Search found 342 matches

by Optimistic
Wed Sep 21, 2022 3:00 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Individual Bonds vs Bond Funds
Replies: 12
Views: 1556

Re: Individual Bonds vs Bond Funds

This is a topic covered in the Wiki. I suggest you start there.
by Optimistic
Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:02 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggestions for 3-Player Board Games?
Replies: 89
Views: 6286

Re: Suggestions for 3-Player Board Games?

I'll throw my vote in for both Dominion and Ticket to Ride. They're both easy to learn but complex enough to have lots of replayability (and have expansion packs).
by Optimistic
Thu Jun 09, 2022 1:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: YouTube TV
Replies: 127
Views: 16708

Re: You Tube TV

You can pause and rewind live shows. If you DVR something, you can do that and fast-forward as much as you want and skip commercials. I have it and prefer it to cable, satellite, and any other live streaming service.
by Optimistic
Tue Sep 21, 2021 2:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

Horton wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:36 pm Curious - what was the fund’s return over the last month multiplied by 12?
I don't see that information. Fidelity does show the following under average annual returns for the fund:
YTD 1.95%
1 Yr 2.88%
3 Yr 3.14%
5 Yr 3.17%
10 Yr 3.34%
by Optimistic
Tue Sep 21, 2021 11:58 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

Update After not hearing back from Fidelity, I called them today to find out what was going on. It was helpful that I had written down my "work item number" and was able to reference it. The 3rd person I spoke to was able to give me the rate and term of the stable value fund: 3.00% gross and 2.85% net for 2021. (There is apparently a 0.15% insurance fee.) It resets each year, and I was told I'll need to call back in early 2022 to find out what the new rate is. I was also told to call a different 800 number in the future that should make the process smoother: 800-557-1900. Overall I'm happy with the rate for now and will use it in my 401k. Getting the information was an annoying process that was way more difficult than it should h...
by Optimistic
Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:18 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

On one of my 401ks through Fidelity, the rate is not in the fund description/summary where you would look up basic info about funds, like composition etc. It is buried in the supplemental documents as a footnote when I go to fund performance documents. Like nearby the plan documents, brochures, etc. Very odd location. Thanks for posting this. I went and looked on the Fidelity 401k website in the Plan Information section. I reviewed all the documents available to me. In the Summary Plan Description document it states the following: ERISA Section 404(c) The Plan is intended to be a “participant-directed” plan as described in Section 404(c) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and the regulations thereunder. You ha...
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 13, 2021 5:50 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

I'm around your age and have the same 80/20. BCOIX is what I'd use, too. My stable value has been 2.15% all year. Given that you're at a large firm, it probably safe to assume it's going to be around 2%. It sounds like you're talking about putting new money into it instead of rolling in past money. I think that's a fine plan. Given this is new money, you're not going to be contributing all that much (in the scheme of your investing history and future) before you find out what it winds up being. You won't move the needle much no matter what you do. If that fund is like mine, whatever money you put in gets the current rate for 12 months, then resets to the prevailing rate. Yes. I rolled funds from my previous employer to an IRA, so this 401k...
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:30 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

If all else fails, put some reasonable amount (say $1,000) into the Stable Value option as close to October 1, 2021 as you can. Then see what the value of your investment is on December 31, 2021. You can figure out an approximate annual interest rate from that. Doing it this way is not my first, second, or third choice. I truly expect that you'll find someone or someplace that can tell you the interest rate. But, if all else fails, you can get an answer this way. I don’t think this is necessary. Fidelity HAS to report past performance data, so just look at that. I can see the following from Fidelity for Average Annual Returns: YTD (Daily)* +1.88% 1 Yr +2.88%3 Yrs +3.14%5 Yrs +3.17%10 Yrs +3.34% And I could monitor the interest credited to ...
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 13, 2021 4:25 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

You probably need to keep asking HR. Someone has the plan documents that describe the product. I'm not sure how old you are or what a substantial amount of your bond allocation would be, but as I warned in a previous post, you may have limits on how much of that fund you can sell per year. It might take you 5 years to completely drain the fund. You might also have to go from that fund to stocks for 90 days before going back to bonds. If you're going to spend 5 years getting out of that fund into a bond fund as rates increase, you'd probably have been better off just going into the bond fund now. The fund is probably paying +/-2% per year. Mine is currently paying 2.15% per year until Oct 1. Nowhere do I see the historical rates, but from m...
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:52 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Re: Where to get info on stable value fund

