Search found 44 matches

by Think
Sun Jul 30, 2023 9:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Airbnb - Anyone running one?
Replies: 30
Views: 5652

Re: Airbnb - Anyone running one?

Vice versa - I have never seen a Cape and Islands (MA) plate on the Jersey Shore. It’s almost child abuse to bring your kid to that overdeveloped trash, sopranos good to watch…not to live real time,
by Think
Sun Jul 30, 2023 9:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Airbnb - Anyone running one?
Replies: 30
Views: 5652

Re: Airbnb - Anyone running one?

Yes - we have had a pretty solid abnb property in Cape Cod. It sounds so simple, but you have to have a primo destination. I live in a tony (but landlocked) Connecticut town where I couldn’t rent out an 800k house for 250 a night. The cape house, which my parents bought for 90k (and they thought they paid too much, can easily be rented out for 500 plus per night (it’s worth maybe 650k). Cape Cod is just pure joy for people - 40 miles of National seashore and tons of cool towns. Go to the Cape in the summer and you will see tons of NJ and NY plates. These people know the overdeveloped and privatized crap they call the Jersey Shore is about as authentic as Joey Buttafucos heart.
by Think
Fri Jul 07, 2023 7:32 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: portfolio check - should I take more risk?
Replies: 18
Views: 1460

Re: portfolio check - should I take more risk?

btw, I may speak on behalf of other BoggleHeads.....thanks you for contributing to society. I get the firefighters and teachers get lots of adulation....but, the dude who is a success, pays a ton of taxes to support society, oddly, they are the forgotten cog in the wheel that supports society. God Bless you.
by Think
Fri Jul 07, 2023 7:27 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: portfolio check - should I take more risk?
Replies: 18
Views: 1460

Re: portfolio check - should I take more risk?

My guess is you are pretty smart to get to where you are. However, you are asking the wrong question "Should I".....you should really be thinking like an Oracle of Private Equity......you have an enough to create a legacy that goes well beyond your lifetime (and you probably realize that). Yes, I spent 15 years in I-banking.....every basis point frigging counts over time. IMHO, and only knowing a sliver of your sources and uses, you may be too conservatively managed. I would argue, you should think like David Swenson at Yale.....invest not for 50 years, but for much much longer.
by Think
Thu May 11, 2023 8:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fridges - loud noises, time to replace? (and will home warranty cover?)
Replies: 14
Views: 1533

Re: Fridges - loud noises, time to replace? (and will home warranty cover?)

BEST TIP ON FRIDGES - Whether you have a brand new fridge or a 20 year old fridge I highly recommend you check the seals very closely. All you need to do is put a flashlight on inside the fridge (do for both compartments) and look at the seal in a darkened room. If you see light it isn't right. We had a brand new fridge and I used this technique - Whirlpool repair could not fix the seal and put on a brand new door. The repairman was surprised I discovered the leak....but with the flashlight hack it was easy peasy. Usually, up to a year *check your warranty) you can have the repair done in-house with no charge. Just check the seals! Good luck
by Think
Sun Nov 13, 2022 9:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design
Replies: 847
Views: 116521

Re: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design

I don't know who the [removed] coders are who work at Vanguard (site or app); however, they should all be fired. The Vanguard site is just completely [removed] ...multiple click-throughs to do what could be done on the same screen in the good old days. Seriously, what is Vanguard trying to do? I have 8 examples on just plain dumb page layouts. It's just a horrible site to navigate (I say this as someone who overall loves Vanguard).

[Offensive comments removed by moderator oldcomputerguy]
by Think
Wed Oct 19, 2022 6:35 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Don't pay off a mortgage, annuitize
Replies: 100
Views: 18689

Re: Don't pay off a mortgage, annuitize

Are you kidding? I was a financial institution banker and know stat accounting and the mechanics of insurers / annuity writers pretty well. The biggest risk here is ALM (Asset Liability Management). YOU CAN NOT GUARANTEE EITHER THE ECONOMIC OR LEGAL DEFEASENCE OF THE MORTGAGE LIABILITY. Some posters alluded to this, if the annuitant dies "early" the carry trade suggested is over (some other poster noted adding life insurance to mitigate death risk). News flash, sophisticated insurers complete swaps (mortality risk for longevity risk) all the time...but the factor in the costs (generally properly). The fact the mortality risk is not priced appropriately in this calc (e.g., life insurance backstop) is a hard stop here for me. The co...
by Think
Wed Oct 05, 2022 4:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design
Replies: 847
Views: 116521

