Search found 4087 matches

by Rupert
Thu Mar 07, 2019 7:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: If you have a serious health problem, do you retire or?
Replies: 50
Views: 7928

Re: If you have a serious health problem, do you retire or?

You're lucky if you have a choice. I came down with a serious debilitating health problem in my early 30s. Continuing to work wasn't an option. Your circumstances usually make the decision for you and your family. Is it true that you can apply for disability benefits if you become unable to work while employed, the same disability benefits would not be available if you are retired? What do you mean by "retired"? If you are old enough to draw full Social Security retirement benefits, i.e., if you have reached your Social Security full retirement age, then you'll be denied SSDI benefits. You will have to draw Social Security retirement benefits instead. If you are old enough to draw reduced Social Security retirement benefits, i.e....
by Rupert
Wed Mar 06, 2019 6:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: If you have a serious health problem, do you retire or?
Replies: 50
Views: 7928

Re: If you have a serious health problem, do you retire or?

I think it totally depends on where you are in your life when you get the diagnosis, i.e., are you young and still supporting a family or older and near retirement anyway, and on how you have lived your life. Alex Trebek, I imagine, has lived a good life, by which I mean he presumably has the resources to have had choices, to have traveled widely and engaged in just about any activities he may have wanted to engage in. For others who have been trapped in a crappy job they hate their entire working careers, they may view the situation as their last chance to do the things they've always wanted to do.
by Rupert
Wed Mar 06, 2019 2:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Term Life Insurance and Genetic Testing
Replies: 29
Views: 3267

Re: Term Life Insurance and Genetic Testing

gtd98765 wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 1:54 pm

However, that was enough for the term insurance to bump her down from Preferred Plus (what I am) to just Preferred.
How did the life insurance company find out about the test?
Wouldn't the results be in the OB/GYN's file?
by Rupert
Wed Mar 06, 2019 12:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Term Life Insurance and Genetic Testing
Replies: 29
Views: 3267

Re: Term Life Insurance and Genetic Testing

I would try to get insurance on your wife now. She could develop complications during pregnancy, e.g., gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia, that could forever impact the cost of insuring her. The later into her pregnancy you wait to apply, the more likely she'll have developed a complication (or just wonky bloodwork) and be quoted a higher price or deferred until after the pregnancy is over.

Note that insurance companies differ on how they handle pregnancy. You'll definitely benefit from using an independent broker or agent in these circumstances.
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 4:10 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Trying to Construct 3 fund in 401k with no good bond options
Replies: 15
Views: 1188

Re: Trying to Construct 3 fund in 401k with no good bond options

MichCPA wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2019 4:05 pm Those fixed income ERs aren't actually that bad within the total universe of 401k options and both fixed income funds have good performance. I would use the Baird one (BCOIX)
+1. Only here at Bogleheads would the Baird bond fund with the .3 expense ratio be considered expensive. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of retirement plans out there don't have a single bond fund under 1%. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough.
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 9:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: House Cost Basis Questions
Replies: 30
Views: 3179

Re: House Cost Basis Questions

Note that if you live in a home for decades and replace the HVAC unit multiple times, you can only include the last unit in your basis. You can't add all those units together and include them in basis. Again, IRS publication 523 makes this pretty clear.
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 9:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: House Cost Basis Questions
Replies: 30
Views: 3179

Re: House Cost Basis Questions

See page 9 here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p523.pdf I keep meaning to organize my files before I lose them. I was planning on claiming my A/C replacement. Replacing ac is maintenance, not capital improvement. Adding ac when you had none before adds to basis. Agree. Key word is replacing. Dottie57--so do you think that since the entire system was replaced that it would be added to the cost basis? The air handler in the attic, the compressor outside, and even some of the duct work was replaced to provide greater air flow. Replacing ac is maintenance. Over 60 years my parents bought multiple a/c sustems. The first was a new a/c new to the house and was a capital improvement. The other a/c although much better were maintenance since they...
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: House Cost Basis Questions
Replies: 30
Views: 3179

Re: House Cost Basis Questions

Yes, the IRS explicitly says: "Improvements add to the value of your home, prolong its useful life, or adapt it to new uses. You add the cost of additions and improvements to the basis of your property." It then identifies heating systems, central air conditioning systems, ductwork and furnaces in a list of "improvements" that increase cost basis. A "new roof" is also on that list. I really can't see how a new roof would count in your basis but a new HVAC unit would not. Edited to add: The IRS also lists things that don't increase cost basis. They are: 1. Any costs of repairs or maintenance that are necessary to keep your home in good condition but don’t add to its value or prolong its life. Examples include pa...
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 9:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you think I need disability insurance?
Replies: 11
Views: 1123

Re: Do you think I need disability insurance?

