Search found 53 matches

by 1TheGame
Sun Jan 28, 2024 2:53 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Thinking of Slowing Down in a Couple of Years?
Replies: 5
Views: 1598

Re: Thinking of Slowing Down in a Couple of Years?

I slowed down for 4 years before I retired. At 55 I was around 25x expenses (including taxes and not including a paid off house). I decided to go part time - my employer had a standard process to do so, and I had a deputy that I could assign work to to make sure I did not end up working FT but getting paid at a PT rate. It worked out great - when I transitioned to PT I started out working 32 hours a week. Over the next few years I ramped down and by the time I retired I was working 20 hours a week (you had to work at least that much to qualify for benefits). My portfolio had substantially increased so I was in even better shape to retire, plus I was fortunate that my employer offered retiree health insurance and by then I qualified for the ...
by 1TheGame
Tue Jan 23, 2024 4:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Psychological Aversion to Decumulation Phase
Replies: 73
Views: 7374

Re: Psychological Aversion to Decumulation Phase

I went PT at 55 and retired at 59; my spouse stopped working closer to 50. We are now in our mid-60s. When I retired I had a good safety factor (in terms of portfolio size), but not so much that I wish I had retired sooner. Spouse started SS at 62, I plan to start at 70. Also have a tiny pension that kicks in this year. Other than those sources our income is from portfolio withdrawals. I have no concerns or hesitation in spending more if it makes our lives easier or more enjoyable. That is why we saved and invested for about 40 years. I was somewhat frugal during our accumulation phase, but have no interest in being frugal now. Our WR has mostly been sub 3% (and will decrease when I start SS) but I expect to significantly exceed 4% some yea...
by 1TheGame
Thu Jan 18, 2024 1:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone Using Fidelity for Their Checking Account?
Replies: 75
Views: 6083

Re: Anyone Using Fidelity for Their Checking Account?

Thanks everyone. To confirm I would just open a "Cash Management" account and the checking account with check writing is part of that? I have a common configuration - I couple my CMA with a brokerage account dedicated to bill paying. All deposits go to the brokerage account, which has a relatively high paying settlement/core fund (SPAAX @ ~5%). ebills are payed out of the CMA. The CMA always has a zero balance; its core (settlement) fund is limited to an FDIC-insured bank sweep account that earns around ~2.7%. The Fidelity Cash Manager tool auto-liquidates the SPAAX position in the brokerage account as needed to transfer funds to the CMA. With this configuration I chose to add paper check writing to the brokerage account and not ...
by 1TheGame
Sat Dec 16, 2023 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity Roth conversion and tax withholdings - indirect rollover excluded from the one-per-365 day rule?
Replies: 15
Views: 1624

Re: Fidelity Roth conversion and tax withholdings - am I doing this right??

I will do a Roth conversion in December 2023 for the first time and appreciate help to be sure I am doing this correctly. Early next week I plan to convert $40,000 from my Fidelity Rollover IRA to my Fidelity Roth IRA. My state (CT) has a mandatory state income tax withholding* of 6.99% ($2,796) plus I would like to withhold Federal income tax of $1,500 from the TIRA distribution. The plan is to use Taxable savings of $4,296 such that the full $40,000 is converted to the Roth IRA. 1) Does Fidelity allow an online in-kind $40,000 Roth conversion or do I need to do this by phone/form upload with a customer service rep? 2) The Fidelity app allows me to make a mobile deposit (using a Taxable account check) of $4,296 into the Roth IRA and selec...
by 1TheGame
Thu Dec 14, 2023 9:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1008866

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

I have paired my CMA with a brokerage account that is only used to hold funds to pay bills (this is very common). I keep $0 in the CMA. Most of the funds in the brokerage account are auto-deposited into SPAXX (which is the core/settlement fund for that account). I configured the Cash Manager tool to auto-liquidate funds in the brokerage account as bills are paid via the CMA. I added paper checks to the brokerage account (since I didn't see any advantage to adding them to the CMA). To directly answer your question, I don't recall if a MMA that is not the core account will be auto-liquidated or if requires the Cash Manager to be configured to do so. I think the former though. Thanks, I was trying to do the same thing but with one account. Th...
by 1TheGame
Thu Dec 14, 2023 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1008866

