Bogleheads.org

thanks for the replies

Using HRB 2022 software to prepare my taxes.

When I open HRB 2021 to view my prior years taxes it has an 'update' available.

I am wondering if I should NOT do the update?

Does it update the 2021 software to the 2022 tax code somehow? or? if so, it seems like one should skip the update in the old software as to not create errors in the 2021 return?

Hope I'm wording this understandably.

I realize I can just view my PDFs from last year but wondered about this, esp if one needs to amend a past return years down the road.

Thanks.

123 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 11:27 am I think a lot of cash is sitting in banks at low rates simply because rates were low for so long and many depositers have not yet woken up to the current interest rate environment. It may not be in the best interest of banks to wake their customers up to the availability of higher rates since deposits could flee.

Could this fuel the current 'bank crisis'? meaning, if everyone pulled their funds from their bank to move to MMFs or similar at VG or other brokerage.

tibbitts wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 3:06 pm It's kind of amusing that we always get these "don't go cheap on tires" posts. Bogleheads certainly are discriminating on tire safety for their '83 Corollas with 450k miles.

that is the daily LOL.

OP- depending on the car (mileage, age, where you live, what type of driving you do urban/commute/rural etc) I may try a set.

$73/mo is way high. Had YTTV years back when it launched, good service, but the price increases have become crazy.
As with any streaming service, probably 60-70% of the channels I never use. Pretty frustrating.

roguewarrior0 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 4:23 pm Sorry for newbie question, I have been checking the forum and saw conflicting information.

• Ultimately, is VMFXX (Vanguard Federal Money Market aka Vanguad Settlement Funds) safe?

I define safe not based whether the return can go up or down but rather the risk that what I think is in cash (Vanguard settlement) will still be there at the end of this.

FDIC means to me that if the bank goes belly up, I still get my money up to $250k. VMFXX is in short-term government rates so does that mean I am basically ok if US doesn't default on national debt? So is my risk really that US doesn't fund come to a budget agreement and defaults?

old thread but in current environment with bank failures the norm on daily news, good question.

...we may act if we find the right house where we don't feel like we're overpaying by much. Could be 1 month, 3 month, or end of year - no rush. Am no expert, though if you're moving chunks of cash to and fro looking for higher returns, it could affect your ability to use it as a downpayment as it needs to be seasoned. https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/seasoning-requirements/#down-payment ...lenders have increasingly required that the down payment be seasoned...That means that the down payment funds must have existed in the borrower’s bank account for a specific amount of time, usually at least 60 days. “A lender wants to see that a borrower didn’t obtain these down payment funds from a temporary or fraudulent source simply to qualify for...

not sure if its just my area, but, they seem to be building self-storages all over the place here. Not sure why. Anyone having a similar experience?

tc101 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 1:14 pm I am not sure what is meant my activating the phone. Is that when you switch your phone number from the old phone to the new phone?

Do you have to go to the phone store to activate?

Can do at home, no need for store.
IRT activating - basically yes, then the new phone works (can place calls) and the old one does not.

Video here: https://www.verizon.com/support/how-to- ... ice-video/ and instructions are included w/ the new phone (at least if you get it from Verizon it will).

Chuck wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 6:17 pm My strategy:

• Buy a used phone for $100-$150 on eBay from a seller with over 10,000 or maybe even 100,000 sales.
• Be prepared to send back the first or even second phone if a function doesn't work or its too scratched. A high volume seller like that will accept the return with no questions.
• When you get a solid one, keep the phone for 3-4 years

can buy a brand new phone at Verizon for same or less, if not free. To me, Ebay can be sketchy as it is, I can't imagine buying a used phone and accessing email and personal accounts on it. Never.

tc101 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:43 pm All three stores had loud music blaring and were unpleasant places because of the noise. Is this common everywhere or just my bad luck today? How do you find a calm quiet place to talk to an intelligent sales person? I would pay a little extra to avoid the noise.

lol. I rarely go into a Verizon store. Login to your Verizon account and click on 'shop' at the top of the screen then at left 'deals' or 'devices'. They usually have some good deals if you order directly thru Verizon, then you activate at home.

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bmcgin wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 4:57 pm Double checking things, 2 VG MMAs are posting top yields:

VMFXX - 4.43 / 4.53
VMRXX - 4.44 / 4.53

Both have a $3,000 minimum.

just looked at ETrade, VUSXX yield is now higher than VMFXX

student wrote: ↑Sat Feb 25, 2023 2:09 pm This brings me to the next question.