Yes, good call. People tend to underestimate the myriad ways in which a person can become disabled. Chronic pain conditions, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia; psychological conditions, e.g., depression; and treatments for all sorts of conditions, e.g., cancer therapy, can render one unable to work without rendering one "a vegetable."
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 8:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Priority boarding - Why?
Replies: 147
Views: 11163

Re: Priority boarding - Why?

I wish they would do away entirely with carry on luggage and give every one free bag check. It is a mess with both boarding and off-boarding taking enormous amount of time and the bags can be dangerous when they are humongous and heavy. Amen on this. +1-2-3 This is you whole solution. No carry on bags that do not fit into the prescribed bin at the gate. Free checked bags, carry ons $50. I'm guessing that airlines can't afford to leave unused overhead bin space. They would have to redesign their aircraft. Some airlines are already doing this, i.e., charging for carry-ons. Spirit is one. Of course, they also charge for checked bags. With them, the only free bag you get is a small personal item that must fit underneath the seat in front of yo...
by Rupert
Fri Mar 01, 2019 6:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Priority boarding - Why?
Replies: 147
Views: 11163

Re: Priority boarding - Why?

munemaker wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2019 4:54 am Aside from (often) scarce overhead bin space, I feel anxious when sitting at the gate while boarding is underway. I feel more relaxed and settled once I reach my seat and stow my bag.
+1. Me too. There's something about that chaotic setting that triggers the flight or fight response in me. I literally have to start yogic breathing when I'm sitting there.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 28, 2019 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help! At Fault’s Insurance Company Refusing to Pay Diminished Value
Replies: 73
Views: 10954

Re: Help! At Fault’s Insurance Company Refusing to Pay Diminished Value

It is s true statement that insurance companies rarely pay diminished value on a vehicle that has already been in an accident. It is also true that your own insurance company never pays diminished value on a vehicle you own. Not sure why but that is true. DV is not typically included in collision/comprehensive coverage. I think some do offer it as an add on though. So when your insurance company collects damages on your behalf from an at-fault party's insurance company, they do so via the process of subrogation. "Subrogation" is a legal concept whereby one party is permitted to step in the shoes of another party to whom they owe a legal or contractual obligation. As PluckyDucky said, DV is not included as a component of collision...
by Rupert
Thu Feb 28, 2019 9:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 30 year old water heater, should I be worried?
Replies: 75
Views: 20649

Re: 30 year old water heater, should I be worried?

I would replace a 30-year-old water heater located in living space. If it were in an unfinished basement or other location where a catastrophic failure would cause little to no damage, I'd leave it alone.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 28, 2019 9:44 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SAHM 401K Portfolio Advice
Replies: 12
Views: 1842

Re: SAHM 401K Portfolio Advice

I agree that you're making things overly complex. You only need 4 funds: S&P 500 index, extended market index, total bond market index, and total international index.

Did Vanguard really make those recommendations to you? If so, that surprises me. Typically, when you choose a target retirement fund, you put 100% of your money in that one fund, and that's what I would expect Vanguard to tell you.
by Rupert
Wed Feb 27, 2019 3:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How long should a bodily injury claim take to settle?
Replies: 62
Views: 4943

Re: How long should a bodily injury claim take to settle?

Would you mind posting links to the specific resources you used to successfully navigate this process on your own? In particular, I'm interested in the specific sites that allowed you to accurately determine "how much similar claims with similar fact patterns pay" and identify that your settlement was "at the top end of the range of average payouts for similar injuries." Look, clearly you're just trying to attack what I stated so I am not going to engage with you any further. I gave an accounting of my experience doing this three times and offered some opinions about the process to help the OP and you seem to take issue with that. That's fine. You can disagree with me all you want. I am satisfied with my results and I s...
by Rupert
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I sell I-bonds to get 6.75% [in Pakistan bonds?]
Replies: 40
Views: 4551

Re: Should I sell I-bonds to get 6.75%

Pakistan itself has defaulted in the last two decades. See https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/102413/why-and-when-do-countries-default.asp . Other countries that have done it include Russia, Argentina, Greece. When you say "default", does that mean not paying the interest or not paying back the original principal itself? Thanks. The whole range of possibilities exists, from one minute late on an interest payment, to no interest and no principal repayment. And not all the outcomes are equally likely. In general, my advice is not to try to chase fixed income returns. Overall, I would say that is a Bogleheads tenet. Others may disagree about that. I understand why people chase the higher returns though - means more cash...
by Rupert
Wed Feb 27, 2019 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I sell I-bonds to get 6.75% [in Pakistan bonds?]
Replies: 40
Views: 4551

Re: Should I sell I-bonds to get 6.75%

get_g0ing wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 11:00 am
jminv wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:27 am Those are very low interest rates for bonds from a country that needs And is actively negotiating an IMF bailout.

