Search found 535 matches
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: better? Lowering taxable income to 12%, go below 63k to collect Savers credit, or max all Roths
- Replies: 31
- Views: 2322
Re: better? Lowering taxable income to 12%, go below 63k to collect Savers credit, or max all Roths
I'd go with Roth as well to the top of the 12% bracket, unless you have other tax credit considerations, such as the Premium Tax Credit.
- Fri Jan 26, 2018 5:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Board game for 3 year old
- Replies: 36
- Views: 1750
Re: Board game for 3 year old
Sequence for Kids involves some strategy (though the 3 year old can just play whatever) and it's easy for parents to deliberately throw the game if they choose without making it obvious to the kid that you are throwing the game.
- Mon Dec 25, 2017 1:52 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Tax Reform - Revised Kiddie Tax
- Replies: 44
- Views: 4883
Re: Tax Reform - Revised Kiddie Tax
If parents are in the new 12% bracket, it seems like trust rates for the kids will very quickly exceed the parents rate.
- Sat Dec 23, 2017 9:15 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Bad bond options in 403B
- Replies: 15
- Views: 795
Re: Bad bond options in 403B
We also have terrible (well, not quite as terrible as yours, but non-indexed and near 1.0% ERs) bond options in our 403b plans, while simultaneously having great equity options (Vanguard Institutional Total Stock, Small-cap value, REIT, etc at Vanguard's cost, so sub 0.1% ER). We just find other pla...
- Sun Oct 15, 2017 5:35 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What do you buy in Asian food stores?
- Replies: 86
- Views: 6695
Re: What do you buy in Asian food stores?
Vegetables I can't get in standard grocery stores around here (bok choy, garlic greens, etc) Vegetables that are significantly cheaper (shallots) Locally-made tofu Fresh (non-dried) Asian noodles Dried Asian noodles Rice Pork bellies Frozen ducks (head off, I'm not that bold) Gochujang paste (we go ...
- Tue May 16, 2017 6:33 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Has anyone sold TIPS prior to maturity
- Replies: 21
- Views: 1836
Re: Has anyone sold TIPS prior to maturity
We bought a slug of Tips in October 2008. The real rate was around 3%. At some point, the rate dropped below 1% and I sold about half the holding for a large gain. I thought the real rate of a TIPS was fixed for the life of the bond. Am I confused and/or misinformed? --vtMaps The rate is fixed, but...
- Tue Apr 18, 2017 12:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Did anything surprise you in your 2016 taxes?
- Replies: 83
- Views: 8675
Did anything surprise you in your 2016 taxes?
The intent of this thread is to spread the word about oddball tax situations that people may not know about to better plan for 2017. With that said, is there anything about your 2016 taxes that caught you off-guard? In my case, it was the retirement saver's credit. Our AGI was lower this year than u...
- Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:41 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What do you expect to achieve with your Tilt?
- Replies: 85
- Views: 8017
Re: What do you expect to achieve with your Tilt?
Honestly, I may or may not achieve any actual improvement in returns.
What I expect to achieve is a little added entertainment as I see that small-cap value is up (or down) or emerging markets are up (or down). It's just more interesting than a 3-fund portfolio.
What I expect to achieve is a little added entertainment as I see that small-cap value is up (or down) or emerging markets are up (or down). It's just more interesting than a 3-fund portfolio.
- Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:32 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Illusion of poverty/wealth
- Replies: 166
- Views: 28421
Re: Illusion of poverty/wealth
An even more extreme case of this than Bogleheads is Mr. Money Mustache mustachians.bigred77 wrote:The "illusion of poverty" is really prevalent amongst a subset of Bogleheads IMO...
- Mon Mar 06, 2017 8:13 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Is this a financially viable way to use dividends over the next 40 years?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1387
Re: Is this a financially viable way to use dividends over the next 40 years?
Since this is in an IRA anyway, I don't really understand the preference for holding a dividend fund (which, as indicated, will be somewhat concentrated in financials and utilities) over a total stock market or S&P 500 fund.
- Sun Feb 05, 2017 9:28 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Keep a Local Bank?
- Replies: 76
- Views: 6232
Re: Keep a Local Bank?
What about signature guarantee on financial documents? That isn't the same as a notary. Most banks will do this as a courtesy for non account holders. Regarding local bank- I would maintain one (or credit union) for a local account with a nominal balance. Occasionally (1-2) I need the local bank fo...
- Wed Oct 05, 2016 6:46 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Any issue with too many tax lots/betterment
- Replies: 8
- Views: 831
Re: Any issue with too many tax lots/betterment
"Various" works. If I did my taxes by hand, I would avoid Betterment like the plague. With tax software, the burden is trivial.
- Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:49 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Would you buy this house in a flood zone? HELP!
- Replies: 63
- Views: 5348
Re: Would you buy this house in a flood zone? HELP!
Make sure you understand what is meant by flood and what flood insurance will and will not cover. Our story - We bought a house in a flood plain in 2006. The sellers told us at the time that the house hadn't flooded since 1985. This was consistent with how other people in town defined flood. What we...
- Sat Sep 10, 2016 9:03 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Would it make sense for me to not max out my 401K?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 8768
Re: Would it make sense for me to not max out my 401K?
Regardless of your tax bracket, you should contribute to get the full match. Otherwise, if I were you, I would only contribute to the 401k until I was in the 15% tax bracket. Unless you have a lot of income other than salary, that would mean not maxing your 401k. Other people will tell you to alway...
- Tue Jul 05, 2016 5:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Has a bank offered you a "Special" CD rate?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2345
Re: Has a bank offered you a "Special" CD rate?
Yes. I've received changes from published rates and early withdrawal terms multiple times.
- Sat May 21, 2016 11:09 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: is it worth it to add REITs to my simple 3 fund portfolio?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2129
Re: is it worth it to add REITs to my simple 3 fund portfolio?
If inflation picks up and exceeds expectations then at least theoretically REITs should do better than stocks and conventional bonds. Greater correlation with inflation. It's a bit more complicated than that. The underlying real estate holdings should do ok with inflation, but inflation tends to br...
- Sat May 14, 2016 7:24 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Intra-Family Mortgage INSTEAD of Investing
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2938
Re: Intra-Family Mortgage INSTEAD of Investing
While your mom could get a tax deduction, you will have to recognize it as income and pay taxes on it. You don't really come out ahead. If you're mom wants to transfer money to you, just have her give it to you as a gift. She could give you and your husband each 14k a year tax free plus another ~$5...
- Fri May 13, 2016 4:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 10 Year TIPS Auction
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1639
Re: 10 Year TIPS Auction
If this is in taxable, and I hadn't maxed out I-bond purchases for the year, I would prioritize that over the 10-year TIP. Similar yields, but taxes are deferred and you have a lot more flexibility with the I Bond. If you were planning to buy in tax-deferred accounts, but have money in taxable, I wo...
- Thu Apr 28, 2016 8:16 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: How many financial accounts to maintain?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3841
Re: How many financial accounts to maintain?
My wife and I currently have 20 savings and investment accounts (so no credit cards in that number). That is more than I would like and we are actively consolidating, but in a perfect world, we would still end up with: Rewards checking account Taxable brokerage 2x Roth IRAs 2x Workplace 403b 2x TIAA...
- Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:48 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: 529 Learning Quest (Kansas) Investment Options
- Replies: 3
- Views: 440
Re: 529 Learning Quest (Kansas) Investment Options
There's no real reason to invest in the KS Learning Quest 529 - KS gives a deduction for any state's 529 plan. Shop around for lower expenses.
- Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:48 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Non-coverd vs Covered Shares
- Replies: 7
- Views: 797
Re: Non-coverd vs Covered Shares
Jenmke, regrettably, I have one of those "vintage" taxable mutual funds my parents bought for me in the late 60's. Long before computers could keep track. Were I to sell today, neither I nor the IRS would have a clue how much LTCG tax I might owe. My solution: keep it in the estate and let the kids...
- Wed Mar 30, 2016 3:51 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Non-coverd vs Covered Shares
- Replies: 7
- Views: 797
Re: Non-coverd vs Covered Shares
Jenmke, regrettably, I have one of those "vintage" taxable mutual funds my parents bought for me in the late 60's. Long before computers could keep track. Were I to sell today, neither I nor the IRS would have a clue how much LTCG tax I might owe. My solution: keep it in the estate and let the kids...
- Thu Mar 03, 2016 8:07 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Strategy for Investing Inheritant Money
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2795
Re: Strategy for Investing Inheritant Money
Thanks all! @rmelvey I already maxed out retirement accounts every year since I'm also at the highest tax bracket now . To sum up, a reasonable strategy would be: 1. Read, learn and investigate to find a low cost index-based allocation that I'm comfortable with. 2. Invest 20% of the money each mont...
- Tue Feb 23, 2016 8:03 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 529
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1464
Re: 529
thanks for the replies......I'm the custodian of the account. It is for my 2015 taxes. Its through Vanguard's 529, therefore through Nevada's apparently. OK, so there is no MI tax advantage for you. Which is not a bad thing in the long run. Who is the owner of the account? You? Your granddaughter? ...
