Search found 28 matches

by Batavus
Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47
Replies: 90
Views: 7581

Re: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47

You’ve gotten a lot of good advice. I recommend you watch/listen or read Peter Attia’s stuff. I have seen his fitness routine summarized as: Cardio || 4×45 min weekly Zone 2. (Roughly 70% max Heart Rate) Some say 2x90min is even more effective 1×30 weekly 4reps :4min Zone 5. (90%+ max HR) Other interval options: 1:3 (1min in Zone 5: 3min in Zone 2) or 4:4 (4min in Zone 5: 4min in Zone 2) Strength || 4 sessions × 40-60 min - 2 upper body and 2 lower body sessions. - Stability & Stretch throughout the week This is 9 workouts per week, (or 7 with longer zone 2 days) which is a lot but those zone 2 workouts should be easy, almost recovery work. They say you should be able carry on a conversation although the person you are talking to would ...
by Batavus
Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I bonds selling
Replies: 26
Views: 3819

Re: I bonds selling

I found out that I can’t send my paper bonds directly to Fidelity. However, I can cash them at a bank and then roll those funds into a 529 within 60 days without a tax hit. And as mentioned above, I can then change the beneficiary if necessary.
by Batavus
Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:16 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I bonds selling
Replies: 26
Views: 3819

Re: I bonds selling

Thanks for the prod!
I have some I bought in 2003. The ones I bought in December 2003 are currently paying 5.06%. As suggested above, at some point I would like to get them in to a grandchild’s 529 - but they are paper bonds so that may add a step or 2.

Does anyone know if I could I send them to Fidelity and they would cash them in and roll the money into a new 529 for the beneficiary?
by Batavus
Sat Sep 02, 2023 4:00 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "The Place of Social Security in Your Retirement Portfolio"
Replies: 49
Views: 8404

Re: "The Place of Social Security in Your Retirement Portfolio"

I think this is an “all roads lead to Dublin” example but it’s a road that needs to be taken when you are 30 or 40. Not for me but had Sue considered Soc Sec as her fixed income sleeve 30 years ago her equity portion would be much larger today. If Sue were to look at that alternative today, she would see her portfolio is 30/70 (E/D) or age +10 in bonds which is very conservative. Don’t consider SS and she is 50/50 or age -10 in bonds.

As a side note - I’m very surprised that 44% of retirees have pensions. The Federal Reserve document linked in the article shows an even higher number.
by Batavus
Sat Sep 02, 2023 3:56 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "The Place of Social Security in Your Retirement Portfolio"
Replies: 49
Views: 8404

Re: "The Place of Social Security in Your Retirement Portfolio"

MnD wrote: Mon Aug 28, 2023 4:55 pm That article is not going to be popular with the "never even think about pensions or SS as financial assets or something that influences your asset allocation" crowd. :mrgreen:
Doesn’t it split the baby? In this scenario Mr Roth is saying - don’t think of Soc Sec as something that influences your AA. But he gives sufficient reasons why Sue’s pension should be considered fixed income in her AA.
by Batavus
Sun Feb 12, 2023 2:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: WWII Non-Fiction Book Recs
Replies: 103
Views: 8044

Re: WWII Non-Fiction Book Recs

So many great titles in this discussion to consider. This list is not complete until Valuethinker weighs in on books that discuss Russian efforts & the Eastern Front. And I’m shocked that hasn’t already happened. Books I’ve read on WWII and enjoyed & recommend include: Webster, Donovan - The Burma Road Bradley, James - Flyboys Rhodes, Richard - The Making of the Atomic Bomb Bird & Shermin - American Prometheus Price, David - Geniuses at War Olsen, Lynn - Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against Hitler Conant, Janet - Tuxedo Park, 109 East Palace And on my to read List: Overly, Richard - Blood and ruins : the last imperial war, 1931-1945 *Overy holds that WWII occurred beca...
by Batavus
Wed Jul 27, 2022 2:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 30k maintenance, Hyundai SUV - Dealer v Manufacturer
Replies: 8
Views: 2168

Re: 30k maintenance, Hyundai SUV - Dealer v Manufacturer

Thanks guys! (Man! How do people on this site do those complex quotes?) Brake fluid is hygroscopic which means it absorbs moisture. As this happens, it slowly darkens. Moisture does a couple bad things. It can corrode metal parts and at high temperatures like constant braking down a steep hill, it can boil. This is something that racecar drivers deal with by literally changing the fluid before every single track day. 2 years is a good interval and 30k miles is fine. Yes, have it replaced. Shouldn't cost more than $100 and the new fluid should be dot 3 or dot 4. Brake fluid is hydroscopic (absorbs moisture) and is commonly recommended to be flushed every two years or so to prevent fluid boiling and lack of brakes in extreme circumstances (lo...
by Batavus
Wed Jul 27, 2022 1:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 30k maintenance, Hyundai SUV - Dealer v Manufacturer
Replies: 8
Views: 2168

