Search found 3788 matches

by edge
Wed Mar 13, 2024 6:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best approach for fascia and soffits?
Replies: 10
Views: 2443

Re: Best approach for fascia and soffits?

Rip and replace with Azek or similar. Hardie is not as low maintenance in comparison.
by edge
Mon Mar 11, 2024 12:10 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: T Notes versus TIPS
Replies: 5
Views: 611

Re: T Notes versus TIPS

Do you want inflation protection or not?
by edge
Fri Mar 08, 2024 3:39 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity advice
Replies: 67
Views: 8016

Re: Fidelity advice

This is likely fraud
by edge
Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47
Replies: 90
Views: 7573

Re: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47

If you want to maximize muscle gain you need to train specific muscle groups to near failure and not confuse your body with intermittent high impact cardio. If you want to maximize cardio then you need to slow it down and go longer. You cannot strength train to near failure when you are running in between sets. Typically you should do your strength training and then do cardio but too much strenuous cardio will likely stunt muscle growth. Your current workout is highly repetitive and done too many times per week (if you were actually training to failure). You need a more variable workout. I also don’t understand the mixing of sprinting and weight training. What are you trying to accomplish? You appear to be over-training and training ineffic...
by edge
Mon Mar 04, 2024 9:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47
Replies: 90
Views: 7573

Re: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47

You need a more variable workout. I also don’t understand the mixing of sprinting and weight training. What are you trying to accomplish?

You appear to be over-training and training inefficiently to the point where you cannot build muscle.
by edge
Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:22 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do cap-weighted funds strictly align with BH philosophy?
Replies: 118
Views: 8895

Re: Do cap-weighted funds strictly align with BH philosophy?

triz wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 1:33 pm I do think that if one follows the "Nobody knows nothing" logic, equal weighted funds as well as regions make sense.

"Don't look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!"
Why bet on the largest companies? Why trust the crowd?
Hmm. I’m not so sure. Mkt cap investing is more like ‘the market knows more than me’.
by edge
Sat Mar 02, 2024 12:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mid-career change to law?
Replies: 127
Views: 11680

Re: Mid-career change to law?

Seems like a terrible idea. Find a hobby.
by edge
Fri Mar 01, 2024 11:44 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Announces CEO Retirement and Appointment of President
Replies: 357
Views: 33969

Re: Vanguard Announces CEO Retirement and Appointment of President

ClevrChico wrote: Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:50 pm I'm crossing my fingers that his replacement makes the website, app, and customer service world class.
I don’t think it matters given the rise of ETFs
by edge
Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: deposit on new car
Replies: 21
Views: 2523

Re: deposit on new car

I thought used car market has been falling for months. Also, dealer inventory is up and so are incentives / discounts. Surprised nobody has state the obvious, don't buy a new car, waste of money. Need to read the bucket list of financial things to avoid, a new car is at the top of the list! While this might have been the case for a long time, at the moment it might not necessarily be true. Recent model used cars are selling for very close to new retail prices -- so are not really a good deal (10% less than new retail with 20-40k miles? Not a good deal). Older used cars might be OK, but safety features will be lacking, and YMMV on reliability. The OP does not mention why they want/need a new car. If theirs is in good shape and only 3-4 years...
by edge
Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:45 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?

Yes, basically. Would rather have somewhat shorter duration of highest quality in aggregate and more equities. Swedroe used to discuss this here. All of that is exactly why I said long bonds once it goes beyond 10-15 years becomes too little for too long, and at that point I will take equity, obviously not to mean go 100% stocks, but just to show where the risk/reward stands when duration becomes that long. But then if the response is someone got all that covered with plenty of short duration and they also want to eliminate risks with long term obligations by using long TIPS then so be it, their choice. Not for me, and I wager for a whole lot of investors. It takes a very different kind of thinking to lock up money for very little returns f...
by edge
Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do cap-weighted funds strictly align with BH philosophy?
Replies: 118
Views: 8895

Re: Do cap-weighted funds strictly align with BH philosophy?

