Search found 10070 matches

by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 7:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)
Replies: 39
Views: 3937

Re: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)

What you need to find out - if you are so inclined - is whether statistically there is a difference in the taxes levied on the 1k sq ft houses viz-a-viz the 2k sq ft houses. This is California. Property tax is based on the purchase price. Won't they reassess the house if you "add" square footage? Something I would be concerned about. If the current assessment is close to the market value on a 2K house, it probably won't make much difference. When they reassess, they only reassess the part that you added. So if you bought the place for $500k and it’s currently worth $1m, your tax basis might be $550k or something. Then you add a 200 sqft bedroom, they would add maybe $100k to the tax basis for the extra room. Which is not insignif...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 7:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Sell RSUs after holding a while?
Replies: 59
Views: 6079

Re: Sell RSUs after holding a while?

So if the choice is between making money and paying taxes on it, and losing money, I’d take making money and paying tax every time. i'm not "losing money". i'm merely stating the possibility that the stock price may drop, just like it could for an index fund. where money may potentially be lost is in tax optimization. Okay, the way you phrased it sounded like you would hold it until you didn’t owe taxes on it, and then sell, which is pretty much a guarantee that you will sell for a loss. It’s like having a stop loss order on a stock. In the day to day bouncing around of the market, you’re almost guaranteed to have the stock sold at the stop loss limit. Anyway, the Bogleheads view is that you should always sell employer stock as s...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 5:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)
Replies: 39
Views: 3937

Re: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)

an_asker wrote: Fri Dec 29, 2023 5:01 pm What you need to find out - if you are so inclined - is whether statistically there is a difference in the taxes levied on the 1k sq ft houses viz-a-viz the 2k sq ft houses.
This is California. Property tax is based on the purchase price.
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 4:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)
Replies: 39
Views: 3937

Re: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)

Something to keep in mind is that in the Bay Area a $1.5 million dollar property might really be something like a $300K house on a $1.2 million dollar lot. The square footage of the house might not really matter a lot. In many areas you can see what the assessed value of a house is online. You can like see some of your neighbors houses which are listed at 2,000 sq feet to see how that compares to yours. The tax basis (they call it tax basis here, not assessed value, for reasons that will come clear in a sec) is based on the sale price. The sale price is much more a result of the dare of the last sale than anything to do with the house. For example, the tax basis of my 2300 sqft house is $385k, because we bought it for $235k in 1997. My nex...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 4:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Sell RSUs after holding a while?
Replies: 59
Views: 6079

Re: Sell RSUs after holding a while?

So if the choice is between making money and paying taxes on it, and losing money, I’d take making money and paying tax every time.
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 2:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)
Replies: 39
Views: 3937

Re: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)

[1] Was the basement electrical up to code at the time the house was originally constructed? Since the basement appears to be part of the original build, that’s what counts. If you want to modernize the electric, do that, but the county isn’t going to care until you pull permits. [2] Property taxes are based on what you paid for the house, not what the house is. If you pull permits to add an additional square feet, you’ll get reassessed for the new square footage. Pulling permits to upgrade the electric or remodel your kitchen or whatever will not trigger a reassessment. 1. Not sure if electrical was up to code when the house was constructed. It looks like the wiring dates back to the late 80s. 2. This is an interesting point. Let's say I ...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retirement: what was more expensive than anticipated?
Replies: 80
Views: 19481

Re: Retirement: what was more expensive than anticipated?

Health Care (period from ACA early retirement to Medicare coverage was punishing). Home renovations and additions j🌺 How much would you allocate to healthcare for someone considering early retirement today? On the forum you see numbers like $20,000 a year. (Not that one would spend that much but to be prepared to spend that much - ie - premiums + the maximum out of pocket/year) Most people on ACA plans are on Bronze, high deductible plans. The easiest calculation is the premium plus the out of pocket max. If you can keep your income low enough to qualify for subsidies, your premiums could be anywhere from $100-500/month. If you don’t, it’s probably more like $700 in today’s dollars. Currently the out of pocket max on HSA eligible plans is ...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 1:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)
Replies: 39
Views: 3937

Re: Permits, property taxes: A peculiar Bay Area dilemma? (San Jose, CA)

