Search found 1283 matches

by smackboy1
Sat May 14, 2022 12:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 2FA text forwarding to other phone while traveling internationally
Replies: 16
Views: 2782

Re: 2FA text forwarding to other phone while traveling internationally

Many institutions allow secondary 2FA methods like email or a second phone #. Add your spouse's cell as the second phone #. Or use Google Voice but make sure it's secured with 2FA like an OTP authenticator.

Some mobile carriers have apps that let you get text messages via wifi. For Verizon it is Message+
by smackboy1
Thu May 12, 2022 11:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggestions for good colleges
Replies: 104
Views: 9965

Re: Suggestions for good colleges

My daughter (junior in high school) currently wants to major in chemical or biochemical engineering. She is a very good student (36 ACT, high GPA, etc., but no national recognition so to speak). We think applying Early Decision (ED) can help improve her chances of admission. What would be the best colleges (good probability of admission) where she can have interaction with professors, maybe some research opportunity, good prospects after graduating etc.? She is a kind of student who typically needs some motivation (good teacher, interesting topics, etc.) to get going, and then tends to do very well, hence I think a smaller college maybe a better fit for her. Does anyone have an opinion on chemical/biochemical engineering departments in gen...
by smackboy1
Tue May 10, 2022 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Estate Planning, Seeking Trust Feedback
Replies: 53
Views: 4786

Re: Estate Planning, Seeking Trust Feedback

The question of how to find a good estate planning lawyer comes up once in a while. Here's a pretty decent thread: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=231055 My favorite suggestion from that thread is the poster who suggested asking the prospective lawyer if they had ever attended the Heckerling Institute and when the last time they attended. Heckerling is the largest US estate planning conference and has been going on annually for almost 60 years. Speakers and attendees are the leaders and movers and shakers in the field including lawyers, trust officers, accountants etc.. Obviously it's the place to network and learn about emerging issues. Even practitioners who cannot personally attend Heckerling will stay up to date on the ...
by smackboy1
Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Uninsured & Underinsured Motorists
Replies: 21
Views: 2221

Re: Uninsured & Underinsured Motorists

Does un/under insured cover you if you're a pedestrian? That seems odd, because I thought typically car insurance was tied to the car, not the driver(s) (although rates are obviously affected by the driver(s)). If true, then what if the household owned 2 cars, one with, and one without U/UIM coverage? It depends on the exact words of the policy. Generally UM/UIM insurance pays the policy holder or their family if they are injured or property damaged by an at-fault driver who has insufficient insurance. Or in the case of a hit-and-run, a driver who cannot be found. The injured party doesn't have to be in a car at all. They could be on street walking or bicycling or doing almost anything at all, as long as they are hit by the uninsured drive...
by smackboy1
Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Uninsured & Underinsured Motorists
Replies: 21
Views: 2221

Re: Uninsured & Underinsured Motorists

Questions about UM/UIM insurance comes up a lot. Searching the forum will bring up past threads. Here's one: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=362624 The way to think about UM/UIM is a scenario like this: a family member is injured by an at-fault driver who has no insurance or very little insurance and has no assets to satisfy a personal injury judgment. Maybe it was a hit and run while jogging and no culprit is ever found. Over and above medical bills, the injured party might have lost the ability to work temporarily or permanently. Maybe they are permanently disabled in a way that requires ongoing care. Typically health insurance does not cover chronic medical conditions. If they are wealthy enough to weather such a...
by smackboy1
Thu Feb 10, 2022 1:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replacing jacuzzi tub with soaking tub
Replies: 37
Views: 7224

Re: Replacing jacuzzi tub with soaking tub

Replaced MBR bath Jacuzzi as part of a major renovation 6 years ago with a large stainless steel ofuro Japanese soaking tub from https://www.signaturehardware.com. Here are my thoughts: - Think carefully about what you want and if you really want it. - I wanted a deep Japanese hot water soaking experience. All western style tubs were too shallow. The tub interior is 30" deep. When the I sit in it I can almost completely submerge my head. The depth makes it difficult to enter/exit and clean. I needed a separate step stool to enter/exit. Handholds might be a good idea. They make chromed fixtures that are designed to double as handholds that can support 300 lbs. It is not for children or anybody with mobility issues. It is not for aging i...
by smackboy1
Thu Feb 03, 2022 4:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Steam shower for a bathroom
Replies: 25
Views: 2885