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

My question is Which Fidelity Money Market is the safests? I am thinking something like FSIXX, which is mostly treasury bills. Is there a better one with higher return? Will this money market auto-liquidate? Fidelity rep said it was a case by case basis and that not all funds will auto-liquidate. Not sure about "safest" but I'm using FDRXX which is a government cash reserve MMF that is currently yielding 5.0% in my CMA with zero in the core position and it auto-liquidates. How do you set that to have the CMA use FDRXX and not keep any in the core position? I have paired my CMA with a brokerage account that is only used to hold funds to pay bills (this is very common). I keep $0 in the CMA. Most of the funds in the brokerage accou...
by 1TheGame
Thu Nov 30, 2023 8:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any suggestions for a 27 inch monitor for MacBook Air - Wireless or Wired?
Replies: 15
Views: 1205

Re: Any suggestions for a 27 inch monitor for MacBook Air - Wireless or Wired?

I have used an LG 27" 4K USB-C monitor with my M1 MacBook Air for the last two years https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CV ... =UTF8&th=1. I'm sure there is a newer version available. It works great - the single USB-C cable between the MB and monitor provides both the video signal to the monitor and delivers power to the MB. The monitor also includes a USB-A hub. I think this could be used to connected wired peripherals like mice and keyboards. I use a wireless mouse and keyboard but do use the hub to supply power to a set of bluetooth speakers I use.
by 1TheGame
Wed Nov 15, 2023 3:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Does Fidelity's auto-liquidation of non-core money market funds ever fail?
Replies: 30
Views: 6515

Re: Does Fidelity's auto-liquidation of non-core money market funds ever fail?

For bill paying, my Fidelity account is set up with a common configuration with a Cash Management Account (which includes the "Bill Pay" tool) and a dedicated taxable brokerage account. I keep the CMA at a zero balance, and the Cash Manager tool is set up to to automatically pull funds as needed from the core fund (SPAXX) in the brokerage account as funds are needed in the CMA. Checks can be sent two different ways: 1) by the CMA Bill Pay tool to send payments to payees that do not support automated payments, and 2) via Checkwriting (paper checks). When I added Checkwriting, I "attached" it to the brokerage account, not the CMA. This way the funds for these checks are pulled directly from the "funded" brokerage...
by 1TheGame
Tue Nov 07, 2023 1:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity ([Elan]) card eBill
Replies: 40
Views: 4624

Re: Fidelity ([Elan]) card eBill

I asked Fidelity if the Fidelity Visa card could be set up in Bill Pay to get ebills (after being surprised to find that this did not seem to be the case). This was the response (note the statement at the end): You are correct. Elan, our credit card provider, does not use eBills and therefore that's why you do not see the choice to enroll on the Bill Pay page. With that said, you can still pay your credit card bill through Bill Pay or the credit card webpage. As you mentioned, Autopay is an available method as well. I do want to quickly mention one advantage of using the credit card page instead of Bill Pay. Elan service representatives have full insight into payments made on the credit card page; however, payments made through Bill Pay are...
by 1TheGame
Thu Aug 31, 2023 11:37 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Consolidating assets into Fidelity accounts, including 401k rollover
Replies: 4
Views: 746

Re: Consolidating assets into Fidelity accounts, including 401k rollover

In order to transfer the funds in my Vanguard 403b to Fidelity, I first transferred the funds to a Vanguard Rollover IRA. This transaction cannot be done online; Vanguard sent me the paperwork to initiate the transfer. If you are married your spouse has to sign and get notarized a form to permit this transfer since there are stronger spousal rights to a spouse's 403b funds compared to an IRA. My spouse was essentially agreeing to waive those rights. Once the funds were moved to a Vanguard Rollover IRA I "pulled" the funds to a Fidelity Rollover account I had previously set up. The process to do the pull is amazingly simple and the funds were transferred in just a couple of days. I also transferred a Roth IRA account to Fidelity. T...
by 1TheGame
Sun Jul 09, 2023 1:42 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Feeling dissatisfied with Fidelity cash yield compared to VG?
Replies: 46
Views: 4973

Re: Feeling dissatisfied with Fidelity cash yield compared to VG?

