Search found 66 matches
- Tue Nov 12, 2019 1:02 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Rich people are hoarding cash
- Replies: 153
- Views: 23660
Re: Rich preparing for market drop
I'm sure you'll likely see a contradictory article on the same website indicating market optimism. It's just clickbait noise.
- Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:34 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: OLED v LCD Smartphone Display
- Replies: 3
- Views: 296
OLED v LCD Smartphone Display
Hi all, I'm going to purchase a new iPhone. I have the iPhone 6. I'm debating between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. I was in the store and had the two side-by-side. They both were set to the same wallpaper which contained black. To be honest, I really couldn't tell much of a difference between th...
- Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:18 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: SALT benefits couples to remain unmarried
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1703
Re: SALT benefits couples to remain unmarried
Tax laws change all the time; so basing long term planning decision on them is very limited. There are/should be other considerations besides $ with regards to marriage. Additionally, an individual situation is the main relevance to whether a specific tax code helps or hurts. The blue/red high/low t...
- Mon Jun 24, 2019 3:03 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: FT article: "Pension funds raise concern over index manager stewardship"
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2132
Re: FT article: "Pension funds raise concern over index manager stewardship"
I'm not aware of any issues with Vanguard's stewardship.
There seems to be a steady drum of what IMO is passive index concern trolling over the past year.
There seems to be a steady drum of what IMO is passive index concern trolling over the past year.
- Fri Jun 21, 2019 9:11 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Highest % cash back credit card
- Replies: 77
- Views: 6794
Re: Highest % cash back credit card
I have the Alliant Credit Union Cash Rewards Visa card.
It pays 3% cashback first year on all transactions, annual fee waived. Cash is cash; you can deposit it to a bank account.
After 1st year it pays 2.5% cash back with a ~$90 annual fee.
It pays 3% cashback first year on all transactions, annual fee waived. Cash is cash; you can deposit it to a bank account.
After 1st year it pays 2.5% cash back with a ~$90 annual fee.
- Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Article on high deductible health plans - and the math
- Replies: 120
- Views: 10312
Re: Article on high deductible health plans - and the math
I have mixed feelings about these plans; I'm in one too. It offers opportunity to build wealth with the HSA so long as one is financially literate and can afford the deductibles comfortably (with Wall Street sneaking in to skim some money off the HSA). I could see some people getting attached to the...
- Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:52 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Expected Return on VBTLX (Tot Bond Mkt Index Fund)
- Replies: 1
- Views: 405
Expected Return on VBTLX (Tot Bond Mkt Index Fund)
Hi all, I understand that obviously if one were to buy a 5 year bond with a coupon of 2.5%; the expected return would be 2.5% if held until maturity. If one were to purchase the VBTLX, which currently has a 30day SEC Yield of 2.69% and average duration 6 years, would the expected return be 2.69% ove...
- Tue Jun 11, 2019 7:34 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Thinking of leasing bmw 3 series
- Replies: 56
- Views: 4785
Re: Thinking of leasing bmw 3 series
Is it true that you want to go into a dealership and negotiate a sale price first and then tell them you want to lease? Just throwing it out there; seems like leasing is pretty complicated. If you aren't going to put many miles on it, would it be worth considering buying it and then selling it to a...
- Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Estimating Inflation in Retirement
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2831
Re: Estimating Inflation in Retirement
I also do projections in real dollars.
- Tue Jun 04, 2019 12:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Thinking of leasing bmw 3 series
- Replies: 56
- Views: 4785
Re: Thinking of leasing bmw 3 series
Leasing, like another poster said, is a black box; you have no idea how they determine the payment. There was a fanatic at Bimmerforums that created a spreadsheet to reverse engineer lease payments and concluded the dealer charges some sort of defacto interest. So leasing made me uncomfortable and a...
- Thu May 30, 2019 9:33 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Jim Cramer
- Replies: 59
- Views: 6020
Re: Jim Cramer
I don't get it. The past several days, he's been talking like the sky is falling and we should get out of stocks for the most part. Today, it's "time to buy amidst market weakness". Literally nothing meaningful has changed in the past few days, except for a slight (a few % at most) decline in the S...
- Wed May 29, 2019 1:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Taxable Bond or Muni?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3385
Re: Taxable Bond or Muni?
Be sure to keep the long run in mind if this is for medium term savings; the spread between the two, tax brackets and your personal situation may change. I'm not sure the spread between the two bond funds in question has increased but the interest rates for both have gone down. That may make the bre...
- Tue May 28, 2019 6:42 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Beat the market with lower risk than the market itself (using leveraged ETFs)
- Replies: 32
- Views: 3112
Re: Beat the market with lower risk than the market itself (using leveraged ETFs)
Aren't leveraged ETFs/funds not viable long-term investments?
