Search found 30 matches

by Cloudy
Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are the large uninsured expenses in retirement?
Replies: 69
Views: 4863

Re: What are the large uninsured expenses in retirement?

On the home ownership side we've had some stiff expenses over the past 5 years.

Replaced windows $11k
Replaced retaining wall and part of driveway $25k
Replaced roof $14k
Replaced hvac (x2) $8k
Replaced deck and added screened in porch $38k

Sometimes I feel as if we're getting into George Washington's axe territory.

Most of that I expected at some point but the windows and retaining wall were not.
by Cloudy
Tue Feb 26, 2019 8:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: LLC for contract work?
Replies: 20
Views: 1509

Re: LLC for contract work?

Thank you everyone. I was totally unaware you could get an EIN without first establishing a specific business entity. But now I will look into it.

Leeks, I appreciate you posting the link to your topic. I had missed it but it was very informative and relevant to my situation.
by Cloudy
Tue Feb 26, 2019 5:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: LLC for contract work?
Replies: 20
Views: 1509

LLC for contract work?

Hi BHs, I recently ended a very long employment and have been looking for my next opportunity. One thing that concerns me is contract work, to which I haven't been exposed. Every day I get recruiters contacting me about 4 to 9 month contract positions. Sometimes "contract to hire." With my previous employer that meant "will never be hired" but unsure if that's the norm! Anyways that's irrelevant. Would it be to my benefit to create an LLC and only accept employment through that entity if contracted as a 1099 worker? Is there something else I'm missing? My reasoning is I would like to have retirement account available during contract work and my very limited research has revealed I could invest around $50k in a solo 401k ...
by Cloudy
Tue Nov 27, 2018 6:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Name something you had to have and now you regret purchasing it?
Replies: 505
Views: 80418

Re: Name something you had to have and now you regret purchasing it?

Pressure washer. Used one time in 3 years. Should have rented.
by Cloudy
Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Where would you go for financial guidance if you win the Megamillions?
Replies: 187
Views: 22218

Re: Where would you go for financial guidance if you win the Megamillions?

archbish99 wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:08 pm I think I won $2 from Powerball once.
Braggart! :happy

I'd split the money with my fellow BHs and we'd all be richer than astronauts.

please remember me if you hit it big...
by Cloudy
Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Rich, Broke or Dead: Visualizing probabilities of outcomes in early retirement
Replies: 172
Views: 31667

Re: Rich, Broke or Dead: Visualizing probabilities of outcomes in early retirement

hammockman wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 2:18 pm So I'm generally IT/Application savvy however after I input the data points I don't have or see a "calculate" "enter" etc button? It mentions a camera icon bottom right which creates the graph I assume but I don't see that either? What am I missing....seems pretty straightforward otherwise.
It just updates automatically when you change the values. Maybe try a different browser?

Thanks for sharing the link, EnjoyIt. I did indeed Enjoy It :D I also liked their retirement date fire calculator https://engaging-data.com/fire-calculator/
by Cloudy
Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does this job exist (another want-to-quit-corporate-world thread)?
Replies: 35
Views: 4402

Re: Does this job exist (another want-to-quit-corporate-world thread)?

A friend of mine got burned out in IT and recently left his job. He works for a surveyor now and he loves it. At 5pm he's done for the day. No crisis bridges, meetings, or stress of any kind. I think he said it pays 22/hr to start and for him that was acceptable.
by Cloudy
Mon Sep 10, 2018 2:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone else playing catch-up in their 40's?
Replies: 84
Views: 12565

Re: Anyone else playing catch-up in their 40's?

We didn't begin seriously investing until our 40s. We started our careers in the late 90s and got spooked by the turbulence in the market. For many years we only contributed enough 401k to get the match. Once we started making decent money in our mid 30s we didn't even increase contributions. It just went in a savings account and eventually grew to a large amount. We knew this was dumb but trepidation trumped all. We met with a financial adviser once and he said as much, but I didn't trust him (or anyone) with our money. I was only vaguely familiar with Bogleheads (it would always show up in searches when I was trying to find a good book, reliable freezer, or extra durable shoelaces, etc) but someone recommended it to me in my 40s. Once we ...
by Cloudy
Sun Aug 05, 2018 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
Replies: 766
Views: 151013

Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

I tend toward the fantasy side of the spectrum, so Wolfe/Mieville/VanderMeer would be my favorites. Wolfe regularly blurs the lines between scifi and fantasy though.

I read Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow recently and I did not like it at all. Would not recommend.

