Search found 78 matches

by etc06
Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:53 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can someone help me understand why VGSH is so popular?
Replies: 20
Views: 6172

Re: Can someone help me understand why VGSH is so popular?

Since VGSH invests in treasury bonds, the dividends are exempt from state taxes. So it may be more beneficial to own these in a state with higher tax rates.
by etc06
Tue Mar 15, 2022 2:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: hydronic baseboard heating
Replies: 34
Views: 4242

Re: hydronic baseboard heating

Nyc10036 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:38 pm A forced air heating system has a filter that needs changing.

Does a hydronic baseboard heating system also have one? And where would it be?
No filter to change since it's a closed loop filled with water.
Nyc10036 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:38 pm
etc06 wrote: Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:20 pm We have an air handler in our attic, but it's for the "central" AC which cools the upstairs of the house via ductwork in our attic that terminates in ceiling vents. Needless to say, our basement can get pretty warm in the summer. Perhaps that house has a similar set-up?
It sounds that is what is in the attic is for the AC.
The agent mentions something like that?
This is a ranch house with no upstairs, so I am not certain.
My house is a ranch too. I said 'upstairs' but meant it as 'not the basement'.
by etc06
Sun Mar 13, 2022 7:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: hydronic baseboard heating
Replies: 34
Views: 4242

Re: hydronic baseboard heating

I have hydronic baseboard heating and am fairly happy with it. It's also a bonus to have indirect water heater as part of the system.

The system does seem to have more parts that can go wrong when compared to a furnace. We have 3 zones in our ranch house (front of house, back of house, basement) and it's been nice to be able to independently control each zone based on occupancy and time of day.

We have an air handler in our attic, but it's for the "central" AC which cools the upstairs of the house via ductwork in our attic that terminates in ceiling vents. Needless to say, our basement can get pretty warm in the summer. Perhaps that house has a similar set-up?
by etc06
Thu Nov 18, 2021 8:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Top Loader Washing Machines
Replies: 85
Views: 10395

Re: Top Loader Washing Machines

We had a GE front-loader that was here when we moved into our house. No idea how old it was, but the gasket tore one day and was leaking water onto the basement floor. Luckily I was nearby to hear it and turn it off.

Because of that experience we knew we wanted a top-loader. We researched a bit and narrowed it down to a Speed Queen or Whirlpool Cabrio (this was about 8 or so years ago). Since we have a family of five, we went with the Cabrio since it had a larger capacity. We've been happy with it since, no issues.
by etc06
Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:40 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: REGISTRATION FOR 2012 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST
Replies: 408
Views: 30745

Re: REGISTRATION FOR 2012 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST

I'm guessing 1339.
by etc06
Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:12 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: madsinger monthly report (May 2011)
Replies: 10
Views: 2290

From the OP: The 3 fund is 50/30/20 Total Stock/Total Int'l/Total Bond.
by etc06
Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: NY 529 plan (Vanguard) cuts fees dramatically
Replies: 21
Views: 4121

Thanks for posting this great news. I'm planning to open an account and transfer my other 529 into this one.
by etc06
Fri May 21, 2010 10:43 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What are some good online savings accounts?
Replies: 52
Views: 10544

Sallie Mae is offering 1.40% savings account with no minimum and no fees.

Anyone have an opinion on them?
by etc06
Mon May 10, 2010 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Why centenarians are so content
Replies: 0
Views: 700

Why centenarians are so content

Why Centenarians Are So Content

It's nice to be reminded about the big picture of life and happiness.
by etc06
Thu May 06, 2010 3:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: WOW - The Dow is Crashing - down 900 points so far today!
Replies: 222
Views: 32158

meh

Just louder noise...wake me up when the S&P hits the 600s again.
by etc06
Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:00 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 65
Views: 8751

Nobody knows but everyone can guess. So, my guess for the S&P500 over the next 10 years is around 1% real. 10 year TIPS currently yield about 1.5% real.

Definitely not an ideal environment for us in the accumulation phase. :?

So taking my guess with a grain of salt, my plan is to
- save and diversify as much as possible
- rebalance to my target asset allocation as needed
- make extra payments towards mortgage principal
- hope for lower stock prices
- tune out the rest of the noise
by etc06
Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:43 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Larry S. on Bonds and Interest Rates
Replies: 32
Views: 7420

bcboy57 wrote:I cannot find the Vanguard article you to which you alluded.
Could you supply us with a reference to that article.....thanks, Doug
I think this is the Vanguard article tc101 mentioned:
"Bear flattening" could surprise bond investors in 2010
by etc06
Thu Mar 04, 2010 7:48 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: madsinger monthly report
Replies: 11
Views: 3739

Thanks for keeping us updated on the various portfolios.

