Search found 1581 matches

by Independent George
Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mental Accounting OCD
Replies: 5
Views: 564

Re: Mental Accounting OCD

I have a Fidelity CMA and Taxable brokerage. While I initially bought T-Bills in the CMA, I eventually stopped holding investments in the CMA. It was harder to see the available CMA balance for bill pay and to reconcile the “checking” account with the added investment activity. So now I hold any CMA balance in a MMF and use the CMA solely for cash activity (bill pay, wires out, cash transfers out of Fidelity, etc.). I fund the CMA by online transfer from the Taxable account. I think this is the right answer; I didn't think about the mental math in separating out the liquid MM vs illiquid Treasuries when paying bills. (Not that I ever expect to be at risk of that, but it's still another thing to think about). So Treasuries will stay in brok...
by Independent George
Fri Mar 08, 2024 12:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mental Accounting OCD
Replies: 5
Views: 564

Mental Accounting OCD

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this is a stupid, irrelevant question which makes absolutely zero practical difference to my finances, and is more or less a matter of aesthetics. Just ignore this thread if you get bored or bothered by my obvious mental illness. That said... I use Fidelity Cash Management as my primary checking account, while also having a taxable brokerage account for my after-tax investments. In the last year, as interest rates increased, I gradually shifted cash away from my Ally Savings account and into my Fidelity brokerage account to purchase short-term Treasuries. The more I look at my accounts, though, the more I think my Treasuries really belong in the Cash Management Account. I like the idea of segregating the CMA t...
by Independent George
Wed Feb 28, 2024 7:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What got you out of poverty?
Replies: 111
Views: 12859

Re: What got you out of poverty?

I've never been impoverished... but my parents? They escaped poverty my immigrating to the US.
by Independent George
Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:37 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Any studies to refute dividend yield & chill?
Replies: 161
Views: 12104

Re: Any studies to refute dividend yield & chill?

Dividends open up a rabbit's hole for me. On one hand, if a company pays no dividends ever, how does their stock have any value? On the other hand, as many here mentioned, you can simulate a dividend by selling x% of shares. But even if you do that, a company that never pays a dividend still shouldn't have value - selling just shuffles around who owns the stock. It doesn't make the stock produce anything. If I bought a stake in a company that made widgets, and over time, the company either reinvested money into their machines, paid higher salaries to retain their best workers, and stockpiled cash to weather downturns, but never paid me a dividend... would that company be worthless? Is the total value of the factory, its inventory, its sale...
by Independent George
Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Watches for $1K
Replies: 43
Views: 5556

Re: Watches for $1K

Please help me come up with a few good watches around $1K for father's day gift. He has always wanted a good watch and this will be his first good watch. (He always wears watch but all are cheaper, less than $100.) He likes leather but hates it that the leather wears out after a couple of years. Because of this, he is open to meatal bands. Also, he would like to avoid the need to regularly replace battery. He wants something that lasts 5+ years. Thank you! The thing to remember about mechanical watches is that they do need servicing every ten years or so, and they tend to be more fragile than a quartz watch - not just against mechanical shocks, but also magnetics (from all the electronic devices we're surrounded by these days). I love mech...
by Independent George
Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Lenovo PC Scan Results & Fixe$
Replies: 17
Views: 1716

Re: Lenovo PC Scan Results & Fixe$

Either wipe the drive and reinstall Windows, or buy a new drive (which, after five years, will probably 4x larger and faster than the original at the same cost) and do a fresh install of Windows on it. OEMS often have diagnostic software installed. I know Dell does. I think it tends to focus on driver and other types of issues as opposed to malware. I'm not sure but they may also try to detect an inherent hardware issue. Reinstalling the OS would also trigger reinstallation of the latest hardware drivers. Before doing an OS install I'd also check to see if the BIOS is up to date. I hate OEM bloatware. The very first thing I recommend people do with a new laptop is to run a fresh install of Windows and wipe the slate clean. It solves so many...
by Independent George
Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:39 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Share your net worth progression
Replies: 4273
Views: 1072337

