Search found 205 matches

by sketchy9
Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Planning to sell my condo. Right decision ?
Replies: 18
Views: 1469

Re: Planning to sell my condo. Right decision ?

You don't have a mortgage on this potential rental property? It's not listed in your expenses. Also, you didn't include depreciation or the impact of income taxes in your calculations, which will alter the net cash flow. For what it's worth, we were faced with a somewhat similar situation in SoCal in a very desirable location. After factoring in all expenses we would've been +$50 in net cash flow (ignoring equity increases). That absolutely was not worth it to us despite a sub-2.5% interest rate on the mortgage. Consider it at least a part-time job to manage the property, and if you're in a municipality with rent control (as we were) your options become severely limited if you decide down the road that being a landlord is not for you. Overa...
by sketchy9
Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: California State Income Tax Brackets 2024
Replies: 20
Views: 4055

Re: California State Income Tax Brackets 2024

ssel wrote: Sun Jan 28, 2024 4:50 am Is there a limit to the number of allowances you can claim before they frown on it? To avoid a refund I'd have to go above 10, but I don't want a late night knock on the door.
(I'm so glad Uncle Sam did away with allowances.)
I'm at 22 and I think my employer allows up to 99 (and I think that's simply a software issue, as I suspect they only allow two digits). BTW, 22 is still not enough to avoid a refund but I don't feel like updating my W-4.
by sketchy9
Mon Jun 12, 2023 5:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP share prices for Quicken
Replies: 157
Views: 37173

Re: TSP share prices for Quicken

impdust wrote: Mon Jun 12, 2023 3:25 pm Just to make sure there's no confusion. I didn't create the script or update it when the TSP site changed, Simbilis did.
Ah, my apologies to both you and simbilis. One thing that perhaps excuses me is that, based on this thread, it appears to be a community effort with several contributers, some doing the heavy lifting of providing the code and others providing valuable feedback. I'm glad the community has been able to keep this project alive over the years.
by sketchy9
Mon Jun 12, 2023 2:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "Should couples combine finances or keep personal accounts?"
Replies: 236
Views: 26213

Re: "Should couples combine finances or keep personal accounts?"

bugleheadd wrote: Mon Jun 12, 2023 12:41 pm What about for Trad/Roth , 401ks,and HSA....is it possible to add on spouses name the accounts after marriage?
As far as I know, it's not possible to do co-own IRAs and 401ks. The best you can do is name a beneficiary. However, in the event of a divorce, in my community property state each spouse is entitled to 50% of the contributions and gains from the time of marriage in those accounts. Seems like an accounting nightmare that I hope never to encounter.
by sketchy9
Mon Jun 12, 2023 1:24 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP share prices for Quicken
Replies: 157
Views: 37173

Re: TSP share prices for Quicken

impdust wrote: Mon Jun 12, 2023 6:17 am @scoothome, That change wouldn't work for me because I have the script scheduled so it runs automatically each day. I would end up with a file that only has a single days value and I would have to load it into Quicken every day. To do what you'd want the script would have to read the Quicken file to see what the last fund date is and then only write newer dates to the file, so that the load would only include all the missing dates.
Also seems kind of unnecessary. The csv file is not that big relative to how cheap storage is nowadays, and importing the file into Quicken takes maybe 20 seconds.

And thank you very much impdust for all you've done-- it's really addressed a glaring need that frankly Quicken should've solved themselves.
by sketchy9
Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:02 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "Should couples combine finances or keep personal accounts?"
Replies: 236
Views: 26213

Re: "Should couples combine finances or keep personal accounts?"

UpperNwGuy wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 10:33 pm I think the best of both worlds is to have three accounts: his, hers, and ours.
We do the same. Paychecks go into a common account which covers most of our spending (food, bills, travel, etc.). We each get an equal monthly allowance transferred into our own accounts to do with as we please. I make more than her by about 50%, but in the eyes of our state government, and consequently us, it's all community money and is treated as such.
by sketchy9
Tue Jan 31, 2023 4:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 2-Fund portfolio inside a TSP
Replies: 20
Views: 2888

Re: 2-Fund portfolio inside a TSP

I’d like to only invest in the US funds (not the I Fund) inside my TSP. What’s the best way for me to accomplish this? Am I correct that about 80% of equities should be in the C Fund and the other 20% be in the S fund? Should I be using only one of the G or F funds or a mix? And if it’s a mix, at what percentage should that be? If you want the actual percentages, you can figure it out. from TSP.gov: "By law, the C Fund must be invested in a portfolio designed to replicate the performance of an index of stocks representing the U.S. stock markets. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board has chosen as its benchmark the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index , which tracks the performance of major U.S. companies and industries."...
by sketchy9
Tue Jan 31, 2023 12:14 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 529 Plans - How much to contribute?
Replies: 72
Views: 6647

Re: 529 Plans - How much to contribute?