I know I check for your post every month and compare my portfolio. Not that I'm a performance chaser, more of a check for red flags if I have a larger loss (or gain) than portfolios with similar allocations.
by etc06
Thu Mar 04, 2010 7:28 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best Choice for Bond Fund
Replies: 9
Views: 3063

It's been said on these forums that you should view your choices not individually, but as a part of your entire portfolio. Stable value funds are just that - stable. The price remains the same and you collect dividends similar to a money market fund. However, the price of the total bond fund will fluctuate with the market. In my case, I found my stock and bond fund choices were less correlated than the stock and stable value funds. This resulted in a smoother ride with the bond fund, which was counter-intuitive to me at first. However, at the end of the day the choice is yours and will likely not make a huge difference. I'd pick the one or combination of the two funds that you are most comfortable with and that you will be able to stick wit...
by etc06
Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Feedback on which brokerage to choose, please.
Replies: 8
Views: 2399

nisiprius wrote:TIAA-CREF.

They're trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, and THRIFTY.
But are they brave, clean, and reverent? :D
by etc06
Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:37 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Looking at the "Real" Dow Jones Average
Replies: 14
Views: 3665

fluffyistaken wrote:It's amazing how the market changes from a buy to a sell depending on whether those trend lines are drawn a little to the left or a little to the right.
You're right, all of the graphs use differing time ranges.

Lbill's goes from 1800 - 2007
bob's is from 1871 - 2005
ddb's is from 1909 - 2009

ddb's is most current, but with 100 years of points contains the least amount of historical data.
by etc06
Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: limited bond fund choices
Replies: 8
Views: 1635

Thanks for the suggestions

Thanks for all of the great suggestions :D I wouldn't choose any of the three funds for the reasons you cited. Thanks, its good to know I'm not being too dismissive about these funds. I'd probably do fine with either Vanguard GNMA or Pimco Total Return if no other options were available. The first question is what is your desired equity/bond portfolio mix? Do you have access to all of the TR funds from Target Retirement Income through TR2050? I'm comfortable with a 70 equity/30 fixed mix, with 2040 as my best guess for beginning retirement. And all of the Target Retirement funds are available in the plan. If you know what AA you'd like why not find a TR fund that meets AA today. I would combine TR Income (30% equity) with TR 2030 (83% equit...
by etc06
Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:28 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: limited bond fund choices
Replies: 8
Views: 1635

limited bond fund choices

In my 401k I've decided on a Vanguard Target Retirement fund for the bulk of my savings. However, I'd feel more comfortable with a higher percentage in bonds than is currently offered in the TR fund that has a glide path I like. So I'm looking to supplement the TR fund with additional percentage in bonds (e.g. x% TR2030 + y% in bonds) instead of selecting a different TR fund that has a higher allocation to bonds (e.g. picking 100% TR2020 instead of 100% TR2030). The bond funds available to me are Vanguard High-Yield Corp. (VWEHX), Vanguard GNMA (VFIIX), and PIMCO Total Return (PTTRX). I value safety, diversification, and low costs in my bond funds. It appears each one of the funds offers one of these advantages. High-Yield has too much cred...
by etc06
Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:35 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Target Retirement Funds
Replies: 36
Views: 8351

I have 100% of my 401k in a VG Target Retirement fund. The majority of the fund choices in the plan are actively managed with higher expenses.

I don't think the TR funds are missing that much from a diversification standpoint. IIRC, 20% of the equity portion is non-US and was chosen by VG as a balance between maximizing the diversification benefits while minimizing tracking error from the major US indexes (Dow, S&P 500). The thought being too much tracking error will cause investors to not stick to their plan.
by etc06
Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:56 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is your expecting annual gains?
Replies: 29
Views: 4308

My crystal ball says 5% nominal for equities and 3% for bonds over the next ten years, with 1.5% inflation built in.

Now, check back in ten years to see how accurate my estimates are. :D
by etc06
Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Cheapskate has tips for saving $20,000 a year
Replies: 23
Views: 5087

Easy way to save $40k+ is to buy a Toyota Carolla instead of a Cadillac Escalade.

Retailers stating you'll save by spending less on their products than on their competitors is one of my biggest pet peeves. In my book, if you're saved money then you now have more than you did before. Shocking, but that ain't gonna happen by spending money.

Sorry for the rant.
by etc06
Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Center for Retirement Research papers
Replies: 2
Views: 1284

Thanks for the link.

In the past I've seen some research papers in the Institutional section of Vanguard's website.