Re: Share your net worth progression

Looking at my numbers, I'm wondering if it's time to start reducing my pre-tax 401k contributions and start putting more towards taxable brokerage. Born: 1977 (age 46), Single, no dependents 2007: 145k (est), 53k SSA wages 2008: -15k (est), 60k SSA wages 2009: 15k (est), 73k SSA wages 2010: 75k (est), 74k SSA wages 2011: 90k (est), 73k SSA wages 2012: 132k, 63k SSA wages 2013: 191k, 67k SSA wages 2014: 198k, 74k SSA wages 2015: 261k, 74k SSA wages 2016: 306k, 76k SSA wages 2017: 409k, 79k gross wages 2018: 378k, 80k gross wages 2019: 481k, 83k gross wages 2020: 609k, 89k gross wages 2021: 754k, 93k gross wages 2022: 697k, 99k gross wages 2023: 869k, 101k gross wages Cash/treasuries: 64k Taxable Investments: 45k Retirement : 672k Home: 86k (...
by Independent George
Wed Dec 06, 2023 12:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity Full View - recent experiences?
Replies: 33
Views: 9480

Re: Fidelity Full View - recent experiences?

As of yesterday, Fidelity has reverted back to the old version of Full View.

Hurray to Fidelity for actually listening to their customers. Classic Full View is not perfect - but it was so much better than the new version they put out, and is more than adequate to my needs. I'm not opposed to change, but an application like this should never go backwards in terms of its supported features.
by Independent George
Mon Nov 27, 2023 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity Full View - recent experiences?
Replies: 33
Views: 9480

Re: Fidelity Full View - recent experiences?

They replaced the old Full View with its first party tool today. The new tool is so far disastrous. The old emoney-based full view is still accessible but I doubt Fidelity will deprecate it soon. Curious as to why you think it is "disastrous"? I checked it out this afternoon and thought it's an improvement in terms of the overall layout, interface, and simplicity. I like the way on the Net Worth screen it has assets on the left and liabilities on the right with all of my accounts. I like the spending page too which provides a nice clean summary of spending over time and by category. The only issue I'm noticing right now is that on the Savings page it is showing savings for accounts that I've hidden on my Net Worth page and I don'...
by Independent George
Tue Sep 05, 2023 3:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Making chocolate bars at home
Replies: 12
Views: 2039

Re: Making chocolate bars at home

You will need an accurate candy thermometer to properly temper the chocolate - but aside from that, just a regular saucepan and careful heat management will do.
by Independent George
Sun Sep 03, 2023 6:00 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: S&P 500 versus Total Stock Market index fund
Replies: 83
Views: 10275

Re: S&P 500 versus Total Stock Market index fund

For a long time, I invested in the S&P 500 instead of Total Market Index for a stupid reason that nevertheless made perfect sense to me: the breakroom in my office was tuned into CNBC, and they would always show how the S&P was performing. Even though I consciously knew that VFIAX and VTSAX were effectively identical, it always bothered me when I stopped for coffee that I knew how VFIAX was doing, but not VTSAX.

I know, I know. It's stupid and makes no difference either way. But I couldn't get it out of my head.

Fortunately, I've been working from home since pre-pandemic, and it's much easier to ignore the market.
by Independent George
Fri May 19, 2023 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

gavinsiu wrote: Thu May 18, 2023 7:39 am Question: I need to get some thermal paste since I am changing the fan on my wife's laptop. Does the brand and type of thermal paste matter at all. For example, a tiny syringe of Artic Silver is about $8. The same tube of ProlimaTech PK-3 Nano Aluminum is about $28. Is it even worth it to get premium paste?
The only thing you have to worry about with thermal paste is to be sure that it's non-conductive, which is 99.9999% of the thermal pastes on the market. The only ones that aren't are actually the primo expensive brands, which are used by competitive overclockers. For everyone else, cheaper is actually usually the better choice. Arctic Silver is actually quite good.
by Independent George
Tue May 16, 2023 10:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC gamers - Looking for family-friendly games (4 players)
Replies: 9
Views: 1124

