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fandango

I think the Vanguard "advisor pool" is failing. While everyone whom I talked to during my last escapade was very nice, they were very shallow in understanding the issue I was trying to get addressed. They were also in a near panic almost nervous breakdown mode. Sad to see this happen. My former Vang...

fandango

Advisor is "out of the office".

fandango

I called Vanguard yesterday to get an answer to a question about a tax form. Instead of my dedicated advisor, I got a member of the "team". She was polite enough but couldn't answer my question because her computer was down. Transferred to another "team" member whose computer was also down. Secured ...

fandango

My wife and I have had a Genworth policy for about20 years, and it has only gone up about 30%. We had no comments about expecting future dramatic increases in any correspondence from Genworth. As for the financial stability of Genworth, check with your state insurance department to see how that woul...

fandango

Renewed non-expired passports and received new ones in 2 to 3 weeks. Did everything at our local Post Office.

fandango

What I like about Michelin tires is that they are consistently dependable and safe. If for some reason, your tire does not make it to the warranty limit (say 90,00 miles), you get a no hassle prorated credit to put on a new set. I just bought a set of Michelin Defender T+H's for my wife's Honda CRV....

fandango

Vanguard is pretty good at receiving your money. Never had a problem with that.

fandango

The Georgia Department of law handles "lemons" in our state. You should be able to go to your State website and get more information about "lemons". The State of Georgia website states: "The Lemon Law process is designed so that you, the consumer, are not required to hire an attorney, and in fact, m...

fandango

I spent 3 years in Indochina and worked all of my career for a "free market" company. So bargaining has become a way of life for me. My wife won't go with me to bargain for "big ticket items": cars, houses, furniture, hotel rooms, etc. She finds it embarrassing when I get up and leave the table. But...

fandango

Check Amazon and Rock Auto for wiper blade refills.

I used to get OEM refills for my 2001 4Runner from these sites.

Also check E Bay which offers a lot of after market parts.

fandango

I had a 2001 Toyota 4Runner with over 200,000 on it.

I never replaced a belt.

My mechanic, who only worked on Toyotas, said that he never replaced a belt on a Toyota unless it had been in an accident with front end damage.

fandango

Bogleheads has 75,000 registered members.

fandango

One name says it all: GENWORTH

10 years ago it was rated A+++. Now hoping to be bought by the Chinese.

fandango

Always check your manual for the correct maintenance frequency.

Dealers are notorious for using shorter time/mileage intervals than required. If in doubt, call the national help line for your make of car. I have found them to be very honest and knowledgeable.

fandango

Completed some RMD transactions this morning. That went smoothly no problem. THEN, I was transferred to a "Flagship Representative" to complete my transition to the new brokerage platform. This was for the second time since no one answered the phone the first time I called. After 15 minutes talking ...

fandango

Wait until you try working with the new "administrative team" instead of your old Flagship representative.

Waited 15 minutes for someone to respond. Never got an answer.

This is "progress"?

fandango

20 years ago, my wife and I purchased a long term care policy. As everyone knows, there is a tremendous upheaval in that industry now with some of the best companies becoming marginally solvent. My question is> What happens if an LTC insurance company defaults? Does the state insurance departments a...

fandango

Vanguard has certainly declined in customer service. I think this is due to a deterioration in the quality and experience of the customer service employees. Vanguard says this is due to growth, internal opportunities for their employees, and more turnover than usual. That's nice for Vanguard. But fo...

fandango

I have had a PAS at Vanguard for 4 years. The biggest issue I have is the constant turnover of our PAS. We have had 3 in the last 4 years. Each time we have to start over and re-educate the advisor on our total assets, plans, and needs. I did not know that my advisor had changed the last time, until...

fandango

We have been retired about 10 years, and our projections have been +/- 10% of actual expenses. Medical estimate was right on the button, but dental estimate was too low. A couple of crowns, and root canal and some implants threw us off. Dental insurance is a joke. Best thing to do is budget a couple...

fandango

My friend has a Suburban and has never rotated tires. The wear on the tires seems even, and he is getting good mileage out of them.

When the tread is low he buys 4 new tires on and runs them 50,000 and repeats.

fandango

My Personal Advisor has me in three bond funds: Total Bond Index, Short Term Bond Index and International Bond Index. You may want to talk with your Account Executive and see if you can get another Personal Advisor since his/her recommendations seem a little extreme. One reason they are "trying to e...

fandango

My wife had two implants. It was a long tedious process because she had some bone loss that requires a bone graft. If I remember correctly, the whole process to it took almost 6 months. The oral surgeon (a great one by the way) did the bone grafts and inserted the studs. Or GP formed the new teeth a...

fandango

My mother was in a facility ranked in the 75th percentile for 5 years. She required more than average care. Cost was around $40,000 per year. $100,000 per year is the rate for most "nursing home" facilities. So, I am thinking that you may have the two confused. In either case, you will have to liqui...

fandango

I was formerly a Fidelity customer. From my standpoint it looked like a revolving door for the position you are discussing. It is a sales position and nothing more - some people don't make the sales they need to stay employed. Look at small career changes in your government job or enhancing your ski...

fandango

Lunch is our largest meal of the day Usually eat for lunch: Salad with low fat dressing Whatever fruits or vegetables are in season and look good Chicken (broiled) and salmon (broiled) Yogurt, low fat/no salt added cottage cheese Breakfast Decaf coffee High fiber cereal, oatmeal Skim milk Dinner Yog...