It is the aggregate market sentiment. Which is a fancy word for ‘what everyone else picked’. You get the market return. This is a central tenant of boglehead/indexing approach. Please explain to me how owning cap-weighted index funds is not "picking stocks", because this seems like a glaring inconstancy to me. The total stock market fund is the portfolio you would have if you bought every single share of every company in the market. There is no "picking" because you own every single share of every company. On the other hand, if you don't want to own all of the shares of Microsoft, then it is you who is doing the picking -- picking which shares not to own out of all available shares in the total stock market. Remember, th...
by edge
Mon Feb 26, 2024 7:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I am not seeing how bonds have mitigated losses during downturns
Replies: 27
Views: 4335

Re: I am not seeing how bonds have mitigated losses during downturns

These are not the droids you are looking for i.e. you are looking at the wrong kinds of bonds.
thermo86 wrote: Mon Feb 26, 2024 11:21 am I am hoping someone can clear this up, but I always saw bonds as performing inversely to equities. However, if I pull up the annual performance going back to ~2007 for VFIAX and VBTLX, I am not seeing that trend on first take.

Example for 2022:
VFIAX: -19.49%
VBTLX: -15.22%

Example 2018:
VFIAX: -6.23%
VBTLX: -2.77%

Granted, we do see a delta between the magnitude of loss, but is that 4-5% delta make sense and even worth it considering all the growth of equities you miss out on every other year? Why not hold fixed income such as VMFXX and not take any loss? In other words, holding your bonds allocation in a money market fund.
by edge
Mon Feb 26, 2024 7:46 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?

Yes, I have short term TIPs also and I think VTIP is a good product. Extreme events don't matter until they do and long term plans can be disrupted in ways that cannot recover. I have seen investors of means have to make very painful choices because they did not fully understand the interelationships of their assets and they got squeezed. We do not live forever. Making mistakes in understanding the degree of volatility you want to accept can be a big problem. For example, you wanted that sports car <or insert whatever else you want here> when you were still able to enjoy it but now you have second thoughts because your portfolio took a huge zag. And you could argue that the investor should have kept multiple buckets based on expected timefr...
by edge
Mon Feb 26, 2024 7:13 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?

Yes, agreed, but I do not like the positive correlation that occurs during extreme (negative) events between long TIPs (long FI generally) and equities as well as the high volatility of long TIPs (and other bonds) generally. Looking at long term average correlations is simply asking to be lied to imo e.g. 'when things are going well long bonds and equities have low or zero correlation'. I don't really care about 'when things are going well' except from the limited diversification/rebalancing bonus associated with it. If the whole story is 'you get a small diversification bonus in good years but they both go to hell in a crisis', that is simply a behavior that I would prefer to avoid and I will probably give up some long term performance for...
by edge
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:00 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?

While widely accepted, that definition of 'risk free' doesn't make any sense to me for 30 year nominal bonds due to interest rate / inflation sensitivity not being accounted for. Yes, you get what you expected to get from a nominal perspective, but how much buying power does that have may have shifted dramatically. As you shorten duration these risks are reduced significantly.

Which means TIPS/iBonds would fit my definition except TIPS have more risk during the holding period due to interest rate sensitivity. iBonds have weird/unique risks related to holding period restrictions that are pretty minor in the scheme of things.
by edge
Wed Feb 21, 2024 5:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?

1). Some of the posters are confusing long TIPs with shorter duration
2). Correlations shift. What really matters is what happens during extreme events. Not so much on the average. Averages lie.
by edge
Wed Feb 21, 2024 11:36 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?

There are multiple benefits you are missing: - portfolio efficiency w/ better asset correlation than long bonds (of any kind) - ability to reallocate or drawdown without worrying about extreme volatility Both of these are offset by purchase limitations so the key is to start early and max it every year. I mix Ibonds and the shorter duration vanguard TIPs fund. There is no investment that is guaranteed to keep up with inflation for 30 years that also has no short-term volatility. Historically Tbills have done an OK job of that when the Fed wasn't suppressing short-term rates, but there have been long periods where the Fed did indeed suppress short-term rates such that they didn't keep up with inflation. We have lived through multi-year perio...
by edge
Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:10 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Can you do better than BND?
Replies: 278
Views: 35031

Re: Can you do better than BND?


