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Thanks for the reassurance everyone.

___a position I’ve wanted for years____ IMO that is your answer.... The only thing I’m worried about is going back to an “at will” employment situation. I’m currently working a job with union protection, so it’s much harder to let someone go. I understand your hesitation. It sounds like it would be a healthy transition to take the new job offer to me. I assume you would agree that accounting is generally a transferable skill set and that you would be able to get another job in the event of future unemployment? Point being, the comfort associated with the job protection you have is understandable but in all likelihood you’re relatively employable and shouldn’t be as concerned with job security as a result. This is a good point. The current ...

rob wrote: ↑Sat Jul 17, 2021 10:54 am

TheAccountant wrote: ↑Sat Jul 17, 2021 10:47 am___a position I’ve wanted for years____

IMO that is your answer....

The only thing I’m worried about is going back to an “at will” employment situation. I’m currently working a job with union protection, so it’s much harder to let someone go.

Is it required for the job she wants? Then yes, get it.

If it isn’t required - is it something she’s passionate about, and will help her grow both personally and professionally? Also yes.

I was laid off in September of 2020 due to the Pandemic. Currently working for a non-profit making 20k less than before. I’m in the office two days a week, with the expectation of being 100% in office by next month. I was offered a role as a Forensic Accountant, a position I’ve wanted for years. The new salary is in line with what I was making before (slightly more), and the position is 100% remote. I’m at a large non-profit with union protection, and the new gig is at a smaller Accounting firm. I’ll also likely be working more hours, but it will be doing something I enjoy. I was told 45 hours per week on average, slightly more if there’s a deadline. There isn’t a “busy season” like at a traditional Accounting firm because they don’t do tax...

I lucked out in my current property as it was a word of mouth type deal. I’m shopping around just to see what’s out there. My prior two rentals I found on Zillow with zero issues. Craigslist is basically a write off at this point. The trick is to go hit the property manager's site directly. Apartment.com has listings from apartment complexes. If you apply from their site, very low chance to get scammed. Another option is to find realtor-type people at the remote city who can go take a look and show you around over Zoom. This option costs money, but it's cheaper to pay them than arrange your move & find out your rental property doesn't exist. I actually showed my old rental to the new tenants via Zoom. I hope they didn’t think I was the...

I lucked out in my current property as it was a word of mouth type deal.

I’m shopping around just to see what’s out there. My prior two rentals I found on Zillow with zero issues.

Craigslist is basically a write off at this point.

I like to turn decluttering into a hobby. I list things on eBay. If they don't sell, then I usually toss them.

Another great way is to relocate. I got rid of a TON of stuff when I moved an hour away. There's no sense in taking something with you that you don't need.

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek] Every time I log onto Craigslist, I feel like there is a new scam out there. With services like Facebook Marketplace and Zillow, I don’t know why I even bother to check Craigslist. Maybe it is for nostalgia’s sake. Either way, it didn’t take long to find a new scam. I found a house with an attached garage for a reasonable price. The ad looked legitimate, although there were only five pictures (red flag number one.) I sent the landlord an e-mail to assess the situation. Red flag number two was when the landlord asked me to communicate using another e-mail address. I forwarded my initial inquiry to the new e-mail address and waited for a reply. Two minutes later, the “landlord” replied with the foll...

Having been on both sides of the matter, I can see their point.

I was happiest with a hybrid approach. WFH one or two days a week, and in the office the remaining days.

WFH full-time takes away the sense of camaraderie. Zoom meetings aren't the same as seeing people in person.

Office full-time leads to faster burnout. Sometimes the daily grind of sitting in traffic, the weather, dealing with people, etc. can be a bit overwhelming.

Hybrid seems to be the sweet spot.

Everyone is different, but that's how I feel as an Accountant working through all of this.

I spoke with HR at one of our regional Accounting firms and she said the #1 reason provided why applicants are looking for a new job is that they do not like working from home.

[Thread merged into here, see below. --admin LadyGeek]

I'd be curious to see how everyone's spending habits have changed since the shutdown started.