Thanks for all the responses. Some answers: a. The 'basement' isn't up to code. I recently had a whole house repipe, so the plumbing is--but the electrical, for example, is most assuredly not! b. To Curmudgeon's point: Part of the lower floor is below grade. It's exactly that type of house. Windows on all sides, too, along with a walk-out entrance. c. Contractor is local, but didn't know whom to talk to in the building dept--his connections don't run that deep, apparently. I will try talking to someone in person. Was the basement electrical up to code at the time the house was originally constructed? Since the basement appears to be part of the original build, that’s what counts. If you want to modernize the electric, do that, but the coun...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is Your Biggest "Good Problem to Have"? [Financial]
Replies: 97
Views: 13672

Re: What is Your Biggest "Good Problem to Have"? [Financial]

We’re well past the cap gains exclusion on our house.
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moral Issues with Credit Card Rewards
Replies: 22
Views: 1899

Re: Moral Issues with Credit Card Rewards

People getting in trouble with credit card debt happened long before rewards cards became a thing, and will continue to happen whether or not rewards continue to exist. The two things are not related.
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 29, 2023 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Temecula this January
Replies: 39
Views: 4457

Re: Temecula this January

Is the AirBNB nice, at least? Maybe just bring a book and put a fire in the fireplace. Temecula tends to be cool and windy that time of year.

The high desert (Joshua Tree) is often cold as well. We’ve gotten snowed on when we were there.

Julian is in the mountains. People from the coast take their kids there to see snow. If you’re trying to get warmed up, that may not be what you want to do.

Anza Borrego will be warm, but it’s a 2+ hour trek over some windy mountain roads to get there.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 9:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Temecula this January
Replies: 39
Views: 4457

Re: Temecula this January

InMyDreams wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:48 pm Yes, it is set: Temecula is where we are headed.

Driving to Anza Borrego or Joshua Tree (separate days) is fine.

Thank you for all input - any additional info is also appreciated. I'm especially trying to figure out a shuttle arrangement or mass transit to SD airport. Is there another city nearer to SD that would be easier to get a ride from?
Rome2rio says there’s a Flixbus you can take. https://www.rome2rio.com/map/San-Diego ... cula#r/Bus

The only other option it offers is a car service, which is expensive, or driving yourself.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Robotics focused colleges (tier 2 + co op preferred)
Replies: 65
Views: 7629

Re: Robotics focused colleges (tier 2 + co op preferred)

Several Cal States are fine for engineering at a tier below UC and Cal Polys. Chico, SDSU, SJSU, Northridge, Fresno (probably missing a few) -- but they are competitive too. California tech/defense firms have hired engineers from these schools since World War II albeit often in testing and technical support roles. Also privates like Chapman, Santa Clara, and Loyola Marymount. Interestingly, SDSU and SJSU are a harder lift to get into than UC Riverside or Merced. Both are seriously impacted, especially for degrees that you can make a living in. The downside of Riverside and Merced is that you have to live in either Riverside or Merced for four years. The upside is you come out of it with a UC degree. And both have good robotics programs. Al...
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What was the investment climate like in the bull market 10 years ago?
Replies: 55
Views: 7256

Re: What was the investment climate like in the bull market 10 years ago?

I can’t remember 2013. I had everything in either VTI or a target retirement fund and wasn’t paying attention to the market. Did something happen?
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 5:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Robotics focused colleges (tier 2 + co op preferred)
Replies: 65
Views: 7629

Re: Robotics focused colleges (tier 2 + co op preferred)

Most of the UC’s have good robotics programs, as do SDSU, SJSU, and Cal Poly. Of that bunch, UC Riverside and Merced are probably obtainable, the others might be a stretch.

The biggest thing you can do at this point is to encourage junior to have stellar grades, especially in STEM subjects.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 5:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Temecula this January
Replies: 39
Views: 4457

Re: Temecula this January

Interesting. Location selection was made by another party member. There's one car rented with certainty, and the possibility of adding a rental if needed. Also considering renting a bike/ebike. Not camping, staying at AirBnBs, Sunday-Saturday. I noticed Joshua Tree NP and Anza Borrego SP, tho they're definitely driving-not-walking distance. Been to the ABQ Balloon Fiesta multiple times, so not pulled by balloons... Is there time to change the reservation? Temecula is a bedroom community about halfway between San Diego and Orange County, that people live in when they can’t afford either San Diego or Orange County. It isn’t really a tourist destination. Joshua Tree and Borrego are both really great places, but they are both a couple of hours...
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 5:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: $700k Tax Bill
Replies: 80
Views: 17167

Re: $700k Tax Bill

v1nce wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 2:11 pm
AlohaBill wrote: Thu Dec 28, 2023 1:09 pm Why don’t you hire a good tax lawyer?
Have you hired any good ones? What did they advise...
A good tax lawyer would advise that you pay a lawyer, who actually knows your situation, for advice.