Re: Steam shower for a bathroom

We have a Steamist steam shower in the MBR for about 6 years now and use it almost every day. It's fantastic if you like hot wet steam. Dry heat like a sauna is different. My dream is to have both! Here are some thoughts: - No idea the cost of the steam shower because it was part of a down to the studs MBR bath remodel. But it wasn't a cheap add on. - The steam unit was put in a closet for easy access. Electrician had to run a 240VAC 50A circuit just for the steam unit. Plumber has to run a separate drain for the steam unit. I do not know if there is a way to descale the steam unit. I am thinking that if the unit scales up it might have to be replaced. - The shower was custom sized frameless glass. Completely sealed glass and tile on all 6 ...
by smackboy1
Fri Jan 21, 2022 8:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Leaving TPMS off Winter Tires / Wheels
Replies: 30
Views: 2218

Re: Leaving TPMS off Winter Tires / Wheels

Some Toyota/Lexus vehicles are notorious for using TPMS system that requires a special electronic device to reprogram between different coded TPMS. When I had a Toyota I bought a consumer DIY tool to switch between summer and winter sets of wheels. It was made by ATEQ and cost around $100. Paid for itself after 2 tire swaps. Other Toyota owners just tape over the warning light and buy a cheap wireless battery TPMS system with valve stem sensors.

Personally I want the added safety of a TPMS system, especially during winter. There's been many times TPMS detected a <5 psi pressure loss from a slow leak before any driver detectable changes in the tires. Mitigates risk of changing a tire in the bad weather or tread separation.
by smackboy1
Sun Dec 19, 2021 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Wi Fi extenders
Replies: 41
Views: 4075

Re: Wi Fi extenders

Extenders are terrible.

Tri-band Wifi 6 mesh system. The best would be to have wired backhaul between the router and nodes. Either Cat 6/5e or an alternative like powerline adapters. But if that's not possible having a 3rd dedicated 5G band for data backhaul would be much better than having to share the backhaul bandwidth with client devices.
by smackboy1
Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Maintenance on Hybrids: [available only at dealer?]
Replies: 7
Views: 1229

Re: Maintenance on Hybrids: [available only at dealer?]

As a hybrid car owner, are you stuck with getting maintenance done at the dealership? I ask because my local mechanic told me he does't work on Hybrids. My guess is that specialized training is required due to the high voltage/current. I'm not talking about maintenance of the hybrid system specifically, but just the typical stuff cars need: replacing brakes, changing oil & plugs, flushing the radiator, changing belts, etc... That doesn't sound correct. We have 2 BMW plug in hybrids. Once they were out of warranty our local import mechanic did all the usual ICE maintenance (at a fraction of dealer rates). Brakes, oil, fluids, plugs, filters, suspension, alignment, etc.. They even have a scan tool that read and resets BMW codes. However,...
by smackboy1
Thu Dec 16, 2021 1:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Your favorite coffee forums?
Replies: 11
Views: 1506

Re: Your favorite coffee forums?

In addition to James Hoffmann, here are some other coffee content creators who are worth the time:

Matt Perger, Barista Hustle
Lance Hedrick
Chris Baca
by smackboy1
Thu Dec 16, 2021 9:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: SIM cards for France
Replies: 20
Views: 1347

Re: SIM cards for France

I am on Verizon and when I travel overseas I purchase a local prepaid 4G LTE SIM so I have a local # for restaurant reservations or local calling. Last time I went to France I bought a EU SIM on Amazon before I left the US so I could just swap out the SIM (Orange?) on my SIM unlocked smartphone when the plane landed in Paris. I can stay connected to my Verizon cell # even with a foreign network SIM. Before I left US I installed the Verizon Message+ app. I allows me to send/receive texts to my US cell # over data connection when I am overseas and not on Verizon's network. I believe it's since been updated so it can send/receive VOIP voice calls to the US cell # over data. FWIW Message+ app works on wi-fi iPad and Android tablet too, transfor...
by smackboy1
Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Encrypted email? Any issues with this scenario?
Replies: 21
Views: 2273

Re: Encrypted email? Any issues with this scenario?

