Search found 333 matches

by zed
Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:39 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Buy
Replies: 199
Views: 39589

Re: Buying and Spending Bitcoin

Not attempting to comment on the merit of cryptocurrency one way of another but did run across this ad on Craiglist.

2008 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER UT - $8961 (For sale at Lithia Toyota of Missoula on Dec 29)

https://missoula.craigslist.org/ctd/d/2 ... 65047.html

The dealer's web presence is https://www.lithiatoyotamissoula.com/

The ad states that they do accept cryptocurrency. I'll leave it to a greater mind than mine to ferret out what that really means.
by zed
Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [Lightning rods for my house? Or too "old fashioned"?
Replies: 32
Views: 4351

Re: [Lightning rods for my house? Or too "old fashioned"?

Since we're on the topic of lightning, here's one more thing for homeowners to worry about. Flexible Gas Lines a Possible Fire Hazard "Elizabeth George of Fishers, Ind., never gave much thought to her natural gas lines until lightning struck her neighbor's house in June and it burned to the ground. One month later, George's house nearly suffered the same fate when lightning struck her house but didn't catch it on fire. Now her gas lines are foremost in her mind. "Every time we hear about a storm, we've got to worry about it," she says. "It's terrible that we have to live like this." That's because both George and her neighbor have gas lines made of Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing, or CSST. It isn't the biggest fir...
by zed
Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: water filter for a home
Replies: 36
Views: 5705

Re: water filter for a home

There is a local radio ad that runs all the time for a water filter system. "Get a water filter system or be one ..." I heard it several times before it sunk in. Not sure I buy it, but it is a thought provoking ad line. :wink: Turn on the tap and just let it run down the drain -- cut out the middle wo[man]. So concerning living in a developed area and not being able to trust the very water you drink. Not a uniquely first-world problem tho is it? Anecdotally we lived in a rental for several years that was on a private well. The well water was undrinkable even after iron filtration and UV-light treatment. We had Culligan water delivery for years. Know of folks across town that punched in three wells. All produced sulfured water at ...
by zed
Sun Oct 01, 2017 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to get rid of thistle
Replies: 10
Views: 1639

Re: How to get rid of thistle

Depends on the kind of thistle that you are dealing with.

Tap root kinds of thistle (bull thistle, musk thistle, etc.) can generally be controlled by mowing or even hand pulling. Chemical application is rarely needed.

Rhizome types of thistle like the dreaded Canada thistle actually thrive when mowed or pulled. Best treatment is with your regionally preferred herbicide.

Find out what you actually have and contact your county weed management representative for advice.

We had a patch of Canada thistle that was so thick it had to be mowed then sprayed. No other way to assure consist application of herbicide. Interesting to note that once mowed but before herbicide application, our horses went wild over the cut thistle -- go figure.
by zed
Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:35 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Did Rick Ferri sell his firm?
Replies: 21
Views: 9324

Re: Did Rick Ferri sell his firm?

Why don't you PM Rick and ask him
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=359
by zed
Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home Brewers: Where do you brew?
Replies: 6
Views: 939

Re: Home Brewers: Where do you brew?

Years ago I did my boil on the kitchen stove. After numerous complaints from the management (DW) about the condensation running down the windows I moved the operation to the garage. I had a nice setup. Kept all my supplies in stackable sealable totes and would setup on a Costco folding table. I used a 80k BTU propane burner under the boil pot. One day I was attending a boil, sitting on a bar stool next to the setup. My vision became hazy. I stood up and my vision cleared. I sat down - hazy again. What had happened was that I was creating my own weather. Seated, my head was in a "cloud". I hit the button to raise the garage door (the door was already cracked slightly to allow ventilation for the burner) and as soon as the warm mois...
by zed
Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Visa card problems at Walgreens
Replies: 22
Views: 4482

Re: Visa card problems at Walgreens

I frequently get read errors with my card at Safeway. They solve the problem by putting my card in a plastic Safeway bag and running it thru the reader. Who'd a thunk :oops:
by zed
Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Have you ever been let go?
Replies: 74
Views: 9306

Re: Have you ever been let go?

