Search found 195 matches

by phantom
Tue Jul 26, 2022 7:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Signing Up For Wise
Replies: 4
Views: 731

Re: Signing Up For Wise

Why not sign up for Wise using the foreign address where you actually live, which I guess should be easier to verify? You can later just create a US bank account (or a Euro, UK, etc.) with Wise without needing to give them any further info (as far as I remember when I did this a few years ago). And when transferring money to it from Fidelity, the latter learn nothing except the bank account number and name.
by phantom
Sun Jan 31, 2021 6:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to buy a diamond?
Replies: 18
Views: 2788

Re: Where to buy a diamond?

I just spent 2 weeks learning about this stuff from scratch myself. There is quite a bit to know and in addition to pricescope, I found https://niceice.com/ https://beyond4cs.com/ https://www.stonealgo.com/ to be useful. If you just buy something on bluenile without educating yourself a bit first, odds are you'd pick something bad or overpriced. If I were advising a friend who didn't want to spend anytime learning about this stuff, I would just say buy one of the inhouse diamonds from whiteflash.com in G-H color and Vs1-Vs2-(or maybe SI1) clarity. Their inhouse cuts are held in very high regard, and finding the best cut is normally the most time consuming part. Having said this, I bought something from bluenile and it looks to be quite good...
by phantom
Tue Oct 13, 2020 5:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is a Mini PC a reasonable option?
Replies: 10
Views: 1206

Re: Is a Mini PC a reasonable option?

+100 to what 02nz said. And Windows has a tendency to become more bloated and slower as you use it more. I've had experiences with sub-500 new windows laptops, and it's really not worth it.

If you don't want a chromebox, then getting a used corporate pc is a very good idea. For basic office tasks and browsing, pcs really haven't improved much in the last 5 years. And you can get a 5 year old Lenovo x250 laptop for around $300 (which was top of the line) and it will be leaps and bounds better than any new cheapo windows device that you can get at that price today. And a used desktop should be even less.
by phantom
Sun Sep 13, 2020 1:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for reliable printer compatible with PC+Chromebook
Replies: 11
Views: 1509

Re: Looking for reliable printer compatible with PC+Chromebook

AerialP wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 12:45 am I have found my simple entry-level Brother b&w printer to have served me well for almost 10 years now. It appears, with a quick search, that its more recent counterpart still ranks highly in reviews and has scanning function with two-sided (duplex) functionality and wi-fi...all for about $150. With my satisfaction of my current simple Brother printer I would gladly buy one again.
+1 for Brother. Have had an MFC-L2700 (there is probably some newer model, like 2710) for several years now and no complaints. Was easy to set up and use under Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS.
by phantom
Mon Aug 17, 2020 11:20 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Transfering money from a foreign bank account and currency into a US account and USD
Replies: 12
Views: 1318

Re: Transfering money from a foreign bank account and currency into a US account and USD

Subscrube to Revolut premium, and then there are no markups for unlimited currency transfers on weekdays. Weekends have a. 5% fee, so avoid those. Revolut is known to sometimes freeze your account if they need to do an anti-money laundering check or something of the sort. And then there is nothing you can do but wait... I had mine blocked for 3 weeks. So I wouldn't recommend putting all 100k in the account all at once.

There is also Transferwise. I found them to be somewhat better in terms of customer service, but there is a. 3% fee on the exchange. So for a large amount as yours, it is a 300 euro difference.
by phantom
Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:14 am
Forum: Spain
Topic: Future Move to Spain: Looking for opinions on approach
Replies: 8
Views: 9465

Re: Future Move to Spain: Looking for opinions on approach

Since your move is 5 - 7 years away, I would advise to do nothing at this point. The rules keep constantly changing with respect to US expats abroad. First mutual funds are not allowed in US brokerages, now ETFs are not allowed either, and holding ETFs in a foreign account creates horrible tax consequences for your US taxes. Having said this, a lot of us expats still keep a US address and just hope that our US brokerage does not find out that we are living abroad for an extended period of time. If the situation remains as today, or gets worse (e.g. US brokerages start very actively weeding out expats), then you may want to seriously give thought to giving up your US citizenship. A Spanish passport is a good one and you can invest in essenti...
by phantom
Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)
Replies: 16
Views: 2958

