Bogleheads.org

Pretty tempting offer. $525 for 25k on deposit for 60 days. The downside is it appears to require opening an account in a branch. https://bonusoffer.wf.com/savingsbonus?sub_channel=WEB&vendor_code=WF&collateral_code=MQ1&_ga=2.206218267.906590254.1679886913-1101070766.1677364228 Fine print says you cannot be the beneficiary of any other WF offer that required a promotional code. Since, as I posted above, I bit the $325 offer on checking account, I assume I am (and other posters who may be in my position) ineligible. Edit: I suppose I can persuade my spouse to open the account instead Tecjnically, the fine print says that you cannot be a beneficiary of any other WF savings offer with a promotional code. Methinks those who reaped ...

LOL. Thanks. I should have bought box spreads, I suppose.

I think it's fine to take a 401k loan to purchase a house, assuming you are going to buy the house anyway and this is strictly a financing and tax move.

Pretty tempting offer. $525 for 25k on deposit for 60 days. The downside is it appears to require opening an account in a branch.
https://bonusoffer.wf.com/savingsbonus? ... 1677364228

Now that yields are kind of interesting, whodidntante owns some bonds.

I have a quarter million in T-bills maturing in May/June and more than enough carryforward capital losses to offset the gains. If I decide to sell before maturity, are there any gotchas tax-wise? This seems to be a better application of my realized capital losses than realizing LTCG on equities at some future date. My current marginal tax rate is horrifying so I'd like to avoid paying it.

Credit cards are helpful if you have the temperament and the income to avoid getting trapped in a revolving debt cycle. Perhaps credit avoidance is due to having student loans and watching their family and friends get smacked around from overextension. It's an overreaction but leans rational. The stats on credit card usage show that many people carry high balances. I guess I'm included in those stats, though, even though my balances are at 0%.

Andy12345 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:24 pm

whodidntante wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:14 pm
I'd be looking to direct new investable cash flow into equities, not a savings account.

Are you suggesting only equities to balance out the bonds and cash she has? Would VTSAX be a good choice for her? It is nice that she had access to admiral shares

Since the advisor has built a reasonable portfolio and is not charging her anything, just send it to him. I would stay out of her portfolio construction for the reasons stated in my prior post. It might not be ideal, but it's likely to beat a savings account.

EnjoyIt wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 8:38 am Why I see the game worth it:

$1 million provides $40k a year in spending if using a 4% withdrawal rate.

$1 million also can provide at least $2500 bonus every year

That $2500 decreases the withdrawal from 4% down to 3.75% which is a really big deal and in my opinion worth even a few hours of my time.

I'll join your camp. I earn over 10k a year across credit card, bank, and brokerage bonuses. One could state that they have other opportunities to earn 10k/yr for less work, or that they don't need an additional 10k. Maybe that's true for some. But I think it's fun, so it does not feel like work to me.

If one is very wealthy, I'm sure the local homeless shelter could use an extra 10k a year. Consider yourself Robin Hood.

The investment portfolio is reasonable. It's very complicated, especially for 50 grand. But that's what advisors do. The problem with recommending portfolio changes is your mom might not be able to handle the volatility, and you might get heat or feel bad about it. Her overall portfolio is very conservative. She's carrying a lot of cash and also has a bond fund. She's around 45% fixed income. But addressing that might also be an issue waiting to happen, and it's not crazy to have ~34k in fixed income. Not a super high or super low income there. Expenses should be looked at. Keep in mind that self-reporting tends to be sunny day. You have to look at actuals. The money went somewhere or else she would have more. I'd be looking to direct new i...

It depends on the fund's strategy but managed futures will typically be long-short portfolios, so there is some give and take happening.

Leverage of equities would seem to make sense when the cost of money is high because the same conditions would also tend to depress valuations and increase expected returns. It's leveraging bonds that one should look at more closely right now. The expected return of leveraged long-bonds is currently negative. You might still buy such a thing, if you are aiming for risk parity or if you disagree with my view.

technovelist wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:40 am

VictoriaF wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:43 am

Prokofiev wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 10:07 pm

Ocean77 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:40 pm I read the article, but I still don't know why one would buy a TIPS that matures at age 104.

