Search found 338 matches
- Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:53 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 3715
Re: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
... I don't think I'm explaining myself clearly. I'm saying the inflation that matters is the change in value of the things you buy, not the change in your personal budget. If you are investing your money to eventually purchase a 1932 Packard Eight Phaeton, then the change in price of that car is t...
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:58 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 3715
Re: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
... The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not started reporting the CPI-PVW, but my only concern about the BLS measures of inflation are how they affect my government benefits. There is a CPI-PVW and CPI-Phineas J. Whoopee. In figuring my expenditures, I only care what CPI-PVW is. Maybe your point is ...
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:55 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 3715
Re: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
... Your personal inflation rate is the only one that matters for your personal income and expenditures. ... There is no CPI-PVW any more than there is a CPI-Phineas J. Whoopee. One's personal expenses vary, one's personal basket of goods and services is unlikely to resemble the one used for the na...
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:18 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 3715
Re: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
Suppose you make a $100 investment for 1 year. At the end of the year you get back $103. The nominal return R is 3% I believe that the real return RR can be calculated from the the nominal return R and the inflation rate i using this formula: 1 + RR = (1 + R) / (1 + i) Which of the different inflat...
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:52 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
- Replies: 89
- Views: 3715
Re: How accurately can we measure INFLATION?
I'm of the opinion we all spend dollars so we all have the same inflation rate. Where you choose to live and what you choose to spend your money on are spending choices. But this all comes down to semantics. I would propose your year to year change in spending depends on three factors: Change in an...
- Fri Apr 13, 2018 12:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Is a reduction of my home's assessed value a bad thing?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1194
Re: Is a reduction of my home's assessed value a bad thing?
Good question. I'm already in this situation - I believe my assessment is low and my property tax should be about 25% higher. I'm not going to protest the assessment. From a financial point of view, a house with a low assessment should be worth more than a house with an accurate assessment because t...
- Fri Apr 13, 2018 11:50 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dispute Over a Fence
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1892
Re: Dispute Over a Fence
Why is the township involved in this kind of agreement between 2 landowners? Do they have some interest in the fence?
- Mon Apr 09, 2018 12:57 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: "How cryptocurrency investors could find themselves behind bars"
- Replies: 7
- Views: 875
Re: "How cryptocurrency investors could find themselves behind bars"
Interesting article from today. This one about making sure if you purchased at least $10,000 in bitcoin off a foreign exchange that you remember to file your FBAR (IRS form 8938): "If you're using foreign exchanges, it's going to qualify as a foreign reportable account for FBAR," Ozelli said. And m...
- Mon Apr 02, 2018 3:45 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Larry Swedroe: Indexing Fuss Unwarranted
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2633
Re: Larry Swedroe: Indexing Fuss Unwarranted
Passive investors make it easier and more profitable to exploit pricing inefficiencies. It removes competition for discovery and also increases the available pool of mispriced assets so that an active investor can buy more before the herd discovers the inefficiency. A skilled active investor would w...
- Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Denver to Salt Lake City
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1234
Re: Denver to Salt Lake City
Sounds like you'll be doing a lot of driving. There is some beautiful country there. The Million Dollar Highway, south out of Ouray, CO is great. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, outside of Taos. Then south from Taos to Espanola along the Rio Grande (the low road), or you can take the High Road to Taos ...
- Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:39 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can a friend sign a large check for me?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1946
- Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Beneficiary Advice
- Replies: 25
- Views: 1253
Re: Beneficiary Advice
Some people get it as a benefit from their employer.Boston Barry wrote: ↑Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:24 pmIf you don’t have any dependents why is there a need for life insurance? I’m not asking to be snarky but that was my understanding about when life insurance was necessary.
- Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:23 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can a friend sign a large check for me?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1946
Re: Can a friend sign a large check for me?
Your bank might check the signature and invalidate the check. Do you want to risk this hassle?
- Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: IRS Notice Help
- Replies: 11
- Views: 752
Re: IRS Notice Help
If you didn't report these transaction, and the cost basis of the shares you sold, on your tax return, the IRS will assume a $0 cost basis and then try to collect capital gains tax on the entire sales proceeds.