Here's a link to the research area.

Good stuff!
by etc06
Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:31 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: stock market historically bottoms 5 months before economy
Replies: 23
Views: 4256

chaz wrote:
hewhomustnotbenamed wrote:
chaz wrote:Are we near the bottom?



Without govt intervention , s&p 692 would shake out all of the weak hands.
So that's what I'm rooting for happening.
I have a strong hand. I will not be shaken out. Is the bottom near?
If you are near the bottom and its attached to those who got us in this mess, then please use your strong hand and discipline it.
by etc06
Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bond Market vs US Treasury Bond
Replies: 9
Views: 3342

I also went with inter-term US treasuries after seeing how various bond funds changed the risk profile of the entire portfolio using Simba's spreadsheet.
by etc06
Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:34 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2 Questions on Don't Listen to Suze Orman Article
Replies: 41
Views: 9068

...and stocks are on sale.
What do you mean by "on sale"? That they're cheaper now than in October 2007? If so, aren't they cheaper for a reason?

Also, DCA is a wonderful tool for those of us that are contributing money towards a retirement fund as we earn income. What other reasonable choice is there?
by etc06
Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Organize and Protect Financial System
Replies: 9
Views: 4546

You may want to read reviews on Amazon. I don't know about Suze Orman's kit, but I was recently looking at Quicken WillMaker Plus 2009 by Nolo. I've read in the past that Nolo provides pretty decent materials for the "do-it-yourself" types.
by etc06
Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:44 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Tobin's q update
Replies: 24
Views: 3004

Rodc wrote:1) The market is not a screaming buy according to these guys. I continue to be amazed that some former Buy and Hold Bogleheads have tossed out their plans to dive into stocks at this point because of some perception that now is a great time to load up on stocks. Where does that perception come from?
My guess is recency bias. The US market has dropped 37% in the past year so therefore everything's cheap now and we'll see a return to the mean? I don't buy it either and definitely wouldn't bet the farm on it. What if stocks were expensive before, but are now priced correctly?
by etc06
Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: My financial christmas wish: Fix the credit rating agencies
Replies: 3
Views: 1154

My holiday wish is all investors (individuals and institutions) are required to take a test on different securities in order to have access to them. They will need to identify what they are, how they work, and the risks involved.
by etc06
Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:57 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Fed Cuts Key Interest Rate To Between Zero and 0.25%
Replies: 22
Views: 5019

Does this mean yields should come down? Logic would seem we should see this in the shortest durations first.

Assuming nothing else changed, wouldn't the equity premium now be larger with both newer bond yields and the cost to borrow falling?
by etc06
Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:11 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Target-date funds & near retirees and such
Replies: 28
Views: 4567

I found Vanguard's interview with Catherine Gordon, the principal in charge of Vanguard's Investment Counseling & Research group, on why they made the changes to increase the equity exposure and add emerging markets.

The article was posted on March 20, 2006, the day they announced the addition of the even year TR funds and changes to the existing TR funds.
by etc06
Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The current credit crisis and more "skin in the game&qu
Replies: 0
Views: 695

The current credit crisis and more "skin in the game&qu

I'm by no means an expert on the subject, but couldn't the cause for the credit crisis and it's effects be boiled down to a lack of "skin in the game" on multiple levels? 1. Borrowers were allowed to take out home mortgages with a minimal down payment. If they are unable to make a payment, it's no big deal to walk away from the loans. 2. Banks were allowed to collateralize mortgages and sell them off. Once passed on, there was no longer any concern on the banks part if the loans defaulted. This means there was limited incentive for banks to make responsible loans to borrowers. 3. Ratings firms did not correctly assess and rate the collateralized mortgages mentioned in #2 above. As a result, investors in these vehicles may not have...
by etc06
Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:09 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Why do companies pay dividends?
Replies: 35
Views: 9530

Also, the way some companies are being run these days I'd rather get a dividend than trust them to invest the same money wisely in the company.
by etc06
Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: How do index funds avoid overvaluation of underlying stock?
Replies: 7
Views: 1977

Don't forget you can diversify and rebalance among funds in different asset classes to mitigate bubbles.

For example, come up with an asset allocation and then buy you funds. For example you could buy a total US market fund (VTSMX), a total international fund (VGTSX), and a total bond fund (VBMFX).

When the US market does well (2000), rebalance by buying more int'l and bond funds. When all equities tank (2008), rebalance by shifting bond money into the equity funds.

The long-term goal is to buy funds when they're low and sell when they're high. Rebalancing to your original allocation when they're "out-of-whack" is one way to do this.
by etc06
Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:34 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is your current Age and Asset Allocation?
Replies: 106
Views: 20965

Early 30's and allocated according to equity = age-20.

