Search found 57 matches

by B'Falls_JT
Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:05 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Giving thanks to our moderators
Replies: 94
Views: 10809

Re: Giving thanks to our moderators

Better late than never... Thank you Moderators for the work you do on behalf of this forum and all of its participants! I really appreciate your efforts! It is great to participate in a forum that stays on topic and does not drift into irrelevant and/or divisive subjects.
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:40 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Happy 98th Birthday to Taylor Larimore 🎂🍰🎉🎊❤️🎁⭐️
Replies: 264
Views: 19645

Re: Happy 98th Birthday to Taylor Larimore 🎂🍰🎉🎊❤️🎁⭐️

Happy Birthday Taylor! May you have many more years filled with love, peace, and joy! Also, thank you for all you have done as part of the Bogleheads Forum! This resource has been a godsend for me and my family, and we appreciate your financial insight along with that of all the other members of this great forum!
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How quickly did you receive your 2020 tax refund?
Replies: 437
Views: 50278

Re: How quickly did you receive your 2020 tax refund?

E-filed Federal with TurboTax on 2/19. It had been accepted by the IRS when I checked on 2/20. Refund was direct-deposited on 3/5.
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Mar 08, 2021 3:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: PA Local Income Tax (Berkheimer)
Replies: 20
Views: 2428

Re: PA Local Income Tax (Berkheimer)

It's been a few years since we've had applicable income, but if I recall correctly...

1) You only report "earned income" from your W2s or 1099s (in our case, it was a 1099-MISC). Income related to retirement accounts was not reported as it is not earned income.
2) Also, confirming that this is not PA state taxation. It is tax due to your local municipality (you must select a specific PSD code).

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jul 28, 2018 4:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Retirees: how much cash?
Replies: 61
Views: 9611

Re: Retirees: how much cash?

We retired in our late 50s and are not yet collecting SS or pensions (roughly a 6-year window of living on investments). I would consider our risk tolerance and capacity to be moderately low especially until SS starts. Echoing what some others have said here... We are concerned with managing sequence of returns risk, and to that end, we hold 4-5 years of expenses/taxes in "cash" with up to one year in checking/savings and up to four years in CDs and a few savings bonds. The cash allocation is replenished each year through re-balancing. Once SS and pension income begins, the amount of income needing to be generated by the portfolio will shrink significantly; although it is likely that we will continue to protect 4-5 years of portfo...
by B'Falls_JT
Fri Jul 27, 2018 12:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: keep cash in after-tax for bridge to Social Security ?
Replies: 38
Views: 4449

Re: keep cash in after-tax for bridge to Social Security ?

Your plan makes sense to me! Our situation is somewhat similar with a little longer time frame until we collect SS. Prior to retirement, we bought CDs with after-tax money (mostly 2-yr) to cover expenses for 4-5 years once we retired (goal was to have some insurance against sequence-of-returns risk). We only keep up to one year's expenses in actual cash accounts and most of the rest in CDs (also have a few EE and I bonds, and we spin off dividends from after-tax stock holdings). We retired at 59 and began using this money for expenses/taxes. The plan was (and is) for wife to take SS at 66 and me to take SS at 70. Likewise, we also do Roth conversions while staying at or below the 15% tax bracket. As the market has generally been good, we ha...
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much to budget for a week long vacation for 2?
Replies: 94
Views: 9276

Re: How much to budget for a week long vacation for 2?

At retirement (end of 2012), we had budgeted $4K per year for a vacation trip typically lasting 7-10 days for two of us. In our expense forecast for future years, that estimate was then adjusted for inflation. Since then, have taken five vacations, all to locations within the contiguous 48 states. The costs have varied between $2K and $5K with an average of $3.6K. Some have included flights and rental cars, while others have been "driving" trips. We've mostly stayed in moderately priced hotels (e.g. Hampton, Best Western). So currently, we are running under budget, but look to take a few more ambitious trips overseas in the near future. In our case, the budget does significantly influence the vacation plan. We may opt for a more e...
by B'Falls_JT
Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:23 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How many years of fixed income for Sequence of Return Risk
Replies: 26
Views: 3637

