Search found 603 matches

by SimplicityNow
Thu Oct 05, 2023 9:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much do you spend a month on food?
Replies: 336
Views: 30447

Re: How much do you spend a month on food?

Married retired couple so just the two of us. HCOL area in southwest Florida. Groceries (not including household items or alcohol) in 2022 averaged $450 a month so about $475 - $500 a month in 2023. Dining out in 2022 we averaged $1100 a month for two. To put it in perspective we never eat fast food and rarely chain restaurants. This also includes if we go out for cocktails or a brewery so a good portion of this is alcohol rather than just food. Most of the time we go out with another couple or groups of friends so it is more than just eating, it is also a social activity. I guess you could make the argument that some of the expense should be under the entertainment category of expenses. I don't think the OP numbers are high. There are many...
by SimplicityNow
Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: If/when to fly business class? (Length of flight vs. cost)
Replies: 207
Views: 27384

Re: If/when to fly business class? (Length of flight vs. cost)

For me the sweet spot is Premium Plus for international and Comfort or Main Cabin Extra or Economy Plus (depending on which carrier you are flying) for domestic. We had planned to fly mostly business when my wife retired, but with post covid prices, the spread between economy and business got wider. My rule is 3hours or longer I'm not sitting in coach. And Delta has been bad lately about making you gate check your carry on if you aren't the first economy boarding group despite the plethora of empty overhead bins. I like the extra room of business ,but I am claustrophobic and have a bad neck so I cannot sleep even in a lie flat seat. Premium Plus on United has a smaller cabin so less foot traffic, more leg room, leg rests and a wider seat. I...
by SimplicityNow
Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Applicable Federal Rates
Replies: 2
Views: 250

Re: Applicable Federal Rates

toddthebod wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:40 am
SimplicityNow wrote: Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:34 am I am making a loan to a family member and I want to charge them the minimum rate I can and still be comply with IRS regulations.

The loan will have a 10 year term so will be considered long term.

I went to the IRS website and looked at the AFR chart. I saw in one table the rate and then saw another table there was an "adjusted" rate.

Can someone explain in what circumstance one could use the lower adjusted rate?

Thanks.
The adjusted rate is for a tax-exempt obligation.
Thank you.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:34 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Applicable Federal Rates
Replies: 2
Views: 250

Applicable Federal Rates

I am making a loan to a family member and I want to charge them the minimum rate I can and still be comply with IRS regulations.

The loan will have a 10 year term so will be considered long term.

I went to the IRS website and looked at the AFR chart. I saw in one table the rate and then saw another table there was an "adjusted" rate.

Can someone explain in what circumstance one could use the lower adjusted rate?

Thanks.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Dec 24, 2022 6:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Possible to have a nice time at DisneyWorld without the infamous Disney hassles?
Replies: 93
Views: 10399

Re: Possible to have a nice time at DisneyWorld without the infamous Disney hassles?

It sounds like you don't want to go so I'm not sure why you'd let your friends talk you into it or the people here talk you in or out of it. If the purpose is to share an experience with friends doing something they enjoy than go. If it is a trip for something you want to enjoy, well you already know the answer. I've been to Disney 20+ times. I went several times when we were first married, when the kids were little and then we purchased a Disney vacation club membership. We went yearly up until the kids were in college an then started visiting other Disney properties (Disneyland, Hilton Head, DisneyCruise line) Disney is much more than theme parks. It is water parks, shopping, dining, golf, miniature golf, swimming pools, camping, horsebac...
by SimplicityNow
Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Toaster Oven
Replies: 44
Views: 3988

Re: Toaster Oven

Thanks for all the replies.

I thought I'd come back to this thread and give an update.

We decided to purchase a Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer.

First off, it makes surprisingly good toasted bread and bagels. It is our first appliance with an air fryer and we have had moderate success with that feature. Pretty good egg rolls, not so good jelly donuts.

We have made several casseroles and all turned out well. The interior light is sufficiently powerful to actually see what is inside.

Overall we are happy with it so far.
by SimplicityNow
Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Potential long-term non-mild recession: Any actionable advice?
Replies: 144
Views: 13503

Re: Potential long-term non-mild recession: Any actionable advice?

