Bogleheads.org

tibbitts wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:25 pm

K72 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 2:12 pm Thanks for the replies. I have everything I need.

And probably much more than you were expecting.

Less than I was expecting. Where's the discussion about whether the child can put the earnings in a Roth IRA?

UpperNwGuy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 6:48 pm

MishkaWorries wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 6:10 pm Bison burgers!

We use ground bison. The meat has so much more flavor than ground beef. Salt and pepper and grill hot until done to temp.

Ground beef we usually just add Cajun spice and a piece of soft white cheese like havarti or pepper jack.

What is the ratio of lean to fat in ground bison? I have heard that such burgers can be very dry.

I'm not sure. The wife buys from a local processing plant. Last summer while on holiday, we bought some bison from Kroger or Aldi. Super dry but I over cooked on a charcoal grill. So not sure if the store or cook or combination dried them out.

Bison burgers!

We use ground bison. The meat has so much more flavor than ground beef. Salt and pepper and grill hot until done to temp.

Ground beef we usually just add Cajun spice and a piece of soft white cheese like havarti or pepper jack.

If the market value of my holdings in VWIAX is $1,000,000 January 1 and I receive $58,000 in dividends during 2023 that $58,000 will not contribute a single dollar of additional growth to that $1,000,000 no matter the stock price into the future, correct or am I missing something? It would if you reinvested the $58k by buying more VWIAX. Then you would have $1,0058,000, which would throw off more dividends next year, which you could reinvest, and so on... Or maybe I'm misunderstanding your misunderstanding? To be picky, he wouldn't have 1,058,000 -- the price of the fund drops by the amount of the dividend. If he reinvested, he'd have 1,000,000 in shares. If he didn't reinvest, he'd have 942,000 in shares and 58,000 in cash. In both cases,...

If the market value of my holdings in VWIAX is $1,000,000 January 1 and I receive $58,000 in dividends during 2023 that $58,000 will not contribute a single dollar of additional growth to that $1,000,000 no matter the stock price into the future, correct or am I missing something? It would if you reinvested the $58k by buying more VWIAX. Then you would have $1,0058,000, which would throw off more dividends next year, which you could reinvest, and so on... Or maybe I'm misunderstanding your misunderstanding? To be picky, he wouldn't have 1,058,000 -- the price of the fund drops by the amount of the dividend. If he reinvested, he'd have 1,000,000 in shares. If he didn't reinvest, he'd have 942,000 in shares and 58,000 in cash. In both cases,...

I read in the news that over 1000 companies had deposits with SVB. I’d think those companies and their shareholders lose too if not covered. Correct. And some commenters on this thread seem to be rooting for that, for a world where everyone has to worry about their bank deposits. Two choices - the world were everyone worries about their bank deposits, or the world where everyone worries about systemic risks taking down the whole banking system since the moral hazard and lax regulation encourages excessive risk taking which ends badly sooner or later. We’ve seen how well our betters at the SF Fed manage their banking risk (CEO of SIVB) or the Frank from the Dodd-Frank banking reform law (director on the board of SBNY) so cleverly prevented ...

One data point. My niece works in Napa Valley for a smallish winery. She got paid today because payroll was withdrawn earlier in the week.

They notified their employees they don't know what will happen next since they have millions over the FDIC insurance amount. They announced they may not have enough to cover payroll next week but they assured everyone their company is financially sound and any nonpayment of payroll is temporary.

Obviously all the employees are worried. Is it true the company will get all their deposits back that are above the limits?

The mom not working outside the home even part time was the mistake, unless I missed it. Also, taking SS at 62. Also dad remaining a clerk his entire career? Not choosing a field with more room to grow. Frugality is mentioned but so are cruises. Selling the home was a big mistake. So was selling the Megacorp stock and not investing in general. Failing to anticipate the ravages of inflation. But overall they did ok! He worked and had a pension, she got a survivor’s benefit, they raised a child who was in a position to help them and she enjoyed wonderful longevity with Medicare, LTCI, and SS. They also made a profit on their home when they sold and neither was decimated by high medical costs. This is a good cautionary tale. Makes me want to ...