Something that gets overlooked in these discussions is the benefits of AOTC/LLC. If you think your income is too high you can still take advantage of those credits by not declaring your child as a dependent and then gift appreciated stock to them. When they sell the stock, they will be subject to "kiddie tax" but the AOTC/LLC will offset that tax liability. If you were planning on cash flowing college, this essentially gives you a way to reset your basis. So... in terms of saving money, I'd do the following (roughly in order) Contribute to 401k to get the most of any employer match Contribute to Roth IRA (If not eligible, then contribute to T-IRA and backdoor it into Roth) Contribute to remaining space in 401k Contribute to after...
by sketchy9
Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much do you keep in checking?
Replies: 309
Views: 30358

Re: How much do you keep in checking?

$50. It's linked to a savings account at the same bank in which we keep a few thousand. Transfers are instantaneous and there is automatic overdraft protection as well. We make three scheduled transfers per month into the checking account, usually a day or two before various bills and expenses are paid. We really minimize the amount of time that cash sits in our checking account. EDIT: For those who keep very low levels (<$1000-ish) in checking, how do you pay your bills? Do you transfer money from another location every time you pay a bill? Some bills are relatively predictable & monthly, others not so much (credit card bills will fluctuate month to month). The first of the three transfers is on the first of the month and is the same a...
by sketchy9
Wed Sep 28, 2022 3:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity Account Breached (and what I did about it)
Replies: 122
Views: 23744

Re: Fidelity Account Breached (and what I did about it)

Good info here. What is the recovery process if you lose the device with Fidelity VIP app on it? You have to call in. How do you prove it's you, given how this attack took place? This question does not seem to have been answered and it has stopped me from using the service. How do you prove it is you to transfer the service to a new cellphone? Edit. I did some research and apparently the only way is for the financial company, like Fidelity, to change their records to use the codes generated on a new cell phone. You apparently have to call Fidelity to get them to do this but the question asked by Obiquiet remains: how do you prove it’s you to Fidelity to get them to accept the new cellphone? Unable to transfer a VIP credential ID from one d...
by sketchy9
Thu Aug 04, 2022 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?
Replies: 373
Views: 40019

Re: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?

Did you ever figure it out? I am a bit concerned with how long my recent rollover in has taken. I’m still trying. They claimed they never got the first check and paperwork. So, I placed a stop payment on the first check and started all over again. I’m now in the process of trying to find out what the status of the second attempt is. When you call the TSP, they can only give you very generic info. Yesterday however, they claimed they have received the second attempt and it’ll be credited to my account shortly. 1 1/2 months and still trying to get this done. This is ridiculous. Prior to the “upgrade” I had done this process twice and each time it was 2-3 weeks from start to finish. That's terrifying. I did get a delivery confirmation on mine...
by sketchy9
Thu Jan 20, 2022 1:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Yubikey only at Vanguard now possible.
Replies: 658
Views: 84407

Re: Yubikey only at Vanguard now possible.

Just wanted to chime in with my experience with the mobile app. Vanguard has my mobile number but I have 2 yubikeys set up. When logging in with the mobile app for the first time, it prompted me to set up fingerprint login (good). It then stated I needed to set up security codes (ok). It gave me the option to use my existing number (good) OR add a new number (VERY BAD). So, it appears that even if you have a phone number in their system, you can still bypass that number and add a new number the first time you install the app.