It seems like quite a bit of credit risk for the yield on offer.
Can you elaborate on what exactly is the risk please?

Also, any recent examples of this type of risk actually happening? (like for some other country)

Thanks.
Pakistan itself has defaulted in the last two decades. See https://www.investopedia.com/articles/i ... efault.asp . Other countries that have done it include Russia, Argentina, Greece.
by Rupert
Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HOA wants to install speed bumps that my car won't clear
Replies: 50
Views: 7328

Re: HOA wants to install speed bumps that my car won't clear

OP has said his vehicle clearance is lower than the original design. I would think there are probably a stack of regulations a mile high concerning the installation of speed bumps. I don't see where OP will have much recourse as his vehicle has been modified, and standards are most likely well established. I think the issue isn't the speed bumps are/will be built too high, but rather OP's suspension is too low. +1. I'm surprised it took so long for someone to say this. Why should a neighborhood modify its plan to install standard-height speed bumps to accommodate one resident whose car was modified from its original design? (Note that I hate speed bumps too, but I don't think OP will get any traction under the circumstances unless lots of ...
by Rupert
Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?
Replies: 164
Views: 23248

Re: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?

So about this alleged huge disparity in resale value between, say, Toyotas and Hyundais . . . I was curious so went to Carmax to see how they're pricing comparable 10-year-old compact SUVs. Ten years is how long I and many other Bogleheads seem to keep cars when we buy them new. I found a 2010 Hyundai Tucson with 97,000 miles on it listed for $10,998. I found a 2010 Toyota Rav4 with 83,000 miles on it listed for $12,599. (Note, Carmax didn't have a 2009 Tucson, so I had to look at 9-year-old models). The two cars have comparable features: 2WD, 4-cylinder, cloth seats. Nothing special about either one of them, i.e., neither is the highest trim level with leather seats, navigation, sunroofs, etc. It's likely that, given the comparable feature...
by Rupert
Tue Feb 26, 2019 4:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Employer wont allow 401K catch up contributions!
Replies: 14
Views: 1962

Re: Employer wont allow 401K catch up contributions!

The highly-compensated employee rules don't apply to catch-up contributions, i.e., even HCEs get to make catch-up contributions on top of whatever regular contribution they're allowed to make. So it really makes zero sense not to allow them.
by Rupert
Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone Keep a Second Fridge in Garage?
Replies: 56
Views: 6780

Re: Anyone Keep a Second Fridge in Garage?

You can find small refrigerators made for apartments and RVs that are a size in between a normal kitchen refrigerator and a dorm refrigerator. Alternatively, you can buy a small chest-style deep freezer for meat and just use coolers with ice when you need cold beer for a party. I would not want an old full-size refrigerator in my entryway or office either. So I'm with your wife on that one.
by Rupert
Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How often do you and your friends change engine oil?
Replies: 167
Views: 11861

Re: How often do you and your friends change engine oil?

I change mine when the "Change Engine Oil Soon" message appears on the screen. That's fine except for those who drive very few miles, where the manufacturer says "change at xxx miles, or annually, whichever comes first". You know those idiot lights (messages) are not programmed for the "or annually" option. +1. I fear some people don't realize that those warning lights appear at pre-set intervals. Your car is not actually monitoring the state of your oil and recommending an oil change when your oil quality or quantity crosses any sort of threshold, etc. In very new cars, you can at least alter the pre-set intervals to follow, for example, the severe schedule, but in older cars you can't even do that and need t...
by Rupert
Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?
Replies: 164
Views: 23248

Re: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?