McQ wrote: ↑Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:28 pm
A later post will give my take; but first I’d like to hear from you.

I'd rather hear Mama's take than yours. I'd guess she is very pleased with her late husband and very happy they were able to spend 15 years enjoying life together before he passed. All financed by a modest salary where she was never forced to work.

She is probably very satisfied she and her husband were able to raise happy and successful children. Isn't that the whole point of life?

2023 update: It's one year later, and I have officially turned in my resignation :D Despite the market downturn, the extra year of savings has given me a bit of a cushion, and I've been filling out the last few rungs in my TIPS ladder. The size of our combined portfolios has also opened up the possibility of my partner retiring sooner. Next, we'll be traveling internationally for 2 months, while I work on some one person business ideas that are exciting to me. It's a great feeling! 1. Early 50s, reached number in Summer 2021 (24x expenses + expenses fully covered by social security at age 70). Corporate work is no longer fun for me and I want to make my own schedule, focus more on creative pursuits, and travel while I'm relatively young. 2...

I have a full time job in another city in the state of PA where I spend 50% of my time and receive all of my income. The other 50% I spend at home in a separate county where my children go to school, a separate permanent residence. My understanding of federal rules is that the tax home is where I work and I can not write off travel going to another residence and back. However I have been paying the higher city taxes where my permanent residence is and do not write off the considerable travel expenses, food on the road, apartment expense where I work. Worst of both worlds. Pay the city tax as if it’s my residence, can’t write off expenses because it is not my tax home. I felt I was being cheated on one end or the other. My accountant told m...

The rates also don't take into account substitution. E.g., I was listening to Rational Reminder the other day. A while this was anecdotal, Ben Felix was talking about the expense of beef. He mentioned people talking about trying tofu for the first time to avoid the cost of beef. Why is "substitution" considered a good thing? Just like shrink-flation, it masks the true inflation rate. When we substitute a lesser quality product, then our standard of living has been reduced. If a retired person has to sit home more because of price of gas then their quality of life has been reduced. Substitution may be good for the bureaucrats and politicians but I fail to see how it is good for the citizens. So tofu is inferior? Pretty sure there ...

exodusNH wrote: ↑Fri Dec 10, 2021 8:17 am
The rates also don't take into account substitution. E.g., I was listening to Rational Reminder the other day. A while this was anecdotal, Ben Felix was talking about the expense of beef. He mentioned people talking about trying tofu for the first time to avoid the cost of beef.

Why is "substitution" considered a good thing? Just like shrink-flation, it masks the true inflation rate. When we substitute a lesser quality product, then our standard of living has been reduced. If a retired person has to sit home more because of price of gas then their quality of life has been reduced.

Substitution may be good for the bureaucrats and politicians but I fail to see how it is good for the citizens.

I don't understand what is going on in the labor market. Unemployment benefits ended in September, yet people are not going back to work. How are they surviving? My theory is that there were many dual income households that are now choosing to live more frugally on a single income. Some younger people may have moved back in with their parents. I also agree that there is still some support from unemployment but it can't explain the magnitude of what is going on. Almost every restaurant and big box store in my area has a sign out front saying they are understaffed. :confused Yep, everywhere in my city is understaffed. Restaurants are begging people to come work. Same with retail. A lot of places are closing down during the evenings or for en...

Too me taking the survivor benefits is a no brainer. $71.00 a month is nothing to get a bit of longevity insurance.

nisiprius wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:46 pm

Meaty wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:35 pm

dru808 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 7:22 pm They are not a substitute for fixed income.

Why? Lower volatility, better return.

As you say, these are new funds. But so far, NUSI has had more than three times the volatility of the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF, BND. So has QYLD. And so has JEPI.

