Bogleheads.org

Sure, I'll do my best to explain these terms in a simple way! Dependent Care FSA (Flexible Spending Account): Imagine you have a special piggy bank that you can use to save money for taking care of your baby. The money you put in this piggy bank is taken from your salary before taxes are deducted, so you don't have to pay taxes on this money. You can use this money to pay for things like daycare or babysitters while you work or look for work. But remember, you can only save a limited amount of money in this piggy bank each year, and if you don't use it all, you might lose some of it. Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: Think of this as a coupon that you can use to pay less in taxes. When you pay for someone to take care of your baby while...

We have a baby on the way, I am confused by dependent care FSA, child and dependent care tax credit and child tax credit. I looked for them in Bogleheads wiki and did not find them. Can somebody explain to me like I am 5?

Thanks in advance!

I understand, I am not asking for whether or not to do it. Simply asking for what company to use. I thought that would be more of consumer issue but if not allowed mods please lock the thread!

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek]

Anybody has a recommendation for what company to use for umbilical cord blood storage of our soon to arrive baby. Anything else I need to consider? I asked my doctor, he had no suggestion on what company to use.

Thanks!

For reasons too long to explain here DW and I have different last names and my official last name is not my real family name. We have a kiddo on the way and want to give him my family’s last name which will lead to all 3 of us having different last names. I would like to change my last name to my family name in next couple years (again long story, can’t change now). DW is worried baby not having my last name will lead to issues at school or while traveling internationally (worried we would get stopped for trafficking suspicion). Is that going to be a real issue or is DW just worried? Any other issue anyone can think of? I could give the baby my last name now and eventually all of us change last names later but would like to avoid multiple n...

After long 2nd phone call they gave us account access restore form which she needs to get notarized and send it back. I hope it works.

Anybody know if the mobile app get around still works which I believe was a loop hole in their security system. I could not figure out how to bypass it and get access on the mobile app.

Thanks

We missed to reregister FIDO2 security key in September 2022 when Vanguard updated the security setting for my DW's account. And now we get the following error message. Anybody been in similar situation? How did you fix it. I have called Vanguard customer service twice with no help.

"Give us a call. We now offer enhanced account security with FIDO2. We contacted you to enroll your security key(s) with the new system but must have missed you. Call us at 877-662-7447 to access your account. For TTY/TDD, call 800-749-7273. We're available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time."

Actually I do have one view point to add other than the comfort level that several folks have already mentioned. Consider the time the project would take you and is your time better served somewhere else, something you enjoy doing like hobby, spending time with family etc or working extra shift to earn more money. I have been in situations where certain projects took me an entire weekend (researching/viewing videos on YouTube/multiple trips to stores to get tools I didn’t have) whereas a pro would probably have done it in an hour.

[/quote]
You aren't going to get any support on Bogleheads for hiring a pro for anything short of surgery, and even then only for parts of your body you can't reach yourself.
[/quote]

I don’t have anything to add except I LOVE this response!!!

We bought the Maytag recommended by wirecutter from Costco. The main water pump broke 15 months later but Costco doubles the warranty, so we were still covered. It would have been $400-500 bill otherwise. We used Costco citi card which doubles the Costco warranty (I believe this is going away soon), so we are effectively covered for 4 years. The Maytag model is not the quietest but extended warranty worked in our favor.

Resuscitating this old thread as I don't see any new thread on this topic. In addition to its stability, I am also concerned about what happens if I lose my phone or it just dies/malfunction etc. How painful would it be to get access back to my account? Currently I use Authy with back up on my laptop in case I lose my phone.

First time parent of a 15-month-old here. We went with the Uppababy Cruz V2 and Mesa infant seat. The Vista seems to be more popular, but we got ours on clearance after the color option was discontinued, so it was a better price. One thing to keep in mind with anything related to newborns is that they will outgrow them very quickly. Just how quickly depends on the child. We stopped using the Mesa around 9-10 months of age. It's not so much that our daughter outgrew the Mesa specifically (she's been smack dab in the middle of the growth charts, so a pretty average-sized child), but she was showing interest in sitting more upright, both while driving and strolling, and she was starting to take advantage of things like cup holders on non-infa...