That's just so mind-bogglingly stupid (and dangerous). It's enough to make me leave them. They want me to use their ETFs anyway, I can do that just as well at a place like Fidelity.
by sketchy9
Thu Sep 02, 2021 12:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Need advice on updating HOA CC&Rs, cost & quality
Replies: 11
Views: 1257

Re: Need advice on updating HOA CC&Rs, cost & quality

Our building recently did (we're in CA as well). We used an attorney and it cost right around the estimates you've been getting. We didn't look into other entities like you did, but if you get new CC&Rs that comply with Davis-Stirling I don't see why it would be a problem. One piece of advice: your documents are wildly out of date and compliance with the Corporations Code. If a problem arises the HOA (i.e., all of you) will be on the hook for it and costs could add up fast. A few thousand dollars now could potentially save all sorts of headaches down the road. Furthermore, there are issues today that people never dreamed of 40-50 years ago (widespread solar, charging stations for cars, possible climate mitigation, and so on). You have a...
by sketchy9
Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Any happy lawyers out there?
Replies: 138
Views: 16386

Re: Any happy lawyers out there?

Not me but my wife. She has a real passion for the law and wanted to be a lawyer since she was a teenager. She's a senior associate at a smaller firm (~15 attorneys) and it's definitely a "lifestyle" firm. She works 8-9 hours/day, and very rarely a couple of hours at most on the weekends (once a month or so). She has a fairly broad area of practice, but it's all civil litigation. Lots of small business disputes, trusts & estates, and so on. She feels she makes a real difference in people's lives and has no desire to do anything else. Coincidentally, many of my friends are attorneys and they can't understand how she is able to be happy at her job :D
by sketchy9
Thu Feb 25, 2021 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Full diligence before buying a house
Replies: 15
Views: 2212

Re: Full diligence before buying a house

Don't rely on the title insurance company to confirm the title. It might be worth it to go to the county offices and do your own research. Why? That’s literally what title insurance is *for*. If the title insurance company is going to miss something, I’m sure as heck not going to be able to find it for them. In theory, yes, that's what the title insurance company is for. However, I've heard too many horror stories (via my attorney wife) of companies that have missed very obvious issues with the title and then entered into protracted litigation where the buyer is held in limbo. I'm talking about things like the presence or absence of easements, who actually owns the title, etc. Things that even a layperson can read with their own eyes.
by sketchy9
Sat Feb 20, 2021 9:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Full diligence before buying a house
Replies: 15
Views: 2212

Re: Full diligence before buying a house

Don't rely on the title insurance company to confirm the title. It might be worth it to go to the county offices and do your own research.
by sketchy9
Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: To purchase a California home or move out of state?
Replies: 88
Views: 9537

Re: To purchase a California home or move out of state?

I lived in the upper Midwest as a youth and counted the days until I had an opportunity to move back to SoCal, and took advantage of it as soon as I could. Harsh winters are no joke, and that was when I was in my early 20s. I can't imagine it gets easier to wear three to four heavy layers, to have to clear ice off your windshield, to shovel snow off your porch, or to perform any of a number of winter chores as one ages. You can certainly move to a southern state, but then you trade harsh winters for harsh summers. As a point of discussion, it will be very difficult to escape wildfires anywhere west of the Rockies as the years pass. Climate change is exacerbating all the factors that lead to wildfires, so if you have PTSD from fire evacuatio...
by sketchy9
Wed Dec 30, 2020 12:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does a condo owner need umbrella insurance?
Replies: 21
Views: 3397

Re: Does a condo owner need umbrella insurance?

The wife and I have 2 condos. We decided for the umbrella policy. The price is cheap especially in comparison to the risk. We simply used our homeowners insurance company (which is also our auto). The savings of shopping around is probably minimal, especially when you bundle. We also got separate insurance for contents, and the HOA fees covers insurance for the common areas. It’s better to be over-insured than under, in my opinion. Against, the reward of being insured (including peace of mind) outweighs the risk of being underinsured. I think you have that backwards. It's cheap because it's low-risk. Remember, insurance companies are not in business to pay out large claims. They're in business to take premiums and pay out as little as they...
by sketchy9
Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: mortgage refi question - brick and mortar vs online
Replies: 12
Views: 898

Re: mortgage refi question - brick and mortar vs online

When I was researching refis, I noticed that the traditional B&M banks consistently had worse rates than the online outfits. I ended up using better.com and the experience was extremely smooth. I think application to loan funding was less than 30 days, and part of that delay was because my HOA was dragging its feet in providing some documents. My loan was immediately sold (as expected) and the biggest hassle of that was needing to create new login credentials for the new servicer. I'm also in CA.
by sketchy9
Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When does purchasing Umbrella Insurance Coverage makes sense?
Replies: 108
Views: 8776

Re: When does purchasing Umbrella Insurance Coverage makes sense?