My fuel spending is down.
Grocery spending has gone down with the addition of meal delivery once a week (go figure.)
$ 0 per month on eating out/entertainment.
Vehicle maintenance expense is down, but that is due to not driving and I suspect this may increase more than usual once I start driving again (sitting is not good for cars.)

Everything else seems to be about the same.

I’m still employed (industry.) Working remotely full-time and able to perform all of my job duties from home.

From what I’ve seen, most firms have put off their hiring due to the uncertainties surrounding the Coronavirus. It seems like a lot of firms/companies are trying to make do with their current staff, rather than onboard someone new and then try to train them remotely.

First, I wanted to say that I hope everyone is doing well and is staying safe during these times. One thing I realized during all of this is that I do NOT need all of the space I’m currently living in. Right now I have several acres of land (that has to be mowed and maintained) and a big 2000 square foot house that constantly requires cleaning and maintenance. So I decided to move to a smaller, 2 bed 1 bath 900 square foot home in the same area. I will still work in the same area, so I won’t be going too far. It’s a move to a nicer part of town though. The only thing that I am going to miss in the garage. I’m going to put up a carport for now, and there’s room to build a garage later on, so there’s always that. I’ve just had a nagging feeli...

Step 1: government makes pandemic recommendations that cause direct harm to small business Step 2: government offers money to compensate small business owners so they can keep staff employed Step 3: government says AHA! You accepted the money we sent you but you weren’t REALLY uncertain about how much you were going to lose WERE YOU???? Step 4: Government prosecutes millions of small businesses owners for violation of the false claims act Step 6 ........ ? Step 7: American economy fully recovers Clearly, they should have put some specific criteria in the law instead of leaving it up to everyone to decide. It invites fraud. Some people don't want to participate in that. I’d imagine the official version in the Federal Register will be more s...

OP I looked at that clause as only taking the loan if you truly need it - meaning that you would’ve needed to take out a loan anyway to keep payroll at its current standing.

Most SB owners think this is risk free, “free money.” When I pointed out that the official regs haven’t even been posted yet, it was met with lots of backlash and hostility.

We're about to find out what happens when our government is unable to save a tanking economy. We already found this out in 2008. Actually, QE and lowered interest rates helped bring the economy back in 2008. It worked because of what caused the 2008 recession in the first place. I think this is a bit different - mainly due to how quickly markets were affected by the virus. I strongly agree with the 'everything bubble'. I think most assets are overvalued, businesses that should've gone belly up years ago are still around, and rampant consumer spending fueled by debt has increased tenfold since 2008. Get ready for negative interest rates everywhere, not just abroad. It's going to eventually be the only way to reduce the cost of capital and i...

From a financial standpoint, it rarely makes sense to buy a new car because the old one needs repairs. It's more of a convenience thing. You can find a new rack and pinion on Rock Auto for $ 200 and have an independent mechanic install it probably for about that. Then, what's next? How much of an inconvenience is it to have to bring the car to the mechanic? Also, not sure if you're in a salt area, but the #2 thing that'll make me ditch a car is rust. If the rocker panels (unibody) or frame (body on frame) is rusted to the point of losing structural integrity, then it's time for the car to go. This calculator is fun to play around with: http://www.agcoauto.com/content/Buy_or_Keep_Calculator I drive an old car, 2006 model. I just checked and ...

We're about to find out what happens when our government is unable to save a tanking economy. We already found this out in 2008. Actually, QE and lowered interest rates helped bring the economy back in 2008. It worked because of what caused the 2008 recession in the first place. I think this is a bit different - mainly due to how quickly markets were affected by the virus. I strongly agree with the 'everything bubble'. I think most assets are overvalued, businesses that should've gone belly up years ago are still around, and rampant consumer spending fueled by debt has increased tenfold since 2008. Get ready for negative interest rates everywhere, not just abroad. It's going to eventually be the only way to reduce the cost of capital and i...