Re: PC gamers - Looking for family-friendly games (4 players)

4-player cooperative games are generally online only, to avoid split-screens - which is great for anyone who remembers squinting at 1/4 of a 20" CRT TV screen while playing Goldeneye on the N64, but unfortunately, that means multiple machines to play together. This might make sense for PCs if the kids are old enough to each get their own non-Chromebook computer, but otherwise your choices are multiple consoles, or cross-platform (one player uses a console, the other three use a different PC). All together, I would strongly recommended Grounded , which does not support split screens, but otherwise is a family-friendly, cross-platform (X-Box and PC), and has very low PC requirements (recommended specs are a GTX-1060 or RX-470, which were...
by Independent George
Sun May 14, 2023 11:49 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling
Replies: 72
Views: 6923

Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

considering getting a Lenovo Yoga 7i with 16" display. I haven't looked at specs side-by-side, but that appears to be a hugely cheaper option than the LG Gram that I've just checked out, as a result of this thread. Screen size is my number one priority, in a machine that will be my main machine for extended periods. This was my thinking too.. currently I actually have 3 external monitors, 1 x 32 inch Ultrawide (1440p) center monitor and 2 x 27-inch QHD monitors flanked on each side - I am driving all this via a Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to my DELL. This is my work setup of course but going from this to basically 14" screen is going to be an adjustment to put it lightly :shock: I'm really interested in the LG Gram but from repo...
by Independent George
Fri May 12, 2023 10:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Hi Bogleheads, I've come across a promotional deal at Costco for an iBUYPOWER SlateMRI7N3601 Gaming Desktop that piqued my interest and was hoping to gather some insights from this knowledgeable community. The price point for this system is $1150. Here are the specs: Processor: 13th Gen Intel® Core i7-13700F Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, 12GB Storage: 1TB Solid State Drive You can view more details via this link: https://www.costco.com/ibuypower-slatemri7n3601-gaming-desktop---13th-gen-intel-core-i7-13700f----geforce-rtx-3060.product.4000139335.html I'd categorize myself more as a casual user with some interest in gaming. One specific game I'd like to revisit is Flight Simulator, which I haven't played in over a decade. With...
by Independent George
Fri May 12, 2023 7:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling
Replies: 72
Views: 6923

Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Details are not out yet, but I am very curious about the Framework 16 laptop. I'm not in the market for the 16, but if I were, I'd be waiting on their specs. Framework is a startup committed to building modular, upgradeable, repairable laptops without sacrificing functionality. The Framework 16 is designed with a modular bay that can house either a discrete GPU, expanded storage, or an extended battery/power bank, etc. - and the laptop itself is designed to have a modular keyboard allowing the user to add or remove a number pad. Specs for the expansion bay and input modules have already been posted to github for anyone who wants to design their own components. I was an early adopter of the original Framework 13, and have been more than happ...
by Independent George
Thu May 11, 2023 9:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

This might be of interest to builders. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/some-ryzen-7000x3d-processors-are-burning-out-high-voltages-may-be-to-blame/ Gamers Nexus has an in-depth breakdown of the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiTngvvD5dI Lots of blame to go around. It doesn’t matter who screwed up as long as it’s fixed before people’s PC melt. ArsTechnica says there's a BIOS fix, but of course people have to update their BIOS first. And if someone buys old stock with the old BIOS and doesn't update the BIOS, then it'll keep happening. We'll see what happens, but I imagine the BIOS fix is not the end of this issue. GN just posted a followup to the original reporting, and boy howdy ASUS basically crossed from incompetence into...
by Independent George
Wed May 10, 2023 3:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling
Replies: 72
Views: 6923

Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

What are you using your laptop for? Most of the people I know who use 16"-17" laptops are either video editors, engineers, or gamers. At the other end of the spectrum, if you're just using it for light tasks like browsing or watching videos, a tablet makes way more sense. In between, 12-14" thin & light laptops are great for light productivity tasks. I will say that a 3:2 aspect ratio is a huge improvement on those small laptops compared to widescreen.
by Independent George
Mon May 01, 2023 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

rockstar wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 1:56 pm This might be of interest to builders.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04 ... -to-blame/
Gamers Nexus has an in-depth breakdown of the issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiTngvvD5dI

Lots of blame to go around.
by Independent George
Mon Apr 24, 2023 2:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

gavinsiu wrote: Mon Apr 24, 2023 12:19 pm
tuningfork wrote: Mon Apr 24, 2023 10:36 am Be frugal with the thermal paste. Applying too much can reduce its effectiveness, causing that fan to spin faster more often. There are probably youtube videos showing exactly what you need to do including how much paste to apply.
Good point, It's been ages since I use thermal paste, but I recall you should use no more than a rice size drop.
The issue is not too much paste per se - the pressure should squeeze all the excess out the side. But in a laptop, there's much less space inside the chassis compared to a desktop, and this could obstruct airways. The paste itself is non-conductive and won't harm anything.
by Independent George
Sat Apr 22, 2023 8:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

I managed to make a pretty impressive score at Micro Center this afternoon. I got a watercooled 4080 as an open box item, for $1,013... plus a a free $100 Steam gift card. Since waterblocks normally go for around $200, the card by itself effectively cost $713. And when I say open box, I mean that literally - the box had been opened, but everything inside was still completely sealed. The original purchase date was 4/16, so it was basically returned in perfect condition within seven days of purchase, and I am still covered by the 3-year manufacturer's warranty. As it happens, though, I misread the item description - rather than just a card with an integral waterblock, what I got was a card with an AIO cooler & 360mm radiator. That's actua...
by Independent George
Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:02 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

tuningfork wrote: Sun Apr 09, 2023 5:13 pm CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 Dual Tower
I see that you, too, are a man of culture...
by Independent George
Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Malware Hacks using browser cookies that bypasses 2fa
Replies: 13
Views: 1972

Re: Malware Hacks using browser cookies that bypasses 2fa

gavinsiu wrote: Sat Mar 25, 2023 11:42 am
JoMoney wrote: Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:27 am The article you linked doesn't say it bypassed 2FA, it speculates that "today’s breaches could be from a combination of passwords and two-factor authentication being compromised"
I speculate that the hack relies on copying and reusing an existing session cookie to bypass 2fa. It’s like when you login and you check the option to bypass 2fa.
That is, in fact, exactly what happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXaAWbzl5A
by Independent George
Sat Mar 25, 2023 1:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is it okay to go to a dentist who is not in your dental insurance network?
Replies: 41
Views: 3891

Re: Is it okay to go to a dentist who is not in your dental insurance network?

McDougal wrote: Sat Mar 25, 2023 12:25 pm
financeperchance wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 2:19 pm I haven't been to a dentist in well over a decade.

for example I care a lot about a healthy mouth and not at all about aesthetic appearance
??
!!!
by Independent George
Sat Mar 25, 2023 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is it okay to go to a dentist who is not in your dental insurance network?
Replies: 41
Views: 3891

Re: Is it okay to go to a dentist who is not in your dental insurance network?