Thanks for the help. I'll answer some of the responses below. Contact Prudential I contacted Prudential (just now). They tried to look up my SSN to find my account. I haven't contributed anything to the stable value fund, so I don't have an account with Prudential. Even if I had contributed to the Prudential stable value fund within my 401k (again administered by Fidelity), I would not expect to have an account with Prudential attached via my SSN. They were not able to provide me with any information. Write a letter to the CEO of your company to politely share that you are frustrated that you can't find the referred to rate and don't know if you should invest in this fund or not. Tell him you are a new employee and want to take best advanta...
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to get info on stable value fund
Replies: 35
Views: 4246

Where to get info on stable value fund

My new employer offers a stable value fund in its 401k (administered by Fidelity). The fund is listed as "Prudential Fixed Income Fund". The description states: Objective The Prudential Fixed Income Fund (the "Fund") is a client-specific experience-rated fund for plans with large Stable Value assets that seeks to provide stable crediting rates, while ensuring the safety of invested assets. Strategy Principal and accumulated interest are fully guaranteed by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (PRIAC). The guaranteed interest rate is announced in advance and is guaranteed for a one year period. A minimum rate will apply. Experience rated general account stable value product that provides client specific cre...
by Optimistic
Wed Apr 15, 2020 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Eating out after lock-down is lifted
Replies: 112
Views: 11907

Re: Eating out after lock-down is lifted

jabberwockOG wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2020 11:00 am Going to any public and potentially close proximity place is going to be strange and awkward until a Covid-19 vaccine is widely available. Nothing else is going to change this very bad situation regardless of the blustering wishful thinking that is going on. Ordering take out is risky, and we would not do it at our house as long as we have periodic safe access to adequate groceries and can easily cook our own meals.
According to this NPR article, eating take-out is safe.
by Optimistic
Thu Jul 18, 2019 8:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Social Security Survivor Benefits
Replies: 6
Views: 1178

Re: Social Security Survivor Benefits

There used to be an option called "file and suspend". This allowed the lower-earning spouse to receive spousal benefits from the higher-earning spouse while at the same time increasing their own (non-spousal) benefit by deferring. This is no longer an option.

However, your MIL does not want to claim a spousal benefit. Instead, she wants to claim survivors benefit. She can claim the survivors benefit now (because she is 60) and switch to her own benefit later.

Difference between spousal and survivor benefit
by Optimistic
Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Digitalizing Old Photos Help
Replies: 22
Views: 2217

Re: Digitalizing Old Photos Help

ddurrett896 wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 1:07 pm
Limoncello402 wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 9:59 am I've finally decided to start the huge project of converting a big box of old photos to digital. I haven't done this before at all. Can someone lead me to the best method of doing this, barring a professional service? Thanks!!
iPhone app PhotoScan.

Can with iPhone and it saves to phone. Did tons of pictures and all came out perfect.
Yes. This the stand alone version of the Google Photos app I mentioned. You can use the PhotoScan independently or access it from within Google Photos.
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Digitalizing Old Photos Help
Replies: 22
Views: 2217

Re: Digitalizing Old Photos Help

Google Photos has a built-in feature to scan photos that is pretty good and completely free. I'd at least try it out before spending any money on a dedicated scanner.
by Optimistic
Wed May 02, 2018 4:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Costco Vs Amazon Prime
Replies: 62
Views: 6651

Re: Costco Vs Amazon Prime

I'm not sure I understand the comparison. Are you only using Costco.com? Amazon offers way more products than Costco and from many different producers. I'm not sure I could get a good cheap bluetooth speaker, lacrosse stick, american girl doll accessories, Vivofit Jr activity tracker, etc from Costco. But, all those things are available at Amazon. I also cannot get milk, bacon, produce, etc from Amazon, but Costco had those things.

I used to have both, but dropped Costco b/c it was a 30-minute drive for me. I'm thinking about dropping Prime, but haven't yet.
by Optimistic
Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you have a antivirus for you Android phone?
Replies: 20
Views: 2256

Re: Do you have a antivirus for you Android phone?

It is difficult to get malware on an Android phone. You cannot install apps from outside the Google Play store unless you purposefully turn on the setting that allows installation from Unknown Sources. So, don't change that setting. Then, only download apps from the Google Play store you're familiar with. Installing the Vanguard or Fidelity app isn't going to give you malware. However, installing an app that you've never heard of and has only a few downloads and reviews could potentially expose you to malware.