Re: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design

I guess it had to happen sooner or later. I just logged in to my Vanguard account, only to find that the usual "Balances and Holdings" page is no longer there. It has been replaced with a "Holdings" page that is a redesign according to Fisher-Price UI design principles (i.e., suitable for toddlers). This includes: * A lot less information per screen than before. * A lot more white space on the screen than before (more space between everything). * Most everything in big, bold fonts. * Ticker symbols in very large fonts, with fund names in fine print (as if they think ticker symbols are more meaningful). * No longer any colored borders on the screen (which helped to break up and delineate sections). "Balances and Hol...
by Think
Wed Oct 05, 2022 4:36 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 100% Wellesley Income Fund
Replies: 120
Views: 27033

Re: 100% Wellesley Income Fund [Including Taxable??]

Charles Joseph wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:41 pm I'm wondering how many people own Wellesley in a taxable account?

I do hold a little (2,000 shares) in a taxable....trust me, I get it, I know to stuff the hY, REIT, etc, in tax advantaged. However, to those that understand how good this fiund is, what's wrong with having some mid-duration liquidity in Wellsley? I like it.
by Think
Mon Oct 03, 2022 7:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design
Replies: 847
Views: 116521

Re: Vanguard's Web Site Re-Design: D+ (that' being kind)

btw, All the worthless stuff you can access very easily, but the MOST IMPORTANT things are hidden. WHY Vanguard?
by Think
Mon Oct 03, 2022 6:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vanguard website succumbs to "Fisher-Price" UI design
Replies: 847
Views: 116521

Vanguard's Web Site Re-Design: D+ (that' being kind)

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek]

I love the ethos of Vanguard. I do not like the redesign of the web site (the app is no winner either). It's the myth of progress. Let me give you one example. If you have multiple accounts, you can't drill in quickly to see Order status....you have to go to the top of the screen, then drill in two times to get the status for the particular account. I think Vanguard thinks this is easier.....of course it is not. [Unnecessary comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
by Think
Fri Apr 29, 2022 6:56 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lifetime Gift Exclusion
Replies: 20
Views: 1934

Re: Lifetime Gift Exclusion

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-709


Just so you have URL....above.
by Think
Fri Apr 29, 2022 6:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lifetime Gift Exclusion
Replies: 20
Views: 1934

Re: Lifetime Gift Exclusion

Yes, as others mentioned it's Form 709. My advice, take your time and make sure you read all the forms instructions. 709 seems so easy (you have a lifetime amount that only those giving far in excess of many millions ever have to worry about)....but the calculation - in classic government agency fashion - is not a simple reconciliation (i.e., lifetime is X and you report Y, Z under X). Nope the form actually has you calculate an equivalent credit amount, which looks through to the max lifetime amount, for your transaction(s) (Form 709 filers will know what I'm talking about). Also, remember Form 709 is outside the world of a 1040.....ergo, you WILL NOT find the form in Turbo Tax or other software. 709 is actually a separate filing NOT a sch...
by Think
Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: College Decision
Replies: 225
Views: 21246

Re: College Decision

....my two ethers, my sister lives in a 3m co-op in DC...I’ve spent quite a bit of time in DC. That is one freaky deaky edgy city....I wouldn’t live in DC if you paid me. I
by Think
Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: College Decision
Replies: 225
Views: 21246

Re: College Decision

Going through this college decision right now. Too many variables to know if you would ever optimize the decision. If it helps, we are essentially in the same boat. However, our view was we will cover undergrad, any grad school plus, our student can cover. Luckily, our daughter did not bite at the private schools...she wants at least a bigger school feel (opposite of me - personally, I think big schools with the big classrooms early on were not ideal. I went to Fairfield University, then transferred to UConn for BS and MBA. When I went to UConn 25 years ago it was a safety school. I threw the acceptance letter in the garbage. Now, UConn is pretty hard to get into for a State school. Here is the paradox - I learned much more at tiny Fairfiel...
by Think
Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: College Decision
Replies: 225
Views: 21246