Seriously, your take home pay after tax is still several times what the 99th percentile gross income is. It sounds like you’ve already gotten professional advice, and done the things you are willing to do. My only suggestion would be to look at charitable giving. There are a lot of people who could benefit from your spare change.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: $700k Tax Bill
Replies: 80
Views: 17167

Re: $700k Tax Bill

Your tax bill would be less if you made less money. But then you’d have less money.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:13 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: ACA subsidy; IRA withdrawals at 59 1/2 to fund a savings account
Replies: 20
Views: 1708

Re: ACA subsidy; IRA withdrawals at 59 1/2 to fund a savings account

Greetings, At retirement (say 62), between wife's pension, SSI at age 62 (per Open Social Security) and withdrawals from savings account, keep taxable income at the maximum allowable (to get some of the subsidy) or less. Based on your assets, I don’t think you will qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as defined by the Social Security Administration, “SSI provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no resources.” bill Correct. SSI is for disabled people who haven’t worked enough quarters to qualify for Social Security, which is clearly not OP’s case. If OP is permanently disabled, they can qualify for SSDI, which a) pays better than SSI, b) isn’t means tested, and c) you qualify for ...
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 4:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Book recommendations for emotional control
Replies: 34
Views: 4149

Re: Book recommendations for emotional control

The problem with a book is you read a book, think, “oh, I’ve got it now!” And then the effect of the book lasts for about a week. I would recommend something more ongoing, like therapy, or an anger management support group. For one thing, the idea is not to not have emotions, but to be able to express them appropriately.
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 3:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Temecula this January
Replies: 39
Views: 4457

Re: Temecula this January

Temecula? Without a car?

First, why specifically Temecula? There are a lot of great things to see and do in Southern California, but Temecula is a long way from most of them. Wine tasting and hot air ballooning are the only things I can think of.

And you need a car, no matter what you’re planning to do.
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 3:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: is finishing a garage floor recommended? sealing, epoxy, something else?
Replies: 37
Views: 6519

Re: is finishing a garage floor recommended? sealing, epoxy, something else?

It’s a garage. My car and some tools sit in there. It’s not part of the living area of the house. If I had that kind of money burning a hole in my pocket, I’d spend it on something I cared about, not something I would only see two minutes a day as I was coming and going.
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 3:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: $2000 a year for $1M umbrella insurance
Replies: 73
Views: 9333

Re: $2000 a year for $1M umbrella insurance

The insurance is expensive because the risk of an expensive claim is high. I would definitely not want to go without in your situation.
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 2:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ACA before medicare
Replies: 43
Views: 5349

Re: ACA before medicare

ACA networks are different than your employer plan. They are often smaller, so you need to check. If you think you want to use something like UCLA, you will need to find out what plan(s) UCLA accepts. When I was looking at UCSD, there was exactly one plan they took, and it was $1000/month more expensive than the Bronze Kaiser plan I’m on, so I kept my Bronze Kaiser plan, and private pay the couple of times a year that I need to consult with the oncologist there. I have Kaiser, and they regularly send patients to UCSD, Scripps, City of Hope, etc, for the care they can’t do in house, so I don’t worry about the fact that I’m in a HMO. Do I understand correctly that for Kaiser the "network" is the same between ACA and non-ACA? I.e. A...
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 12:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best Tips for a Macbook Air?
Replies: 16
Views: 1649

Re: Best Tips for a Macbook Air?

I would uninstall the virus blocker and see if that fixes things.
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 10:39 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ACA before medicare
Replies: 43
Views: 5349

Re: ACA before medicare

Cosmicpony wrote: Wed Dec 27, 2023 10:29 am And in my opinion, HSAs are a big scam fostered by lawmakers and the banking industry, often paying little to no interest. I have found that Vanguard offers the best option and allows you to invest your money just like a normal brokerage, offering a fair rate of interest.
There are some questionable HSA custodians, but my Fidelity HSA has no fees and allows me to invest in anything I want, just like an IRA.
by quantAndHold
Wed Dec 27, 2023 10:37 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ACA before medicare
Replies: 43
Views: 5349