Also, by the time your anti-virus app knows about an app in the Play Store that is malicious and would block you from installing it, Google would have found out as well and removed the app on its own.
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:05 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

I would like my mother to have the option to retire in the very near future. She is working on determining her monthly expenses. Her monthly expenses while retired are key in the decision of when she can retire. Don't forget to include expenses that are only paid once or twice a year (car insurance, property taxes, car maintenance) and income taxes. (Note: For 2018, she will need to file as Single and the space in each tax bracket for Singles is about half of what it is for MFJ.) However, being recently widowed, it is probably better to not change other things in her life right now. She needs at least a year to get used to her new circumstances and part of her support system and routine is through work. Changing too many things in the same...
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:01 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

It would greatly benefit your mom if she would work until 63.5 and then take cobra for health care. Less draw down from savings and healthcare is assured. Age 65 would be even better as medicare should be less expensive than cobra. Also shop around for better paying cd's. I think you should be able to get better rates. My own bank offers some specials which are not well advertised. Excellent point on working until 63.5 or 65, depending on the amount of the stipend. Thanks. I believe the stipend is around $700 a month for health insurance, but I'll double check that too. I understand that working longer would be beneficial, but she really wants to retire. Her job is tough, and after my father passed away so unexpectedly, she is seriously co...
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:55 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

If she wants to stay in the condo, she should refinance but first consider whether she might want to move at some point because of her health conditions, i.e., be closer to her doctor, clinic, hospital, etc. Her doctor will know whether and when her health care needs will require more care. If she wants to stay, does the condo have stairs or will it need alterations to accommodate her health needs? Thanks for the response. The condo does have stairs. She's not especially attached to where she lives now except that she likes living in a condo to avoid maintenance issues. I can see her wanting to move to a place with only a first floor in the future. That's why I haven't considered refinancing the mortgage too much. But, I'll discuss it with...
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:13 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

I am sorry about your father. Are you familiar with the Government Pension Offset provisions? Just be sure that your mother's SS benefit is not affected by it before you make any decisions. The issue of healthcare, as you've noted, is critical. She should be able to keep her current coverage through COBRA for 18 months. It might be pricey, but with chronic conditions it could still be her best bet. Then she'd only have another year or 18 months to get her own coverage before Medicare kicks in. Would it be possible for your mother to refinance her mortgage to another 30-year loan at a lower rate, while she is still working? If she is really determined to stay in the house, then lowering her monthly payment probably makes sense. That said, t...
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

BL wrote: Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:52 pm I think she needs to figure out an AA (stock/bond ratio) on amounts beyond cash needs for a couple years' expenses. Age in bonds is one rule of thumb which would be 40 stock/60 bond. However, she has fixed income to cover basic expenses after FRA so she could easily go more aggressive to possibly cover long term care, medical costs, cars, assisted living, etc.

With a COLAd pension, she should be in pretty good shape, barring extreme expenses.
Thanks. I was thinking we would probably get to around 25% in stocks eventually. But, avoiding loss of principal until FRA is the biggest concern at the moment. So, I was going to have her use the Stable Value fund now and then CDs in an IRA after retirement until FRA.
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:03 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

I am sorry about your father. Are you familiar with the Government Pension Offset provisions? Just be sure that your mother's SS benefit is not affected by it before you make any decisions. The issue of healthcare, as you've noted, is critical. She should be able to keep her current coverage through COBRA for 18 months. It might be pricey, but with chronic conditions it could still be her best bet. Then she'd only have another year or 18 months to get her own coverage before Medicare kicks in. Would it be possible for your mother to refinance her mortgage to another 30-year loan at a lower rate, while she is still working? If she is really determined to stay in the house, then lowering her monthly payment probably makes sense. That said, t...
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:31 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Re: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

BL wrote: Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:26 pm What exactly is the survivor's SS benefit and her SS benefit at FRA? I would choose the higher benefit at FRA and the lower benefit at the early date (60 or 62, depending on which it is).
I don't have the survivor's benefit in front of me at FRA. But, I'm 99% sure it is less than her SS benefit at FRA ($2,271). I'll double check to be sure. Thanks!
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Help with my recently widowed mom's finances
Replies: 22
Views: 2421

