Search found 9185 matches

by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 6:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…
Replies: 2937
Views: 611513

Re: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…

TheTimeLord wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:09 pm
protagonist wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:04 pm Nice to see the 2034s over 2%, even though the stock market is also going up.
I can only hope the trend continues until my April 2024s mature.
Why?
1. I own stock. I always want the stock market to go up.
2. I intend to buy more 2034s with the proceeds from my April 2024's.

Pretty selfish, I know.
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 5:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…
Replies: 2937
Views: 611513

Re: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…

Nice to see the 2034s over 2%, even though the stock market is also going up.
I can only hope the trend continues until my April 2024s mature.
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 4:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066420

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

jjunk wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:40 pm
protagonist wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:42 pm Triangle of Sadness.
Very Swedish.
Very funny.
Very strange.
Very good.
Think Lena Wertmuller meets Wes Anderson.
Really skewers the rich.

If you liked Poor Things, you would probably like Triangle of Sadness. But a lot less (if any) explicit sex.
I never would have drawn comparisons between Triange and Poor Things until you brought it, up. Good call. I liked them both equally but they are definitely "artsy" movies. Poor Things being the more visual spectacle.
To say the least. :sharebeer
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 51
Views: 2180

Re: navigation system for car

Call me old school, but I just bought a new Garmin Drivesmart 66. I ran both my android phone and the Garmin together on a recent trip and the phone lost signal several times while the Garmin did not miss a beat. I've always been an android person, however, Apple maps and phones rank right up there with the Garmin from what I've seen. For some reason, my android phones don't reconnect and update my location without manual input after losing signal leading me to drive without knowing that the map feature is static unless I'm constantly checking. I also have an Android. I rarely have lost signal with Waze, I have traveled in many rural areas. I suspect the culprit is your particular phone or your carrier. I def. find it superior to Google Ma...
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 51
Views: 2180

Re: navigation system for car

Hi, tuna. My humble suggestions: 1. Get a smart phone, if you don't own one. Flip phones and Nook tablets are soooo 2010. They went out with Britney Spears and Ricky Martin. When I was in my 30s, a very smart 19 y o punk rocker with purple hair taught me: "Protagonist, you gotta stay contemporary or you will start growing moss." The child is father to the man. 2. Download the free Waze app. They use real time traffic data. For years I commuted between MA and NYC frequently. One route or another seemed to always be backed up, and which one was a coin flip. I tried everything else. Waze did a MUCH better job keeping me on the best route than any of the others. There are plenty of good dashboard phone mounts out there. You need not ...
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Taxes. When is married filing separately better than married filing jointly?
Replies: 6
Views: 749

Taxes. When is married filing separately better than married filing jointly?

In what kind of scenarios is married filing separately more profitable than married filing jointly?
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 51
Views: 2180

Re: navigation system for car

Hi, tuna. My humble suggestions: 1. Get a smart phone, if you don't own one. Flip phones and Nook tablets are soooo 2010. They went out with Britney Spears and Ricky Martin. When I was in my 30s, a very smart 19 y o punk rocker with purple hair taught me: "Protagonist, you gotta stay contemporary or you will start growing moss." The child is father to the man. 2. Download the free Waze app. They use real time traffic data. For years I commuted between MA and NYC frequently. One route or another seemed to always be backed up, and which one was a coin flip. I tried everything else. Waze did a MUCH better job keeping me on the best route than any of the others. There are plenty of good dashboard phone mounts out there. You need not s...
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:35 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Don't know what I don't know
Replies: 8
Views: 1030

