Search found 2338 matches
- Fri May 31, 2019 9:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I afford this 2.3 million dollar home?
- Replies: 273
- Views: 34582
Re: Can I afford this 2.3 million dollar home?
I can already tell my kids don't have anywhere close to the same talent/ambition/focus I had at their ages so it's a good thing we live way beneath our means. Just curious: how can you tell? At my son's current age (13), I had already: * learned computer programming on my own from looking at source code of other programs * soldered together my own computer equipment from instructions downloaded off BBS groups because I couldn't afford to buy it myself * learned to play multiple sports without any coaching or instructions -- just from playing with friends, practicing by myself (e.g. hitting/throwing balls against the wall) and experimentation * read entire 1000 page history/science books in a day nonstop without taking a break * draw like a...
- Thu May 30, 2019 11:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I afford this 2.3 million dollar home?
- Replies: 273
- Views: 34582
Re: Can I afford this 2.3 million dollar home?
The numbers are fine .. although the comparison of $100K income to $200K house would be inaccurate since you pay far more taxes -- maybe more like $70K income to $200K with that factored in. I'd be more worried about the neighborhood and kids not getting the wrong lessons (keeping up with the Jones). Be honest -- what are the odds kids will do as well as highly accomplished parents? Imagine if kids do great in Silicon Valley making "only" $150K-$300K but accustomed to a $1M neurosurgeon lifestyle. I can already tell my kids don't have anywhere close to the same talent/ambition/focus I had at their ages so it's a good thing we live way beneath our means. I'd rather our environment teach them that scarcity is the norm versus upper c...
- Mon May 27, 2019 9:35 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: “Upsizing” are we foolish?
- Replies: 80
- Views: 12677
Re: “Upsizing” are we foolish?
My experience -- when you get a bigger house, you buy more junk to fill it up. And then the bigger house feels cramped again.
- Wed May 22, 2019 9:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Why Do Homeowners Have Higher Net Worths than Renters?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3129
Re: Why Do Homeowners Have Higher Net Worths than Renters?
Haha... I hope this isn't a troll topic.
The causal relationship is flipped.
Higher net worth people have enough money to buy homes.
The causal relationship is flipped.
Higher net worth people have enough money to buy homes.
- Wed May 22, 2019 1:22 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Computer speed question which computer is faster and why?
- Replies: 22
- Views: 2202
Re: Computer speed question which computer is faster and why?
Intel CPU lines are totally vague. Just the label Celeron/Pentium/I3/I5/I7 does not give enough info to tell you what is faster. You need to know the following: * Architecture -- new architectures may or may not be faster than older ones * Physical Cores -- 1 extra physical core is good general purpose usage, beyond that you need applications designed to utilize multipe cores * Hyperthreading Cores -- these are not as good as real cores, more like 30% of a physical one * Base GHz speed -- this is the speed you can expect your CPU to run at 99% of the time * Turbo GHz speed -- this is the speed where your CPU might burst up to run for a brief moment before it gets too hot and then has to throttle back down If I had to choose between a 2-core...
- Sun May 19, 2019 11:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: FIRE - What am I missing in the News Stories
- Replies: 223
- Views: 18956
Re: FIRE - What am I missing in the News Stories
SF and NYC also are magnets for new immigrants due to all the ethnic communities.
Surely you don't think these new immigrants are earning anything close to high incomes, right?
So if they can live there, a higher earner could in theory meet them halfway in the living expenses department.
Now redo the numbers instead of using the "my kids are GIFTED so I must spend $$$ so they can get ahead" lifestyle.
Surely you don't think these new immigrants are earning anything close to high incomes, right?
So if they can live there, a higher earner could in theory meet them halfway in the living expenses department.
Now redo the numbers instead of using the "my kids are GIFTED so I must spend $$$ so they can get ahead" lifestyle.
- Tue May 14, 2019 2:19 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Does your retirement plan work if stocks are flat or in decline for decades?
- Replies: 180
- Views: 14713
Re: Does your retirement plan work if stocks are flat or in decline for decades?
You will be in the same boat as your fellow retirees competing for the same resources.