Re: How many years of fixed income for Sequence of Return Risk

We are currently 5+ years into retirement. During the first 6 years, we are extracting all income from our portfolio and will begin collecting SS and pensions later in 2018. I would say that our risk tolerance and capacity are "moderately low", and therefore, we have maintained a fairly conservative asset allocation (AA). Our AA has been based on the idea of keeping 10 years of income in fixed income assets using the following breakdown: current year in cash accounts; years 2-5 in CDs and short-term bonds; years 6-10 in intermediate bonds and TIPS; and years 11+ in stocks. The high-level AA has been 44% stocks and 56% fixed income. Once we start collecting SS and pensions, we are looking to take a bit more risk at either a 48/52 o...
by B'Falls_JT
Sun May 14, 2017 2:37 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Schwab vs Vanguard
Replies: 71
Views: 26496

Re: Schwab vs Vanguard

We invest with both Schwab and Vanguard. In our experience, Schwab provides better and more timely customer service, whereas Vanguard provides a better set of funds / ETFs.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Wed Feb 08, 2017 3:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Napa/Sonoma Recommendations
Replies: 46
Views: 5486

Re: Napa/Sonoma Recommendations

Agree with many of the posters. September / October is a good time to go. We were there last year (Sept 2015). The crowds were down and service for tastings and meals was very good. In Sonoma, stayed in Healdsburg. Nice town with several wineries, shops, and restaurants. In Napa, we stayed in Calistoga. Again, very nice. Plenty of shops and restaurants. In both cases, stayed in Best Western hotels. They were fine, and at that time (after Labor Day), the prices were down a bit. A few things that we enjoyed: * Café Lucia - Healdsburg - upscale casual - Portuguese cuisine * Dry Creek Vineyard Winery - Very nice tour * Rodney Strong Winery - Nice tasting and good service - Nice selection of red / white wines. * Drive through Russian River Valle...
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retirees: How much cash do you keep?
Replies: 103
Views: 15806

Re: Retirees: How much cash do you keep?

Retired in late 2012 and not yet collecting SS or pensions. So at this time, savings / portfolio is the source of our income:

* Current year expenses are in bank accounts (checking / savings)
* 2.5 years of expenses are in bank CDs
* 2.5 years of expenses are in Short-Term Bonds

Used for expenses, taxes, and dry powder.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Dec 17, 2016 1:14 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Roth Conversion vs. Premium Tax Credit
Replies: 8
Views: 1988

Re: Roth Conversion vs. Premium Tax Credit

We did a similar analysis between the two options (take PTC or convert part of t-IRA to Roth). In choosing the PTC, we would save money now (lower cost of premium and avoid taxes on the conversion) versus potential of saving later with Roth conversion (since it looks like without the conversion, RMDs could eventually push us into the 25% bracket (given today's tax code)). Our forecast showed about break-even after 35 years (with the understanding that a lot of assumptions had to be made about the future, and certainly some will change). Bottom line... We decided to save the money now by using the PTC. Also, our analysis did not include the effects of the Cost Sharing aspect of the ACA which has saved us some additional money over the last c...
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Nov 29, 2016 5:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: ACA Income Confirmation
Replies: 8
Views: 1371

Re: ACA Income Confirmation

We had a similar situation during open enrollment in 2014 when applying for an ACA plan for the year 2015. At that point, they could access our 2013 return. 2014 was winding down so the tax return had not yet been done. We were actually reducing income from ~$90K in 2013 to ~$20K in 2015. We developed a document that first included a spreadsheet showing the transition from 2013 actual, through 2014 estimated, to 2015 estimated (years in each column and 1040 lines in each row). For each year (2013, 2014, 2015), I included the amounts from each line on the 1040 (Line 7 - wages, Line 8a - taxable interest, etc.). (The rows only included 1040 lines that we actually used in 2013) Each row then referred to a following section of the document that...
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Nov 28, 2016 10:26 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What was your Asset Allocation before and after retirement?
Replies: 91
Views: 15562

Re: What was your Asset Allocation before and after retirement?