Wishful thinking?

As Bill wrote in his article, there is 3% chance that either he, or his wife, or both are still alive in 2053.

Victoria

Quite a few of my relatives have lived to 100 or more, so I'm concerned about that possibility too.

Now that's a high-quality problem.

muffins14 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 10:10 am If bogleheads turns into a place where we have a fear of our money market funds being wiped out so we all stay in cash, that will be baffling to me

Who would invest in stocks if they’re afraid of losing a dollar of cash?

I find many of the recommendations I read here to be extremely conservative. I think some people just tend to ruminate to the point of overthinking.

Reddit
Rational Reminder
Doctor of Credit
slickdeals
Youtube. Yep. It's a forum, also. Just think of the videos as the OP.
flyertalk

A treasure room with traps is the most secure solution, so long as your threat model doesn't include Indiana Jones.

You can write your nearest IRS service center if you want your $7 back.

I've been thinking about just consolidating everything at Fidelity and no longer chasing bonuses/etc. If I'm xferring low 7 figures (across multiple accounts) to Fidelity, does anyone know whether they may provide some un-advertised xfer bonus? I assume I'd need to call them and see, but wanted to check others' experiences first. I only started this bonus chasing last fall. I often ponder if it’s worth vs. the benefits of consolidating, especially to make things smoother for my wife in the event something was to happen to me. But for now, chasing seems to win. If I may ask, what was the main factor for you to want to consolidate? It's a part time job. But pays well. All that matters if your wife needs to step in is what you have currently ...

I wonder if securities lending revenue explains the 1099 div issues. It should still be corrected. I have lending opted out. They claim I have a short position, which I never have had, to explain their mistake. Utter nonsense Well, that's fun. /sarcasm I'm sure a lot of folks don't know their 1099-MISC is wrong. They'll find out three years from now when the IRS sends a bill along with interest. For the 1099-MISC, are you talking about not including the value of the bonus or something else? It appears that ?TastyWorks also did not include their bonus in their 1099-MISC last year... Public has stated that they intend to issue 1099-MISC for the bonus. They have not actually done so yet. So if you file or have filed without self-reporting the...

CletusCaddy wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 11:57 am

whodidntante wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 11:55 am Weathfront has the cheapest offering if you decide to do it. 0.25% for 100k and above, last I looked.

Their product is inferior. Only 45% of the portfolio is direct indexed. The rest of it holds ETFs which limits the TLH potential. So it’s cheaper but you get what you pay for.

Ah. Well, that's important.

It really depends on the credit union. Some credit unions have good loan rates, some have good deposit rates, and some have neither. I haven't seen one that tries to optimize both.

Joining a credit union is typically very easy, but some require an in-person visit to get it done.

I have joined a credit union strictly for an auto loan. I then used the account for money order deposits related to manufactured spending, since big banks tend to panic if you do that.

Weathfront has the cheapest offering if you decide to do it. 0.25% for 100k and above, last I looked.

nalor511 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 2:25 am

whodidntante wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 2:15 am I wonder if securities lending revenue explains the 1099 div issues. It should still be corrected.

I have lending opted out. They claim I have a short position, which I never have had, to explain their mistake. Utter nonsense

Well, that's fun. /sarcasm

I'm sure a lot of folks don't know their 1099-MISC is wrong. They'll find out three years from now when the IRS sends a bill along with interest.

I wonder if securities lending revenue explains the 1099 div issues. It should still be corrected.

U.S. Bank is offering $600 bonus for a new checking account with 2 or more direct deposits totalling $10,000 over 60 days. Seems worthwhile for spending under 1 hour total time without tying up any money. You can transfer the money elsewhere right away and keep $0 balance until you get the bonus and then close the account, if you no longer need it. https://www.doctorofcredit.com/u-s-bank-600-checking-bonus-plus-35-49-portal/amp/ This deal is even sweeter considering that right now US bank is allowing initial deposit of up to $3,000 with a credit card. So a simple 2% cashback card such as citi double cash would give $60 cashback (tax free)! That's interesting. I wonder why the credit card issuer is treating this type of transaction as a pur...

