Search found 99 matches
- Fri Feb 15, 2019 4:23 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Milestone Speech Question
- Replies: 10
- Views: 714
Re: Milestone Speech Question
Keep it short and have something to say. Would avoid trying to be funny. Better to be heartfelt instead. Leave out all of the stuff about the venue's anniversary or you sharing the same month anniversary as your parents. It's too cute by half and not great material. Thank everyone for coming. Remark...
- Fri Feb 15, 2019 1:26 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: visiting Baltimore
- Replies: 55
- Views: 5137
Re: visiting Baltimore
Your plans are pretty good. There is also a kids museum at Port DIscovery, Inner Harbor. Lived in Baltimore for 6 yeras. The problem with the city for pedestrian tourists is that the "nice" and dangerous neighborhoods aren't well separated. Pockets of good next to pockets of really really bad. And i...
- Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:52 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why I Own a Total Market Index Fund
- Replies: 43
- Views: 5582
Re: Why I Own a Total Market Index Fund
Yes. I occasionally dabble into a stream of thought where I muse at how absurd and radical it is that we've taught ourselves that companies should put shareholders interests first (before employees, the communities they exist in, or society) - but find some solace in the notion that I exist on both ...
- Wed Feb 13, 2019 10:37 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Open personal HSA or use company HSA?
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1819
Re: Open personal HSA or use company HSA?
I just opened a Fidelity HSA and initiated a Trustee-to-trustee transfer from my active BenefitWallet HSA where pre-tax contributions go.
My plan is to transfer funds 1-2x per year.
My plan is to transfer funds 1-2x per year.
- Sat Feb 09, 2019 3:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How many hours do you work and what do you outsource
- Replies: 88
- Views: 7371
Re: How many hours do you work and what do you outsource
Why are you senior leaders working so much? Don’t you have teams of people to do the work? Your job should be to make decisions, not to do the work. In the heirarchical org structure most companies use, people get promoted to their level of incompetence. When you excel in a role, you get promoted t...
- Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:28 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Skiwear Advice - Columbia/North Face vs. Arc'Teryx/Patagonia
- Replies: 55
- Views: 2831
Re: Skiwear Advice - Columbia/North Face vs. Arc'Teryx/Patagonia
Getting closer to pulling the trigger. After sleeping on this, I decided to go ahead and make an investment in a piece of winter outerwear that will last me a while and am down to three contenders. Patagonia Powder Bowl has a lifetime warranty, much heavier poly thread than the cheaper Snowshot, tw...
- Fri Jan 25, 2019 11:00 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Implementing a wealth tax
- Replies: 64
- Views: 3201
Re: Implementing a wealth tax
The biggest implementation barrier would be systems and resources to account for financial assets currently held in off-shore shell companies and other tax avoidance schemes. Easy enough to tax real estate and property - much harder to identify and tax off-shore assets which the tax base in question...
- Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:31 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Button Down Shirts / Travel Pants / Light Jacket? Other Tips from experienced Boglehead world travelers?
- Replies: 145
- Views: 8929
Re: Men's No-Cotton Travel Pants Suggestions? Other Tips from experienced world travellers?
For me, versatility is key. Unless I'm going on an adventure vacation/safari - I want a travel pant that feels like hiking pants, but that I can wear with a shirt and jacket to dinner. That's how I can get away with only a carry-on for a 10+ day trip. The best I've ever owned are Outlier Slim Dungar...
- Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:39 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What to do this weekend in Tokyo?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1457
Re: What to do this weekend in Tokyo?
Some favorites in the Roppongi area are: eat. (Cool hip restaurant with counter seating - good for dining alone) https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066451-d10402251-Reviews-Eat-Minato_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html Savoy Pizza. (Featured on David Chang's Ugly Delicious - their garlic...
- Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:07 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Too many credit cards?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 2836
Re: Too many credit cards?
It's a total no-brainer to turn auto-pay on for the minimum balance. Will prevent the credit-ding, loss of rewards etc. for late payments, and will also send you an email reminder that your payment was made (which serves as an additional reminder to pay your balance in full). As far as your overall ...
- Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: When has being frugal or cheaping out bit you in the rear?
- Replies: 109
- Views: 8295
Re: When has being frugal or cheating out bit you in the rear?
First family trip to Disney World (I was a 10 year old kid). We took an Amtrak Train from CT to Orlando, FL (regular seats, no sleeping car) because it was slightly less expensive than flying and my mother (at the time) had a moderate fear of flying. It's like a 30 hour train trip. When we arrived a...
- Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:52 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Will the 2008 recession help avoid severity of the next recession?
- Replies: 40
- Views: 2609
Re: Will the 2008 recession help avoid severity of the next recession?