Re: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)

Actually, I am curious as to how good the rates are on US Forex. I looked at their site but it seems you have to sign up in order to access the rates. USforex.com >> Forex Tools >> Customer Rates http://www.usforex.com/customer-rates Thanks (I feel silly for missing it). These rates look to be about 1% worse than transferwise and currencyfair. 1000 euros gets 1218 dollars with US Forex, 1230 with transferwise, and 1233 with currencyfair (though there is a transfer fee of $4 with currencyfair, but on the other hand you might get a better rate since it has a peer-to-peer option). anyway, still seems to me that transferwise and currencyfair are the go-to options (unless one already has a Schwab or Interactive Brokers account). I am always on ...
by phantom
Sun Nov 23, 2014 4:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)
Replies: 16
Views: 2958

Re: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)

siamond wrote: Yes, sorry, you are correct. It doesn't work any more for US residents (to either send or receive money to/from Europe). Which is why I switched to US Forex, which provides basically the same service.
Actually, I am curious as to how good the rates are on US Forex. I looked at their site but it seems you have to sign up in order to access the rates. Do you happen to know how it compares with transferwise and currencyfair (or how close to the interbank rate does US Forex get)?
by phantom
Sun Nov 23, 2014 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)
Replies: 16
Views: 2958

Re: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)

siamond wrote: PS. CurrencyFair no longer operates in the US.
I believe it doesn't work for US residents who want to send money from the US. But if you live in Europe and send money to the US (even to your own bank account), it still works without problems (at least it worked a month ago when I did my last transfer).
by phantom
Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:21 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)
Replies: 16
Views: 2958

Re: Wire transfer from Europe (fees, exchange rate)

Don't use a bank or paypal. For such a large sum of money, the (hidden) fees will end up costing you a lot. Your relatives should sign up with either transferwise.com or currencyfair.com, and do a transfer through them -- they only tack on at most 0.5% to the interbank rate (i.e. the actual fair rate). I have been using currencyfair for transfering money between europe and the us (to my fidelity account, actually) without a problem for over two years, and I hear that transferwise is good as well. and your fidelity account would not need to be set up for foreign transactions. the way these companies work is that someone in europe transfers euros to the company's european bank, and the company then sends you the money from their American bank.
by phantom
Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: OpenOffice GetQuote extension is gone. Alternatives?
Replies: 11
Views: 6831

Re: OpenOffice GetQuote extension is gone. Alternatives?

+1 for google docs. I've been using it for more than 5 years to track my portfolio.
by phantom
Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Funniest Movie Ever
Replies: 227
Views: 27691

Re: The Funniest Movie Ever

"The man who knew too little" with Bill Murray. A silly plot, but Murray is incredibly funny in this one.
by phantom
Mon Apr 14, 2014 2:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to save for retirement while living abroad?
Replies: 8
Views: 2078

Re: How to save for retirement while living abroad?

I'm a US citizen that's been living abroad for 4+ years with my wife and young son. Am having a hell of a time figuring out my best option for saving for retirement while here and simply haven't done it due to the tremendous US tax law confusion. We'll likely still be residing outside the US for another 2-5 years before coming back to US. Roth IRA or any kind of IRA -- are these even an option for me as a US citizen while living and only source of income coming from overseas? If so, is this the best option for someone in my situation? I know I really NEED to start putting away for retirement but have been reluctant to due to my overseas residency and confusing US tax laws. And even if I'm legally allowed to contribute to an IRA from here, ...
by phantom
Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: First Trip to India
Replies: 49
Views: 19884

Re: First Trip to India

Alf 101 wrote:This fall my wife and I will be making our first trip to India, flying into Delhi, meeting up with our guide, and trekking in the Himalayas.
In India, I mostly found the unexpected to be the most interesting, and the expected to be disappointing -- so don't study up too much on where you're going. For example, the Akshardham in Delhi (http://www.akshardham.com/) was incredibly beautiful and I had never heard of it. Also the city of Udaipur, which I had no real expectations for, ended up being one of the most beautiful and unique cities I've ever seen. On the other hand, I was not that impressed by the Taj Mahal (although the post-apocalyptic ugliness of Agra was pretty impressive :? ).
by phantom
Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:21 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Investing from France
Replies: 44
Views: 9402