Five years prior to retirement, we were at 65/45. We reduced our stock allocation by 5% each year resulting in a 40/60 allocation at retirement. We are currently funding 100% of expenses/taxes from our portfolio. Once all income sources (SS and pension) are in place, we expect to fund 75% of planned expenses / taxes from income sources and 25% from our portfolio. Our risk tolerance is "moderately low". Our risk capacity is "moderately low".

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Nov 21, 2016 6:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you track your net worth? How long have you done so?
Replies: 110
Views: 16736

Re: Do you track your net worth? How long have you done so?

We track our net worth on a quarterly basis. Have been doing so since 2005 (seven years prior to retirement).

May be a bit excessive to do this, but we do a portfolio review on a quarterly basis, and this is one of the items that is included in that review. We rarely have made any changes after quarterly review, but there have been a few times when we have re-balanced or made other slight adjustments.
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Nov 21, 2016 6:33 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Thanks BH for a non-political oasis
Replies: 23
Views: 6207

Re: Thanks BH for a non-political oasis

Great point TomatoTomahto! We can always count on the Bogleheads for great information and civility! Love this site for those reasons!
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Jul 19, 2016 8:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What kind of car do Bogleheads like to drive?
Replies: 470
Views: 47525

Re: What kind of car do Bogleheads like to drive?

A car that is dependable and will last...

Last five cars have been Toyota products (Solara, Sienna, Corola (2), and Lexus ES350). Experience has been good!
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Jul 19, 2016 10:06 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Early retirees, at what age did you "retire"? Is it working out?
Replies: 63
Views: 15263

Re: Early retirees, at what age did you "retire"? Is it working out?

My wife and I retired 3.5 years ago at age 59. Our situation was a bit different than requested by the OP. We have two children, both in their 30s and on their own, and we live in a relatively LCOL area. Prior to retirement, we lived a "moderate" life-style (e.g. one nice vacation per year, dinner out every week, several driving trips per year to visit our children, etc.). Our goal was / is to maintain this life-style in retirement. Started serious retirement planning about 8 years prior to actually taking the plunge. A key point is that this not only included financial planning, but also how we would handle other aspects of our lives (e.g. hobbies and activities, how to co-exist in same space after working apart for 30 years :mrg...
by B'Falls_JT
Fri Dec 04, 2015 10:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best (Available)Red Wine for under $15 preferrably under $10
Replies: 110
Views: 49147

Re: Best (Available)Red Wine for under $15 preferrably under $10

P&C actuary wrote:
I know prices vary by state, but both H3 are $14 at Total wine in CT. Will keep an eye out for a better price.
The H3 Cabernet was purchased during a monthly sale at a PA Fine Wine & Good Spirits store.
The H3 Merlot was purchased at a Total Wine in MD, but with a discount coupon (TW offers these coupons regularly if you sign up on their web site).

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Nov 28, 2015 12:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best (Available)Red Wine for under $15 preferrably under $10
Replies: 110
Views: 49147

Re: Best (Available)Red Wine for under $15 preferrably under $10

Hi BahamaMan, Agree on the McManis Cabernet and also their Petite Sirah. Here are some of our other favorite reds (along with average price): USA: * Cline Cellars - Ancient Vines - Zinfandel - CA-Contra Costa County - $13.50 * Cline Cellars - Zinfandel - CA-Lodi - $8.99 * Gnarly Head - Old Vine - Zinfandel - CA-Lodi - $10.15 * Van Ruiten Family Vineyards - Cabernet - CA-Lodi - $14.99 * Alexander Beck - Cabernet - CA-Sonoma-Alexander Valley - $14.99 * Gnarly Head - Merlot - CA - $8.50 * Columbia Crest - H3 - Cabernet Sauvignon - WA - $11.99 * Columbia Crest - H3 - Merlot - WA - $9.50 International: * Bodegas Volver - - Tarima Hill Old Vines - Mourvedre - Spain-Alicante - $12.60 * Layer Cake (One True Vine) - Malbec - Argentina-Mendoza - $13....
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Changes to Social Security
Replies: 477
Views: 79091

Re: Changes to Social Security

Folks... I just wanted to express my sincere thanks to all posters for the great questions, discussion, and links on this topic! Special thanks to ObliviousInvestor and tfb for their insightful input. This has been of great help to us regarding our understanding of the impact of these changes on our SS plans. This is what makes Bogleheads such a great forum!!!

