Search found 3419 matches

by rgs92
Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Great news! No more [fixed real estate] agent commission
Replies: 163
Views: 15097

Re: Great news! No more agent commission

I always thought there should be some sort of tiered or floating commission, such that if a selling agent got me (the seller) a price over a certain level, the commission percent would be higher.

That would motivate both the seller and the agent to get the best price.

So if I had a million dollar property, the agent could get 35%, say, of anything over a million, and, say, a smallish commission on the basic million dollar target.
There ought to be some sort of algorithm. Maybe it's a job for AI...

(Isn't this how hedge funds work?)
by rgs92
Mon Mar 04, 2024 1:22 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Long quotes?
Replies: 28
Views: 6945

Re: Long quotes?

1. A few months ago on this same subject I mentioned how other forums have a Click To Expand feature that allows the reader to click a button ('...') to see the quoted text. Otherwise only the beginning of the quote is shown. (FWIW, Someone here responded in another post to this suggestion that it would be a great idea.) 2. Reading voluminous quotes is especially hard on a phone (or even a tablet) as it can hurt your fingers with all the extensive swiping needed through several pages. And it disrupts one's train of thought. An iPhone really causes problems with this in my experience. (Maybe there could be a mobile version of the site or an app for this.) 3. (LOL, maybe in the future there will be a De-Generative AI tool to edit down for cla...
by rgs92
Sat Mar 02, 2024 12:51 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are We in a Stock Market Bubble? (Ray Dalio)
Replies: 132
Views: 15402

Re: Are We in a Stock Market Bubble? (Ray Dalio)

So we don't like the the US Market because it went way up, and we don't like the international Market because it's been lagging for what seems like forever, so we should just go to cash I guess...

Basically, going up is bad, and not going up is bad.

This seems to be the common wisdom out there now. (And often this is the common wisdom all the time.)
by rgs92
Wed Feb 28, 2024 12:29 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roth Conversion or not?
Replies: 13
Views: 1067

Re: Roth Conversion or not?

I read TSA to stand for Tax Sheltered Accounts in general, not TSP or Annuities in this context of deciding whether or not to do Roth conversions which applies broadly to tax sheltered accounts, mainly IRAs (often Rollover IRAs, which would be the source funds from the OP's 403b accounts).

(I don't even think it's possible to directly convert a TSP or an annuity to a Roth IRA. So those would not make sense here as I see it.)
by rgs92
Wed Feb 14, 2024 8:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Happy Valentine’s Day! What’s your love song?
Replies: 88
Views: 4456

Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! What’s your love song?

Taylor Larimore wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2024 7:34 pm Bogleheads:

This was our love song for a marriage that lasted 62 years:

"And I Love You So" by Perry Como.

Happy Valentines Day!

Taylor
Thank you Taylor; great suggestion. I've always appreciated Don McLean's classic interpretation. Here's a live performance of it (20 seconds in):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-cQE_VbZhw
by rgs92
Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:12 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bond ladder vs Bond fund
Replies: 7
Views: 1483

Re: Bond ladder vs Bond fund

Would the advice from some posts above suggesting that there is not much difference between a bond fund and a ladder also apply to TIPS? Thanks.
by rgs92
Tue Jan 23, 2024 11:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best car for icy weather? Advice about driving in snowy conditions?
Replies: 113
Views: 7459

Re: Best car for icy weather? Advice about driving in snowy conditions?

AWD Lexus LS or AWD Mercedes S-class. (Get a CPO or good used one.)

I had too many scary slides and traction issues with ice/snow no matter how careful I was with gentle braking and easing into curves and turns and driving slow in slick roads driving Camrys, etc. Even good snow tires like Blizzaks just helped somewhat.

The big 4WD cars are like tanks on ice, feeling like they are firmly planted and secure with no instability or traction loss.
I decided it was worth it to get these big 4 wheel drive cars regardless of the cost. I just keep them for a long time. I just use good all-season tires.

The AWD Lexus LS is the best of both worlds. Super reliability and great winter driving performance. Worth every penny.
by rgs92
Mon Jan 01, 2024 12:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Delaying Social Security is getting less advantageous
Replies: 258
Views: 223823

Re: Delaying Social Security is getting less advantageous

Is a high discount rate really a good reason to take Social Security early?
The discount rate is usually high when inflation is high. And Social Security benefits from higher inflation.

