Search found 139 matches

by geospatial
Mon Jan 08, 2024 10:03 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

We've had four I bonds in the last few years, and I'm in process of redeeming all of them. I noted the maturity dates were around 2050, when I'd be around 93 years of age, and my real concern is that my wife and heirs cannot find them in my portfolio despite extensive documentation that they exist. I gave her a tour of Treas Direct, and realized from the looks and comments I got, it was a lost cause. This is a very real possibility that I bonds will be overlooked in my estate, and forgotten. I've decided to run them over to cd's and use some of the funds to pay taxes on Roth conversions. At least T bills are direct deposited to your checking account upon maturity. I will be getting close to 5% interest in my VG settlement fund, and the pro...
by geospatial
Wed Jan 03, 2024 4:29 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Seems like now is a good time to remind folks who are still considering selling about the historical returns of I Bonds vs. other "safe" assets, as outlined in this useful post... https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7016745#p7016745 Cash and T-Bills may only outperform I Bonds in the short-term... in the long term the I Bonds hold up pretty well. But the people are discussing selling bonds that are already guaranteed to pay a zero real rate, and depending on taxes, potentially a negative real read. Not necessarily the same thing as "I bonds in general" I'm not advocating that selling I Bonds to replace them with higher fixed-rate I Bonds is a bad idea. I've already done it myself. What I personally find int...
by geospatial
Wed Jan 03, 2024 12:25 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Seems like now is a good time to remind folks who are still considering selling about the historical returns of I Bonds vs. other "safe" assets, as outlined in this useful post...

viewtopic.php?p=7016745#p7016745

Cash and T-Bills may only outperform I Bonds in the short-term... in the long term the I Bonds hold up pretty well.
by geospatial
Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:25 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

What is a good month to sell old I Bonds? This year I want to sell I Bonds that I purchased in the following months (fixed rate): July 2010 (0.2%) Oct 2010 (0.2%) Jan 2012 (0%) Mar 2014 (0.2%) Nov 2015 (0.1%) Jan 2016 (0.1%) All these I Bonds are over 5 years long and so I won't be paying a 3-months penalty. I need to sell them for cash flow but I don't need to sell them all at once. What is the optimal strategy for selling? Thank you, Victoria Sell everything today. Invest the proceeds in a money market fund until you spend it. It looks like you are joking. But it's hard to tell. Victoria In this case he's right. There's no 5-year penalty, as you pointed out. The interest earned from the previous month is applied at the start of the follo...
by geospatial
Tue Dec 19, 2023 6:53 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

toddthebod wrote: Tue Dec 19, 2023 6:47 pm Explain how else the trust will file a tax return.
I added an edit to my previous post while you were writing this reply. I think it may explain the issue of different interpretations.

As for how a trust would file this return, it's entirely speculative on my part, but I wouldn't put it past someone to send paper returns with both Form 1041 and Form 8888 and hope the IRS would just process it as if it were an individual return. Again, my point is that if a confirmed precedent exists, it's worth investigating further. Probably best for a tax professional (which I am admittedly not) or the IRS itself.
by geospatial
Tue Dec 19, 2023 6:36 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

That doesn't seem relevant. The question is not if you can title your tax return savings bonds to your trust, because it's clear from form 8888 you can buy savings bonds for anyone with your refund. The question is whether you can buy savings bonds with your trust tax return refund, and looking at form 1041 and the instructions, I see no way to do that. Look closely at the question that was asked. It's exactly the same, other than the trustee of that trust is deceased. Maybe you focused too much on one of the responses and their answer involved something about titling, but that very clearly is not what is being asked. I don't see any confirmation in that thread that you can attach form 8888 to a 1041. Just speculation. Read the first 3 sen...
by geospatial
Tue Dec 19, 2023 6:22 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

