Search found 182 matches

by ossipago
Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:58 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: HM Bradley - is it safe - FDIC response
Replies: 473
Views: 61673

Re: HM Bradley - is it safe - FDIC response

SnowBog wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 3:09 pm
ossipago wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:17 pm HM Bradley didn't categorize my direct deposit from a new employer correctly.

I don't have their card. I couldn't be bothered to call them and fix it, just transferred my money out and will buy T-bills.
Did you try chat?

Seems like I had an issue with mine as well. IIRC took like 2 min via chat to fix... But that was over a year ago...
Not trying to be petty, but one of the reasons I was ok dealing with the extra risk from HM Bradley was the assumption it would be a tech-forward, streamlined interaction. The more hurdles they have put in place and the more issues that arise, the less I feel like dealing with them. And in any case, I already took my money out.
by ossipago
Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: HM Bradley - is it safe - FDIC response
Replies: 473
Views: 61673

Re: HM Bradley - is it safe - FDIC response

HM Bradley didn't categorize my direct deposit from a new employer correctly.

I don't have their card. I couldn't be bothered to call them and fix it, just transferred my money out and will buy T-bills.
by ossipago
Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Question about Federal Solar Tax Credit - Upgrades in later years
Replies: 0
Views: 241

Question about Federal Solar Tax Credit - Upgrades in later years

I installed and took the full credit for installation of solar panels in 2021.

I now need to install a squirrel guard to protect the underside of the panels from debris, nesting, and wire damage.

I assume that the guard is NOT eligible for the tax credit in 2022, but wanted to see if anyone had advice to the contrary. I guess technically it might count as "balance of system" equipment (like an enclosure). It's not a huge amount of money but wanted to at least check.
by ossipago
Wed Jul 20, 2022 11:18 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity - Position balances as of specific date
Replies: 1
Views: 570

Fidelity - Position balances as of specific date

Is there a way to see your positions' balance value by a specific date on Fidelity? This is for a brokerage, checking, and retirement account.

I need this information for two dates, one of which is mid-month and therefore not easily computed using monthly statements.

Every other provider I use offers this option, so I'm hoping there is something on Fidelity I am missing.
by ossipago
Tue Jun 14, 2022 10:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?
Replies: 373
Views: 39618

Re: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?

I've never seen this on a site that uses SMS authentication before:

"Your organization has reached the limit of sms requests that can be sent within a 24 hour period."

This means I am locked out of my account (because I didn't want to install yet another authenticator).

What a useless redesign.
by ossipago
Thu May 05, 2022 3:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Firestick for Mom
Replies: 23
Views: 2474

Re: Firestick for Mom

For a tech-challenged user, I would advise a different streaming device over a FireStick. They are optimized to push Amazon products, not for user friendliness. Not that other devices don't have ad-capture issues, but the Fire system is especially egregious.
by ossipago
Wed May 04, 2022 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Easiest way to donate anonymously
Replies: 66
Views: 7093

Re: Easiest way to donate anonymously

I suggest looking into https://www.givewell.org/, especially if you value cost-effective charity.

There can be a hundredfold difference between the impact of charity donations.
by ossipago
Wed May 04, 2022 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Solar Panel Install in DC - ROI Analysis After 1 Year of Operation
Replies: 3
Views: 1202

Solar Panel Install in DC - ROI Analysis After 1 Year of Operation

I have data for a full calendar year of operation now, so I wanted to provide some hard info on solar panel costs and benefits in case it might be helpful. In 2020, I installed a ~7 kW rooftop array in DC. The net cost after tax rebates was roughly $13,500, or $1.91/W. I generated 7100 kW in 2021, which had a net benefit of between $640 and $925, depending on how you value the cost of electricity. I installed soon after moving in so I didn't have good year-over-year data to compare against. I generated 8 SRECs that fetched $3000 net from my broker. (A bit below expectations; the SREC prices in 2020 were consistently above $400.) If we assume a 10 percent decline in net value each year due to panel aging and time value of money, payback time...
by ossipago
Sun Apr 17, 2022 10:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Assessing job offer with significant private equity component
Replies: 10
Views: 1544