Re: College Decision

Going through this college decision right now. Too many variables to know if you would ever optimize the decision. If it helps, we are essentially in the same boat. However, our view was we will cover undergrad, any grad school plus, our student can cover. Luckily, our daughter did not bite at the private schools...she wants at least a bigger school feel (opposite of me - personally, I think big schools with the big classrooms early on were not ideal. I went to Fairfield University, then transferred to UConn for BS and MBA. When I went to UConn 25 years ago it was a safety school. I threw the acceptance letter in the garbage. Now, UConn is pretty hard to get into for a State school. Here is the paradox - I learned much more at tiny Fairfiel...
by Think
Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:51 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Stay the Course? I'm ready to Bail on Vanguard
Replies: 111
Views: 20018

Re: Stay the Course? I'm ready to Bail on Vanguard

Valid points on both side of the pro / con for Vanguard. I do still love Vanguard; however, there are things that bother me. For example, the cost of options at $1 per contract when most other firms charge 1/2 that. The web side not auto-logging me in even though I hit Remember My Device every single time. I hate that. Vanguard makes the investor owned angle a marketing point....but, reality is they don't really. offer an all in lower cost experience.
by Think
Sat Jan 08, 2022 7:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Patient Lift Rental or Purchase
Replies: 14
Views: 1351

Re: Patient Lift Rental or Purchase

(my Mother had hip fracture) The Amazon chair is so good.
by Think
Sat Jan 08, 2022 7:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Patient Lift Rental or Purchase
Replies: 14
Views: 1351

Re: Patient Lift Rental or Purchase

.....I have to caveat my reply....I really don't know how much impaired your FIL's lower body is....it's possible this is a real specific need and maybe you indeed need a highly specialized chair.
by Think
Sat Jan 08, 2022 7:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Patient Lift Rental or Purchase
Replies: 14
Views: 1351

Re: Patient Lift Rental or Purchase

My 91 YO Mom needed a chair (which lifts) too. All I can say is the folks that market these "medical" chairs could sell ice to Eskimos. Frankly, these chairs which will go from 3k5k are simply not worth the money. (btw, we are a family of means, and yes, my Mother's LTC Policy paid for a stair lift and a lift chair. Ok, here is the skinny, we bought my mother a chair lift type chair on Amazon for about $450 (delivered), AND MY MOTHER LOVES IT. Not kidding, you can buy a chair with a lift (and even a massager) for less than $800 that DOES WHAT YOU NEED...and attached remote control that lifts a person up to near standing position. THAT IS WHAT SOMEONE WHO IS FRAIL NEEDS.....I never thought the medical chairs costing 4-5x more provi...
by Think
Sun Oct 24, 2021 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What frugal thing did you do today?
Replies: 4538
Views: 626092

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

I took my daughter to another college tour (UVM) which is about a 3.5 hour drive. I used ice from the Marriott to cool our drinks and when I got home to Connecticut, instead of throwing out the rice, I just put it in the freezer...and used this "narrative" fort Dr friends (who teach at Dartmouth) who were visiting the next day. A little creativity can make lessening all our carbon footprints a bit. Yes, it was a long drive; however, I'm 100% remote worker so I average less than 20 miles of driving a week over a typical year. I fly much less than ever..thanks to Covid. I'm impressed that (many) Boggleheaders realize being frugal to reduce waste helps our planet...it's not a tree hugging spin...WE SHOULD ALL BE USING LESS. It feels ...
by Think
Tue Sep 21, 2021 7:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 1.1M in cash, soon to be 1.5M - how do I get this working for me?
Replies: 33
Views: 6892

Re: 1.1M in cash, soon to be 1.5M - how do I get this working for me?