If you have an entity account at TD for your trust, I know the trust can buy $10K of I Bonds per year. My question: Can the trust entity account also buy an extra $5k paper I Bonds per year with the trust's tax refund? If so, I assume you would have to purposefully overpay your trust's estimated taxes? I apologize if this has been answered in the past, I did a thread search and saw no answer. It's old, but... https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=92643 That doesn't seem relevant. The question is not if you can title your tax return savings bonds to your trust, because it's clear from form 8888 you can buy savings bonds for anyone with your refund. The question is whether you can buy savings bonds with your trust tax return refun...
by geospatial
Tue Dec 19, 2023 6:02 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

If you have an entity account at TD for your trust, I know the trust can buy $10K of I Bonds per year. My question: Can the trust entity account also buy an extra $5k paper I Bonds per year with the trust's tax refund? If so, I assume you would have to purposefully overpay your trust's estimated taxes? I apologize if this has been answered in the past, I did a thread search and saw no answer. It's old, but... https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=92643 That doesn't seem relevant. The question is not if you can title your tax return savings bonds to your trust, because it's clear from form 8888 you can buy savings bonds for anyone with your refund. The question is whether you can buy savings bonds with your trust tax return refun...
by geospatial
Tue Dec 19, 2023 3:54 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Praye wrote: Mon Dec 18, 2023 5:56 pm If you have an entity account at TD for your trust, I know the trust can buy $10K of I Bonds per year.

My question: Can the trust entity account also buy an extra $5k paper I Bonds per year with the trust's tax refund? If so, I assume you would have to purposefully overpay your trust's estimated taxes?

I apologize if this has been answered in the past, I did a thread search and saw no answer.
It's old, but... viewtopic.php?t=92643
by geospatial
Mon Dec 18, 2023 9:57 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

The counter-argument to the above conjecture lies in how one defines the term "acquire". As previously posted, the relevant statute is 31 CFR § 363.52(a): § 363.52 What is the principal amount of book-entry Series EE and Series I savings bonds that I may acquire in one year? (a) The principal amount of book-entry savings bonds that you may acquire in any calendar year is limited to $10,000 for Series EE savings bonds and $10,000 for Series I savings bonds. (b) Bonds purchased or transferred as gifts will be included in the computation of this limit for the account of the recipient for the year in which the bonds are delivered to the recipient. (c) Bonds purchased as gifts or in a fiduciary capacity are not included in the computat...
by geospatial
Fri Dec 15, 2023 11:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

I had the same kneejerk reaction to Cary's post. But after reading it more closely, I better understand what Cary is saying. However I do think it violates the spirit of Treasury Direct's guidance TD does state "Gift bonds count toward the limit of the recipient...", and that is in reference to the recipient's ability to purchase their own I Bonds discussed earlier on that TD webpage. But Cary's contention is that as long as the recipient of gift bonds is not buying any of their own I Bonds, that is the only limit that is explicitly being referenced. Everyone has been implicitly assuming the purchase limit is also a gifting limit. Nowhere in the TD guidance page does it state in uncertain terms that the limit on I Bond gifts that...
by geospatial
Fri Dec 15, 2023 10:48 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

I had the same kneejerk reaction to Cary's post. But after reading it more closely, I better understand what Cary is saying. However I do think it violates the spirit of Treasury Direct's guidance TD does state "Gift bonds count toward the limit of the recipient...", and that is in reference to the recipient's ability to purchase their own I Bonds discussed earlier on that TD webpage. But Cary's contention is that as long as the recipient of gift bonds is not buying any of their own I Bonds, that is the only limit that is explicitly being referenced. Everyone has been implicitly assuming the purchase limit is also a gifting limit. Nowhere in the TD guidance page does it state in uncertain terms that the limit on I Bond gifts that ...
by geospatial
Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:20 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