Can Max Brooks' World War Z be considered scifi? That is such a fun book with all its anecdotes. It's a shame what they did with the film adaptation. I need to reread it to get the foul taste of that film out of my mouth!

Now you have piqued my interest in Anathem but Stephenson is so wordy! Cryptonomicon burned me out.
by Cloudy
Tue Dec 12, 2017 7:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cheap tablet just for internet surfing
Replies: 46
Views: 6996

Re: Cheap tablet just for internet surfing

I exclusively use a Galaxy Tab S2 8.0" for personal use. It does everything I need.
by Cloudy
Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:20 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bitcoin AA - Just out of Curiousity
Replies: 51
Views: 4891

Re: Bitcoin AA - Just out of Curiousity

aj76er wrote: Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:34 pm In it's short history, has anyone calculated the correlation to the global equities market or just the S&P500?

Not sure how meaningful it would be, but interesting nonetheless.
There was an article recently that showed a direct correlation between btc price and Google searches for bitcoin. I'm not sure on the causality but I thought it was interesting.
by Cloudy
Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?
Replies: 328
Views: 33586

Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

It's almost as if some bogleheads find taking a lunch to work worthwhile, whereas others do not.
by Cloudy
Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?
Replies: 328
Views: 33586

Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

I make something in a slow cooker every Sunday to provide 4-5 lunches for the week. I try to limit carbs, so this is usually heavy on meats and vegetables. It runs around 15-20 dollars for the pot. I enjoy it as much or more than foods out, and it is typically healthier than the places I would go. Some people may not be able to eat the same meal several days in a row, but it works for me. Do you have any recipes? How does the cooked meat stay good for more than a couple days? We do the exact same thing. Meat stays good as long as 7 days when properly refrigerated. As far as recipes, there are billions of them online. I am a simple cook, to say the least; I throw hot sauce and garlic on everything and call it a day. Interesting. My parents ...
by Cloudy
Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?
Replies: 328
Views: 33586

Re: Is it really Worth it to brown bag your lunch at work?

I make something in a slow cooker every Sunday to provide 4-5 lunches for the week. I try to limit carbs, so this is usually heavy on meats and vegetables. It runs around 15-20 dollars for the pot.

I enjoy it as much or more than foods out, and it is typically healthier than the places I would go. Some people may not be able to eat the same meal several days in a row, but it works for me.
by Cloudy
Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should you buy or rent a 140k apartment/house?
Replies: 12
Views: 1549

Re: Should you buy or rent a 140k apartment/house?

Would taking on debt make you eligible for more tuition assistance?
by Cloudy
Thu Aug 03, 2017 1:48 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 250k in savings. need some advice and a kick in the butt
Replies: 31
Views: 6182

Re: 250k in savings. need some advice and a kick in the butt

I agree with welderwannabe. Vtmfx or approximate with vtclx and vwiux. I'd also pay off the cars. :beer
by Cloudy
Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Question for MTB'rs. Buying a bike.
Replies: 22
Views: 2410

Re: Question for MTB'rs. Buying a bike.

How important is wheel size for a beginner?
by Cloudy
Mon Jul 31, 2017 9:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I purchase Lake House for Primary
Replies: 28
Views: 6979

Re: Should I purchase Lake House for Primary

One other thing to consider is how much you enjoy the water when it's hot out. I'm guessing this is Tim's Ford, but regardless multiple TN lakes will reach water temperatures in the 90s during summertime.
by Cloudy
Thu Jul 27, 2017 10:05 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should emergency funds be included in AA?
Replies: 45
Views: 5066

Re: Should emergency funds be included in AA?

Thanks for the responses, BHs :sharebeer
by Cloudy
Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should emergency funds be included in AA?
Replies: 45
Views: 5066

Should emergency funds be included in AA?

I checked the wiki but didn't see an answer. Could have missed it -- wouldn't be the first time :happy

For simplicity let's say my taxable portfolio is $1M and my target AA is 70/30. There is an additional $100k for emergency in easily accessible cash funds, e.g. a 1% savings account.

I have been leaving them out of my AA calculation but I'm not sure if that's correct. If I include the emergency funds in this portfolio the AA becomes around 64/36. :confused
by Cloudy
Thu Jul 13, 2017 2:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much of an increase of salary would you expect before switching jobs?
Replies: 94
Views: 10271

Re: How much of an increase of salary would you expect before switching jobs?

I don't think it's a big deal to reveal your current salary if you work in an organization of any size. They can look at your title and go to glassdoor for a range. They may have even done so early in the process.
by Cloudy
Wed Jul 12, 2017 10:14 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 100k milestone
Replies: 49
Views: 9832

Re: 100k milestone

I didn't track, but based on savings rate at the time I would guess around 30.