After the high fashion rag delivery dude gig I finally landed a "real" IT job working for a government agency in a windowless basement office that was maintained at a constant 58 degrees. Eighteen blissful months into it management called an all hands meeting where we were all assembled in a large auditorium. The executive officer announced that there was bad news and good news. The bad news first: we were all fired. The good news: we all had jobs, if we wished, with the facilities management company that was taking over operations effective immediately. Merit system services rules be damned. The night before I had gone to bed in the employ of a sleepy government agency only to awake the next morning on the payroll of a fortune 10...
by zed
Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:35 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Have you ever been let go?
Replies: 74
Views: 9306

Re: Have you ever been let go?

After the gas station gig landed a job making delivers for a series of women's high fashion boutiques. Working the back room at the fashion shows, having half clad, ahem, frenzied older women screaming at you "Zed, where did you put my dress?". You get used to the pressure :) I loved that job.

Got canned when I returned the van one afternoon with a big scrape down the drivers side. I'm legally blind in my left eye. They didn't ask, I didn't tell.

I'm retired now post 30+ successful years in IT were I wore a lot of different hats. Believe me, getting canned from a position in your chosen vocation sucks but it's not the worse thing that can happen to you.
by zed
Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:03 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Have you ever been let go?
Replies: 74
Views: 9306

Re: Have you ever been let go?

In the early 80s I was struggling to find my first "real" IT job. To support myself I took a job working at a Hudson gas station in south Phoenix. After a month I was fired for "stealing" because the day-end tallies keep coming up short. Too many drive offs and scammers who would argue that the pumps were wrong - for some odd reason the gas was metered in liters not gallons. I found out some time later that an attendant was stabbed in a robbery attempt.

I'm retired now post 30+ successful years in IT were I wore a lot of different hats. Believe me, getting canned sucks but it's not the worse thing that can happen to you.
by zed
Fri Nov 21, 2014 8:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pension buyout offer - Accept or reject
Replies: 46
Views: 12097

Re: Pension buyout offer - Accept or reject

Interesting thread. I'm curious as to whether the OP was offered a third option; starting her/his pension payout before age 65. OP and I are about the same age, worked for the same employer, although I for only about half as long. Mid September I received a pension buyout offer from megacorp. The three options were 1) do nothing (ie stay with the original pension payout starting at 65), 2) lump sum payout or 3) early pension payout starting at 55. Crunching the numbers we determined that the lump sum offered was about a 30% haircut as compared to a SPIA I could buy today, a non-starter for me. The early pension payout starting at 55 however looked very attractive in that it represented a 8.5% return on the lump sum. We completed the paperwo...
by zed
Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retired, my viewpoint has changed again.
Replies: 22
Views: 4196

Re: Retired, my viewpoint has changed again.

bpp wrote:
malloc wrote:Someone (Suzy O?) referred to money as freedom. That is what I have to remember. I have the freedom to relax and not be encumbered by day to day worries. I should not look inward and "small", but outward and explore all that is possible.

It should be fun.
Maybe time to change your username from "malloc" to "free"?
I c (or at least used to) 8-)
by zed
Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:10 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pension buyout...take annuity now or later?
Replies: 22
Views: 4911

Re: Pension buyout...take annuity now or later?

Use the search tool to look for posts from g$$. Here's a good place to start

http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 1&t=129811
by zed
Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:54 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Would you buy a house in cash if you had enough?
Replies: 59
Views: 9781

Re: Would you buy a house in cash if you had enough?

Haven't read the entire thread so apologize if this was brought up already ... consider looking at your SWR (ie the burn down rate of your ENTIRE portfolio) with and without the mortgage. Every situation is unique but FWIW in my situation paying cash with funds taken from my portfolio actually reduced by SWR by half a percent and significantly increased the of years the portfolio will last. Reducing living expenses in retirement has a powerful multiplying effect.