Sorry, I read all these CFA + type articles and they all tend to blend into fairly obvious underpinnings (back door Roths, HSA for investment with high cat health plan, pe, etc). I have a tip that will probably do more for the big picture than all the technical intra-generational strategies other folks on this site typical ramble on about (as an aside...I was doing accredited investments 30 years ago. I work for a large bank and have done many structured deals that would make a retail investors head spin...not typical credit card securitization). Ok, back on point. I also sit next to the private bankers and I can tell you the "new new" thing is generating inter-generational wealth and philanthropy, So, odd as it sounds, building u...
by Think
Sun Dec 27, 2020 3:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay off mortgage or not
Replies: 70
Views: 8247

Re: Pay off mortgage or not

I think there is a general disconnect in getting to the point of risk adjusted returns. I have no mortgage; however, I could tap into my heloc and buy a high-flier, like QuantumScape, a few weeks ago, and have a annualized return of over 4,000% over past few weeks (side-bar - in cash account I owned the KCAC spac that De-spac’d as QS). However, it’s like making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches....I can’t make them without the jelly. Let jelly be a big dollop of risk. To the folks that are arguing to keep the low rate mortgage because they ‘feel’ they can extinguish the mtge liability with excess return, this is all a fallacy. There is no arbitrage opportunity for virtually any one with a mortgage. You can of course take more risk to hope ...
by Think
Fri Dec 25, 2020 9:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay off mortgage or not
Replies: 70
Views: 8247

Re: Pay off mortgage or not

Funny, my sister just paid off her mortgage (a snip from my email to her is below). Agree with most posters, the situation has an answer bespoke to the situation. HOWEVER, FROM A QUANT PERSPECTIVE, AVERAGE PERSON USUALLY GETS THIS MIXED UP.....CLASSIC ANCHORING TENDENCY., BUT ON A RISK ADJUSTED BASIS, IF YOU HAVE MITIGATED LIQUITIDY RISK, TENDS TO BE A PRETTY WISE MOVE TO PAYOFF YOUR MORTGAGE FROM A RISK ADJUSTED RETURN PERSPECTIVE. Just remember if you just pay down the mortgage, the bank doesn't give you "brownie" forward credits if you lose your job...the contractual P&I payments continue until payoff. However, if you fully payoff the mortgage...that liability is indeed extinguished. Good Luck! ----------- The financial fle...
by Think
Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roast me! ER doctor portfolio
Replies: 156
Views: 26476

Re: Roast me! ER doctor portfolio

sorry....my only critique is this Doc may have been exposed to expense creep. To me the red herring is all the technical moves he noted to optimize his financial wherewithal. The real issue, imho, is with that much bank, tis family should have 6m+.....I'm doing a rough DCF guesstimate. My #1 trick. Condition your brain to only spend things that give you true joy (thank you Marie Kondo) and develop an anti-dote to anything else. I have a simple saying when someone asks me to go to a an event that I'm not sure will bring me joy...."I would pay not to go". This saying is so liberating and NO I don't think I miss out on the serendipity of random walks. If you say NO to things your inner self is not sold on....you will have more time f...
by Think
Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roast me! ER doctor portfolio
Replies: 156
Views: 26476

Re: Roast me! ER doctor portfolio

Kudos - this Doctor has done some good homework -- backdoor Roth (nice). What's better than a backdoor Roth......an HSA not spent now, but invested for later years (triple tax exempt). My only issue is, I was the sole earner in a family of 4 (wife stopped working when 1st child born). I live in pricey Connecticut. We ski, have a family summer house on the Cape (my parents bought not me) and live pretty well. I never had student loans (I got my bank to pay for my MBA, CFA, and Series 7). I'm not one of these odd budget freaks that track every penny. Here is the thing...I have greater net worth than this doc and had $0 net worth coming out of college (roughly same age). I don't think I did anything special. I did get lucky with some opportune...
by Think
Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Home Insurance Deductible - Keep or Raise?
Replies: 27
Views: 2861

Re: Home Insurance Deductible - Keep or Raise?