See link below; their returns decay pretty quickly:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/f ... rm-bet.asp
See link below; their returns decay pretty quickly:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/f ... rm-bet.asp
- Fri May 24, 2019 9:18 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Use HSA To Buy Boat?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 944
Re: Use HSA To Buy Boat?
Thanks guys, I understand now.
This might be a dumb follow-up question; but does this capability present a unique advantage in the big picture? My first thought is that delaying reimbursement allows the money to more easily accumulate; anything else?
This might be a dumb follow-up question; but does this capability present a unique advantage in the big picture? My first thought is that delaying reimbursement allows the money to more easily accumulate; anything else?
- Fri May 24, 2019 9:08 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Use HSA To Buy Boat?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 944
Use HSA To Buy Boat?
Hi all, In the midst of researching information on HSAs to determine what I should I do, I came across an article that said this: "Principle #5: HSA dollars do not have to be withdrawn in the same year as the healthcare expense Although this rule may change at the whims of Congress, as the law curre...
- Thu May 23, 2019 10:53 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Is Tesla Going To Survive?
- Replies: 99
- Views: 7619
Re: Is Tesla Going To Survive?
I'm not sure but I wish I had started shorting the stock a few months ago.
I was always a Tesla skeptic and was never a fan of Elon Musk; he's a very skilled "Confidence Man".
If they don't make it maybe they get bought up or just go bankrupt.
I was always a Tesla skeptic and was never a fan of Elon Musk; he's a very skilled "Confidence Man".
If they don't make it maybe they get bought up or just go bankrupt.
- Wed May 22, 2019 10:42 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Asset Allocation for HSA
- Replies: 5
- Views: 287
Re: Asset Allocation for HSA
I'm not sure how to answer your question because I've been having the same dilemma regarding use for expenses v growth. I'm building up my HSA, which has the same funds, and I am taking the following approach: 1. Amount up to Out-Of-Pocket-Max invested in Vanguard TIPS (Goal: Expenses) 2. Amount equ...
- Tue May 21, 2019 9:53 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Recently promoted - how to match image with title?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 5323
Re: Recently promoted - how to match image with title?
Some things to consider: 1. Wearing a blazer 2. Dark colors 3. Slicked back hair 4. Speak without voice fry, raised-question intonations or the use of ums 5. Wear pants 6. Don't smile as much; be serious as default. 7. Don't engage in small friendly chit-chat much with higher ups anymore than they d...
- Tue May 21, 2019 8:13 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Lies, Damned Lies, And Index Funds
- Replies: 43
- Views: 6129
Re: Lies, Damned Lies, And Index Funds
It seems like these kinds of articles are becoming more common. Passive investing has taken a lot of money from many of these companies so they are not going down without a fight. Maybe this is paranoid but I hope it doesn't get to the point where they lobby Congress to penalize passive investing so...
- Mon May 20, 2019 12:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: FIRE - What am I missing in the News Stories
- Replies: 223
- Views: 15815
Re: FIRE - What am I missing in the News Stories
FIRE is a source of attention grabbing headlines; makes good clickbait.
But I am also very intrigued by the subject; its a creative way to break from things and look for more independence.
But I am also very intrigued by the subject; its a creative way to break from things and look for more independence.
- Fri May 17, 2019 5:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anyone use Treasury Direct ?
- Replies: 34
- Views: 2227
Re: Anyone use Treasury Direct ?
Not terribly bad for 27-day treasury yield at 2.4% compared to best FDIC insured bank accounts (yes, some pay 2.5% even today) Anyone use https://www.treasurydirect.gov/RS/UN-AccountCreate.do ? Experience ? I also love 4 week T Bills, its where the vast majority of my short/uncertain money is now. ...
- Fri May 17, 2019 4:59 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: VTSAX or VTWAX over the next 35 years?
- Replies: 173
- Views: 22938
- Fri May 17, 2019 10:52 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Cash - Throw it all on the table!!!
- Replies: 182
- Views: 33304
Re: Cash - Throw it all on the table!!!
I have: 1. One month of expenses in a high savings FDIC insured account paying 2.1% at a credit union 2. 12 months in 4 week treasury bills paying 2.5% TEY 3. 2 months in I Bonds 4. 1 month in a Vanguard Money Market that rotates money to/fro a company ESPP account buying stocks at 15% discount and ...
- Fri May 17, 2019 8:42 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Does stock allocation truly matter?
- Replies: 61
- Views: 5953
Re: Does stock allocation truly matter?
Asset allocation matters but its one of several important factors which include savings rate and expense ratio. In your case, your savings rate is high and I presume your are using index funds so you have those two bases covered. You're not going to find a definitive answer for asset allocation howe...
- Fri May 17, 2019 8:13 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: VTSAX or VTWAX over the next 35 years?