If you've owned < 5 years (but > 1), you'll lose the "last 3 months" of interest, meaning you'll get $0 for December (and November and October). On Dec 6 wouldn't the "last three months" of interest be September, October, and November? Again, what you see in Treasury Direct is what you'll get, they've already worked out the math. (Unlike CDs which may not show the "after-penalty" amount.) But it's the "last 3 months" you lose (if redeemed before 5 years). Since interest for the month is normally paid at the start of the month, the 3 months penalty would be inclusive of December. This is an incorrect understanding of the interest payment. While interest is paid at the start of each month, it is for th...
by geospatial
Tue Oct 31, 2023 8:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6658
Views: 1241518

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Can anybody who put in a redemption order today (October 31) for one or more of their I Bonds confirm within the next few days whether the interest they receive reflects the October interest that nominally accrues on November 1? I believe some have indicated it does get added, but more corroboration would make me more confident.
by geospatial
Sun Aug 27, 2023 6:14 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Just for fun, what single stock do you think will see huge growth
Replies: 174
Views: 27764

Re: Just for fun, what single stock do you think will see huge growth

Maybe closer to 10x or 15x if everything goes right, GENI has a big advantage in sports-related AI. I follow it as a hobby to keep me engaged in both something I have an interest in and to learn more about valuations vs intrinsic value, and it’s supposed to turn profitable later this year. But definitely a longer term sort of thing because it needs the market to cycle back to a focus on small cap growth.
by geospatial
Wed Jan 18, 2023 4:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Comments for a 457(b) Passive Strategy Design Proposal
Replies: 2
Views: 588

Re: Comments for a 457(b) Passive Strategy Design Proposal

You deserve congratulations for all the time and effort spent on trying to infuse some Boglehead common sense into this 457 plan. As a member of a different state's 457 plan, I appreciate the low-cost index options you're trying to make as the dominant choices. And also love that you got a 457 Roth option enabled. Couple minor comments... 1. In Paul Merriman & Richard Buck's "We're Talking Millions", they do discuss one option in Chapter 20 (Path 5) and another in Chapter 23 that utilizes Wellesley and Wellington funds. I know they qualify as active management, but just wanted to point out scenarios that some plan members might consider and may be disappointed if unavailable. 2. In spite of the "total market AA" we l...
by geospatial
Thu Feb 11, 2021 9:03 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Of Net Worth, Pensions, and Annuities...
Replies: 34
Views: 3333

Re: Of Net Worth, Pensions, and Annuities...

Lots of discussion and opinions already... I'll have to digest them all when I have a little more time. I would like to add a couple of things though... 1. I was vested in the pension 10 years ago, but I'm only allowed to retire and claim it start as of this summer based on a minimum years of service required. 2. One question I wonder about is what net worth I would have to achieve if I hadn't spent my career (so far) in the public sector and wanted to support the same level of spending that I expect to have with the pension. I can use somewhere from 3% to 4% SWR to model it, but need a dollar figure, and that's where I think option 2 or 3 provides something that can help answer the question. 3. As I understand it, net worth is a calculatio...
by geospatial
Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Of Net Worth, Pensions, and Annuities...
Replies: 34
Views: 3333

Of Net Worth, Pensions, and Annuities...

All, I was inspired by this board to start tracking my net worth a few years ago to gauge my progress towards financial independence. At the time, I inquired here about how to properly account for a future pension in such a calculation and got mixed responses. Some of the options given were... 1. only count the cash balance of contributions to date 2. perform a Future Value (FV) calculation in Excel of expected future benefits 3. use the expected benefit as an input in a SPIA calculator to determine the cash needed to purchase it and proxy that value 4. disregard it completely because pensions (and social security) are cash flows and not really applicable for net worth calculations I've conservatively been using option 1 because it's an act...
by geospatial
Mon Sep 14, 2020 5:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Tax Loss harvesting and LT losses carryover - confused
Replies: 19
Views: 1177

Re: Tax Loss harvesting and LT losses carryover - confused

Schedule D states that the maximum capital loss applied to income is $3000, except if you are married filing separately it's $1500. Where are you seeing that the max capital loss applied to income is $1500 if filing single?
by geospatial
Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Charles Schwab
Replies: 48
Views: 7163