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Oct 26, 2015 2:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Health Insurance Premium for 2016
Replies: 70
Views: 10263

Re: Health Insurance Premium for 2016

The wife and I are currently retired, living in PA, and using an ACA plan. The premium for our BCBS PPO plan is going up by 26% for 2016. Also, deductible and co-pays are going up as well. It's still affordable, but we will consider other plans prior to making a final decision.
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: COBRA vs ACA
Replies: 35
Views: 12280

Re: COBRA vs ACA

joebh, We retired near the end of 2012. Used COBRA for the first 18 months until it expired. Started on an ACA plan in May 2014. At that time, we were eligible for 37 plans in our state. We selected a gold plan which covered all of our doctors / hospitals / prescriptions, but cost about 20% more than the COBRA. In 2015, we re-enrolled. This time we were eligible for over 40 plans (don't remember exact number). Our anticipated income for the year is low, so, we also qualified for subsidies and cost sharing. This time selected a silver plan. Again, all of our doctors / hospitals / prescriptions are covered, cost is about 53% of what we had paid for COBRA. Also, the co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket max are the lowest that ...
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Wines
Replies: 54
Views: 8349

Re: Good Wines

Lon,

Here are some of our USA favorites in (or close to) your price range:
* McManis Cabernet Sauvignon - Medium-bodied, smooth, polished, accessible, great bargain
* Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel - Medied-bodied, spicy, accessible, polished
* Ghost Pines Merlot (by Louis M. Martini) - Medium-bodied, approachable, more structured than most Merlots
* Cline Cool Climate Pinot Noir - Full-bodied, elegant, good price for a good Pinot
* Gnarly Head Authentic Red (Red Blend) - Medium-bodied, expressive, spicy

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jan 31, 2015 12:49 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Book recommendations for a new investor and father.
Replies: 8
Views: 1193

Re: Book recommendations for a new investor and father.

CJF,

As suggested by Grt2bOutdoors... The Millionaire Next Door was excellent. It basically set the tone for our approach to money matters. Also, The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing is very good.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jan 31, 2015 9:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The lowest stock allocation you plan to stay with
Replies: 79
Views: 19060

Re: The lowest stock allocation you plan to stay with

We are currently retired and in our early sixties. The target allocation for our portfolio is 40/60. This seems to be appropriate to meet our goals while not exceeding our appetite for risk. (with the understanding that we do not have a crystal ball to know how things will work out). Depending on future economic conditions, we would consider a range of 30% minimum to 50% maximum for equities. We are currently a bit above our 40% target for stocks.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:17 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What is your opinion about "tilting?"
Replies: 116
Views: 16081

Re: What is your opinion about "tilting?"

Thank you for the interesting poll Nisiprius!

I selected "I tilt, but I'm not sure it's worthwhile....." I have 80% in TSM and 20% split between SV and MV using Vanguard ETFs. As many have said, it appears that this approach has persisted and will continue to persist; however, I honestly have no idea if it will be beneficial in my "unique window of time" from when I buy until the time that I need to sell (or until my beneficiaries inherit). Unfortunately, no crystal ball here.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jul 19, 2014 9:07 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Ways to lose money and destroy personal wealth by investing
Replies: 81
Views: 13019

Re: Ways to lose money and destroy personal wealth by invest

Thanks for the post VT!