- Replies: 173
- Views: 22938
- Thu May 16, 2019 2:17 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bonds beat S&P500 over last 20 years?
- Replies: 40
- Views: 4048
Re: Bonds beat S&P500 over last 20 years?
Its my impression among people I know that bonds are kind of overlooked/underappreciated. Its either super aggressive with stocks or dooms-day prep level risk aversion.
- Thu May 16, 2019 10:21 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Amazon....we all have seen this before :)
- Replies: 62
- Views: 9386
Re: Amazon....we all have seen this before :)
Just for fun, in baseball the odds of hitting a grand slam are very slim, "The odds of having bases loaded and hitting a home run are extremely small and there are an average of 135.6 grand slams in an entire season, or odds of about .07%." Source: https://www.rockiesventureclub.org/uncategorized/ho...
- Tue May 14, 2019 12:00 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Can future returns for the next 10 years really be predicted with CAPE?
- Replies: 36
- Views: 2487
Re: Can future returns for the next 10 years really be predicted with CAPE?
I think using CAPE for estimating future returns is actually pretty decent. See the at the link below where expected and actual returns are plotted together. In this case, these are expected returns over 8 year periods. https://www.gurufocus.com/shiller-PE.php It uses the same formula Bogle used for...
- Tue May 14, 2019 10:39 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Cash - Throw it all on the table!!!
- Replies: 182
- Views: 33304
Re: Cash - Throw it all on the table!!!
I only keep one month of expenses in an online savings account and one month in Vanguard Money Market. The rest of my emergency fund and excess short term savings are in 4 week T Bills and I Bonds.
- Thu May 09, 2019 1:54 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What is your U.S./ex-U.S. stock allocation?
- Replies: 210
- Views: 13052
Re: What is your U.S./ex-U.S. stock allocation?
50/50; generally use total world index as rough guideline.
- Wed May 08, 2019 12:25 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Larry Swedroe: Post WWII US Returns’ Changing Nature
- Replies: 33
- Views: 3676
Re: Larry Swedroe: Post WWII US Returns’ Changing Nature
There are good points in the article and other posts here. Its safe to have a plan that is based on a fairly conservative outlook.
I think its way too complicated to predict returns going forward.
I think its way too complicated to predict returns going forward.
- Wed May 01, 2019 8:35 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: "The market is overvalued"
- Replies: 90
- Views: 10596
Re: "The market is overvalued"
You do realize that 1996 was the year Alan Greenspan gave his famous "irrational exuberance" speech, right? The market was overvalued then. Just like in 1996 the market is overvalued now, but it can get more overvalued. However, look at the 12 years following 1996 as a whole, it wasn't that product...
- Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What happened to GE?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2822
Re: What happened to GE?
Since its not a lot of money I don't think its a big deal to hold on to it. IMO, GE is a big fat inefficient corporate behemoth. As someone earlier said, Jack Welch was able to pivot the company for a bit to capitalize on the financialized economy and make the company look sexier than it realy was. ...
- Tue Apr 30, 2019 2:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Buying a home w/cash vs taking a mortgage and investing
- Replies: 39
- Views: 4899
Re: Buying a home w/cash vs taking a mortgage and investing
I'd buy the house with cash. I think the value of living debt free is something to aspire to. Investing the difference rests on future returns that are uncertain; having no debt is final. I read somewhere that these days, a very small percentage of households are able to obtain an itemized tax deduc...
- Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 10100
Re: Alliant 3/2.5% card - any experience?
I've had it for a few months now and I like it. I can transfer the cash back directly to the savings account I have with them. The recent hike in the annual fee from $59 to $99 is unfortunate but I'll still stick with it because it would still beat my reserve no fee 1.5% cash back card I have with B...
- Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:52 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Asset allocation if 60 % in company stock
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1382
Re: Asset allocation if 60 % in company stock
If she isn't going to let go of the 60% of company stock, then I would put the other 40% in a very low risk area; perhaps fund of treasuries or something similar in the 401k. I think that would balance out the extreme risk of holding so much money in a single company stock.
- Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:16 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Not much work at new megacorp job
- Replies: 70
- Views: 6269
Re: Not much work at new megacorp job
Try to be patient especially if the pay, benefits and location are good. Rather than tell your boss you don't have much to do, invert the question. Ask him and others for other opportunities for work. Say you have interests in other projects going on and would like to help. Do any extra work you can...
- Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Challenge Setting Aside Monthly Savings
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1137
Challenge Setting Aside Monthly Savings
Hi all, I'm finding sometimes that when I close out a month and see I have a surplass; i.e. excess of income over savings, I can't actually immediately transfer money from my checking account to my savings. I find that, for example, if I have a $1000 surplas in March, I can't really set aside that e...
- Fri Apr 05, 2019 1:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Mortgage as negative bond = YIKES! Should I panic?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 3644
Re: Mortgage as negative bond = YIKES! Should I panic?