fandango

To mitigate this risk: I buy road hazard insurance for all the tires that I purchase (usually form Discount Tire). It is worth it. I bought a complete set of Michelin LTX/MS tires for my Toyota 4 Runner. After I left, I noticed 5 miles down the road that one tire was low and leaking fast. Turned aro...

fandango

We have used SW "Crisp Khaki" in our home for 10 years. We have wide trim and lots of crown molding in SW "decorator white". The two colors go well together and with the various woods that we have in our furniture. I would use flat paint for the walls and satin for the trim. Much easier to touch up ...

fandango

I think a nice (well fitting) blazer and a couple of dark suits (well fitting) for weddings, funerals, job interviews, etc. should be enough in today's environment for traditional wear. Sy Syms used to be my major provider ($1000 suits for $200) but alas they have gone bankrupt. Now that I am retire...

fandango

How about renting or leasing a home to be sure that you like the rural life? Then you are not locked in and can easily move somewhere else if you don't like it. Many seniors are renting now to avoid all the hassle of home ownership. Another possibility is living in one of the more remote suburbs of ...

fandango

I might pay the $119 , but I am thinking about dropping Amazon altogether. "2 day shipping" has evolved to "3 or 4 day shipping maybe", and the value isn't what it used to be. It all started when they began using the USPS for shipping. I had a package hung up in the Atlanta USPS central distribution...

fandango

I negotiate hard and buy new Toyotas or Hondas. Drive 200,000 miles (about 12 to 15 years), then sell at a premium and do all over again.

fandango

I know several people who are in "trials" and could not afford the drugs involved. After their doctor discussed with the "trial leader", they received the drugs a no cost.

These were cancer drugs at Emory University.

fandango

Bad idea.

He'll tell you if he wants you to know.

fandango

To clarify my previous post, I did ask and receive a total of 3 Fidelity "Account Executives". All displayed the same characteristics. The last one seemed shocked when we pulled 90% of our investments and transferred to Vanguard. I got tired of all the "selling" and "posturing" and told him that on ...

fandango

I moved almost all of our investments from Fidelity to Vanguard. The main reason was unsolicited calls from my Fidelity "Account Executive" urging me to take advantage of some flaky investment opportunity. Every call sounded like his hair was on fire and that the world was ending today. Not my way o...

fandango

Hard to believe in this improving economy that a Vanderbilt graduate with a Mechanical Engineering degree can't/won't find a job. New graduates need to realize that the "dream" job is often not there. Best to get employed, start working, and learn from the real world. You can always change direction...

fandango

The reliability bar keeps rising every year.

It's not so much that Toyota and Honda are getting worse - other makes of car are getting better!

fandango

I use Vanguard PAS and am very pleased with the value I have received. My main reasoning for using the service was to set up my portfolio for retirement and have someone for my wife (who has little interest in investing) to rely on if something happens to me. To many sharks out there trying to rip o...

fandango

I have been a Vanguard customer for 30+ years and have never had a problem with customer service.

I have worked with other mutual fund companies (Fidelity, Pimco, etc.) and have not found the customer service to equal Vanguard.

fandango

Just dropped the WSJ for the same reason My rate went up to $465 per year, and I called WSJ and told them that one of my friends who was a new customer had a deal for $198 per year. I asked for the same deal. They said that no existing customer could get that deal. I told them to cancel my subscript...

fandango

The Highlander is a "hot" model, and, therefore, it is hard to get much of a discount off sicker price. So, the car may have been sitting on the lot for a while waiting to get someone to pay this premium.

It will be interesting to see the responses to your email.

fandango

I have been doing 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weights daily for 10 years. With weights, be careful. High repetition is better than high weights. Ligaments and tendons get less elastic as you get older and can tear (not something that you want to happen!). If you get bored, try something n...

fandango

I negotiate with Comcast every year. Cable and phone companies have a strangebusiness strategy, give new customers a better deal than long term customers. They are turning themselves into a commodity. No wonder people are moving from one provider to another all the time. I bust that business strateg...

fandango

Although I can turn them off, I leave DRL's on all the time.

Any hint of cloudiness, precipitation or darkness , the headlights go on manually. I do not rely on automatic light system.

fandango

FINAL UPDATE:

I just heard back again from Toyota He said: "Fuel additives are neither required nor recommended for your 2017 Toyota Camry. Period."

fandango

Your previous employers did not seem to have a problem with your background when they hired you. Find someone to do a complete background report on you. The cost is probably less than $50. Don't go through life worrying about something that may not be a realistic fear. Do your own background check.

fandango

My nephew is in the Georgia National Guard and was recently accepted into the helicopter pilot program. Apparently, it is quite competitive and only 10% of applicants are accepted through the initial screening. I believe the actual training program lasts one year if you get that far. Although, the t...

fandango

I got a quick reply from Toyota. They called to ask me some more questions about my email. They said that "no gasoline additives were required for my vehicle" and that Toyota USA would be following up with the dealer. Whether this will do any good or not remains to be seen. I was impressed, however,...

fandango

The owner's manual only says to use "top tier" gasoline with at least a rating of 87 octane. I use Exxon so quality of gas is not an issue. I have an email into Toyota USA asking the same question that I have asked here. I will let you know what they say. I will probably be taking my business to ano...

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