- Sat Feb 06, 2016 9:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Grandson working for me-Child labor law?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2990
Re: Grandson working for me-Child labor law?
Except, legally, it might be different. Exemptions to family farms likely wouldn't apply to family construction business.Ron wrote:No different than a "child" working on a family farm, much younger in age.
- Mon Feb 01, 2016 9:56 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: ESPP - help talk me into selling
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1141
Re: ESPP - help talk me into selling
The standard Bogleheads response for ESPP (and for many at my workplace) is "sell it as soon as you get it" for the instant ROI, but this stock has also kept me above water for the past year. Economy tanks. Stock market tanks. Your company's stock price tanks. You are laid off. This is about risk. ...
- Tue Jan 19, 2016 6:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Planning For Future Estate Taxes
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1868
Re: Planning For Future Estate Taxes
Is there any chance of selling the development rights to the State/ This has worked very well to preserve farmland in CT. They can continue to live there but can sell at any time or leave it to their heirs. The only subsequent use would be for agricultural purposes. (no housing developments, malls,...
- Tue Jan 12, 2016 9:20 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Are Online/Distance Graduate Degrees Respected?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 7526
Re: Are Online/Distance Graduate Degrees Respected?
SNHU is non-profit, for the record. There are some other, mostly online, non-profits, like Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State, Western Governors University, and Charter Oak State.Ninnie wrote: Of course, avoid the for-profits (U. Phoenix, Capella, SNHU, etc.)
- Tue Jan 12, 2016 9:14 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Large amount of CDs maturing....what to do?
- Replies: 162
- Views: 22310
Re: Large amount of CDs maturing....what to do?
Not sure how much money we are talking about or where you are, but we have found that multiple local banks (in the Midwest) have been willing to change their normal terms (for large CDs) for us. We have been offered better than advertising rates and/or better than advertised early withdrawal penalti...
- Fri Dec 25, 2015 1:51 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Individual Bonds vs Bond Funds
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1501
Re: Individual Bonds vs Bond Funds
Defaults happen. I don't mind buying individual treasuries, but I want diversity in corporates.
- Wed Nov 18, 2015 8:14 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Treehouse in Backyard - Liability Question
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3912
Re: Treehouse in Backyard - Liability Question
+1 to Umbrella policy. Costs are reasonable for coverage over home and Autos. Peace of mind is definitely worth it! Not reasonable to expect friends won't want to go in treehouse. It's there for fun...kids are kids and things happen. If it does, your Homeowners policy will cover and Umbrella will b...
- Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:45 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: How to take advantage of 15% tax bracket?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 5690
Re: How to take advantage of 15% tax bracket?
We still have ~$30K of carryover capital losses, so tax-gain harvesting isn't ideal at this time. What we currently are doing is rolling over traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs. Once that is finished, we will shift some money currently going into a traditional 403b plan into a Roth 403b plan. If we can m...
- Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:23 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: EE Series Saving Bonds 1987 & 1989
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1821
Re: EE Series Saving Bonds 1987 & 1989
My understanding is that tax is owed at year 30, whether they redeem them or not.
- Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:14 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Investing disagreements with spouse
- Replies: 86
- Views: 9815
Re: Investing disagreements with spouse
I wouldn't even try to convince her. After all, trading individual stocks is a lot more work but the expected value of her traded portfolio is about equal to the expected value of the S&P 500 (assuming she is trading large-cap stocks). I'd split the portfolio and let her manage her half the way she...
- Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Grandparents with custody of child receiving SSA
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1798
Re: Grandparents with custody of child receiving SSA
It should be noted that if the child does not have significant other assets via inheritance, they could choose to pay interest on savings bonds annually (pre-redemption), which would make them tax-free up to kiddie tax limitations.
- Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Grandparents with custody of child receiving SSA
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1798
Re: Grandparents with custody of child receiving SSA
But buying savings bonds could satisfy the ssa requirement and have tax exempt interest if used for qualifying education expenses . I understand that a minor can be the account holder and beneficiary of a 529 account if there is a adult custodian of the account but I haven't found anyone to describ...
- Wed Oct 21, 2015 6:48 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Questions about part-year HDHP/HSA
- Replies: 1
- Views: 437
Questions about part-year HDHP/HSA
- I left my job at the end of May 2015. - I had health insurance through the end of June. - I was without coverage in July and August, though I could have signed up for COBRA had something serious happened. - I have been under a HDHP through the marketplace since September 1st ($6000 deductible, $60...
- Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:36 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Difference in risk between S&P 500 dividend and CD?