Re: Investing from France

I would be curious about investing from France from the perspective of a French citizen. My mother - who is French, and retired - lives in Paris. She has wanted to invest some of her funds for a while. Everywhere I have looked, the fees seem to be horribly high, and all the "courtiers en ligne" far too complicated to use, compared to the US sites like Fidelity. I am also very ignorant of the French tax laws - I grew up there but only worked there for a few months; I live in the US now. It seems non-EU investments suffer much worse tax treatment. I am not a French citizen, but I've done some research when I was hoping to be able to invest there. As someone suggested in this thread, a PEA is a very nice investment account that has ...
by phantom
Thu Apr 03, 2014 5:31 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Investing from France
Replies: 44
Views: 9402

Re: Investing from France

Ladygeek (who seems to have memorized all 10,000 threads a day -at least- which are opened on this forum!) provided a link to this old thread. Let me contribute a little something. I have a checking account at LCL (Credit Lyonnais) bank and keep a bit of cash out there, this helps when my mother insists to give us a bit of money at Christmas for our kids (I'm French, moved to the US 15 years ago). This checking account is associated with an investment account ("portefeuille boursier"), and I have a minor investment out there, for historical reasons. I ended up selecting Amundi funds, because LCL would raise their regular 0.77% wrapper fee on those. I selected Amundi STOXX-600, as the best approximation for an index fund centered ...
by phantom
Thu Apr 03, 2014 4:19 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: John Bogle, Index Icon, Accused of Timing Market
Replies: 44
Views: 12460

Re: John Bogle, Index Icon, Accused of Timing Market

After a big run-up like we had in the past five years, if someone had a sizable portfolio, it would be silly NOT to trim back on stocks. And it has nothing to do with market timing. I invest not to maximize my profits, but to reach a target number in X years with as little risk as possible. Suppose that a year ago, I had $100,000 and went on to set up a portfolio with which I could reach my goal in X years under the assumption that stocks will return 7% and bonds 3%. And suppose that stocks had an incredible run and now I have $200,000 this year. I can still make the assumption that stocks will return 7% and bonds 3%, but now that I have doubled my money, I don't need as much in stocks as I used to a year ago! So now I will hold a lot more ...
by phantom
Thu Apr 03, 2014 4:06 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Investing Strategy for Future Expats
Replies: 14
Views: 1622

Re: Investing Strategy for Future Expats

As an expat who has been living in France for over three years, I can give you a little advice: 1. Yes, absolutely max out all your retirement accounts. Once you're not earning US income (and if you earn under the $94,000 limit in your new country, and so none of your income is taxable by the US), you will no longer be able to contribute to an IRA since you have no American income. And some countries treat American retirement accounts the same way they treat their own - so you may not need to pay taxes on capital gains, distributions, etc. I frankly don't see any disadvantage to having an IRA. 2. Unless things change in the near future, you will have a problem opening up investment accounts abroad (though regular checking and savings accoun...
by phantom
Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:19 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Help with Investing in France [US ex-pat Assurance Vie]
Replies: 6
Views: 1740

Re: Help with Investing in France [US ex-pat Assurance Vie]

I think you need to marry one of those cute French girls... :wink: While that's a good idea for many reasons, it will not solve this particular problem. I will still be a US citizen, and so whatever bank deals with me will have to deal with the US government. I suppose if I become French I can just stop mentioning that I also have US nationality, but I am not sure how on the level that would be. And yes, you're right, "Assurance Vie" isn't "Life Insurance". I am actually in the reverse situation as yours, a French citizen living in the US. And... I do not know the answer to your question, sorry. I would be a bit wary of the management fees associated with such investment vehicle though. My mother had something like that...
by phantom
Sat Mar 29, 2014 4:45 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Help with Investing in France [US ex-pat Assurance Vie]
Replies: 6
Views: 1740