Nouriel Roubini, Jurrien Timmer [Dir. of Global Macro @Fidelity], Lawrence Summers, Peter Schiff, and many others) don't really know if we are headed for a recession or not. Nor do they really know if we do have one, how severe it will be, or how long it will last.

Actionable advice. Stay the course.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Toaster Oven
Replies: 44
Views: 3988

Re: Toaster Oven

I'm of the opinion that most appliances that were built 7 or more years ago were built to a higher standard than today's models.

I guess when I asked about people's experience I should have said, has anyone has experience with recent purchases.

My old kitchen aid we have had at least 7 years and it worked well until recently

I think I'd like to try to utilize the new one more for items I'd usually use the oven for: baked pasta dishes, veggies and casseroles.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Nov 10, 2022 10:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Toaster Oven
Replies: 44
Views: 3988

Re: Toaster Oven

Our old Kitchen Aid toaster oven while still working is not doing a great job on toast anymore (have to turn it half way through). Although I'd prefer a dedicated toaster, my wife convinced me we need a toaster oven. In reading reviews I had it narrowed down to a Breville or a Cuisinart. Both get good reviews but both have frequent mention of units failing within a year or two. Does anyone have personal experience with either of these (or any others) and can recommend a particular model? Thanks. To OP: Questions. . to help narrow down your responses: What is your counter space? (size limitations? We have sufficient counter space for a large unit What is your budget? (function vs fancy vs big fancy name brand)? Budget isn't really an issue....
by SimplicityNow
Thu Nov 10, 2022 9:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Toaster Oven
Replies: 44
Views: 3988

Toaster Oven

Our old Kitchen Aid toaster oven while still working is not doing a great job on toast anymore (have to turn it half way through).

Although I'd prefer a dedicated toaster, my wife convinced me we need a toaster oven.

In reading reviews I had it narrowed down to a Breville or a Cuisinart.

Both get good reviews but both have frequent mention of units failing within a year or two.

Does anyone have personal experience with either of these (or any others) and can recommend a particular model?

Thanks.
by SimplicityNow
Mon Oct 31, 2022 1:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 6 month delay in dentist appointment
Replies: 39
Views: 4632

Re: 6 month delay in dentist appointment

We relocated last year. A month later I developed tooth pain (cracked tooth) and I was able to get to see a dentist in less than a week.
My wife who had no issues and tried to schedule an appointment as a new patient was told the first appointment was a seven month wait.
by SimplicityNow
Fri Oct 28, 2022 3:07 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: simplicity advice needed
Replies: 10
Views: 1204

Re: simplicity advice needed

My advice.

Without knowing your age, and the rough amounts in your other accounts, and what you have decided is a reasonable asset allocation it is hard to offer suggestions.

Roth space should ideally be used to put those investments which potentially will grow the most (ex. stock funds).

If you decide to put stocks in your Roth, VTSAX would be a good choice.
by SimplicityNow
Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Has anyone donated large furniture to charity?
Replies: 41
Views: 3173

Re: Has anyone donated large furniture to charity?

When we were moving and downsizing we had similar issues. We got rid of an 8 seat kitchen table, some love seats, couches, dressers, chairs, bedroom furniture.

We first asked friends and friends of friends and our friend's children and got rid of a good portion that way.

Habitat humanity ReStore said it would be 3-4 months before they could come get it.

A lot of the big charities don't want it.

We found a local charity that did pick ups. We had to move it to the garage and they only sent 1 person so I helped them move it into their truck.

In the end we got rid of everything except the kitchen table which the new owners took.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Aug 27, 2022 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to avoid high vet bills?
Replies: 128
Views: 13488

Re: How to avoid high vet bills?