Not retired? Perhaps the outcome of these calculations might make it possible.
by zed
Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:20 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What SWR/expense multiple to use for early retirement plan?
Replies: 76
Views: 15224

Re: What SWR/expense multiple to use for early retirement pl

I early retired last fall at age 53. With income streams from DW's SS, my early pension draw, a small drawdown from after tax investments, taking advantage of ACA subsidies and by reducing living expenses by buying rather than renting; our SWR is well south of 2%. It's complicated but best to look at how all of the pieces work together.
YMMV
by zed
Mon Sep 29, 2014 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Verizon to Page Plus - documenting my experience
Replies: 64
Views: 13872

Re: Verizon to Page Plus - documenting my experience

SpringMan wrote:Kitty has raised its fee on the $10 / 100 minute plan (and other plans) to $3.00 starting in September. I have used them when the fee was .75 for a total of $10.75. Three bucks does not break the bank but there are other Page Plus sellers out there. Here is one that says no fees. No experience with them but I may use them when I renew.
http://www.mysupplyworld.com/Page-Plus- ... -s/748.htm
Thanks for sharing the link. Curious how the UNLIMITED talk/text cards work. They don't mention a time limit like many of the bucket of minutes cards do.
by zed
Sun Sep 28, 2014 10:43 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Verizon to Page Plus - documenting my experience
Replies: 64
Views: 13872

Re: Verizon to Page Plus - documenting my experience

My mom is still on Verizon paying about $40 a month for 750 minutes. Those minutes are overkill. I'd like to switch her to a cheaper plan AND be able to port her off-contract Verizon old flip phone. No way she'll use a smartphone. Is PP an option for her? She uses max 200 minutes a month.
by zed
Fri Sep 26, 2014 6:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bill Gross moving from PIMCO to Janus, Monday
Replies: 119
Views: 17226

Re: Bill Gross moving from PIMCO to Janus, Monday

Bill Gross has billions yet he still wants to roll out of bed every morning and don that suit and tie.

Why does he do it? What makes the man tick?

Maybe he's been reading Kingsley. Notable quote:

"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about"

credits: Thanks nisi
by zed
Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retiree Portfolio Model
Replies: 1809
Views: 547454

Re: Retiree Portfolio Model

BigFoot48,

Think multi-media. When are you going to post youtube videos on using the modeler :wink:
by zed
Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:39 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bill Gross moving from PIMCO to Janus, Monday
Replies: 119
Views: 17226

Re: Bill Gross moving from PIMCO to Janus, Monday

The Smartest Guy's In The Room Redux?
I fired Janus after the Enron flame out. Boy can I hold a grudge.
by zed
Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lump Sum Offer
Replies: 25
Views: 4809

Re: Lump Sum Offer

On a previous post 2CENTS2 asks if spreadsheet formulas are available from ZED - personally I think it would be a positive enhancement to the forum if we could attach documents in certain cases - but I know there are virus concerns - but other forums allow it and so there must be a way to screen the attachments - maybe a moderator or some of our computer gurus could weigh in . Sorry for the diversion from topic . Would be happy to share the spreadsheet by uploading to my dropbox account and publishing the link. The danger with anything from me is not so much spreading a virus but rather the danger that my logic and/or formulas are wrong :oops: Also it wasn't my intent to hijack BFG's thread. So if starting a new thread would be better I'd ...
by zed
Wed Sep 17, 2014 11:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lump Sum Offer
Replies: 25
Views: 4809

Re: Lump Sum Offer

Barefootgirl,

A lot of great suggestions here. I'm considering a pension buyout offer as well. The options sound similar to your situation. Suggest that you put together a spreadsheet and plug in the numbers from your pension buyout offer and from a comparable SPIA. I found doing so helpful as it dispelled several preconceived notions that I had held. Doing so also allowed me to try several what-if scenarios. Here's my attempt at same.

Image

Some will find exception with comparing a cash stream (an annuity) to an investment. So be it.

I hope you find this helpful.
by zed
Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why do so many think their home is a foolproof investment?
Replies: 125
Views: 11182

Re: Why do so many think their home is a foolproof investmen

What really blows my mind is the inanity of the repeated posts on this topic. Forget about whether a house can be considered an investment. Any further thoughts I could possibly provide here would be the equivalent of shooting a toy water pistol at a forest fire. I think the far more interesting question is why does the original poster or the armies of others care? You've clearly made up your mind, being far superior to the army of unenlightened lemmings throwing all their money at overlevered houses in their never ending effort to keep up with the Joneses. And of course all ofthis under the illusion of financial prudence given the can't lose nature of housing. That's quite a fire, and my toy water pistol doesn't stand a chance. +1 "....
by zed
Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:09 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Could you sleep with all your money in Berkshire Hathaway?
Replies: 66
Views: 11322

Re: Could you sleep with all your money in Berkshire Hathawa

I voted no.

full disclosure: I own one share of BRK.B which entitles me to an 8% discount on my auto insurance. 8-)
by zed
Sat Aug 09, 2014 6:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Start all over at 63 years of age?
Replies: 23
Views: 4978

Re: Start all over at 63 years of age?

dratkinson wrote:
zed wrote:...
A sound approach. But please explain your rationale for DCA by Nov 2016
Just a hopeful WAG targeted to about 2 years hence.