... You could just have a CMA, but any direct deposits to the CMA would go to the core account (low yielding FCASH) ... The CMA does not use FCASH. The CMA's core is a FDIC deposit sweep. FCASH is a not a FDIC deposit, it may have a similar interest rate, but it is a separate option that is not the FDIC desposit sweep program, FCASH is " a free credit balance and is payable to you on demand by Fidelity. Fidelity may use this free credit balance in connection with its business, subject to applicable law. " It may be covered by SIPC insurance as a cash balance, which is different than a money market deposit which would be covered by SIPC as a security (rather than cash) balance. Thanks for the correction; I knew the CMA core accoun...
by 1TheGame
Sun Jul 09, 2023 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Feeling dissatisfied with Fidelity cash yield compared to VG?
Replies: 46
Views: 4973

Re: Feeling dissatisfied with Fidelity cash yield compared to VG?

I have been "test driving" my Fidelity CMA and this is what I have figured out: 1. In addition to a Cash Management Account (CMA), set up a regular taxable brokerage account just for use with the CMA. This provides isolation between these accounts that are used to pay bills and any brokerage accounts used to hold investments. 2. The CMA provides a Debit card that refunds ATM fees. Note, if you qualify for Fidelity's Private Client Group then you can get a debit card that refunds ATM fees in a regular brokerage account. In this case all you don't even need a CMA, just pay bills from the brokerage account. 3. Designate SPAXX as the core account in the regular brokerage account. This way direct deposits sent to that account end up i...
by 1TheGame
Sun Jul 09, 2023 9:22 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Feeling dissatisfied with Fidelity cash yield compared to VG?
Replies: 46
Views: 4973

Re: Feeling dissatisfied with Fidelity cash yield compared to VG?

I have been "test driving" my Fidelity CMA and this is what I have figured out: 1. In addition to a Cash Management Account (CMA), set up a regular taxable brokerage account just for use with the CMA. This provides isolation between these accounts that are used to pay bills and any brokerage accounts used to hold investments. 2. The CMA provides a Debit card that refunds ATM fees. Note, if you qualify for Fidelity's Private Client Group then you can get a debit card that refunds ATM fees in a regular brokerage account. In this case all you don't even need a CMA, just pay bills from the brokerage account. 3. Designate SPAXX as the core account in the regular brokerage account. This way direct deposits sent to that account end up in...
by 1TheGame
Sun Apr 16, 2023 6:43 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Alternatives for New Tesla Model Y
Replies: 31
Views: 4335

Re: Alternatives for New Tesla Model Y

There is a large dealership chain in my area (Maryland) called Fitzgerald Automotive. I've bought several cars from them over the years. They advertise and sell vehicles at a fixed, no BS price. I've been considering buying an EV in the next year so have been tracking prices. In particular I've been been tracking the pricing on the Ioniq 5 (Fitzgerald has a Hyundai dealership). The Ioniq 5 does not qualify for the IRA rebate. At the time those rebates started they were selling Ioniq 5s at MSRP. I noticed that the inventory of Ioniq 5s started to build up, I'm sure due to the pricing on the MY due to their price cut plus IRA rebate. Then Fitzgerald offered them at $1K below MSRP. Inventory kept building. Now they are offering them at $3750 b...
by 1TheGame
Wed Mar 29, 2023 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Feedback on money market versus stable value
Replies: 4
Views: 544

Re: Feedback on money market versus stable value

I recently transferred most of the funds in my Vanguard 403b to a Fidelity rollover IRA. I had a not insignificant amount in a Vanguard stable value fund. After a couple of transactions about 15% of the original amount remains in the stable value fund. 25% of the funds are still in the Vanguard 403b but in VUSXX, and 60% are in a 2 year CD ladder in my Fidelity rollover IRA. The stable value fund currently earns about 2%. VUSXX is currently around 4.7%. The CD ladder averages around 5.2%. I won't pretend that the new allocation was based on an analysis with 3 digits of precision, but it was about where I wanted to end up. All of these funds are part of my "cash" allocation.
by 1TheGame
Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard 403b and 403b Roth
Replies: 7
Views: 477

Re: Vanguard 403b and 403b Roth

Vfunds, I'm happy to help! I've found the discourse on Bogleheads to be tremendously beneficial over the years, with an army of experts lined up to provide informative answers to questions on almost any topic. Your topic/question was narrow enough so that I finally had an opportunity to make a useful contribution :D
by 1TheGame
Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard 403b and 403b Roth
Replies: 7
Views: 477