Re: ACA before medicare

I think a lot of people who haven’t been on an ACA plan, or haven’t tested it fully, have the idea that the ACA is some sort of hellscape. It isn’t. The four things you need to be aware of are the premium, the plan network, the deductible, and the out of pocket max. For most people who are high users of healthcare, your annual cost will be the premium plus the out of pocket max. I put together a spreadsheet where I put a year’s worth of my cancer care, then calculated what my costs would be with the different level plans, and the only one where I didn’t hit the out of pocket max was the Platinum plan. But the premium on the platinum plan was so high that it was still not the cheapest. For nearly everyone, the cheapest plan will be the HSA e...
by quantAndHold
Tue Dec 26, 2023 10:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which iPad To Get
Replies: 38
Views: 4416

Re: Which iPad To Get

OP - I'm trying to figure out which iPad to get too. iPads don't currently have "kickstands (like the MS Surface Pros do). This is feature that I think would be convenient so that I don't have to hold it up constantly. Rumors on the techvine are that kickstands will be incorporated into the next gen iPads released later this year, so I'm in a holding pattern. The cover provides that kind of functionality. What cover do you recommend? They all look so bulky, like looking at an etch-a-sketch, which defeats the purpose of trying to slim the iPad. Honestly. I prefer the actual Apple cover. It’s freaking expensive, but I remind myself that I use it several hours a day and will keep it for five or six years, so I might as well get whatever ...
by quantAndHold
Tue Dec 26, 2023 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which iPad To Get
Replies: 38
Views: 4416

Re: Which iPad To Get

WhitePuma wrote: Tue Dec 26, 2023 1:10 pm OP - I'm trying to figure out which iPad to get too.

iPads don't currently have "kickstands (like the MS Surface Pros do). This is feature that I think would be convenient so that I don't have to hold it up constantly. Rumors on the techvine are that kickstands will be incorporated into the next gen iPads released later this year, so I'm in a holding pattern.
The cover provides that kind of functionality.
by quantAndHold
Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Paramount+ and other Streamers...What Am I Missing?
Replies: 18
Views: 2760

Re: Paramount+ and other Streamers...What Am I Missing?

I have had similar intermittent issues with Paramount+. Their software appears to be much lower quality than competitors. Their app on my Apple TV will frequently crash, and will often glitch and not allow fast forwarding/etc. of non-live content. In one case, we started watching a show and the paused it for ~5 minutes halfway through. When we came back, there was no other option other than to start from the beginning. The software also seems to be much more unforgiving of ad blockers (e.g., a Raspberry Pi running PiHole) than other vendors. For what it's worth, our subscription is via a Walmart Plus membership (free with Amex Platinum). If it wasn't free, I wouldn't bother. Interesting. Paramount+ works fine on my Fire TV. Don't get me st...
by quantAndHold
Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Paramount+ and other Streamers...What Am I Missing?
Replies: 18
Views: 2760

Re: Paramount+ and other Streamers...What Am I Missing?

Leesbro63 wrote: Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:25 am
dukeblue219 wrote: Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:22 am Are you watching live TV through Paramount+? That might be restricted in such a manner. All the usual "library" titles should allow rewind fast-forward etc.
It says it's live, but it's through the Comcast box. Honestly I'm not sure what I'm doing. I watch Netflix through the Comcast box and it works fine.

Isn't "live TV" and "streaming" a contradiction?
Some of us don't have cable so live TV is a useful thing. If you have cable, it probably isn't.
by quantAndHold
Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which iPad To Get
Replies: 38
Views: 4416

Re: Which iPad To Get

I would go to the Apple Store and try them all out and see what you like. My wife has a 10th gen which she loves, and I have a 12.9” iPad Pro, which is indeed too large for most things, but good for sitting on the couch watching videos. I got it to draw on, and it’s great for that.

An advantage of the Air is that it’s compatible with the 2nd gen Apple Pencil, which charges by just sticking it magnetically to the side of the iPad.

As far as cell service, it’s useful when traveling, and also for things like waiting in doctor’s offices. Having cell service was super handy when I was going through multi-hour chemo sessions.
by quantAndHold
Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I spend $1500 for a kitten?
Replies: 71
Views: 8455

Re: Should I spend $1500 for a kitten?

We've had both purebred animals from reputable breeders, and shelter animals. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

I figure if you can't afford the $1500 or so for a purebred animal, you probably can't afford the food and toys and vet bills. This is especially true for bengals, which are notorious for expensive health problems.