Help with my recently widowed mom's finances

My father recently passed away very unexpectedly. I am trying to help my mother get her finances in order and would appreciate feedback. Mom is 62. She is currently employed, but would like to retire in the near future (6 – 12 months) if possible. She has a mortgage with 22 years remaining at 4.875 and a balance of around $160,000. I don’t foresee paying that off early. She has no other debt. She is a teacher and is eligible to receive a pension (COLA up to 3%) of $2,996 per month upon retirement. She is also currently eligible to receive Dad’s Social Security survivor’s benefit of $1,745 (as of January 2018). At FRA, her SS benefit would be $2,271. She has around $40,000 in a 403b and $100,000 sitting in a low interest savings account. Her...
by Optimistic
Thu Mar 30, 2017 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Lastpass bug
Replies: 18
Views: 3374

Re: Lastpass bug

hirlaw wrote:I am concerned about a dishonest employee or principal of the company. Also, I worry about a company going out of business -- how secure will the servers/security be in a liquidation setting.
From LastPass FAQs
How is LastPass secure and how does it encrypt/decrypt my data safely?
What happens if LastPass disappears?
by Optimistic
Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fun Vacations v. Time with Family
Replies: 38
Views: 5587

Re: Fun Vacations v. Time with Family

an_asker wrote:To those folks who think international travel is over-rated: have you ever wondered why the North Koreans think that their country is the best?
Because if they say otherwise, they'll be executed by their dear leader.
by Optimistic
Thu Sep 15, 2016 12:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fireplace Inserts
Replies: 17
Views: 3953

Re: Fireplace Inserts

I have a coal-burning insert that heats my entire house all winter and love it. It saves me money and keeps my house very comfortable. However, your situation appears to be quite different. It doesn't appear as though burning wood would save you much money. (By the way, wood isn't truly free unless someone is cutting down the tree, splitting it, hauling it, and stacking it for you. Free wood typically costs a lot of time and energy.) The initial investment would not be cheap. You'll have to buy the insert (a good new one is around $2,000, a questionable used one would be about $500). You'll need to line the chimney. The cost of the liner will be anywhere from $500 to $1500. You'll need to have the chimney inspected (not just cleaned) prior ...
by Optimistic
Mon May 23, 2016 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon has no head to head competitors?
Replies: 71
Views: 9003

Re: Amazon has no head to head competitors?

OP - I'm confused. Are you suggesting that in order to be a "direct" competitor, you need to sell exactly the same things exactly the same way (shipping speed, return policy, etc)? If so, you will find that almost no business has a direct competitor. In reality, Amazon has many competitors that keeps Jeff Bezos up at night. A few of these are: EBay Netflix Apple Google Target Walmart IBM Microsoft AT&T Best Buy Home Depot NewEgg Staples Costco Even if the list wasn't so long, I wouldn't be worried. Fortunately, there are lots of greedy corporations out there. So, if these greedy corporations were to see Amazon enjoying an excessive profit via a unique business model, then it wouldn't be long before greed compelled them to comp...
by Optimistic
Tue May 10, 2016 3:59 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Classic Bernstein 5 — What’s a Thing Worth?
Replies: 11
Views: 4389

Re: Classic Bernstein 5 — What’s a Thing Worth?

Simplegift - Would you mind putting links to the first 4 posts in the original post in this thread (and subsequent threads)?

Thanks!
by Optimistic
Fri May 06, 2016 5:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is buying organic really that expensive?
Replies: 111
Views: 20130

Re: Is buying organic really that expensive?

+1 - it's a total marketing ploy. I refuse to buy organic out of principle. When my wife disagrees then I'll buy my own non-organic version of whatever she is buying. She'll see the light one of these days since she keeps having to borrow my milk when hers goes bad like 3 days after opening. I also like to go on my Whole Foods rant, but I'll save that for another thread since it's kind of off-topic. :D I dont know where she is getting her organic milk from ... something is wrong. Ours lasts weeks. We feed only organic milk to our kids. I dont want them hitting puberty at 6 years old like a lot of kids are these days from all the garbage that big Ag is putting in our food supply. There is plenty of non-organic milk that excludes bovine grow...
by Optimistic
Fri Apr 29, 2016 10:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Term Life Insurance Situation
Replies: 9
Views: 1503

Re: Term Life Insurance Situation

HAMnEGGr wrote: 3. any other advice?
Start at Term4Sale.com.
by Optimistic
Thu Feb 25, 2016 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Going to 30/70 (Target Retirement Income Fund) at age 33?
Replies: 45
Views: 7959

Re: Going to 30/70 (Target Retirement Income Fund) at age 33?