A couple more to add:
* Investing in financial instruments that one does not understand.
* Overestimating one's tolerance for risk.
* When retired, failing to account for "sequence of returns" risk.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Oct 01, 2013 9:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Wine Picks
Replies: 44
Views: 4428

Re: Wine Picks

Hi Barefootgirl,

Below are some suggestions (with "ball-park" prices) that we have enjoyed:

Merlot: <$10: Souverain, Radius, Pepperwood Grove --- $15-$20: Markham, Franciscan, St Francis, Clos du Bois Reserve Alexander Valley
Pinot Noir: <$10: La Merika --- $10-$15: McManis --- $15-$25: LaCrema Sonoma, Belle Glos Meiomi --- >$25: Etude, Flowers

Hope this helps!

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:35 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Sad news - Pat Larimore]
Replies: 225
Views: 26837

Re: [Sad news - Pat Larimore]

Taylor,

I'm sorry to hear of Pat's passing. We'll keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for all that you do for this forum and for the individual investing community in general! You are truly "King of the Bogleheads"!

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Jun 22, 2013 12:32 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Deferred Compensation Plan
Replies: 18
Views: 2087

Re: Deferred Compensation Plan

Hi epilnk, Agree with the other posters concerning the payout schedule. I opted for a three-year payout to balance taxes / company risk. So, far have received the first payment with two more to go. A couple other payout considerations: 1) scheduling of the payout and 2) taxes withheld. In our case, the first payout was made two months after separation from the company. So, if you left the company in November, you would receive the initial annual payout in January of the following year. All subsequent payouts (for the remaining two years) would also be made in January. If you are in a position to control your departure date (e.g. retirement), you can place the first payout in the year that is most advantageous for you. Secondly, at our compa...
by B'Falls_JT
Wed May 01, 2013 9:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Considering stepping down
Replies: 18
Views: 4026

Re: Considering stepping down

Hi Moneyfornothing, I had a similar situation several years ago. I managed a team of project managers. The work was already hectic, and I was experiencing some stress-related health problems that caused some concern for me. In addition, my management was changing, and the job situation was changing: i.e... more hours, more travel, more stress, etc. I made a jump to another team as a "solo practitioner" doing predominately project management work on small focused projects. Initially, I was able to make the move without any changes to my salary and benefits. Then I got lucky... In the first year in the new job, I received a raise, a bonus, and a performance reward. For me personally, this turned out to be a great move (from both qua...
by B'Falls_JT
Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Schwab vs Vanguard
Replies: 42
Views: 44447

Re: Schwab vs Vanguard

Hi Don46,

In our experience, both Schwab and Vanguard are very good companies. We have brokerage accounts with both, and our retirement accounts are with Schwab. We prefer Vanguard's ETFs/Funds and use them exclusively, even in our Schwab accounts. However, we prefer Schwab's customer service and tools, so, most of our accounts are there. Schwab's online capabilities are very good, and our Financial Consultant at Schwab has been very good to work with (very helpful, cooperative, and responsive). Just my opinion, but I believe this approach plays to the strengths of each company. No major complaints to-date related to either.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Wed Oct 24, 2012 7:37 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any Boglehead Not Invested in an Ally CD?
Replies: 86
Views: 19797

Re: Any Boglehead Not Invested in an Ally CD?

Folks, Just a heads-up for those who own, or plan to own, Ally CDs... I recently printed a copy of their Deposit Agreement (found on their web site under "Legal / Agreements / Download our Ally Bank Deposit Agreement"... Thanks to nisiprius for initially pointing this out). Although the agreement is dated June 18, 2011, the last page contains an amendment as of September 27, 2012. This amendment has changed the language around "Early Withdrawals". It used to state "If you withdraw all of the funds you have deposited...". It now states " If we consent to the redemption of a CD or IRA CD prior to the maturity date...". This could be a game changer for those who would like to cash in their 5-year CDs ear...
by B'Falls_JT
Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Post your AA
Replies: 135
Views: 23879

Re: Post your AA

Age: 58
Aggregate US Equities (sans REIT): 29%
Aggregate US REIT: 0%
Aggregate Intl Equities (sans REIT): 13%
Aggregate Intl REIT: 0%
Aggregate Nominal Bonds: 22%
Aggregate Inflation Bonds: 10%
Any Sector or Commodity plays: 1%
Cash: 25%
by B'Falls_JT
Fri Oct 28, 2011 7:32 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What is your age and AA?
Replies: 219
Views: 73621

Re: What is your age and AA?