A common misconception is that all of ProtonMail's e-mails are encrypted. When sending e-mail within the ProtonMail ecosystem, the e-mail is unreadable to anyone but the recipient. Once it leaves ProtonMail's ecosystem, say to arrive at gmail or another business, then all bets are off and it's a regular e-mail. Bottom line, no advantage to using ProtonMail or Tutanota if the recipient is also not using that system. ProtonMail.com (and similar services like Tutanota.com) can send encrypted messages to any email domain recipient. Communications are via an encrypted web portal. The message is encrypted using a password which the sender has to tell the recipient ahead of time (via phone call or text or other means). The recipient receives an e...
by smackboy1
Tue Dec 07, 2021 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College visits, strategies (and ED vs. RD)
Replies: 225
Views: 22459

Re: College visits, strategies (and ED vs. RD)

What's the very short pitch for Penn, for a STEM girl, versus other high-end privates (and good publics like UMich), Ivy and non-Ivy? Academically Penn has a very wide breadth of undergrad programs - maybe the biggest choice of undergrad schools and majors in the top 10. All the usual suspects plus Wharton undergrad business, nursing, architecture to name a few. Also a wealth of graduate programs including med, law, vet and dental. It's a good place to explore in preparation for grad school and beyond. As a whole, the entire school is excellent. But, TBH the engineering and CS program, while good, there are probably other schools in the top 20 with equal or better programs. CMU's eng/CS programs come to mind. One big draw are the dual the ...
by smackboy1
Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College visits, strategies (and ED vs. RD)
Replies: 225
Views: 22459

Re: College visits, strategies (and ED vs. RD)

Would she be considered legacy at Penn? If so, that could be another prime ED candidate. No, her grandfather (my F-I-L) went there for an MD, which I guess maybe barely qualifies for a tiny bit of legacy boost. But for whatever reason, my wife seems a bit fixated on Penn, at least as a school to look at somewhat seriously. It actually depends. I am a Penn alum. I have had conversations with people involved on both sides of their admissions process. Penn is different than other highly selective colleges because they will consider an undergrad applicant legacy if a parent or grandparent attended Penn, even as a graduate student. Most schools only consider an applicant legacy if a parent attended as an undergrad. However, like most, if not al...
by smackboy1
Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Encrypted email? Any issues with this scenario?
Replies: 21
Views: 2273

Re: Encrypted email? Any issues with this scenario?

Is this a one time email transaction or will there be ongoing communications back and forth? Depending on the level of security desired, another option is to use end-to-end encrypted email service like ProtonMail.com or Tutanota.com.
by smackboy1
Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Car Insurance Limits for 21-Year Old
Replies: 6
Views: 819

Re: Car Insurance Limits for 21-Year Old

Not part of the OP question but don't forget about renter's insurance. It may be required by the terms of the lease. Even if it's not, the house mates want to make sure there is coverage in case of damage to the property or an accident. If auto and premises insurance is with the same carrier, there may be a discount.
by smackboy1
Sun Dec 05, 2021 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Donate to charity every other year?
Replies: 11
Views: 1893

Re: Donate to charity every other year?

I normally give $15K to $20K a year to charities. I'm thinking perhaps I should just give twice as much every other year. That way I take the standard deduction in even years, and itemize in odd years. I know there are other ways to address this, but this way seems simpler if it makes any sense. And what are the other ways anyway (I'm 69 y.o.)? Use a donor advised fund (DAF) for a few reasons: - Non-profits have annual expenses, so they probably appreciate regular annual donations - If the intent is to build a regular track record of giving in return for intangible benefits, annual giving might be better e.g. museums, colleges - A good way to to maximize giving to a non-profit is to gift appreciated securities. You don't have to pay the ca...
by smackboy1
Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gore-tex 3L ski jacket--is shell sufficiently warm?
Replies: 26
Views: 3753

Re: Gore-tex 3L ski jacket--is shell sufficiently warm?

mookie wrote: Mon Nov 29, 2021 10:19 pmThat jacket is waterproof, but seems to absorb water rather than wick it away, which is why I want to try Gore-tex.
How old is that jacket and when was the last time it was properly cleaned and/or DWR (Durable Water Repellent) re-applied? All high performance outerwear will stop working if dirty - even Gore-Tex. If it's been washed with regular laundry detergent, that may compromise the water repellency. They should be cleaned with special non-detergent cleaners e.g. Nikwax, and put in the dryer to re-activate the DWR. After a while, the DWR wears off and has to be re-applied.

https://blisterreview.com/gear-101/how- ... wn-jackets
by smackboy1
Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gore-tex 3L ski jacket--is shell sufficiently warm?
Replies: 26
Views: 3753

Re: Gore-tex 3L ski jacket--is shell sufficiently warm?