Everything is in Target Retirement 2040:
---------------------------------------------
72% Total US Stock
10% Europe Stock
4% Pacific Stock
4% Emerging Stock
10% Total US Bond

The recent downturn has been tough to watch. I remind myself I'm invested for the long-term, but it's difficult to ignore the short term and the talking heads when the news is everywhere.
by etc06
Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Money 101 site
Replies: 0
Views: 868

Money 101 site

I just ran across the following site. I haven't read much of it, but it looks like a good place to find general information on personal finance subjects.

A step by step guide to gaining control of your financial life

Some of the topics include information on:
Budgeting
Investing
Buying a home or car
Controlling debt
Saving for college
Taxes
Insurance (health, life, car, home)
Estate planning
Taxes
by etc06
Fri Oct 31, 2008 9:05 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TIPS have least risk of any security, so also least return?
Replies: 15
Views: 4010

explain the deflationary risk of TIPS...

Could someone explain the risk of deflation on TIPS? According to the treasury direct web site:
At the maturity of a TIPS, you receive the adjusted principal or the original principal, whichever is greater. This provision protects you against deflation.
So it sounds like you can't lose your principal in a deflationary environment. What am I missing?
by etc06
Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:32 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: article you might find of interest-anatomy of a crisis
Replies: 6
Views: 1765

thanks...

Thanks for the "back-to-basics" article. It's a good reminder to stick to a well-thought out plan and use the methods that have worked over time.
by etc06
Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Grammatical Term For Niece/Nephew?
Replies: 13
Views: 3823

ok

OK, niblings could work.

So now for a niece or nephew, what's an easy term for an aunt and uncle?

Maybe it's just easier to use 'relatives' for all these tricky cases.
by etc06
Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: rate increase by fed now would be a good thing for market
Replies: 3
Views: 1907

The goal of the FOMC is price stability and sustainable economic growth. With the housing crisis and credit issues on one side and inflationary pressures on the other, the FOMC is currently stuck between a rock and a hard place.
by etc06
Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:19 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: madsinger monthly report
Replies: 6
Views: 3843

On the bright side, look at those nice CAGR numbers since 2003!

Thanks for making these numbers available.
by etc06
Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:09 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard's Plan Beyond Global Index Fund
Replies: 16
Views: 3392

I think it's telling that right after talking about the global index fund they talk about high volatility and turnover in other index funds.

Since there's been a few years of favorable returns for non-US equities, people will feel more comfortable investing in the global index fund.

I think this could be a "Good Thing". It could hopefully cause more people to stay globally diversified when US equities eventually start picking up, leading to less volatility and turnover between US and non-US funds in the future.
by etc06
Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What about commodity futures and commodity funds?
Replies: 66
Views: 18301

From a Vanguard research white paper on the role of commodities in a portfolio: Conclusion Commodity futures investments have attractive historical return characteristics: high average returns, high correlation with inflation, and low correlation with traditional asset classes. As a result, over the last 23 years through 2006, investors would have benefited from an allocation to a broad-market commodity futures investment. A large contributor to differences in commodity futures returns is the return derived from rolling futures contracts before they expire. This roll return is positive when futures markets are backwardated and negative when markets are in contango. Many markets (such as those for energy contracts) have been consistently bac...
by etc06
Tue Jun 03, 2008 2:00 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Morningstar Gone?
Replies: 98
Views: 38457

My only suggestion is to change the background color away from the light yellow. The contrast between the yellow and blue links does not seem big enough. I guess it seems more evident now that the M* posts are gone from the homepage.

Just my $.02
by etc06
Thu May 29, 2008 1:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My "ultimate" credit card portfolio plan
Replies: 28
Views: 8202

Thanks for starting this thread.

I had looked at the PenFed Cashback Visa card awhile back, but didn't pull the trigger. Now that gas prices are up quite a bit, I'll probably apply.
by etc06
Wed May 28, 2008 12:03 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: FOMC Forecasts GDP, Unemployment, Inflation for 2008-2010
Replies: 11
Views: 3055

Of course the US may already have unemployment numbers similar to other countries, depending on how you define "unemployed".

Someone else recently posted the article Numbers Racket: Why the economy is worse than we know, written by the political commentator Kevin Phillips.

In it he explains how the US unemployment, GNP, and inflation numbers have all become "fudged" over the past half century. I found the article interesting and eye-opening.

To see the FOMC projecting times will be worse makes it that much more disheartening.

I wonder if other countries have adopted many of these new definitions of economic indicators?