I have used an umbrella policy and made the decision based on my risk exposure: teenagers in the household, get umbrella coverage. Pool, get umbrella coverage. High crime area, get umbrella coverage. Public exposure of your assets, i.e. windfall wealth, you become a CEO with publicity attendant, etc. Otherwise, you have better places to spend your money. Set a reminder when your child reaches age 15 +/- and put an umbrella in place then. I avoid over-insuring, even when the coverage is "cheap" but I watch the risk exposure and insure what I can't self-insure. I agree with this (although I don't exactly understand why my living in a high crime area increases my exposure to being sued). The focus on Net worth/assets/etc. is misplac...
by sketchy9
Mon Feb 24, 2020 8:01 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
Replies: 36221
Views: 4685323

Re: U.S. stocks in free fall

Maybe I should actually think about writing my first will. If the virus becomes pandemic, the first thing to worry about is to stay alive. The mortality rate has been 2%. I can't bring myself to say "only" 2%. And for flu it's in the ballpark of 5 per 100,000 so this is hundreds of times more deadly than flu, or at least the flu we are used to. 2% is about the same as the mortality rate for flu in 1918. Because of uncertainties about everything 2% that may not be a trustworthy figure. And, of course, that might be 2% with "proper" current medical treatment, and at some point the pandemic might overwhelm medical facilities. But still... you know, if you're reasonably healthy, this isn't like Ebola. (As far as we know. Ye...
by sketchy9
Mon Feb 24, 2020 3:06 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
Replies: 36221
Views: 4685323

Re: U.S. stocks in free fall

Maybe I should actually think about writing my first will. If the virus becomes pandemic, the first thing to worry about is to stay alive. The mortality rate has been 2%. I can't bring myself to say "only" 2%. And for flu it's in the ballpark of 5 per 100,000 so this is hundreds of times more deadly than flu, or at least the flu we are used to. 2% is about the same as the mortality rate for flu in 1918. Because of uncertainties about everything 2% that may not be a trustworthy figure. And, of course, that might be 2% with "proper" current medical treatment, and at some point the pandemic might overwhelm medical facilities. But still... you know, if you're reasonably healthy, this isn't like Ebola. (As far as we know. Ye...
by sketchy9
Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help Me Find a Good Mortgage Calculator for Savings from Prepaying Mortgage
Replies: 11
Views: 1347

Re: Help Me Find a Good Mortgage Calculator for Savings from Prepaying Mortgage

https://financial-calculators.com/ultim ... calculator

It's a little tricky to understand how to input data, but once you figure it out it's the best one I've seen. You can add single lump sums, multiple lump sums, recurring payments on any schedule you want, and so on (and all simultaneously if you want).
by sketchy9
Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:33 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 25 years to retirement, advice on speeding up growth?
Replies: 62
Views: 6600

Re: 25 years to retirement, advice on speeding up growth?

Getting up to 15% savings - that is definitely something I will try harder to work out. Regarding my part-time work lifestyle, I saw an opportunity and I decided to grab it and hold on. In some sense it's like borrowing 1/4 of my future retirement. A lot could be said about having that time now. With those constraints in place, assuming I can't save much more, I'm trying to figure out the best way to make my current investments work harder for me by taking on some more risk. Keep in mind that reason it's called "risk" is because you can lose your money as easily as you gain it. Yes, over long time horizons, the trend of the market is up, but there have been plenty of losses along the way, for uncomfortably long amounts of time. O...
by sketchy9
Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:11 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Credit Union paid out on a stopped check from 2017
Replies: 32
Views: 2807

Re: Credit Union paid out on a stopped check from 2017

I never knew about the 6 month time limit. What a crock. One more reson to ditch this antiquated payment method IMO.
by sketchy9
Thu Jun 13, 2019 3:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Case Against ETFs
Replies: 193
Views: 14462