See Ferri's article for more action steps/rationale.
4 Rules for Investing a Lump Sum: http://www.rickferri.com/blog/investmen ... -lump-sum/
Got it.

Different subject, Jim Otar advocates rebalancing a portfolio at the end of a presidential election year (eg Nov 2016) which led to my question. The mind is always looking for correlations :oops:
by zed
Sat Aug 09, 2014 2:32 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Start all over at 63 years of age?
Replies: 23
Views: 4978

Re: Start all over at 63 years of age?

Bogleheads Investment Philosophy: http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads_Investment_Philosophy Cash. Think I'd be tempted to keep as cash (initially) 7 years of living expenses (63-70) and plan to take SS at 70. And for every year I was still employed, convert that year's cash to investment. Bonds. For a conservative investor: "age in bonds". So 63% of total portfolio in your case. Can use lower bond allocation if you know you have a higher risk tolerance. The 40/60 portfolio is reported to last longest in retirement. Your choice. International stocks. The recommendation is 20-40% of equities: assume 30%. So 11% of total portfolio in your case ((100-63)x30%=11%). Bogle doesn't recommend international stocks. Your choice. Above...
by zed
Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Home Appraisal Comps
Replies: 12
Views: 1346

Re: Home Appraisal Comps

When I'm looking in our MLS system it shows the sales price and the down payment. Since the State has certain title transfer taxes the selling price has to be accurate. The only thing that gets hidden is the Sellers contribution to buyers closing costs. I'll often ask for the seller to contribute 2% to the closing costs. The house will still be recorded as selling for X but the buyers are really paying X-2%. When you say "I'll often ask..." what position are you in? Agent? Buyer? I'm not sure I understand the purpose of doing this. I'm an Agent so when I say ask I'm referring to negotiating for my buyers. Generally an appraiser will use Comps taken from MLS to help determine value. I was just suggesting that the sales prices, in ...
by zed
Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: It is time to retire when you .......
Replies: 104
Views: 14775

Re: It is time to retire when you .......

... finally use up that box of employer-supplied staples
by zed
Sat Jun 14, 2014 8:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What smartphone plan do you use?- off contract
Replies: 100
Views: 10580

Re: What smartphone plan do you use?- off contract

I have been evaluating Republic Wireless for the last few weeks.
Http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2014/05/ ... vs-moto-g/

I'd been resistant to going with a smartphone until I got the moto g.

Encountered only one quirky problem with receiving calls while roaming but am generally satisfied with the offering. Here's a description of the problem.
Https://community.republicwireless.com/ ... 928#161928

Hope this helps
by zed
Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Mortgages/Black Swans/Larry Portfolio/Antifragility
Replies: 27
Views: 2726

Re: Mortgages/Black Swans/Larry Portfolio/Antifragility

Seems to me that the fragility comes in at a) owning a fractional share of real estate (your equity) and b) being on the hook for the mortgage (your liability.) Paying cash for the house is off the table so I think your real concern is not being able to make the mortgage payment should you become unemployed or even worse being unemployed and having to sell the house when your upside down.

Not seeing how shifting your asset allocation around mitigates those risks.
by zed
Fri Jun 13, 2014 10:27 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Mortgages/Black Swans/Larry Portfolio/Antifragility
Replies: 27
Views: 2726

Re: Mortgages/Black Swans/Larry Portfolio/Antifragility

Your logic is based on the premise that there is a strong and consistent correlation between residential real estate valuations and equity valuations. Is there?

full disclosure: I'm a happy renter but would buy again if the deal penciled out
by zed
Sat Jun 07, 2014 8:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mistake: extra dirt
Replies: 24
Views: 3346

Re: Mistake: extra dirt

Maybe they just want to forget about it.