I think if I were a bengal lover, I think I'd satisfy myself by playing with cats at the local bengal rescue. Owning a bengal is the path to expensive heartbreak. My BFF has had 4, and 3 of them developed major health problems at fairly young ages.
by quantAndHold
Mon Dec 25, 2023 2:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Post Employment Health Plan
Replies: 6
Views: 1267

Re: Post Employment Health Plan

What happens to your contributions if you leave the company before 30 years?
by quantAndHold
Mon Dec 25, 2023 2:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Was accidentally placed on Medicaid.
Replies: 14
Views: 3351

Re: Was accidentally placed on Medicaid.

OP, what state are you in? We could provide more help if we knew that.

If you just entered you income wrong, you should be able to log back into the marketplace and correct your income. If your expected income is actually low enough for Medicaid, it depends on what state you're in. Some states offer managed care from the same companies that sell ACA plans. The main difference between Medicaid and an ACA plan is that Medicaid would be free. In other states, Medicaid is an inferior product, and it's worth doing a small Roth conversion to get you income high enough to qualify for an ACA plan.
by quantAndHold
Mon Dec 25, 2023 11:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: ACA coverage question
Replies: 3
Views: 952

Re: ACA coverage question

If you can get Kaiser, Kaiser coverage works anywhere there's a Kaiser facility. And in states where there's no Kaiser, you can go to any provider that takes Cigna for urgent care and they'll cover it as in network.
by quantAndHold
Mon Dec 25, 2023 10:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I spend $1500 for a kitten?
Replies: 71
Views: 8455

Re: Should I spend $1500 for a kitten?

All I can say is make sure a bengal is really what you want. They have both health and behavioral issues, and they're different than your rescue cats. My BFF has always had bengals, and they look cool, but they're not a cat I would ever choose.
by quantAndHold
Mon Dec 25, 2023 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can I negotiate a 'new patient' bill from doctor?
Replies: 57
Views: 8314

Re: Can I negotiate a 'new patient' bill from doctor?

$350 for a new patient specialist visit is the going rate. New patients take more time than established patients, so it's going to be more.
by quantAndHold
Sun Dec 24, 2023 4:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to lead a team that is older and more experienced that me
Replies: 40
Views: 5790

Re: How to lead a team that is older and more experienced that me

You’ve already gotten good advice from this group. What I would add is that your CEO is trying to mentor you. Take advantage of that. Ask the questions you have asked here. The CEO knows your background and knows you don’t have a lot of management experience, so these kinds of questions won’t be unexpected. The other suggestion is to have weekly 1:1 meetings with each of your team members. Find out what they’ve been doing, what’s holding them back, and what they need from you. Then go out and try to provide it. It’s also a time to make sure that their personal goals align with your corporate goals. I wouldn’t worry about your relative lack of experience. 25 years is a lot in any field, and there isn’t really much difference between someone ...
by quantAndHold
Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Low Voltage System for entire home
Replies: 17
Views: 2312

Re: Low Voltage System for entire home

This might be a fun hobby project, but it will cost more and be harder to maintain than just using 120. It’s impractical to use low voltage for *everything*, because most things in our homes are set up to use 120v AC. Even RV’s have dual 12v/120v systems, where the low wattage items use DC, and there are AC outlets for the TV and instant pot and electric toothbrush. So you’ll need to have dual systems , which adds cost and complexity. Few household electricians will have regular experience with DC, and DC breakers and switches and such are more expensive than their AC counterparts, and you can’t just run down to the orange bucket store to get them. I suppose if you’re handy and have room in your attic, you could have a step down transformer...
by quantAndHold
Sun Dec 24, 2023 10:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Financial Planning for Forever Renters?
Replies: 39
Views: 4521

Re: Financial Planning for Forever Renters?

Owning a home has greater certainty of future expense but it’s still got a lot of unpredictable elements (property tax, maintenance, insurance). All of these costs are passed on from the property owner to the tenant. And all of these costs are higher for tenants than homeowners will experience. That is true, and we are willing to pay for that plus giving the landlord a profit, because that is still cheaper than we buying it (at least in the near term). Our landlord's cost is drastically lower than the cost for a new owner who buys it right now. They bought the house 25 years ago at $400K; the current market price is near $1.2M. What this misses, and what all these “rent forever” threads miss, is inflation. If you bought now, your housing c...
by quantAndHold
Sat Dec 23, 2023 3:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What frugal thing did you do today?
Replies: 4524
Views: 617213