So whether there's a long decline or long boom, you end up in roughly the same boat -- the relative amount you save compared to your fellow retirees determines what you can afford in retirement.
If like the majority of retirees saved as much as you AND guess right in putting everything in cash for this long period, then you're in trouble -- but this is totally unlikely.
So whether there's a long decline or long boom, you end up in roughly the same boat -- the relative amount you save compared to your fellow retirees determines what you can afford in retirement.
If like the majority of retirees saved as much as you AND guess right in putting everything in cash for this long period, then you're in trouble -- but this is totally unlikely.
- Sun May 05, 2019 9:38 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: I have a buddy in Australia he says he pays for each email. I never heard of this. Is this true?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 3979
Re: I have a buddy in Australia he says he pays for each email. I never heard of this. Is this true?
What a great idea. Imagine how much less spam we'd get if email was priced by each email sent. Imagine your clean inbox.
- Sun May 05, 2019 9:20 am
- Forum: Non-US Investing
- Topic: Downshift ("Barista FI") while consulting and raising kids? [Switzerland]
- Replies: 102
- Views: 14181
Re: Downshift ("Barista FI") while consulting and raising kids? [Switzerland]
The problem with the "work 5 more years" advice is in 5 more years, the same advice here will be "work another 5 more years". (This forum is totally ludicrous in this regard -- 2% SWR is like the only safe number for a Boglehead.)
If the median household only earns $50K, you can certainly ramp down spending where you can still do pretty well at "earning $50K + withdraw 31K". 31K = 2.5% SWR for a 1.25M portfolio -- and I'd be pretty comfortable about that number.
If the median household only earns $50K, you can certainly ramp down spending where you can still do pretty well at "earning $50K + withdraw 31K". 31K = 2.5% SWR for a 1.25M portfolio -- and I'd be pretty comfortable about that number.
- Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:52 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How does the Vanguard security login work (can't get into my accounts)
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1597
Re: How does the Vanguard security login work (can't get into my accounts)
Browsers update all the time -- usually automatically now by default. When that happens, cookies often get invalidated.
Cookies also have a limited lifespan. When that happens, you have to revalidate your computer again.
Cookies also have a limited lifespan. When that happens, you have to revalidate your computer again.
- Wed Feb 20, 2019 6:15 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: On this Forum, is X% of Income Saved Pre-Tax or Post-Tax?
- Replies: 95
- Views: 8334
Re: On this Forum, is X% of Income Saved Pre or Post Tax?
Post-tax (w/ pre-tax contributions added back in) makes more mathematical sense in that you can only save what you have access to. But how many people even know what their post-tax is except at tax filing time? You'd need a complex spreadsheet to keep track of this.
So it's much easier to guestimate pre-tax.
So it's much easier to guestimate pre-tax.
- Tue Feb 19, 2019 12:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: strategy to re-enter the market
- Replies: 47
- Views: 5438
Re: strategy to re-enter the market
Option 2 ... stay out of the stock market.
All you need to do is bump up your savings rate and you can get by with only relatively safe intermediate bonds.
All you need to do is bump up your savings rate and you can get by with only relatively safe intermediate bonds.
- Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: I want a new Audi A6 2018 (50k) - Can I afford it? Or is this just a really dumb decision...
- Replies: 136
- Views: 11064
Re: I want a new Audi A6 2018 (50k) - Can I afford it? Or is this just a really dumb decision...
Lexus 350 -> Audi A6 step-up? It's 1 lower-luxury mid-size sedan over another. What's the point?
It would be one thing if you switched to something different ... convertible, Tesla, top-end-luxury, whatever -- you could then say "this really stirs my soul".
$50K to get 6 months of the new car feeling ... which will promptly disappear the moment friend/coworker/family/peer gets a newer car than yours.
It would be one thing if you switched to something different ... convertible, Tesla, top-end-luxury, whatever -- you could then say "this really stirs my soul".
$50K to get 6 months of the new car feeling ... which will promptly disappear the moment friend/coworker/family/peer gets a newer car than yours.
- Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 2 years in community college, then transfer? need opinion please
- Replies: 118
- Views: 8799
Re: 2 years in community college, then transfer? need opinion please
Here's the problem. "Poor" helps you get financial aid.caffeperfavore wrote: ↑Tue Feb 12, 2019 7:11 pm My parents had nothing and I received nothing from them, which worked in my favor for financial aid. After grants, scholarships, and work study, I actually think a CC would have been a more expensive option.
Majority of parents who can't help out with college money are just paycheck-to-paycheck middle class .. and that qualifies you for nothing but loans.
- Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 2 years in community college, then transfer? need opinion please
- Replies: 118
- Views: 8799
Re: 2 years in community college, then transfer? need opinion please
I did this route at City College of San Francisco. Not every course I took there transferred over. They were $45 a class (back then) -- so I took a few extra just in case X credit transferred for this university system but Y credit was needed for that one.
Work hard & get good grades -- and you'll can transfer to a 4-year. Maybe it's not any specific 4-year but to be honest, few employers outside of law/medicine/academics care about where you went to school or what your GPA was.
Maybe it'll take 5-6 years instead of 4. So what? Would you rather start your work career at 22 with $100K of student debt or at 24 with none?
Work hard & get good grades -- and you'll can transfer to a 4-year. Maybe it's not any specific 4-year but to be honest, few employers outside of law/medicine/academics care about where you went to school or what your GPA was.
Maybe it'll take 5-6 years instead of 4. So what? Would you rather start your work career at 22 with $100K of student debt or at 24 with none?
- Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:16 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why should stocks beat bonds in the long run?
- Replies: 106
- Views: 8214
Re: Why should stocks beat bonds in the long run?
pretty much everyone has referenced the equity risk premium, but this isn't the answer. if anything, the equity premium puzzle is the question . also, saying that investors "demand" a higher return is a posteriori hogwash. look, i'm an investor, and i say, here and now before all and sundry, "I DEMAND RETURN! I DEMAND IT! DO YOU HEAR ME MARKETS?!" cool, so do i get it now? or do i have to just wait and see? I'm gonna short-circuit all the complex reasons. You can summarize it all up to wisdom of the crowds + supply & demand. A single person can't do anything. But aggregated amongst billions of people -- perceptions of risk amongst competition investment options will increase/decrease the purchase price of the invest...
- Sun Feb 10, 2019 10:03 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Is Index Investing Just Betting on The U.S Economy?
- Replies: 46
- Views: 6670
Re: Is Index Investing Just Betting on The U.S Economy?
No we aren't betting just on the U.S. Economy.
We're also betting on the fact that in capitalism, money flows to the capital owners ( see Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century ) .
So it doesn't matter if there's no growth or even negative growth ... it only matters that your proportion of the pie is growing faster than your peers.
We're also betting on the fact that in capitalism, money flows to the capital owners ( see Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century ) .
So it doesn't matter if there's no growth or even negative growth ... it only matters that your proportion of the pie is growing faster than your peers.
- Sat Feb 09, 2019 9:23 pm
- Forum: Non-US Investing
- Topic: An investment that never loses money [Malaysia]
- Replies: 13
- Views: 2987
Re: An investment that never loses money [Malaysia]
The fund is big enough where it can use pension-like accounting so returns are smoothed over multiple years to give the appearance of consistent high returns without losses. If there was a crisis, the Malaysian government "probably" would step in and backstop it.
So if I was Malaysian, I'd put my limit into it ... which appears to be 200K MYR ( 50K USD ) ... so it's not like you can go 100% on ASB even if you wanted to.
So if I was Malaysian, I'd put my limit into it ... which appears to be 200K MYR ( 50K USD ) ... so it's not like you can go 100% on ASB even if you wanted to.
- Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: 5 days in Hong Kong - Seeking travel tips
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2426
Re: 5 days in Hong Kong - Seeking travel tips
If you don't have a no-free international ATM card, the best place for USD money exchange is Chung King Mansion -- right outside Tsim Sha Shui metro station.
- Sun Jan 27, 2019 4:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Millionaire by 40 and How you Did it?
- Replies: 352
- Views: 74795
Re: Millionaire by 40 and How you Did it?