pretty sure most/many (if not all) Hyundais run interference engines which means if you don't replace the timing belt at the 60k interval, and it snaps, your engine will be damaged, often beyond repair. Set aside $1000+ for belt replacement if you are purchasing one. 60k comes quickly. You'll also typically replace the water pump at the same time (added cost). Does any manufacturer of cars with timing belts (sold in the USA) really recommend a 60K interval for timing belts? Last I cared to look (when I had a timing belt equipped interference overhead valve car), nearly every car had a 100K interval for changing timing belts...and this was for cars built in the 90s. My Honda V6 van recommends changing the belt and water pump at 90,000 miles...
by Rupert
Tue Feb 26, 2019 10:35 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help with Onerous SSI Redetermination Visits
Replies: 13
Views: 1456

Re: Help with Onerous SSI Redetermination Visits

Have you considered having yourself or your spouse appointed as the representative payee for your parents in law? If that is done, I believe SSA will interview you in lieu of the parents in law going forward. See https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/th ... -benefits/
by Rupert
Mon Feb 25, 2019 4:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Call from SSA office
Replies: 22
Views: 3119

Re: Call from SSA office

Received automated calls from 2 different toll-free numbers today. The voice, identified himself from Social Security Administration (SSA), informed me that there is some suspicious activity using my SSN and so they have suspended my account. It also asked me to press 1 to proceed further. I ignored both the calls but this was the first time receiving such calls from 'SSA'. Did anyone receive similar calls from SSA? Definitely scam. Any call from anyone purporting to be from a govt. agency is a scam. They will send letters if they need to reach you. I would modify your comment to "Any cold call from a government agency is a scam." A Social Security employee may indeed call you if you have, for example, filed a disability claim.
by Rupert
Mon Feb 25, 2019 3:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?
Replies: 164
Views: 23248

Re: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?

For just about every car make and model, you'll get one good anecdote for every bad and vice versa. To counter the one immediately above me, my MIL put over 250,000 miles on her circa 2008 V6 Tucson before the electrical system finally crapped out on it. Honda currently has major issues with the CRV engine (all trim levels except the base, apparently). (See the very very long thread here by CULater on that issue.)
by Rupert
Mon Feb 25, 2019 1:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Recently married, confused about W4 withholding
Replies: 3
Views: 601

Re: Recnelty married, confused about W4 withholding

Usually you would only withhold at the higher single rate if both spouses are working or if the sole working spouse has more than one employer. What circumstances in your life make you think it would make sense to withhold at the higher rate? Stated another way, what makes you second-guess the withholding calculator?
by Rupert
Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:07 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?
Replies: 164
Views: 23248

Re: Is Hyundai the value sweet spot?

I do think Hyundai is a good value right now, especially if you buy a new one from a dealer who offers the lifetime warranty. Most (all?) Hyundai SUVs have timing chains now, so not sure what relevance the prior post about interference engines has.
by Rupert
Sat Feb 23, 2019 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 401k vanguard expense ratios??? [Employer plan fees]
Replies: 5
Views: 537

Re: 401k vanguard expense ratios??? [Employer plan fees]

Is Vanguard providing the advisory services, or is this an independent outfit? Just fyi: My small company (fewer than 20 employees) pays our advisor a flat quarterly fee. I think it's around $1500/quarter. For that fee we get a quarterly monitoring report, recommendations regarding switching of funds, etc., if necessary, and unlimited Q&A with employees (i.e., employees can call them with questions whenever). Once every year or two (or when we bring on new employees), the advisor comes to town for face-to-face meetings with employees and our plan committee. The advisor is available for quarterly meetings via Skype, etc., with the plan committee. The advisor also runs interference for us with the TPA and custodian. The fee we pay our adv...
by Rupert
Sat Feb 23, 2019 10:31 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How long should a bodily injury claim take to settle?
Replies: 62
Views: 4943

Re: How long should a bodily injury claim take to settle?

For those who said the attorney will bring a larger settlement (more than enough to cover fees), how do any of you know this is true? No one that goes through an attorney knows how much an insurance adjuster would have paid if they did not use an attorney. And no one who negotiates a settlement on their own knows how much they would have gotten had they used an attorney instead. I mean - are there any research studies that prove this? With that said, I think that escalating this soon is important. The stringing out the claim for this many months is ridiculous. The insurance company is a no-name insurance company. I know that when someone rear ended me a few years back and I was walking still for a week (no doctor visits), I got a quick $70...
by Rupert
Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Touring Southern Utah national parks by RV: RV park recommendations
Replies: 5
Views: 604

Re: Touring Southern Utah national parks by RV: RV park recommendations

When are you going to squeeze in the Grand Canyon? As the prior poster noted, the north rim won't be open until May 15, so it may be a long detour.
by Rupert
Fri Feb 22, 2019 11:43 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Montessori Preschool: Good or Bad
Replies: 23
Views: 3490

