebalancing of the individual funds trigger a potential tax liability?

AllieTB1323

Two retirement accounts and a brokerage account at Fidelity. One brokerage account at Vanguard. Two money market accounts; one is at AMEX and the other is at GS. DW isn't comfortable having everything at one firm.

AllieTB1323

A few years ago we moved a taxable account from RBC to Fidelity. No problem. It was painless; they did all the work.

AllieTB1323

We are not frugal, but we are very much LBYM. Last year, our expenses were 43% of our total gross income. What didn't go to taxes was invested. I've found that there's probably greater satisfaction to be had in small, frequent luxury items. Opt for a $20 sushi lunch when I feel like it? Sure. Drop ...

AllieTB1323

From experience I can say RBC will charge an account closure fee but it is money well spent.

AllieTB1323

I too have always enjoyed Larry's informative, insightful and thought provoking posts. Bogleheads will be less without them. I can only hope that Larry will take a break and then decide to come back and participate at a level that he is more comfortable with and ignoring the "noise." I kn...

AllieTB1323

Before you start putting a bunch of stuff on the lawn, have the soil tested so you know what the deficiencies are. We had very low PH soil so it took a couple of years to raise the PH. Then we had the front lawn killed and seeded in the fall. This fall we will kill the back yard and seed. Unless yo...

AllieTB1323

Always had one number - enough to support same financial lifestyle as when working (plus a buffer) when not working. Shedding debt and dependants are as important as savings in this equation if not more so. 22 months out and looking good - set my date in 1990 and haven't changed it other than a few...

AllieTB1323

Twice, the first was getting talked into purchasing Munder NetNet B during the dot.com boom. It went straight up and defied Newtonian physics on the way down. The second was believing anything Washington Mutual management said about the company's stability. Made a great tax deduction. Munder taught ...

AllieTB1323

Our two girls were responsible for clearing the dining room table, loading the dishwasher, making their beds etc. Yup, we almost always ate dinner together at the table. As they became teenagers they also worked part time at our business. I think the work and chores helped our girls become organized.

AllieTB1323

I would absolutely move the IRA to Vanguard and get it set up however you want. Do a search for "three fund portfolio" or pick a Target Date fund that suits. The "basis" of the Oakmark should be the value at the time of the inheritance. The only tax consequences would be on gain...

AllieTB1323

The fund is an odd duck. I have a very small allocation in it. Here is a recent WSJ article about the fund.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/getting-sh ... 1488554133

AllieTB1323

Costco https://www.costcochecks.com/p/blue-safety-checks/88345 not sure about shipping We write 5 checks a month mostly to a home cleaner and a trainer. They'd prefer cash but will accept a check. So the Costco quantity should last about 5 years. We try to charge everything. If we have to write a c...

AllieTB1323

In a prior life I was an agronomist and owned and operated a private soil testing lab. So can I ask some questions then please? I just assume that homeowners who have soil tests done dig up a little bit of soil from one place in the yard and send it off. I can imagine that different parts of the ya...

AllieTB1323

Throw away the estimate if they're not doing a soil test. As someone earlier suggested, go to http://www.aroundtheyard.com forums. Spend $20 for a soil test and post the results there. They will give you a plan for what you need to do with mostly non-chemical fertilizers. They are very helpful and ...

AllieTB1323

Also, check to see if your state has laws governing the financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. We used the Washington State DSHS to chase away a few grifters angling for my stepfather's assets.

AllieTB1323

Cut them a little slack because they are growing rapidly. Just reached $4 trillion in assets. They are kind of the Costco of the investing world. Low prices and best products but minimal customer service to keep costs down. Don't know about you but I'm less than tolerant about service providers scr...

AllieTB1323

Do you have a copy of the trust document? If not, get one. You are entitled to it, and should insist. If PNC is the trustee, talk to their trust department. Then read through the trust to see what rights you have to appoint or change trustees. Also read what the trust directs the trustees to do. Ma...

AllieTB1323

The biggest losers during the 2000 and 2008 declines were those who sold at the lows and never went back into the markets.