We're about to find out what happens when our government is unable to save a tanking economy. We already found this out in 2008. Actually, QE and lowered interest rates helped bring the economy back in 2008. It worked because of what caused the 2008 recession in the first place. I think this is a bit different - mainly due to how quickly markets were affected by the virus. I strongly agree with the 'everything bubble'. I think most assets are overvalued, businesses that should've gone belly up years ago are still around, and rampant consumer spending fueled by debt has increased tenfold since 2008. Get ready for negative interest rates everywhere, not just abroad. It's going to eventually be the only way to reduce the cost of capital and i...

We're about to find out what happens when our government is unable to save a tanking economy.

When I wanted a second battery for my lawnmower the battery alone was $200. I was able to buy a blower with the same battery and another charger for $215... Every thread about electric equipment here has a few people claiming that they can't possibly hold a candle to their gas counterparts, that they won't be reliable etc. Yet those who actually own and use these regularly nearly universally love them and can't imagine going back to gas. Last year in an electric blower thread I posted Echo's own comparison chart in which the electric models are rated higher in every spec than their gas counterparts. Wet grass, 45 minutes of operating time on a good day? Do yourself a favor and get a nice gas-powered model. Any electric mower that can actua...

Without seeing your monthly budget, it's hard to say.

Are you in a career field that's recession-proof? How long would it take to find another job in an economic downturn?

You said you have 30k as an e-fund. That's pretty big, and if your expenses are low enough then you can probably make that last for a year or more on your current setup.

Also, how expensive of a home are we talking? What's it going to take to heat, cool, maintain, and live in this house? Are taxes the same, or are those going up, too?

You'll really need to run all of the numbers and go over those figures to figure out if you're ready to buy. I wouldn't let the current state of the economy deter you from your plans.

When I wanted a second battery for my lawnmower the battery alone was $200. I was able to buy a blower with the same battery and another charger for $215... Every thread about electric equipment here has a few people claiming that they can't possibly hold a candle to their gas counterparts, that they won't be reliable etc. Yet those who actually own and use these regularly nearly universally love them and can't imagine going back to gas. Last year in an electric blower thread I posted Echo's own comparison chart in which the electric models are rated higher in every spec than their gas counterparts. Wet grass, 45 minutes of operating time on a good day? Do yourself a favor and get a nice gas-powered model. Any electric mower that can actua...

Since the market is going downhill fast... PUN! Why not 29" wheels? You get used to them after a while. I ride a Giant Talon 29er which has everything she's looking for. I can't remember the price but I bought it new and it was under a grand. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/bikes-talon-29 It is a great all-around bike. It feels just as at home on a bike path as it does ripping down a mountain singletrack. My only gripes are the hydraulic brakes randomly locking up after the bike has sat for a while. I just crack the bleeder and that fixes it. The stock seat sucks. And I honestly wish I had rear suspension. I couldn't find anything below 1k new with rear shocks so this was the next best option. Thanks for bringing this up. You now ha...

Wet grass, 45 minutes of operating time on a good day? Do yourself a favor and get a nice gas-powered model. Any electric mower that can actually run for almost an hour while cutting wet grass will cost 100x what a comparable gas model would. Either that or you'll need four or five fully charged batteries on hand at all times. Notice the run time on that Amazon mower - UP TO . That's literally 45 minutes of the thing just idling on a concrete walkway. That's also with the battery in 100% tip-top condition, which unless you keep it at 50% at all times, will degrade over time. Every single device I've purchased with a litium ion battery has experienced battery degradation over time. So either I'm constantly buying crappy products with crappy ...

DeskJumper wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 4:12 pm Bit the bullet and looked at my portfolio's (taxable and 401) today. Not quite up to date yet, numbers are from Friday, but it is honestly not as horrible as I thought it would be. I am 70% VTSAX / 15% VXUS / 15% BND. My allocation is still well within IPS parameters. I will rebalance with new money if need be to avoid selling. I am still in early accumulation stage so still buying once a month as usual.

You need to set some goals, here. Where do you want to be in a year, five years, ten years, from now?

https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Managing_a_windfall

Don't just start throwing money in all directions. Be wise with this.