- Replies: 38
- Views: 2962
Re: Difference in risk between S&P 500 dividend and CD?
Perhaps you can find some research on the likelihood of losing dividends on stocks vs. interest payments on CD's in a given 5 year period. In 2008 the S&P 500 paid $32.18 in dividends while in 2009 the payout was $24.73. The payout didn't recover until 2012 at $32.43. For 2014 the payout was $40.03...
- Tue Sep 22, 2015 10:21 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: [Vanguard Unveils Two International Dividend Funds]
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3883
Re: Two New Vanguard Dividend Funds
Some (perhaps 20-25% based on Vanguards other international index funds) of the dividends won't be qualified.
- Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:15 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: prepaid phone less than $50 with Android Lollipop 5.0
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1630
Re: prepaid phone less than $50 with Android Lollipop 5.0
The emulator is slow in the best of circumstances. Do you want a 45s compile-test cycle or 120s cycle? The former is still painful for my style of programming, but I can't tolerate the latter at all. Buy the cheap phone. Don't fret the 5.0 issue.
FWIW, I do primary development on a Moto G.
FWIW, I do primary development on a Moto G.
- Mon Apr 13, 2015 8:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Comparing Roth vs Traditional 401k in TurboTax
- Replies: 5
- Views: 647
Re: Comparing Roth vs Traditional 401k in TurboTax
Thanks. My wages amount shows as identical in the Social Security wages and Medicare wages box as well. If I change it in all three places, I get a warning from Turbotax that my SS and Medicare wages were overwithheld. My tax refund changes as well as a result of this. To accurately represent the s...
- Wed Apr 01, 2015 6:39 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Tesla to start making Batteries for Home Solar
- Replies: 61
- Views: 6327
Re: Tesla to start making Batteries for Home Solar
Why not just use the grid? During the day when the sun is out, sell your PV power to the local utility company, and then after dark you buy it back, or at least buy back some of it. They are the battery. It is silly for everyone to have their own home batteries. There are variations on this system ...
- Tue Mar 24, 2015 8:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: College Scholarships
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1059
Re: College Scholarships
Keep in mind that you can withdraw money from a 529 plan penalty-free if your child receives a scholarship. You have to pay taxes on the withdrawal and you have to withdraw it that year (so the tax situation may not be ideal), but this helps ease my own mind that I am over funding 529 plans. As to s...
- Wed Mar 18, 2015 3:52 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: DRIP and Wash Sale Rule
- Replies: 3
- Views: 654
Re: DRIP and Wash Sale Rule
If you sell everything, you'll be ok as long as you don't repurchase within 30 days.
- Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:55 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What was your dumbest financial decision?
- Replies: 172
- Views: 21375
Re: What is the worst financial decision that you've made?
Lots and lots of QQQQ (before it was QQQ) before it crashed. Hey, it was an index! Surely, it was safe! I mean, it wasn't all dot coms. It had Cisco and WorldCom and Microsoft, in addition to the dot coms!
- Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:18 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: "Planet Money" is shorting SPY
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3857
Re: "Planet Money" is shorting SPY
There were many comments about unlimited losses and borrowing, or lack of margin account for IRA. While I don't practice this, one could buy Put options on S&P 500. If you feel you know a specific timeframe the market will fall, you only risk the premium. OTOH, you can write calls, have potential u...
- Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:07 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Bonds vs. Some Utilities
- Replies: 22
- Views: 3555
Re: Bonds vs. Some Utilities
Look at Ameren (AEE). Look at Hawaiian Electric (HE). These are two of several utilities that cut dividends around 2008. They got hammered and you lost half the income.
- Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:49 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What age did you move out?
- Replies: 117
- Views: 8494
Re: What age did you move out?
For good? 28. I went to college at 18. Struggled with depression, flunked out, moved back with my parents for about a year at age 25. Got a real job, lived on my own, and then moved back with my parents for another year or so at age 28. In that case, my job had me on the road (at the peak) 50 weeks ...
- Thu Jan 22, 2015 9:41 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What age did you hit $100,000?
- Replies: 136
- Views: 23965
Re: What age did you hit $100,000?
28 or 29. Worked in IT and earned big bonuses in 1999 and 2000. Unfortunately, a bit too much of that first 100k of savings went into QQQQ (now QQQ) rather than SPY.
- Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:35 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bored when market is closed
- Replies: 28
- Views: 2922
Re: Bored when market is closed
It should be open 24/7/365. Once humans aren't really needed (and we might be there now), this will happen. Right now, we have physical exchanges with human traders (including those who are "making the market"). This all can be automated. Much of it has already been. When it all is, I wouldn't be s...