Re: Assessing job offer with significant private equity component

Capping upside at 12X sounds kind of ridiculous, whats the point of working at a startup then? You could instead just go work at a FAANG and be liquid all the time and participate in general tech macro returns. If you cap the upside and risk adjust the returns it seems hard to make this worthwhile IMO. I've done 4 pre-IPO startups, the returns were as follows in order of when I worked there: * ~50X when i sold shortly after IPO * 568X as of last closing price * 1X (acquihire by FAANG and I quit instead) * assumed 0X (current private unicorn that I don't see going public soon) if you capped any of those at 12X it wouldn't have been been worth it financially considering how large tech has performed, I'd only consider this job if it was a hug...
by ossipago
Fri Apr 15, 2022 2:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Assessing job offer with significant private equity component
Replies: 10
Views: 1544

Assessing job offer with significant private equity component

I recently received a compelling job offer, but its compensation is structured very differently than my previous positions, and I wanted to see if there was general advice on how to value some aspects of it, especially pre-IPO equity. The offer features a base salary 25% higher than my current role. That alone would be enough for many to take the position, and part of the appeal. However, it also offers a significant equity component. This comes in the form of equity grants (not options). I'm told that they are structured so that selling them will only incur long-term capital gains. They vest on a typical schedule and I keep any vested grants when I leave the company. There are two atypical aspects of the grants. The first is that the compa...
by ossipago
Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Does anyone know if the AmEx credit for a super conforming is $2K or $6K? I assume its the former.
by ossipago
Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Can someone let me know why there is such a big difference between loans that are under the conforming limit even in high-cost areas with expanded conforming limits?

In DC, at a current balance of $580,000, I can only get rates of 2.75% no cost for a 30-year loan, but at $548,000 the no cost option is 2.375%. This is irrespective of my LTV. This seems like a big difference. Is that correct?

I thought lenders liked bigger loans better than smaller ones?
by ossipago
Tue Jul 20, 2021 12:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

I was hoping to find a 2.5% no-cost loan, no luck so far. I'm in DC, large balance conforming, 63% LTV, single family housing. Currently at 2.75% so 2.5% is the minimum that seems worth it.
by ossipago
Fri May 21, 2021 8:09 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are we in a housing bubble?
Replies: 687
Views: 180632

Re: Are we in a housing bubble?

It's a toss up to me right now whether RE is a bubble or not. Probably is in some areas. Here's an interesting theory though: as population continues to level off, and maybe even fall in coming decades, combined with urbanization and farming efficiencies which free up more land... could we see developed countries have long term negative real RE pricing trends 30, 40, 50 years out? As in, land becomes less valuable over time? Japan would be a good proxy, but they have limited land to build. Limited land actually makes it more interesting as it increases pressure on price increases. And yet Tokyo has rather famously managed to keep prices flat for the last several decades. My understanding is that this is largely due to extremely flexible la...
by ossipago
Thu May 20, 2021 12:26 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Recharacterize old contribution to solo 401k from traditional to Roth
Replies: 3
Views: 423

Re: Recharacterize old contribution to solo 401k from traditional to Roth

Thank you. I do not have any 8606 implications because of this, as it is not an IRA.

All that happened was that the employer (me) failed to take a tax deduction that they were entitled to on their 1040.

All of the 401k reporting is correct. The employee (also me) had asked for their contribution to be made pre-tax.

In this case, since the window to file an amended 1040 has passed, it's just a learning lesson. Total refund that would have been due was $300 between state and Federal, so it's relatively inexpensive all told.
by ossipago
Thu May 20, 2021 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Recharacterize old contribution to solo 401k from traditional to Roth
Replies: 3
Views: 423

Recharacterize old contribution to solo 401k from traditional to Roth

I have an individual solo 401k with Vanguard, with traditional and Roth accounts available.

