Search found 1610 matches

by bdpb
Sat May 08, 2021 9:12 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Leaving IL - Tax Considerations
Replies: 28
Views: 3283

Re: Leaving IL - Tax Considerations

I am planning a move from IL to NC this summer. The weather, taxes, a job opportunity, and many other factors are driving another person out of IL towards more hospitable climates. NC state income tax is higher than IL state income tax. Lol I was wondering when someone was going to point this out! IL: 4.95% NC: 5.25% Not to many people are leaving Illinois due to the income tax. It is property taxes that driving the exodus. A modest $300k home can have have a $10k tax bill in some areas. However, the add in the income tax, sales tax, fees, gas taxes especially if you drive a lot, tolls... It is like financial death by a thousand cuts. The biggest thing for the OP is to lose the house. No house no exorbitant property taxes. I have also reac...
by bdpb
Fri May 07, 2021 9:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Leaving IL - Tax Considerations
Replies: 28
Views: 3283

Re: Leaving IL - Tax Considerations

carorun wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 10:46 am I am planning a move from IL to NC this summer. The weather, taxes, a job opportunity, and many other factors are driving another person out of IL towards more hospitable climates.
NC state income tax is higher than IL state income tax.
by bdpb
Sun Apr 11, 2021 9:55 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: New "Bogleheads on Investing" podcast with estate expert Frazer Rice
Replies: 34
Views: 4669

Re: New "Bogleheads on Investing" podcast with estate expert Frazer Rice

abuss368 wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:46 pm
Rick Ferri wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:24 am
There's certainly a big difference between "income" and "wealth"!
You could have a negative net worth - if you make $400,000 per year in income, you're wealthy according to our government.

On the other hand:

You could have $5 million in net worth - if your taxable income is only $17,000 per year, you're in poverty and need government assistance!

Go figure. :?

Rick Ferri
Have to love that dynamic!

Tony
Big whoop over nothing. Let me count the number of people on one hand with 400k income and negative net worth.

On the other hand, it sounds like you folks are advocating for a wealth (net worth) tax.
by bdpb
Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Asset Location - Taxes
Replies: 5
Views: 1096

Re: Asset Location - Taxes

grabiner wrote: Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:04 pm If you tax-adjust your asset allocation (expecting to retire at a 25% marginal tax rate, and thus treating $3000 in Roth and $4000 in traditional as equivalent), it doesn't matter what goes in traditional versus Roth. It is still slightly better to put funds with higher expected returns in traditional, to reduce the chance that high returns cause the traditional account to require withdrawals in a higher tax bracket, or RMDs you don't need.
I think you meant to say, "It is still slightly better to put funds with higher expected returns in Roth, ...
by bdpb
Sat Jan 09, 2021 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thoughts on iPhone 12? (replacing iPhone 6)
Replies: 62
Views: 5856

Re: Thoughts on iPhone 12? (replacing iPhone 6)

Fractalleaf wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:12 pm I also have difficulty to close apps. Previously you could click twice on the home button then swipe the open apps to close them. Now you have to swipe halfway up the screen and pause in order to prepare apps for closing. It only works for me about 50% of the time. Not sure if my fingers are too dry or too cold but I have trouble with all of the swiping required now.
Starting from the bottom, sweep up 1/2 inch and hold (or down quickly) produces the same as the old double click.
by bdpb
Thu Jul 09, 2020 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio
Replies: 649
Views: 112421

Re: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio

canderson wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:07 pm Thanks all! I’ll report my deal back in a few weeks. :)
If your current subscription is more expensive than the $60, you should resubscribe immediately to get the credit at the higher rate.

If current subscription is due to something like a new car promo (not sure if there would be a credit) or cheaper than $60, you should wait until the last day.
by bdpb
Wed Jul 08, 2020 7:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio
Replies: 649
Views: 112421

Re: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio

canderson wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 2:17 pm Any negative to renewing a week or so early? I’m hop July 31 but would just like to get this off my desk.

I’ll be doing the online chat instead of the usual call
Just did exactly this.

The new subscription started immediately and they prorated a credit for the remaining days on the old subscription. I had around a week or so left.