A much larger percentage of the US population is aware of how average people felt, how we all think, and what happens during a recession due to forums. Before 08, it was essentially what you read in a book, or saw on TV from a professional. That is more hard to sympathize with and trust than forums...
- Tue Dec 04, 2018 9:20 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Small Business Owner 401k Failed Top Heavy
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1379
Re: Small Business Owner 401k Failed Top Heavy
Other commenters are correct - you need a TPA. Their job will be to help you design a plan that passes compliance testing. My 10-person SMB (consulting) has a 401k eco-system that consists of our TPA, the provider (Fidelity), a Financial Advisor, and our payroll service/PEO. Once you start to accumu...
- Thu Nov 29, 2018 5:59 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Winter boot recommendation
- Replies: 34
- Views: 3353
Re: Winter boot recommendation
LL Bean Boots. Iconic style. Either the 6" or 8" if you're just going to wear them at work.
If Chicago has 12 feet deep puddles of frozen slush at every street corner like NYC does after a snowfall, maybe the 8".
If Chicago has 12 feet deep puddles of frozen slush at every street corner like NYC does after a snowfall, maybe the 8".
- Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:48 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Guy's Western US Ski Trip - suggestions?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 2495
Re: Guy's Western US Ski Trip - suggestions?
I'd vote for Park City. Mostly because it is super easy to flyi into to SLC from different parts of the country, and unlike other options which will require a 2+ hour drive once you arrive at airport, you'll be mountainside in 45 minutes. As far as nightlife - DW and I (mid 30s, live in Manhattan) w...
- Thu Nov 08, 2018 6:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Moving to NYC without a job
- Replies: 33
- Views: 5176
Re: Moving to NYC without a job
As a NYC resident (transplant) for the past 11 years the advice that I give people is not to move here unless you have ample savings and at least 1 of the following 3 things:
1. A job lined up
2. A below-market deal on an apartment lined up
3. A really strong network of friends and family in NYC
1. A job lined up
2. A below-market deal on an apartment lined up
3. A really strong network of friends and family in NYC
- Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Between Jobs: Obamacare vs COBRA?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 1661
Re: Between Jobs: Obamacare vs COBRA?
The question would be cost of COBRA plan vs. cost of ACA Exchange plan. COBRA cost will be the full, unsubsidized cost of your employer's health-plan. HR should be able to provide this to you. Should also be aware that employer may change health plans or premiums (ours renews Nov 1st for upcoming ye...
- Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:07 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Sellers remorse - selling business
- Replies: 44
- Views: 4940
Re: Sellers remorse - selling business
Thanks for everyone's thoughtful opinions. I've been on both sides of enough deals to know that we'll pull the trigger and get this one done. It would be expensive and stupid to not close this transaction. All the hard work is done (negotiating, audits, etc) and we're down to pulling together Sched...
- Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:45 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Need Health Insurance (Non-ACA Options)
- Replies: 80
- Views: 5701
Re: Need Health Insurance (Non-ACA Options)
Have you considered joining a PEO like TriNet or Justworks? You'll be able to buy insurance at a large group rate. We switched to a PEO a few years ago because we were getting killed on the small group health insurance market in NY, and the cost savings have been dramatic (even accounting for the co...
- Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:22 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What is your single most expensive mistake?
- Replies: 293
- Views: 26196
Re: What is your single most expensive mistake?
Owning and operating inherited rental properties with family members. Came into the situation with family issues, effort in management was one-sided, and the situation ended up in a court-ordered partition by sale during a time period between the financial crisis and recovery that was sub optimal. L...
- Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:08 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: “Majority of working-age Americans have no retirement savings”
- Replies: 73
- Views: 4296
Re: “Majority of working-age Americans have no retirement savings”
The percentage of private sector employees with pensions was historically never higher than about one in three. Many people who were near-poor during their working years and didn't save for retirement people continue to work, or take some type of part-time job because they lack sufficient retirement...
- Thu Aug 30, 2018 9:22 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Zelle, online payments
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4676
Re: Zelle, online payments
You don't use Zelle to transact with people you don't personally know, as (like Venmo and unlike Paypal) there is no meaningful fraud protection.
- Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:57 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Where to buy engagement ring?
- Replies: 61
- Views: 5023
Re: Where to buy engagement ring?
Prior to the existence of shops like Blue Nile, I would say Diamond District all the way over a local jeweler. These days, prices on Blue Nile and DD are comparable (you may even save with Blue Nile). I would recommend soliciting recommendations from friends rather than just wandering the Diamond Di...
- Fri Aug 17, 2018 7:53 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best (cheapest) way to book a flight well in advance
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1749
Re: Best (cheapest) way to book a flight well in advance
Use Google Flights or Kayak to see what flight options are and their prediction about whether fares will rise or fall. If price options are generally comparable, I would choose a direct flight on a major airline that serves your destination frequently over one that only has a few flights to Costa Ri...