Yes, they have certainly have had "higher return," but they have just as certainly not had "lower volatility."

Source

It may be more volatile than BND but each one has substantially out performed. Would the high distribution rate allow pensioners to ride out the volatility? Or maybe use them as an equities substitute?

But I wouldn't invest in them until I see how they perform in a bear market.

I've completely capitulated to the market. I use target date funds and I just don't look or care anymore. It's very liberating.

atdharris wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:10 pm

Hyperchicken wrote: ↑Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:09 pm Getting soft, aren't we, calling 0.25% market decline "bloodshed".

Those of us with QQQ/growth are the ones feeling the pain the last few days. I know, I know, own the market and don't worry about it

True pain. The QQQs are down all the way to last week.

CPI 0.9%

My suggestion would be to use I-bonds for your emergency fund, education fund and anything like a savings for a large purchase for a home, car etc

Then for your bond asset allocation, I'd suggest total bond or intermediate treasury. That way you could rebalance if stocks dive and bonds hold their own.

Oh. Edited to add. Some recommend people in their 30s or early 40s start to use I-bonds and EE bonds as a bridge to social security for early retirees.

We used to go to Playa del Carmen every year. One year there was a head found on 5th Ave. I think it belonged to the owner of a store who refused to pay protection money. The next year a bomb went off on the new ferry to Cozumel and another bomb was found on a different ferry. The owners of the old rival ferries were responsible. We still went back because we were not store or ferry owners or drug users or dealers. The last time we went two beach vendors got into a fight right in front of us and one ran away and the other chased him. A few seconds later we heard gunshots. One man died on the path from the beach to the rooms. Now we go to Turks and Caicos every year. T&C has a nicer beach and snorkeling off of the beach is better than sc...

humblecoder wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 3:15 pm

Nate79 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 02, 2021 2:18 pm Why do you care? What are you trying to accomplish?

This was my reaction as well.

My understanding of hard inquiries is that they impact your credit score by only a couple of points if that. In addition, it only impacts your credit score for a few months at most. By the time you get it resolved with TransUnion, your credit score might have already recovered on its own. The juice doesn't seem to be worth the squeeze.

If it were me, I'd be infinitely more concerned whether someone is applying for credit in my name.

Exactly. I wouldn't be wasting my time emailing random TransUnion executives. I be spending that time freezing my credit and bank accounts. Get those locked down and stop worrying.

Do whatever it takes to get the money in the market. If your friend is comfortable lump-summing the money then dump it on all at once. If your friend can't bring themselves to go all in, then dollar cost average. I'd suggest 1/2 half now and divide the remainder over 6-12 months. Or dollar cost average over 6-12 months. The worse thing to do is force someone to go against their character. If they are being pressured to lump sum, then the risk are they will drag their feet and not get into the market at all or sell if their savings loss 5-50%. The difference lump sum and DCA after 10-30 will never be noticed. A few years ago we had a large lump sum from selling all our rental properties. I decided to DCA over 12 months. After 3-4 months of D...

For the bears out there, what exactly would the economy need to do, to convince you the market has upside? Here it is: what would convince me is either (a) the Fed guarantees that they'll never take us off emergency life support (ZIRP, QE, historically massive balance sheet, meddling in various markets, etc.), or (b) the economy demonstrates strength in the absence of emergency life support. Of course, since those supports will almost certainly remain in the shorter term (a year or three), then the market can potentially have lots of upside in that time frame. I'm talking about the potential for another lost decade, or upside that's relatively tepid over a span of more than a few years. Im guessing the market took off today because the GDP...

wilshuer wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:06 am It's easy to get no-pressure offers from them and Offerpad. Due to timing we went this route when sold our last home. Offerpad was by far the highest, and we ended up with cash in hand from them that was just about what they sold our house for ~100d after our close minus the 6%. Felt we came out pretty good. It's a datapoint and offer you can get with little effort.