Re: The Case Against ETFs

Two thoughts: 1. The vast majority of actively managed funds are actually mutual funds, not ETFs. This is because ETFs are required to report their holdings daily, which would give away the active manager's strategy. https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/investment-products/etf/types-of-etfs-actively-managed 2. The single worst-conceived fund ever created is a mutual fund, not an ETF. I'm referring to BLPIX, a leveraged fund that tracks 1x the performance of the S&P 500. That's right, a fund that borrows money to match (not exceed) the S&P. It also happens to have a 1.44% ER. https://www.profunds.com/media/fact_sheet/ProFundsFactSheetbull.pdf?param=1560455101997 While interesting information, I'm not sure that refutes any of the...
by sketchy9
Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:54 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP share prices for Quicken
Replies: 157
Views: 37173

Re: TSP share prices for Quicken

@sketchy9 - I did a Quick test where I changed the date format on my Windows 10 computer from MM/dd/yyyy to d/M/yyyy. I then opened Quicken and it incorrectly imported the share prices the way you described. Even though the Quicken page states the file must be in M/D/yy format it's ignoring that and using the format specified on your computer. Excel does the same thing when it opens CSV files. It tries to interpret the data based on your computer's settings. A couple possible solutions I can think of are: 1) If you don't care how the date shows on your computer you could simply change it to month/day/year format. 2) Find a way to change the format of all dates in the CSV file 3) Temporarily change your date format, run quicken, do the impo...
by sketchy9
Mon Jun 03, 2019 6:07 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP share prices for Quicken
Replies: 157
Views: 37173

Re: TSP share prices for Quicken

First of all, thank you for continuing to host the TSP price list. It fills a gaping hole in Quicken. However, I've noticed an issue with formatting: for any date on or before the 12th of every month, the date is being read in Quicken as dd/mm/yyyy. For any date on or after the 13th, it is correctly being read as mm/dd/yyyy. I noticed this when I looked at the security price history in Quicken and noticed that there were prices from December 4th, 2019! Upon further investigation, it was the same price as April 12th, 2019, i.e. the month and date numbers were being read incorrectly in Quicken. I chalked this up to Quicken being awful, but when I opened the csv file in Excel, I noticed that the dates on or before the 12th were listed as "...
by sketchy9
Fri May 31, 2019 11:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Good fund to accumulate for mortgage payoff
Replies: 37
Views: 4851

Re: Good fund to accumulate for mortgage payoff

One interesting vehicle is the iShares iBonds (not to be confused with Series I Treasury Bonds):

https://www.ishares.com/us/products/308047/

The one I linked is a muni bond ETF and will pay back principal in December 2026 (but other maturity dates exist). There are also corporate bond versions of the same thing. As far as I can tell, iShares is unique in offering this product. The duration of the ETF slowly shortens as the target date approaches. In essence, it's acting as a single bond but is in fact a fund of bonds. Might be worth looking into.
by sketchy9
Fri May 31, 2019 11:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: How did you all do in the month of May, 2019
Replies: 126
Views: 13331

Re: How did you all do in the month of May, 2019

-4.1% on a time-weighted basis. A bit painful, but I'm still up 6.5% (time-weighted) for the year-- although that's a bit misleading because December was awful so my starting point was lower. A 6 month time-weighted return (which is basically just YTD plus December) is only 0.5%.
by sketchy9
Sun May 26, 2019 9:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I encourage my kids to work in high school/college?
Replies: 224
Views: 18710

Re: Should I encourage my kids to work in high school/college?

By way of background, I didn't work until med school (even though I was paying them, I consider my third year clerkships "work" in almost every respect) except for a couple of summer internships. My opinion is that approaching studies in a serious manner can impart many of the same lessons one would gain from work, i.e. time management, meeting deadlines, learning how to be on time for school (or work), even if one didn't want to be there that day, and so on. Yes, one won't get fired from high school, but the consequences for missing class, or a deadline, or not completing a paper, can be harsh for one's grade (and subsequent college prospects). Clearly, most high schoolers don't have that kind of attitude towards school, but some...
by sketchy9
Sat May 04, 2019 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does anyone here work for the VA? 401k Question
Replies: 34
Views: 2828