@ 40 1/2
HCOL
family + kids
1 income, no windfalls
how: 1st generation immigrant that gets self satisfaction from learning/doing stuff instead of buying stuff
HCOL
family + kids
1 income, no windfalls
how: 1st generation immigrant that gets self satisfaction from learning/doing stuff instead of buying stuff
- Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:38 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Confused on Expense Ratios
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2406
Re: Confused on Expense Ratios
25 years ago, a Edward Jones rep would have put you in 10+ different funds.
And woo! 10% of your portfolio outperformed -- too bad about the other 90%.
Although to be honest, who cares? It's only a score game. If you ended up with 2M instead of 3M, that meant the Edward Jones rep got that money and probably spent it on the economy which increased our returns. You still did ok. I mean the Boglehead philosophy is pretty much "average is enough" -- so below average would be also enough since the majority of Americans get zilch.
And woo! 10% of your portfolio outperformed -- too bad about the other 90%.
Although to be honest, who cares? It's only a score game. If you ended up with 2M instead of 3M, that meant the Edward Jones rep got that money and probably spent it on the economy which increased our returns. You still did ok. I mean the Boglehead philosophy is pretty much "average is enough" -- so below average would be also enough since the majority of Americans get zilch.
- Fri Jan 18, 2019 10:01 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
- Replies: 94
- Views: 10950
Re: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
Shrug ... $200K income buying $800K house is about par for Bay Area lifestyle.
You'll feel like everything is super tight but pretty much everybody does this other than the lucky few who make it big. Many end up building out semi-legal inlaw units in the garage -- renting it out -- and parking their cars on the streets. Some people go nuts, put bunk beds everywhere and become AirBNB slumlords and have their entire neighborhood angry at them.
The real question is whether you can get something for $800K. My response to hearing $800K is "so cheap?"
You'll feel like everything is super tight but pretty much everybody does this other than the lucky few who make it big. Many end up building out semi-legal inlaw units in the garage -- renting it out -- and parking their cars on the streets. Some people go nuts, put bunk beds everywhere and become AirBNB slumlords and have their entire neighborhood angry at them.
The real question is whether you can get something for $800K. My response to hearing $800K is "so cheap?"
- Wed Jan 16, 2019 7:12 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Swimming, do you? Advice sought.
- Replies: 91
- Views: 10978
Re: Swimming, do you? Advice sought.
Some of my hints -- I'm self-taught in all strokes through experimentation and watching Youtube videos -- so I know all the good & bad techniques. Breast stroke -- aim down with a deep lungful of air -- and the air in the lungs becomes a bouyant force pushing you up. So you end up with a rhythm of 2 underwater strokes and then 1 up to take a breath. During the glide, have your body as straight as possible so you're an arrow slicing through the water. What this means is you don't do the pull + kick at the same time as you want your arms straight out when kicking. This will give you the least resistance and use the least energy possible to get your laps. Backstroke -- keep the lungs filled with air so you act like a floating device -- tak...
- Sat Jan 12, 2019 9:00 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Emerging markets cannot be fairly valued and investors are better off elsewhere: Change my mind :)
- Replies: 128
- Views: 11565
- Fri Jan 11, 2019 11:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Anyone raised 3 kids WITHOUT buying a 3-row vehicle?
- Replies: 81
- Views: 10951
Re: Anyone raised 3 kids WITHOUT buying a 3-row vehicle?
When we were growing up, we (4 kids) had to take public transportation the entire time.
- Thu Jan 03, 2019 2:06 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Living Abroad - Who's done it?
- Replies: 90
- Views: 13852
Re: Living Abroad - Who's done it?
If "decent" means an expat lifestyle, San Francisco/Manhattan white collar incomes would be decent for Hong Kong also.
A decent Konger lifestyle -- small apartments, taking the metro, eating out where the staff only speaks Chinese, etc. -- $5000 USD/mo more or less would be fine.
There's lots of foreign manual labor/service/household workers who live on $1000-$1500 USD/mo and it's pretty harsh.
- Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:31 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How to afford a sports car?
- Replies: 128
- Views: 12284
Re: How to afford a sports car?
If you want a sports car, earn more money in order to afford it.