Furthermore, if the discount rate drops after you start Social Security, you are stuck with a permanent decrease in inflation-adjusted income based on what could easily be a short-lived upwards spike in rates.

You would need a very high rate in very long-term bonds to lock in high returns to compensate for this, and with an inverted yield curve (or even a flattish one) you are not getting this.

Just my 2 cents and intuition here... Comments are welcome. Thanks.
by rgs92
Mon Jan 01, 2024 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Social Security Strategies
Replies: 25
Views: 4451

Re: Social Security Strategies

How important is "actuarially neutral" to a single person or couple? I could end up like either Matthew Perry or Norman Lear.

Actuarial probabilities are important to insurance companies dealing with large populations which will have low standard deviations. The variance and margin of error figures for one or two people are too high to give this a lot of weight.
by rgs92
Sun Dec 24, 2023 12:26 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Why is this NOT a BogleHead Retiree Income strategy ?
Replies: 97
Views: 17547

Re: Why is this NOT a BogleHead Retiree Income strategy ?

Retiring with nothing but stocks or nothing but cash and never changing this allocation?
My short answer to this is that you need about 50 to 100x expenses to do either of these.
"Extremism in defense of financial security is no vice" as a strategy just never works.

I think people are craving simplicity here, but this is a complete distortion of Taylor Larimore's method of a balanced and re-balanced portfolio (a classic 3-funder or even a 2-funder).
by rgs92
Thu Dec 14, 2023 12:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pension Service Credit Purchase
Replies: 12
Views: 1636

Re: Pension Service Credit Purchase

A 2.3% pension factor is Huge. I would buy as much as possible.
Most are around 1 to 1.5%.
by rgs92
Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I accept that job offer?
Replies: 53
Views: 7350

Re: Should I accept that job offer?

"they think there is something wrong with you." Or hey. "they" see OP took a job with a huge pay cut and massive downside and have it confirmed that there really IS something wrong. How will they know about your earlier salary? Don't disclose that. They have no right to ask and you have no ethical or legal obligation to provide an accurate figure in this situation if they do. And besides, it's irrelevant because you have the offer. And future prospective employers are not going to ask for your salary 2 jobs ago. I would take the job right away. Every day you wait gives them the impression you are not grateful for (I'm sure in their eyes) is a very generous offer. Furthermore, every extra day of unemployment makes you wo...
by rgs92
Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I accept that job offer?
Replies: 53
Views: 7350

Re: Should I accept that job offer?

holawhatup1 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:47 am Why not just accept the job, but still continue to look for a better job. Maybe few months down the road you find something better
Thumbs up.
by rgs92
Mon Dec 11, 2023 11:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I accept that job offer?
Replies: 53
Views: 7350

Re: Should I accept that job offer?

Over 40? Take the job. Once you are that age and out of work for over a couple of months, they think there is something wrong with you. Even if you have to buy a nicer car for the trip, it's worth it. This is a bird-in-hand situation you know. You do not want to go on a bunch of humiliating interviews where they look at you like a freak because you were let go and you are older. It's beyond humbling, it's like torture. You are playing with fire to be unemployed and in the job market at that age. Maybe accounting is not a bad as IT (or worse, IT in the telecom world), but I sure wouldn't gamble. Maybe just do it for a year and then look around some more when you are employed, which makes you look a little better. And believe me, I'd rather d...
by rgs92
Fri Dec 01, 2023 10:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gmail - tips for organizing
Replies: 28
Views: 5874

Re: Gmail - tips for organizing

1. I long ago stopped bothering with labeling anything. The search function works so well I just search for anything I need I thought that too, but if you search for something with say, citi, to find some citibank email you wanted, you find a hundred junk things from them. With labels, you can save a particular email you want to find in the future. I want to search for only things I have decided to save for future reference (and in categories of my choosing, even notes to myself). It's a lot easier and faster to do this than try to guess unique keywords to search on or sift through huge piles of junk. (I have a database background, so this appeals to me. A little basic database theory goes a long way and is very easy to understand if you t...
by rgs92
Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gmail - tips for organizing
Replies: 28
Views: 5874