I couldn't find anywhere to cancel without communicating with them so I used chat. Told them I was looking to cancel and they immediately offered the $60 plus deal. They suggested the discounted offer because no one has been driving much due to COVID.
by bdpb
Sun Jun 28, 2020 9:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help me decide whether or not to refinance
Replies: 34
Views: 2219

Re: Help me decide whether or not to refinance

However, given that I am not paying down a 3.5% mortgage faster than I have to, it doesn't really seem logical to pay down a 3.125% mortgage faster. So then the decision becomes, is it reckless for me to refinance to a longer mortgage with a lower monthly payment and not pay it off faster than required, assuming that I am investing the monthly savings into my portfolio? The difference is the liquidity you gain with the new loan. One argument for not paying down the 3.5% loan is because of your liquidity concerns. With the new loan this concern is reduced. Are you able to deduct the mortgage interest on your taxes? If not, 3.125% state and fed tax free for a high quality bond like investment is outstanding today. In addition, you are likely...
by bdpb
Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help me decide whether or not to refinance
Replies: 34
Views: 2219

Re: Help me decide whether or not to refinance

To add to this...the equity in your house does not increase in value when stocks fall in value the way that treasury bonds typically do. Therefore, you miss out on the rebalance bonus if you are treating the pay down of the mortgage as your bond allocation. Bonds don't increase all that much unless you're holding long term bonds. Currently, the OP would be paying 2% or more per year for that benefit. When this happens the effective cost of the mortgage increases, too. If interest rates drop and you are holding a negative bond (a mortgage) then effectively the cost of the mortgage is increased. That's why we're discussing refinancing in the first place. By refinancing to a lower rate one is effectively recouping that effective increased cos...
by bdpb
Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:38 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help me decide whether or not to refinance
Replies: 34
Views: 2219

Re: Help me decide whether or not to refinance

I'm very familiar with the concept and have seen dozens of his posts on the topic. I just don't agree that holding a bond and paying down a mortgage are comparable. I can liquidate bonds and pay bills if I need to. I can't unpay a mortgage. Sure, if you're concerned about a liquidity problem then don't view it that way, but I suspect you don't have all that much of a liquidity problem since you max out tax preferred accounts, already have some taxable assets and own a bit of equity in your house. Do you have an emergency fund? How many dollars do you have set aside in bonds to pay bills? You can always sell stocks and/or your house to pay bills. Keep enough in bonds to cover this concern. This concept is really what makes an AA based on a ...
by bdpb
Wed Jun 24, 2020 11:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help me decide whether or not to refinance
Replies: 34
Views: 2219

Re: Help me decide whether or not to refinance

Also, if you're comfortable with your current level of liquidity and you own bonds in your investment portfolio, I would be paying down any of these mortgages before taxable investing. The extra mortgage payment would replace any new bond purchases in tax deferred accounts. Our AA is 80/20. You would pay down the mortgage before investing extra money at 80/20 outside of tax-advantaged accounts? Yes. I don't have the energy to explain it well so see posts by grabiner on treating a mortgage as a negative bond. Essentially, why would you invest in bonds yielding 1% in your portfolio when you could be investing that money in paying down a mortgage yielding 3.5%? Most of your portfolio risk doesn't come from the fact that your AA is 80/20. If y...
by bdpb
Wed Jun 24, 2020 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help me decide whether or not to refinance
Replies: 34
Views: 2219

Re: Help me decide whether or not to refinance

These are just estimates (and all else equal), it looks like: If you take the extra cost of $168 per month and pay it to your current loan it would pay off in about 22 years. So, shorter than your current remaining term, slightly longer than the new 20 year loan, but leaves the flexibility to stop the extra payment at any time. If you take the new 30 year loan and pay the savings of $209 per month to that loan, it will pay off in about 24 years. So, shorter than your current remaining term, longer than the 20 year scenarios, but flexibility to stop the extra payment at any time including tomorrow for more liquidity than current loan. At a minimum, the new 30 year looks better than current. The other option is more conditional. Double check ...
by bdpb
Tue Jun 09, 2020 10:33 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: investment priority recommendations - what do we fund next?
Replies: 38
Views: 1673

Re: investment priority recommendations - what do we fund next?