Thanks for the report. Much appreciated.

ClevrChico wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:52 am

MishkaWorries wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:42 pm But something has happened in the last year or year and a half. Every home sold recently has been sold to a rental company. Of the 10 homes on his cul-de-sac, 6 have been sold in the past 18 months and all sold to different rental companies. Everyone hired a realtor to list their house.

This sounds like the neighborhood I grew up in. The houses were mostly owned by families with good factory jobs (which are now gone), maintenance and updates were deferred, and now they've been purchased by landlords to rent out.

Exactly. I guess it's the normal course for starter homes. So far all the renter neighbors are good so no problem there.

palaheel wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:07 pm Consumer advocate Clark Howard sold a condo to an iBuyer a couple of years ago. Here are his thoughts
https://clark.com/homes-real-estate/cla ... yer-knock/

My sister, cousins and I recently sold our grandfather's house that we'd inherited in 1969. I sent letters to the owners of nearby rental properties letting them know the property was coming up for sale, but nothing came of that. A construction company owner got wind that we were selling, and made an offer that we accepted. It was a lot more than I could have imagined, but location, location, location.

Great article! That will help a lot in our research and decision making process.

billfromct wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:03 pm Maybe it would be worth the money to have an independent appraisal of the property be done.

The key word is “independent”, not a realtor looking for a listing.

bill

That's probably a good idea. Didn't think about that.

Thanks!

My father finally agreed to move into my sister's home. She and her husband built a nice, private apartment in their home. Now we have to figure out what to do with his house. The house is about 25 year old starter home and has never been updated. The kitchen has the original refrigerator and stove and the bathrooms all have original fixtures and cabinets. The back deck needs a demo or substantial repair. His neighborhood has been a very good working class area with friendly and diverse families as owners. But something has happened in the last year or year and a half. Every home sold recently has been sold to a rental company. Of the 10 homes on his cul-de-sac, 6 have been sold in the past 18 months and all sold to different rental compani...

namajones wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:55 pm

jarjarM wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:09 pm

namajones wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 11:45 am

lostdog wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 11:38 am party over for the soaring.

I guess mortgaging my house to buy a 3X S&P fund did it.

In all seriousness, there are more than a few posters on it with mortgage (hopefully at sub 2% range) and invested in 3x leveraged ETF (hopefully with a rebalance strategy and a good exit plan).

My exit plan is to sell at the top.

Wish I thought of that.

MrJedi wrote: ↑Sun Oct 24, 2021 12:40 pm Chase Sapphire Preferred in branch application still has the 100k points offer (worth minimally $1000 as cash back, can be more if used for travel).

Im interested. But it seems one must purchase the airfare through the Chase website. Is the airfare the same as if you bought it from the airline? What if there is a dispute? Would one have to rely on Chase (like a travel agency) or would it be handled like a ticket purchased directly from the airline?

I am new to Ibonds and invested 10 large into my account in April. However, my balance still shows 10k without any interest added since April. Do I have to wait for a year to see that? TIA. You may need to click in a level deeper. If I recall the initial view did not show the extra interest. But when you click in to the next level of details, you should be able to see the interest. Note, for bonds < 5 years old, you won't see the last 3 months of interest. But you should see the prior months by now. At the bottom of the Current Holdings page, I see this: https://i.imgur.com/75MjLzG.png I purchased these in May of this year. Assuming the $60 is 2 months of interest with the other 3 months not being shown, that's a 3.6% rate. Close enough to...

I am new to Ibonds and invested 10 large into my account in April. However, my balance still shows 10k without any interest added since April. Do I have to wait for a year to see that? TIA. You may need to click in a level deeper. If I recall the initial view did not show the extra interest. But when you click in to the next level of details, you should be able to see the interest. Note, for bonds < 5 years old, you won't see the last 3 months of interest. But you should see the prior months by now. At the bottom of the Current Holdings page, I see this: https://i.imgur.com/75MjLzG.png I purchased these in May of this year. Assuming the $60 is 2 months of interest with the other 3 months not being shown, that's a 3.6% rate. Close enough to...