Re: Charles Schwab

I have my Roth IRA at Schwab and my taxable account at Vanguard. Originally I was going to open my Roth at Vanguard, but they were having website problems that day and you know what they say about first impressions... (Though as you see I did give them a 2nd chance with the taxable acct) I also wanted to experience firsthand the customer experience (customer support/service and web/app/GUI experience) of both since there are plenty of secondhand opinions here that made it difficult to choose a clear winner. My taxable is buy-and-hold, with the option of tax loss harvesting as opportunities arrive. My Roth is mostly buy-and-hold, but I do keep a tiny bit of "play money" there that I don't need for my long term plans, and it helps t...
by geospatial
Wed Jun 24, 2020 3:31 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Taleb: The coronavirus is not a black swan.
Replies: 81
Views: 9205

Re: Taleb: The coronavirus is not a black swan.

quantAndHold wrote: Wed Jun 24, 2020 11:00 amSo that begs the question. Is it a Black Swan if it’s an unknown unknown to you personally, but someone else is able to predict it?
In Taleb's "1000 days in the life of a turkey" metaphor, he does state that Thanksgiving is a black swan event for the turkey, but not the farmer. This implies that black swan events are determined subjectively... what is a black swan for one individual may not be for another, depending on their level of knowledge about the event. Of course one corollary to this is that conspiracy theorists can't experience black swans if they consider every outlandish idea as likely to happen. 8-)
by geospatial
Tue Jun 23, 2020 8:39 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: If you TLH, do you have to apply it that tax year?
Replies: 15
Views: 2518

Re: If you TLH, do you have to apply it that tax year?

Thanks for the confirmation. That's how I thought it worked (in consideration of the ways it could otherwise be abused), but the use of the word "can" in the wiki left it slightly ambiguous for me.

And thanks for the pointer to the loss carryover worksheet. Hoping my tax software is smart enough to pick up on that next year.
by geospatial
Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:27 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: If you TLH, do you have to apply it that tax year?
Replies: 15
Views: 2518

If you TLH, do you have to apply it that tax year?

This should probably be obvious, but I wanted to confirm. The wiki states: "If you have more losses than gains, you can apply up to $3,000 of your remaining capital losses against your regular income. And whatever capital losses are still left over, can be carried forward indefinitely into future years." It uses the word "can", not "must". If I have more than $3000 of captured losses via tax loss harvesting in a given year and no capital gains that year, do I have to use the $3000 capital loss tax deduction in that year to offset regular income or can I use none or only a portion of it that year while carrying over the remainder to future years, especially if I think I'll need it to offset future capital gains ...
by geospatial
Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:42 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Head Fakes and Dead Cats .. your thoughts on the rally?
Replies: 386
Views: 38300

Re: Head Fakes and Dead Cats .. your thoughts on the rally?

I feel like all the people completely confused by the market reactions are like professional poker players. They're sitting at a table with a bunch of opponents that they believe have a similar skill level and mindset and therefore expect them to play in a certain way. But then some of their opponents raise when they "should" fold, or bluff with a weak hand and get lucky. And the "pros" are frustrated that people aren't playing in a way that they consider correct or rational. It's throwing off their strategy... they believe that in the long term the way they are playing is optimal, but in the short term variability and bad luck are to blame for what's been happening. If enough people believe something, it can become a se...
by geospatial
Mon Mar 23, 2020 5:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: One simple thing this 50 yo learned...
Replies: 61
Views: 10848

Re: One simple thing this 50 yo learned...