Re: Does anyone here work for the VA? 401k Question

That's right, IMO, re golden handcuffs. However, at least in my case, there were enough opportunities for a healthcare provider to change positions within the VA in the situation of hating one's job. I personally had several positions in my years there. As for bureaucratic, I would certainly agree but if you understand the system and find something you like doing there, it's fine. We had many docs come from the private sector to escape their own bureaucratic nightmares with insurance, managed care, etc. As for the question about grandfathering in - none. The annual leave and sick leave are for nurses and docs (title 38). I saw this on a federal employee website: VACATION/SICK DAYS: For your first 3 years of service you earn vacation at 4 h...
by sketchy9
Mon Apr 29, 2019 1:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does anyone here work for the VA? 401k Question
Replies: 34
Views: 2828

Re: Does anyone here work for the VA? 401k Question

Do you know how small the employee contributes? Is it a percentage per paycheck? That's complicated due to some changes by Congress to reduce the cost of federal benefits. For a regular FERS, a new federal employee (first started work since 1/1/14) pays 4.4% (agency pays 11.9%) You sound extremely knowledgeable on this topic. Does the 4.4% count to the pension? Is it possible for an employee to run out of this pension? I’d imagine the math is quite complex but is 4.4% a large enough percentage to be removed that makes this benefit not worth the slightly higher pay which can usually be found in the private sector, or is 4.4% for a federal pension still a great deal? Another consideration is that you'll get up to a 5% employer match into the...
by sketchy9
Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I get umbrella liability insurance?
Replies: 56
Views: 6788

Re: Should I get umbrella liability insurance?

I guess I'll be the contrarian and say that "everyone" does not need umbrella insurance. IMO you need to make an honest assessment of your exposure to liability in your life and make a decision based on that. In my case, I go without because: 1. I drive <4k miles/year. I have maxed out auto liability insurance. No one else drives this car. 2. I own a condo, not a house. No yard, pool, trampoline, etc. I have high limits for my homeowner's policy 3. I'm single with no kids or pets 4. My job exposes me to significant professional liability, and I have appropriate insurance for that. Umbrella insurance would not be helpful The likelihood of a million-dollar judgment against me (outside of my job) simply isn't high enough to justify t...
by sketchy9
Tue Jan 01, 2019 4:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sound bar as only music speaker?
Replies: 38
Views: 3566

Re: Sound bar as only music speaker?

I agree with others who say that you'll never replicate the channel separation you get with discrete speakers by switching to a soundbar. A soundbar may be good enough but I think it's important to recognize its limitations. The other question is how migrating to a soundbar simplifies anything. You've already done the hard part, which is to set up speakers and run speaker wire. It could be that your A/V receiver is old and lacks some of the fancier control features, but that can be solved by getting a new receiver (for the same price as a soundbar). The soundbar doesn't solve the issue of having multiple devices to control-- it just ensures that one of those devices will produce worse sound than your current setup. OP here. That’s a good p...
by sketchy9
Mon Dec 31, 2018 11:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sound bar as only music speaker?
Replies: 38
Views: 3566

Re: Sound bar as only music speaker?

I agree with others who say that you'll never replicate the channel separation you get with discrete speakers by switching to a soundbar. A soundbar may be good enough but I think it's important to recognize its limitations.

The other question is how migrating to a soundbar simplifies anything. You've already done the hard part, which is to set up speakers and run speaker wire. It could be that your A/V receiver is old and lacks some of the fancier control features, but that can be solved by getting a new receiver (for the same price as a soundbar). The soundbar doesn't solve the issue of having multiple devices to control-- it just ensures that one of those devices will produce worse sound than your current setup.
by sketchy9
Sun Dec 30, 2018 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Suggestions
Replies: 39
Views: 3993

Re: PC Build Suggestions

I'm late to the party but I recently built a gaming PC/HTPC/photo editing rig. It's my all-purpose computer. In addition to the photo editing, I use it to watch and record live TV, Netflix, Hulu, stream movies, use Oculus Rift, and oh yeah game with the latest AAA titles, all in 4k HDR. IMO the beauty of building your own system is that you don't need to choose what you use it for. It can expand to fit your needs as they evolve. I'm interested in what your running on it. is it running Plex? Media Center? I'm on Windows 10 so WMC isn't an option for me. I run NextPVR. That gets me live OTA TV, time shifting, DVR, and ripped movies. For music (Spotify), Netflix, and Hulu I use the respective Windows store apps. For YouTube, Vimeo, and other ...
by sketchy9
Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Suggestions
Replies: 39
Views: 3993