It looks like a Gore-tex 2 layer insulated ski jacket is what I'm looking for. I want it for everyday, all around winter use, not just when skiing, so I think I need the insulation. As long as it has zippered vents, I think I'll be able to use it for skiing too. For some reason, they don't make Gore-text 3 layer jackets with insulation, they only sell it as a shell. They do make Gore-Tex 3 layer insulated ski jackets. Here is one by Arc'teryx https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens/macai-jacket It's not common because Gore-Tex Pro/3L is their burliest product (translation: most expensive) marketed for "extreme" activities. Those people tend to prefer a layering system. They don't buy insulated jackets. TBH for an everyday insulated ...
by smackboy1
Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:16 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gore-tex 3L ski jacket--is shell sufficiently warm?
Replies: 26
Views: 3753

Re: Gore-tex 3L ski jacket--is shell sufficiently warm?

I'm planning to buy a Gore-tex 3 layer jacket for skiing. I see that most of them are described as a shell. Will a base layer shirt underneath the shell be sufficiently warm? Or is it better to buy a 3-in-1 or insulated jacket for skiing? It depends on many variables. Gore-Tex 3L is just one type of fabric within W. L. Gore's product line. There are also many other brands that produce similar waterproof and breathable fabrics. Being comfortable and warm is the goal but there are many issues: 1) Keeping snow/rain out 2) Keeping wind out 3) Keeping mid/base layers dry by allowing sweat to evaporate 4) Sufficient insulation to keep warm, but not overheat and sweat too much What is the activity? Cross country skiing in spring? Face shots in th...
by smackboy1
Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Leaving Estate to Children in case of death: How do High Net Worth individuals do it?
Replies: 33
Views: 5950

Re: Leaving Estate to Children in case of death: How do High Net Worth individuals do it?

Here are a few books that might be helpful: Family Wealth: Keeping It in the Family by James E. Hughes, Jr. Family: The Compact Among Generations by James E. Hughes, Jr. Wealth in Families by Charles W. Collier There's a persistent myth that trust funds ruin children and they are doomed to become idle rich tabloid fodder. Consider that well adjusted and financially responsible "trust fund babies" rarely make the news. Trust funds don't raise children, parents do. The choice of guardian and how the guardian raises the children will have a bigger impact on how the child turns out. Think about how the parents would raise the children if they were alive. It would change depending on the age of the children and their needs. One might h...
by smackboy1
Sun Nov 21, 2021 11:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Need recommendation for Estate Planning book
Replies: 17
Views: 2128

Re: Need recommendation for Estate Planning book

I plan to use a estate planning lawyer, but I need to understand how stuff works before I do that. The wiki appears to list "Beyond the Grave", but the book is from 2014. Is it still relevant enough to use? "Beyond the Grave" is full of stories that broadly illustrate principles and tools used to avoid traps and pitfalls. It's not really a how-to guide. It's still relevant and will probably always be relevant because it helps people see the bigger picture of avoidable risks. Many people are blindsided by risk because they do not know what they do not know. They confound the "unlikely" with the "impossible". Condon's book illustrates some of those possible scenarios and how to plan for them. The natur...
by smackboy1
Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Umbrella Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Replies: 56
Views: 4381

Re: Umbrella Uninsured Motorist Coverage

MikeG62 wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:29 amThis coverage should be thought about as not covering just you, but anyone in your car should you be involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. I care about everyone in my car and not just myself.
That's not the whole story. UM/UIM coverage protects the insured party's family against a UM/UIM driver. The insured party's own car is largely irrelevant. For example: the insured party's non-driver child could be walking across the street, riding a bike, on the bus etc.. If they are injured by an at-fault driver with none or inadequate liability insurance, the UM/UIM coverage provides a pot of money to pay out the claim.
by smackboy1
Sat Nov 20, 2021 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendation for non-Tesla L2 EVSE as a Renter
Replies: 17
Views: 1552

Re: Recommendation for non-Tesla L2 EVSE as a Renter

https://www.evseadapters.com/ might have something that would help.