I've been going out of network for over a decade now, and have no regrets. It's the best dentist I've ever had, and conveniently just one two blocks from my condo. Total additional out-of-pocket cost from going out of network? About $60 per year. Well worth it based on the experience.
by Independent George
Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

It's not a compact case, but the one I'm really interested in is the Fractal North - primarily for the aesthetics, but also because they didn't sacrifice cooling/performance in making it beautiful. So much so that I'm considering changing cases even though my current case suits me just fine. Someday, when I have a workshop and the skills to use it, I will build my own case designed to look like an antique radio - but until then, the North is easily my favorite. Best of all, the wood trimmings are a perfect match for my Noctua fans! Meanwhile, in the laptop space... Framework just blew my mind. Tom's has a good writeup. I was an early adopter of the original Framework laptop, with an Intel 11th gen (Tiger Lake) processor. Grading it purely a...
by Independent George
Fri Mar 24, 2023 2:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Has anyone here ever built a PC with a micro-ATX motherboard and later regret not getting a full size ATX mobo? The build I am considering right now would give me the most flexibility in cooling configurations with a mATX mobo. Case: Fractal Design Torrent Compact CPU: Ryzen 7950X3D (X3D instead of X primarily for the lower TDP) Cooling: I want to use a 280mm AIO, but it fits in that case only with a mATX motherboard Motherboard: Gigabyte B650M AORUS Elite AX --or-- ASUS B650M-PLUS TUF Gaming WiFi In the past I've always savored having lots of expandability. In the distant past when motherboards were relatively featureless, I would swap out sound cards, network cards, video capture cards, etc. sometimes using all available expansion slots....
by Independent George
Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:03 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Do I need Vanguard Advisor?
Replies: 16
Views: 2487

Re: Do I need Vanguard Advisor?

I've been investing with Vanguard for 30 years. Plowed my savings into mostly index funds and did OK. Good income, lots of hours at work, lots of kids with accompanying tuitions, etc. Spent very little time looking into the intricacies of finance and investing. No debt, 1 vacation home. No dependents. Now working less, still making decent money, and doing more what I want to do, not need to. As savings amount and market returns accumulated, began to get a little nervous and signed up with Advisory services about 8 years ago. Received some advice, mostly some rebalancing and switching my funds to ETFs. Now still with them but other than minor rebalancing maneuvers, the fee is starting to make me wonder what I am paying for. Though it's lowe...
by Independent George
Tue Mar 07, 2023 1:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Capital One 11-month CD's now earning 5%
Replies: 55
Views: 10859

Re: Capital One 11-month CD's now earning 5%

6-month treasuries just went for 5.22%. Obviously there's some uncertainty there, but I'll be moving some of my money from savings into short term treasuries in increments over the rest of the year.
by Independent George
Tue Mar 07, 2023 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you go for walks?
Replies: 175
Views: 17256

Re: Do you go for walks?

I've been doing daily walks since adopting my dog 14 years ago. She ~16 years old now, so she doesn't have the crazy energy & endurance of her youth, but we still do 2-4 miles per day, weather permitting. To make up for the shorter distances, I started rucking a 20-30 lb load to get the extra calorie burn in shorter walks. I have about a dozen pairs of running shoes (along with a handful of pairs of trail runners for hiking, crossfit shoes, lifting shoes...I have ~35 pairs of shoes altogether) and I do rotate them. If I'm planning on pushing the pace for my run that day, I'll wear the lighter shoes; if I'm working on zone 2 I'll wear a heavier and more cushioned shoe. This is primarily just because one of my vices is shoes, in the past ...
by Independent George
Tue Mar 07, 2023 10:14 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1008589

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

manlymatt83 wrote: Sat Mar 04, 2023 1:10 am So going back to the original topic of the thread, is anyone actually using Fidelity and only Fidelity as a one stop shop? Meaning all of their investments are with Fidelity?
As of 2022, I've consolidated all of my investment accounts at Fidelity. I still have my Ally savings account, and plan on keeping it because I like having cash in an entirely separate institution, but even so I'm gradually moving part of my emergency cash to short-term treasuries purchased through Fidelity.
by Independent George
Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:09 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Ally offers 1% cash bonus on new deposits - up to $500 bonus
Replies: 337
Views: 49439