Re: Vanguard 403b and 403b Roth

Until recently I had some funds in a Vanguard 403b Roth. In most of the web pages that display your balances, the pre-tax and Roth funds are mixed together, which is very annoying. But you are not getting a correct answer from the rep (based on my recent experiences I'm not surprised). There is a way to get to a web page that separates out the pre-tax and Roth balances in each fund. It is not easy to locate this page. For me I have to navigate to the "Retirement Plan" section. Then under "Manage My Money" click on "Investments" Then on the bottom click on "See my investments" in red Then at the bottom click on the link in "A lot of great things are in the works for our new site. For now, you can ...
by 1TheGame
Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:16 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Customer Service Mega-thread
Replies: 1512
Views: 167413

Re: Vanguard Customer Service Mega-thread

I've had a Vanguard account for about 40 years, starting with my former employer's 403b plan (I was with the same employer for my entire career and retired a several years ago). I had no problems with Vanguard during the accumulation phase. Of course, for the most part nothing was going on other than the funds rolling in - I only made a handful of changes while working. I've had multiple problems with Vanguard customer service over the past several months, including the reps providing incorrect answers. Most recently, the transfer of my 403b Roth funds to my Roth IRA resulted in several problems. It took 4 months to resolve them (I think the last problem was fixed today). I finally lost confidence in Vanguard being a good steward for my fu...
by 1TheGame
Fri Jan 20, 2023 8:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help me choose a new monitor for a new Mac
Replies: 26
Views: 2608

Re: Help me choose a new monitor for a new Mac

I've been using an LG 27UN850-W 27 inch 4K monitor with my M1 MacBook Air for over a year. I've been happy with it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CV ... =UTF8&th=1
by 1TheGame
Fri Jan 20, 2023 5:23 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Customer Service Mega-thread
Replies: 1512
Views: 167413

Re: Vanguard Customer Service Mega-thread

I've had a Vanguard account for about 40 years, starting with my former employer's 403b plan (I was with the same employer for my entire career and retired a several years ago). I had no problems with Vanguard during the accumulation phase. Of course, for the most part nothing was going on other than the funds rolling in - I only made a handful of changes while working. I've had multiple problems with Vanguard customer service over the past several months, including the reps providing incorrect answers. Most recently, the transfer of my 403b Roth funds to my Roth IRA resulted in several problems. It took 4 months to resolve them (I think the last problem was fixed today). I finally lost confidence in Vanguard being a good steward for my fun...
by 1TheGame
Fri Jan 20, 2023 7:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Umbrella Policy Quote
Replies: 23
Views: 2257

Re: Umbrella Policy Quote

All of my insurance policies are with Erie (including the umbrella policy). I live in an outer suburb. One house, two cars, no kids. I've had a $1M umbrella policy for over 10 years. Last year I increased the amount to $2M. The premium increased by roughly 50% for the doubling in coverage. I just paid the annual premium for the umbrella policy for the second year of coverage at the $2M level. It was $170, an $8 increase from last year. I'm amazed at the high premiums reported by others.
by 1TheGame
Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:49 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 403B distributions at vanguard
Replies: 19
Views: 1370

Re: 403B distributions at vanguard

I have a 403B and do something similar as discussed in some previous posts. At the time I set up my monthly withdrawals I was able to select the source fund(s) - let's call that fund A. However sometimes I want to use a different fund (let's call that fund B). The automatic withdrawal from fund A usually occurs on the same day of the month (e.g. the 16th or the next business day if the 16th falls on a non-business day). What I do is initiate a transfer from fund B to fund A the day before the withdrawal will take place (so the transfer takes place on the same day as the withdrawal). The net effect is that the withdrawal is from fund B. The OP could do something similar by initiating transfers between their funds each month, timed to occur ...
by 1TheGame
Mon Nov 14, 2022 6:24 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 403B distributions at vanguard
Replies: 19
Views: 1370

Re: 403B distributions at vanguard

I have a 403B and do something similar as discussed in some previous posts. At the time I set up my monthly withdrawals I was able to select the source fund(s) - let's call that fund A. However sometimes I want to use a different fund (let's call that fund B). The automatic withdrawal from fund A usually occurs on the same day of the month (e.g. the 16th or the next business day if the 16th falls on a non-business day). What I do is initiate a transfer from fund B to fund A the day before the withdrawal will take place (so the transfer takes place on the same day as the withdrawal). The net effect is that the withdrawal is from fund B. The OP could do something similar by initiating transfers between their funds each month, timed to occur w...
by 1TheGame
Wed Nov 02, 2022 1:38 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Mutual Funds at Fidelity: Anyone Get a Fee Waiver?
Replies: 21
Views: 3475

Re: Vanguard Mutual Funds at Fidelity: Anyone Get a Fee Waiver?