Sorry - I have this same discussion with the claims reps at insurance companies I use. They will say "oh, if you increase your deductible by X, Y, Z you will only save a small amount. Guess what, these are claims reps, NOT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ACTUARIES. You are saving an amount that is pretty damn mathematically figured out by folks that are many times more intelligent than a lowly claims rep. The money you save is indeed actuarily formulated....you know it, you have the price discovery right in front of you. My view is people tend to rationalize wasting / not optimizing decisions. Guess what, a large percent of the time, nobody cares (will you even care about the extra 10,000 +/- you could have saved and invested if you made a few...
by Think
Sun Dec 06, 2020 9:30 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Home Insurance Deductible - Keep or Raise?
Replies: 27
Views: 2861

Re: Home Insurance Deductible - Keep or Raise?

Just research more and you will get more of a CLU. In a nutshell, the working layers (0-10,000) are expensive for the insurance company to manage a claim and guess who the cost falls on: the policyholder. Ever hear attorney's (well muni bond bankers really) speak of legal defeasence? Well, what you got going with an insurance arrangement is a similar thing called economic defeasance. You think you only save a few hundred dollars between a 1k v. 10k deductible....think again. If you make a claim, legal defeasence sets in an your rates will be raised to cover/partial cover the impact to the insurer of your claim. Oh, think you can switch to another insurer....think again...just look into CLU, that's the industry shared database that tracks yo...
by Think
Wed Nov 04, 2020 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Overstretched and under contract for 1.3M house.. should I back out?
Replies: 79
Views: 13097

Re: Overstretched and under contract for 1.3M house.. should I back out?

It's the Rorschach Test.....some see stretch others see wise leverage. It's clearly a personal opinion; however, my salary is $400k+ (wife does not work w/ 2 kids) and I would never even think of a house over $500k - I'm in pretty pricey Connecticut too. I get the good leverage argument; however, I also did workout in my 20's and it's just a bit of a random walk on who we foreclosed on (albeit, it skewed a bit higher to doctors and lawyers buying investment properties). Here is my contrarian argument....you think you need a bigger house....but, I find if you travel a bit, have a 2nd home (we have a Cape House / 2nd house), you may not want to stretch so much on your primary 3-5 years from now. Our kids are older teenagers and to be honest a...
by Think
Sat Oct 31, 2020 6:50 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Wrong Way to Think About Debt - The White Coat Investor
Replies: 215
Views: 31619

Re: The Wrong Way to Think About Debt - The White Coat Investor

Very good discussion.Prima facie, I'm drawn to confirmation bias articles (I have no debt, so articles like this, Millionaire Next Door, etc, just feel like I'm more thoughtful than I probably am). Like households there are corporations that spent likes of time optimizing debt loads. In most cases households just need to make their debt payments rather than -sometimes- complicated financial covenants associated with bank debt. Very smart people utilize debt. Of course you need expected returns in the equation. A corporation or household does not take on debt if the capital mix (debt + equity) financing the investment does not have a greater expected return than the cost of capital. The quanta of risk, especially forecast error of the invest...
by Think
Thu Oct 22, 2020 7:25 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Post your Financial Milestone Announcements Here
Replies: 3623
Views: 569261

Re: Post your Financial Milestone Announcements Here

You should be proud of your accomplishment. I often wonder what "clicks" in a persons head to make them want to be a thoughtful investor. I was lucky. I worked with crusty bankers that imparted hard core financial discipline on me in my 20's. For some reason, it just clicked in me to be a thoughtful saver and investor. The odd thing is I just enjoy the composition of well thought out asset allocation strategy along with all the tricks of the trade that help turbo your portfolio (e.g., HSA account for long range triple tax advantaged retirement planning, back-door Roth IRAs for my wife, 529s for kiddos, and max 401k and Roth 401ks at work. Yes, like a lot of prodigious savers / thoughtful investors, you will get to a place where yo...
by Think
Wed Oct 21, 2020 5:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is the truth behind the statement very few people are able to beat the market?
Replies: 62
Views: 6123

Re: What is the truth behind the statement very few people are able to beat the market?

Oh, one genius point of a forest investment....if paper prices go down you just let your asset sit in the sun...literally growing until paper prices turn up...think about that as aa pretty cool dynamic mitigan!!