An accountant noticed a discrepancy in a tax filing made in early 2018, in which I made an employee contribution to the traditional account but didn't deduct it, only the employer contribution.

Since I am the past the date to file an amended return, is there a simple way to move that money and/or gains from the traditional to the Roth portion - effectively fixing the error - without any tax implications?

If not, it's fine, it's a small enough amount to live with the double taxation but just curious what my options were.
by ossipago
Thu May 20, 2021 2:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kitchen Reno- Gas oven or electric?
Replies: 74
Views: 6172

Re: Kitchen Reno- Gas oven or electric?

Have an induction cooktop (came with the house). Much better than a regular electric. I like it better than gas by a fair bit - for reasons folks have already mentioned. Most people need to replace their lighter cookware anyways, e.g. non-stick wears out in a couple of years. The only thing that seems objectively inferior, but is not a huge issue for me, is that induction doesn't do well with high-heat wok cooking. Shrug.
by ossipago
Thu May 13, 2021 12:02 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: $365 billion wiped off cryptocurrency market after Musk tweet
Replies: 108
Views: 11651

Re: $365 billion wiped off cryptocurrency market after Musk tweet

I really wish the default was charts with an axis of 0.
by ossipago
Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My LenderFi refinance is going well
Replies: 1849
Views: 213952

Re: My LenderFi refinance is going well

I know Lenderfi has a clawback provision, but I swear I didn't sign on. Which packet of documents has that, so I can check?

If I did, does the 6 months matter if they already sold my loan?
by ossipago
Wed Nov 18, 2020 2:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

I swear I didn't sign a clawback provision with LenderFi if I refinanced again within 6 months. Where in my packet of docs would that have shown up?

If I did sign that provision, does it matter if the loan was sold within two weeks of my closing?
by ossipago
Thu Oct 29, 2020 3:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

I am in a DC SFH and best I could do was no-cost 2.75 a couple months ago (30-year). I'm above 70% LTV on a high-balance conforming, though. I think a 60% could do better.
by ossipago
Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
Replies: 76
Views: 9789

Re: Repair plasma television or get new TV?

Just a quick update as requested. We pulled and sent out the power board. The repair worked, and the TV now powers on, but there is still no video, meaning that the blown fuse on the power board most likely shorted the main or Y-board. So we tried, but we now plan on getting a new OLED shortly.
by ossipago
Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My LenderFi refinance is going well
Replies: 1849
Views: 213952

Re: My LenderFi refinance is going well

They asked me about credit inquiries from two months back after underwriting and closing were complete and escrow was funded. This was rate shopping and one of those inquiries was the LenderFi hard pull itself. Bizarre.
by ossipago
Fri Oct 09, 2020 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My LenderFi refinance is going well
Replies: 1849
Views: 213952

Re: My LenderFi refinance is going well

I'm sorry if this is a silly question. I need to wire cash to close for my escrow. On the wire instructions, there is a bank address listed but also a beneficiary (the title company). What address do I use when setting up the wire transfer initially (at the stage when I enter the receipient account and routing numbers)? I assume the former, but it is not clear to me.
by ossipago
Fri Oct 09, 2020 1:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

I locked in with two lenders because I considered the downsides minor based on the experiences of others in this thread. I regret it as one of the lenders is really aggressive when they reach a milestone, calling multiple times a day and filling up my voice mail box. I hate phone calls and want to withdraw with that lender just because of that. I know it's petty ...
by ossipago
Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My LenderFi refinance is going well
Replies: 1849
Views: 213952

Re: My LenderFi refinance is going well

RE: Question on prepaids - SOLVED.