There is no investment that is guaranteed to keep up with inflation for 30 years that also has no short-term volatility. Historically Tbills have done an OK job of that when the Fed wasn't suppressing short-term rates, but there have been long periods where the Fed did indeed suppress short-term rates such that they didn't keep up with inflation. We have lived through multi-year periods like that in the not too distant past.
Ibonds?
by edge
Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Windshield Chip - Insurance claim or Self Fund
Replies: 61
Views: 5501

Re: Windshield Chip - Insurance claim or Self Fund

1). Don’t do this yourself. The DIY kit will not look as good.
2). Don’t go through insurance, the amount is too small for it to make sense.
3). Don’t use Safelight. Try a local glass shop who will charge you 1/3.
by edge
Tue Feb 20, 2024 8:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Wellesley
Replies: 125
Views: 18355

Re: Vanguard Wellesley

Whichever works for the OP. If it was me and I had this aversion to the bonds in Wellesley, I would exit the fund entirely and separate fixed income and equity holdings. For the FI portion I would choose shorter / higher quality.
tibbitts wrote: Tue Feb 20, 2024 10:58 am
edge wrote: Sun Feb 18, 2024 12:00 pm You may want to consider shorter duration / higher quality bond holdings.
You might want to clarify whether you're suggesting that for any future investments or suggesting moving the existing bond holdings in Wellesley to shorter duration / higher quality.
by edge
Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: High yield savings/checking account
Replies: 29
Views: 3361

Re: High yield savings/checking account

Same, except use VUSXX for slightly longer term savings.
greenrebellion wrote: Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:54 pm I use fidelity brokerage accounts as my savings & checking. Auto sweep to the money market account earning nearly 5%.
by edge
Mon Feb 19, 2024 8:31 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF
Replies: 17
Views: 2853

Re: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF

I don’t think that has EM(?).
MileKing wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 2:29 pm
edge wrote: Tue Feb 06, 2024 4:33 am I think I would prefer a global ex-us SCV fund - which does not appear to exist(?). I currently use vss.
How about ISVL ETF?
by edge
Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Have you ever replaced a perfectly fine car just because?
Replies: 111
Views: 8483

Re: Have you ever replaced a perfectly fine car just because?

I’ve never done this - there were always functional reasons for switching vehicles.
by edge
Sun Feb 18, 2024 12:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Wellesley
Replies: 125
Views: 18355

Re: Vanguard Wellesley

You may want to consider shorter duration / higher quality bond holdings.
by edge
Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When do winter/snow tires make sense? Do you have a second set of wheels?
Replies: 80
Views: 5125

Re: When do winter/snow tires make sense? Do you have a second set of wheels?

Have oem winter wheel and tire package. Living in an area with 160+ inches annual snowfall and sudden weather changes - it’s essential. Got the full wheel package due to ease of changing and less wear on the rim - and less chance for damage / issues with poor seal.

The winter wheels are 1 inch smaller and the tires have more sidewall. However, bmw decided to keep them staggered width - something model specific with the m-style xdrive versus the normal xdrive.

Less expensive switchovers pay for the wheels over a few years. Also the additional tires simply extend the life of the summer tires - eg expensive Michelin PS4S that don’t need to be replaced before lease return.
by edge
Sat Feb 17, 2024 8:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to watch live European Soccer matches without spending too much?
Replies: 21
Views: 2475

Re: How to watch live European Soccer matches without spending too much?