In my mid-40's now, I'm still happy to be learning things. Here are a few... -- Having a 2-year emergency fund in cash/CDs is such an immense relief in times like these. Watching the bull market made me question if I was missing out on some gains needlessly, but I'm glad I didn't kneejerk react. -- Setting up some Add-on CD ladders for 5 years in early 2019 was, in hindsight, an extremely serendipitous decision. -- Watching my tax-advantaged accounts drop so precipitously still doesn't feel good. But it's providing validation of my convictions in the Boglehead way and my AA tolerance was reasonable. I was 80/20 in those accts, have felt fine nibbling into a 90/10 allocation so far, and know I can go 100/0 if we reach certain drop thresholds...
by geospatial
Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:46 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 457 Tax Deduction
Replies: 7
Views: 722

Re: 457 Tax Deduction

To confirm the previous point, my non-Roth 457 contributions were excluded from the income listed on my W2, so as long as she input that on her tax forms, she should be ok.

On a sidenote, $200/month for 10 years is $24,000. There's been a lot of growth the last 10 years... why is her balance so low? Did she keep it in super-conservative investments? Just want to make sure nothing shady going on or that there were some truly terrible investment options in that plan.
by geospatial
Tue Feb 11, 2020 8:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Federal tax treatment of PFML tax in Massachusetts
Replies: 2
Views: 1582

Re: Federal tax treatment of PFML tax in Massachusetts

Thank you for that! I was going through the dialogue driven format of H&R Block Deluxe software and there was nothing at all along the way indicating that a tax paid for medical/family leave should be included as part of an "income" tax. Doesn't make much sense conceptually, and New Jersey & California have specific codes assigned to them in Box 14 of W2's that is properly accounted for. I imagine or hope that next year they'll assign a code for Massachusetts as well. As it turns out, it really only affects those who itemize and aren't already over SALT cap. I'm using the standard deduction, but my s.o. is able to itemize and wasn't SALT maxed yet, so it ended up benefiting her. I'm still waiting for final confirmation fro...
by geospatial
Sun Feb 09, 2020 3:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Federal tax treatment of PFML tax in Massachusetts
Replies: 2
Views: 1582

Federal tax treatment of PFML tax in Massachusetts

Very specific question here, and only impacts workers in Massachusetts. In 2018, Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) was passed in Massachusetts. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/paid-family-and-medical-leave-pfml-fact-sheet Starting in October 2019, wage withholdings appeared in the majority of non-self-employed worker's paychecks to start funding this initiative. The withholdings are a tax and appear as such in pay statements alongside federal income tax, state income tax, FICA/medicare, etc... When I look at my W2, the amount withheld appears in Box 14, along with some nonsensical code. And this amount is still included in my gross taxable income. My expectation is that PFML taxes should be deductible from federal income taxes since ot...
by geospatial
Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Simple Bank - Bonus for New Funds in Individual and Protected Goals Account
Replies: 66
Views: 5470

Re: Simple Bank - Bonus for New Funds in Individual and Protected Goals Account

Got my Simple bonus today. :beer

Can't really complain too much about what was essentially a 3-month CD at around 12% (bonus + regular interest on $20K). I have to move the bulk of the money out for an add-on CD I have elsewhere, but I'll keep the account open in case they have any future promotions. Maybe they'll fix that app interface to be a little less bewildering in the meantime.
by geospatial
Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone purchased pension service credits?
Replies: 18
Views: 1778

Re: Anyone purchased pension service credits?

I was able to purchase up to 4 years of previous service as a contractor prior to conversion to FTE. Eligibility to do so was reached after vesting in the pension plan (10 years in service). I wanted to do it ASAP because they charge 1/2 of the pension plan's actuarial interest for each year. So it ended up working out like this... 1st year purchased: (amount that would have been contributed to pension plan 10 years earlier) * [(1 + (actuarial interest rate * 0.5)) ^ 10 years] 2nd year purchased: (amount that would have been contributed to pension plan 11 years earlier) * [(1 + (actuarial interest rate * 0.5)) ^ 11 years] 3rd year purchased: (amount that would have been contributed to pension plan 12 years earlier) * [(1 + (actuarial intere...
by geospatial
Wed Jan 29, 2020 8:03 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Changes to 2020 W-4 Form
Replies: 4
Views: 742