Can someone explain how the mobile notary process works? How long does it take? Does it typically take place outdoors if you have an outdoor space available, or indoors only?
by ossipago
Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help with YouTube TV buffering issue
Replies: 38
Views: 5022

Re: Help with YouTube TV buffering issue

In that case, try disabling the 2.4 GHz network. Microwave ovens emit into the 2.4 band. In fact, that band was designated to accommodate emissions from industrial, medical, and scientific equipment such as microwave ovens before being opened up to unlicensed communications. The 5 GHz band is also such a band but should be less susceptible to microwave ovens in particular.
by ossipago
Sun Sep 27, 2020 8:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Heating System Tune Ups Necessary Every Year?
Replies: 14
Views: 2035

Re: Heating System Tune Ups Necessary Every Year?

I've done this a couple of times on the advice of the home inspector, from one of the larger providers in my area. YMMV, but I always get a huge list of "problem" items to fix at a cost of $2000+. For example, they didn't "like" my washable filter and recommended a replacement for $300 (I paid $40 and it works fine). When I had a capacitor issue, they wanted $350 to replace it (I just did it myself for $15 in parts cost). And they always recommend a duct cleaning, even though many data-driven organizations say the benefits are questionable at best.
by ossipago
Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:03 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Condo rich vs house poor?
Replies: 56
Views: 6091

Re: Condo rich vs house poor?

Not very many LCOL areas offer many $250K jobs. Sounds like they possibly work in finance in NYC. A lot of those high-paying jobs can now be done WFH. It's incredibly naive to think that. First, we are already seeing companies adjust salaries for workers based on their WFH location. Second, it's not obvious at all that companies and industries that "prefer" in-person in-office activity are going to make real long-term changes to support more WFH. Say, finance - I doubt that is an industry where many companies will be happy with WFH in the long run. Third, WFH locks you into a single employer in many cases. In some industries, a particular position is always tenuous but there is high job mobility. Location is often important in su...
by ossipago
Thu Sep 17, 2020 10:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Condo rich vs house poor?
Replies: 56
Views: 6091

Re: Condo rich vs house poor?

Not very many LCOL areas offer many $250K jobs. Sounds like they possibly work in finance in NYC.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.
Replies: 64
Views: 8267

Re: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.

bottlecap wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:27 pm I'm more interested in the overall "return" on the $16,000.00 rather than anyone's personal benefit. What are the life of the panels? Do they require maintenance? What electricity rates are you paying? That’s what makes this stuff interesting.

JT
Panels are usually warrantied for 25 or 30 years. They degrade by 0.5-1 percent a year. They otherwise need very little maintenance; they are self-cleaning and most new installations use internet-connected monitors that can flag when anything is not showing the expected behavior.

Inverters last 10-15 years, so they are the rate-limiting component.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 16, 2020 10:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.
Replies: 64
Views: 8267

Re: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.

My breakeven (residential in DC) is about 3 years but that is largely due to SRECs. They constitute 75% of the benefit for me. We haven't been through a full year yet but are on track for a roughly 30% return per year on our investment. Forgive my ignorance here, but I just looked up what SREC means. Are you in a state that gives these out? Is it given automatically when you put up solar panels in one of those named states? Yes, DC provides SRECs. Each state is different. But I think most have renewable targets for state or local utilities to meet. You get credits for your solar production in the form of SRECs, and sell them on the open market at the clearing price. Usually, that happens through a broker. Fellow DC resident here, consideri...
by ossipago
Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.
Replies: 64
Views: 8267

Re: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.

Boglelicious123 wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:40 pm
ossipago wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:06 pm My breakeven (residential in DC) is about 3 years but that is largely due to SRECs. They constitute 75% of the benefit for me. We haven't been through a full year yet but are on track for a roughly 30% return per year on our investment.
Forgive my ignorance here, but I just looked up what SREC means. Are you in a state that gives these out? Is it given automatically when you put up solar panels in one of those named states?
Yes, DC provides SRECs. Each state is different. But I think most have renewable targets for state or local utilities to meet. You get credits for your solar production in the form of SRECs, and sell them on the open market at the clearing price. Usually, that happens through a broker.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which refi would save me more?
Replies: 20
Views: 1624

Re: Which refi would save me more?