I too was a carguy, and it wasn't until I learned to look and not touch that the numbers started to take care of themselves. So my 20s were mostly wasted from an investment perspective :oops:
by Cloudy
Fri Jun 16, 2017 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: USAA opinions. Worth it?
Replies: 53
Views: 10425

Re: USAA opinions. Worth it?

We've had their auto and home insurance for quite a while. I'm sure there are cheaper options, but the service has been excellent the few times we needed it and as such we haven't felt the need to change.

We used to have our IRAs with them but the fees were higher than Vanguard so we switched.

Still happy to use their savings account, and the 2.5% cash back credit card (requires direct deposit)

Edit: forgot we also keep a 529 with USAA.
by Cloudy
Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to approximate VG Tax-Managed Balanced (VTMFX) with 2 other VG funds?
Replies: 9
Views: 1800

Re: How to approximate VG Tax-Managed Balanced (VTMFX) with 2 other VG funds?

I was just reading about this in the wiki this morning.

"TM Balanced is essentially the same as 49% TM Capital Appreciation and 51% Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt. "
https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Tax-man ... comparison
by Cloudy
Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Have you canceled cable?
Replies: 90
Views: 12398

Re: Have you canceled cable?

Cancelled Comcast last month. I installed an antenna and bought a Tivo Roamio. We use a shared Netflix account for some shows. I'm not thrilled with Netflix's selection and would not pay for it.

I used to watch those corny hgtv shows a lot. Someone buys an island or moves into a camper, etc. I don't have access to those anymore. My priority was catching all the local NFL games and skipping commercials so I'm still good. I also watch pbs more now.
by Cloudy
Mon May 29, 2017 12:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retiring in southern college town
Replies: 78
Views: 9627

Re: Retiring in southern college town

Where would you be moving from? A factor you might want to consider is the predominant political sentiment of the states you're considering. You may be surprised (or comforted) by some laws passed by the state's legislative body- often passed with gusto! Yes. I've been reading this thread with some sadness. Asheville, NC ticks quite a few of the boxes for us. But, as the father of a transgender son, I can't see retiring to a place where the legislature has gone out of its way to remind us that he is not welcome. I've discussed this with NC natives, and many disagree with their legislatures, but . . . My observation is Asheville is among the more liberal places in the south. It reminds me a bit of Colorado TBH. Probably worth a visit before...
by Cloudy
Mon Mar 27, 2017 6:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
Replies: 766
Views: 151013

Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun is my favorite story. I've read it multiple times and always find new things to appreciate.

China Mieville's Perdido Street Station and The Scar are fantastic as well.
by Cloudy
Thu Feb 16, 2017 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Investing for early-ish retirees? [type of account for pre-59.5 expenses]
Replies: 9
Views: 1726

Re: Investing for early-ish retirees? [type of account for pre-59.5 expenses]

Once again thank you all for your consideration. We are not knowledgeable about investment strategies. So any corrections to misconceptions are appreciated. To answer some of the questions above (hopefully didn't miss any): Regarding waiting until 59.5 to tap 401k: We're very sensitive to being a financial burden to our families. Perhaps overly so. Because of this we would prefer to have more money available later, as opposed to earlier in retirement. We realize that this doesn't entirely jibe with the traditional idea of retirement. Social security: We plan to defer benefits until 67 but circumstances could change. However we haven't included SS in projections as we're not confident in the numbers 25 years out. IRAs: This is where I feel w...
by Cloudy
Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Investing for early-ish retirees? [type of account for pre-59.5 expenses]
Replies: 9
Views: 1726

Re: Investing for early-ish retirees? [type of account for pre-59.5 expenses]

Many thanks for the thoughtful responses! These give me direction on what to research next :happy
by Cloudy
Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Investing for early-ish retirees? [type of account for pre-59.5 expenses]
Replies: 9
Views: 1726

Investing for early-ish retirees? [type of account for pre-59.5 expenses]

42Y and planning to retire in approx 8 years. We max 401k and save around 50% of gross. No future income in the form of pensions, rents, etc. Figuring 15% tax bracket at retirement.

What kind of account should we select to draw upon until 59.5? (I understand there are ways to access the 401k earlier without penalty, particularly at 55, but we are reluctant to touch it)

Assuming not a tax-advantaged account, what kind of funds should we populate it with? e.g. would tax-exempt then be preferable such as VWIUX?