2. Fund 401k to get employer match (~$14k/yr including employer match) 3. Maximize my IRA contribution ($6k/yr) - all in Roth 4. Fund kid's 529s until we reach max state tax credit ($5k/yr) >>>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------->>>>> we are here 5. Maximize wife's IRA contribution (increase to $6k/yr) 6. 401k max employee contribution (increase another $5k/yr) 7. increase 529 savings to meet goal of funding kids' in-state public school (probably need another $12-13k/yr if starting now) What are your marginal income tax rates? Might affect Roth vs deductible IRAs. I would switch 3 and 5. Starts the clock on wife's IRA, adds tax advantaged flexibility and probably would make wife happier, too. The max 40...
by bdpb
Tue May 05, 2020 9:49 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Portfolio Review - New Boglehead On the Right Track?
Replies: 21
Views: 1336

Re: Portfolio Review - New Boglehead On the Right Track?

We do plan on having a couple kids, not planning on paying for their college. Student Loans: $70,000 at around 5.5%. Pursuing public service loan forgiveness, already approved for it. Payments are tied to income, this is a big factor in my Roth vs. Traditional decision. No other debt. After 10 years my pension will vest and if I stay in the state system 20 years it will cover most of my expenses when I'm able to access it at 64. Questions : 1. Does the plan/portfolio seem reasonable? Any changes or things I should consider that I haven't already? Is your new wife on board with not paying for kids college expenses? Are you both satisfied with potentially leaving them with 70k of debt after they finish college? Careful about relying too much...
by bdpb
Tue Apr 28, 2020 9:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Insurance under COBRA - Will returning to work disqualify me?
Replies: 53
Views: 4472

Re: Insurance under COBRA - Will returning to work disqualify me?

I checked my insurance provider's website directly and it said my status was active. However, I'm still within the initial grace period. You might want to do the same with your insurance provider directly, as I'm not sure if the COBRA administrator can see your status in real-time. The fact that you are active may be a remnant of being covered while employed, it was in my case. I checked the first week after being off the payroll and I was active. It took two weeks for the old company to notify the insurance company which then made me inactive and started the COBRA process. From my previous post I was eventually signed up for COBRA nearly four weeks later. Watch for changes in policy and member number changes. My health insurance numbers d...
by bdpb
Fri Apr 24, 2020 4:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRS Get My Payment up and running
Replies: 369
Views: 32434

Re: IRS Get My Payment up and running

csmath wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:03 pm
csm wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 2:57 pm I've been trying once per day since the site launched. I am still told that I'm eligible but they don't have my direct deposit info. After trying to submit it, it errors out (-0- tax owed).

Based on others' reports, I have been expecting the message that a cheque is being sent, but it hasn't happened yet.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone with the 0 error tried entering $0.01? No idea when they do the rounding but I'm curious if anyone is willing to experiment on it as it should get rounded to $0.00 at some point. Does it even allow for non-integer entries?
The value "$0.01" is an illegal value. The input should contain only digits.
by bdpb
Fri Apr 24, 2020 3:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving out of NYC due to pandemic
Replies: 164
Views: 16348

Re: Moving out of NYC due to pandemic

uberdoc wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:02 pm The specialty I work in is labor intensive and would like to have a patient population which is not obese. This literally breaks our back. So that excludes quite a few locations.
Where do you expect to find patients that are not obese?

See this: "Map: Overall Obesity"

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/preval ... ml#overall
by bdpb
Fri Apr 24, 2020 1:28 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any high earners doing Roth conversion in 2020?
Replies: 32
Views: 3824

Re: Any high earners doing Roth conversion in 2020?

I don't think this decision should be based on the fact that stocks are cheaper. Converting a 100k today costs the same as converting 100k when stocks are higher.

One could argue that it is more likely that you should NOT be converting when stocks are down. Since stocks are down, you have less money overall in your IRA. That means you may likely have less money at time of withdrawal, effectively lowering your tax rate at time of withdrawal, which argues for no conversion.
by bdpb
Fri Apr 24, 2020 1:17 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: To REIT or not to REIT?
Replies: 50
Views: 7035

Re: To REIT or not to REIT?

Walkure wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 11:12 am I think folks are misreading the OP. He is not in the real estate business, rather his businesses occupy real estate which makes him a customer of the REITs.
Agreed, folks are misreading.