- Sat Dec 29, 2018 8:25 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: muni bonds
- Replies: 31
- Views: 4477
Re: muni bonds
There are many muni bond ETFs -- many of them can be traded at no cost at Fidelity.ericcohen wrote: ↑Fri Dec 28, 2018 3:11 pm Looks like I can't invest in VWIUX as I'm with Fidelity. They let me pick VWTUX. The ER is higher for that one and a high commission. Not the end of the world though.
For all those talking about diversification, why can't I get diversification in a 100k bond portfolio. With that amount one could reasonably hold anywhere from 25-50 individual issues. Why isn't that enough?
As for why $100K is not enough to be diversified:
http://rpgplanner.com/individual-bonds/
- Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:19 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Nuveen Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund - 2.94% TAX FREE?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1949
Re: Nuveen Strategic Municipal Opportunities Fund - 2.94% TAX FREE?
States can issue bonds .. and due to the Constitution's separation of powers, the federal government cannot tax interest generated by state muni bonds. Likewise, the state governments cannot tax interest from federal Treasury bonds. Now states can tax other states' muni bonds -- and they usually opt to not tax their own but tax those outside -- so for example somebody who lives in California can avoid both state & federal taxes by buying California muni bonds. Muni bonds have defaulted in the past. The word "muni" is a collective word -- it can mean bonds issued by the State of California or it could mean bonds issued by the Palmas Alta Sewer District. It could mean interest paid from state taxes or only from specific service ...
- Thu Dec 27, 2018 6:58 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why call them "losses" when you still own the shares?
- Replies: 103
- Views: 6558
Re: Why call them "losses" when you still own the shares?
The problem with the words loss/gain are the anchor point. The value of your portfolio dropped 5% these past 3 months -- but it went up 250% the past 5 years. Do you have a loss -- even if you sell -- because you didn't get the absolutely maximum gain?
That's why I just go with fluctuated market values. It's immaterial whether I have losses or gains -- total nominal value is all that is important to me. If I end up with X -- and I have an overall % loss but it's still enough -- well that means I just don't have any bragging rights.
That's why I just go with fluctuated market values. It's immaterial whether I have losses or gains -- total nominal value is all that is important to me. If I end up with X -- and I have an overall % loss but it's still enough -- well that means I just don't have any bragging rights.
- Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:42 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why call them "losses" when you still own the shares?
- Replies: 103
- Views: 6558
Re: Why call them "losses" when you still own the shares?
I don't call them neither losses nor gains.
I say the contribution/distribution-adjusted nominal value of my portfolio has increased or decreased compared to X point in time.
I say the contribution/distribution-adjusted nominal value of my portfolio has increased or decreased compared to X point in time.
- Tue Dec 25, 2018 12:53 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How is Vanguard Prime Money Market earning over 2%
- Replies: 27
- Views: 5701
Re: How is Vanguard Prime Money Market earning over 2%
The hover over on Vanguard's page says 7-days for SEC yield and just a generic "past periods" for compound yield. 7-day period is probably a more accurate indicator on the direction of MMF interest rates.Jesteroftheswamp wrote: ↑Mon Dec 24, 2018 1:43 am Wouldn’t the compound yield (as opposed to SEC yield) on the fund page be closer in comparison to a banks stated APY?
- Sun Dec 23, 2018 11:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: I made a mistake by not selling when the market was high this year
- Replies: 165
- Views: 25717
Re: I made a mistake by not selling when the market was high this year
If you wanted to buy Fund A but you clicked on Fund B, you made a mistake.
If you knew the market was at a high AT THAT MOMENT and you didn't sell, then you made a mistake.
If you only see market movements after-the-fact, that is not a "mistake".
- Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:11 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: When did the musicians on the titanic realize their fate?
- Replies: 132
- Views: 13439
Re: When did the musicians on the titanic realize their fate?
What are the conditions where people on this site become concerned? Everyone can talk about staying the course etc, but even the most diehard buy and hold must have some loss limit or set of conditions (stocks and bonds fall together) where they become a little concerned. To be honest, I'm not against market timing ... but it takes a special mentality to be able to successfully pull off "buy low, sell high". When the world was completely falling apart in early 2009, did you buy more? And not only buy more but buy the worse performing sector -- REIT which dropped 60% and ended up rebounding +500%? Earlier this year -- after a HISTORICALLY long bull run and 9 months of sideways performance, did you get an inkling that a drop was in...