Re: PC Build Suggestions

I'm late to the party but I recently built a gaming PC/HTPC/photo editing rig. It's my all-purpose computer. In addition to the photo editing, I use it to watch and record live TV, Netflix, Hulu, stream movies, use Oculus Rift, and oh yeah game with the latest AAA titles, all in 4k HDR. IMO the beauty of building your own system is that you don't need to choose what you use it for. It can expand to fit your needs as they evolve.
by sketchy9
Thu Sep 13, 2018 4:21 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Massive Student Loan Debt - Fiancee
Replies: 108
Views: 13016

Re: Massive Student Loan Debt - Fiancee

I came from a background where I never really experienced debt and was privileged to graduate college debt free. When my future wife told me about her student loans, I had a borderline panic attack. I never in my life thought I would ever owe anybody any number with that many zeroes. I can sympathize with what you are going through. After we got married, we made it a priority to pay them off, and we are now coming up on 15 years happily married and close to financial independence in our 40's. You have to realize that in order for people to attend college and acquire professional degrees, going into debt is the norm in our society, not unlike taking out a mortgage on a house. A person can be completely responsible and rack up a decent amoun...
by sketchy9
Wed Aug 29, 2018 1:49 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [New Vanguard website layout starting Saturday, August 11]
Replies: 134
Views: 14884

Re: [New Vanguard website layout starting Saturday, August 11]

I just logged in and had the new interface. I'm on a desktop PC-- I refuse to do anything of financial consequence on my smartphone. I hate this interface, as it continues the "smartphone-ization" of the web. It's quite obviously designed for viewing on a smartphone or tablet, and a touch interface. Large, unused amounts of white space between pertinent items which then leads to a need to scroll endlessly to see the end of the page. Get used to it-- this is the trend of the web. It's not new and it's not going to stop.
by sketchy9
Tue Aug 14, 2018 4:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Using Uber Without A Cellular Data Connection (UPDATE)
Replies: 25
Views: 3032

Re: Using Uber Without A Cellular Data Connection

If you have T-Mobile you get free international 2G data, which is good enough for Uber.

EDIT: Nvm, just saw that you have an MVNO
by sketchy9
Mon Aug 06, 2018 12:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggest an electric car: Volt? Alternative?
Replies: 49
Views: 5732

Re: Suggest an electric car: Volt? Alternative?

Also bear in mind that if your motivation for going electric is at all environment-related, the "greenest" option is one that does not involve the manufacture of a new car, even if that means driving a gas engine car, simply because the amount of resources consumed and waste created to make a new car is worse than whatever you're saving with an electric drivetrain. So, depending on your motivation, repair your existing car or buy used, either electric or gas.

EDIT: just saw that you repaired your old car. See above, don't feel bad about continuing to drive a gas car (if indeed you ever did).
by sketchy9
Sun Jul 08, 2018 1:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tipping in a hotel room/cruise ship room
Replies: 57
Views: 5478

Re: Tipping in a hotel room/cruise ship room

I don't cruise so can't comment on that. I never tip in hotel rooms-- my philosophy is that I've exchanged the nightly fare for a room and amenities such as a turndown service. Why would I pay more than the price I've agreed to?

Like all tipping, it boils down to whether or not you feel it's your personal responsibility to improve the salary of the employees who provide you a service. Many people think that it is, and that's fine for them. I think the idea is preposterous and that the employer should handle that. I don't think you'll ever really change someone's mind one way or the other on the issue.

I still don't know why the minimum wage bagger at the supermarket isn't tipped, though, if chambermaids and waitstaff are.
by sketchy9
Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: New Capital One 360 ACH limits
Replies: 63
Views: 27130

Re: New Capital One 360 ACH limits

This whole thing sounds like some C-level suit got a bee in his/her bonnet and decided that something that was never a problem had to be addressed with no thought whatsoever about how to roll it out, how to communicate the change, or what the reaction would be. This would have been the last straw for me, but the fact is that I have all of my credit accounts and Chexx system account on lockdown, and I'm too lazy/cheap to thaw them for a credit check to open a new account somewhere else.
by sketchy9
Wed Jun 20, 2018 12:47 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Oh my! Cardone says we need $10m net worth
Replies: 104
Views: 18095