Re: Montessori Preschool: Good or Bad

Be careful. Any school can call itself a Montessori school because there are no restrictions on doing so. See https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/1 ... chool.html

As for the Montessori method, meh. It wasn't a good fit for my kids, but it may be for yours. My kids needed more structure than what was offered at the schools that labeled themselves "Montessori" in my city. If you plan to transition your kids to public school in the future, I encourage you to talk to some public school teachers. I had more than one tell me that former Montessori kids struggled integrating into the public school paradigm. I'm not suggesting that's a bad thing. It's just a thing.
by Rupert
Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How did mylife.com get my info?
Replies: 115
Views: 21458

Re: How did mylife.com get my info?

I do not use any social media -- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. -- and my information is still on all of these data broker sites. They're getting it from a multitude of sources. Wasn't so long ago that I could have gotten your social security number from looking you up on Lexis Nexis, another data broker (and legal research platform, which is what I use it for). Anyone who subscribed to Lexis Nexis could have gotten it. All that information didn't just disappear when laws were changed in response to identity theft. It's still out there in the possession of god knows how many people.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How did mylife.com get my info?
Replies: 115
Views: 21458

Re: How did mylife.com get my info?

You can pay a service such as DeleteMe at Abine.com to scrub (most) of your info from the internet. There's no way to entirely delete yourself. That ship has sailed.

Edited to add: MyLife is a data broker. So are sites such as Spokeo and WhitePages.com. They gather your information from a multitude of sources and re-sell it to advertisers, etc.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 21, 2019 11:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Robocall from someone in my phone contacts?
Replies: 24
Views: 2610

Re: Robocall from someone in my phone contacts?

Heard a news story the other day -- NPR, I think -- about a prediction that more than half of all cellphone calls will be spam by the end of 2019. The cellphone companies are apparently meeting with the government to discuss solutions. I won't be holding my breath (or answering my phone).
by Rupert
Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Aging Parents & Finances
Replies: 49
Views: 7165

Re: Aging Parents & Finances

People sometimes respond better when news is delivered by a neutral third party (not family). So, yes, seeing an elder care attorney or estate planning attorney with knowledge of Medicaid rules would be a good idea. Under no circumstances should they start transferring assets to you without educating themselves about the Medicaid look back period first.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Robocall from someone in my phone contacts?
Replies: 24
Views: 2610

Re: Robocall from someone in my phone contacts?

I once got a robocall from my own phone number.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 21, 2019 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where online to see real costs of new cars?
Replies: 6
Views: 1019

Re: Where online to see real costs of new cars?

Edmunds.com. To really understand what you should pay for a car, though, you need a list of items the dealer added to the car after it was shipped to them from the manufacturer. Dealers almost always add stuff (cargo racks, etc.) to make it harder for you to play one dealer off another, i.e., no two cars, even new ones, are identical.
by Rupert
Thu Feb 21, 2019 9:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do we need a will/trust/etc?
Replies: 59
Views: 5459

Re: Do we need a will/trust/etc?

I'm no estate planning attorney, but I think some of the most recent posters are a bit off in their advice re what a "guardian" can do with a child's money if a deceased parent's will does not create a trust. Some reading up on the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (applies everywhere except South Carolina) might be in order. See https://www.nolo.com/technical-support- ... s-act.html
by Rupert
Wed Feb 20, 2019 1:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: purchasing new furnace tips
Replies: 36
Views: 3443

Re: purchasing new furnace tips

sil2017 wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 1:02 pm sorry just the ducts with the asbestos in the attic for $850
Did this quote come from the HVAC guy, who likely isn't licensed to remove or dispose of asbestos, or an asbestos abatement company, that is licensed to remove and dispose of asbestos? You do not want to skimp on removing asbestos.
by Rupert
Wed Feb 20, 2019 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: purchasing new furnace tips
Replies: 36
Views: 3443

Re: purchasing new furnace tips

I keep telling my wife we need to sell before it's time for a new furnace, new sewer lines, new roof etc... Our home, purchased in 1982, was built in 1947. It's probably not original to the house, but the forced air furnace is UNDER the house. To change filters, I have to slither like snake under the return duct. Be nice if there were a trap door in our laundry room floor to change filters. The crawl space opening is only 3 x 3. It's like a ship in bottle. They had to assemble that furnace while under the house. My house was built (circa 1925) around the original furnace. It had its own little room sunk about four feet below ground level right in the middle of the crawlspace. Fortunately, they built a full-size access door and stairway to ...
by Rupert
Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: purchasing new furnace tips
Replies: 36
Views: 3443