Really? I find way more serie a games (all?) on paramount+.
ZinCO wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 6:55 pm
candb wrote: Fri Jun 25, 2021 6:52 pm ESPN+ $5.99/month
Bundesliga and Italian Serie A are here.
by edge
Thu Feb 15, 2024 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity Autoroll and funding timing
Replies: 9
Views: 931

Re: Fidelity Autoroll and funding timing

Keep in mind that you should always do the autofill in a separate/isolated account, not your operating account.
by edge
Tue Feb 06, 2024 4:33 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF
Replies: 17
Views: 2853

Re: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF

Thx. I think I would prefer a global ex-us SCV fund - which does not appear to exist(?). I currently use vss. As of now if I was optimizing at the cost of complexity I guess there are developed markets scv and EM scb add as separate funds. What is your international %? 50% of my stock, thus 40% of my portfolio including REITs, or 36% not including REITs. (I don't have international bonds because I hold my bonds in my employer plan, which doesn't have an international bond fund.) I have a non-trivial target allocation to emerging markets small-cap because I hold a lot of international, and also overweight small-cap and emerging markets. I have chosen to increase risk for the prospect of higher returns by holding riskier stock, rather than mo...
by edge
Mon Feb 05, 2024 6:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF
Replies: 17
Views: 2853

Re: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF

What is your international %? What size allocation? I am at times tempted by the extremely thin S&D approach but aren’t there lower allocation limits where it lacks utility? For those interested Avantis has now EM Small cap covered https://www.avantisinvestors.com/avantis-investments/avantis-emerging-markets-small-cap-equity-etf/ Sports a low .42 ER - lower than DGS and EWX This will be useful. I gave up on holding a separate emerging markets small-cap fund because EEMS and EWX were too expensive, and EWX also generated a lot of taxable distributions. As a result, while I have a target allocation to emerging markets small-cap, I don't try to hold that allocation; I hold only the emerging markets in Vanguard's small-cap index and the sma...
by edge
Sun Feb 04, 2024 11:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF
Replies: 17
Views: 2853

Re: Avantis Emerging Markets Small Cap Equity ETF

What size allocation? I am at times tempted by the extremely thin S&D approach but aren’t there lower allocation limits where it lacks utility? For those interested Avantis has now EM Small cap covered https://www.avantisinvestors.com/avantis-investments/avantis-emerging-markets-small-cap-equity-etf/ Sports a low .42 ER - lower than DGS and EWX This will be useful. I gave up on holding a separate emerging markets small-cap fund because EEMS and EWX were too expensive, and EWX also generated a lot of taxable distributions. As a result, while I have a target allocation to emerging markets small-cap, I don't try to hold that allocation; I hold only the emerging markets in Vanguard's small-cap index and the small-caps in Vanguard's emerging...
by edge
Fri Feb 02, 2024 12:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Options for T-bills in Vanguard
Replies: 5
Views: 520

Re: Options for T-bills in Vanguard

VUSXX

But at least at Fidelity you can setup autoroll instructions for t-bills that will automatically replenish your ladder.
by edge
Sat Jan 27, 2024 5:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1007568

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

Akoya is a financial services API technology company spun out of Fidelity that allows for data aggregation of personal financial information. They appear to be using the relationship with Fidelity to push themselves forward as an financial services integration ecosystem anchor against Plaid/MX/etc. Just tried opening a brokerage account at Fidelity and was surprised when asked for the userid and password for the bank I'm using to transfer funds. Is that standard or even legal? I believe Fidelity uses Plaid, which is a third-party service a lot of institutions use to link financial accounts. It is legal and even very common nowadays, but whether it's good for your privacy/data safety is another question. I feel like you should be able to jus...
by edge
Sat Jan 27, 2024 4:54 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard ST Tips
Replies: 24
Views: 1959

Re: Vanguard ST Tips

To your second question - that is market timing with many variables involved including principally your interest rate forecast. You won't get much advice on those matters here. You should think about your bond portfolio duration in relation to your portfolio (and your own) lifespan.
by edge
Thu Jan 25, 2024 4:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: AV Receiver and Firestick/Rokus
Replies: 19
Views: 1691

Re: AV Receiver and Firestick/Rokus

Agreed - only time I've messed with the reciever remote is if I am configuring something complicated/new. And sometimes then I just use the mobile app instead of the remote.
toblerone wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:51 am
rich126 wrote: Thu Jan 25, 2024 8:01 am Thanks. Seems like you can do it either way depending on your equipment. My only reluctance in doing it is that it requires another remote (receiver) and complicates things slightly for my wife.
Not necessarily. I never touch my AVR remote, as the FireStick remote power button turns on the AVR and the TV, and volume buttons controls the AVR volume.
by edge
Thu Jan 25, 2024 4:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: New Fidelity Private Client Policy?
Replies: 44
Views: 6577

Re: New Fidelity Private Client Policy?