Re: Oh my! Cardone says we need $10m net worth

Hmm.. you sure about that? The average diagnostic radiologist I know pulls in $500-600K. I currently live on less than 1/6th of that quite happily. With the real estate gains and tax benefits I am seeing, I won't need twenty years to reach $10M. However, having $10M in the bank has zero appeal to me. Freedom and mobility >> net worth by a mile in my book. The average physician salary, in 2016, apparently was $201,840. The median internist salary was $196,380. If the data on this site is accurate, that is. And I don't know if/how they factor in part-time positions, which in my experience are much more common in the medical field (by choice) than in my profession (software engineering/high tech). https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/ph...
by sketchy9
Tue Jun 19, 2018 10:51 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Oh my! Cardone says we need $10m net worth
Replies: 104
Views: 18095

Re: Oh my! Cardone says we need $10m net worth

Hmm.. you sure about that? The average diagnostic radiologist I know pulls in $500-600K. I currently live on less than 1/6th of that quite happily. With the real estate gains and tax benefits I am seeing, I won't need twenty years to reach $10M. However, having $10M in the bank has zero appeal to me. Freedom and mobility >> net worth by a mile in my book. The average physician salary, in 2016, apparently was $201,840. The median internist salary was $196,380. If the data on this site is accurate, that is. And I don't know if/how they factor in part-time positions, which in my experience are much more common in the medical field (by choice) than in my profession (software engineering/high tech). https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/ph...
by sketchy9
Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Oh my! Cardone says we need $10m net worth
Replies: 104
Views: 18095

Re: Oh my! Cardone says we need $10m net worth

Fairly silly article with lots of holes. I would agree to be considered truly wealthy $10 million is a logical threshold. While I agree $1 million may not be enough, he ignores impact of social security. $40k swr+$30k SS = $70K is livable, although not at all extravagant. $5 million would give you safely $150k, add in ss and you are approaching $200k per year, which is pretty comfortable. He talks about how is wealth doubled with high interest rates in early 80s but says nothing about the high inflation that drove high interest rates. The only ways you get to $10 million are mainly You have really high salary (MD or Csuite executive, Investment banker etc) You own a successful business You do a lot of real estate investing and go about it ...
by sketchy9
Fri Jun 15, 2018 11:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: [Looking for ways to reduce taxes and keep more of my income]
Replies: 91
Views: 12404

Re: [Looking for ways to reduce taxes and keep more of my income]

There's a reason the saying says that you can't avoid death and taxes. As a similarly high-earning W2 employee at one point in my life, I can share that there really aren't a lot of options. Livesoft's list covers them. You can frame the situation in such a way as to make it more palatable, e.g. it's not that much as a percentage, or you're doing your part to pay for civilized society, or it simply means that you earn a lot so you should be thankful for that. None of that will keep money in your pocket of course, but you'll be less grumpy about it. As an aside, I see nothing wrong with being annoyed by how much one pays in taxes and trying to (legally) pay as little as possible. And I also think effective tax rate should include payroll tax...
by sketchy9
Tue Jun 12, 2018 3:39 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Imagine a 10 year, 0%, noncallable loan
Replies: 49
Views: 4165

Re: Imagine a 10 year, 0%, noncallable loan

Sounds almost like you're buying points, as you would with a mortgage. In this case, the points reduce the interest rate to 0. The thing with points, though, is that they still get factored into the APR, which is not the same as the interest rate. So it seems to me that what you're really asking is what is the highest effective APR you would tolerate for a 10 year loan equivalent to one year of your salary.
by sketchy9
Mon May 14, 2018 7:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can a <median household save 1 year of expenses every year?
Replies: 158
Views: 14591

Re: Can a <median household save 1 year of expenses every year?

JBTX wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 7:20 pm If you made $50 then live off of $25k? For a family, you are getting close to a poverty level of expenses. Perhaps if your house was already paid for, and you live frugally in a LCOL area.

I imagine some MMM types could do it. But they have a fairly extraordinarily frugal lifestyle.

Perhaps some farmers do it.
You'd have to live on less to account for payroll taxes that you would never see in your pocket. Depending on your household situation, you may or may not pay any income tax, but you'll lose at least 8.65% to Medicare/SS tax.