- Sun Dec 23, 2018 8:17 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How is Vanguard Prime Money Market earning over 2%
- Replies: 27
- Views: 5701
Re: How is Vanguard Prime Money Market earning over 2%
Performance page shows past performance. Does your bank tell you past interest rate or what you will earn going forward?Jesteroftheswamp wrote: ↑Sun Dec 23, 2018 7:46 pm I’ve been advised to use Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund however according to the Performance page it’s earning under 2% annually - less than I earn from the bank. Can someone shed some light on this?
Look at SEC yield on the fund info page to get the equivalent going forward APY.
- Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:33 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: "Stay the course" is rational -- but is it reasonable?
- Replies: 43
- Views: 6628
Re: "Stay the course" is rational -- but is it reasonable?
Staying the course is a horrible option.
It's unfortunately the best of even worse options.
It's unfortunately the best of even worse options.
- Wed Dec 19, 2018 5:08 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Bull market is over, run for cover says Alan Greenspan
- Replies: 41
- Views: 7157
Re: Bull market is over, run for cover says Alan Greenspan
If you feel this was true, what's then the action plan based on Greenspan's comments?
Sell off 50% of your stock and then buy back into the market on a 18-month DCA schedule starting 6 months from now?
(Although it would have been nicer to have this forecast in Jan-Aug when you could have sold at highs.)
Sell off 50% of your stock and then buy back into the market on a 18-month DCA schedule starting 6 months from now?
(Although it would have been nicer to have this forecast in Jan-Aug when you could have sold at highs.)
- Tue Dec 18, 2018 1:33 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Investing a lump sum in today's market climate
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2953
Re: Investing a lump sum in today's market climate
Put it in a Vanguard money market fund right now.
Make a 2 year DCA schedule to transfer from MMF to your target stock funds every 3 months.
Make a 2 year DCA schedule to transfer from MMF to your target stock funds every 3 months.
- Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How to learn a second language
- Replies: 128
- Views: 19206
Re: How to learn a second language
I'm using 全民K歌 to sing Karaoke songs in foreign languages.
* kg.qq.com
* kg.qq.com
- Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Will new 5G technology allow us to jettison cable tv or phone co. and/or allow more competition to push down prices
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1688
- Sun Dec 02, 2018 10:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: My mutual funds are declining, please help!
- Replies: 54
- Views: 6446
Re: My mutual funds are declining, please help!
You must run in different circles if this is not a rare scenario.stocknoob4111 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 02, 2018 9:15 am It's not a rare scenario as the initial capital could be big compared to ongoing contributions, initial amount being new money brought to the market... happens all the time.
Using the backtest calc. say you had an initial balance of $350k in 2000, then had ongoing contributions of $500/month all through 2010. The inflation adjusted CAGR is -0.26%, so you would be at a loss a DECADE later with a 100% S&P500 portfolio. Adjust to 80/20 stocks/bonds and now the inflation adjusted CAGR is 1.09%... better but still ridiculously lousy.
- Sun Dec 02, 2018 5:23 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: My mutual funds are declining, please help!
- Replies: 54
- Views: 6446
Re: My mutual funds are declining, please help!
people are afraid of crashes because it can potentially cause financial ruin even if you stay the course... 2000-2013 was flat inflation adjusted, that is 13 whole years with nothing to show for it while taking substantial capital risk. If one would've sinply put their money in a risk free CD they would've done better. Yes, other decades have done much better but the fear is we will have another 15 flat years because all the gains have been front loaded to 2010-2018. This math is for somebody invested a single lumpsum at a single point in time -- pretty rare scenario (unless you were lucky enough to BE ABLE to sell off your dotcom shares before the crash). The way most portfolios accumulate, the most recent years are the most important. 70...
- Thu Nov 29, 2018 8:56 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Does 100% stocks make sense for very high net worth individuals
- Replies: 148
- Views: 20862
Re: Does 100% stocks make sense for very high net worth individuals
Seems like this question is for HNW Bogleheads who continue to spend as if they only had a LNW or MNW.