Thank you for your reply. We did that and felt travel system would be a better option for us. We did not feel the extra step of getting stroller from the trunk of car was too much inconvenience. But we don’t have the baby yet and have heard lot of people say convenience is worth extra money with newborns which is why I am asking for advice here.

ClevrChico wrote: ↑Sat Jan 28, 2023 5:06 pm I bought identical "Evenflo Chase Harnessed Booster" when my two kids were old enough for front facing carseats. It had very high ratings on Amazon and was very happy at the quality and price. Having identical carseats that operated the same way was nice.

Obviously the game hasn't started yet for you, just passing on some dad advice. I'd avoid anything bulky, complicated or super expensive, as kids have a way of destroying everything.

I will take any dad advice I can get:)

Dear Bogleheads,

Seeking your collective wisdom on what car seat to get. We are expecting our first baby in May and thoroughly confused with what car seat to get. A friend of ours that has Doona speaks highly of it. The past threads here, wirecutter and consumer reports all seem to suggest travel systems. We would like to have a stroller in which we can take the baby for walk around the neighborhood and parks, not sure Doona is sturdy enough for that. I also like the fact that with travel systems, the stroller is usable for longer time. We plan to have a 2nd kid if that matters. Any advice is highly appreciated.

Best,
Tom

We bought Maytag MDB4949SKZ approx 15 months ago from Costco. Broke last weekend. Have a technician coming in tomorrow to fix it under warranty. I am suspecting inlet valve issue. The dishwasher, when it worked, cleaned well. We have never had Bosch but what I read this seems to be a little bit louder but not a deal breaker for us. We bought it with Costco Citi credit card, so should have total 4 years of warranty coverage.

Happy 99th birthday Taylor! Thank you for your service and for sharing wisdom on this website and beyond!

I have been living in Mississippi for past 6 years. Like you I came here for job opportunity and have continued to stay here for the opportunities that have come along the way. I have been able to climb up the ladder much faster than other places.

The pay in my field is higher here than national average, that and the lower cost of living has really set us well financially and gave us a good head start.

The schools are as good as anywhere else however it is highly dependent on the school district just like anywhere else. The public schools in my area are 8-10/10 graded and would think Hattiesburg would have some good school districts too.

I have cannondale scalpel carbon si 2018, bought used for 3.5k. Love it! Great for cross country riding. Has 100mm front and rear shock but has shock lockout which basically prevents the suspension from compressing, helpful while climbing hills and not lose power. It weighs 24 lbs I believe. I think any cross country bike with suspension lockout will serve you well for what you are looking.

I roast my own coffee! Tastes better than anything store bought and cheaper in the long run. Green coffee run approximately $6/lb. Roaster is around $400-450. You can do the break-even math based on how much coffee you go through. For me it was 2 years and I am past that now. The roasters last about 10 years on average.

“Everybody gets promoted to their highest level of incompetence”
-Unknown

4990

Cheers

I have this, works well and cheap enough

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=43245

I use Strava and Garmin Connect. I have a Garmin bike computer for which I need the Garmin Connect app to connect to my phone. Strava is more popular and lets you follow other people. If you are into improving your time/speed it helps you compare yourself to others and to your past performance.

burritoLover wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 1:21 pm If you can't stay the course with a reasonable bond allocation, then you really need a financial advisor or such handling your portfolio so you aren't in there ruining it thinking you can make changes that will have a positive impact (after a big drawdown no less). If you couldn't avoid the drawdown to begin with, it is insanity to think that you can now make changes and prevent something else from happening.

I am not tempted to sell my bonds. I am fairly firm on holding it and not changing anything now. But I was just curious to know if I was missing something.