Re: Don't know what I don't know

Taxes: I was burned badly by a CPA years ago, so perhaps I have a distorted perspective, but I would start out with consumer software, like HR Block or Turbotax. Not only will you save money, but it helps to know what you are doing. If it turns out to be too confusing, THEN consider hiring a CPA. At least, by then, hopefully you will be able to tell if the CPA screws up. Investments: This forum is a good start. Start by reading the Bogleheads Wiki, and ask questions. If you are skeptical about the answers you get, good. That means you are thinking. Keep researching until you are satisfied with the answers. Investing wisely is actually very simple. Most professional advisors have a conflict of interest, since the products that are most profi...
by protagonist
Mon Mar 18, 2024 8:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Value of Suspended Spousal Benefit
Replies: 15
Views: 1536

Re: Value of Suspended Spousal Benefit

EricGold wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:52 am Thank you

Not the answer I was hoping for, but I sure am glad to be informed up front
I think this answer is correct, but if I were you, I would research it myself as well. I believe the rules are different for people your age than mine.
AND speak with a SS rep. I agree with you that the info they give you may be inaccurate....if I listened to the first SS rep I spoke with I would have missed out on benefits to which I was entitled. Another one seemed better informed. It doesn't hurt to get info from multiple sources and then process it yourself.
by protagonist
Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066420

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Triangle of Sadness.
Very Swedish.
Very funny.
Very strange.
Very good.
Think Lena Wertmuller meets Wes Anderson.
Really skewers the rich.

If you liked Poor Things, you would probably like Triangle of Sadness. But a lot less (if any) explicit sex.
by protagonist
Sat Mar 16, 2024 9:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)
Replies: 29
Views: 2884

Re: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)

White Coat Investor wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 9:17 am
protagonist wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2024 7:45 pm "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22". Acc. to the NYT. https://www.nytimes.com/.../14/books/fu ... humor.html

Maybe just clickbait. Maybe not.

Let me know if you read any of them, and what you think of those you read.
Also if any particularly interest you.

The list strikes me as missing some by the best (Vonnegut, Toole, Percy, Adams, Saunders, etc...)

It's hard to beat Catch-22.
My experience with an Air Force wartime deployment under a commander who literally used the phrase "feather in my cap" was that Catch-22 is not a fiction book.
+1
by protagonist
Sat Mar 16, 2024 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)
Replies: 29
Views: 2884

Re: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)

“They’re not going to send a crazy man out to be killed, are they?” “Who else will go?” Catch-22 was at its best when it pointed out that some things that are utterly absurd are also perfectly sensible in a way. I listened to Slaughterhouse 5 and then Catch-22; one after the other. Catch-22 wasn’t in the same class as Slaughterhouse 5. Catch-22 is redundant, not all that funny, and definitely not as insightful or impactful. I read both and didn’t care for either. I just didn’t get why they are so popular and well regarded. They certainly did not seem funny, but rather more antiestablishment and mocking, which is not the same thing. I suspect they appeal more to people who chafe at tradition And authority and who want to see themselves as a...
by protagonist
Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)
Replies: 29
Views: 2884

Re: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)

So many Catch-22 haters!! I don't think I ever encountered one of those before reading this thread. I loved C-22 when I first read it, and still loved it when I re-read it more or less 20 years ago. I didn't at all consider it "dated". The mere irony of the title is perfect....no wonder it is still a cliche in common use 6 decades later. The last young person I heard use it had no idea of its origin. My first reading of C-22 was clandestine, in English class when I was a junior in HS, late '60s. We all probably have one or two HS teachers we remember who inspired us. This one was responsible for me rediscovering reading for pleasure, after a series of horrid English teachers and years of diagramming sentences and snippets of appro...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 7:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)
Replies: 29
Views: 2884

"22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22" (acc. to the NYT)

"22 of the funniest novels since Catch-22". Acc. to the NYT. https://www.nytimes.com/.../14/books/funny-novels-humor.html Maybe just clickbait. Maybe not. Let me know if you read any of them, and what you think of those you read. Also if any particularly interest you. The list strikes me as missing some by the best (Vonnegut, Toole, Percy, Adams, Saunders, etc...) It's hard to beat Catch-22. I've only read two on the list: 1. Oscar Wao. I really liked it. 2. Portnoy's Complaint. I recall liking it when I read it, but I was about 16 years old when I read it. If you can't access the article, here is the abbreviated list: The Wig, by Charles Wright (1966) Portnoy's Complaint, by Philip Roth (1969) Oreo, by Fran Ross (1974) Tales of t...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 7:38 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702
Replies: 37
Views: 5439