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

I stumbled across [Link removed by admin LadyGeek] where I was able to download a free PDF of The New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet: Rev Your Metabolism and Improve Your Health with the Latest Science of Weight Loss I did have to give up my email address and I still wonder what the catch is but it looks interesting, lots of other files available. I removed the link, as that book is copyrighted. Obtaining a "free" PDF bypasses copyright restrictions. It appears to be a legit site, but with many using that site to upload files intended to bypass copyright. IOW, it's a pirated copy of the book. Thanks, I'm still a bit puzzled how it can be a legit site and allow this. I'm not exactly getting spammed by the site but each day they se...
by quantAndHold
Sat Dec 23, 2023 10:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon Q&A MIA
Replies: 25
Views: 2839

Re: Amazon Q&A MIA

shmidds wrote: Sat Dec 23, 2023 10:02 am What I find strange is how few people seem to care that a very useful feature is gone.
Probably because it’s not gone. On my phone it’s right above the reviews.

Also, because unless the seller is answering the questions, it’s not actually that useful. It seems to collect more useless “answers” to dredge through than the reviews.
by quantAndHold
Sat Dec 23, 2023 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Incorrectly classified as a contract worker; recourse?
Replies: 25
Views: 3219

Re: Incorrectly classified as a contract worker; recourse?

Nate79 wrote: Sat Dec 23, 2023 9:57 am Generally contractors make more to make up for the added costs you pay as your own employer. So I guess becoming an employee would come with an appropriate pay cut. So the question is does it matter to her if she is already looking for other work.
While this is arguably true for someone doing contract work, it is not true for an unsophisticated employee who is not actually doing contract work. This is a boss getting away without paying payroll taxes.
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 22, 2023 8:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio
Replies: 649
Views: 112397

Re: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio

Hi again Bogleheads - Check out this CNN article. It's pertinent, to say the least.... https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/20/media/siriusxm-cancellation-lawsuit/index.html On Wednesday, New York AG Letitia James announced she’s suing SiriusXM after an investigation discovered that the company “forces its subscribers to call or chat online with an agent to cancel a subscription, then deliberately draws out those interactions as part of its strategy” to prevent subscribers from cancelling their packages. In a press release, James said that a company’s difficult cancellation process is illegal. I didn't have to call or chat. I just clicked cancel subscription, it asked me if I was sure, i said yes and it was over and done with. How long ago was that...
by quantAndHold
Fri Dec 22, 2023 11:36 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Can anyone recommend a mattress pad/cover that is actually cooling?
Replies: 24
Views: 3030

Re: Can anyone recommend a mattress pad/cover that is actually cooling?

Latex worked for me. Very comfortable, too.

The absolute worst is memory foam. So very, very hot.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 21, 2023 6:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 'Tis the season - 86% nosedive for the S&P 500?
Replies: 17
Views: 2498

Re: 'Tis the season - 86% nosedive for the S&P 500?

Judging by how his previous predictions turned out, 2024 should be the best year for the S&P 500 ever.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 21, 2023 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Does a SUV have more utility than a sedan?
Replies: 297
Views: 144223

Re: Does a SUV have more utility than a sedan?

… As others have alluded to, even if you're in a big SUV, you cannot see to back out of a mall parking space, because everyone around you has a high vehicle, with black glass. (Why? Are paparazzi chasing your children like Lindsay Lohan?) Maybe that black glass will prevent an (imaginary, mainly) car-jacker from seeing that there is child in the back seat, while you are putting the shopping cart away. … In defense of black glass, a) it’s easy to see through from the inside, basically like wearing sunglasses, b) it keeps the car cooler in warm weather, and c) if you don’t have a trunk, you need another way to hide packages. I’ve had it on all of my cars for the last 20 years. As far as small vs large, and visibility, for several years I had...
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 21, 2023 11:03 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How often do you check up on your investments?
Replies: 81
Views: 8843

Re: How often do you check up on your investments?

Back when this thread was fresh and new, I was doing tactical asset allocation and rebalancing monthly, so I checked every month.

Life circumstances forced me to change to a 3-fund portfolio. Since then, I only check it if I need money. Usually find out about big market moves because someone says something here.
by quantAndHold
Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PSA: ink jet maintenance box
Replies: 24
Views: 2503

Re: PSA: ink jet maintenance box

Yes, I remember doing that to my Epson photo printer back in the day.

I remember there being complaints about some lower end HP inkjets having non-replaceable ink pads. So if the printer lasts long enough to fill it (most don’t), the printer is suddenly bricked.