One time I had stopped in at a big-box home improvement center to purchase several sheets of Hardiboard to use as an underlayment for a tile floor. I paid for 30 sheets and they used a forklift to load the banded bundle onto my truck. I got home to find that they actually gave me 50 sheets. I unloaded the 30 sheets I needed (very heavy stuff too) and drove back to the store. They seemed 1) genuinely annoyed to have to manually unload 20 sheets of Hardiboard and 2) confused as to why I didn't want a refund for the return. Sheez! :oops:

PS
My Mama used to say that we'll all eat a pound of dirt in this life. :mrgreen:
by zed
Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:04 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is schwab good?
Replies: 13
Views: 1711

Re: Is schwab good?

I don't have an account with them anymore but at one time I held a hodgepodge of individual stocks at Schwab. Then one day my Schwab broker mentioned in passing Vanguard index funds. The rest (including my holdings at Schwab) is history.
by zed
Sat May 17, 2014 8:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Google Moto-E smartphone for $129
Replies: 42
Views: 5867

Re: New Google Moto-E smartphone for $129

Slightly off topic
Republic Wireless becomes 50% More Frugal with the Moto G: A Review

Http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2014/05/ ... vs-moto-g/
by zed
Thu May 08, 2014 8:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Why am i stressed after being laid off? (3yr expenses saved)
Replies: 15
Views: 3554

Re: re: COBRA

davebarnes wrote:Look at a regular, on the market, health insurance policy.
A high deductible, HSA plan may be a lot less expensive than COBRA.
Good ideas. Also with little income you could be eligible for substantial ACA subsidies ( healthcare.gov )
by zed
Thu May 08, 2014 8:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Why am i stressed after being laid off? (3yr expenses saved)
Replies: 15
Views: 3554

Re: Why am i stressed after being laid off? (3yr expenses sa

burt wrote:Yes, I think it is normal to be stressed after a layoff. Fear of the future. Fear of the unknown.
I've been there. Laid off twice within 5 years.
I remember losing my youthful optimism during those times. It never really came back.
Remember, you can't prevent the attack....only your response to it.
Good Luck.

edit:
I guess we are supposed to accept lay offs for the improvement of shareholder value.
However..... I haven't seen that either. Where is the money going ?


burt
It hasn't gone anywhere. Pick your favorite corp and look at their balance sheet. A lot of corporations are sitting huge cash reserves.
by zed
Sun May 04, 2014 7:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Delay Social Security to age 70 and Spend more money at 62
Replies: 203
Views: 74966

Re: Delay Social Security to age 70 and Spend more money at

Professor Emeritus wrote:Perhaps I can throw another stick on the fire. I have a term life insurance policy that ends at age 72 when DW would be 70. I bought it to protect DW because I was taking a "my life" only option on my DB pension. However it is also sized to roughly replace the retirement funds that would be consumed by my deferring SS. This eliminates the noxious "well what happens if you get hit by a truck at age 68 while deferring" argument. I have at modest cost fully insured against that rare event. my insurance will replace the funds I spent. Both DW and I are close to SS max on our own accounts.

.
Very clever strategy
by zed
Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tell Me I'm Stupid To Consider Quitting My Job and Moving
Replies: 163
Views: 50094

Re: Tell Me I'm Stupid To Consider Quitting My Job and Movin

Lots of good thoughs being shared.

Regarding Montana specifically,
- jobs, unless its oil-related, there aren't any
- housing, for fly-over country, housing is relatively expensive

Peruse this forum
http://www.city-data.com/forum/bozeman/

full disclosure: "Retired" to western Montana three years ago
by zed
Sat Apr 19, 2014 7:28 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Oh No! My Tilt has untilted!
Replies: 15
Views: 3299

Re: Oh No! My Tilt has untilted!

JoMoney wrote:
nedsaid wrote:...Having taken stands on such things as value and small cap tilting, dividend investing, momentum investing, individual stocks, etc., I have pointed out the virtues and pitfalls of these approaches. It probably makes me sound wishy-washy. That is one reason I chose the Charlie Brown avatar. And I honestly express the emotional angst and the doubts that I experience. I try to inject a bit of humor as well.
I love your posts nedsaid, most of your experiences hit home for me. The humor is also appreciated, your signature block anti-proverb of "A fool and his money are good for business." makes me smile every time I read it.
+1
by zed
Sat Apr 19, 2014 6:36 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bernstein retirement plan
Replies: 41
Views: 9678