Didn't realize it was an old 3 year old post till the OP mentioned it. For others I will add this: Pet insurance is the panacea I though it would be. I originally took out a policy on my new pup (she's 9 years old now) because I never wanted to have to make a decision between her life and $$$. It was a catastrophic policy which means routine care was not covered (like annual checkups, dental, vaccinations) but anything due to an illness or injury is. At the time the premiums were reasonable, the company was great at reimbursement and it seemed like a good deal. We got a second pup two years later and added her to the policy again at a reasonable rate. Fast forward 9 years and the original company was purchased by a larger insurance company ...
by SimplicityNow
Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Credit Card for my daughter
Replies: 25
Views: 1973

Re: Credit Card for my daughter

SmileyFace wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 1:57 pm See if whatever bank she uses has a credit card. One of my daughters did that after being denied by the big names for lack of enough credit history.
Thanks but her online bank doesn't offer one.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Credit Card for my daughter
Replies: 25
Views: 1973

Re: Credit Card for my daughter

SchruteB&B wrote: Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:38 pm My teenage college student qualified for the Capitol One Savor card 3 months ago based on her own credit (which was 790 due to being an authorized user on my Capitol One Quicksilver card for the last 3 years) and earnings of $5000 from a summer job. It has a small limit of $500. The Savor also gave her a $100 bonus for spending $100 in the first three months.
She went to Capital One's website and filled out the info to see what she prequalified for. The QuickSilver Rewards for Good Credit, Platinum and Savor One card came up. She was worried about them rejecting her and having another hit to her score for another denied cc.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Aug 25, 2022 3:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Credit Card for my daughter
Replies: 25
Views: 1973

Re: Credit Card for my daughter

Thanks for the suggestions. She checked and her FICO score is 750 which makes the rejection even more frustrating.

I advised her to wait until she get the letter from Chase detailing why she was rejected. Sometimes they provide a number to call for reconsideration and she can explain her circumstances.

If that fails she will either apply for the DIscover or the Capitol One Platinum MC.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Aug 25, 2022 1:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Credit Card for my daughter
Replies: 25
Views: 1973

Credit Card for my daughter

My daughter is applying for her first credit card.

She has been employed as a nurse with a good salary for 1 1/2 years and has been living on her own, paying rent, car insurance and utilities for almost as long.

She was also an authorized user on my Amex and MC cards for several years.

She applied for a Chase Freedom unlimited and was denied. The reasons they gave her was lack of revolving charge accounts (I'm guessing they are referring to loans and credit cards) and insufficient credit history.

What is her best recourse at this time? Apply for a Discover card and use that for a year and then reapply for a MC or VISA?

Thanks.
by SimplicityNow
Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Europe Travel - logistical issues?
Replies: 34
Views: 3878

Re: Europe Travel - logistical issues?

Issues with airlines are frequent. I traveled domestically and my return flight was cancelled. I had to reschedule to the following day and pay the cost of a hotel for the extra night. The morning of my outbound flight it got delayed 5 hours so I had to reschedule that, arrive in a different airport and deal with the rental car changes. We are traveling to London. Flight times were changed 4 times then finally return leg was cancelled, We got routed through another busy airport with a short layover we will never make forcing an additional night in that city and extra expenses for hotel, dog sitting etc. There are a lot of moving pieces on any trip even if everything goes as planned. If you can be flexible and are willing to incur extra cost...
by SimplicityNow
Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:55 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]
Replies: 5250
Views: 906847

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

- 8.9% YTD

Roughly 60/40 Stock to Fixed Income. Total bond represents a small percentage of our FI.

Contemplated moving it to a Stable Value fund but decided to stay the course.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Jun 04, 2022 4:31 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Did recent market down and inflation change your retirment plan?
Replies: 81
Views: 8203

Re: Did recent market down and inflation change your retirment plan?

It hasn't changed ours.

I retired in 2017 and my wife last summer.

We are fortunate with a decent pension and a paid off house. A house which has increased about 30% in value from when we purchased it last summer.

We have done a lot of travel which was mostly already paid for due to trips being postponed from 2020 and 2021.

The only large change in costs we have seen have been gasoline prices. Most of our activities are fairly close to home and with others so we take turn driving. So this has not had a big affect on us either.

We don't drink Dr. Pepper so we save the $1 livesoft spends :)
by SimplicityNow
Mon Apr 11, 2022 8:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to travel Business/First class.
Replies: 147
Views: 19299

Re: When to travel Business/First class.

Since I've retired we don't fly economy anymore.
PE for domestic and either Business or Premium select for international.

I'm claustrophobic so I get uncomfortable in an economy seat, especially in a 3 across row which is most of the planes today.