Re: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702

With other assets, you have to choose between keeping them for the basis step-up at the cost of estate inclusion, or giving them away and giving up the basis step-up. Can you explain this, please? My investments are all included in a revocable trust. I am under the assumption (hopefully not false) that the cost basis will be adjusted at the time of my death. If you give away a life insurance policy, the donee will get a basis step-up for it at your death in the form of the proceeds being exempt from income tax. But if you give away other assets during your lifetime, the donee won't get a new basis for them at your death. Whew. I misinterpreted. I thought you were implying that the other assets would not get a new basis at my death if I jus...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:23 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…
Replies: 2937
Views: 611513

Re: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…

But isn't housing a large percentage of the CPI measure? Yeah but the way they calculate it (using owner’s imputed rent) is a bit wonky. The actual price of houses is considered an investment and isn’t directly tracked in CPI-U. Thus, if you are trying to save for a home purchase in most large, urban cities, then TIPS aren’t going to do a great job of tracking that. How does this make it more calibrated to someone who owns a home since their cost would be fixed in the vast majority of cases? I definitely get why a national number does a poor job of tracking to certain regions. Assuming your personal inflation rate is much higher than CPI-U, I am still unclear as to what is a better fixed income investment than TIPS (or I-bonds). Let's say ...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:14 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702
Replies: 37
Views: 5439

Re: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702

With other assets, you have to choose between keeping them for the basis step-up at the cost of estate inclusion, or giving them away and giving up the basis step-up. Can you explain this, please? My investments are all included in a revocable trust. I am under the assumption (hopefully not false) that the cost basis will be adjusted at the time of my death. If you give away a life insurance policy, the donee will get a basis step-up for it at your death in the form of the proceeds being exempt from income tax. But if you give away other assets during your lifetime, the donee won't get a new basis for them at your death. Whew. I misinterpreted. I thought you were implying that the other assets would not get a new basis at my death if I jus...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:10 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: ChatGPT 3.5 trying to explain stock market behavior and going around in circles
Replies: 1
Views: 528

ChatGPT 3.5 trying to explain stock market behavior and going around in circles

User What is the difference between chaos and stochasticity? ChatGPT Chaos and stochasticity are both concepts used to describe systems that exhibit unpredictability or randomness, but they arise from different mechanisms. Chaos: Chaos refers to deterministic systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. In chaotic systems, small differences in initial conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes over time. This sensitivity to initial conditions is often described as the "butterfly effect," where a small change in one part of the system can cause significant changes elsewhere. Chaotic behavior typically emerges from nonlinear dynamics, where feedback loops and interactions between components lead to complex and unpr...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Given Haiti Situation, is Dominican Republic safe?
Replies: 49
Views: 25234

Re: Given Haiti Situation, is Dominican Republic safe?

nisiprius wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:47 pm Would you have been afraid to vacation in Florida during the Cuban Revolution?
Or in Southern California with the high crime rate in the Mexican border towns?
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702
Replies: 37
Views: 5439

Re: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702

bsteiner wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2024 10:26 am With other assets, you have to choose between keeping them for the basis step-up at the cost of estate inclusion, or giving them away and giving up the basis step-up.
Can you explain this, please?
My investments are all included in a revocable trust.

I am under the assumption (hopefully not false) that the cost basis will be adjusted at the time of my death.
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:01 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702
Replies: 37
Views: 5439

Re: "Rich Man's Roth" / 7702

If you are a rich man, why do you need life insurance?
More likely your heirs will inherit more money if you just invest it, rather than paying for life insurance.
If they odds were not against you, life insurance companies could not exist.