Re: Help with Investing in France [US ex-pat, Life Insurance

Although the literal translation of "assurance vie" is "life insurance", it's really not life insurance at all. It's a retirement account (somewhat like a roth IRA) that grows almost tax free. One of the big advantages is that inside this account, there is usually an option to invest in a risk-free fund that pays an interest that is much higher than regular savings accounts (last year, it was about 3.6%). Perhaps the best equivalent is a stable value fund in American TSPs. Anyway, my question mostly deals with the recent changes in US policy that made some French banks choose to give up their US customers rather than have to comply with the policy. I was just wondering if any expat knows a bank that still takes American ...
by phantom
Sat Mar 29, 2014 3:01 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Help with Investing in France [US ex-pat Assurance Vie]
Replies: 6
Views: 1740

Help with Investing in France [US ex-pat Assurance Vie]

Hi guys, I am hoping some American expat living in France can help me out. I am a US citizen, but living and working in France. I would like to open an Assurance Vie account there (for those who are curious, it's a type of retirement account that has, as an option, a savings account with a rather high interest rate). I tried applying in two places (INGdirect and Fortuneo) and got declined both times because I am a US citizen. Due to the new compliance laws required by the US government, many banks just don't want to deal with the hassle and so don't open certain accounts to US citizens at all. (Even though ING didn't let me open an Assurance Vie, I got their checking and savings accounts with no problem.) I was wondering, have any of you ha...
by phantom
Wed Oct 09, 2013 4:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: London and Paris Hotels
Replies: 48
Views: 6736

Re: London and Paris Hotels

I would definitely try renting an apartment using Airbnb in these cities (especially in Paris). Just pick a place that has good reviews and go for it. I live in Paris and I thought of sometimes putting my apartment on Airbnb for when I am not there, but I find the prices a bit low for it to be worth the hassle :? You can easily find something quite good and fairly central for around 50 euros a night (for 100 you can get something really good).
by phantom
Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Things to do in Israel?
Replies: 30
Views: 2828

Re: Things to do in Israel?

Some random tips/thoughts: The one thing that never gets old for me when visiting Israel is going to the dead sea. It is really fun and relaxing. Go to the free (or almost free) one that's at the very end of highway 1 (after the 1 ends, you take the 90 south for a little bit. you can see little inroads leading to the sea off of the 90 on google maps). Like others said, you can just do this as a day trip from Jerusalem. If you've never been, don't miss it! As for the car rental company, I highly recommend Eldan. They are quite big inside Israel and usually much cheaper than the international brands (at least if you book a little in advance). And the driving there is definitely not as bad as people would have you believe. I also never had to ...
by phantom
Sat Jan 26, 2013 6:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Falling Apple's Price Causes Reverse Convertible Damage
Replies: 20
Views: 4158

Re: Falling Apple's Price Causes Reverse Convertible Damage

So example: you buy $10,000 worth of these things. Scenario 1: price drops or rises a 5%. You get your principal back plus the interest. Not bad. Scenario 2: price rises 30%. You get your principal back plus interest. Still not bad relative to real fixed income, but you don't participate in the equity upside. Scenario 3: price drops 30%. You get no interest and get $7,000 cash (or shares at that value, their option). Terrible. You didn't buy cheap, you paid $10,000 and got $7,000 in shares. I can't imagine how this investment would be good for anyone other than the person collecting the commission. I guess this is one of those things you buy if you want to bet on the price of the stock staying approximately the same. If you believe the sto...
by phantom
Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bill Gross (PIMCO) likes bonds / 5-yr treasury now
Replies: 79
Views: 10123

Re: Bill Gross (PIMCO) like bonds / 5-yr treasury now

Pretty impressive long-term record for a monkey, though ... one really only has to be right 51% of the time to be successful. That being said, his opinion at some particular point in time is pretty useless to the rest of us. He could change his mind tomorrow and we won't know about it. The only way to profit from him (if you believe that he has an edge) is to invest in his fund.
by phantom
Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Walmart to offer unlimited iPhone 5 plan for $45/mo
Replies: 45
Views: 7768

Re: Walmart to offer unlimited iPhone 5 plan for $45/mo

I really hope you guys in the US get the same mobile plans we have in France soon. 2 hours (including international) + unlimited sms + all incoming calls free for 2 euros a month. Unlimited outgoing calls - 10 euros. Unlimited internet as well - 20 euros. Mind you, it wasn't always this way. The prices were as bad as in the US, and then one company just surprised everyone by coming out with this about a year ago. Now all the others are doing more or less the same thing. Wonder whether there is some reason why this can't happen in the US.
by phantom
Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Personal finances for 3 months in Paris
Replies: 15
Views: 1781