I am a fidelity private client and i could not care less. i just want them to continue to invest in the technology.
by edge
Thu Jan 25, 2024 6:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: AV Receiver and Firestick/Rokus
Replies: 19
Views: 1691

Re: AV Receiver and Firestick/Rokus

I forgot about optical. It can’t do DD+ or other modern data heavy formats but it’s ok for basic 5.1 or 7.1.
iamlucky13 wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:19 pm
edge wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:07 pm It depends on the receiver capabilities and the stick.

Both ways can work but your tv requires arc/earc to send the audio back to the receiver.
Yep. It depends on the capabilities. My receiver predates HDMI (which resulted in paying about 10% of the original price). My HDMI devices are plugged into the TV, including the Roku, and then I use the optical out to send audio to the receiver. It works pretty well.

No ARC needed in this setup, but I suppose TV manufacturers have probably stopped including optical audio out on most models by now.
by edge
Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: AV Receiver and Firestick/Rokus
Replies: 19
Views: 1691

Re: AV Receiver and Firestick/Rokus

It depends on the receiver capabilities and the stick.

Both ways can work but your tv requires arc/earc to send the audio back to the receiver.
by edge
Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:35 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity vs Vanguard for Taxable Accounts
Replies: 49
Views: 5705

Re: Fidelity vs Vanguard for Taxable Accounts

Why not use ‘fidelity youth account’ for this?
m&m2035 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 7:52 am
exodusNH wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 7:23 am You probably should have opened UTMA accounts, rather than accounts in your name. Technically, you've "stolen" that money from your children.
[ quote fixed by admin LadyGeek]

It makes no absolute sense to me to open UTMA accounts and then hand over the balance to them when they turn 18. As I stated in my post these accounts are for them and the plan is to hand it over to them when we feel they are mature enough to handle it. Yes, we will pay taxes on it, but to us that's a small price.
Thank you for your advice though.
by edge
Wed Jan 24, 2024 5:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best car for icy weather? Advice about driving in snowy conditions?
Replies: 113
Views: 7457

Re: Best car for icy weather? Advice about driving in snowy conditions?

Winter tires. Not all season.

Switch tires twice per year. Summer/winter.
Macaroni2314 wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 8:07 am
Uniballer wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2024 8:03 am I grew up in the snow belt east of Lake Erie.
  • Keep your speed down in slippery conditions, no matter how fast the idiots around you are going.
  • Learn to steer into a skid to regain control.
  • ABS brakes are not magic, but do help a lot.
  • Good tires are a must; even all-season tires can be OK if your skills are good and speeds are low.
  • Front wheel drive, or four wheel drive, are better in the snow than rear wheel drive.
I'll make a mental note to get a car with ABS brakes in the future, thanks!

And all-season tires sound like a must.
by edge
Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: New 401K - Capital Group - American Funds
Replies: 14
Views: 1352

Re: New 401K - Capital Group - American Funds

Wow R3 class funds. Thats bad.
by edge
Mon Jan 22, 2024 10:32 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Schwab is struggling
Replies: 48
Views: 11794

Re: Schwab is struggling

There were more fees back then.
gotoparks wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2024 10:27 am The Wall Street Journal periodically has articles concerning Schwab. I'm not a customer but find these articles interesting. Their business model didn't work last year and probably not this year either. I wonder what they did in the early 2000s when interest rates were higher. I guess my interest is from all the posts about Schwab on this forum. Maybe eventually they will go private.
by edge
Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:51 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: 🎁 🎉Happy 100th Birthday to Taylor Larimore 🎊🎂
Replies: 429
Views: 41882

Re: 🎁 🎉Happy 100th Birthday to Taylor Larimore 🎊🎂

Congratulations! I hope I am as put together at 100.
by edge
Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:49 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What happened in 2012 that US stocks took off?
Replies: 28
Views: 3142

Re: What happened in 2012 that US stocks took off?