While its not usually a 5 star experience the added comfort is worth it for us.
We have lounge access when flying Delta and through Amex but a lot airlines don't have an Amex lounge or Priority Pass lounge.

For those times it is nice to have the lounge access a seat in business gets you.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bourbon with broken seal
Replies: 69
Views: 6448

Re: Bourbon with broken seal

If you are going to replace it, consider a bottle of the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked.

Really good stuff.
by SimplicityNow
Fri Sep 10, 2021 10:43 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: How have you allocated your bond percentage?
Replies: 67
Views: 9104

Re: How have you allocated your bond percentage?

I've been retired 4 years and my wife retired this year.

Our target AA is 60% stocks/ 40% bonds. Currently we are at 61/39.

7% in a mixture of Bond Index & Inflation protected bond funds.

16% in a various stable value funds paying from 2.0 to 4.5%

16% in cash, mostly in a HYSA paying 1%. Recently relocated so some of this will be used for renovations and some for impending travel.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Safest places to stop on I-95 in North or South Carolina
Replies: 16
Views: 13071

Re: Safest places to stop on I-95 in North or South Carolina

8foot7 wrote: Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:52 pm Plenty of Hampton Inn-style hotels right off 95 in both locations. The drive between Lumberton and Florence is pretty miserable. 95 is mostly two lanes in each direction with tons of tractor-trailers regularly switching lanes going about two-tenths of a mile per hour faster than the trucks in the other lane.
Our experience as well. Was almost comical after a while.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Safest places to stop on I-95 in North or South Carolina
Replies: 16
Views: 13071

Re: Safest places to stop on I-95 in North or South Carolina

Wanted to return to the thread and thank everyone for the suggestions.

For future travelers: we stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites - Florence Center. Comfortable, well lit parking lot and we fortunately had no issues.

We had no traffic at all so we made good time but with traffic could be a long ride from NY.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:12 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why I'm leaving Vanguard
Replies: 220
Views: 38419

Re: Why I'm leaving Vanguard

I see these posts and while the anecdotal information is interesting, it represents a very small percentage of the people here who represent an even smaller percentage of the people who invest at Vanguard.

FWIW in my own personal experience I have or had accounts at each of the big three as well as TD, E-trade and a few others. I have had problems at almost all of them. The worst of them was a transfer of funds between TD and Fidelity. I recall it took 2-3 months to resolve and cost us several thousand dollars by being out of the market during that time period. And it wasn't only one of the companies that messed it up, it was both of them. It took multiple calls, emails, resubmitting paperwork over and over to get it straightened out.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Safest places to stop on I-95 in North or South Carolina
Replies: 16
Views: 13071

Safest places to stop on I-95 in North or South Carolina

We are heading down to the Tampa Bay area for a permanent move. We have to do the trip in 2 days to make the closing.

We will be driving our SUV which will be pretty full along with a rooftop car carrier.

We'd like to make it to at least Lumberton, NC and perhaps as far as Florence, South Carolina.

Since we will have a car full of stuff we want to try and minimize the chance of theft.

I realize that can be difficult along the I-95 corridor but that is the way we will be traveling.

Any recommendations for a "relatively" safe place (town, hotel) in that area?

Thanks.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Jul 03, 2021 4:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Moving help needed
Replies: 10
Views: 1083

Re: Moving help needed

We recently sold our home and have been trying to get a reliable, fair priced mover. We sold our home and had a hard time finding our next which meant we only recently found out our closing date which is only two weeks before we need to move out of our old home. While we would have preferred this dedicated mover who could deliver on a specific date, the price we received seems very high (north of $25,000) from NY to Florida. Granted we have a large house, 4 bedrooms plus an office and basement but we are not moving the furniture that was in our kids room. I know the moving companies are having a hard time getting movers so I am sure that adds to the cost. I was hoping anyone who has recently moved, or who had friends who have could give us...
by SimplicityNow
Sat Jul 03, 2021 10:40 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Moving help needed
Replies: 10
Views: 1083

Moving help needed

We recently sold our home and have been trying to get a reliable, fair priced mover. We sold our home and had a hard time finding our next which meant we only recently found out our closing date which is only two weeks before we need to move out of our old home. While we would have preferred this dedicated mover who could deliver on a specific date, the price we received seems very high (north of $25,000) from NY to Florida. Granted we have a large house, 4 bedrooms plus an office and basement but we are not moving the furniture that was in our kids room. I know the moving companies are having a hard time getting movers so I am sure that adds to the cost. I was hoping anyone who has recently moved, or who had friends who have could give us ...
by SimplicityNow
Fri May 07, 2021 7:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: pricing our house?
Replies: 155
Views: 23082

Re: pricing our house?