Re: Ally offers 1% cash bonus on new deposits - up to $500 bonus

I got my $50. 12 months CD rates are now at 4.25%, and I'll be rotating money into a ladder over the rest of the year..
by Independent George
Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is this safe? Walmart pop-up asks if I'm a robot; click here
Replies: 21
Views: 6522

Re: Is this safe? Walmart pop-up asks if I'm a robot; click here

If it's a popup, I assume it's malware and won't click it. Even if it's legit, they're using a really bad practice, like my bank that keeps sending me emails with links to open a new CD with rates not available on their website. I actually know the latter is legit, because I talked to a phone rep who confirmed it, but I still refused to click the link to open it and left feedback about what a terrible practice that is.
by Independent George
Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

The more I think about it, the more and more annoyed I am by AMD. There was no need to set the PPT that high just to chase clock speeds; these undervolted CPUs should have been the default power settings from the beginning. A lower power draw wouldn't have cut performance, and would have allowed cheaper motherboards at launch due to lower thermal requirements, and cheaper coolers & quieter computers. It just doesn't seem reasonable to me to expect customers - even enthusiasts - to go into BIOS and muck about with PBO to have a reasonable PC build. They significantly hurt the user experience purely for the sake of marketing. I'm going to take a guess that in a few months, we're going to see some cheaper non-X SKUs which draw significant...
by Independent George
Wed Jan 04, 2023 7:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is there such a thing as saving too much?
Replies: 95
Views: 11970

Re: Is there such a thing as saving too much?

I pride myself on being pretty frugal but I think I am also making sure that I am not missing out on life but would like some feedback if I need to scale things back a bit or continue full steam ahead???? ... I guess what I am asking is does this seem like I am saving so much money or should I keep the petal to the medal? There is definitely a such a thing as saving too much, and you might be given the numbers you posted, but it is always a mistake to just start spending extra money because "you can afford to". If there's nothing that particularly interests you, then spending won't actually make you any happier - quite the opposite, in fact. You also don't need to spend it on 'stuff'. Are there any activities your kids expressed ...
by Independent George
Wed Jan 04, 2023 7:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are you guys still maxing Roth IRA in January?
Replies: 139
Views: 18802

Re: Are you guys still maxing Roth IRA in January?

Normally I have maxed the Roth in January every year... but for 2023 for some reason I feel like waiting due to recent events.. although I have the money now to invest but I also bought some land that I want to pay off too.. I have about $17k left to pay and the interest rate is 6.5%... not sure what I should prioritize.. There's nothing wrong with Dollar Cost Averaging if that's your preference, but don't wait and try to time things due to uncertainty. Things are always uncertain. You are far more likely to miss out on returns than to benefit. The 6.5% interest rate is high enough that I'd probably try to pay that down first (assuming you could come up with another $6,500 over the rest of the year to max out the Roth; otherwise, I'd pay o...
by Independent George
Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Ben Felix: 2.7% Retirement Rule.
Replies: 847
Views: 75844

Re: Ben Felix: 2.7% Retirement Rule.

I have to admit - I skimmed the replies after page 4, so my apologies if what I'm going to say has been discussed already. I watched the entire podcast, and the context missing from the 2.7% safe withdrawal rate is that they concluded (1) a safe withdrawal rate factors into the extreme long-tailed risks - that is, a 99% success rate is insufficient, so a true safe withdrawal rate is the one that accounts for that extreme risk at the end, and (2) using a constant withdrawal rate is, ultimately, a terrible idea regardless of what that calculated safe withdrawal is. If your portfolio drops by 50% in a year and stays down for 5 years afterwards, it would be reckless to constantly withdraw and consume the same % regardless of if you're using the...
by Independent George
Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Share your net worth progression
Replies: 4273
Views: 1072337