Even if you invested in totally safe inflation-adjusted products like TIPS, the odds would be in your favor that your heirs would inherit more than if you were paying life insurance premiums.
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 10:43 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Ran an analysis regarding the opportunity cost of investing in real estate. Curious what my takeaway should be?
Replies: 20
Views: 1645

Re: Ran an analysis regarding the opportunity cost of investing in real estate. Curious what my takeaway should be?

My question: What should my takeaway be here? Is it as simple as "my friends overpaid for their apartment"? Or is there something else I should be considering here? Personally, it seems to suggest that real estate is a bad investment in my area right now and the S&P is a better vehicle for generating wealth. But I'm also curious what lessons I should carry with me when I purchase my next home in the next 2-3 years. Thanks for getting to the end of this rather long post. The stock market has been going gang-busters since 2016. Your take-away should be that you were lucky. As for whether you made a wise decision to put less into your home and more into the stock market, it could have gone either way. You had no way of knowing i...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 14, 2024 10:19 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…
Replies: 2937
Views: 611513

Re: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…

I think we are headed towards higher and higher inflation. Having an investment that is indexed to an incorrect measure of that means a guaranteed loss. This is why I'm rethinking my investment approach. I'm not making an big, sudden moves. For now, just sticking with 6-mo or less t-bill, money market, and stocks. I will grow the stock position over time. I don't see any other alternative. As a compromise, perhaps use TIPS to only match expenses that do a decent job of tracking CPI-U (e.g. food staples, property taxes, gas, utilities, etc). If you are over exposed to other areas that aren’t represented well in CPI-U (e.g. health care, college education, etc), then you need to do something else, but for most of those expenses folks tend to ...
by protagonist
Mon Mar 11, 2024 4:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…
Replies: 2937
Views: 611513

Re: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…

Today I sold out of all my TIPS. I had been thinking about this for a while. I don't think they are a good product *for me* since the way inflation is measured doesn't seem to have any correlation to my spending. Curious to understand more how you evaluated your inflation vs TIPS measurement, can you please elaborate on your thinking? I have been thinking about this too but I do not see a better (safer) alternative to guaranteed real income in years X, y, z than using TIPS ladder maturing in years x, y, z...and that too at almost 2% real! I have a TIPS from 5 years ago that is about to mature. The total principal appreciation has been < 20%. Compared to 5 years ago, my spend is up at least 50% if not more. And I have not upgraded my lifest...
by protagonist
Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Body by Science Workout
Replies: 244
Views: 47185

Re: Body by Science Workout

Revisiting this thread from 2010-2014.
Question for those who started the Body by Science (superslow HIIT) workout years ago:

1. Are you still doing it?
2. If so, for how many years?
3. If you have been doing it for years, are you still seeing the benefits?
4 Do you consider the BBS workout once a week workout as effective as a conventional workout? (e.g. 3 sets of 8-10 reps , 8-10 exercises, 2-3x/week or some variant?)
5. Other comments?

And those of you who quit:
1. Why did you quit?
2. What, if anything, are you doing now instead?
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 5:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?
Replies: 254
Views: 41950

Re: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?

An interesting tweak for you, if you don't know this already: Rinsing the dishes first does not help, and it may make things worse. If you don't know that, you probably don't believe me. I wouldn't either. But humor me and research it. Then try it. You will be happy you did. Funny you should mention that … I knew it, and had a disagreement with my BIL and SIL about it at our house. I always want to load the dishwasher, and make that clear. I had to remind them, repeatedly, to please just put dishes in the sink, unrinsed, and that I would take care of it. I said some hand wavy thing about enzymes. I don’t know if they believed me, but I finally just said that since we are on well water, I would appreciate their leaving it to me. They remain...
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:02 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?
Replies: 254
Views: 41950

Re: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?