Re: Personal finances for 3 months in Paris

I think that even more importantly than having a 0% foreign transaction credit card, is having access to a bank that doesn't charge you for each withdrawal and has good conversion rates. A lot of shops/restaurants here in Paris do not take credit cards unless you buy something over 15 euro or so. Also, some places only take credit cards with a chip, so cash is always good to have. Other people mentioned that BOA does not charge you anything if you use the BNP paribas ATMs. That's probably true, but I don't know what the exchange rates are. I would also recommend the Fidelity cash account. Free withdrawals from any ATM worldwide and the exchange rate is great (they say 1%, but whenever I look at the statements, it seems like I am paying noth...
by phantom
Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Checking account with no fees to receive foreign remittances
Replies: 10
Views: 1152

Re: Checking account with no fees to receive foreign remitta

He can open a Fidelity Cash account. No transaction fees for incoming wires, checkwriting, ATM reimbursements, etc. I've been using it for quite a while (and I think many on this forum recommended it as well) and love it. For currency transactions, he could use currencyfair.com (I think they handle Dirhams). I've also been using them quite regularly and they have been great. With these two services, a transfer from France to the US essentially costs me $4.
by phantom
Sat May 21, 2011 4:31 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: my review of CurrencyFair.com (money transfer)
Replies: 7
Views: 7414

my review of CurrencyFair.com (money transfer)

Some time ago I was looking to transfer money from Europe to the US, and I was looking for advice, and I saw someone on these boards suggest currencyfair.com. Some people were also asking for feedback on this company. I tried it twice, so here is my short opinion: CurrencyFair is basically a peer-peer way to transfer money. You sign up and then deposit money, which is usually free because you get to send the money in the currency you wish to exchange to a "local bank". I am in France, and to deposit, I had to wire money to their bank account in Ireland, which is a free transaction in most of Europe. Once the money is deposited, things get interesting. You basically look at their marketplace to see whether there are people who want...
by phantom
Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: No US income implies mutual fund distributions not taxed?
Replies: 2
Views: 696

No US income implies mutual fund distributions not taxed?

Hi all,

I was wondering if any expats are familiar with this issue. If I declare myself a resident of a foreign country (I am a US citizen) and I earn less than $90,000 in that country, then none of it is taxable income in the US. This, to me, essentially means that as long as the mutual fund distributions/profits that I have in my US accounts are under the standard deduction (somewhere around $8000), I will not have to pay any taxes on them (as long as they are my only taxable income). Is my understanding correct?
If so, this basically means that as long as my distributions are not too large, my regular account has most of the advantages of an IRA account...

Thanks.
by phantom
Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:00 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Investing from France
Replies: 44
Views: 9402

Thanks for all the replies! The article TedSwippet linked to and the lack of responses to low-cost funds in France has done a good job turning me off from wanting to invest there (a 9 hour tax form to fill out, really?!!). I am working for a French research institute/university, so there is probably no chance in getting money to the US directly from them (although it wouldn't hurt to ask), and I will not give up my US citizenship just so I don't have to possibly pay some extra taxes. So it seems that transferring money to the US will probably be the best option. I looked into it before and it seems that OANDA might be quite a good deal. I'll give some info in case anyone finds it useful: I talked to a representative and he said that I can w...
by phantom
Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity questions
Replies: 11
Views: 2070

I've been using Fidelity for 5 years now and am very happy. Their ATM card is great especially for traveling abroad since I've always gotten an amazing exchange rate and don't pay ATM fees. They have pretty good customer service, a 2% cash back credit card and if you want low-cost funds, you should just check out their 25 ETFs that you can trade commission-free which have very low expense ratios. I just hope that all these perks last...
by phantom
Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:52 am
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Investing from France
Replies: 44
Views: 9402

I am working in France, getting paid in euros to a French bank, and I would like to invest maybe around 200 euros per month, so wiring (which costs around 20-25) is not a good option for that unless I save up for a year and do it all in one shot. I could probably buy ETFs, but again, with 200 per month the 10 euro fee is pretty significant. The expense fees that I've seen are in the 1.5% - 2% range with a load as well. But it's quite possible that I just didn't find the right thing.