I just confirmed with a Fidelity representative that VWENX funds in a Vanguard IRA can be transferred in and held at Fidelity. Same for VTSAX. Fidelity would not charge a transfer fee. The Fidelity rep said that Vanguard might charge a transfer fee; if they did, Fidelity would issue a refund to me (I would have to call, the refund would not be automatic). I've had a 403b account and IRAs at Vanguard for 40 years. I've recently had enough bad experiences at Vanguard that I'm bailing. I also value having a local office to aid my spouse if I am "no longer available". I came to this decision after I initiated a transfer of funds from a Vanguard 403b Roth account to an existing Vanguard Roth IRA account. The funds were transferred out ...
by 1TheGame
Tue Oct 25, 2022 12:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: An old friend asked for financial advice. I don't know what to say.
Replies: 57
Views: 9936

Re: An old friend asked for financial advice. I don't know what to say.

She should check with the local (could be county or city) office of social social services (might have a slightly different name). There is an excellent chance that she would qualify for SNAP benefits. SNAP is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. In my state a beneficiary receives a cash card that gets added to each month. It's possible that the application for these benefits can be done entirely online.
by 1TheGame
Fri Jun 03, 2022 11:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Talk me into / out of getting a Jeep Wrangler
Replies: 90
Views: 8819

Re: Talk me into / out of getting a Jeep Wrangler

For the third time, a Jeep Wrangler flipped over in the IIHS small overlap test. This was after a "fix" was supposedly implemented. https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022-je ... -rollover/
by 1TheGame
Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Snowblower issues: I'm the problem
Replies: 49
Views: 4757

Re: Snowblower issues: I'm the problem

Once I had nearly identical symptoms as the OP. As others have mentioned, the problem was the vent hole in the gas cap was clogged. Just ream out the hole in the cap with a toothpick or something similar.
by 1TheGame
Tue Sep 21, 2021 9:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Possible iPhone 13 deal?
Replies: 71
Views: 9646

Re: Possible iPhone 13 deal?

I use Xfinity Mobile as my cell phone carrier. I have been satisfied with the the cost of service based on my data usage. If you already use Xfinity Mobile as your carrier and are not interested in switching carriers, they have a nice deal on new iPhones. A couple of months after buying a new iPhone you get a $300 gift card in the mail that can be used for any purchase. Your can either pay the full cost of the phone up front or spread it out over 24 months (with no interest charge). I just upgraded from an iPhone 8 to a 13.
by 1TheGame
Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roll 403b into tIRA at Retirement
Replies: 6
Views: 695

Re: Roll 403b into tIRA at Retirement

In my state tax laws treat retirement income from an "employee retirement system" more favorably than from traditional IRAs. I was surprised when I discovered this and have managed our retirement accounts accordingly. An employee retirement system includes pensions and 401K, and 403b accounts but not tIRAs. Specifically, starting at age 65 the first ~$30K per person per year (so ~60K per couple) of the sum of SS and qualified retirement income sources is not taxed at the state level. Between 62 and 65 SS income under $30K per person is not taxed.
by 1TheGame
Wed Feb 24, 2021 7:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A boat for old knees
Replies: 46
Views: 4749

Re: A boat for old knees

reisner wrote: Wed Feb 24, 2021 4:57 pm But I won't be doing whitewater.
Sorry, I meant to reply to lthenderson's post (which concerned the use of royalex in canoes and it's replacement with other materials).
by 1TheGame
Wed Feb 24, 2021 3:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A boat for old knees
Replies: 46
Views: 4749

Re: A boat for old knees

Esquif is probably your best bet; they have a wide range of whitewater canoes, both solo and tandem. Nova Craft only has two whitewater canoes (one solo and one tandem). I think I tried the solo canoe once and was not impressed (long and slow to turn). Black Fly and Silverbirch both specialize in very short canoes that are optimized for steep creeking. Black Flack canoes are between 6 and 9 feet long and "bath tub" shaped - short and wide with blunt ends. Since they are made out of plastic they are heavy considering how short they are. I tried one once; I could get down the river with no problem but did not like it. Horrible hull speed. Do to the outfitting can't bail it with a bailer or hand held bilge pump; only choices are to i...
by 1TheGame
Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A boat for old knees
Replies: 46
Views: 4749