FWIW I have a Juicebox 40 that has lasted 5 years with no problems. Very bulky and heavy and over built. I also bought a no-name cheap lightweight portable EVSE from EVSE Adapters that stopped charging after 3 years. The warranty replacement unit lasted 3 years before it also stopped working properly.
by smackboy1
Thu Nov 18, 2021 11:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Umbrella Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Replies: 56
Views: 4381

Re: Umbrella Uninsured Motorist Coverage

My guess is $1M of UM pays out rarely, but when it does, it pays out the max immediately. Like a paraplegic scenario or some such. It's more complicated than that. UM/UIM insurance just provides a pot of money to cover a monetary shortfall because the at fault party is under insured, or not insured at all, or cannot be found, like a hit and run. Before the insured party can collect the money, there has to be determination of fault and the monetary liablity of the at fault party. In a UM/UIM claim, the insured party is actually fighting against their own insurance company and the insurance company has defenses against paying the claim, just as the at fault driver defendant would. This is why a good personal injury lawyer can be helpful. The...
by smackboy1
Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Umbrella Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Replies: 56
Views: 4381

Re: Umbrella Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Interesting question to me: a wealthy friend of mine just renewed his umbrella liability insurance. . . So who needs to buy this extra umbrella uninsured/underinsured coverage? Why is it offered at all? If the friend is wealthy enough, they may be able to absorb the cost of a devastating accident to his family. UM/UIM protects his own family against other drivers. Maybe they are hit as a pedestrian/ bicyclist or the whole family is in a car accident. Some members of the family may not have coverage against certain risks. For example children do not usually have disability insurance or long term care insurance in case they are disabled for life. His regular auto policy UM/UIM limits might be say 100K per accident, but it that amount might b...
by smackboy1
Tue Nov 09, 2021 4:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is the best tablet for handwritten notes?
Replies: 17
Views: 2589

Re: What is the best tablet for handwritten notes?

I don't use them, but there are matte plastic screen protectors that make the glass iPad screen feel more like paper.
by smackboy1
Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: High end shower system purchase
Replies: 46
Views: 6085

Re: High end shower system purchase

Our major reno included the MBR bath and 2.5 other bathrooms. We were sent to Ferguson to shop for fixtures. We chose Grohe and Delta. My advice is to avoid the unknown brands and get the brands with solid built guts. Listen to the plumbing sub, they know which brands suck. Water supply to all the bathrooms were up rated. We specified an overhead shower and a handheld that could both over supply water at the same time. Not all diverters can do this. I took a dental pick and removed all the water restrictors on all the shower heads. We specified separate fixtures because we could get higher water flow than a system. We installed a 240V steam shower in the MBR. The best purchase ever, but have to plumb and wire for it. Not an easy retrofit, s...
by smackboy1
Sat Nov 06, 2021 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Multi-WAN Internet Setup
Replies: 74
Views: 9005

Re: Multi-WAN Internet Setup

Didn't read the whole thread. but my Asus router supports dual wan, the options are WAN port, USB, or any individual lan port, with either failover or load balancing. . . but i'm 99% sure its in the stock firmware because of this FAQ https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1011719 I have 4 LANs using ASUS mesh routers and can confirm some of their routers and stock firmware support dual WAN. I can't comment on dual WAN implementation because I do not use it. The routers I own that support dual WAN are: ZenWifi AX XT8 AX6600 and RT-AX88U. https://demoui.asus.com/Advanced_WANPort_Content.asp One thing I like about ASUS is AiMesh. It's an ASUS interface that allows different models of it's AiMesh hardware to work with each other to create versatile ...
by smackboy1
Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Multi-WAN Internet Setup
Replies: 74
Views: 9005

Re: Multi-WAN Internet Setup

TomatoTomahto wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:03 pmDon’t I just move my single point of failure to eero that way? I guess I could have completely redundant LANs, but that’s a ton of re-wiring, equipment, etc.
Completely separate isolated mesh LAN. Is it feasible to avoid re-wiring your house with a combination of mesh with tri-band mesh with dedicated 5G backhaul and ethernet over powerline? Another benefit of a separate isolated LAN is that you can keep your devices with private data e.g. PCs, smartphones, isolated from low security IoT devices vulnerable to malware attack like home automation, cameras, thermostats, TV, smart speakers.
by smackboy1
Fri Nov 05, 2021 1:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Multi-WAN Internet Setup
Replies: 74
Views: 9005

Re: Multi-WAN Internet Setup

TomatoTomahto wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 7:18 amMy main questions: I would have to get a multi-WAN router.
Do you have to use a multi-WAN router? Is your network topology just a single LAN?