I assume such a gap is not a big issue?

Thanks again for your help.

Is there a drop outlet installed in the gutter? See image. It doesn't look like it, and the downspout is the wrong size. That install would not sit w/ me personally.

Am no expert on bonds but this video on (of all places) Marketwatch was worth 3 mins of time. He talks about bonds in 2022.

Also, who is "St Louis Fred"? Humor at 2:42 at bottom of screen. Guessing it was an autocorrect error.

https://www.marketwatch.com/video/secto ... E5730.html

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biscuit5 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:30 pm just got my American Family renewal and its 15% higher then last year, no claims. Anyone else w/ AF having this level of increase?

Unsure if this is normal for the current fiscal environment (material shortages, home value increases in value the past year etc).

if the increase was 5%, but 15%....?

responding to myself. Homeowners went up 20% just got the bill for 2023. Huge hail through here last June most folks got new roofs and such. Also reading Amfam started paying all employees a minimum of $23/hr last summer, 2nd such increase in two years. Leaves one wondering....

yeah, you're right. the main drawbacks are - more expensive and needs some math to see if it pays off, it may not noisy needs a condensate drain (which will be new for most people coming from plain electric). I've seen this be a deal breaker for an attic install, it was a bridge too far to add a condensate pump and very long line side exit hookups. this was quite annoying for me and a big part of my $200 install materials cost. if you have space you can just daisy chain a few supply lines though units are much bigger than older plain electric models (I think thicker insulation plus the heat pump on top). mine barely fit in all dimensions. I needed to move my electric wall exit higher too, which barely had enough length to still reach witho...

if you're replacing an electric water heater today it's worth considering a "hybrid" (heat pump+resistive) water heater. they have some pluses and minuses but will commonly save a ton of money within just a few years, even quicker if you have a local rebate for them mine just installed with a healthy local rebate will pay off in about one year and has a ten year warranty, easy choice Interesting. I looked up the Rheem model...it looks like the water supply line is on the SIDE of the unit? and not on the top like the typical/average water heater. Am I misreading this? is yours that way? As if so it would require soldering/rerouting a new supply line to install the unit, though the Rheem site states "We designed ProTerra to be...

Looks like the lifetime warranty is just the tank part (highly unlikely to develop a leak). The other bits - heating element, controls, etc. have a separate warranty duration. Per the warranty/manual on the HD link...With receipt - 6 years... I read that too which made 'lifetime' not quite the accurate word. I mean if you need to repair a water heater (that regularly) may as well buy a cheaper unit to start with. I don't have any experience, but I recently replaced two water heaters. Different brands, and they both lasted 20+ years. I also have really hard water. I ended up replacing them largely because of the sediment at the bottom, not because of any leak. Lots of really loud cracking and popping noises, just didn't heat as well, etc. A...

hudson wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:05 am I know nothing about that water heater.
I'm dubious about the lifetime part. Sure the company will replace it if the terms of the warranty are met. Will it last a lifetime? I'd ask a trusted plumber or two....

the tank is plastic so will not rust or corrode, that is the big draw and why they state 'lifetime' (I believe). Some parts on the unit are not 'lifetime' and need periodic replacement.

enad wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:23 am If you end up with a Metallic WH you could add a powered anode and not have to worry about replacing the powered anode for 20-25 years

Thanks. Will that void a new water heaters warranty? Seeing about $150.

rgs92 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 16, 2023 12:18 am Just wanted to say thanks because I never heard of this and it's relevant to me since my water heater is getting old. (I had been focusing on Bradford Whites since I have one that works well.)

Am looking at the 6 year parts warranty (on HD site link in post 1)- reading some parts on the unit will need replacement over time, so, not sure its quite set it and forget it. Also wondering about 'disposal' when that time does come (as its plastic etc).
Still looking at pros/cons of such a unit as sometimes periodically replacing things is a good idea as they get old, parts corrode and become far less efficient and they risk failure (don't mean just internally) etc.

Rheem @ HDepot. Its a plastic outer, w/ 2.5" of foam insulation. No anode rod needed, glass liner (?). Anyone have something like this? what has your experience been? worth it? I have hard water. Sounds like some parts on the unit may need replacement over time anyway? Its about 2x the cost of a normal water heater. Never buy another water heater after the Rheem Marathon 50 Gal. Electric Water Heater . The non-metallic tank eliminates rust and corrosion that leads to leaks in typical tank water heaters. This tank is backed by a lifetime warranty (with registration) and eliminates the hassle of periodically replacing your water heater. Plus, it's lightweight and perfect for replacement of an existing water heater. - https://i.postimg.cc...