Re: A boat for old knees

I really like my wenowah canoe. Its a royalex model so a bit heavier then the kevlar. I was surprised to learn that the last sheet of royalex was shipped in 2013 and there have been no equivalent materials produced for canoe manufacturers since. Fortunately a few canoe manufacturers have come out with materials to replace royalex for use in canoes designed for white water. Esquif makes a material called T-Formex. Nova Craft Canoe makes a material called TuffStuff. Blackfly Canoes uses high density polyethylene. Silverbirch use some type of plastic. When royalex production was ending I bought another boat (from Esquif) to add to my "fleet" to make sure that I would have continued availability of a canoe that was suitable for white...
by 1TheGame
Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A boat for old knees
Replies: 46
Views: 4749

Re: A boat for old knees

For many years I've used a Yakima Boat Loader bar to load my canoes and kayaks:

https://yakima.com/products/boatloader-evo

You install it one one side of a Yakima rack that is based on their Round bars or Core bars. It extends to the side, and to load the boat you just lift one end of the boat onto the bar, then lift the other end on to the rack, and then push and slide the boat all the way on to the rack. Reverse the process to unload the boat. Since you only have to lift half the weight of the boat at a time it makes it much easier to load and unload.
by 1TheGame
Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is there a "Bogleheads" for RV's?
Replies: 39
Views: 4356

Re: Is there a "Bogleheads" for RV's?

We have owned a travel trailer for 3 years and have greatly enjoyed using it. It took about a year of looking before we decided on what trailer to get. By far the best places I have found to get detailed information each line of trailer (e.g. what tends to go wrong, how to fix problems, maintenance issues, improvements to make, etc) are closed facebook groups. "Closed" means that once you search for and find a group that is based on those interested in a particular line of trailers, you have to request membership to get in the group and see the posts. I joined 4 of these groups (for 4 different trailer lines) before choosing and buying our trailer.
by 1TheGame
Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is the "Quit when you won the game" portfolio?
Replies: 177
Views: 22776

Re: What is the "Quit when you won the game" portfolio?

Age 61 and retired 3 years. House paid off. 60% equities (split 80/20 domestic/intl) / 20% bonds /20% cash-like. The bulk of "cash-like" is in a stable value fund. Portfolio is up a good amount since I retired. DW (lower earner) will start SS at 62 and I plan to start at 70. To me "won the game" is not just accumulating a large enough portfolio, but also not needlessly working longer than required just to have an even bigger portfolio. I had a great career with a benevolent employer, but I was more than ready to have my time under my own control (i.e. retire). I see many of my former (and older) colleagues continuing to work because I don't think they know what else to do.
by 1TheGame
Tue Nov 24, 2020 12:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Macbook Air - which specs should I get?
Replies: 64
Views: 5169

Re: Macbook Air - which specs should I get?

I was a long term Windows user but was curious about Macbooks, particularly after having (and liking) an iPhone and iPad at work (prior to retiring). I got an Air in Summer 2019, configured with an I5, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage (this is two generations back from the new M1-based Air). I liked the features it had and how it integrated with my personal iPhone 8 but it was not exactly speedy. After reading the recent reviews on the M1 Macbook Air and Pro I initially decided to order a Pro with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage. But I cancelled the order the next day because I decided that an Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB would be a better long term proposition (and it was a bit cheaper). I traded in my old Air when I ordered the new one; Apple is going...
by 1TheGame
Tue Nov 24, 2020 8:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPhone SE 2020 or iPhone 12 Mini?
Replies: 138
Views: 13094

Re: iPhone SE 2020 or iPhone 12 Mini?

UPDATE on 11/23/2020 : We have decided to get the iPhone 12 Mini. We might order on Black Friday in case there is a sale by some chance. Since we'll be upgrading from the 6s model, a lot has changed. Can anyone make recommendations for accessories such as a good case, what to do about no longer having a headphone jack, and how to go about charging the phone? From what I understand, there is no power adapter or ear buds included and the cord the iPhone 12 uses is different from the 6s. Any guidance on what to get so that we're properly set up to use the new phones would be greatly appreciated. i bought the cheapest clear case from walmart. nice and flexy and fits tight, and charges wireless fine. costs $5. no point paying $50 for an apple o...
by 1TheGame
Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What lifestyle creep made you happier?
Replies: 626
Views: 96600

Re: What lifestyle creep made you happier?