I am basically looking for help from someone who has lived in France (or is familiar with investing from that country) and knows whether there is a vanguard/fidelity/schwab-type place there where one can invest using relatively low-cost funds. Thanks.
by phantom
Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:32 pm
Forum: Non-US Investing
Topic: Investing from France
Replies: 44
Views: 9402

Investing from France

Hi All,

I am a US citizen who recently moved to France (possibly permanently), and was wondering whether anyone has any experience investing in mutual funds in that country. I looked around a little bit and it seems that the fees for funds in companies here are quite high, and Vanguard has a $100,000 minimum on their funds. Are there some low-cost options here?

I know I can just wire the money to the US and invest in my US account, but wiring is not cheap if I want to invest every month. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
by phantom
Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Charles Schwab or Fidelity
Replies: 36
Views: 16320

I was facing a similar decision a little while earlier whether to consolidate all my accounts into Schwab or Fidelity. I chose Fidelity. The reason, which some may find silly, is that Fidelity is a privately-owned company while Schwab is a publicly owned one. I tend to think that privately owned companies (especially ones that have stayed in the family, like Fidelity) care about the legacy of the brand (in addition to profit, of course) and are more likely to do right by the customer. Publicly-owned companies mostly just care about the bottom line. While Schwab is supposedly very good now, no one knows what they may do in the future in order to maximize the profits for their shareholders. Anyway, probably a silly reason, but this is why I c...
by phantom
Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:30 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The Charles Schwab trifecta?
Replies: 45
Views: 16073

I am slowly gravitating towards consolidating all my accounts at Fidelity. All the advantages of Schwab, but a nice touch is that you can do some banking at their branches (if there happens to be one near you). Sometimes I feel more comfortable with depositing large checks to an actual person rather than mailing them. Another nice touch is that while a check is clearing, you can still buy mutual funds with that money. I also have all my mutual funds at the Fidelity supermarket. I mostly invest in active funds, and the Fidelity supermarket has a good selection. But if you're looking for indexes, there are better options. Also, they do have a 2% cash back American express. I just got that. It's nice to see all your finances and credit card ba...
by phantom
Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Executive compensation as expense ratio
Replies: 94
Views: 10090

Mutual fund expense ratios are money going to the mutual fund company to run your fund - it's not just money that the manager gets.

Would it not then be more appropriate to add up all the salaries of all the employees as well as all the operating costs of some S&P500 company in order to compute its "expense ratio"? I am sure you'll get something a lot higher than .17% from that.
by phantom
Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: recommend a good whisky
Replies: 19
Views: 4446

tomd37 wrote:Oh my gosh! I regularly buy the 1.75 liter bottle of JWB and pay $66.99 plus 9.25 state and local (TN) tax. That advertised price on the web site floored me! :shock:
It's singapore dollars, which seems to come out to $300 US dollars. Still too expensive. Don't worry, I got it on e-bay for a lot less :)
by phantom
Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: recommend a good whisky
Replies: 19
Views: 4446

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. Many of you pointed out that taste in whisky is very personal, so I figured it may not be the best idea to experiment with a very expensive gift that the recipient may not even enjoy. Since I know that his regular drink of choice is Johnnie Black, I decided to get a 4.5 liter bottle of this stuff like here:

http://www.liquorland.com.sg/shop/whisk ... litre.html

Got it for $195 on e-bay. It's for a party, so it'll probably be put to good use right away :)
by phantom
Sat Jul 04, 2009 11:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: recommend a good whisky
Replies: 19
Views: 4446

recommend a good whisky

Can anyone recommend a good Whisky for a gift. The person seems to prefer the Blended Scotch kind, and I was looking for something in the price range between the Johnnie Walker blue label (around $130) and the Johnnie Walker Blue label King George V (around $400). Something in the $150 - $250 range would be ideal. Any suggestions? Thanks.
by phantom
Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Choices of college/major
Replies: 72
Views: 10570