One might argue that the OP should hold more REITs as a hedge. If rents go up, his business costs go up, but his REITs go up, too. If rent goes down, his business costs go down and REITs go down. They offset each other.

This is just a general argument and may be too simplistic, especially given that real estate is very local. But it's not a market timing choice as the OP appears to be arguing for.
by bdpb
Fri Apr 24, 2020 11:47 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Interesting illustration of Rebalancing Bonus
Replies: 3
Views: 1251

Re: Interesting illustration of Rebalancing Bonus

I thought this was common knowledge for most Bogleheads. Thanks for raising awareness again.

Vineviz, as a favor, could you compare US total market with Intl total market for some period starting > 20 years where CAGR of the two are similar? With higher correlation and only similar CAGR, the bonus may not be as much, but I expect it will still be there.

I'm pretty sure Larry Swedroe has shown this a number of times in many of his books.
by bdpb
Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sidewalk situation
Replies: 33
Views: 2577

Re: Sidewalk situation

Ask them to move it in front of one of your next door neighbors.

Rope it off.

In response to their "kids gotta play", tell them, "An adult's gotta do what's responsible."
by bdpb
Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Laid off!!
Replies: 96
Views: 18122

Re: Laid off!!

1. I'm hurt, deeply hurt. I was lied to and someone got rid of me to look good, and maybe earn a bonus. The trust I had on small company management, as compared to mega-corps, has been shaken. How do these wounds heal? 5. Do I stand a chance if I decide to sue them? I will refuse to sign the severance agreement, and use their narrative in the town-hall and the fact they are still hiring at least one person against them. Q1 and March sales was decent. My performance was good - just few weeks ago they paid me a decent bonus. Not sure how small the company is or how many employees affected but you might look into the WARN act. Potentially, they may have to provide at least ~60 days of severance and/or leave you on the payroll that long. Altho...
by bdpb
Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Newbie Portfolio Analysis (and some questions)
Replies: 10
Views: 674

Re: Newbie Portfolio Analysis (and some questions)

With many things shut down due to the virus, you're not actually playing right now, correct? Do you have any idea when you will get to play? How or when you'll be paid? Do you get to apply for unemployment?

How do you plan to pay for school in a few years if you fail to progress?

You might consider building a bigger emergency fund before investing. For example, what if you get hurt? Do you have insurance? How much do minor league clubs pay for injuries?
by bdpb
Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:39 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 60% now say: September or later
Replies: 13
Views: 2507

Re: 60% now say: September or later

JakeyLee wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2020 10:41 am I do think at risk people should continue to stay home.
Everyone is at risk. Some more than others.

If you are asymptomatic, should you stay home?
by bdpb
Sat Apr 18, 2020 11:18 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What To Do With Leftover Cash In A Roth IRA?
Replies: 9
Views: 2191

Re: What To Do With Leftover Cash In A Roth IRA?

You could buy one or two shares of some lower priced ETF.
by bdpb
Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:09 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: My friend says his Roth and 401k are higher than before the pandemic started
Replies: 49
Views: 6424

Re: My friend says his Roth and 401k are higher than before the pandemic started

mentos wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2020 12:17 pm My friend said his Roth IRA and 401k balances are higher than before this pandemic started. I am wondering how this can be? My accounts are down about 25-30% since the high in February. Back then the DOW was 29,500 and it's currently around 23,400 so that sounds about right. But he says the S&P is a better index to go by. We both have all index funds. Did I just do a bad job of choosing funds?
Did you ask him how those accounts are higher? Does he know why?

Maybe he thinks the pandemic started when the stock market was at its low.

Maybe those accounts are all bonds and his stocks are in taxable accounts.
by bdpb
Tue Apr 14, 2020 10:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5802
Views: 575229

Re: What are you listening to now

...(I just found an entire stash of CDs that were missing from my collection...) Don't know Savoy Brown's music but after seeing they are from the UK, it makes me think of a fantastic rock/blues English guitar player of a similar era (and the vocalists he works with): Robin Trower (Bridge of Sighs) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2afD0B0I-g +1 on Robin Trower Seems we've crossed paths in this thread. Robin Trower has been an all time favorite since my teenage days at that time. You've made me listen to it right now. From the formerly missing archives, Robin Trower Twice Removed From Yesterday / Bridge of Sighs , on CD. :) This triggered me to think I might have these on a small batch of vinyl I still have laying around. Alas, I do not. Bu...
by bdpb
Tue Apr 14, 2020 5:02 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Still using total bond market?
Replies: 182
Views: 29782

Re: Still using total bond market?