With all the talk about switching out of bonds in the forum here and local chapters, I wonder how many of you are staying the course with bonds. I have at least 30 years horizon before I retire and have not changed my asset allocation or monthly contributions to stock vs bonds. Moving out of bonds feels like market timing. I know timing market is hard and you often make the wrong decision but starting to wonder if I am doing the right thing by staying the course. Any advice? One definition of duration is the point of indifference. If one holds a bond and reinvests the coupon payments at the new interest rate, he is indifferent to interest rate changes if he holds the bond for the length of duration. With a 30 year horizon, you are doing th...

Wonderful post! Thank you for taking time to write it out. I find it conceptually hard to wrap my head around how bonds make up the loses at maturity. Is there any reading that may explain the concept to me like I am 5 year old. Thanks! Are you asking about an individual bond or a bond fund? It's straightforward for an individual bond. Let's say a bond was issued in November 2021 with a yield of 2.5% maturing in 2026. Fast forward to November 2022 and similarly rated bonds now need to pay 5.5%. The market value of the November 2021 bonds needs to decline in order for the yield to become 5.5% as well. I'm too lazy to do the math, but let's say that bond is now worth 90 cents on the dollar. Now, very importantly: You still get your $100 back...

With all the talk about switching out of bonds in the forum here and local chapters, I wonder how many of you are staying the course with bonds. We are staying the course with bonds. Nothing has seemed like any reason to change. I have at least 30 years horizon before I retire and have not changed my asset allocation or monthly contributions to stock vs bonds. You don't give details but the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund has a duration of about 7 years and so do most "core" bond funds. Vanguard says, of Total Bond and other funds in its "risk category 2," that "In general, such funds may be appropriate for investors with medium-term investment horizons (4 to 10 years)." Although the degree of the dip is...

Stinky wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 5:00 am

tommy85 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:12 pm With all the talk about switching out of bonds in the forum here and local chapters, I wonder how many of you are staying the course with bonds. I have at least 30 years horizon before I retire

I'm just curious - what percentage of your portfolio is in bonds?

If you're 30 years out from retirement, you're likely about 35 years old.

Most 35-year-olds wouldn't have a significant allocation to fixed income.

I have about 30% in bonds. I know it’s much higher than most of you here but that was a conscious decision when I wrote my IPS. Helps me sleep well at night

JoeRetire wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 4:10 am

tommy85 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:12 pmstarting to wonder if I am doing the right thing by staying the course.

Ignore the noise. Stay the course.

Thank you! I wanted to double check it was all noise and I was not missing something.

JSPECO9 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:14 pm No matter how hard I try I can't understand how people were willing to buy bonds at 0.5% but don't want to buy at 4.5%. Are people really this bad at investing?

Agree with you, I have been buying bonds just like before but wanted to make sure I was not missing something.

With all the talk about switching out of bonds in the forum here and local chapters, I wonder how many of you are staying the course with bonds. I have at least 30 years horizon before I retire and have not changed my asset allocation or monthly contributions to stock vs bonds. Moving out of bonds feels like market timing. I know timing market is hard and you often make the wrong decision but starting to wonder if I am doing the right thing by staying the course. Any advice?

We are currently almost 12 weeks pregnant and this is our 2nd round of IVF. With first round of IVF, we did not get any normal embryos(we got genetic test before implantation). We also did 3 rounds of IUI before pursuing IVF. Anyways I can tell you what we have done/doing: 1. Thought about itemizing but instead decided to use for future reimbursement from HSA. Fortunately I have the ability to pay out of pocket, so saving all receipts and plan to reimburse myself from HSA if and when needed. 2. We had to pay approximately 13k upfront for the procedure + approx 4k with in next couple weeks for the meds + around 3k for the genetic test which was after fertilization. Basically did above trip twice🤦🏽‍♂️ but everybody tells us it will be well wo...

I just want to make sure I understand this right and do it right. So, please tell me if I got anything wrong or if there is a better alternative option. We live in Mississippi and 529 contributions up to 20K are deductible from state tax, so assuming opening a Mississippi 529 is the best option as compared to some other option. Am I correct? If so, can I just open the account with myself as beneficiary and contribute 20K this year. I read about annual gift tax for contributions beyond 16k, does that still apply even if I am myself the beneficiary. If yes, should I just open 2 accounts, one each for me and my wife and contribute 10k to each account? Anything else I am missing? Thanks in advance Tom If you want the state tax deduction, that ...