It looks like the elbow is installed backwards/upside down. Look at the arrows, B slides into A, though the tapered part of A (circled) should slide into B.


-

-
also if there's no drip edge or gutter apron above the gutter on the fascia, water can run behind the gutter causing a rot issue like this.

gavinsiu wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:55 pm I see a lot of people on this and other forum who freaked out in the 2020 stock market.

not sure I see that on this forum. Premise of this board is to stay the course, DCA, buy consistently and over time, you come out ahead. Short term bumps are irrelevant and present buying opps.

A major insurance claim just 2 years ago that they didn't disclose and have no documentation of? What else are they hiding? Big red flag to me. We would walk (and use a real estate attorney if necessary to recover the deposit if the sellers were resistant, since it appears that there is a fraud concern regarding the disclosure). without having further info, it somewhat sounds like (?) the seller put in an insurance claim years back, but maybe pocketed the $$ instead of having a proper repair done? or did a very low budget repair (truss mentioned above comes to mind) Sounds very shady. From first post Last week, I received the updated 4-point inspection, and submitted the reports to 3 insurance agencies. Unbeknownst to me, all 3 agencies re...

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The seller was unable to provide any documentation, stating they did not have any. They provided no assistance on how to obtain the info.
- The damage claim was not fully disclosed in the "sellers disclosure." When disclosing past insurance claims, the only thing mentioned was a
claim filed to "replace glass on patio door after tree fell through it." There was no date and no mention of repairs other than replacing glass.

Huge red flag. Too big to ignore, and they couldn't place a simple call to their agent for documentation is even weirder...and speaks volumes.

I'd walk away.

Mr.BB wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 2:19 pm In March 2010, Vanguard predictions for stocks and bonds over the next decade would be 6% stocks and 2% bonds
https://retirementincomejournal.com/art ... e-returns/

Keller Jaymes wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2023 3:03 pm I'm new to investing, and hoping you can help me figure out the best course of action

You may want to list your AGE in your post as (to me) that will have an impact on the responses.

jharkin wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 12:33 pm Given a gallon of propane only has 90% of the energy of a therm of gas that makes propane 70% more expensive.

Using one cubic foot of natural gas produces 1030 BTUs where using one cubic foot of propane produces 2516 BTUs so one gets 2.5x the energy from propane.

Same posted above viewtopic.php?p=7076632#p7076632

Valuethinker wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:28 am

skives19 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2023 3:55 am Only things that run on propane are the furnace and water heater.

Does this mean that you will have to replace these appliances, though? That's quite a bit of money if you do, and has to be figured into the payback period.

Pretty sure both furnace and water heater can be converted, though most likely not DIY.

At that, with the push to ban natural gas stoves and the like (hard to miss all the articles on it and not going political here), it gives one some pause on a conversion? LP is considered a green fuel where natural gas is not.

skives19 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 22, 2023 4:37 am We just found out the natural gas is being run down the road that connects to our road. The gas company is offering to run it to our house for approximately $3,600 lump sum or $45 a month for 10 years. The calculator on the gas company website says we will save $868 a year based on the amount of propane we used in 2022 and the amount we are paying this year.

What do you guys think is it worth it to switch?

what specific appliances in your home currently run on LP? furnace? stove? water heater?

xerxes101 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 9:25 am [post above] I would:

(1) Call Fidelity and let them know that you consider this a "security incident"....

Thanks, already called Fidelity and discussed at length. Phone is never unsecure, I did turn on Fidelity 2 factor now (text message code to login though that is not perfect either), password is very long, and I have voice verification with Fidelity, have for some time.

Chadnudj wrote: ↑Sat Jan 21, 2023 9:15 am If you reinvest dividends, you can/do buy partial shares of VTI.

I wouldn't worry about the small drag of having less than the cost of 1 share of VTI leftover in cash in the Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund.

Thanks. I was aware DRIP would repurchase partials though if ones investing a lump sum up front or similar, its useful to not have extra cash sitting there doing nothing. At this rate will keep VTSAX. Thanks again.

I sent Fidelity a 'secure message' last week (1/14) about something in my account- this is done when you're logged in online. There was no rush on the answer so a secure message wasn't an issue. Anyway, this past Thursday (1/19 @ 11:55AM) I got an email from the "Fidelity Investments Benefits Center" which said " Please tell us about your recent call with the Fidelity Benefits Center...on Wednesday 1/18/23 " which was strange as I did not call them the day before (Wednesday). I also got a secure message back from a rep on Thursday around 9AM about my original issue stating " In review of your account, I see that you contacted the Participant Services Center by phone on 01/18/2023, after sending your email.... "...