Re: Bernstein retirement plan

Bernstein himself believes your retirement has a 20% chance of being disrupted by something you can't control (you know Nuclear War, the dissolution of the US, etc) so there is no point choosing a withdrawal plan with a higher probability of success than that. (http://www.efficientfrontier.com/ef/101/hell101.htm). If a 4% SWR has a 95%+ chance of success using historical data, why do I need to do something with an even HIGHER chance of success like a 3% withdrawal rate or having 25X spending in cash etc? EmergDoc, The reference you cited makes a strong argument for the existence of sequence of return risk. But I'm having trouble following your assertion that an 80% success rate is the best one could shot for based on Bernsteins apocalyptic...
by zed
Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:17 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bernstein retirement plan
Replies: 41
Views: 9678

Re: Bernstein retirement plan

Dandy wrote:I don't manage 2 separate portfolios but always do the calculation to make sure I have enough "safe" assets to fund 20-25 years of residual expenses. I am fortunate to have a decent "excess" over those "safe" assets. I don't know what I would do if my total assets were very close to 25 years residual expenses.
Same here. I believe what we're talking about is Dr B's Liability Matching Portfolio concept.

IIRC, LMP ideally would be in the 20-25 range.

For me, LMP is not so much a seperate portfolio but rather a portfolio within my 50/50 -ish asset allocation portfolio.

Not sure if that was Dr B's intent but thats how it penciled out for me
by zed
Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:56 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: gold , silver, copper and uranium only
Replies: 46
Views: 5645

Re: gold , silver, copper and uranium only

Holding all four in large quantities makes one a target for UN sanctions :oops:
by zed
Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:51 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: William Bernstein-When you've won the game, why keep playing
Replies: 280
Views: 58828

Re: William Bernstein-When you've won the game, why keep pla

YDNAL wrote:
bengal22 wrote:I think the whole concept of "won the game" is nonsensical. Why would you not want to continue to grow your portfolio at a risk that is acceptable to you. Taking one's money off the table is a risk in itself. I for one will stay in the game until I breathe my last.
Parker wrote:If you felt comfortable with stock and real estate fluctuations result in higher overall returns in your accumulation phase why would that change in your distribution phase if you have over 5 years of living expenses in bonds/cash?
Have you read THIS ?
+1
Landy, thanks for sharing
by zed
Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New York TImes/WSJ [paper vs. online subscriptions]
Replies: 40
Views: 4201

Re: New York TImes/WSJ

Barefootgirl wrote:Hi, thanks - can I ask how you view for free? after a few articles, they block me until I pay.

thanks BFG
On some sites its a matter of disabling java script
by zed
Thu Mar 06, 2014 7:46 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Vanguard App on Kindle Fire
Replies: 2
Views: 741

Re: Vanguard App on Kindle Fire

FWIW I'm running the Vandguard app just fine on a Samsung tablet. Perhaps your issue is unique to Amazons port to android ie kindle.
by zed
Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tips for making iPhone apps
Replies: 13
Views: 1860

Re: Tips for making iPhone apps

FWIW, I'm currently enjoying this course: Creative, Serious and Playful Science of Android Apps This course introduces the fundamental computer science principles that power today’s apps. You will also learn to create your own Android app using Java and standard software development tools. ... This course is a novice-friendly and delightful introduction to computer science and programming Android-apps for smart-phones and tablets. No prior programming knowledge is necessary. In this course you'll have fun learning to create an app for modern Android devices such as the Nexus tablet. You'll use the programming tools that Android software developers use and build a complete and useful app during this course. Along the way, we'll introduce fun...
by zed
Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:31 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retiring...where to draw from first
Replies: 7
Views: 1871

Re: Retiring...where to draw from first

All excellent advice. Especially Peter Foley's suggestion of having a written plan going a few years out -- not just for your benefit but also for your spouse.
Another dimension to consider is the PF exercise but running the number as if one or the other spouse predeceases the other. Going from Married Filed Jointly to Single has a huge impact on anticipated income stream(s), marginal tax rates and by extension, strategy.
by zed
Fri Feb 07, 2014 4:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Wealthfront's tax lost harvesting claims not quite accurate
Replies: 10
Views: 3305

Re: Wealthfront Tax Loss Harvesting White Paper

neurosphere ,

You beat me to the punch! :beer