Re: Share your net worth progression

I read this thread always thinking I’ll learn something from other’s experiences like the rest of the site offers. Instead I read these huge amounts with early 30s and I’m sitting here thinking I’m on track and doing pretty good and always get blown out of the water in multiple posts. There are a lot of very high earners here. That's why I'd prefer people add context to their net worth progression such as income, marriage, stock options, sale of business, etc. It's not uncommon for an MD to go from -$200k to +$200k to +$1M in the span of about five years, but looks incredibly strange if all you're seeing are the net worth numbers. Law partners may not include the value of their practice while working due to the difficulty of valuation, but...
by Independent George
Sun Jan 01, 2023 12:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Share your net worth progression
Replies: 4273
Views: 1072337

Re: Share your net worth progression

I'm going to repeat something I've said many times in this thread: I think it would be really helpful if people posted their incomes or major life events/windfalls to put their net worth in context. Otherwise, just posting random 8 figure totals seems more like simple boasting rather than educational or inspirational. Born: 1977 (age 45), Single, no dependents 2007: 145k (est), 53k SSA wages 2008: -15k (est), 60k SSA wages mortgage on condo purchased in 2007 went massively underwater 2009: 15k (est), 73k SSA wages 2010: 75k (est), 74k SSA wages 2011: 90k (est), 73k SSA wages 2012: 132k, 63k SSA wages 2013: 191k, 67k SSA wages 2014: 198k, 74k SSA wages 2015: 261k, 74k SSA wages 2016: 306k, 76k SSA wages 2017: 409k, 79k gross wages 2018: 378k...
by Independent George
Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:27 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]
Replies: 5249
Views: 900126

Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

Down ~15% in 2022. 80/20 stock/bond, stocks at 70/30 US/International.

The dollar value of the loss was well over $100k, but with 20+ years of accumulation behind me, it hurt much less than it did in 2007. The psychological impact of a cash buffer can't be overstated - even if you consciously know it's getting killed by inflation, there's a certain peace of mind that comes with simply knowing it's there.
by Independent George
Fri Dec 16, 2022 12:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Question for computer experts regarding Windows 11
Replies: 47
Views: 4710

Re: Question for computer experts regarding Windows 11

I'm holding on to WIn10 until either (a) it reaches end of services, or (b) Microsoft gives me a compelling reason to switch to Win11. Actually, (a) is really a subset of (b).

Regardless, I'm not "upgrading" until they make me. I also managed to skip both Vista and Windows 8, so there's a nonzero chance that I'll be able to skip 11 as well.
by Independent George
Mon Dec 05, 2022 12:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

I've been looking more and more at mini PC's, and holy cow they've come a long way. They're not upgradeable to the same extent as tower PC with a discrete GPU, but the models with mobile GPUs are shockingly powerful for such a small, quiet form factor. Here's a review for a Minisforum HX90G, sub-$1,000 box that is comparable to a lot of low-end prebuilts but with better build quality.
by Independent George
Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Purchased a AMD RYZEN 5 5600 CPU and waiting for my motherboard which will take 2 months to delivery. I don't want to wait that long. What are some other good motherboards for this processor? I have a mid tower case BTW. A couple quick questions: Does your case support an ATX (full-sized), or micro-ATX (medium-sized) sized board? Mid-towers come in different sizes - most, but not all, support full ATX boards. You can fit an mATX board into an ATX case, but not the other way around. Do you care about bluetooth? Some boards come with integral wireless/bluetooth and cost about an extra $10-$20 more than standard models. I didn't think I needed it when I built my PC; when I realized I did, I purchased two different aftermarket adapters - and I...
by Independent George
Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:45 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Fundamental Stock picking in emerging market
Replies: 15
Views: 1834

Re: Fundamental Stock picking in emerging market

Markets only become efficient when there are enough active traders for price discovery to happen. Some of those traders will be very, very good and beat the market; this is a universal phenomenon.
by Independent George
Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