Low interest rates fueled innovation but it was distributed unevenly.

EU lack of growth is putting them in a difficult spot to manage central bank rates.

EM struggled - didn’t develop and relied on non-innovative commodity oriented industries.
by edge
Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:45 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Schwab is struggling
Replies: 48
Views: 11794

Re: Schwab is struggling

Yes. A poor strategy that only works in certain economic conditions. They need a multi-cycle strategy.

This is one reason why monoline financial services companies struggle and eventually are sold at a discount. Their narrow product offerings perform terribly at perfectly normal/predictable parts of an economic cycle.
by edge
Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:43 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard account transition / SpecID
Replies: 7
Views: 876

VG MF to ETF conversion awareness

[edge's update has been merged into this on-going discussion. Moderator Pops1860]

While converting a MF to ETF VG rep advised that the ETF would have the same cost basis method as MF. This was not the case. MF was spec Id. ETF came up as FIFO. I changed it myself to spec Id using the website. Be aware if you do a conversion.

Cap Gains / Div Reinvestment was set correctly (as per the MF settings).
by edge
Sun Jan 21, 2024 1:24 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1007568

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

Yes, I was mostly responding to the poster(s) who were lamenting the 'high' fidelity MMMF ERs. It’s better because it has a lower ER and hence higher return. I assumed this was self evident from the other posts. Acknowledged, the last SGOV dividend was 5.42%, which exceeds the highest Fidelity MMF (I use FZDXX currently at 5.18% with 7 day yield). That said, I don't want the complexity of dealing with the buy/sell of SGOV and the associated 1099B come tax time, for what is my cash holdings. I'm fine getting 5.18% with FZDXX and a stable $1.00 share price that I can liquidate immediately if needed (not having to wait for settlement on selling SGOV) and just dealing with a single 1099DIV entry at tax time is no more complicated then a 1099INT...
by edge
Sat Jan 20, 2024 3:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Nice home, nice neighborhood, unsavory neighbors – options?
Replies: 92
Views: 10402

Re: Nice home, nice neighborhood, unsavory neighbors – options?

Unless they are actively marketing the home any engagement you make will likely lead to them taking a greater interest in you and your activities aka you become a target. I suggest staying away from interactions that reveal your identify.

Keep calling the police. Life expectancy is short for this spectrum of humanity. You can probably wait them out.

Other alternative is to sell your house, likely for a low price. If I had safety concerns this is what I would do. Just be ready to take a bath. No one wants to live next door to drug addicts and dealers.
by edge
Sat Jan 20, 2024 3:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity as a one stop shop
Replies: 5973
Views: 1007568

Re: Fidelity as a one stop shop

It’s better because it has a lower ER and hence higher return. I assumed this was self evident from the other posts.

I’m not sure it matters much for amounts 100k (or even 250k) or lower.

WillyMcG wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 3:16 pm
edge wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 12:36 pm I don’t really understand the concern. The amount you leave in fidelity cash management type mmmf should be limited to operating cash. For liquid needs beyond that there are other options eg VUSXX / SGOV.
How would VUSXX / SGOV be better? VUSXX is still a mmf. I'm sitting on 100k in cash right now, intent is to put it to work in the coming weeks/months but have some other money moves to address first.
by edge
Sat Jan 20, 2024 3:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do Bond Funds Really Make Sense for the Long Run?
Replies: 399
Views: 38692

Re: Do Bond Funds Really Make Sense for the Long Run?

Bond funds are fine if you understand what you are buying. And yes tbm is too long duration to be the only holding for retirees imo.