- Thu Mar 22, 2018 12:49 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: I’m looking for a word...
- Replies: 114
- Views: 9260
Re: I’m looking for a word...
I’m looking for the word or phrase that describes how a complex system changes either predictably or unpredictability when a pasive observer becomes an active market participate. Any ideas? That is basically the definition of a dynamical system. Controlling these unpredictable systems is called Rob...
- Thu Mar 22, 2018 11:13 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Is Aetna Dental pulling a fast one on me?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 651
Re: Is Aetna Dental pulling a fast one on me?
It does seem a little sketchy, but why should Aetna apply your deductible in a way that is most favorable to you?
- Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:40 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Thunderbird Malfunction
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1262
- Wed Mar 21, 2018 12:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Need to pull some data off some old 5-1/4" floppy disks
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2563
Re: Need to pull some data off some old 5-1/4" floppy disks
Depending on the age and quality of the floppy disks and the storage environment, there is a chance the data on the disks has degraded and might not be readable.
- Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ever received a legitimate unsolicited call from the I.R.S.?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2177
Re: Ever received a legitimate unsolicited call from the I.R.S.?
I did. I followed their specific instructions, sent them the required gift cards and it seems to have resolved the issue to their satisfaction. You can probably expect a call next year too. At first blush it is hard to believe that anyone falls for these scams but it is clearly a big problem. My fa...
- Mon Mar 19, 2018 11:49 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Ever received a legitimate unsolicited call from the I.R.S.?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2177
- Fri Mar 09, 2018 2:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What do you pay for your phone/cable/internet? REAL total with tax?
- Replies: 48
- Views: 2759
Re: What do you pay for your phone/cable/internet? REAL total with tax?
Some taxes and fees are mandated. Others are just extra charges for the benefit of profit. Calling them a fee and telling you what they are for doesn't change the fact that it's just money in the pocket of the company. http://www.centurylink.com/home/help/account/billing/taxes-fees-and-surcharges-on...
- Wed Mar 07, 2018 1:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I "get divorced" for tax purposes (PSLF)
- Replies: 57
- Views: 3814
Re: Should I "get divorced" for tax purposes (PSLF)
Obtaining a divorce for the benefit of filing separately is forbidden by IRS Publication 504 only if you intend to remarry and do so in the next tax year.
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p504
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p504
- Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:55 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Can someone help me explain to my wife...?
- Replies: 81
- Views: 9952
Re: Can someone help me explain to my wife...?
Tell her you can't sell now because the NFC won the Superbowl and this is an obvious bull market predictor.
https://lplresearch.com/2018/02/02/tom- ... -disagree/
And this has the same chance of being right as the analysis your wife is reading.
https://lplresearch.com/2018/02/02/tom- ... -disagree/
And this has the same chance of being right as the analysis your wife is reading.
- Wed Feb 14, 2018 1:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: C-Suite etiquette advise needed
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3824
Re: C-Suite etiquette advise needed
My perspective on the C suite comes from knowing some administrators in the suite. From that perspective, dietary requirements are nothing special - something to be accommodated, but nothing else. It is likely that you will have some colleagues joining you on this offsite event that share your non-a...
- Thu Feb 08, 2018 3:41 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How to deal with regret
- Replies: 99
- Views: 10479
Re: How to deal with regret
I did it the other way. I sold some incentive stock options early last year for about $50K. If I'd waited a year, I could have sold them for about $120K. But what can you do? Just grin and bear it. I don't let it affect my behavior going forward and there is no chance of correcting that mistake. Who...
- Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best BBQ in Austin
- Replies: 33
- Views: 2750
Re: Best BBQ in Austin
Even bad BBQ in Austin is still pretty good.lightnoise wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2018 7:50 pmHi,
I will be in Austin, TX for a day and am looking for recommendations for an excellent BBQ joint. Any recommendations? I can of course search on google and go on yelp but I would love to hear any of your advise as well. Thank you.
- Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:45 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bitcoin in Freefall
- Replies: 166
- Views: 18826
Re: Bitcoin in Freefall
One day it might be worth 100 trillion dollars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwea ... bverse.jpg
- Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:20 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Market Timing
- Replies: 71
- Views: 3892
Re: Market Timing
A buy signal occured when the 50 day moving average crossed above the 200 day moving average. A sell signal is occurred when the 50 day moving average crossed below the 200 day moving average. This is the basic idea behind momentum investing. Apparently there is some reward to be had from going alo...
- Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:59 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Market Timing
- Replies: 71
- Views: 3892
Re: Market Timing
It is generally held that you cannot beat the market by timing it. Based on my studies, this appears to be true. That being said, it seems to me [...] Your main flaw is thinking the market is logical and you just need to choose the right indicators to predict how the market will behave. Many (many,...
- Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:46 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: sell and wait for further drop on Tax-Advantaged accounts?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 562
Re: sell and wait for further drop on Tax-Advantaged accounts?
when will it be lower?
- Thu Feb 01, 2018 2:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Independent Consulting Liability
- Replies: 15
- Views: 804
Re: Independent Consulting Liability
Put it in the contract that you're not liable beyond what you get paid for the work.
I am not a lawyer, so this advice is probably worth what you paid for it.
I am not a lawyer, so this advice is probably worth what you paid for it.
- Thu Feb 01, 2018 1:24 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: I bought a stock today - Redfin (RDFN)
- Replies: 288
- Views: 20695
Re: I bought a stock today - Redfin (RDFN)
I'm curious why you plan to rebalance Redfin to 20% of your portfolio if it goes down? Will you rebalance if it goes up? Why did you chose 20%?
- Thu Feb 01, 2018 1:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Alaska rental car - what is the real risk with unpaved roads?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 2429
Re: Alaska rental car - what is the real risk with unpaved roads?
Are you sure the rental agreement specifies the vehicle is not to be used on unpaved roads? Or does it specify any insurance coverage will not cover damage due to use on unpaved roads? This web site says insurance coverage under a credit card agreement is usually void if you violate the rental agree...
- Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:46 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: What if Your Play Money Blows Up?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 4146
Re: What if Your Play Money Blows Up?
“I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted.” W.C Fields.
My suggestion is don't waste your play money.
My suggestion is don't waste your play money.
- Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I join Linkedin?
- Replies: 48
- Views: 3696
Re: Should I join Linkedin?
Can't really comment on the job hunting benefits. I have a narrow skill set and the recruiting contacts and job ads from LinkedIn rarely fit my qualifications. I maintain my LinkedIn profile for the benefit of my employer. They, in part, pay me for my credentials and customer's occasionally want to ...
- Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Accepting an offer from an employer who said previously no!
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3347
Re: Accepting an offer from an employer who said previously no!
Don't put much weight on originally getting turned down by the 1st company. Likely they had a better candidate that didn't work out. Now your wife is their best option. It sounds like they were honest in their dealings and each of those points were professional. As in life, someone else is always be...
- Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:45 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: I bought a stock today - Redfin (RDFN)
- Replies: 288
- Views: 20695
Re: I bought a stock today - Redfin (RDFN)
I don't think of Redfin as a stock price. I see the vision of the company. Then this is not about investing, it's about using your money for things you believe in. Nothing wrong with that, but I don't feel strongly enough about transforming the real estate sales business to contribute money to the ...
- Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Erroneous county water bills
- Replies: 11
- Views: 745
Re: Erroneous county water bills
Apparently a well known problem. http://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/how-dispute-high-water-bills-dekalb/Gcusp4NTJ0QocYydc5CWnO/ http://www.mdjonline.com/neighbor_newspapers/dekalb/news/dekalb-ceo-thurmond-says-source-of-embarrassing-water-billing-problems/article_83803aa4-408f-11e7-994a-a3...
- Fri Jan 26, 2018 1:28 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bitcoin bubble ending with a flat top rather than a sharp drop?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 2561
Re: Bitcoin bubble ending with a flat top rather than a sharp drop?
I still firmly believe that those doubting Bitcoin now will be equal to those doubting cars over horses, the web over paper, etc. People that believe in the transformative possibilities of crypto currencies are using them as currency, not as investments. A person can believe in the technology witho...