Going to 30/70 is fine as long as you are willing to increase your savings rate and you won't be tempted to increase your stock allocation in the next bull market. Regardless, I suggest you determine what your savings rate would need to be with a 30/70 allocation. Then, begin using that new savings rate. In the meantime, leave your allocation alone while you do more research. Read some books from the suggested reading list in the wiki. Hang around the forums. Oh, and stop paying attention to financial news. I know the stock market hasn't been doing well, and I have seen lots of people ask questions similar to yours. But, I have no idea if the "stock market" or my portfolio is down 5%, 20%, or 50% from it's high. (If I had to guess...
by Optimistic
Thu Feb 25, 2016 3:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Rare Black Swan Pattern
Replies: 33
Views: 6333

Re: Rare Black Swan Pattern

Whakamole wrote:
Dutch wrote:The charts don't lie! I'm going all cash
What's the matter, chicken?
Maybe a little. It does look like the sky is falling.
by Optimistic
Wed Jan 27, 2016 12:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is Comcast Blast Helpful with WiFi?
Replies: 17
Views: 4866

Re: Is Comcast Blast Helpful with WiFi?

Your internet speed probably had nothing to do with your Skype issues. Here is a link for Skype's bandwidth recommendation . The minimum download/upload speed for an HD Video call is 1.2 Mbps/1.2 Mbps. Recommended is 1.5/1.5. Even for a group video with 7+ people, the minimum is 4 Mbps/128 kbps and recommended is 8 Mbps/ 512 kbps. So, even the starter package would likely suffice for all of your Skype needs. Netflix recommends 5 Mbps for HD movies. So, if you want to Skype with 7+ people and watch a couple of HD movies at the same time, you would need the Internet Plus (25 Mbps) package. I can't think of any reason you would need more than 25 Mbps unless you want to stream 4k Movies too. Finally, even a G router from 10+ years ago can handl...
by Optimistic
Thu Dec 17, 2015 8:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Setting up a tablet for a 3 year old
Replies: 3
Views: 726

Re: Setting up a tablet for a 3 year old

My kids (similar ages) sometimes use a phone or tablet too. However, I make sure the device is not connected to the internet when they have it. It is way too easy to stumble across wildly inappropriate things on youtube or anywhere else online in my opinion. Instead, I let my kids use apps (mostly educational games). If you decide to continue using youtube, I'd at least recommend using the kids version of youtube.

There is an app called Kid Mode that restricts what your kids can do and maybe even how long they can be on the device. I tried it for a while, but found it was easier to just monitor it myself.
by Optimistic
Wed Dec 02, 2015 1:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Advising my son on 401K enrollment, advise wanted.
Replies: 25
Views: 2763

Re: Advising my son on 401K enrollment, advise wanted.

The offerings in the 401k are not very good (high cost). I would advise him to contribute only to the employer match and then put any additional savings in an IRA at a low cost provider. Vanguard is preferred by the vast majority of Bogleheads because they offer the lowest cost funds. You should also rethink your strategy of having one account where your son chooses his own investments and another account with a Target Date fund. The last thing you want to happen is for your son get lucky, pick some winners, and reach the conclusion he is an investing genius. (Even if you were to go that route, you wouldn't need one account to be a Roth and the other to be a Traditional IRA.) Instead, before your son starts investing, have him read a book o...
by Optimistic
Tue Dec 01, 2015 3:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best TV to buy
Replies: 96
Views: 13970

Re: Best TV to buy

Target has this Vizio 32" TV (LED, 720p, 60hz) that should be sufficient for you. With a combination of sales/gift cards, it can be bought today for $133.89.

Today's sale price - $179.99
Cartwheel discount (10%) - $161.99
Target RedCard discount (5%) - $153.89
Gift card included w/ purchase ($20) - $133.89

I wouldn't spend much more than that for a 32" TV and definitely would NOT recommend an extended warranty for such an item (or any item really).
by Optimistic
Mon Aug 17, 2015 4:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Using a dividend ETF for retirement income
Replies: 5
Views: 1513

Re: Using a dividend ETF for retirement income

Hi Paul, Welcome to the forum. Here is a search result for dividend vs total return . I suggest reading some of those threads as the topic has been discussed many times before. Generally speaking, the recommendation of the forum is to favor a total return approach. You say: In a down market-dividends might decrease but I anticipate that they will stay close to the current $65K or $77K depending on the ETF? What leads you to believe that dividends would stay close to their current output in a down market? But, you don't even need a down market for dividends to drop. What happens if tax policy is changed 18 years from now and dividends start being taxed at a much higher rate? Not only would your share of your dividend be much less, but compan...
by Optimistic
Mon Mar 16, 2015 1:43 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Credit Report Very Low For No Reason? Fixing it?
Replies: 60
Views: 5901

Re: Credit Report Very Low For No Reason? Fixing it?