The one risk dual ISP mitigates is failure of one ISP. By using one multi-WAN router, that becomes your weak link single point of failure. Would it make more sense to establish 2 entirely independent LANs each with their own routers for each ISP? So if an ISP fails, you could just manually switch over devices to the other LAN? With 2 isolated LANs there is a fully redundant backup if the main network fails because of a hardware malfunction, bad firmware update, malware attack via a insecure IoT device, and other things.
by smackboy1
Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Protecting my assets [in case of future divorce]
Replies: 90
Views: 7339

Re: Protecting my assets [in case of future divorce]

I have $1m in investable assets; all invested in a three fund portfolio consisting of Vanguard Total Stock, Vanguard International Stock, and Vanguard Total Bond. I do not want to touch this $1m or the gains for another 30 years or so; I want to forget about it and let it grow. STATS: -Single, 33, CA, female -$1m in stocks/bonds; all in three fund portfolio Question: - What is a fail proof plan (that is not a pre-nup) that can protect my principal and gains in case of a future divorce? OP, there is so much bad information in this thread I am not going to even bother to address it. Suffice to say, you need to speak to a CA lawyer specializing in asset protection. BTW, there is no such thing as a "fail proof plan". However there ar...
by smackboy1
Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pizza Ovens
Replies: 60
Views: 9069

Re: Pizza Ovens

For indoor home oven I use a seasoned baking steel on top of a stone and cook the pizza twice (learned it on Youtube from Vito Iacopelli). Preheat the steel using max oven (500F). Then superheat the steel with the broiler for 10 mins before putting in the pizza. First, turn off the broiler, bake just the crust and tomato sauce. After 1-2 mins the crust should be partly cooked and bottom should be slightly browned. Pull out the crust. Superheat the steel with the broiler again while you put on toppings. Put cheese and toppings on the pizza. Second, turn off the broiler, bake the pizza until the cheese is melted. If you like the top crust a little charred, hit it with a few seconds of broiler at the end. With this method I can get some decent...
by smackboy1
Wed Nov 03, 2021 8:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sous Vide gadget or Air Fryer?
Replies: 53
Views: 4092

Re: Sous Vida gadget or Air Fryer?

I have 2 Anova immersion cookers. Perfect for cooking 2 meats at different temperatures like white and dark meat poultry. I use sous vide to cook meat and eggs. Perfect medium rare steaks every time. I cook ribs for 2 days in a cooler. Sous vide takes the guess work and labor out of soft boiled and poached eggs. Set up and clean up is very simple and easy. I double bag all food using Ziplock freezer bags. The bag holding the food is thrown out and there's nothing else to clean. If the 2 gallon outer Ziplock is clean it can be reused.
by smackboy1
Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 1st Baby Due. How to estate plan?
Replies: 56
Views: 4464

Re: 1st Baby Due. How to estate plan?

We always felt that all the assets went to the folks we entrusted with raising our children, in the scenario where we were both gone. No trust needed for that. As others have pointed out, that's a terrible idea. Once the money goes to the guardians, it's their money. You've disinherited your children. If the guardians get divorced, or end up in heavy debt, or don't spend the money appropriately on your children, there is nothing anybody can do. There are no checks or balances. If the guardians commingle the children's inheritance with their own assets, it will be a big mess to sort it all out in the event the 1st guardians are unable/unwilling to care for the children and a 2nd guardian has to take over. This is the same plan Cinderella's ...
by smackboy1
Fri Oct 29, 2021 11:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: FWIW - DIY Living Trust was easy to do
Replies: 46
Views: 5817