- Wed Jan 24, 2018 1:58 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Windfall Investment Advice
- Replies: 8
- Views: 909
Re: Windfall Investment Advice
You need roughly $10M to be financially independent - that would support about $300K per year of expenses. You have about $3.4M in assets excluding your house so you are about $6.6M away from financial independence. Or $5M if you count the $1.6M bonus income. Will the $20K per month expenses be abou...
- Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Cost of living comparison (HCOL vs LCOL)
- Replies: 85
- Views: 6131
Re: Cost of living comparison (HCOL vs LCOL)
I would not expect housing to be much of an investment. I usually assume the value of my home will keep up with inflation - though this is just a mental excercise and my home appreciation doesn't figure into my retirement calculations. I pay 3.75% on my mortgage, with a balance that is about half th...
- Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:52 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Preparing for a lay off - what steps to take now
- Replies: 37
- Views: 3730
Re: Preparing for a lay off - what steps to take now
I believe HSA contribution limits are prorated based on the number of months you are employed (correction - number of months you have a high deductible health plan).
https://www.kiplinger.com/article/busin ... d-off.html
https://www.kiplinger.com/article/busin ... d-off.html
- Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:35 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Is the crypto market efficient?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 1448
Re: Is the crypto market efficient?
Very unlikely, in my opinion. Large crypto traders often deal among themselves, which indicates private information so all the traders are not working with the same information. The differences in valuation between the exchanges indicates the markets are not efficient at incorporating the value of p...
- Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Friend Got Laid Off - Advice Needed
- Replies: 46
- Views: 5226
Re: Friend Got Laid Off - Advice Needed
He currently has a $900k portfolio, mostly in Vanguard low cost index funds. ~$275k in taxable, $175k Roth IRA, and $450k 401k. [...] What advice would you give to him. If your friend doesn't quickly find a new job, he maybe be in a very low tax bracket this year. If so, roll over the 401k into a T...
- Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:36 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Kodakcoin
- Replies: 101
- Views: 8506
Re: Kodakcoin
Kodak is also leasing out Bitcoin miners - the "Kashminer". If this wasn't from Gizmodo, I'd swear it was an Onion article.
https://gizmodo.com/wait-it-turns-out-k ... 1821974370
https://gizmodo.com/wait-it-turns-out-k ... 1821974370
- Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How can I become a better consumer?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1677
Re: How can I become a better consumer?
From your experience, what purchases have been worth the cost? I once attended a lecture titled "Knowing yourself is harder than you think" (or something like that). The gist was that people have a difficult time predicting how they will act or feel about something they haven't done yet. Evidence fr...
- Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Considering PhD...but so much to consider...
- Replies: 51
- Views: 3670
Re: Considering PhD...but so much to consider...
This whole situation is complicated by my current earnings. If I were to stay where I was vs. the PhD, it would take me about 18 years before I have made more with the PhD since I'm effectively making nothing for the 5 years I'm doing it. It might not be this bad. Don't compare your total current e...
- Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Considering PhD...but so much to consider...
- Replies: 51
- Views: 3670
Re: Considering PhD...but so much to consider...
Looking for some help here, because I've been going back and forth on what to do for YEARS now and I feel the need to settle on a plan!!! ... Pro: can go for "free" through department funding, would be a satisfying thing to do, buffet pick of 100k+/yr jobs Con: wipes out 5 years of my earning lifet...
- Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: best flooring for a basement wood shop?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 1591
Re: best flooring for a basement wood shop?
I would do a solid hardwood floor. Its durable and I kind of like the look of a well used oak floor. Commercially produced hardwood flooring might be too expensive, but since you are looking to build a workshop, you could get rough cut or used lumber and make the planks yourself.
- Wed Jan 10, 2018 1:53 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Kodakcoin
- Replies: 101
- Views: 8506
Re: Kodakcoin
Maybe more evidence for the cryptocurrency bubble https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/9/16869998/kodak-kodakcoin-blockchain-platform-ethereum-ledger-stock-price The interesting things for me are (1) Kodak was once a very real company and (2) there seems to be a realworld application onto which blockcha...