Generally, no, since credit scoring models consolidate pulls over a 14 or 45 day period.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.
Replies: 64
Views: 8267

Re: Solar - after 1 year the results are in.

My breakeven (residential in DC) is about 3 years but that is largely due to SRECs. They constitute 75% of the benefit for me. We haven't been through a full year yet but are on track for a roughly 30% return per year on our investment.
by ossipago
Mon Sep 14, 2020 11:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Not sure how quick other lenders will follow but just got this email from Better “Lock now — prices go up on 9/21 As you may know, the FHFA has introduced a 0.5% fee on all refinance loans funded after November 30, 2020. That means you must lock a rate before September 21 to avoid additional costs. The fee will raise the cost of refinancing by 0.5% of the loan amount — $1650 on average. Rates are still near record lows, so don’t wait. Lock instantly online today — and lock in those savings.” I got the same email from Better. I've learned over the past week or two that this is a well known fee that was initially intended to be implemented on Sept 1 but was pushed back to Dec 1. Consequently, it puts some time pressure on refinancing before ...
by ossipago
Mon Sep 14, 2020 9:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which refi would save me more?
Replies: 20
Views: 1624

Re: Which refi would save me more?

Have you checked rates at the lenders most often mentioned here - LoanDepot, LenderFi (their quick rates are higher than the actual rates they offer after an application), LoanCabin (if it operates in your state), Better?
by ossipago
Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
Replies: 76
Views: 9789

Re: Repair plasma television or get new TV?

OP here. I am 95% certain that this is a power board failure. My plan is to pull it, send it to one of the online repair shops, and see if that fixes it. It's less than $75 all-in and seems worth it to me. It'll be a few weeks before I can update on the results.
by ossipago
Fri Sep 11, 2020 4:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

To get the best rate:

Loan amount can't be too small or too big
LTV can't be too big
Best credit bracket
Live in the right state
Apply on the right day, hour, or minute
by ossipago
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Can you lock with two lenders?

Is there any reason to do so, if the rates are the same and appraisal is waived in both cases? E.g. concerns over time to close?

Does it matter at all if one lender is a broker (i.e. LenderFi) and another is a direct lender (e.g. Loan Depot)?
by ossipago
Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Calirefi2020 wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 9:03 pm
jfmiii wrote: Thu Sep 10, 2020 8:04 pm Anyone have any luck on sub-3% jumbo 30yr FRM refis? I’m in IL. Thanks!
I’m locked in with LD at 2.625% on $620k refi in CA
I'm guessing this is a super conforming loan in a high-cost area (sellable to Fannie/Freddie) and not actually a jumbo.
by ossipago
Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
Replies: 76
Views: 9789

Re: Repair plasma television or get new TV?

I wish I had never downgraded my plasma.... I still have it in another room and it's FAR better than the OLED. Your never going to repair it but don't expect a better picture from OLED. With respect, because I loved my plasma screens also, but I think you posted with your heart rather than your eyes (or perhaps you have a very early OLED). Plasma can’t compete with OLED with 4K, HDR, etc. I would agree with TomatoTomahto. I have both. I have a 77 inch LG OLED downstairs and a 58 inch Panasonic plasma upstairs. With 4K content, the OLED picture quality is much better than the plasma. Although, I still prefer my 10 year old plasma over most lower tier new LED TVs. Yes, it's true there is no plasma with HDR and 4K. But there is also no TV tec...
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 8:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
Replies: 76
Views: 9789

Re: Repair plasma television or get new TV?