1) You can change the beneficiary to your kid in the future, no problem. It also is not limited to MS schools, as another poster asked. 2) However, the Mississippi 529 plan (MACS) is pretty crappy, imho. Limited fund options and a crappy management fee (0.6%) on top. 3) That said, you can rollover MACS to another 529 plan with no state tax recapture (https://www.savingforcollege.com/529-plans/mississippi/mississippi-affordable-college-savings-macs-program). So, if the state tax savings are worth it to you (and it looks like MS income tax is 4-5%, so it does seem worth it), you can dump the $20k in MACS and then roll it over to another state's 529 plan that has a better rating. I know that the NY direct 529, NV Vanguard 529, and Ohio 529 pl...

I just want to make sure I understand this right and do it right. So, please tell me if I got anything wrong or if there is a better alternative option. We live in Mississippi and 529 contributions up to 20K are deductible from state tax, so assuming opening a Mississippi 529 is the best option as compared to some other option. Am I correct? If so, can I just open the account with myself as beneficiary and contribute 20K this year. I read about annual gift tax for contributions beyond 16k, does that still apply even if I am myself the beneficiary. If yes, should I just open 2 accounts, one each for me and my wife and contribute 10k to each account? Anything else I am missing? Thanks in advance Tom You might not have gotten replies because ...

Just following up to see if anybody has any advice.

Thanks in advance

I just want to make sure I understand this right and do it right. So, please tell me if I got anything wrong or if there is a better alternative option.

We live in Mississippi and 529 contributions up to 20K are deductible from state tax, so assuming opening a Mississippi 529 is the best option as compared to some other option. Am I correct?

If so, can I just open the account with myself as beneficiary and contribute 20K this year. I read about annual gift tax for contributions beyond 16k, does that still apply even if I am myself the beneficiary. If yes, should I just open 2 accounts, one each for me and my wife and contribute 10k to each account?

Anything else I am missing?

Thanks in advance
Tom

MGBMartin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 10:01 am I know you said you need a new laptop for a business trip but I don’t think anyone has asked yet…

What do you typically use your laptop for?
If you do photo or video editing you are going to need a more powerful processor and more RAM than if you are just wanting to surf the internet, do email and word processing etc.
Otherwise it’s kind of like asking what vehicle you should get and a bunch of folks suggest a Mazda MX5 only to find out later you have 5 kids to haul around.

Don't do any photo or videos editing, use the laptop mainly for emails, web browsing and work stuff which involves connecting to our work server via Citrix.

My current laptop is 12 years old and works well but need a new laptop for an upcoming 2 week business trip. My current laptop is 17.3 inches, too heavy and does not hold charge for too long. So thinking of buying a new laptop which would also seve as my next laptop when my current laptop dies. Any suggestions what to get, like minimum configuration, make/model etc and what to stay away from. I would prefer to buy at Costco as I would get an extra year of warranty but open to buying elsewhere if highly recommended. Thanks in advance Tom To OP: question: 1. To narrow things down a bit. . . .what is your budget? :?: How much do you have to spend on this? 2. PC or Mac or other? :?: j :D 1. Would like to stay under $1K. 2. I have never had a M...

If you are comfortable with Mac, that would be the route I would go. Anything in the $1k to $2k is likely fine for you. Other wise you could consider a microsoft surface tablet. Those are quite nice. I think the Dell laptops are again quite reasonable. I wouldn't get overly invested in the specs and you certainly don't need anything high end. Just pick a middle of the road box that appeals to you. I am basing this off the fact that your current laptop is 12 years old and you haven't lost your mind while using it. That means it was built in 2010 and might even be running Windows XP. (I am guessing). --Bampf Actually I have Windows 10, also upgraded to SSD but you are right, I don't need high end specs, not a gamer or do anything that requir...

njdealguy wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:29 pm I second the suggestion on LG Gram, and there's quite a good deal at Costco until 8/28 for this model on sale at $1099 for nearly top notch specifications and probably the only laptop available in the market that is under 3 pounds while being 17 inch

If can use the Costco Citi card would get 4 years warranty in total:

https://www.costco.com/lg-gram-17%22-in ... 71154.html

Actually I do have Costco Citi card, forgot that gets me 2 more years! I don't need 17", could do with 14 or 15". Thank you for your suggestion, will look into it.

quietseas wrote: ↑Wed Aug 17, 2022 7:55 pm Do you still want a 17" screen or could you go with a 14" or 15" screen which would give you a much lighter laptop?