An interesting tweak for you, if you don't know this already: Rinsing the dishes first does not help, and it may make things worse. If you don't know that, you probably don't believe me. I wouldn't either. But humor me and research it. Then try it. You will be happy you did. Funny you should mention that … I knew it, and had a disagreement with my BIL and SIL about it at our house. I always want to load the dishwasher, and make that clear. I had to remind them, repeatedly, to please just put dishes in the sink, unrinsed, and that I would take care of it. I said some hand wavy thing about enzymes. I don’t know if they believed me, but I finally just said that since we are on well water, I would appreciate their leaving it to me. They remain...
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:51 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

Jaylat wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:26 am
Kevin M wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:45 am I need lots more of the 2040 for the gap years, and also the 2034, which is down to 1.78% ask today; my last purchase of the 2034 was at 1.97% on Feb 27, and my dollar weighted average yield is 1.93%--not happy with the current yield, but of course that's recency bias talking:
Wow, congrats to you for getting such a high blended TIPS rate.
Yeah, that's great! I have no idea what my average yield is across my ladder but I doubt if it even comes close....I set up most of my ladder progressively between summer 2022 and summer/fall 2023 as my old CDs matured. I will continue to add to it as rungs mature. That said, I am happy with what I have.
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 8:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?
Replies: 254
Views: 41950

Re: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?

~running the dishwasher even if it's only 1/2 or 3/4 full. Someone asked why... For decades I always stressed about waiting for it to be completely full before running it, and then would have to hand wash things I needed to cook that night that were in there still dirty and "waiting." Learning to "just run it" means everything is always clean. So much more relaxing to end the day and go to cook and everything is ready Additionally, it takes a lot more water to wash dishes by hand. Since we are on wells and septic, it matters quite a bit for us. It, frankly, should matter for everyone. An interesting tweak for you, if you don't know this already: Rinsing the dishes first does not help, and it may make things worse. If yo...
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 8:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?
Replies: 254
Views: 41950

Re: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?

Children
My wife
My friends
Experimenting with psychedelics at age 17 (seriously)
Leaving home at age 17 and moving to MA
Retiring at 55
Gaining confidence in myself
Learning to play the saxophone in my mid-fifties
Taking up windsurfing and whitewater kayaking
Experiencing much of the world at a relatively early age
Becoming a snowbird

It's very interesting to me that, despite 240 posts, nobody so far in this thread (that I have noticed) mentioned "choice of profession".
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:39 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

I checked the TIPS yields today on the WSJ site. https://www.wsj.com/market-data/bonds/tips ... some (notably the 10/26, 4/27, 7/27 and 4/28 maturities) seemed to be affected disproportionately. Does anybody have a clue to why those specific bonds were affected more than the others? The yield change from Monday to Tuesday certainly does look strange for these four issues. 04/15/2026 0.125% 2.126% 2.070% -0.056% XXXXXXXXXXX| 07/15/2026 0.125% 1.932% 1.876% -0.056% XXXXXXXXXXX| 10/15/2026 0.125% 2.009% 1.794% -0.215% XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| 01/15/2027 2.375% 1.976% 1.918% -0.058% XXXXXXXXXXXX| 01/15/2027 0.375% 2.080% 2.022% -0.058% XXXXXXXXXXXX| 04/15/2027 0.125% 2.106% 1.918% -0.188% XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX...
by protagonist
Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:39 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

Jaylat wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2024 9:14 pm
protagonist wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2024 6:49 pm I checked the TIPS yields today on the WSJ site. https://www.wsj.com/market-data/bonds/tips
They took quite a beating, but some (notably the 10/26, 4/27, 7/27 and 4/28 maturities) seemed to be affected disproportionately. Does anybody have a clue to why those specific bonds were affected more than the others?
I suspect not, but if there is a reason I am curious.
I love how "took quite a beating" means TIPS prices went up across the board.
Yields took a beating, not prices (as I worded above).
But those particular bonds went up (in price) disproportionately compared with others with very close maturities. I was just curious why. There is probably no simple explanation.
by protagonist
Tue Mar 05, 2024 6:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