It's now started to display some issues that likely indicate some internal electronic issues (difficulty powering on, random restarts). Samsung is well known for using cheap capacitors, and either a bulging capacitor or cold solder joint is the most likely culprit. I'd doubt a cold solder joint would be a problem at this point. You'll never find it. Can you describe the power on "difficulty" and "random restart" in more detail? You're assuming that the problem is with a cap in the primary power supply - the most likely spot. It could be a cap in a regulation circuit somewhere else that's triggering the restart. Or, you have more than one thing failing. A couple folks have asked, so here is the problem I am facing: The T...
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265325

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

wootwoot wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:21 pm
jgman wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:09 pm Just locked in a 30-yr with LenderFi at 2.5% with loan costs of $1050 and credit of $2700. Appraisal was waived.
Can you provide more details on how? The rates quoted on their site are significantly worse than that.
Their actual rates tend to be about .25% below their published rates. Also, the best rates depend on state, LTV, and being below the conforming limit.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:19 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can't contact prior employer to rollover 401k
Replies: 21
Views: 2384

Re: Can't contact prior employer to rollover 401k

Why not just bridge it? Move it from old 401K to your IRA temporarily (which gets you around the trustee thing that TSP requires), and then move it from IRA to TSP utilizing the actually responsive IRA provider I don't want to move it into an IRA as I am using a backdoor Roth. If the TSP accepts a rollover from the IRA, then this shouldn't matter if you can get it done before the end of the year in which you do a Roth conversion. Ding ding ding! I might be able to do that and avoid backdoor Roth issues. I also have other reasons I don't want to, including but not limited to the potential fees and complications from having to open a new IRA and then close it quickly. But mostly, I don't think I should have to. The company should fulfill it'...
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: LenderFi & Better.com
Replies: 8
Views: 2415

Re: LenderFi & Better.com

In my experience, the online lenders use the Fannie or Freddie online appraisal tools. If those show sufficient LTV (usually one of the two is sufficient) they will waive appraisal. This is more common in a true no-cost, as only the lender saves money in that case.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can't contact prior employer to rollover 401k
Replies: 21
Views: 2384

Re: Can't contact prior employer to rollover 401k

MBB_Boy wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:22 am Why not just bridge it? Move it from old 401K to your IRA temporarily (which gets you around the trustee thing that TSP requires), and then move it from IRA to TSP utilizing the actually responsive IRA provider
I don't want to move it into an IRA as I am using a backdoor Roth.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
Replies: 76
Views: 9789

Re: Repair plasma television or get new TV?

Yes, I don't consider anything other than OLED a reasonable replacement for plasma. The black levels, contrast, "natural" color gamut, and smooth motion are second to none. OLED is superior on some but not all of these factors.

I have found a local repairperson with experience in my exact model of plasma that works at the component level, not the board level. He can do capacitor, fuse, etc. replacements directly as well as resolder connections. Prices seems reasonable. I'm still torn, though, given the feedback.
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 12:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair plasma television or get new TV?
Replies: 76
Views: 9789

Repair plasma television or get new TV?

I have and really like my Samsung PN51F8500, the last generation plasma model before it was discontinued. It's been our main display for over five years with no issues, and probably has 8000-10000 display hours. It's now started to display some issues that likely indicate some internal electronic issues (difficulty powering on, random restarts). Samsung is well known for using cheap capacitors, and either a bulging capacitor or cold solder joint is the most likely culprit. My dilemma is whether it's worth repairing the plasma or not. If the issue is the most likely case, it can probably be fixed for $100-200, and we would be looking to get at least 2 extra year out of it. (I'd pay someone to do it, as I have neither the equipment nor expert...
by ossipago
Wed Sep 09, 2020 12:47 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can't contact prior employer to rollover 401k
Replies: 21
Views: 2384

Re: Can't contact prior employer to rollover 401k

I have the current trustee's name, phone, and email. No response. I'll wait a few more days, then take more aggressive steps if I don't hear at least an acknowledgment. I have some concrete ideas for next steps now.