I always use an external monitor at home, so I would never buy a 17" monitor on a laptop. But your use case may be very different than mine. In fact, I only use a phone when I travel now unless I know I'll need heavy MS Office use while on the trip. Some people find a tablet with a keyboard to be a good travel combination also.

I don't need 17 inch screen, actually I don't want it, I am thinking 14 or 15 inches..

My current laptop is 12 years old and works well but need a new laptop for an upcoming 2 week business trip. My current laptop is 17.3 inches, too heavy and does not hold charge for too long. So thinking of buying a new laptop which would also seve as my next laptop when my current laptop dies. Any suggestions what to get, like minimum configuration, make/model etc and what to stay away from. I would prefer to buy at Costco as I would get an extra year of warranty but open to buying elsewhere if highly recommended.

Thanks in advance
Tom

[Thread merged into here --admin LadyGeek] It's my turn to ask first world problem question :sharebeer After much deliberation, I have decided to upgrade my mountain bike. I had asked on the forum previously regarding it and appreciate all those that replied. Anyways, I found a used mountain bike at a local bike shop (link below), supposed to be gently used, well cared for and regularly serviced. I know I can financially afford it but don't know if I should be dropping that kind of money on a used bike :D . I have justified internally to myself that I enjoy mountain biking and if it encourages me to ride more and keeps me healthy, it's easily worth the money. Also, worse case scenario I can sell it and get most of the money back. Am I maki...

onourway wrote: ↑Sun Jul 10, 2022 11:43 am I would generally agree with @halfnine above. Your existing bike isn’t really worth upgrading, but it sounds like you are not really yet ready to make a fully informed decision as to what to replace it with. Buying site-unseen online is fine if you know exactly what you want, however I’d suggest you try to ride at least a few different models and styles before spending the money. Talk to other people you know or meet in the area who ride similar terrain as you. What do they ride?

So the bike shop owner rides the same model himself and said that bike is perfect for local trails. Also asked couple other local riders they agreed.

LadyGeek wrote: ↑Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:53 am tommy85 - In order to provide appropriate advice, it's best to keep all the information in one spot. I merged your update back into the original thread. If you have any questions, ask them here.

(Thanks to the member who reported the post and provided a link to this thread.)

Thank you for merging the 2 threads. Is it possible to update the title to my 2nd question as that is my current question and hopefully will get more accurate opinions.

Thanks!

getthatmarshmallow wrote: ↑Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:09 am I've bought several of my bikes secondhand, and it's really common with mountain bikes where the people who have to have something new every year are continually churning their old gear. If you know what you're looking for, it's a fine way to buy.

Has the shop looked over the bike?

Yes, the current owner is just upgrading his bike and buying the newest on the market. The shop owner knows the bike well as it has been serviced there for it's life and he said it is in a good shape. He also knows the current owner and said he doesn't ride hard and takes care of his bikes.

Bogle101 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:07 am We can talk you into anything but first we need your age, net worth and monthly expenses - but since you didn’t include any of that I would just say that you only live once and 3,500 is peanuts in the context of an entire career of earnings.

Age: 37, net worth approx 1.3M with recent downturn, monthly expenses approx 8k, annual salary approx 350k between me and DW. We currently save about 150k pwr year. Hopefully that helps..

JDave wrote: ↑Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:05 am Two words: hedonic adaptation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill

I know but the way I look at it is as a means to experience and hopefully will not get down the rabbit hole of needing frequent upgrades..