Re: Changes to 2020 W-4 Form

I filled out the new W-4 form today to modify my withholdings in 2020, but it only affected my federal taxes. I don't know if all states do it this way, but in Massachusetts there is an M-4 form that needs to be filled out to modify state tax withholdings. Might be worth checking with your employer or even your state's department of revenue to confirm your own situation.
by geospatial
Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:38 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Investor’s Fallacy - Why Markets are Never “Due” for Anything
Replies: 63
Views: 5318

Re: The Investor’s Fallacy - Why Markets are Never “Due” for Anything

I care less about the coin flip analogy and more about the graph showing 20-year annualized prior returns vs. 10-year future growth of the S&P 500. It pretty much supports buy-and-hold unless one had the good fortune to experience an exceedingly high 20-year return. The next 10 years could be highly volatile, but a mere doubling of the S&P in that time would not only be disappointing but unprecedented. It also implies that the forecasts of lower returns over the next decade by prognosticators is dubious, dependent on whichever metrics one chooses to believe in. But small sample sizes will continue to plague us for decades to come and keep these forums plenty busy.
by geospatial
Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:35 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Pension Plus 457 Plan
Replies: 27
Views: 2966

Re: Pension Plus 457 Plan

Double-check the fine print or contact the state agency that administers the 457 plan to confirm the management fee situation. It might be listed somewhere but is lumped in with the expense ratio such that you'd never see an active deduction in any of your statements.

I also support the idea of contributing to a Roth 457 option if available and if you believe your pensions will cover your expenses. You can roll it over to a Roth IRA when you retire and not be required to take RMDs from it later on.
by geospatial
Tue Jan 14, 2020 2:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What age did you reach 100K networth?
Replies: 433
Views: 102004

Re: What age did you reach 100K networth?

I strongly believe that I am the poorest here. Anyone can dispute that statement, please come forward. I reached the $100,000 at the age of 38. I am now 40 years with a net worth of $210,000. Our combined income is just $136,000. Like you, I reached a net worth of $100,000 at age 38. I think it was around $0 at age 36. And you're ahead of where I was at age 40. Excessive student loans followed by a govt. job that was inadequately compensated followed by a condo purchase in a HCOL area a couple years before the recession hit did a number on me. But with perseverance and luck, and finally becoming financially literate after age 40, am now in much better shape today. So there is hope. The primary saving grace (though also the reason why I did...
by geospatial
Fri Jan 10, 2020 6:43 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Article - The Hidden Dangers of the Great Index Takeover
Replies: 45
Views: 5389

Re: Article - The Hidden Dangers of the Great Index Takeover

While it's not feasible for individuals to track hundreds or thousands of corporate governance issues, I wouldn't mind seeing the major passive fund administrators establish a portal or mechanism that would regularly allow shareholders to instruct them how to vote on issues (pro-rata). This presumes two things however... 1. The fund administrators have the expertise and resources to distill the number of issues down to the ones considered "significant" (which of course is subject to interpretation). 2. They could provide the same kind of pro and con guidance that we see on public ballot questions where a summary of each issue is provided by those who support a given measure and those who oppose it. I don't know the feasibility of ...
by geospatial
Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: high-yield savings: stay or switch?
Replies: 50
Views: 6754

Re: high-yield savings: stay or switch?