Cutting down work hours, to trade time for money. First gave up taking call and sleeping in hospital. Then worked 5 days a week, no weekends. Currently 3.5 days a week, going to 3 next year. I went to 3.5 days about a year ago. I was offered the opportunity to ramp up my hours this winter. I did my best to respond politely. I did something similar (in an engineering field). I dropped from FT to 4 days a week at 55. Over the next 3 years I slowly ramped down to 2.5 days per week, then retired. This trade of less income for additional time off was very worthwhile and let me ease into a retirement lifestyle. It helped that my employer had a standard process to go from FT to PT, with a straightforward approval process. As long as you worked at...
by 1TheGame
Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:25 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Were you nervous when you retired?
Replies: 147
Views: 21908

Re: Were you nervous when you retired?

Nervous? Heck no! But I had a plan to transition from "FT work" to "PT work" to "almost no work" to "no work". I'm at the "almost no work" stage (now average about 8 hours a month), and am close to the "no work" stage. I had a very good/interesting engineering job that was well paid (but not by FAANG standards) and the job had a great work/life balance. But I had/have numerous outdoor activities that I enjoyed more than working. I worked for a generally benevolent employer that offered an easy path to working PT. At 50 I realized that the number of "good health" days going forward was less than those in the past. At 55 I was at ~25x and went PT. I slowly ramped down from ...
by 1TheGame
Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:28 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to think about money earned during semi-retirement
Replies: 26
Views: 2791

Re: How to think about money earned during semi-retirement

Well, I think of myself as retired rather than semi-retired but I do occasionally work for my old employer on an hourly basis. But only for certain types of tasks that still interest me, are very short term in nature and do not interfere with my "fun" activities. Last year it worked out to something like 8% of full time. Much of the this work I do from home. I use most of this income to fully fund Roth IRAs for DW and I. I'm early 60's, portfolio >30x expenses. My employer seems to appreciate this; I am getting bigger raises (as a percentage increase in my hourly rate) since I retired than in the several years prior to retirement. Plus this income qualifies for substantial matching funds to my retirement account (>10% of the gross...
by 1TheGame
Fri Apr 17, 2020 8:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Travel Trailer..Bigfoot, Oliver, Escape
Replies: 18
Views: 3843

Re: Travel Trailer..Bigfoot, Oliver, Escape

About a year before retirement (3 years ago) we started researching RVs because for many years we had a dream of traveling around the country in an RV after retirement. We decided that a travel trailer would be the best type of RV for us. I first considered a small trailer (~18 feet long). The first problem was that it (along with most smaller trailers) had a "wet bath", which means that your bathroom is really a shower with a toilet in it. That was a total no-go for DW. We continued to look at trailers over the next year, and as we thought about what it would mean to live in one for multi-month trips, we decided what features we needed the trailer to have. It turned out that the smallest trailer that had all of those features was...
by 1TheGame
Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How much cash is too much cash?
Replies: 73
Views: 11088

Re: How much cash is too much cash?

Currently age 61 and two years into retirement. 85% of investable assets are in tax advantaged retirement accounts. At the time of retirement decided on an asset allocation of 60/20/20 for Equities/Bonds/Cash Equivalents, with cash equivalents = combination of stable value fund, savings bonds and online savings account. WR of around 3%, will go down when DW and I start SS. I had performed lots of analysis/simulation runs prior to retirement and most any asset allocation would have been acceptable for a 3% WR. I decided on the combination of a relatively high equity fraction based on the need for a (hopefully) long retirement plus a large cash-like cushion to carry us through a protracted down market without having to sell stocks. In other w...
by 1TheGame
Tue Aug 20, 2019 11:35 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: When Did You Ease Up On Saving Aggressively?
Replies: 171
Views: 17490

Re: When Did You Ease Up On Saving Aggressively?

Perhaps because I enjoy some vigorous outdoor hobbies and have seen unexpected health problems (and early deaths) hit others, I've always placed a very high value on maximizing the number of years of good health I would have in retirement. Even though I enjoyed my job, I did not want to work longer/more than necessary just to increase my retirement savings beyond that which would provide a reasonable safety factor. So at age 55 I transitioned to part time and gradually ramped my work hours down over the next 4 years. At 55 I had 25x expenses (including a paid off house). For the first three years I still contributed the max allowable (per IRS) to my retirement plan; the employer match decreased as my salary decreased (due to fewer work hour...
by 1TheGame
Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:01 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: “Won the Game” how do you know?
Replies: 96
Views: 11000

Re: “Won the Game” how do you know?