I checked the TIPS yields today on the WSJ site. https://www.wsj.com/market-data/bonds/tips
They took quite a beating, but some (notably the 10/26, 4/27, 7/27 and 4/28 maturities) seemed to be affected disproportionately. Does anybody have a clue to why those specific bonds were affected more than the others?
I suspect not, but if there is a reason I am curious.
by protagonist
Tue Mar 05, 2024 9:26 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

I have been playing around with buying more TIPS on the secondary market, but buying 40 bonds vary so much in cost. One set of bonds for example end up costing roughly a bit over $40K while another end up being $61K. I think the price increase is usually due to the inflation factor. The higher inflation factor really kicks up the cost. Another poster has indicate that TIPS secondary market are fairly efficient, what are the steps you take to figure out you are getting a good deal? Other than tiny differences in bid/ask spreads, you will get, for all practical purposes, very close to the same deal through any of the three major discount brokerages. Fidelity does not charge a fee and I don't think the others do either. Yes, the price discrep...
by protagonist
Mon Mar 04, 2024 6:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to share HR Block tax software with wife
Replies: 5
Views: 488

Re: How to share HR Block tax software with wife

jebmke wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:56 pm
drk wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:35 pm Save the HRB23 file to a secure cloud drive shared with her, let her fill out the details and overwrite that file in the cloud drive, then wrap it up on your end.
Right. I have a Google drive folder shared to spouse which she can place things she needs me to have.
What I did is I sent her my .t23 file as an email extension with the access code.

Can she download the software on her computer (with no additional charge), open it with my access code (since I paid for it), and then open the file?
by protagonist
Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How to share HR Block tax software with wife
Replies: 5
Views: 488

How to share HR Block tax software with wife

My wife and I are filing jointly but she is in another state.
I have all my tax info loaded in my HR Block tax software (2023 return).
I was hoping I could either send the file to her so she could enter her tax data and send it back to me, either complete with both of our data, or just a separate copy with her data that I could then copy into mine.

What is the best way to do that?

Thanks.
by protagonist
Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:11 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

I tried buying 1/34 TIPS this morning at Fidelity (20 at $98.398), following the favorable PCE report, figuring that yields will likely decline because of the favorable inflation report. Fido was reporting a YTM of 1.929% My order was canceled. I guess a lot of people have the same idea..... I just tried again (20 at $98.429) YTM 1.925%. Order open.. So I canceled it and tried again (20 at $98.445) YTM 1.923....order canceled. Filled at $98.468 . YTM 1.921%. Still 0.11% better than the yield I got at auction last month. Right. The Jan 2034 ask at one point yesterday was 1.96%; the yield you got was only 4 basis points less. The thing to remember is that TIPS yields are volatile, so they could go up again tomorrow. Yep. As soon as I saw the...
by protagonist
Thu Feb 29, 2024 8:46 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202581

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Following the favorable PCE report this morning, figuring rates will likely decline with favorable inflation data, I decided to forego buying I-bonds during this cycle and instead I beefed up my 1/2034 TIPS ladder rung at YTM 1.921%. I did buy $20K worth of I-bonds at 1.3% in December.
by protagonist
Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

I tried buying 1/34 TIPS this morning at Fidelity (20 at $98.398), following the favorable PCE report, figuring that yields will likely decline because of the favorable inflation report. Fido was reporting a YTM of 1.929%
My order was canceled.
I guess a lot of people have the same idea.....
I just tried again (20 at $98.429) YTM 1.925%. Order open..
So I canceled it and tried again (20 at $98.445) YTM 1.923....order canceled.
Filled at $98.468 . YTM 1.921%.