Can one buy partial shares of VTI yet? I'm sure its mentioned on this board somewhere but it fits this thread.

I ask as I hold the fund so I don't have to leave misc cash uninvested (e.g. if a share of VTI is $190 but settlement fund has $80 in it)

now that AVUV has been around for a minute, wondering if any SCV folks see it differently then when this thread was started compared to say SLYV etc

Damage to left of pic by patio....has me wondering if there was a floor mat for going in/out to the patio and it rubbed/sanded the floor surface off. I had hardwood floors once and I learned that cheap rugs will literally sand the floor surface off.

Issue to the right....I believe I see baseboard hot water heat (? am I wrong?).....wondering if some form of leak occurred promoting this damage, and/or if maybe a radiator used to be in that location. Removing them could leave marring etc.

OpenMinded1 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 16, 2023 7:05 am ... I set the alarm to go off about ten minutes after we have checked out, and are gone from the hotel for good.

LOL

CenTexan wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 8:24 pm Presently, you can still convert points to cents on a 1 to 1 basis. But I can see the writing on the wall . . .

Yes, that was one reason I cashed in a bunch of points last year. Last thing I need is 'rewards' to redeem for items I do not need.

CenTexan wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 3:09 pm Anyone know how to "turn off" the option to use credit card points for purchases? It's getting really annoying that most stores where I shop - in person and online - always want me to use my reward points (equal to 1.0 cent each) for purchases - usually at a value of 0.75 cents each). I understand what's going on, but wish I didn't have to deal with the continued harassment.

++1 Citi Double Cash does this now, everytime I get gas its one more question to answer and bypass.

JoMoney wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:47 am

biscuit5 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 15, 2023 9:15 am I am always floored by the cost of a frozen pizza now...

Hah! Yes, there was a cheap frozen pizza from Walmart I used to get for $2.49 , it's now $3.28 !
It's not un-affordable to me, and still a relatively good deal, but a +32% increase is a lot
And seeing several increases like that across the board on food items starts to squeeze the budget considerably.

Agree. Was just at Walmart, 18 eggs was nearly $7

I am always floored by the cost of a frozen pizza now.

Some brands are higher then ordering from Dominos or Pizza Hut or similar takeout in this area.

try Seafoam first before replacing parts. Can also dissemble and spray with carb/choke cleaner etc.

In the future when you fill up your gas can, put Stabil in the can, then fill up with (preferably) non-ethanol gas. Will save a ton of headaches.

cacophony wrote: ↑Sat Dec 31, 2022 6:15 pm When I switched from LastPass to Bitwarden (~3 years ago), I couldn't believe that Bitwarden didn't have a way to fill in the user/pass via a right-click menu in the form box....

Maybe I missed something, as I can do that (Win 11 and Win 10)

----------

I like BW. It does log me out after 20 mins or so, but no issue.

One thing I learned recently is if I navigate to a site like usbank.com and I'm logged into BW in the browser, it recognizes the site and I can click the browser icon and it fills in the userid/password.

renegade06 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 14, 2023 12:32 pm I'm considering buying a small-cap ETF with my 2023 Roth IRA contribution. Just wondering if anyone has a recommendation on a good small-cap fund that would be appropriate for a long-term holding in my Roth - other than AVUV (I already own this).

Also, Avantis recently launched AVSC (U.S. Small Cap equity) just last week. Any thoughts on this fund?

you mean small cap value? many threads on here on that. may want to add clarification to thread title

I bought a new house 7 years ago

if a garage spring is only lasting 7 years (with light use), that's a problem and a companies product I would avoid.

There is value in keeping some repairs generic so parts can be sourced locally at a Big Box or similar otherwise one can be stuck for weeks waiting on a part.

TJat wrote: ↑Fri Jan 13, 2023 6:10 pm If I was somehow stuck in this lease, I would soundproof (or deaden) my bedroom ceiling. It’s not particularly hard or expensive.

For more details, you have to install extra mass on the subfloor above you. This can be done by adding two layers of drywall with sound deadening compound spread between. Sound insulation can then be added, followed by 1-2 more layers of drywall that are installed on tracks decoupled from the joists. I assume some might worry about breaking lease terms but a good nights sleep is important.

you're expecting the OP to install drywall on his bedroom ceiling lol