I haven't build one of these in a while so I had to look up a lot of stuff. Things that were unexpectedly difficult 1. The I/O Shield is particularly hard to snap into place. It's also annoying with lots of sharp pointy things. I think I got it done. I have to check if those tab things are blocking any ports tomorrow. 2. The PSU seems to go into its own space these days. The space is a tight fit. When I push the PSU in, I had trouble getting it back out. Fortunately, I got the orientation properly. 3. The CPU install had like 5 or six different configuration. What it appears is that I have to install the cpu, then close the arm and make sure it's catches. Remove the hooks around the cpu and then screw in the included cooler. It's unclear t...
by Independent George
Sat Nov 26, 2022 1:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Thanks for this link. My 7 year old PC just died (I think fried MOBO, No beep code or POST and fans full blast when turned on) 2 weeks ago and I was looking for replacements. I wanted to give Apple a go this time around with their mini M1, but seeing your link makes me question going Apple ecosystem. When I look up comparison between M1 and Ryzen 9 6900HX it looks to me pretty close. I know this is the PC build thread, but is the Minisforum a better buy in the fact that it is upgradeable in the future whereas the Mac mini M1 is fixed spec so to speak? The Minisforum is more upgradeable than the Apple Mini, but not fully upgradeable. I believe the APU is soldered into the motherboard, and even if it weren't, it uses liquid metal as the ther...
by Independent George
Thu Nov 24, 2022 8:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

This is a classic home office/personal use low needs operation ... I want to be able to simultaneously run a few browser windows, some Office programs (where I have 3 windows open side by side for some work) and perhaps watch a YT video or movie at 4K / HDR. The only game I can see myself playing would be Civilization 7 (when it finally comes out - played 5 and 6 on my laptop), and even this would be relatively rare (say once a month). No Photoshop, no rendering, no coding, no compiling - nothing beyond playing Civ 7 when it comes out Features that are important to me: 1. Having a very quiet desktop - noise drives me nuts :) 2. Long lived desktop with hardware that will enable me to use it with the above profile for a long time - ideally a...
by Independent George
Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

tortoise84 wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:18 am The GPU usage can be increased to 80% by reducing the Level of Detail or using the High-End detail preset to relieve the CPU bottleneck. But from my research online, getting more cores like the 5800X, 5900X or 5950X doesn't help because the game is not multithreaded enough to use more than ~3-4 cores at any one time. However the 5800X3D with its 96MB L3 cache does show a large performance increase in MSFS2020 and many other games, so it would also be a viable upgrade.
There should be 7000 series X3D chips out next quarter, though I expect the prices to be high. Probably not as high as they originally intended following the tepid Zen4 sales, but from what I've read they are expensive to manufacture and need to be priced high.
by Independent George
Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

Thanks, I actually have several Seasonic products, too. What I have notice is that they seemed have a massive hike in price recently. The cheapest power supply is about $130+ for a 650W. I don't recall they were that expensive in the past. My Seasonic Prime PX-750 Platinum was $170 in 2019 and is $215 on Amazon currently. If we inflation-adjust $170 to 2022 dollars, that would be a tiny bit below $200, so there is a price jump, but it's partially due to inflation. I've noticed PSU prices rise and fall regularly based on supply chain issues in China. If you scroll back far enough in this thread, we noted a supply shortage and price spike sometime around summer 2020, then again after Covid hit. I picked up a 1000W Seasonic 80+ Gold in late 2...
by Independent George
Mon Nov 07, 2022 8:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140246

Re: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!

So I am thinking of building a system now with a AMD 5600 with a AMD RS6600, both have dropped in price. I was thinking of going with something like MSI B550-A pro or the MSI B550 Tomahawk. PC Part picker said that the system speced out need about 350 Watt. Do you have a suggestion for power supply? I was thinking one of the modular power supply 650w by Corsair. Do you have any suggestions? Seasonic, EVGA, Corsair, and BeQuiet are all good, reputable brands. Don't cheap out on the PSU - this is the component most likely to take out the rest of your build in the process should it fail. That's a low probability overall, but well worth the $20 or so price difference between one of those brands and a generic PSU. Both of my builds use Seasonic...