What's a bingo board? Banks that are located on high-traffic roads tend to have electronic signs that flash numbers and short messages. When I find a sweet enough deal, I shout "bingo!" and make a mental note to stop in. You can take it from there. :P Ahhh, OK. In your experience, are these "bingo" deals associated with the smaller banks and credit unions? I'm assuming that major bank branches don't have the freedom to offer special local incentives. It's typically local banks, credit unions, and regional banks that do this. The largest banks tend to advertise via direct mail, on their website, or with ads posted in the branch. I honestly find a lot of deals just by paying attention. It could be that banks are more aggr...

tomsense76 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:58 pm

whodidntante wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:55 pm

8301 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:39 pm

whodidntante wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:22 pm I have never regretted a contribution to a tax advantaged account. I've regretted missed contributions.

I cannot think of any disadvantage of directing my money into 401k unless I am below age 59 1/2 and need it now. I am even willing to pay a fee to do it.

It’s pretty easy to access the money early if desired, without penalty. I would write up how, but some FIRE blogger probably wrote a treatise on the subject.

Yep, this writeup lays out the options pretty well.

that is a good one. I’ll add an unconventional tip. A 401k loan can be useful when you have a specific plan to avoid the potential penalty.

No 1099 here. Maybe Apex quiet quit.

8301 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:39 pm

whodidntante wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 8:22 pm I have never regretted a contribution to a tax advantaged account. I've regretted missed contributions.

I cannot think of any disadvantage of directing my money into 401k unless I am below age 59 1/2 and need it now. I am even willing to pay a fee to do it.

It’s pretty easy to access the money early if desired, without penalty. I would write up how, but some FIRE blogger probably wrote a treatise on the subject.

“Buy when others are fearful”. Does it make sense to back up the truck to sector funds such as financials? Seems like a good time to get a huge discount. You might have to sit on it until it rebounds but you would do that with any holding. What would having 10-15% of portfolio in this matter as far as the downside. Could go down more. If it does just DCA into it. Is this any worse or riskier than holding something such as a REIT fund at these percentages? I didn't read the posts in this thread, but buying a sector fund does not seem like a Buffett move to me. His style is to concentrate into a small number of public and private companies that he finds attractive and to park the rest into T-bills so he can do some shopping when the storm co...

I have never regretted a contribution to a tax advantaged account. I've regretted missed contributions.

Pu239 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:01 pm What's a bingo board?

Banks that are located on high-traffic roads tend to have electronic signs that flash numbers and short messages. When I find a sweet enough deal, I shout "bingo!" and make a mental note to stop in. You can take it from there.

The mega caps tend to trip themselves over their extremely large feet. So I think just avoiding those would improve a portfolio. However, owning mid caps with a quality filter would do that just fine, since an S&P 500 fund minus clown shoe companies seems elusive. There seems to be a bit of a small cap boost as well, also with a quality filter. Extended market funds and the Russell 2000 seem to be an eternal dumpster fire.

You are 38. You need a better job. If you retire, you might start to waste your time with pointless busy work like pickleball and buying your way onto the board of a non-profit where you attend meetings where you argue over how to spend the money you donated. Even worse, you might start to brag about your rusted-out [unnecessary comment removed by moderator oldcomputerguy] car with an interior that consists primarily of ground dirt and mildew. Which works fine because you can't really afford to go anywhere often.

zero_coupon wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 3:40 am

Mel Lindauer wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 1:23 am However, despite the fact that Mid-Caps had been very good to me, once I had attained "more than enough", I reduced the equity portion of my portfolio and opted to move the reduced equity portion to Vanguard's Index 500 fund, which is now my sole equity holding.

So much for "stay the course," ha ha.

A vessel that never changes course is called a shipwreck.

This AI cannot pass the Turing test, but it can fill in for a CNBC commentator.

JBTX wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 11:54 pm

whodidntante wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 9:13 pm I like to keep my emergency fund in emerging markets value stocks.