Still 0.11% better than the yield I got at auction last month.
by protagonist
Wed Feb 28, 2024 6:39 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455444

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

[You might want to use a TIPS ladder building tool, which will show you both the cost and the annual real income you'll be receiving. Typically we target a desired annual real income/amount (DARI or DARA) for each rung, and we pay whatever the cost is for that DARA for each rung. A simple tools is tipsladder.com, and that's probably good enough for now, but I prefer to use #Cruncher's TIPS ladder spreadsheet, which you can quickly find with a forum search. I just pay whatever I have to pay to get the TIPS I want. I mainly pay attention to the yield, and if I'm happy with the yield, I buy. Seasonal adjustments to TIPS yields is a bit complicated. You can read this thread to get a bit of an education on it: TIPS yield curve and seasonal adju...
by protagonist
Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Cancer Diagnosis Hubby
Replies: 36
Views: 4536

Re: Cancer Diagnosis Hubby

Hi Everyone, I am having a hard time currently. Well... not as hard as hubby (51 yo) who is now fighting cancer. He got diagnosed in Nov 2023 with a rare and aggressive cancer. He is getting chemo and immunotherapy for the first time last week. More coming this week. We have a toddler (DD) who is 4.5 yrs old. Now, I'm the only one with income and the only caretaker for hubby, DD and a couple of small dogs. Saying that the stress is getting to me is an understatement. He has Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, term life and planned funeral exp etc. He contributed to Roth IRA every year. He plans to file for disability but may need to use a lawyer for that. We don't have a will, etc. Should we start calling a lawyer to put this together? Please help....
by protagonist
Tue Feb 27, 2024 4:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is your favorite book?
Replies: 186
Views: 19924

Re: What is your favorite book?

A couple of posts up, Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley" was non-fiction, I think, about his travels in a crude early form of camper truck with his dog.Charley. I have enjoyed the other Steinbeck books I have read (not to mention a great essay in Esquire he wrote around the same time he wrote "Charley" (around 1960) where he reminisced about his early days trying to make it as a writer in the Great Depression. So I googled the book and read the summary in this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travels_with_Charley Wow, what a curmudgeon! If the summary is accurate, there was very little he liked about the America or Americans of 1960. I imagine him pining away for the "good old days" of the Grea...
by protagonist
Tue Feb 27, 2024 4:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is your favorite book?
Replies: 186
Views: 19924

Re: What is your favorite book?

Angel of Empire wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 4:22 pm
MDfan wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:45 am
vnatale wrote: Tue Feb 13, 2024 9:53 pm
MoonOrb wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:08 pm
11/22/63 by Stephen King
You are the only other person I have "met" who has also read that excellent book.

Did you see the TV series, which was also quite good?

Excellent companion to the book.


Really enjoyed the book. Thought the Hulu series was just ok.

The best fiction book I have ever read is a spy thriller by Allan Folsom - The Day After Tomorrow. Non-stop action from beginning to end and maybe the only book I have ever read that really was hard to put down.
11/22/63 was excellent. I'm due for a second reading.

I just downloaded The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom. Looks like a good one. Thanks.
I just started 11/22/63, based on recommendations here. So far, so good!
by protagonist
Tue Feb 27, 2024 4:30 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: April and July 2024 TIPS
Replies: 40
Views: 5689

Re: April 2024 TIPS

Kevin M wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:46 am
protagonist wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 8:51 am I see no real logic in selling prematurely, other than that there are very favorable yields available now, and what the yields will be in April is unknown.
But that's the only reason I needed! Well, and also that there is no benefit in waiting in terms of the price we receive now relative to the price at maturity, as long as we're swapping into other TIPS (that will provide the same inflation adjustments).
I understand.
You are trying to extend your duration.
I figure it is a 50/50 crap shoot whether yields will be higher or lower in April. So for my purposes, I see no need to jump on it now (additional effort!). That said, the yields now are tempting.
by protagonist
Tue Feb 27, 2024 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best < $100 purchase?
Replies: 299
Views: 55791

Re: Best < $100 purchase?