SimpleMan68 wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2020 3:26 pm Total Bond is comprised of MBS, Corporates and Treasuries, of varying maturities. Would anyone be willing to tell me which particular slice of the total bond market will outperform over the next ten years? :)
If stocks go up over that time then I don't really care which bonds I hold. I expect they'll all probably marginally return the same.

If stocks go down over that time then I expect Treasuries to outperform. That's why I hold Treasuries instead of Total Bond.
by bdpb
Tue Apr 14, 2020 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mortgage payoff - Am I crazy?
Replies: 81
Views: 7773

Re: Mortgage payoff - Am I crazy?

We recently received an inheritance from my FIL, with approx. $120k of it being cash. He also left IRA’s & stocks that we’ll keep in the market for now and hope for a rebound. You should not necessarily wait for a "rebound" to sell the stocks. That is a mental trap that many folks fall into. If the stocks are not something that fits into your long term plans then you should probably sell them right now because they will have little or no capital gains and maybe even capital losses. You should then take the proceeds and invest in stocks that you do plan to keep for the long term. These newly purchased stocks will rebound similar to the old stocks. You might even readdress your paying off the mortgage with the proceeds from the...
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 10:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA and FSA Question
Replies: 7
Views: 576

Re: HSA and FSA Question

JediMisty wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:10 pm The limited purpose FSA is indeed for dental and optometry expenses. Once your deductible is met, you are allowed to use your LPFSA for co-pays. The problem with the LPFSA is that you must use it or lose it. HSAs are portable and don't expire.
You may or may not be able to use FSA funds for medical expenses based on how the FSA plan is written. In must be written as a post-deductible FSA to do this.

See this discussion from earlier today.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=311602
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5802
Views: 575229

Re: What are you listening to now

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:35 pm Don't know Savoy Brown's music but after seeing they are from the UK, it makes me think of a fantastic rock/blues English guitar player of a similar era (and the vocalists he works with):

Robin Trower (Bridge of Sighs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2afD0B0I-g
+1 on Robin Trower

Seems we've crossed paths in this thread. Robin Trower has been an all time favorite since my teenage days at that time. You've made me listen to it right now.
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 1:14 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Can one post a resume on a Bogleheads forum?
Replies: 5
Views: 1615

Re: Can one post a resume on a Bogleheads forum?

LadyGeek wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:16 pm This thread is now in the Forum Issues and Administration forum (guidelines).

We are primarily an investing and personal finance forum. Although we permit career guidance questions, it is only because your career affects your compensation.
So, would it be ok to say I'm unemployed (severely affecting my finances) and vaguely describe my skills (past work experience) and ask where is the best place to look for a job?
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:52 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!
Replies: 17
Views: 1395

Re: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!

The OP seems to have an FSA which allows both limited-purpose and post-deductible withdrawals. Publication 969 says that this is allowed; an FSA or HRA is HSA-compatible if it meets "one or more of the following arrangements: limited-purpose, suspended HRA, post-deductible, retirement". I had never seen a plan which allowed both. But even if you have a limited-purpose and post-deductible FSA, you are unlikely to want to fund it fully unless you expect to go past your deductible. If you expect $800 in dental and vision expenses, you should only fund for $800, or for $1300 if there is a $500 carryover to next year; otherwise, you are likely to lose the excess. There doesn't seem to be a drawback for writing the plan that allows bot...
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:32 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Can one post a resume on a Bogleheads forum?
Replies: 5
Views: 1615

Can one post a resume on a Bogleheads forum?

Occasionally, I see posts looking for work and responses for a PM. Are these allowable posts on a Boglehead's forum?

Under current conditions it would seem that a forum in the Boglehead's community would be a great place for matching Boglehead employer's with Boglehead unemployed.
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!
Replies: 17
Views: 1395

Re: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!