Re: purchasing new furnace tips

I wouldn't want asbestos-wrapped ductwork in my house if safely removing it was an option. Intellectually I know that it's not dangerous if in good condition, but emotionally I just wouldn't want it in my house. I had asbestos-wrapped ductwork and an old asbestos-lined furnace removed from my basement and crawlspace about 10 years ago. Cost was just under $4000. The abatement company charged a set fee per day, and it was a 2-day job. Cost of air quality testing before/during/after removal and cost of lawful disposal of the asbestos were included in the price.
by Rupert
Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Budgeting for new immigrant dad health care
Replies: 22
Views: 1923

Re: Budgeting for new immigrant dad health care

There have been prior threads on this topic. See, e.g.:

viewtopic.php?t=253715

viewtopic.php?t=177430

viewtopic.php?t=133456

HueyLD is correct that it's impossible to answer your questions re cost. There is no ceiling to healthcare costs in this country, and insurance costs will vary from person to person and state to state today and will be god knows what in a few years. All you can count on is more uncertainty. The trend seems to be for elderly people to emigrate out of this country for healthcare, not immigrate into the country for healthcare.
by Rupert
Tue Feb 19, 2019 1:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Old car repair.. Justifiable?
Replies: 14
Views: 1305

Re: Old car repair.. Justifiable?

Have a mechanic fix the car. Start saving to replace the car within two years. At that time, buy something suitable for hauling the kid around because there will be occasions when that is necessary whether you like it or not (as the prior poster noted).
by Rupert
Tue Feb 19, 2019 11:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do we need a will/trust/etc?
Replies: 59
Views: 5459

Re: Do we need a will/trust/etc?

This may sound a bit macabre, but I find it to be a useful thought experiment: When I was a kid, my uncle was killed in a car accident as he drove to work one foggy morning. My aunt was at home alone, getting ready for work herself, when the State Trooper knocked on her door to deliver the news. The mental image of that scene -- my aunt answering the door in her pajamas with a cup of coffee in her hand expecting to find her husband standing there, thinking he had forgotten his lunchbox or something -- made a lasting impression on me. I think about it often, decades later. So when I had kids, I replayed that scene in my mind but I inserted myself and my spouse into that car accident. I thought through the most likely scenario in which me and...
by Rupert
Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Economic vacation spots with a 3 year old
Replies: 6
Views: 655

Re: Economic vacation spots with a 3 year old

Young kids are happy at any hotel with a pool and a continental breakfast (which is full of the sugary cereal they don't get at home). They typically enjoy the gift shops of museums and other attractions more than the museums and attractions themselves. So when my kids were that age, we used to joke that instead of going to Disney World, etc., on vacation, we were just going to drive an hour up the interstate and stay at the Holiday Inn Express next door to the Cracker Barrel. Point being: Go wherever you want to go. It won't matter one whit to the kid. That said, we did find beach-oriented vacations to be better than, say, city-oriented vacations or National Park-oriented vacations better at that age.
by Rupert
Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:10 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Stolen check, what should I do?
Replies: 18
Views: 1967

Re: Stolen check, what should I do?

I wouldn't change my account number in these circumstances, but I would watch the account closely for a while and keep a minimal amount of money in there (which is wise for checking accounts anyway). I would also advise the landscaper that his negligence in leaving my check in his truck had cost me $x in fees and I would be discounting his next service by that amount.
by Rupert
Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Renting a car for 30 days or more
Replies: 11
Views: 2080

Re: Renting a car for 30 days or more

Note that most rental car insurance coverage provided by credit cards will not cover a rental of that length. Just something to be aware of.
by Rupert
Fri Feb 15, 2019 1:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone ever heard of an unsolicited retroactive pay raise?
Replies: 24
Views: 2510

Re: Anyone ever heard of an unsolicited retroactive pay raise?

My guess would be that someone -- another female employee -- has won an EEOC claim against them and that this is, as the prior poster said, a compliance issue.
by Rupert
Fri Feb 15, 2019 12:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Building a home
Replies: 31
Views: 3633

Re: Building a home

I think you should have told us how high-end these houses are in your first post. At that price point, many of the previous comments (about the cost of finishes driving up the total cost, etc.) simply don't apply. All houses at that price point will have top-notch finishes.