Since I have a tendency to fuss about the day to day market moves (noise) I simply setup periodic automatic buys and stopped watching the random price changes.

AllieTB1323

Expect 5.0%

Plan using 3.0%.

I'm a "Glass Half Empty" type of a person.

AllieTB1323

Expense ratios are an annual expense. Bogleheads think low ERs are extremely important, especially over the long-term and on big balances. For a small balance the costs aren't dramatic. Do the math yourself. VTSAX (admiral Total Stock Market) .05% ER X $10,000 = $5 annual expense VTSMX (investor sh...

AllieTB1323

willing2try wrote:Thankfully, the horrible burden of being honest will be lifted from America's financial sector. Great move.

+1

I wasted time writing my Congressman about the fiduciary rule. Alas, the Golden Rule: Who has the Gold rules.

AllieTB1323

mcraepat9 wrote:Fidelity would be my second choice. If not available, I would choose Schwab.

We diversified for much the same reason. We have accounts at Vanguard and Fidelity. We use Fidelity as our primary brokerage account.

AllieTB1323

Hidden Figures I just saw this powerful, evocative, and uplifting newly released movie today. It connected with me deeply on so many levels: the power of math, the importance of fighting racism and sexism, and my early childhood memories of starting school immediately after Sputnik. Anyone else my ...

AllieTB1323

I went from a Windows based laptop to a MacBook several years ago. Mac's are solid and don't come with all the preinstalled junk populating some Windows base units. If you want to stay with Windows, buy a laptop from a Microsoft Store. All the computers they sell, which include major brands like De...

AllieTB1323

macs - last longer and better resale, better uptime, etc. Would definitely consider a macbook. Price is higher and worth every penny. 17 not available though. Plus 1! I went from a Windows based laptop to a MacBook several years ago. Mac's are solid and don't come with all the preinstalled junk pop...

AllieTB1323

From Vanguard's website:

"Brokerage account forms and statements are available by late February (to help reduce the number of revised statements that may result from income reclassifications by securities issuers)."

Fidelity is on about the same timeline for the same reason.

AllieTB1323

Been in your position. Mom worth 8+ figures. Merril Lynch. Old guy FA. Softspoken. Wise demeanor. Master of the "Yoda" crouch, head tilt, sympathetic nod, elder shuffle. You haven't got a chance. Just be courteous. Your mom will be proud of her "young son". He might even pat you...

AllieTB1323

In my humble opinion there's nothing wrong with having all your investments at Vanguard or Fido or Schwab.

Since 2008, my DW has felt more comfortable having our investments split between Vanguard and Fido. Come tax time the extra paperwork isn't much of a bother.

AllieTB1323

Longdog wrote:I think the baseline should be your annual expenses, not annual income. But an entertaining concept, nonetheless.

Ditto, when we worked our income was about four times our expenses. Helped to live in a low cost area and have frugal tastes.

AllieTB1323

It is not just your father's longevity, it is your mother's as well. It is very likely that one of them will live into their late 80's or early 90's. The survivor's benefit is 100% of the HIGHER of the two benefits, so your mom will get 100% of your Dad's benefit (if, as you say, he has the higher ...

AllieTB1323

I posted in the original Sheepdog thread, so I won't repeat myself here, but it was really bad. It's not just the market drop, it's everything else. Just a few personal observations of that time: A neighbor was a recently retired Executive VP of a large regional bank (top 20 in size). He was at a l...

AllieTB1323

I was 50, and 100% in the Russell 2000 in my 401k, putting the max into it trying to catch up on my late start to investing. I had almost 10 years of contributions invested at that point. All of my raises had gone to increase the amount I put in. All at once, half of that was gone, and every month ...

AllieTB1323

It was a great opportunity. Most investors didn't realize it at the time though. :sharebeer We were lucky, our business was on a tear which gave us sufficient funds to invest both in retirement and taxable accounts. My FIL was hurt by the Lehman mess. I learned my lesson not to buy individual stock...

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