Re: Choices of college/major

If I had a choice of any university, besides schools like Yale and Harvard and MIT and Princeton (which offer surprising amounts of student aid-- my parents neighours kid is there on a girl's ice hockey scholarship) That can't be right. Ivy's don't give out athletic or academic scholarships. The scholarships are need-based only. As to the original poster, while the undergrad major is not too important if you go on to professional school afterward (although if you want to do a PhD, you need to have the same, or almost the same, major) make sure that your kid doesn't pick a BS major like "marketing" or "communications". I think that seeing such a major on a resume makes most people assume that he picked it because he coul...
by phantom
Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Letter to Jack and Bogleheads to help prepare for a meeting
Replies: 72
Views: 11893

Re: I'm amused

And I stand by the central idea of my post: After you have learned about the many, many investing/saving strategies and have identified the best one for you [passive, active, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.] and it is index investing with asset allocation, this is a great place to learn about that particular strategy. :shock: I actually think that it should be the other way around. I think that until that time when you learn a lot about investing and other investing strategies, you should follow the advise on this board very closely. If you know very little about investing, you should jump at the chance to get above-average returns using index funds. How else can a below-average guy be almost guaranteed above average returns? Only later, ...
by phantom
Sat May 30, 2009 5:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advice needed, moving in with boyfriend.
Replies: 64
Views: 12106

giacolet wrote:I think the more items you have to cover in an agreement the less chance you have of a satisfactory relationship.

One would suppose that your expectations in the relationship would include reciprical demonstration of loyalty, trust, care, concern and mutual financial responsibility.

If everthing has to be per contractural agreement you've got problems.

No legalese agreements. You both know where the door is.
I agree 100%. Moving in with your boyfriend should not require you to get a lawyer as someone suggested. Just keep separate accounts and have some verbal agreements about the basics (splitting rent, food, etc.). Keep things simple.
by phantom
Fri May 29, 2009 4:46 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Letter to Jack and Bogleheads to help prepare for a meeting
Replies: 72
Views: 11893

That is a great quote! To be honest I cannot pull my money without a face-to-face conversation and explanation as I do have a relationship with the CEO and CIO. I think it is the "ethical approach" if I chose to exit. If I do choose that strategy, my personality is one to back it up with facts, regardless of their acceptance of those facts. I have already started to read those posts and most definitely will follow through. I cannot believe the support on this site, it is fantastic! If you have a relationship with these people, then perhaps it would be courteous to meet with them. I agree with the other posters that it's pretty futile to try and convince them of the benefits of indexing. The reason is that there really are no fact...
by phantom
Fri May 29, 2009 3:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Would you pay $9.99 for this service.
Replies: 12
Views: 3452

nisiprius wrote:
Taylor Larimore wrote:Misleading advertising at its worst.
Misleading advertising? How about this page:

http://www.marketriders.com/experts

Doesn't it give the impression that David Swensen, John Bogle, Burton Malkiel, William Sharpe, Eugene Fama, and William Bernstein are a) somehow connected with Marketriders, and b) endorse "The System?"
It could be that "The System" is just their word for "Rebalancing". Then it's not misleading, but simply lame.
by phantom
Thu May 28, 2009 2:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advice needed, moving in with boyfriend.
Replies: 64
Views: 12106

Wow, so many responses already! I really appreciate it. Does anyone see problems with using the joint checking/credit card? That seems like a neat idea. Edit: I can't find the earlier post that suggested doing this. Is it even possible for non family members? Katie You can open up a joint account with anyone you want and add anyone you want to a credit card. But why in the world would you want to do that?! You describe it as simply a "neat idea". I don't want to sound rude or presumptuous, but it sounds to me like you just want to do these things because you're moving away from your parents and finally gaining complete independence and you want to do "things that grown ups do." In theory, having a joint account, joint c...
by phantom
Sat May 23, 2009 2:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TIPS cost basis keeps going down
Replies: 6
Views: 2698

It will hurt your brain, but you need to read publications 550 and 551. When you bought your bond, the bond was probably not selling at face value because of changes in interest rates from the date of issue. You either paid a premium or got a discount. In addition, what people refer to as phantom income is treated as OID, hence the 1099-OID that you get at year income. Here is a short snippet from publication 550: Premiums on bonds. If you buy a bond at a premium, the premium is treated as part of your basis in the bond. If you choose to amortize the premium paid on a taxable bond, you must reduce the basis of the bond by the amortized part of the premium each year over the life of the bond. Although you cannot deduct the premium on a tax-...