Ages: 57/58

Stocks: 45%
US Stocks: 30%
Foreign Stocks: 15%
Fixed Income: 54%
Bonds: 27%
Cash (CDs, EE, MM): 27%
Other: 1%

Planning for retirement in one year.

Thanks for the post! Interesting input.
by B'Falls_JT
Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:26 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Emerging Markets, what % of FOREIGN Stock for retirement AA
Replies: 11
Views: 5086

Our EM% of Foreign Stock is 20%. We do not invest in separate EM funds, but all of our Foreign funds include both Developed and EM countries.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: When do you adjust your asset allocation?
Replies: 17
Views: 2107

We predominately change based on age every few years. As we have gotten closer to retirement, we have ratcheted down our stock allocation and raised fixed income. Right now at 45/55 on way to 40/60. Will most likely set at 40/60 AA for quite awhile as it appears to meet our return goals. Of course, we can't predict the future or our future returns, but using a little "hair of dog" and "eye of newt", it is the best estimate we can make at this time. :wink:

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:49 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What percent in equities if you had $5 million TODAY?
Replies: 65
Views: 8970

Hi Leesbro63,

Obviously, there are assumptions that go into this. Our estimate is that we will need $60K as a starting amount from our investments (considering that this amount would grow by a rate of inflation each year and potential tax hikes). If we were fortunate enough to have $5M, we would be able to live off of 1.2% of that amount (plus SS and pensions) with the withdrawal amount increasing each year to account for inflation, etc. While anything is possible, my belief is that we could live off of that amount for 35+ years and leave a large inheritance for our children. No need to take the risk any longer. I would invest in Treasuries, TIPs, and CDs.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:49 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Film School does not appear to be a very good investment
Replies: 27
Views: 4280

The universities lure these young people into a film/video major with dreams of becoming the next Steven Spielberg. When in fact, the odds of that happening are very very small (ala Taleb's Black Swan). My daughter graduated three years ago with a BFA in Applied Media with concentration in Film and Video. Of those in her class, she is the only one who remains working in film/video. The schools do little to prepare them for the realities of the industry. i.e. moving to an "expensive" media center (in her case NYC); living with multiple room mates; getting past the "unpaid" internships; initial low rates for jobs/projects; being self-employed; no benefits; unpredictable work hours; cost of equipment; building a network of ...
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:39 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What percent in equities if you had $5 million TODAY?
Replies: 65
Views: 8970

Based on our retirement plan, at $5M, we've "won the game". Why keep playing? I'd invest 0%.
by B'Falls_JT
Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Limiting your career by not moving
Replies: 23
Views: 4761

Hi mathwhiz, This may sound trite, but these situations involve decisions that need to be made in relation to one's very personal values, expectations, needs, desires, etc. You can stay where you are, you can move with the company, you can find another job in you area, and there may be other options. Obviously, each has its pro's and con's, and only you can determine which are most important to you. I have had to wrestle with similar decisions in my life. (I've been living in the same house for the last 32 years) For me, there was never an answer that was perfect. Each had advantages and drawbacks. I would usually create some weighted evaluation criteria to help keep me honest with my evaluation. That approach helped bring some perspective ...
by B'Falls_JT
Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:02 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How does VG's questionnaire-based alloc. compare to yours?
Replies: 51
Views: 6476

Our actual stock allocation is 15% lower than suggested (45% vs 60%). The questionnaire seems too simplistic for real-life situations. For example, my wife and I plan to retire in two years. We'll be 60 at that time. For the first 6 years, we will withdraw far more from our portfolio than we will after social security and pensions kick in.