Re: Gmail - tips for organizing

1. I long ago stopped bothering with labeling anything. The search function works so well I just search for anything I need I thought that too, but if you search for something with say, citi, to find some citibank email you wanted, you find a hundred junk things from them. With labels, you can save a particular email you want to find in the future. I want to search for only things I have decided to save for future reference (and in categories of my choosing, even notes to myself). It's a lot easier and faster to do this than try to guess unique keywords to search on or sift through huge piles of junk. (I have a database background, so this appeals to me. A little basic database theory goes a long way and is very easy to understand if you t...
by rgs92
Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gmail - tips for organizing
Replies: 28
Views: 5874

Re: Gmail - tips for organizing

When I label an email - that email still stays in Inbox (with a corresponding label). I see that many keep Inbox empty by labeling. Could you please explain how to do it as I am not clear? "Inbox" itself is just a label. So open the email and click on the little x at the end of the "Inbox" label. That will remove the email from your Inbox. You can make labeling and removing from your Inbox a one-step process by using "Move to" rather than "Labels" on the top navigation. Labelling something does not move it anywhere, it just allows to search for it under a category you create. The whole purpose of moving it someplace is to be able to find it, and labelling does exactly that. As I mentioned, once you l...
by rgs92
Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Gmail - tips for organizing
Replies: 28
Views: 5874

Re: Gmail - tips for organizing

Labels are all you need. They are effectively folders, but more flexible because you can assign multiple labels to any email item. And better yet, the labels can be arranged in a hierarchy. Google chose this mechanism over folders for maximum flexibilty. For instance you can make a label accounts and place fidelity, vanguard, schwab as sub-labels. So all emails labeled accounts/fidelity can be easily found by searching for label:accounts/fidelity in the search box (or just type fidelity and the handy auto-complete will present a nice choice list as a dropdown. And if you have an email that pertains to say, both fidelity and vanguard, you can just apply both labels (accounts/fidelity and accounts/vanguard) and that email will appear in both ...
by rgs92
Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:24 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: retirement drawdown calculator with social security
Replies: 15
Views: 2371

Re: retirement drawdown calculator with social security

What information are you trying to get that isn't provided with the standard tools: firecalc and cFireSim (which both use Social Security as input)?
Neither of these ask for inflation rates or other rate-of-return inputs (except for an expected return on cash in your portfolio, which shouldn't be too significant).

Have you used these? If not play around with them and come back with any questions which will be happily answered here. Good luck. (Note: I prefer cFireSim because it's easier to use.)

Note 2: RMDs are a tax estimation thing are are usually not in scope of most retirement calculators that I've seen.
by rgs92
Mon Nov 27, 2023 7:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SPIA vs bond/stock allocations
Replies: 2
Views: 522

Re: SPIA vs bond/stock allocations

In this thread, I made some positive comments about SPIAs just yesterday: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=417476&newpost=7567429 Here's my first relevant one in that thread (the 7th post down), and I added a 2nd comment right afterwards. By the way, SPIAs are always criticized here because they are not COLA'd. But if you fool around with Firecalc (or cFireSim for ease of use which I like) and you enter a fixed income stream as supplemental income, you will see the dramatic difference it makes in your success rate. Those who advise strongly against fixed SPIAs are making the classic "perfect is the enemy of the good" mistake. A fixed SPIA is basically a long term (lifetime) bond that you can never sell....
by rgs92
Sun Nov 26, 2023 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help
Replies: 27
Views: 3138

Re: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help

Yep, as mentioned several times above, no SPIAs track inflation, meaning one of the CPI indexes. The fixed-increase ones are basically not worth it, as they are sort of a gimmick. You are probably better off just getting a plain constant-payment fixed one instead of an increasing one with a lower initial payment, but I have not done the math on this, and I doubt it is to your advantage rather than the SPIA provider. No free lunch. And I'm sure if there were any CPI-linked annuities, they would be mentioned here on Bogleheads (probably frequently, or as breaking news...). (I think the last one was Principal. The NY Times had a short piece a few months ago in their occasional Retirement Section about someone who got one of the last of these, ...
by rgs92
Sun Nov 26, 2023 1:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help
Replies: 27
Views: 3138