We are also in a NYC suburb and recently listed our house. This was our experience. We researched comparable listings but since there is very little supply where I am, some of the comparable went back 6-9 months which in today's market is ancient history as far as current prices. We interviewed four real estate agents and picked the one who we liked the most. He also happened to recommend the highest price but that isn't why we picked him. We had 30 showings over 3 days and 8 offers with all except one at asking or over. Several cash offers, waived inspection etc. The ones who were taking mortgages were putting 40 -50% down. We received several additional higher offers after we already accepted one. The problem with those people bidding it ...
by SimplicityNow
Fri May 07, 2021 3:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are we in a housing bubble?
Replies: 687
Views: 181211

Re: Are we in a housing bubble?

I don't think this is a bubble. And if it is it has different drivers than the last one. Here was our personal experience as one data point. We live in the suburbs of NYC in a VHCOL. House prices here have increased about 20% since this time last year and are still increasing. At first the large increases were limited to starter and mid sized homes but more recently it has spread to include more expensive homes. There is very limited supply and huge demand. We listed our home and had over 30 families visit it over 3 days. All were pre-aproved before our realtor would show them the house. We had eight offers and all but one was at or above asking price. Two were cash and the ones with mortgages were putting 40-50% down. Two offered to wave i...
by SimplicityNow
Sun May 02, 2021 8:10 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Eliminating bonds?
Replies: 61
Views: 7406

Re: Eliminating bonds?

I agree that 2-3 times a year to re-evaluate your risk tolerance is excessive. It seems like market timing to me. At a maximum I would suggest once a year and also review your entire IPS as well. I've done the same exercise many times. The urge gets strong to increase our equity percentage when the market is running hot and stay the course when the market is dropping. At the end of the day, we've only changed it once in the 5 years and it was actually for a future change to our AA so it hadn't taken effect yet. To answer the question. We have no plans to eliminate bonds in our portfolio. We have a current AA target of 60% equity, 40% fixed income. Our IPS says to rebalance once a year if we are more than 5% from our target AA. Currently we ...
by SimplicityNow
Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Townhome sale not going as expected, advice please
Replies: 71
Views: 8957

Re: Townhome sale not going as expected, advice please

From a seller and buyer perspective. We are selling a SFH in a popular area with low inventory. We an appointment only open house on Saturday. Had to extend to Sunday as our realtor couldn't fit them all in. Probably over 30 families the first weekend. He said he has 8 offers to review with us so far at asking or above. The realtor we chose recommended list price was the highest of the 4 realtors we interviewed. No that's not why we picked them. We are also buying. A different state and slightly downsizing. We have three areas we are interested in. All the homes we have seen in the last month are near busy roads. The way these developments are laid out there are very few streets that are noisy but the ones listed have been. Luck of the draw...
by SimplicityNow
Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: events that require unfreezing credit
Replies: 21
Views: 1433

Re: events that require unfreezing credit

vshun wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 4:33 pm I have been thinking that shopping for car insurance might require unfreezing credit as it was noted many of them base their premiums on ones credit score, so for most here their credit score would be an advantage vs "Unavailable" bucket in premium risk assessment.
That has been my experience.
by SimplicityNow
Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:37 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How much cash do you really hold?
Replies: 91
Views: 11410

Re: How much cash do you really hold?

The meaning of "cash" will vary widely from person to person.

We have no EF as 1) I'm retired and 2) I feel it is mostly mental accounting.

We are 60% Stocks 40% Fixed income assets. Some of the fixed income is in bonds funds and stable value funds in our retirement accounts. Some is invested in high yield savings accounts. Do I consider the HYSA cash? Yes. Is it invested? Yes.