Sublime8700 wrote:Blah - but I thought I wasn't supposed to check my credit score more than once a year ("hard pull") and I did it a month ago and it said 650 :(
You checking your credit report via annualcreditreport.com does not constitute a "hard pull". You could do it every day and it would not lower your score. However, only 1 report per credit bureau is free. So, if you've already pulled a credit report from each of the 3 credit bureaus in the past year, you will have to pay a small amount for the additional report. (The exception is if you live in one of the 7 states that allow for an additional free report each year.)
by Optimistic
Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:40 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any alternative ways of creating income? Life insuran maybe?
Replies: 26
Views: 3847

Re: Any alternative ways of creating income? Life insuran ma

OP, I suggest spending some time with this site's Wiki. There is a specific entry for your question about ETFs vs Index/Mutual Funds. And, there are entries for lots of questions you probably haven't thought of yet. There's even a getting started entry.

By the way, welcome to forum! I see you joined less than a month ago. Getting serious about investing and saving for retirement at 26 will make the process much easier. Good for you!
by Optimistic
Wed Feb 11, 2015 2:27 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any alternative ways of creating income? Life insuran maybe?
Replies: 26
Views: 3847

Re: Any alternative ways of creating income? Life insuran ma

OP, why are you interested in creating income at 26? The typical approach is to accumulate funds during your working years and then withdraw those funds in retirement. Some people feel more comfortable utilizing said funds in retirement if they do not have to touch the principal and can instead rely on income (i.e. dividends, interest, etc.). Is this your concern? If so, I don't see the need to worry too much about it now unless maybe you were going to try and use bonds to match future liabilities. Once you are older and near retirement, you could convert to an "income portfolio" as you neared retirement. Or, you could purchase an immediate annuity (the one annuity that is favored on this forum) once your age made it worthwhile. O...
by Optimistic
Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: time to replace my router?
Replies: 45
Views: 10915

Re: time to replace my router?

OP - can you please explain how your router's performance has degraded exactly?

I'm still using the the same Linksys WRT54G router I bought in 2005. The download speed from my IPS is capped at 20 Mbps. The signal is strong throughout my house (on both floors). And, I rarely share files across a home network. So, there was never any incentive for me upgrade to a better router. Netflix never stutters, so why upgrade?
by Optimistic
Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keurig Coffee Makers
Replies: 57
Views: 8585

Re: Keurig Coffee Makers

I find this fad just funny.... A lot of the same people who are raving about these things are the same ones that would be upset if you accused them of not recycling... They are vastly wasteful. In a shared work canteen environment, I'm sure they save a lot on cleanup but for person use.... I'm missing the point with so many downsides for a little convenience. My take is just the opposite. I'm the only one in my house that drinks coffee. One (maybe 2) cup(s) a day. So, there's no point in making a pot. You can find the Keurig Brewers on sale cheaply (I got mine for $40 at Staples this summer). There's a good chance a pump will die within a few years, but if you're only paying $40 it's not that big of a deal. As another poster mentioned, try...
by Optimistic
Mon Oct 20, 2014 2:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: online shopping for laptop PC
Replies: 25
Views: 3494

Re: online shopping for laptop PC

You say you prefer Windows 7. But, Windows 7 is not optimized for touch-screen. It is even less optimized for Google Chromebooks.
by Optimistic
Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Be careful if you get this email [scam, infected with virus]
Replies: 12
Views: 2757

Re: Be careful if you get this email

rustymutt wrote:
Optimistic wrote:Never open an attachment that comes from an unknown source!

I'll go one step further with the advise and suggest not opening any attachments, even if you know the person. Some machines get taken over by these zombies, and send out nasty viruses to others, using the mail list.
If the attachments are executable (.doc, .xls, .exe, .htm, .pdf), then you are correct. If the attachments are simply data files (.txt, .csv, .gif, .jpg, .mp3, .wav) then you're okay. You don't want to miss out on that picture of the grandkids!
by Optimistic
Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:36 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anybody ever reduce term coverage amount?
Replies: 16
Views: 2142

Re: Anybody ever reduce term coverage amount?

I did a 20yr-30yr ladder. What is the difference in price for you of doing the ladder or just doing 30 years? Having only $1 million dollars of life insurance 20 years from now doesn't sound terrible.