Re: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help

And sorry to drone on here on a tangent, but those who talk about the risk of high inflation with a fixed SPIA are not seeing that this is addressed in using something like Firecalc/cFireSim, because that's what Monte Carlo/Trinity Study analysis tools are trying to incorporate to deal with this risk. So this negative stance is basically rejecting the Trinity Study hypothesis and underlying theory. And again, adding a lifetime SPIA (or fixed pension) stream is shown to be very valuable in success results. And history is really all we have to go on. I guess there are TIPS ladders, but these have their own issues, like being difficult to manage for the average person. Sure the gold standard is a secure COLA'd pension, but you can't have every...
by rgs92
Sun Nov 26, 2023 12:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help
Replies: 27
Views: 3138

Re: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help

By the way, SPIAs are always criticized here because they are not COLA'd. But if you fool around with Firecalc (or cFireSim for ease of use which I like) and you enter a fixed income stream as supplemental income, you will see the dramatic difference it makes in your success rate. Those who advise strongly against fixed SPIAs are making the classic "perfect is the enemy of the good" mistake. A fixed SPIA is basically a long term (lifetime) bond that you can never sell. But if its prime purpose is for income, you should never want to sell anyway. Why would I need my principal back anyway at the end of life, assuming you aren't concerned about legacy money? And an SPIA is especially good when rates are higher than they have been in ...
by rgs92
Sun Nov 26, 2023 12:24 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help
Replies: 27
Views: 3138

Re: SPIA Math -> Need a little Help

Try using a mortgage calculator online to back into the monthly amount (because you are dealing with an IRR [Internal Rate of Return] which takes into account the gradual return of principal). For instance, a $100,000 30 year fixed rate mortgage at 6% has a monthly payment of exactly $600. So if you play around with the terms of the mortgage, you can hone in on the interest rate you are getting. You can just google Mortgage Calculator or use the nice ones at nerdwallet: https://www.nerdwallet.com/mortgages/mortgage-calculator (edit: Just enter the home price with a zero down payment and an estimated interest rate and see the monthly payment. Then adjust the interest rate until you see the monthly payment that is near what you are quoted for...
by rgs92
Tue Nov 21, 2023 11:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Taking Social Security at 62
Replies: 635
Views: 85550

Re: Taking Social Security at 62

It seems to me that the common argument that you should take social security early to get the money while you are young enough to enjoy it would also mean the you should also just spend down most of your portfolio right away so you can enjoy that money also.
by rgs92
Tue Nov 07, 2023 11:36 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Financial Situation Review and Advice (non-allocation specific)
Replies: 9
Views: 951

Re: Financial Situation Review and Advice (non-allocation specific)

I would be proud and thankful to have a 3.5% mortgage and regretful that I didn't borrow more at the time I started the mortgage. I would keep this mortgage for life if I was in your position, just on principle as well as for financial good sense.
by rgs92
Sat Oct 28, 2023 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Prior to retirement and rollover - 401K Asset Allocation
Replies: 4
Views: 705

Re: Prior to retirement and rollover - 401K Asset Allocation

Your 401K sounds fine to me (assuming the S&P 500 fund has low expenses). That and the stable value fund is all you need for a great portfolio with an AA of your choosing.

It's a privilege to have access to a stable value fund for your fixed income allocation. A 100% in stable value is fine. It's less volatile than a bond fund and pays a very decent competitive interest rate. In fact it has zero volatility.