Re: FWIW - DIY Living Trust was easy to do

The attorney drafting my Trust suggested the Trust name be: "The (First name middle initial. last name revocable Trust dated month day, year)" ... Perhaps there is some advantage to following the format he recommended, but I can't imagine what it is. I agree short names are more manageable. Some people purposefully use obscure names to protect their privacy. The reason lawyers default to verbose names is that it's simple and less error prone for the future. Remember that some trusts are designed to last a long long time, maybe in perpetuity. A family might start off with 1-2 trusts, but accumulate many more as time goes on. Estate plans do not last forever. They should be updated as circumstances dictate. A family could end up wi...
by smackboy1
Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: FWIW - DIY Living Trust was easy to do
Replies: 46
Views: 5817

Re: FWIW - DIY Living Trust was easy to do

for what it's worth, our bank sent it to their legal department for review before they would bless it and they had zero issues with it. These fill in the blanks type of trusts are one size fits most. Any problems likely won't be discovered until OP has passed away and the trust becomes irrevocable. If OP's situation now and in the future is simple without complications, there may not be any problems. If the value of the assets is low, it might not be worth spending much on legal fees. However, if there is problem with the trust documents, the value of the bank legal department review is exactly ZERO. The bank's legal department exists to protect the bank, not OP or the heirs. I have submitted trust documents to banks and brokerages that co...
by smackboy1
Thu Oct 28, 2021 11:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 1st Baby Due. How to estate plan?
Replies: 56
Views: 4464

Re: 1st Baby Due. How to estate plan?

Hope for the best but plan for the worst. Make sure uncomfortable conversations are had and plans in place for even unlikely scenarios. Statistically disability and/or incapacitation is more likely than outright death. Childbirth in the western countries is low risk, but not zero risk. Both spouses should talk to each other and their respective families about issues of life and death such as advanced medical decisions. Things like withdrawal of life support, continuing nutrition/hydration, persistent vegetative state, organ donation, funeral arrangements, etc.. Who has the power to make the final decision? Who will raise the children after the death/incapacity of one or both parents? What if the custodial parent remarries? Do both parents n...
by smackboy1
Sun Oct 03, 2021 7:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: So We're Going to Have a Baby - 529s, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Other Financial Considerations
Replies: 35
Views: 3565

Re: So We're Going to Have a Baby - 529s, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Other Financial Considerations

Both parents should get LT disability insurance. Being disabled is more likely than dying outright. An accident/illness that leaves one or both wage earners unable to work and with lifetime medical expenses would be devastating. Maternity is reasonably safe in the US, but not risk free. It's a sad fact that the US has the highest maternal mortality rates amongst the developed nations - especially for women of color. Both parents should get full estate plans drawn up, in particular advanced medical care directives. After the baby arrives there won't be any time to take care such things.
by smackboy1
Thu Sep 30, 2021 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do I need life insurance?
Replies: 37
Views: 3222

Re: Do I need life insurance?

DW and I are late 30s with 1 child and another possibly in the future. I earn about 600k and DW earns about 170k. We spend about 150k per year if we go all out with vacations, cars, etc. We are in good health. We have about 5mm NW with 4mm of it in stocks. Do we need life insurance and, if so, how much each? Is the answer $0 because either of us (if we lost the second income) could spend down 100k per year while also having our salary and maintain status quo? How do you factor growing future net worth into insurance needs? Just do a quick back of the envelope worst case scenario calculation. Play out 1 spouse death, then 2 spouse death. Are there enough assets and liquidity to support the survivors until they achieve financial independence...
by smackboy1
Thu Sep 30, 2021 12:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Costco auto - how to select packages?
Replies: 11
Views: 2297

Re: Costco auto - how to select packages?

There's nothing magical about the Costco Auto Program. Lots of places offer similar membership benefits. For a while Costco's program was just TrueCar behind the scenes. They are just sales referral generators for car dealers. The % dealer discount is usually not a particularly amazing deal, but it's easy. As a customer there is no obligation to take the dealer offer. You can renegotiate or change your mind about the vehicle. There are not obligations until both parties sign the sales agreement. So go ahead and ask for the car options you want for the price you want to pay. If you don't like it, talk to another dealer.
by smackboy1
Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: For Fee Advisors
Replies: 18
Views: 3197

Re: For Fee Advisors

Allan Roth is excellent and sometimes posts here.