For those with the promo Northern Bank Direct 2.50% MM account for the past year+, finally got an update... An Update to Your Northern Bank Direct Money Market Account Dear Valued Customer, At Northern Bank, we are committed to providing our customers with the highest level of service and the most innovative banking products possible. To stay true to our commitment, we will always do our best to offer competitive rates for our customers. Currently, we are in a declining rate market which is dictated by the Federal Reserve. As you have probably heard in the news, the Federal Reserve has reduced interest rates three times since August, including the most recent one on October 30th, for a total of 0.75%. The rate lock on your Northern Bank Dir...
by geospatial
Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: H&R BLOCK Pre-Order 2019 Software Offer
Replies: 317
Views: 35700

Re: H&R BLOCK Pre-Order 2019 Software Offer

This is my first year with a taxable investment account. I did my first tax loss harvest and I think I’ll need to deal with both dividends and foreign tax credit from holding VTWAX. Is the Deluxe Federal and State version able to process those?
by geospatial
Tue Oct 29, 2019 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Uber VISA rewards cut
Replies: 77
Views: 22472

Re: Uber VISA rewards cut

I've primarily been using this card for dining and sporadic travel costs. This feels like a delayed bait and switch, and I'm starting to think the credit card industry as a whole may be trying out the idea of teaser benefits for a year or two before cutting back. A lot of the benefits of the Citi DoubleCash card were recently cut as well. Kinda hoping a mass exodus from the Uber card will serve as a warning to the companies that this kind of behavior won't be tolerated by the consumers. Anyway, looking for a replacement. Capital One Savor is the same 4%, but they have the annual fee. Capital One Savor One is no annual fee but only 3%. Same goes for Wells Fargo Propel Amex. I'm looking more closely at the U.S. Bank+ Visa Signature Card. No a...
by geospatial
Mon Oct 07, 2019 3:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Banking in Massachusetts?
Replies: 9
Views: 837

Re: Banking in Massachusetts?

The most ubiquitous ATMs in this area are from Bank of America, if that's your primary concern. And you can get a simple checking account without fees if you maintain a minimum average balance of $1500. Their savings acct rates are terrible like all other big B&M banks.

I second the idea of looking for a credit union. Metro Credit Union has a decent presence in the Boston area. But anybody with reasonable ATM fee reimbursement would do. Look for those that are part of significantly sized networks for shared resources.
by geospatial
Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:58 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best money market rate for first 12 months?
Replies: 12
Views: 2077

Re: Best money market rate for first 12 months?

Northern Bank Direct money market guaranteed 2.5% till end of the year for amounts under $250K. Thanks. Never heard of Northern Bank. Any idea what the rate goes to after the end of the year? I don't see anything mentioned in the fine print. https://www.northernbankdirect.com/money-market It appears there were some pretty good guaranteed rates before the recent rate cuts but now these promos are almost all gone. I don't think they even know what their rate will be after December 2019. Too many unknowns. I will say that the initial rate I signed up at last summer was 25 basis points lower and they voluntarily upped it at the start of the this year for all existing customers, so that shows at least some good will. But prior to this promotion...
by geospatial
Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:02 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best money market rate for first 12 months?
Replies: 12
Views: 2077

Re: Best money market rate for first 12 months?

Northern Bank Direct money market guaranteed 2.5% till end of the year for amounts under $250K.
by geospatial
Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Silly question - what’s your largest non-essential item as a % of your net worth? Or, what is its dollar value?
Replies: 25
Views: 2204

Re: Silly question - what’s your largest non-essential item as a % of your net worth? Or, what is its dollar value?

Magic card collection. About 3% of net worth. Feels weird saying that, but it's value has appreciated more than the S&P500 on an annual basis and I've had it for 25+ years.
by geospatial
Fri Jul 19, 2019 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [Marcus Savings Account - Interest rate is now 0.5%]
Replies: 254
Views: 38382

Re: Marcus Bank 1% Bonus for New Funds up to $50k ($500 bonus)

Are there any concerns that the end of the 90 day "maintenance period" may overlap with and interfere with a repeat of last year's Ally bonus offer if hypothetically offered again roughly during the same time period as last year? Granted the Marcus bonus is a definite and an Ally repeat is speculative, but the Ally max ended up being $1000 for those with $100K available, so it could have an opportunity cost if one was unable to shift the cash out of Marcus in time.
by geospatial
Tue Jun 18, 2019 4:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What percentage of total portfolio in REIT's do you have? Why? . . Why not?
Replies: 240
Views: 27510

Re: What percentage of total portfolio in REIT's do you have? Why?