It's no big deal to skip international. (Let's not debate that here in this thread, of course. If you really want some foreign exposure, just put about 10% of your equity holdings in whatever diversified international fund is available. The higher expenses won't make much difference since it's only a small portion of your portfolio.)
by rgs92
Wed Oct 04, 2023 11:49 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Sad News - LadyGeek's Mom has passed
Replies: 158
Views: 37410

Re: Sad News - LadyGeek's Mom has passed

I offer sympathy to you and also thank you for all your fine work here over the years.
by rgs92
Thu Sep 28, 2023 12:06 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: How to use FireCalc
Replies: 4
Views: 1047

Re: How to use FireCalc

Try cFIREsim instead. Much easier to use.

https://cfiresim.com
by rgs92
Mon Sep 11, 2023 12:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mortgage Point Payoff Period
Replies: 15
Views: 1620

Re: Mortgage Point Payoff Period

I wouldn't pay any points because when rates go down (which could be soon) and you refinance, all the benefit disappears and you start from scratch and the money you spent was wasted.
by rgs92
Mon Sep 11, 2023 12:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2-Story House Elderly Parent
Replies: 25
Views: 3416

Re: 2-Story House Elderly Parent

Residential Elevators:

https://westerncarolinaelevators.com/wh ... 8LEALw_wcB

I'm sure their is some discussion about these on the forum somewhere.

edit (from this year):
viewtopic.php?t=405124

edit: here's an earlier one:
viewtopic.php?t=277384
by rgs92
Mon Sep 04, 2023 11:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Things to do while cycling indoors
Replies: 30
Views: 3581

Re: Things to do while cycling indoors

There are all sorts of long driving/roadtrip videos on youtube for your TV on the wall. I used to play roadwaywiz ones.
For example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuIa9Avvt8Q

Or walking tours like this from the NYC Walking Show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga5l8zTB-Gw

There is an endless supply of these types of videos on youtube.
by rgs92
Sat Sep 02, 2023 3:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HVAC experts: Is my A/C undersized for my home?
Replies: 45
Views: 3662

Re: HVAC experts: Is my A/C undersized for my home?

I'm not sure if by "STL" you mean you are in Seattle or St. Louis, but I don't think it matters, since both can get to over 100 degrees. (I didn't read thru the whole thread.) Seattle is SEA, and most homes in Seattle don’t even have air conditioning. The temp there has only gotten to 100 or more six times in recorded history, and humidity in the summer isn’t a problem. Our poorly insulated, unairconditioned house in Seattle was fine during the summer, since even during the rare heat waves, it gets down in the 50’s at night. A couple of strategically placed window fans, and opening and closing windows kept everything comfortable. St. Louis, on the other hand… There was a huge heat wave in 2021 from June 26 to Aug. 2 in Seattle wi...
by rgs92
Sat Sep 02, 2023 12:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HVAC experts: Is my A/C undersized for my home?
Replies: 45
Views: 3662

Re: HVAC experts: Is my A/C undersized for my home?

Yes it probably is undersized. I had a just very slightly larger house in NJ and the HVAC fellow put in a 3.5 ton and in hot weather the house could not get under 80 to 81 degrees (F). I eventually went to a 5 ton unit and it was fine. (I have posted this experience before in another HVAC thread. My rule now is always oversize a unit.) I tried more insulation with the 3.5 ton one and it didn't help (and imbalanced the HVAC over the whole house, so it made things worse). I'm not sure if by "STL" you mean you are in Seattle or St. Louis, but I don't think it matters, since both can get to over 100 degrees. (I didn't read thru the whole thread.) I would just either replace the unit or accept being hot, but don't waste money trying to...
by rgs92
Thu Aug 31, 2023 12:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Social Security vs. drawdown
Replies: 138
Views: 11739

Re: Social Security vs. drawdown

Tom_T wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2023 12:06 pm
As I mentioned earlier, if I use the portfolio for two years and then compare 67-68-69-70, it's not going to be an earth-shattering difference. And, as someone said, I can simply go year to year and reassess based on health, portfolio growth, and so on.
Well, I'm not so sure of this; even the difference between 69 and 70 could easily be $600 / month for a couple. Even if you could buy a COLA'd lifetime annuity for this amount, it would probably cost around $150,000 out of pocket.

That's pretty significant I would say, close to earth-shattering if you don't have a great big nest egg. $7200 a year inflation adjusted income is a lot of money to many people. I'm sure Firecalc / cFireSim would reflect this in your success chances.
by rgs92
Wed Aug 30, 2023 11:14 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: S&P 500 concentration risk: Should we be worried?
Replies: 245
Views: 24398

Re: 10 stocks are ~25% of total US

KlangFool wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2023 4:40 pm OP,

No. Because only 14.5% of my portfolio is in VTSAX/VFIAX. That 10 stocks is only less than 4% of my portfolio.