My retirement account has $890,000 in it @ 60/40. I like 60/40 for my risk tolerance. Age 53, 5 years until retirement (hopefully). My mortgage balance is $578,000 (3.875%, 37% marginal fed tax rate). If the mortgage is a negative bond, my actual AA is 177/0. I am leveraged to the hilt! What to do ...
- Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:06 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bay Area housing prices as a function of tech stock appreciation
- Replies: 41
- Views: 3861
Re: Bay Area housing prices as a function of tech stock appreciation
Housing price appreciation always seems a bit vague to me because though the local economy and/or speculation are cited as drivers; I don't know of any studies/investigations to quantify it in a way that includes hard evidence. Its usually just surface level.
- Wed Mar 20, 2019 9:02 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: We crush stock indexes, Yale claims
- Replies: 129
- Views: 23240
Re: Three Fund Portfolio beating Yale Portfolio
Bogleheads: It is interesting to see that " Yale U's Unconventional" portfolio trails " Allan Roth's Second Grader Starter "Three Fund Portfolio" in the MarketWatch contest. https://www.marketwatch.com/lazyportfolio Best wishes Taylor Hi Taylor - I have noticed this for a while now as I check the l...
- Mon Mar 18, 2019 2:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Allocation - No Bonds yet, but they seem like a bad deal. - 38yo
- Replies: 41
- Views: 2967
Re: Allocation - No Bonds yet, but they seem like a bad deal. - 38yo
Keep in mind, that it's usually when assets look the least attractive that turn out to be the best time to buy them. Likewise, the times when assets (cough cough stocks) seem the most attractive are generally the worst times to buy them. Oh I agree with you that stocks don't look terribly attractiv...
- Thu Mar 14, 2019 3:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What's Your Opinion on Nest Thermostats
- Replies: 62
- Views: 5851
Re: What's Your Opinion on Nest Thermostats
While its features are convenient, its part of the larger group of products referred to as the "Internet of Things (IoT)". I don't like these products because of the well documented concerns over their lack of security and privacy. In some cases, there are products that are in some ways worse than t...
- Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:19 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Vacation Planning w/o Foreign Language Knowledge
- Replies: 15
- Views: 875
Vacation Planning w/o Foreign Language Knowledge
Hi all, My fiancée and I are considering locations for our honeymoon; our top three are New Zealand, South Africa and Chile. I'm American, based in the states, and I haven't done much traveling to countries where I don't know the language outside of Western Europe where many people speak English. Ho...
- Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:14 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Hussman predictions..
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2248
Re: Hussman predictions..
Any opinions? https://www.investopedia.com/news/market-bear-hussman-says-stocks-could-lose-20-trillion/ Crash Drop in S&P 500 Hussman's prediction for 2018 onward (60%) 2007–2009 Financial Crisis (56.8%) 2000–2002 Dotcom Crash (49.1%) 1987 Crash (33.5%) 1929 Crash (1929 to 1932) (82.7%) I don't hav...
- Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:57 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What theory has changed, since you last took Economics/Finance courses in college?
- Replies: 69
- Views: 6064
Re: What theory has changed, since you last took Economics/Finance courses in college?
In high school and undergrad economics I learned that the marketplace consists of informed consumers making rational choices. In Business School I learned quite the opposite; to create a market/need/want when there isn't one by utilizing advertising that appeals to people's emotions. In other words,...
- Thu Mar 07, 2019 11:08 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Happy 10th Birthday Bull Market!
- Replies: 34
- Views: 3467
Re: Happy 10th Birthday Bull Market!
Stocks "officially" entered into bear market territory on Dec. 24th, 2018. And there hasn't yet been a 20% improvement in stocks' prices, so we're not "officially" in a bull market right now either. How's that for throwing cold water on the birthday party? :mrgreen: This is a good point. How can it...
- Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:05 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Picking a VPN -- 2019
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3518
Re: Picking a VPN -- 2019
You may want to check out the site below where VPNs are summarized in great detail: https://thatoneprivacysite.net/ Most other sources of information I've come across that aggregate VPN information from this forum and other parts of the internet usually contain limited or affiliated/funded informati...
- Wed Mar 06, 2019 2:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Good VPN?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 5055
Re: Good VPN?
I use Mullvad.
You can find a comparison and good information here:
https://thatoneprivacysite.net/vpn-section/
You can find a comparison and good information here:
https://thatoneprivacysite.net/vpn-section/
- Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:47 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Objective news source?
- Replies: 69
- Views: 2082
Re: Objective news source?
Hopefully this doesn't get locked either. One last point I'd like to make is news consumption shouldn't be passive. So for instance, if there is a major issue that is getting debated reported, you'll find it is some sort of argument based on several premises. If you take the approach to just scan le...