- Tue Jul 31, 2018 10:44 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Are millennials botching their asset allocations?
- Replies: 68
- Views: 7846
Re: Are millennial botching their asset allocations?
As an "old millennial" (1981) I usually find generational comparisons to be kind of dumb. Show me what Gen X did when they were my age, or Baby Boomers WHEN THEY WERE MY AGE. That's interesting. Survey a few of the 25% of Millennials who are 0% equity and ask them why. Do they even know they are? Ar...
- Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:27 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Two Days on Long Island
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1618
Re: Two Days on Long Island
Head east. If you have a few days during the week take the train out to Montauk (or East Hampton or Amangansett if you don't want to go all the way out). If a weekend - avoid the insanity and head to Sag Harbor or maybe the North Fork (Greenport, for example). IMO the beaches starting in East Hampto...
- Fri Jul 27, 2018 9:34 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Thinking about job change but current job gives 9% salary into 401k..
- Replies: 27
- Views: 3625
Re: Thinking about job change but current job gives 9% salary into 401k..
Definitely consider the 401k contribution to be part of total compensation! For the past 5 years my firm has had an 8% (of total comp) profit-sharing contribution to our 401ks and we definitely make the point to communicate it in the total comp package to current employees and new hires. Would also ...
- Thu Jul 26, 2018 8:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Figuring out long-term technology plan for kids - Chromebook?
- Replies: 43
- Views: 2587
Re: Figuring out long-term technology plan for kids - Chromebook?
Bit of a contrarian opinion but I see Chromebook // Kids // Long-Term as a "pick two" scenario.
- Tue Jul 24, 2018 6:13 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anyone sell their car to Carmax or webuyanycar.com?
- Replies: 34
- Views: 5285
Re: Anyone sell their car to Carmax or webuyanycar.com?
Several years ago I sold a 16 year old car with just 77,000 miles on it to a private party for $2,000.
Carmax offered me $700.
Carmax offered me $700.
- Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:50 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dealing with HOA Notice
- Replies: 118
- Views: 10206
Re: Dealing with HOA Notice
I don't have any actual advice for you - but thought I'd share an amusing HOA anecdote while you work this out. When I worked on Capitol Hill years ago, fielding calls from angry constituents complaining about this or that, my boss used to say that people loved to complain about government but when ...
- Wed Jul 18, 2018 1:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: suit shoe combo?
- Replies: 49
- Views: 3477
Re: suit shoe combo?
Dear God, no.
- Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:28 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 4217
Re: 35 minute connection for flight, long enough?
35 minutes is not enough, and definitely not enough during holiday season.
Your plan to fly direct into ORD and drive for 2 hours vs. connecting and driving for an hour sounds like the right decision.
Your plan to fly direct into ORD and drive for 2 hours vs. connecting and driving for an hour sounds like the right decision.
- Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Anyone take naps at work?
- Replies: 93
- Views: 6199
Re: Anyone take naps at work?
Definitely not. I actually sometimes go to the gym during work hours - more or less the opposite of napping. If I observed any of my team napping during work hours, I'd definitely have a productive convo with them about their workload, hours and home-life. If someone had worked really late the night...
- Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:03 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Where do you keep your Emergency Fund?
- Replies: 50
- Views: 6996
Re: Where do you keep your Emergency Fund?
Our currently sits online at Marcus (formerly Goldman Sachs online bank) and is divided between a true "emergency" fund and things like a fund for expected car maintenance. That said, for the period 2010 until about 2016 when I got married I had the majority of my emergency fund in VTSAX. Thinking a...
- Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:06 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: WiFi router
- Replies: 46
- Views: 4386
Re: WiFi router
I swear by ASUS routers. If you want reliability and quality for cheap - you can get an ASUS AC1900 refurbished from T-mobile on Amazon for like $50.
- Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:45 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What do you pay for home services?
- Replies: 55
- Views: 3693
Re: What do you pay for home services?
We pay $70 for our cleaning person to clean our 800 sq ft. apartment in Manhattan. It is one of the only things in my life in NYC that I feel is actually pretty reasonably priced.
- Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:59 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Which boglehead rule do you break--and are ok with
- Replies: 152
- Views: 13278
Re: Which boglehead rule do you break--and are ok with
Most of ours are what I'd call "strategic lifestyle creep" - living in Manhattan in our 30s, combined income of just under $700k (which has nearly doubled in last 3 years), with plans to try for kids in near future and sowing some wild oats with travel prior to that. Namely: 1. I pay to have my car ...
- Mon Jun 04, 2018 6:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Redeeming Credit Card Miles
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1412
Re: Redeeming Credit Card Miles
Mostly because the value you can get from credit cards rewards is directly proportional to the time and effort you put into the redemption process. For people who don't want to deal with it, you can take the cash. For people who want to apply the 1 cent per point rewards miles to travel-related purc...