BW1985 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 09, 2020 12:39 pm I traveled out of state a month or so ago and just received a $50 bill in the mail from the city saying a camera caught me turning left on a red light. Is anyone familiar with the legality of having to pay this fee or not?

It says on it it bold 'failure to pay this can not affect your credit report, driver's license or car insurance. So I tend to just want to ignore it.

Did they have a picture of the car included with the bill?

I find it hard to believe that it wouldn't affect your credit report. Maybe not the initial bill, but if you don't pay it then they'll send it off to collections, and that WILL affect your credit report.

I agree with most point except for "checking up on 401k". After today's bloodletting I suggest most people not to check their balance. If you haven't appropriately allocated your stock/bond ratio beforehand, it is already too late and any changes now is usually out of fear. If you're 90 or 100% in stocks, the train has already left the station. Just stay the course and wait for rebound. If you're properly allocated say 70/30, then what's happening in the market shouldn't bother you too much. Just stay the course, we've all seen this played out... Good point. Actually, does Bogleheads have anything on rebalancing during a downturn? I was always under the impression that it's better late than never in terms of making sure your AA i...

OK, so I looked at that TSB and the reprogramming is for the idle air learn procedure within the PCM.

It looks like the parameters weren't coded right from the factory, hence the need to reprogram. So a PCV swap probably won't fix it.

$ 350 is actually quite reasonable, considering you have to drive the car and have it meet certain specs before you can do it. It would actually cost more to do this yourself by the time you buy the tuning software (which will then void your warranty.)

I'd just let them deal with it and be done with the issue.

If it's just turning the CEL off, then a $ 40 code reader from Amazon will work just fine.

Unplugging the battery for 30 minutes will also work. I have yet to run into a car where this doesn't reset the MIL.

Of course this won't fix the underlying problem causing the CEL in the first place.

OP - try to find a good independent mechanic that you can trust to work on your car. Sometimes you can find a good dealer, but if they're charging you $ 350 for a PCV replacement and a simple turning off of the MIL then that's way too expensive.

Just replace the PCV valve.

In fact, you can remove it and test to see if it's working by shaking it. If it doesn't make any noise then it's probably bad.

Not sure why you'd have to reprogram the PCM for something like that.

Have you checked the appropriate forums for your car? You'll get much better advice on there versus on an investing forum.

If you find that your PCM does in fact need to be programmed, then $ 350 is fair. Just buying the tuning software yourself will likely cost $ 500+.

This isn't really anything new, but I wanted to share in light of current events. Supercharge Your Emergency Fund Make sure you are able to pay for your rent/mortgage, food, utilities, and other necessities for a minimum of six months during a recession. A year is even better. I use a market account for the emergency fund. This is a great place to park your cash, and you can even setup automatic deposits every month to take the guesswork out of saving. Get Out Of Debt One of the worst expenses to have when you’ve just lost your job during a recession is interest. If you don’t know where to begin, I recommend Dave Ramsey’s Debt Snowball Method. There are also methods that pay off the highest interest rate first (debt avalanche), but I’ve had...

If you don't want a loan, and don't have (or want to spend) too much of your cash, then just buy another mechanically sound Camry for the amount that the insurance reimbursed you for the old one.

What do you do for work? If having a CFA certification is going to help you in your career, then by all means do it.

Otherwise, you'd be better off reading some good personal investment books, many of which are mentioned on this forum.

I have certifications in my field, and I've found them helpful in keeping my mind and skills sharp. While I enjoy investing, I wouldn't do the CFA just because it's something I enjoy. There are better uses of my time. However, reading is fundamental and it's a great way to borrow someone else's mind.

Can someone give me a layman’s rundown on how this is supposed to help? In theory, the fed reduces the federal funds rate to make it cheaper for banks to borrow money. Banks then are able to lower their own rates and lend cheaper money to consumers. Think of it as a stimulus package from the fed. Lower rates mean consumers are more willing to enter into a car loan or mortgage, or take out a line of credit. While interest rates may be low, fees have been climbing over the years, and banks are making a hefty profit from the whole ordeal. However that's something that is rarely, if ever, mentioned. A perfect example was a car loan I inquired about recently. The rate was 2.57%. I had a loan during the great recession, and there were zero fees ...