Post-deductible FSAs are allowed but not common. One reason is that few employees will use a post-deductible FSA, since it becomes worthless unless you reach your HDHP deductible, and most people who use HDHPs do not expect to reach the deductible. Limited-purpose FSAs are more common, because many people with HDHPs need glasses and dental work. The US Government, for example, offers limited-purpose FSAs which work well with its HDHPs, but does not offer post-deductible FSAs. This expanded my limited purpose FSA to allow me to claim medical expenses (my plan states “if enrolled in the HAS medical plan, you can only use your FSA for ‘limited purpose’ i.e.: dental, vision, and hearing expenses until your HSA medical plan deductible is met”)....
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!
Replies: 17
Views: 1395

Re: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!

FiveK wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 10:43 am
bdpb wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 10:21 am It's not clear to me what makes this post-deductible use of the Limited Purpose FSA legit.

Are all LP FSA eligible or does it require something specifically written in to the employers plan?
See p. 5 of https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p969.pdf. Those conditions must be written into the plan, not something the taxpayer decides voluntarily.
Thanks FiveK.
I was looking right at that portion of the document and didn't grasp that "these arrangements" implied written in to the plan.
by bdpb
Mon Apr 13, 2020 10:21 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!
Replies: 17
Views: 1395

Re: Best way to pay for a kid's birth?? Combined HSA and FSA!

It's not clear to me what makes this post-deductible use of the Limited Purpose FSA legit.

Are all LP FSA eligible or does it require something specifically written in to the employers plan?
by bdpb
Sun Apr 12, 2020 5:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unemployment vs. work at Amazon warehouse/CA
Replies: 84
Views: 7499

Re: Unemployment vs. work at Amazon warehouse/CA

Why did she apply for a job she can't perform? It will only drive her crazy and may cause her physical harm.

I would decline the job (assuming it doesn't cause her to lose UI) and look for something that matches her skills. She may be unemployed for a while, but if she takes the job she will likely be unemployed soon anyway.

Will the UI be more than what she was making before being laid off? Remind her to cut expenses to the bone and save all the extra so that she can survive once the UI runs out.

There are plenty of folks who aren't eligible for UI who will be glad to take the job. If Amazon can't find someone to take the job, maybe they'll raise wages.
by bdpb
Sat Apr 11, 2020 10:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5802
Views: 575229

Re: What are you listening to now

This may be a bit young for the Boglehead crowd, she's 18.

Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Better yet, "This is Billie Eilish" on Spotify. It includes additional hits from the last few years.
by bdpb
Sat Apr 11, 2020 2:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: [Government stimulus payments]
Replies: 361
Views: 36418

Re: just got my $1200 stimulus payment

nedsaid wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:00 am
arcticpineapplecorp. wrote: Fri Apr 10, 2020 4:59 pm just checked my bank acct because I heard the stimulus payments could be as early as today. Sure enough $1200 dumped in savings. Not sure how to make this actionable other than to say I plan to invest it.

anyone else get theirs today?
They call it a stimulus payment for a reason. Now go forth and do your patriotic duty and stimulate the economy! :wink: I will be on the lookout for mine too.
Who is they? Congress didn't call it a stimulus.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

"This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’’ or the ‘‘CARES Act’’. "


Stimulus is not used anywhere in the act. I will be securing mine until November.
by bdpb
Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mortgage payoff - Am I crazy?
Replies: 81
Views: 7773

Re: Mortgage payoff - Am I crazy?

Thank you all for your responses, sorry I've been a bit tardy responding to some of your questions...please see my responses below. Current EF: $30k HELOC: Yes, $100K, has not been touched. House value: Approx $300k College: To date, we've been paying for college via cash flow on our end + assistance from our daughter. Two years in, no debt. She goes to a state school, approx $16k/year. There is a 90% chance my son will go to the same school in 2021 (he is also looking at Navy/Air Force). Monthly household expenses: With home, approx $4200....without home, approx $2700. Household income: Approx $125k/year Asset allocation: 70/30 Thanks again! Placenshow, A) Pay off the mortgage -> EF = 30K + 50K = 80K. Annual expense = 32.4K +16K = 48.4K I...
by bdpb
Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: CARES bill unemployment benefits - layoff date requirement?
Replies: 4
Views: 612

Re: CARES bill unemployment benefits - layoff date requirement?

theplayer11 wrote: Thu Apr 09, 2020 3:16 pm
bdpb wrote: Thu Apr 09, 2020 3:07 pm Looks like I can answer my own question.