- Fri Jun 01, 2018 2:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Comparing jobs: bonus vs no bonus
- Replies: 26
- Views: 1929
Re: Comparing jobs: bonus vs no bonus
I would not count the "eligible for" bonus as part of compensation and instead negotiate on base. If you want to ask a pointed question about the company's bonus practices for the past few years you absolutely should - e.g. have they paid bonuses to employees at your incoming level in past years? As...
- Fri Jun 01, 2018 12:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Travel advice for an engineer
- Replies: 65
- Views: 5051
Re: Travel advice for an engineer
The city of Tokyo in general is a pretty amazing feat of engineering, design and culture. Namely, how you can pack so many people into such a small geographic area and have things function so efficiently. Also, just really damn cool. Adding on to what others have said in terms of physical structures...
- Wed May 16, 2018 11:26 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Golden Handcuffs
- Replies: 53
- Views: 9495
Re: Golden Handcuffs
I've been around this carousel a few times without jumping off. I was fortunate to discover (through self-reflection, talking with mentors, and working with an executive coach) that the vast majority of what was contributing to my itch/ennui was my own mindset. Learning how to change that and doing ...
- Wed May 02, 2018 11:08 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Have you quit eating sugar? Tell me how!
- Replies: 129
- Views: 12595
Re: Have you quit eating sugar? Tell me how!
I've been Keto for the past 2 years. Went from religiously monitoring macronutrient intake to doing essentially a version of "lazy keto"/Slow-carb where I'll occasionally consume legumes and a few other foods that have carbs but low glycemic indices. Eliminating "sugar" is a good thing, but if your ...
- Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:24 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Quitting job - what to do if getting walked to the door
- Replies: 106
- Views: 13257
Re: Quitting job - what to do if getting walked to the door
Most likely scenario is that HC will continue through end of month, and COBRA docs will either be given to him upon termination or mailed thereafter. Companies can sometimes drag ass on how quickly they mail out COBRA information. Should consider how soon new employer's healthcare will kick in. Fact...
- Fri Apr 13, 2018 10:40 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Farewell gift for office when quitting job?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2752
Re: Farewell gift for office when quitting job?
I would not waste time/money on material gifts, but instead spend some time writing a personal note to every individual co-worker in the office about how much you've enjoyed working with them, a fond memory, and something you learned from them/something you've appreciated about their work. Showing g...
- Mon Apr 02, 2018 11:12 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why does it seem there are so many bad/poor 401K plans?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 5069
Re: Why does it seem there are so many bad/poor 401K plans?
Combination of a lot of things. I can only speak from experience in the SMB world. Historically the Vanguard's and Fidelity's of the world didn't compete in the smaller spaces until very recently. Instead you had a plethora of insurance companies touting their experience working with other SMBs, and...
- Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:03 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: COBRA grace period concerns
- Replies: 17
- Views: 3245
Re: COBRA grace period concerns
Yes - it is important to note that taking COBRA and then choosing to cancel it (via non-payment) does not count as a qualifying event if done past 60 days on the ACA exchange, or past 30 for most employer insurances (e.g. being added to a spouse's employer policy). It is also important to note that ...
- Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:40 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Luggage/travel recommendations?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 4690
Re: Luggage/travel recommendations?
Garment bags are worthless. Learn how to fold a suit jacket properly for packing in a carry-on and you'll be golden. Strongly recommend Briggs and Riley. DW has the Baseline Domestic Spinner (which hasn't posed a size problem in the US nor in Europe, generally) but the slightly smaller, squatter Int...
- Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:38 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: [What UN-frugal thing do you do? What do you splurge on?]
- Replies: 567
- Views: 42725
Re: What UN-frugal thing do you do?
Vacations & Travel. DW and I are in our 30s, don't yet have kids, and are fortunate to have high incomes. We have been decidedly un-frugal recently with travel, knowing that once little ones come into the picture it will be quite some time before we're able to take these kinds of trips again. Last y...
- Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How to get child's skin in the game for college?
- Replies: 135
- Views: 8526
Re: How to get child's skin in the game for college?
I suspect that how a child is raised and the experiences she has during the first 18 years of life will probably a stronger force of her having a "skin in the game' of her own future than whatever type of college plan you concoct. There is nothing wrong with letting her know she'll be on the hook fo...
- Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Laid off ...next steps
- Replies: 31
- Views: 5918
Re: Laid off ...next steps
Sorry to hear that. On the one hand, 20 weeks severance plus 6 months company-paid COBRA is a pretty decent package compared to what the average joe would get. On the other hand with a PhD in Mech E you're clearly not the average joe and are likely correct that a job search for a relatively high-lev...