The only cash which I consider not invested and is not counted towards my asset allocation is the amount covering two months of expenses I keep in our checking account.
by SimplicityNow
Mon Mar 29, 2021 4:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: INT'L SUMMER TRAVEL (from US)
Replies: 25
Views: 2307

Re: INT'L SUMMER TRAVEL (from US)

We made plans for a European river cruise in mid August but my bet is that it won't happen. Unless there is some major improvement in the the numbers in Europe, I feel they will stay closed to US tourism. Even if they allow the cruise to happen, most of the passengers are from the U.S. so that in and of itself might force them to cancel it. We can reschedule within a 2 yr window with 48 hour notice so I'm not too concerned.

We also have a cruise from the U.S. to the Caribbean for next January and I hope there may be a good chance that happens.

I think this year we will focus on domestic travel to some national parks in the southwestern U.S.
by SimplicityNow
Wed Mar 24, 2021 11:23 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Desperately asking for help - Thank you!
Replies: 39
Views: 6410

Re: Desperately asking for help - Thank you!

I do not recommend that you seek advice from a CFP or other advisor, some (or even many) of whom are compensated in part or in whole by selling you products and services. From your post, it appears you have a greater need for assistance with management of your investments rather than just requiring investing advice. Even a fee-only financial planner cannot save you from making unwise investment decisions. They can put you on the correct path but can't keep you on it. If all you need is advice, you will find it in many of the resources available here. Instead, you may be a good candidate for Vanguard PAS. That service charges an AUM fee of 0.3% annually but they will create a portfolio for you comprised of low-cost Vanguard funds that shoul...
by SimplicityNow
Thu Mar 18, 2021 8:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Las Vegas or Tampa for retirement relocation?
Replies: 69
Views: 8085

Re: Las Vegas or Tampa for retirement relocation?

I cannot comment on Las Vegas as I've only been to the airport on a connection. Tampa Bay area is where we plan to relocate. We like Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor and Dunedin. Dunedin has a cute main street with restaurants, bars, breweries, ice cream, more breweries and a park on the waterfront. Very near Clearwater beach with more restaurants. Depending where, you have a very close drive to HoneyMoon Island State Park and Caladesi Island State Park. Swimming, fishing, hiking nature trails. They have many festivals during the year. TD ballpark is in town and is where the Toronto Blue Jays do their spring training. Safety Harbor is on Tampa Bay. Also has a main strip with restaurants bars and small shops and a waterfront park. Cute small town ...
by SimplicityNow
Tue Mar 16, 2021 7:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "The Psychology of Money" -- a Gem
Replies: 39
Views: 9512

Re: "The Psychology of Money" -- a Gem

Thanks Taylor.

Lots of great quotes.

The book was a fast and enjoyable read.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Mar 11, 2021 8:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Life insurance instead of pension survivorship
Replies: 16
Views: 1444

Re: Life insurance instead of pension survivorship

Check with your HR. 30% reduction sounds like a lot.

We chose a 100% survivorship with a step up if she predeceases me. She is 5 years younger and it was only an 11% reduction.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Mar 07, 2021 4:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: comments on my asset allocation
Replies: 13
Views: 1446

Re: comments on my asset allocation

Here is a definition of market timing

"a person or organization that makes decisions to buy or sell investments based on economic and other factors that might affect the direction of the market."

So imo, yes it is market timing.

Does it make a difference? No I don't think so. TIAA traditional and other relatively secure stable value funds are legitimate substitutes for bonds.

FWIW, I have 40% of mt portfolio in fixed income investments. About 20% of those are in bonds, so about 8% of my portfolio. The other fixed income investment are stable value funds and cash.

Very similar to you. The main difference is that this was my asset allocation before bonds were out of vogue.
by SimplicityNow
Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:56 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much do you spend nightly for hotels (leisure/vacation)?
Replies: 227
Views: 19802

Re: How much do you spend nightly for hotels (leisure/vacation)?

If I'm, traveling domestically and it is simply a place to stay then about $100-$200 a night. For international travel I find it is usually $150 - 300/ night to find a place in the location I want with some American style basics (air conditioning that I can control, high pressure showers).