I considered the objective of "winning the game" to be maximizing the number of years of good health I could expect after retiring, and having a large enough portfolio when retiring to allow me to continue my outdoor activities and start some new ones. I wanted to avoid the OMY syndrome so did a year-by-year withdrawal analysis taking into account desired income, portfolio size, SS benefits, and expected taxes and tax breaks (for example favorable treatment of retirement income and SS at the state level). I periodically updated this analysis and as I reached my late 50's it was very clear to me that I could retire; my portfolio would start out at about 33x expenses, and this would improve significantly as my spouse and I started S...
by 1TheGame
Tue Feb 12, 2019 11:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How do I keep from becoming irrelevant
Replies: 57
Views: 9292

Re: How do I keep from becoming irrelevant

These topics come up frequently. Usually tech focused but the solution is independent of the technology sector. I think the problem is focused on the tech sector because it is easy for tech employees to fall into the "update your skills" trap. The bog standard advice is "keep up to date". No that isn't a solution at all. It is a prerequisite in many cases but it isn't remotely a solution. Why on earth would any sane person pay an older more expensive employee to do work that a younger cheaper employee can also do? Keeping "up to date" with the new employees isn't giving you any competitive advantage. People talk of "age discrimination" and being "shown the door". Regardless of your age you ...
by 1TheGame
Sat Dec 08, 2018 11:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Spotify or Amazon Music?
Replies: 44
Views: 9863

Re: Spotify or Amazon Music?

I subscribe to Amazon Music for $8 a month (don't know anything about Spotify). With AM you can play music by either streaming it or by downloading it. There is an "Offline Music Mode" in the app that can be toggled "on" to only allow music that has been downloaded to play. I leave this mode "on" except for when I am downloading music (at home over wifi).
by 1TheGame
Wed Nov 21, 2018 4:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity Mobile
Replies: 25
Views: 2388

Re: Xfinity Mobile

mbres60 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 3:23 pm Did you have to give the pin to the Comcast rep or do they have you call your current company to tell them?
I gave the PIN to the Comcast rep. I did not have to call the company I was switching from (that is, did not call them a second time).
by 1TheGame
Wed Nov 21, 2018 10:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity Mobile
Replies: 25
Views: 2388

Re: Xfinity Mobile

We switched from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile last summer. Yes, we did need the Verizon PIN to do so. I did not remember what the PIN was so had to call Verizon to get it. The XM rep in the store had the number handy and cautioned me not to say we needed the PIN because we were switching carriers (I think to avoid a "hey don't switch" pitch). We have been happy with XM and got a terrific deal on new iPhone 8's (our existing phones were old and needed replacement). The cell data cost is very reasonable, especially since there is no "per line fee". Do I understand correctly... you were in the Xfinity store and they had YOU call Verizon? Did they ask for the pin? Even if my SIL gives me his account # and Pin I am not an autho...
by 1TheGame
Wed Nov 21, 2018 8:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity Mobile
Replies: 25
Views: 2388

Re: Xfinity Mobile

We switched from Verizon to Xfinity Mobile last summer. Yes, we did need the Verizon PIN to do so. I did not remember what the PIN was so had to call Verizon to get it. The XM rep in the store had the number handy and cautioned me not to say we needed the PIN because we were switching carriers (I think to avoid a "hey don't switch" pitch). We have been happy with XM and got a terrific deal on new iPhone 8's (our existing phones were old and needed replacement). The cell data cost is very reasonable, especially since there is no "per line fee".
by 1TheGame
Mon Nov 19, 2018 8:34 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Traditional IRA rollover to 403b witholding amount
Replies: 30
Views: 1459

Re: Traditional IRA rollover to 403b witholding amount

My question would be WHY you want to roll-over from Vanguard to the 403-b? Usually, you will have far less options and higher ERs in the 403b plan. Perhaps yours is different, but I don't see any advantage to this roll-over. Comments? This may be unique to Maryland, not sure. Maryland has a "Pension Exclusion" in which the first ~30K/person of "retirement system income" plus SS is not subject to state income tax. Another twist is that the SS part is not taxed starting at 62; the "retirement system income" part is not taxed starting at age 65. "Retirement system income" includes pensions, 401k, 403b, but NOT traditional IRA withdrawals. So it would be beneficial to roll TIRA holdings into a 401k or 40...