Diversification is a good thing.

KlangFool
I'm not sure I understand this. I assume this means your asset allocation is 15/85 (stocks/fixed income and cash).
Or is the 85% in some other form of equities or alternative investments or annuities or something else?
Edit: Or is there a large allocation to international equities? (I may have missed that possibility now that I re-read this).
Thank you.
by rgs92
Sat Aug 26, 2023 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Move Fidelity 401k investments to BrokerageLink investments
Replies: 14
Views: 2813

Re: Move Fidelity 401k investments to BrokerageLink investments

You may be losing access to a good stable value fund that is only available in a 401K. It may not seem important now, but in a low interest rate environment (never say never...) it's a nice thing to have.

I'm not sure, but I think a move to Brokerage Link can never be undone (not sure, but I would check).
And one of my 401Ks has Vanguard Target funds at less than half the normal expense ratio, so you may also be giving up lower institutional account discounts.
by rgs92
Sat Aug 26, 2023 11:30 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: A Very Old Reply Turned Up In "Notifications"
Replies: 11
Views: 5946

Re: A Very Old Reply Turned Up In "Notifications"

Just a word to the wise, be very wary of agreeing to notifications from any online forum or discussion site. Some sites have bombarded me with literally thousands of emails from tons of activity to any thread I posted in even once.
And on some sites it is very difficult to turn this off.

TL/DR: My strong advice is to *never* sign up for notifications from any online forum because your email could easily get deluged and it's difficult to stop this.
by rgs92
Sat Aug 26, 2023 11:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Movies - Name Five
Replies: 277
Views: 23923

Re: Favorite Movies - Name Five

Thanks ruralvision!
R
by rgs92
Sat Aug 26, 2023 12:07 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Movies - Name Five
Replies: 277
Views: 23923

Re: Favorite Movies - Name Five

1. the simpsons movie (2007) /* very emotionally compelling and serious; a real overlooked gem. Awesome. */ 2. a new leaf (1971) /* Walter Matthau and Elaine May are so understated and the movie creeps up on you and chokes you up. A comedy. */ 3. tootsie (1982) /* Dustin Hoffman's best in my opinion */ 4. desperately seeking susan (1985) /* Madonna is a brilliant actress and you just can't turn away from her. Great story. */ 5. yellow submarine (1968) /* A work of art in every frame. Sheer beauty. */ Honorable mentions: 6. ordinary people (1980) /* Mary Tyler Moore in one of the most gripping performances ever. */ 7. monty python and the holy grail (1975) /* Best scene: "What is your favorite color?" */ 8. airplane (1980) /* of co...
by rgs92
Fri Aug 25, 2023 8:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are there any mortgage lenders with a higher debt-to-income ratio allowed?
Replies: 4
Views: 778

Re: Are there any mortgage lenders with a higher debt-to-income ratio allowed?

OK, thanks for that info (all good news).
Somehow I've been seeing 36% as a DTI ratio, and I thought the current lending environment had become strict. So thanks again for the heads-up.
by rgs92
Fri Aug 25, 2023 12:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Are there any mortgage lenders with a higher debt-to-income ratio allowed?
Replies: 4
Views: 778

Are there any mortgage lenders with a higher debt-to-income ratio allowed?

Are there mortgage lenders that would allow a higher DTI (debt to income ratio)? (40 to 45% DTI) Would a mortgage broker be better, and if so, how would someone find one for this situation? This would be for a primary residence (SFR or townhouse) with a decent down payment in the 33 to 50 % range. Let's say you have about one million dollars in mostly-retirement and some taxable funds in addition to the down payment, along with very good credit (800+ FICO score). Although the lender would not consider it, this could be the case if you expect a higher income down the road from things like a job/pension/social security. But this is normally irrelevant to the lenders I know, it's just for context here. I am not asking this in terms of personal...
by rgs92
Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Selling a premium, unusual, used car (~$25K)
Replies: 14
Views: 1911

Re: Selling a premium, unusual, used car (~$25K)

There's a 2017 like you have with only 6000 miles on Carmax for $28,000. (Shipped from SC for $100 or more if you want premium shipping.)

https://www.carmax.com/car/24537658
(the link should still be there since there are lots of them)
by rgs92
Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Laid off today. Should I still look to buy a house?
Replies: 29
Views: 3593

Re: Laid off today. Should I still look to buy a house?