Most HNW individuals -- no longer in their earnings peak -- need a semi-consistent portfolio to fund their HNW lifestyles.
Most HNW individuals -- no longer in their earnings peak -- need a semi-consistent portfolio to fund their HNW lifestyles.
- Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What are piano exams? (For the piano parents)
- Replies: 1
- Views: 582
Re: What are piano exams? (For the piano parents)
In some countries, passing piano exams will give you school credits.
Music conservatories will want to see piano exams.
Beyond that, it's just paying money for your kids to learn how to play under a different type of pressure.
Music conservatories will want to see piano exams.
Beyond that, it's just paying money for your kids to learn how to play under a different type of pressure.
- Mon Nov 26, 2018 10:46 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Worst investing year ever....
- Replies: 103
- Views: 19771
Re: Worst investing year ever....
Diversification down is not the only important issue. Diversification up also is. When things rebound, not all stock classes rebound in the same magnitude. After 2002, international rebounded more -- especially EM which went up 90% in 2003. After 2008, US rebounded more -- especially REITs. Getting 250% instead of just 125% makes a huge difference for your portfolio recovery after a downturn. (Yeah, if you guessed right each time, you could have gotten 400%.)
- Mon Nov 26, 2018 7:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Can someone explain what's going on [with the stock market]?
- Replies: 96
- Views: 15270
Re: Can someone explain what's going on [with the stock market]?
In the short term, there is no explanation.
In the long term (30+ years), you can explain what went on after the fact.
In the long term (30+ years), you can explain what went on after the fact.
- Sun Nov 25, 2018 8:20 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What financial information do you share with your family and relatives?
- Replies: 112
- Views: 12160
Re: What financial information do you share with your family and relatives?
I find it's easier to be open with your financial numbers if you are a small business owner. Americans worship at the myth of the independent frontier trailblazer and being a small business owner is the closest thing we can do in modern life. There's none of the envy or requests because you can always say "... sorry, during bad stretches, I had to take X from our savings to cover payroll".
Hence when friends try to guess my income/networth, I usually joke and say they're way too low.
Hence when friends try to guess my income/networth, I usually joke and say they're way too low.
- Thu Nov 22, 2018 6:26 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Can someone explain what's going on [with the stock market]?
- Replies: 96
- Views: 15270
Re: Can someone explain what's going on [with the stock market]?
Everybody has their own explanations for ups & downs from their view points. But since we all only see a tiny tiny tiny slice from our biased viewpoints, it can't explain anything. But you then aggregate it all together into the wisdom of the crowd, it can explain everything.
Except there is no way to ask the collective mind hive ... we can only see the effects as asset prices going up or down.
So that's the "explanation". We in our 0.0000000000001% part of the collective human mind hive are controlling the stock market prices.
Except there is no way to ask the collective mind hive ... we can only see the effects as asset prices going up or down.
So that's the "explanation". We in our 0.0000000000001% part of the collective human mind hive are controlling the stock market prices.
- Thu Nov 22, 2018 6:21 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Need A Chromebook Recommendation
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2053
Re: Need A Chromebook Recommendation
I have both the Acer Flip 11 and Acer Spin 15.
The Acer Spin 15 is really nice ... but man it's gigantic.
The Acer Spin 15 is really nice ... but man it's gigantic.
- Wed Nov 21, 2018 2:00 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Is my husband ready to quit tenured professorship to pursue side hustle?
- Replies: 95
- Views: 12405
Re: Is my husband ready to quit tenured professorship to pursue side hustle?
Hehe, this is BH. Anybody not coming here with a 2% SWR will be told they need more money. My 1st thoughts -- 1M+ portfolio plus a year's salary as separate bonus? Take the early retirement bonus. My 2nd thought -- download a Social Security bend point calculator. If your husband has already passed the 2nd bend point, each additional SS taxed paid only increases benefits by a bit ... only 15% of earnings are counted (or it'll bump a previous earnings year from 35% down to 15%). If I was given the opportunity to work longer to pay $6600 into SS to get credit for $16K of salary earned instead of $107K ... uhhh, no thanks. (Just did the calculation for myself, every additional year of paying the maximum into social security will increase my be...