Obviously, you need lifetime+ endowment investment guidelines to tie up funds for decades!!! However, that's how real long term cagrs are made....how could the public markets really beat PE over Lon long periods....
by Think
Wed Oct 21, 2020 5:21 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is the truth behind the statement very few people are able to beat the market?
Replies: 62
Views: 6123

Re: What is the truth behind the statement very few people are able to beat the market?

Good question to pose. I have one book for you, Random Walk Down Wall Street by Malkiel. So, the common refrain is you can't predict the future, so why couldn't my self-picked portfolio beat the S&P 500?? What we do have, is true quant backtesting that statistically shows it HAS been very very very hard to beat the S&P 500 over periods of time where CAGRs really give you tail wind. It sounds so simple, Peter-Lynch-ish, to pick these phenomenal companies and think, of course they can beat a watered down version of 500 (+/-) companies. Well, I got another book for you (Steve Jobs loved it and we had it in b-school)...Innovator's Dilema. Only when you realize how the great firms go kaput, do you realize how hard it is long term to have...
by Think
Mon Oct 19, 2020 12:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I get a ping pong table?
Replies: 75
Views: 5464

Re: Should I get a ping pong table?

We have a ping pong table in the basement of our summer home on Cape Cod. We Air BnB this residence so renters get to enjoy the house and, yes, even the ping pong table. Here are my thoughts. lead off: our ping pong table - I think- is very rustic. IT DOES NOT MATTER, PEOPLE LOVE PING PONG EVEN IF THE EQUIPMENT IS SO-SO. I would not pay up for a fancy table unless you need to (e.g., a waterproof table if you want option of outdoor play). 1. Ping pong provides more utils than most people believe. The game is fun for many people, even those with limited mobility. 2. Just be sure you have a good amount of perimeter space in your basement (you just don't want too many obstructions that could be an injury - especially eye - risk. 3. I was thinki...
by Think
Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying a Tesla
Replies: 84
Views: 9600

Re: Buying a Tesla

If you think it will give you joy - buy it. I have the common refrain, which I suppose a bunch of prodigious savers have, which is just don't see a lot of value in things. I'm not cheap (I don't think so). I never budgeted. I was not financially savvy when young (I had credit card debt in college). I chose to work for a bank. I was schooled by 30-50 bankers that infused in me financial discipline that is probably hard to learn at any college. (I got the bank to pay for my MBA -- oner example). Anyhow, I really think the secret sauce was a health bankers skepticism on what provides value. Yeah, Marie Kondo is all the rage. However, trust me, all she wrote is another version of what these crusty bankers were telling me fo years. I chalk up my...
by Think
Sat Oct 17, 2020 5:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Items that are worth the money for the quality
Replies: 553
Views: 65400

Re: Items that are worth the money for the quality

Great query. I would say very few items (outside of a wonderful family and friends) give me joy (and provide excellent value); however, here it goes

MacBook Air

12.9" iPad Pro

Nike AirMax Running Shoes

Tennis racquets

(oddly, my iPhone does not make the list - maybe it's because I associate it with work)
by Think
Tue Apr 21, 2020 7:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?
Replies: 2857
Views: 230356

Re: Bird watchers – what birds are you seeing?

Funny, I figured Boggleheads would mention the Cornell Orinthology Lab offerings...including the Merlin app. Why....these are free apps that are imho better than any paid app I have seen
by Think
Tue Mar 17, 2020 2:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Save Me! Sell or Dont Sell? Take some losses?
Replies: 15
Views: 1379

Re: Save Me! Sell or Dont Sell? Take some losses?

Why overthink. I worked in I-banking (including a decade at Greenwich Capital). Paradoxically, I went to a state school (BS + MBA at UConn) and when I was in my 20’s and 30’s I did, imho, everything wrong as an investor....borderline day trading, option psychoanalysis, private equity, etc, the whole gamut. All that -purported- intellectual flex added very little to my net worth. Just like when I go to a family physician and my skeptical side says this physician probably has little bearing on my life expectancy or general well being. Issues I identify as a concern and have tests done under guidance of a health care professional mitigate most problems I could ever see (linear regression be damned). My massive recommendation is to not overthin...
by Think
Fri Feb 28, 2020 5:13 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 8 days [From new S&P 500 high to 12% correction]
Replies: 64
Views: 6965

Re: 8 days [From new S&P 500 high to 12% correction]

Looks like a classic black swan.