Among the best low-cost purchases are extra cellular phone charging cords + adapters to strategically place around the house. Idea. Outlets with USB charging ports: https://www.google.com/search?q=outlet+with+usb+port But don't know how safe these outlets are. Wish I could find a charger that would only charge phone to 80% of full. Suppose to be better for battery. So I could leave phone on charge all of the time. A quick search says: --iPhone 15 can limit battery to 80% charge. --Android A14 (assume lowest cost model) can limit battery to 80% charge. Search: https://www.google.com/search?q=smartphone+battery+80%25+charge+limit I may have to wait for new phone to get battery charge limiting. CONTRARIAN OPINION..... Don't worry about it. I ...
by protagonist
Tue Feb 27, 2024 8:51 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: April and July 2024 TIPS
Replies: 40
Views: 5689

Re: April 2024 TIPS

Is my understanding correct, that I would get slightly more if I sold my Apr. 2024 TIPS now than if I wait for them to mature? It is not only a matter of how much you would get now compared to maturity. What also matters is the return rate you would get on the proceeds of a sale now between now and the maturity date. It is also a matter of the unknown change in the reference CPI during April. The more the reference CPI increases during April, the more the principal and final interest payment will be. If the reference CPI turns out to not change during April, then you would get $65 more at maturity per $10,000 of par amount by not selling now. The annual return rate on the proceeds from selling now would need to be 4.0% to get at least $65....
by protagonist
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202581

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Now that TIPS are heating up (~2% real), it is making 2024 I-bonds seem less attractive. My plan was to wait until late April to see what the new fixed rate would be for I-bonds before deciding between I-bonds and TIPS. Is there much chance at this point that the May I-bond fixed rate will exceed 1.3%? They are cousin financial instruments, not twins. They each have pros and cons, and one may have a fixed yield more or less than the other at certain points in time, one must be held to maturity to avoid interest rate sensitivity, one can be redeemed at any time in $25 increments, and one is available in mutual fund purchase form. I realize that. I understand the advantages of I-bonds vs TIPS, for which you pay a price in yield. How much of ...
by protagonist
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:37 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202581

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

1010 wrote: Mon Feb 26, 2024 10:17 am What is prediction I Bond rate for may 2024?

Is it worth to buy now or to wait for may?
If you know you will buy anyway, it makes sense to wait until late April to decide when to buy.
by protagonist
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: April and July 2024 TIPS
Replies: 40
Views: 5689

Re: April 2024 TIPS

The only reasons I can think of for not selling all of my remaining Apr 2024s at a price more than 100 to buy longer maturity TIPS to help complete my ladder is that yields on the longer TIPS could go higher (but they also could go lower), and it's kind of fun selling some each week and seeing what yields I can get on the longer TIPS. Am I missing something? Apr.2024 TIPS are (acc. to WSJ) selling for bid 100.02/ ask 100.04. 1. Is my understanding correct, that I would get slightly more if I sold my Apr. 2024 TIPS now than if I wait for them to mature? Ultimately I would like to use the proceeds from my 4/2024 TIPS to buy 7/2034 TIPS when they become available. Or I could buy more 1/34s, but I think I would rather spread my investments out...
by protagonist
Mon Feb 26, 2024 4:20 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: April and July 2024 TIPS
Replies: 40
Views: 5689

Re: April 2024 TIPS

The only reasons I can think of for not selling all of my remaining Apr 2024s at a price more than 100 to buy longer maturity TIPS to help complete my ladder is that yields on the longer TIPS could go higher (but they also could go lower), and it's kind of fun selling some each week and seeing what yields I can get on the longer TIPS. Am I missing something? Apr.2024 TIPS are (acc. to WSJ) selling for bid 100.02/ ask 100.04. Is my understanding correct, that I would get slightly more if I sold my Apr. 2024 TIPS now than if I wait for them to mature? Ultimately I would like to use the proceeds from my 4/2024 TIPS to buy 7/2034 TIPS when they become available. Or I could buy more 1/34s, but I think I would rather spread my investments out mo...