You are talking about an asset-based mortgage. IME, they take your total assets (let's say in a taxable account, not a retirement account like an IRA or 401K), divide it by the number of months in the loan (360 for a 30 year mortgage), and use that as your monthly income.

So if you have one million dollars, your monthly income is seen as 1,000,000/360 = 2778 per month.
Your allowable house payment (P/I/T/I) should be below 40% of that, so 2778 * .4 = a $1,111 total house payment.

It doesn't matter if you have the cash to pay off the house for mortgage qualification, which seems like what you are thinking. If you want the house, buy it outright with your cash and skip the mortgage (budget permitting).
by rgs92
Tue Aug 22, 2023 8:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Joint purchase but not on mortgage
Replies: 9
Views: 1127

Re: Joint purchase but not on mortgage

Don't ever co-sign a loan for anyone ever. It often leads to disaster. As mentioned, you personally are responsible for the entire payment every month for the life of the mortgage. One missed or late payment and your credit will be damaged right away. A few missed payments and your credit will be ruined.

It is basically your loan, 100%. You don't want that if it is not your house. Do not be the co-borrower.

If you want to give the other party the down payment as a gift, go ahead, but there will probably be gift taxes you need to pay (I think; you should check on the gift tax liability before you do this).

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxe ... 0recipient.
by rgs92
Tue Aug 22, 2023 11:36 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What should I do with BND assets?
Replies: 45
Views: 4367

Re: What should I do with BND assets?

captain hero wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 11:17 am
rgs92 wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 11:15 am Does the loss take account of the interest earned while you have held them?
Has the interest been been reinvested as it was generated?
It's an unrealized loss. Yes, I have been reinvesting the interest.
Hmmmm... If it was me and this was as you note a large proportion of your assets, since both stocks and bonds are down recently, AND short term interest rates are high, I would think about doing this: 40% total stock market (VTI or equivalent), 30% remaining in BND, and 30% money market.

It's just a more diversified but still moderately conservative/volatile approach with decent growth potential. I wouldn't even do any rebalancing since it's in the taxable space.
by rgs92
Tue Aug 22, 2023 11:15 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What should I do with BND assets?
Replies: 45
Views: 4367

Re: What should I do with BND assets?

Does the loss take account of the interest earned while you have held them?
Has the interest been been reinvested as it was generated?
by rgs92
Tue Aug 22, 2023 9:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Easy Meal?
Replies: 127
Views: 14352

Re: Favorite Easy Meal?

steadyosmosis wrote: Tue Aug 22, 2023 6:17 am 1 cup dry oatmeal
0.75 cup Greek yogurt
1 raw egg
Mix all together, with enough water to semi-liquify.
460 calories
27 grams protein
Breakfast of champions.
OMG. Rqw Egg? Salmonella! (No matter what Rocky did.)
by rgs92
Mon Aug 21, 2023 11:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cheap LP player. Will it damage the records?
Replies: 11
Views: 987

Re: Cheap LP player. Will it damage the records?

"Hooking up" a simple stereo system is basically a trivial task these days with about 4 or 5 wires these days. Setting up a laptop computer is harder.
by rgs92
Mon Aug 21, 2023 11:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Percent downpayment in a 7.5% mortgage world
Replies: 42
Views: 4933

Re: Percent downpayment in a 7.5% mortgage world

These days (since 2018), Mortgage Interest and Property Taxes are effectively not deductible for most people since it doesn't pay to itemize anymore with the huge standard deduction.
And even if it does pay to itemize, it's only the delta between the standard deduction and itemized deductions that basically generate tax savings.

So the discussion about what you would need to earn in a taxable instrument vs. a mortgage rate probably doesn't apply unless you are talking about very large loans.