OP, here are some tips for selling your car: 1. Be reasonable. Check KBB, Edmunds TMV, and NADA. Have a range where you'd feel comfortable selling. 2. Weigh your options. What's worse, being upside down on a car for a few years, or selling it now and having a loan that's returning nothing? 3. Make sure the car is spotless inside and out, including the engine bay, before photographing. Take professional pictures if possible. 4. Have someone that's sold a car before help you out with the process. 5. NEVER meet at your house to show the car. Banks, mall parking lots, parks, and public places with lots of people are good for this. 6. NEVER let a prospective person drive your car without photographing their driver's license. 7. NEVER let a prosp...

Sooner or later, the fed is going to learn that they can't keep slashing rates just to keep the economy afloat.

160k is nothing. Agreed. Quality, modern cars can easily do 250k without exvessive upkeep. Save up and pay cash for it. While the 1% obviously is a great rate and likely less than investment returns. However, if you're buying a car that's within your income and net worth "profile" the opportunity cost on that little is insignificant. Reread your post, you can see in your own words that paying cash for a car would likely limit what you'd spend on a car - not just because you can't pay cash for X today. Parting with everything you saved for a car is an emotional barrier - that alone would likely save you more than the opportunity cost of investing the loan. Lastly, once you paid off the car would you get an equity loan on it again ...

I’ve played everything from state of the art sets costing thousands of dollars, to old clubs I’ve literally found thrown into the woods.

My go-to is a knockoff TaylorMade set I made with my grandfather in the 90s. I don’t know what it is, but I play best with those clubs.

Now I do re-grip as needed, and I have a new bag and what not. The clubs themselves are old, but I keep them in good shape. I had a new driver but I switched back to the old head with a modern shaft and grip.

I have my own spreadsheet that I use and have developed over the course of several years. It uses daily balances so I never have more $ in checking than necessary. It's stored in the cloud so if I am on vacation or away from home I can still budget.

I also calculate NW using my own setup. This is more primitive - just a stock Mac Numbers sheet tailored to meet my needs.

jeremyl wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:43 am I have not received a 1099 from an out of state online school that I taught for in 2019. I have emailed and left voicemails for the people I was given their names to contact. I was a contracted teacher/employee for this online school for about 4 or 5 months.

What should be my next action to try to get this so I can get my taxes done? Much appreciated.

How did they pay you? If they used a 3rd party such as Paypal or Venmo then they are not required to issue you a 1099-MISC.

There are enough arguments on BITOG to make your head spin.

Here's what I do instead:

1. Look in owner's manual to determine what spec oil your machine/car/boat requires.
2. Buy cheapest synthetic oil that meets specs found in step 1

Usually Wal-Mart has the cheapest oil. However Advance Auto Parts and other stores often discount oil and include a free filter, so it's wise to shop around.

Lake Placid. Get a hotel room that overlooks one of the lakes.

Portfolio wise I don’t do anything other than make sure my asset allocation is in line with my investment goals.

Everything I mail to the taxing agencies goes via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.

lukestuckenhymer wrote: ↑Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:02 pm Don't give fintech startups your money. These companies exist in a Silicon Fairytale Land where money grows on trees and losing billions every year in the name of growth is an acceptable practice. Why would they be concerned if they lose your money?

In this case it is the other way around (investors lost Robinhood money.)

I believe this could boil down to either securities fraud (charging the investor,) or restitution law where the investors who took advantage of this will need to pay back the borrowed/lost funds to Robinhood.

This could get ugly.

Basically what happened was the margin limit somehow was able to be bypassed.

https://robinhood.com/support/articles/ ... /overview/

Not sure how margin calls are going to work in this case:

https://robinhood.com/support/articles/ ... gin-calls/

It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. It's kind of scary to think about, really...

IMO the side hustle that'll have the best ROI is taking your day job and turning it into your side hustle.