For special occasions I can go higher. Spent a few lovely nights at a great property in Charleston, SC that was worth every bit of the $400+/per night we spent.

Once stayed in a $700/night Ritz in NYC. The cold milk and freshly baked cookies delivered to our room in the evening was nice but not $700 nice. Fortunately we didn't pay for it.
by SimplicityNow
Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Relocation to Florida for retirement
Replies: 55
Views: 8114

Re: Relocation to Florida for retirement

We are looking to relocate very soon. We have spent the past several years visiting many areas of the state, spent a lot of time in Boca (my parents lived there) and for us the Tampa Bay area checks all the boxes.

Not far from the gulf coast beaches, many nice towns with relatively low crime, lots of sports and music especially in Tampa, great accessible airport, plenty of great breweries and restaurants.

I've found the lifestyle is a lot more laid back on the west coast than the east coast. Just one man's opinion. :)
by SimplicityNow
Mon Feb 22, 2021 12:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: House buying negotiations
Replies: 122
Views: 12142

Re: House buying negotiations

I think if you want that particular house, and to me it sounds like you do, you will have to meet his price or come a lot closer. I also think for a house that matches your criteria of house, neighborhood with friends next door, quibbling over 20k on a 1.3 M home is silly. I'm not far for that location and we are getting ready to sell our home for a lesser but similar price. A realtor we just spoke to said he has six buyers ready to buy our home, 3 for cash without even listing it. While our home is nice, there is nothing spectacular about it compared to others in the price range. The demand for large homes outside the city with plenty of room for working from home and remote learning for school age kids has greatly increased due to Covid a...
by SimplicityNow
Mon Feb 15, 2021 1:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: CASH versus BONDS
Replies: 93
Views: 16684

Re: CASH versus BONDS

I am about 60%/40% stocks/fixed income investments.

About 20% of FI is bonds, mostly intermediate bonds but some TIPS. About 40% spread among several stable value funds and another 40% in cash.

I'm pretty good with that and don't plan on changing it.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Feb 13, 2021 6:42 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What % of your TOTAL portfolio is in TIAA Trad?
Replies: 45
Views: 5018

Re: What % of your TOTAL portfolio is in TIAA Trad?

I am unsure what wisdom you are seeking.

Are you asking if TIAA traditional is a good fixed income investment? Probably, depending on the crediting rate for your account and any liquidity restrictions.

About 7-8% of our accounts are invested in TIAA traditional. Ours has no restriction on withdrawals and is guaranteed to pay 3%.

We have access to other stable value funds which pay more and less then TIAA. We also have fixed income investments in total bond and cash.

Hope that helps.
by SimplicityNow
Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:54 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bond alternative for retiring parents
Replies: 16
Views: 1389

Re: Bond alternative for retiring parents

I think the 60/40 stock to bond portfolio they currently have is sufficient to support a 3% withdrawal rate for the length of an average retirement. You haven't told us their ages but here is a chart from the Early Retirement Now website which supports that statement. https://i0.wp.com/earlyretirementnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/swr-part1-table1.png?resize=764%2C500&ssl=1 I also don't know if adding QQQ is what I would call taking on a small to moderate amount of risk. If they are starting retirement now, I don't know if I would be looking to increase their stock allocation when sequence of return risk is at its highest. The other elephant in the room is the pension. Illinois is one of the most poorly funded pension plans. Althoug...
by SimplicityNow
Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Boglehead bathroom repair
Replies: 36
Views: 3664

Re: Boglehead bathroom repair

We are in a similar situation although we haven't had the realtor walk through our home yet to give us suggestions we know the bathroom shower is the biggest issue. Some etched tile a crack on the saddle, etc. A year and a half ago we did some remodeling with what we felt would add the most value. Complete kitchen renovation, replaced all the bathroom cabinet and countertops with high end quartz and repainted the entire interior with updated colors, mostly various shades of gray. Or house is 20+ years old and my feeling is the expectation that everything needs to be perfect is unrealistic. When we purchased this house we looked at many homes this age and newer and not one home was pristine. I think a lot depends on your current market. In o...