I've always held the opinion that I Bonds aren't worth bothering with. Even if the rates suddenly became attractive, the purchase limits are too low to make them very interesting. And I've heard terrible, terrible things about TreasuryDirect. Don't mean to single you out because I hear you and others state that since the purchase limits are too low to make them very interesting, they're not worth bothering with. At $10,000 per SS# per year, they're actually much higher than the Traditional IRA contribution limit of either $6,000 or $7,000 (depending on age) and yet I never hear folks complain that those contribution limits are too low to bother with. Can you (or anyone else) please explain this paradox? I just don't know what I'm missing, ...

whodidntante wrote: ↑Sun Oct 24, 2021 12:42 pm
Did anyone get the plate number of that inflation truck that hit us?

All I got was the first three letters. F E D

SPY hit a new All Time High!

Uh, nevermind. SPY now down .5

One scenario in which this would be a differentiator, is Vanguard clients that come from very humble origins, and after a lifetime of LBYM, careful lifestyle choices, delayed gratification, and so forth, eventually attain one of the account status tiers; Voyager, Voyager Select, Flagship, etc. My parents were the first people in either of their families that had ever owned a share of stock. Though it's hard to believe today, in the 1950's, fewer than 5% of households owned any equities. If you had a brokerage account of any kind, you really entered into being in a different category of household. So when my parents first were elevated to Voyager status (and higher levels later on), they freely admitted to me "boy, did we lap that up!&...

I am posting in the hopes that someone from Vanguard might read this and take action. There have been a number of threads asking whether there are perks associated with the different tiers at Vanguard and in almost every one of those threads someone has posted that they crossed a threshold but have not had their status updated. As one of those posters (it's been almost a year now since I crossed a threshold and there is still no change in status), I am curious as to whether anyone has had their status changed in the past few years without explicitly asking for it to be done. My hypotheses as to the lack of change in my account are: - I am now on the brokerage side and their software doesn't work correctly in the "new" management ...

Once we researched Harper's Ferry, WV but not really convenient to Dulles. Huh? Harpers Ferry is like 45 mins from Dulles. I live in DC and it takes me longer than that to get to Dulles. I agree. Harpers Ferry is very convenient to Dulles. Hmm. Not sure what I was thinking. It may have been how to get to Dulles via train or bus. I don't think there is a direct route from Harper's Ferry (area) to Dulles. I'd rather not drive and park at the airport for 3-4 weeks. I'd appreciate any thoughts on best way to get to Dulles from the locals. We definitely decided to check out the Western VA/Eastern WV because Dulles would be our most preferred airport. We'll go in the summer and check out the heat and humidity situation. Thanks to all for suggest...

How many kids have a passion other than videogames or other childish pursuits

What does a child without a passion do? Do they feel left behind before they have even started?

nisiprius wrote: ↑Mon Oct 11, 2021 4:20 pm Why would Vanguard (or anyone else) object to having their calls recorded, especially if they are recording them themselves?

Is this policy stated anywhere online?

They have no issue with recording telephone calls since they record all calls themselves.

Clearly they do not want you to record the calls. Sketchy.

I'm late to your retirement "party" but thought I'd add an option - Charlottesville VA. Elevation makes the summers decent, certainly in comparison to the other locations in the SE you have mentioned, winters are not bad - rarely gets in the teens. College town (lot of classes for adults if that's of interest), good medical care, and really convenient location for long weekend trips to anywhere in the mid-atlantic region from beaches to metro areas. In addition, you have proximity to Dulles, which is a great hub for European flights (I don't think you mentioned if this was critical or just nice to have). You have a lot of outdoor options (hiking, biking, water, etc.) both in the immediate area and if you head a bit West you're in...