Also, I agree with Nisiprius that there does seem to be a bias toward stock, and their model portfolios seem to completely ignore short-term reserves.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Wed Dec 08, 2010 8:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How many Bogleheads pay for texting on their cell phone?
Replies: 91
Views: 11352

We have a Verizon Wireless Family Plan with unlimited texting. The value to us is that it allows us to communicate frequently with our youngest daughter who is more of a "texter" than a "talker". We also use occasionally with our oldest daughter (who is more of a "talker"). Although we pay extra each month for this capability, the ability to communicate more frequently with our daughters is "priceless".
by B'Falls_JT
Sun Oct 10, 2010 3:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How long do you keep a car *Really*?
Replies: 148
Views: 25724

We buy new and hold for at least 10 years. Our make of choice has been Toyota products. The last to be traded was a 1999 Solara at 10 years / 3 months and 180K miles. Still own three additional vehicles. The oldest is 8 years old with 95K miles. Another is 6 years old with 60K miles. And the last is 1 year old with 8K miles.
by B'Falls_JT
Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:47 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Interest Rates Increasing, Bonds better than Bond Funds?
Replies: 50
Views: 7726

Thanks JT Looks interesting. I checked out MUAF- has 90 holdigs, looks well diversified. Main issue I see, in addition to bid/ask spreads, is the number of days it trades at a premium. http://tools.ishares.wallst.com/ishares/qc/old_us/research/tools/premiumDiscount.asp?symbol=MUAF Looks like it pretty much regularly trades at a premium of 0.5%-1% (last traded at a premium of 0.8%). Since it has a limited lifespan (7 years) if you could ever buy it at a substantial discount it would mean you could realize that discount by holding to maturity. Contrariwise buying at a premium means you will lose the premium if you hold to maturity. Assuming you buy at a 0.7% premium means an extra 0.1% expense ratio per year taking the overall expense ratio ...
by B'Falls_JT
Sun Oct 03, 2010 8:33 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Interest Rates Increasing, Bonds better than Bond Funds?
Replies: 50
Views: 7726

The Dude Abides wrote:Any bond funds that only hold bonds until maturity? In other words, combine the diversification of a fund (lots of bonds -- less risk of default) with the dependability of return that comes with holding to maturity.
Dude Abides,

iShares has a series of ETFs that track the S&P AMT-Free Municipal Bond Indexes for the years of 2012 (MUAA) through 2017 (MUAF). These ETFs invest in in AMT-Free, investment grade, noncallable national municipal bond debt, and the bonds are held to their maturity dates.

I have not invested in these to-date, but they seem to provide return of your principal (barring any defaults) while also providing diversification. However, bid / ask spreads would seem to be a consideration before purchasing.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Thu Sep 30, 2010 10:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Lexus ES-300 owners out there?
Replies: 18
Views: 5188

Hi Friar,

We have had good luck with Toyota products over the years. I owned a 1999 Toyota Solara for over 10 years, and traded it in at 180K miles. For the most part, there were no significant problems other than normal wear and tear until the air conditioning went at about 8.5 years. I traded for a Lexus ES350 in 2009 which so far has been excellent.

Also, my wife has owned a Toyota Sierra Minivan since 2001. This is probably the best vehicle that we've ever owned. No problems other than normal wear and tear for 9 years. Currently it is at about 100K miles.

In general, I would say that these cars have been a good "buy and hold" strategy for us.

JT
by B'Falls_JT
Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:11 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Is the Recession Over for You?
Replies: 60
Views: 9010

It has certainly been an interesting 3 years. In some ways, we are still feeling the effects of the recession including a pay cut that has not been restored and the loss of 401K match which has not been restored. However, despite these minor set-backs, we have been lucky in that we recovered our market losses by October 2009, both of us have kept our jobs, we live in an area that wasn't hit hard by the housing slump, and we've been able to continue contributing to our savings. Most of all, it was a time of growth and learning. The adversity, while not desired, provided opportunities to improve. To that end, we were able to vastly improve our financial plan, cut expenses, become more tax efficient, and in general learn to be better stewards ...
by B'Falls_JT
Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:40 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What % of your investments are taxable versus tax deferred?
Replies: 42
Views: 6863

Hi Random Walker,

58% in taxable (also includes I and EE bonds)
42% in tax deferred / tax free

We actively contribute to both categories.

JT