Any fool knows it should be in Bitcoin. Preferably at FTX.

Funds are safu.

It's painful for companies to comply with the anti-terrorism requirements imposed by the USA government, and foreign banks don't really want to deal with it, either. So ex-pats can become unbanked if they aren't careful. When I was living as a nomad during the chip and PIN era, I had to go to great lengths to get a foreign credit card because no one wanted to do business with an American.

My advice: apply the rules of fight club to your foreign address. Also, stop sending pieces of paper through the mail for financial transactions. That wasn't covered in the fight club rules, but we could sub it for rule #3 without any issues.

Kookaburra wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 11:07 pm

whodidntante wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 9:55 am Honestly, brokerages are a commodity. So I go with the one that offers the highest bonus.

Vanguard had better offer a much higher bonus to coax me into tolerating all of their mistakes.

Ha! Well, Vanguard did a weird bonus with AmEx. It required buying advice or something. They can't even do a bonus properly.

WCI is a whole life shill. Just kidding.

Most of us need some insurance, but you wouldn't go far wrong if you adopt a policy to give as little money to insurance companies as possible.

Instead of this weird IBC doohickey, I'd suggest looking into low-cost ways of borrowing against your investment portfolio. These include box spreads and margin from IBKR Pro. If you own a pile of sticks that makes your mom proud, you can also borrow against that. This is much simpler, and you can access an enormous pile of money if you're rich enough for IBC to matter. The idea is own whatever you like, but you have the option to borrow instead of sell. Probably faster, definitely easier, and almost certainly for less cost.

I think it's best to panic.

I like to keep my emergency fund in emerging markets value stocks.

When visiting a city, I don't bother with its museums unless they are truly the best in class or there is something there that I really want to see. The B-grade museums are for bored residents, not tourists. With that in mind, though, you could certainly pay a visit to the Harley Davidson museum. I'm not aware of a better museum for that sort of thing.

Heavy German influence in Milwaukee. Get some cheese curds and some bratwurst and a huge stein of beer.

I don't connect that well with the majority of people in my distant past. It's part of branching out. I don't think it is my wealth.

True. I edited it to limit the scope to bank bonuses.

You may be overthinking this.

Some posters indicated an interest in such a thread. Let’s see if it gains momentum or sputters out. Today, I checked my CapitalOne360 Savings account and found a nice surprise. My $1,000 for 100k deposit bonus posted! This required a 100k deposit for 90 days, and the account was one of those “high-yield” jobs that pay decent interest. All told, I estimate a 7.2% yield on a non-trivial amount of money from this arrangement. Here’s a mini-FAQ: What kind of bonuses are available? Checking, savings, and money market accounts sometimes pay bonuses. Checking accounts are less capital intensive, typically. For example, I just completed a $600 Huntington Bank bonus that only required 25k for a few days. How do I find bonuses? Check doctorofcredit....

Since it's a taxable account, I would buy nothing but equity index ETFs and trade in tax-advantaged accounts if I wanted to reduce risk. As far as which ones, I like to diversify across countries and across factors, and I like the Avantis offerings for factors. You can also trade during withdrawal so the effect is the same, but you access the money with less overall tax.

Don't panic. The answer is 42.

I wouldn't use Merrill Lynch due to fees. But I would use Merrill Edge because of the bonuses Merrill Edge pays.

I like to have a number of banks, brokerages, and credit card issuers in my life.

Accounts can be locked for a number of reasons, and it's not always instant to unlock them. I once had a bank account locked and it took several weeks to resolve that. If that were my only account, it would have been a serious problem. But it was only a minor inconvenience.

Plus, you can earn a substantial bonus. You are just a number to Vanguard, and to your bank.

It's probably not the brake pads, but you have a mechanical issue like a stuck parking brake or a stuck caliper or the pads are binding so not able to move as intended. Certain parts need to be lubricated when replacing the pads, and if not done, it will lead to issues. The bottom line is there is no way to know without looking.

This kind of stuff happens. Has the mechanic been reliable otherwise?

The pedal being low is not a reliable indicator that the pads are shot. You have to look.