To the true investors out there, paradoxically, you need this volatility in the system to get paid for equity risk overtime. I’ll spare you the quant backtesting, algos, etc., that our firm is goes through.

It all boils down to - you can’t taste the sweet (long term cagrs on risk on) without the bitter (vol).

I take a bit of a contrarian (Nietsche-Esqe) view on Coronavirus. It’s a challenge that a lot of smart minds around the world will probably mitigate the impacts over time. Instead of blaming the Chinese (prima facie I wanted to as they eat creepy things), I’m seeing this as another opportunity for mankind (geez can I say that in ESG world) to solve problems.
by Think
Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Do you Exercise Indoors?
Replies: 127
Views: 12526

Re: How Do you Exercise Indoors?

Great thread. My take is spending on keeping your body in good shape is worth every penny. If a Peleton does that for some folks, that’s great. I use a belt driven stationary bike (Amazon). Coupled with an iPad (no larger than 11 inch) - it is a fantastic combo. You need to be easily able to hold the iPad while you are riding - it works amazingly well.

No joke, I can ride 60, 90 minutes and with the distraction of the iPad, almost forget I’m excercising.

Highly recommend this approach (all in cost - bike and iPad - less than $500).

Also, Peleton bikes are pretty heavy, a simple belt driven bike on Amazon is light, maneuverable.

Good luck BHs.
by Think
Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Do you Exercise Indoors?
Replies: 127
Views: 12526

Re: How Do you Exercise Indoors?

Great thread. My take is spending on keeping your body in good shape is worth every penny. If a Peleton does that for some folks, that’s great. I use a belt driven stationary bike (Amazon). Coupled with an iPad (no larger than 11 inch) - it is a fantastic combo. You need to be easily able to hold the iPad while you are riding - it works amazingly well.

No joke, I can ride 60, 90 minutes and with the distraction of the iPad, almost forget I’m excercising.

Highly recommend this approach (all in cost - bike and iPad - less than $500).

Also, Peleton bikes are pretty heavy, a simple belt driven bike on Amazon is light, maneuverable.

Good luck BHs.
by Think
Thu Jul 11, 2019 6:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Visiting Buffalo,NY / Niagara Falls area - things to see and do?
Replies: 46
Views: 3782

Re: Visiting Buffalo,NY / Niagara Falls area - things to see and do?

Aloha, I have travelled from Connecticut to Buffalo over 50 times in the last few years. Here are some adds. 1. Really take the Falls in (like other commentators both Canadian and US sides). Don’t just hang near the falls, but go down and up from the Falls. Specifically, areas around the “whirlpool” - which is after the falls, and of course walking from the Falls up river on either side is a blast (up on Goat Island on US side or to old power generation station on Canadian side). Funny, I would jog around the Falls with a ton of tourist and run to trails that felt like I was in the remote wilderness (near the whirlpool). Really take in the micro-climate of the Falls area....oddly, it feels like Napa Valley in the sense the vegetation right ...
by Think
Wed Jan 23, 2019 8:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why Do They Report From Davos Outside
Replies: 6
Views: 1437

Re: Why Do They Report From Davos Outside

Yes, it’s showcasing the pristine surroundings. Further, and I have been to Switzerland a number of times, it’s typically not as cold as it looks (compared to the Northeast U.S.)
by Think
Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Sell me on the benefits of an emergency fund
Replies: 119
Views: 11208

Re: Sell me on the benefits of an emergency fund

Reading over all the posts here, I'm struck by the very different perspectives different people have, and I think to a large extent, this reflects different life situations. Of course, I tend to think first from my own current situation. Example 1: A couple in mid-life with a large mortgage, kids in school, trying to max. out contributions to 401k's, IRA's, college accounts, etc., They have large and relatively inflexible living expenses which consume most of their remaining income. They may have little in the way of liquid assets outside of their tax-advantaged retirement accounts, and may face large early withdrawal penalties if they need to tap those accounts. Their only significant asset outside of the retirement accounts may be their ...