50% In 2014 for a few months. :confused I was very stupid but very lucky... 2014 was the year to do it. I was probably an ignorant momentum investor without realizing it. I whittled it down to 10% before the end of the year and thankfully found this site soon after. I keep it at 10% now because I do like its diversification benefits and dividend structure, and do believe it is a more accurate representation of RE's contribution to the economy (a market cap without being a market cap). It also only exists in tax-advantaged accounts, so damage mitigated on that front as well. Curious. Can you explain this? Thanks for contributing. j :happy It's already been pointed out earlier in this thread I believe. The requirement to distribute >=90% of ...
by geospatial
Tue Jun 18, 2019 4:29 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What percentage of total portfolio in REIT's do you have? Why? . . Why not?
Replies: 240
Views: 27510

Re: What percentage of total portfolio in REIT's do you have? Why?

50%

In 2014 for a few months. :confused

I was very stupid but very lucky... 2014 was the year to do it. I was probably an ignorant momentum investor without realizing it.

I whittled it down to 10% before the end of the year and thankfully found this site soon after. I keep it at 10% now because I do like its diversification benefits and dividend structure, and do believe it is a more accurate representation of RE's contribution to the economy (a market cap without being a market cap). It also only exists in tax-advantaged accounts, so damage mitigated on that front as well.
by geospatial
Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Value of Zillow house price estimate
Replies: 44
Views: 7675

Re: Value of Zillow house price estimate

llama wrote: Tue Jun 04, 2019 12:34 pm In my net worth spreadsheet, I use the Zestimate minus 10%. I take the value with a huge grain of salt, but it's been pretty close for the last two houses I've sold.
When I do bi-annual updates of my net worth calculations, I end up taking the average of the Zillow and Redfin estimates, and subtracting 10% from that. Arbitrary, but it's something that I feel is on the more realistic or even conservative side than just taking those values as is.
by geospatial
Wed Jun 05, 2019 4:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Failed land investments and what to do with it?
Replies: 139
Views: 12122

Re: Low ball offer to buy my useless land, take it or leave it?

Why did you buy them in the first place?

Second, talk to a land conservation organization, gauge their interest in the land (even if it's just as a charitable donation on your part), and if they have any, see if you can get them to send you a letter stating their interest in the land. Then show a copy of that letter to the company interested in your land, tell them you're considering it, and see if they might up their offer.
by geospatial
Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Purepoint Financial
Replies: 8
Views: 1155

Re: Purepoint Financial

surfstar wrote: Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:56 pm All America Bank / Redneck Bank has 2.5% Mega Money Market account for up to $50k
Unless you're putting in more than the limit, I see no need for a CD
Money market account interest rates can drop. The Purepoint 13-month no-penalty CD has a rate that is locked in as long as it's intact, up to 13 months. And the "no-penalty" aspect means it essentially functions as a completely liquid instrument... assuming of course the institution doesn't have any transfer policies that create unnecessary delays.

Also, FYI, All America/Redneck is dropping their rate to 2.4% in a couple of weeks.
by geospatial
Wed Jun 05, 2019 11:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Purepoint Financial
Replies: 8
Views: 1155

Purepoint Financial

I'm considering the 2.5% 13-month no-penalty CD offered by Purepoint Financial as a place to put part of my emergency fund. This would probably also entail opening up a savings account there too to have an easy place to put the proceeds of these CDs as they mature.

Are there any bogleheads out there who have current or past experience with Purepoint Financial as account holders? If so, what are/were your experiences like and is it a place you would recommend to others?

I already have another 2.5% money market account elsewhere, but this would hedge the chance of rates possibly falling in the near future. I'm not looking at suggestions for other institutions, just feedback about Purepoint. Thanks in advance.