https://daretobedull.com/
by smackboy1
Tue Sep 21, 2021 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Big Trust Companies like Bessemer, US Trust etc
Replies: 49
Views: 5417

Re: Big Trust Companies like Bessemer, US Trust etc

I am not an expert. FWIW, I've had past conversations with some of the trust companies mentioned above. Most, if not all, companies will want to have a conversation to gauge the client's service requirement to come up with a proposal. The trust business is bespoke by necessity. Every family's situation is different and no company can be everything to everybody. That being said, I've noticed that some Bogleheads have an obsession of trying to find that unicorn trust company: efficient tax domicile, favorable laws, low expenses, passive investments, no active investments, good management, wise decision making, deep pockets, good reputation, few limitations, etc.. Not easy to find. The older brand name established companies are one place to lo...
by smackboy1
Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Sole Trustee and Trust Protection Aspect
Replies: 31
Views: 2624

Re: Sole Trustee and Trust Protection Aspect

... In order to mitigate the cost, can a typical boglehead-like successor co-trustee handle investment management on her own while limiting the role of the corporate co-trustee to trust administration only for about $5K (provided the corporate co-trustee agrees to that)? Seems like the investment management part of the corporate trustee function is vastly more expensive than the administration function, at least when it comes to $10M trust. Fidelity, for instance quoted 0.45% fee ($45K per year) for full service, while only $4,500 for just the administrative function. So, by eliminating the investment management part, there could be some significant annual saving. What are the most challenging parts of the investment management that would ...
by smackboy1
Fri Dec 11, 2020 5:13 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Split a Trust?
Replies: 27
Views: 1925

Re: Split a Trust?

Unless you are somehow able & willing to post the entire document (with redactions), no one can say. . . Best option is the one who drafted it. Even a freshly minted one should be able to at least explain each clause in a more understandable English. I appreciate that this is well intentioned, but unfortunately it's not good advice. Even if OP posted the entire trust document, it would be of limited value. No lawyer is going to give anything more than general recommendations on an online forum. The original lawyer could be a good starting point, but any experienced trust and estate lawyer can help OP explain, modify, or rewrite an estate plan. A second opinion might even be preferable if there is reason to believe original lawyer was a...
by smackboy1
Fri Dec 11, 2020 11:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Split a Trust?
Replies: 27
Views: 1925

Re: Split a Trust?

I think that all I was asking was - upon my mother's death, should I take the cash from all of the asset sales and stick it in my piggy bank, or should I attempt to transfer the stocks, etfs, from her trust into a trust that I would create? And aside from asset protection, why would I do that? To keep those assets out of my currently meager estate to prevent tax issues for my heirs? I'd never heard of the ability to split a trust. I don't have a trust and as you can read in this thread, I don't know very much about them or the ins-and-outs of them. Really the services of an experienced trust and estate lawyer should be sought. Much depends on the exact wording of the trust document - the entire document, not just snippets. It also depends ...
by smackboy1
Thu Dec 10, 2020 12:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Good friend has asked me to be the "distribution advisor" for his trust
Replies: 45
Views: 4005

Re: Good friend has asked me to be the "distribution advisor" for his trust

You need to review the trust document, or at least the portion that relates to the role of "distribution advisor". It might a 1 person role or possibly be a distribution committee of a few advisors. Not uncommon to see such a role in certain types of trusts along with other roles like: investment advisor, appointer, protector. A trustee has many roles and responsibilities, one of which might be to make decisions about distributions to beneficiaries. Some trusts have a written standard e.g. "health, education, maintenance, and support" (HEMS). Express distribution standards like HEMS are not recommended for many reasons. The alternative is a full discretionary trust. A trustee with full discretion to make or not make dist...
by smackboy1
Tue Dec 08, 2020 4:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Insulating for Living Space above basement garage
Replies: 19
Views: 2188

Re: Insulating for Living Space above basement garage

We live in the Mid-Atlantic. We have a 3 car garage that is not insulated at all. One bedroom is completely over the garage and has 2 exterior walls. We had the 2 walls, attic and floor spray foamed and it is very warm and comfortable. Spray foam has very high R value and will seal air leaks. Part of the master bedroom is over the garage. The original house builder insulated with batts but it was always cold and drafty. We spray foamed between the joists and the problems went away.