Zoom! I completely missed that! That's an even better recommendation. We would love to be close to Dulles but I never really looked around there because DC is so expensive and I thought the rest of VA would be too hot and humid.

Once we researched Harper's Ferry, WV but not really convenient to Dulles.

Thanks!

I'm late to your retirement "party" but thought I'd add an option - Charlottesville VA. Elevation makes the summers decent, certainly in comparison to the other locations in the SE you have mentioned, winters are not bad - rarely gets in the teens. College town (lot of classes for adults if that's of interest), good medical care, and really convenient location for long weekend trips to anywhere in the mid-atlantic region from beaches to metro areas. In addition, you have proximity to Dulles, which is a great hub for European flights (I don't think you mentioned if this was critical or just nice to have). You have a lot of outdoor options (hiking, biking, water, etc.) both in the immediate area and if you head a bit West you're in...

I'm late to your retirement "party" but thought I'd add an option - Charlottesville VA. Elevation makes the summers decent, certainly in comparison to the other locations in the SE you have mentioned, winters are not bad - rarely gets in the teens. College town (lot of classes for adults if that's of interest), good medical care, and really convenient location for long weekend trips to anywhere in the mid-atlantic region from beaches to metro areas. In addition, you have proximity to Dulles, which is a great hub for European flights (I don't think you mentioned if this was critical or just nice to have). You have a lot of outdoor options (hiking, biking, water, etc.) both in the immediate area and if you head a bit West you're in...

Had to chime in as we have a very similar plan and timeframe although we don't already own a home in Maine. While Maine might not be the most tax-friendly retirement destination it checks a ton of other boxes for DW and me. We travel there from the Chicago area for at least one week per year and spent two weeks there this year (coastal area south of Portland) and love the benefits of an urban/suburban environment with all of nature's offerings just a short drive away. Some fear the winters but growing up in the Midwest that doesn't move the needle for me as I love proper seasons. Can't wait for that final visit when we just never leave. It is not the most retirement friendly, and especially for me with a MA state pension. But, I figured I ...

Long time Lexington, KY resident here. Coming from seacoast NH, we never thought we would stay when relocating for work 23 years ago. But Lexington has changed considerably since then and this city grows on you. We retired 8 years ago and decided to stay. We still miss the mountains and ocean but frequent travel solves that itch. Red River Gorge has some fine hiking and there are plenty of nearby creeks, rivers, and lakes for kayaking and fishing. The surrounding countryside has some very scenic bicycling. Lexington has a lot of what you're looking for. Springtime in central Kentucky is just incredible. Summer is not too hot and winter is mild. We still get out cross country skiing occasionally but not every year. We live on the east side ...

Long time Lexington, KY resident here. Coming from seacoast NH, we never thought we would stay when relocating for work 23 years ago. But Lexington has changed considerably since then and this city grows on you. We retired 8 years ago and decided to stay. We still miss the mountains and ocean but frequent travel solves that itch. Red River Gorge has some fine hiking and there are plenty of nearby creeks, rivers, and lakes for kayaking and fishing. The surrounding countryside has some very scenic bicycling. Lexington has a lot of what you're looking for. Springtime in central Kentucky is just incredible. Summer is not too hot and winter is mild. We still get out cross country skiing occasionally but not every year. We live on the east side ...

My plan (albeit it nearly a decade down the road) actually goes back to your roots in Maine. While I live in Massachusetts, I bought a second home in Southern Maine about ten years ago and we'll plan to spend summers there and venture out in our country during the colder months in something like a Leisure Travel Van. My location in Maine is close to the beaches as well as Portland. The White Mountains are close enough as well. I can also be at Logan in just about two hours. While my town is not a city, it's also not very rural and has good services and shopping. Had to chime in as we have a very similar plan and timeframe although we don't already own a home in Maine. While Maine might not be the most tax-friendly retirement destination it...

lostdog wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 1:05 pm Taper in progress...

Bear trap. Watch out below!