I received an additional $600 for week ending 4/5.
I think each state is getting it out at different times. Was it a separate direct deposit in addition to your state deposit? same day?
Illinois. Came all as one in same direct deposit.

The accounting report did not show the additional 600, but did show the additional taxes taken out. Not sure if they'll ever update this report.
by bdpb
Thu Apr 09, 2020 3:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: CARES bill unemployment benefits - layoff date requirement?
Replies: 4
Views: 612

Re: CARES bill unemployment benefits - layoff date requirement?

Looks like I can answer my own question.

I received an additional $600 for week ending 4/5.
by bdpb
Thu Apr 09, 2020 3:03 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Nassim Taleb-Advised Universa Tail Fund Returned 3,600% in March
Replies: 66
Views: 8830

Re: Nassim Taleb-Advised Universa Tail Fund Returned 3,600% in March

alex123711 wrote: Wed Apr 08, 2020 10:50 pm Spitznagel included a chart in his letter showing that a portfolio invested 96.7% in the S&P 500 and 3.3% in Universa’s fund would have been unscathed in March, a month in which the U.S. equity benchmark fell 12.4%. The same portfolio would have produced a compounded return of 11.5% a year since March of 2008 versus 7.9% for the index.
What was the return from March 2008 through December 2019?
by bdpb
Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Picking insurance at new job (HDHP vs PPO)
Replies: 3
Views: 415

Re: Picking insurance at new job (HDHP vs PPO)

hbbl wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:53 pm I can't decide which plan offered by my new job makes the most sense for us. We're a mid-30s couple with no kids in good health, but my wife is likely going to have a hip labral tear repair done in November/December.
Why don't you plan the surgery for January 2021? That would give you max flexibility if open enrollment for 2021 is near the end of 2020.
by bdpb
Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:28 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Tips on how to stop checking finances too often?
Replies: 29
Views: 2106

Re: Tips on how to stop checking finances too often?

You really shouldn't have to check the balance of your accounts to approximately know what their current value is.

If you have about 200k in stocks and the market goes down about 10%, you lost about 20k. Don't bother checking whether it's 19k or 21k. Does 2k really matter that much?

If you don't like losing 20k when stocks go down 10% then you have too much in stocks. Pay more attention to how much to invest in stocks based on your Need, Willingness and Ability. Periodically, reevaluate NWA.
by bdpb
Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Rural Home: Getting Hardwired?
Replies: 39
Views: 3420

Re: Rural Home: Getting Hardwired?

Do you have another place on your property that would have better line of sight reception?

You could run your own cabling or directed wifi from there to the main house.
by bdpb
Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Insurance under COBRA - Will returning to work disqualify me?
Replies: 53
Views: 4472

Re: Insurance under COBRA - Will returning to work disqualify me?

Near the end of my unpaid leave, I'm supposed to receive an application from a COBRA administrator. That tells me COBRA is outsourced. So, fill out the paperwork and have the check ready. The Employee's Guide has the details, I'll have to see how the timing goes for my plan. The plan cannot require you to pay a premium when you make the COBRA election. It must provide at least 45 days after you elect COBRA (that is, the date you mail the election form if using first-class mail) for you to make an initial premium payment. If you fail to make any payment before the end of the initial 45-day period, the plan can terminate your COBRA rights. The plan should set due dates for any premiums for subsequent periods of coverage, but it must provide ...
by bdpb
Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Rural Home: Getting Hardwired?
Replies: 39
Views: 3420

Re: Rural Home: Getting Hardwired?

kayakprof wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 6:53 am The initial estimate is $9400 for fiber optic.
Did they give you a timeline when this could be done? Will summer 2021 be good enough?
by bdpb
Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:36 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Modern Monetary Theory
Replies: 97
Views: 8506

Re: Modern Monetary Theory

Alchemist wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2020 5:52 am Because of its strong tradition of an independent central bank,
Does this exist today and do you expect it to always exist?