30k maintenance, Hyundai SUV - Dealer v Manufacturer

I’m sure it’s been asked in some form in the past but here goes: I am heading to the dealer with 35k on the ODO. (2021 Palisade) The owner’s manual doesn’t recommend much but it does say to change the brake fluid. So I’m going to ask for it to be done. Of all the things the dealer recommends, this isn’t one of them. — I have never had brake fluid changed. Drove a Highlander for 10 years on factory brake fluid. Any Hyundai owners know why this is recommended? OTOH, the dealer wants to flush the coolant which the manual says do every 10 years — I do live in the desert but this seems like overkill, has anyone here had that done at 30k? I do do some hot Highway driving but the engine never runs hot. I might add, I wasn’t in the desert last summ...
by Batavus
Sat Jul 03, 2021 4:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Moving help needed
Replies: 10
Views: 1082

Re: Moving help needed

In June 2019, we moved a full house 2100 miles from Florida to Arizona. According to my notes we paid $17,000 or about $1.00 per ton per mile. We used Allied. We got 3 estimates, 2 were close and one was significantly more. I am under the impression that some movers focus on corporate moves and charge more while Allied is a mid priced provider. Our cost included some serious packing for $4,000 - so had we packed everything ourselves our cost would have been about $13,000 or $0.77 / ton / mile. The whole moving process is a memorable experience. We started boxing ourselves but quickly realized we were in way over our heads. Allied sent three folk that spent 2 days packing and used a ton of packing paper. Our movers showed up and said if we w...
by Batavus
Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: parent -> child gifts
Replies: 14
Views: 1921

Re: parent -> child gifts

There is the possibility that the law could be changed. The exclusion could be lowered to $1 million. Certainly that could happen at the state level. Or maybe the government would eliminate the step up basis and the inheritor/estate will have to pay capital gains on some portion of the estate. It seems this was floated a couple of years ago.

Someone mentioned estate admin expenses. We had a tax pro fill out the estate's tax forms and i was shocked at what that effort cost.
by Batavus
Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:07 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Poll: Effective average Adjusted Livesoft tax rate?
Replies: 73
Views: 13897

Re: Poll: Effective average Adjusted Livesoft tax rate?

Great poll, thanks for putting it together. A couple of thoughts, 80k is a long way from 160k and 5% is a long way from 10%. I wish it could be more granular. Also, you do not mention an employers share of FICA contributions - and maybe it shouldn't but that would raise the ALI another (what?) 7%.

The distribution is currently:
>240k 35%
>160k 23
>80k 28
<80k 14
by Batavus
Mon Dec 29, 2014 9:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Documentaries to recommend?
Replies: 158
Views: 30061

Re: Documentaries to recommend?

I have found http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/world-war-2-in-colour/ facinating. It is shown regularly on my PBS station. This documentary on WW1 was also interesting: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/world-war-1-in-color/ . But as you can imagine the film quality is a little poor. One more vote for the Up series by Michael Apted. There was a similar series about Doctors. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/doctors-diaries.html I think it shows several students at Harvard and then rejoins them several years later. This doc on the Grand Coulee Dam was good: http://video.pbs.org/video/2218346883/ And one more: I saw a doc on the Pacific Crest Trail a couple of years ago. I actually don't think this is is the one I saw, but it gets you thinking: htt...
by Batavus
Sat Sep 01, 2012 5:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1561362

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

Elizabeth George's - "A Great Deliverance" based on a recomendation in Part I of this thread.

Also David Maraniss' - "Rome 1960", its going slow.
by Batavus
Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1561362

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

My question is: Huh? What's the deal here? Why the cult status? Why the perma-position on the best seller lists? This is not good writing. And, where is the appeal of these story lines, these characters, and the rather stark descriptions of violence and sexual assualt to female readers? I read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and did not appreciate it either. The graphic violence was unnecessary and unbelievable. Here's one for you - How about all the coffee this guy drinks? Everywhere he goes "...and they drank coffee" We never learn if it was good or bad, old or fresh, does he ever get the jitters from too much coffee? (Is he ever desperate to find a bathroom?) We are never privy to those thoughts but man does the hero consume s...
by Batavus
Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1561362

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

Just finished Fredrick Forsyth's "The Cobra". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Forsyth I have been a Forsyth fan for years but this one didn't do much for me.
Also recently finished Robert Parker's "Trouble in Paradice". It was a loser, seemed so cookie-cutter.
by Batavus
Sun Aug 22, 2010 1:56 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Larry Swedroe's " The Right Financial Plan"--A Gem
Replies: 54
Views: 17959

OK, thanks Bob. I had assumed the reference was to asset allocation or need to take risk but this is different. I see Larry is discussing a plan B for spending.
The best advice is to buy or borrow the book and read Larry on Larry.
dbr, Thanks for the help. You might say that about every comment or question to an author's thoughts - would sure save on bandwidth.
by Batavus
Sun Aug 22, 2010 12:12 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Larry Swedroe's " The Right Financial Plan"--A Gem
Replies: 54
Views: 17959

Thanks for the summary Taylor, one question though, what does Larry say in reference to "plan B"?
"Plan B should list the actions to be taken if financial assets drop below a predetermined level."
My mind races with questions, scenarios, options. Does he offer examples? Does he suggest you take more risk at that point, or less? And where would he put that predetermined level?

I must say, I thought the Boglehead wisdon included no "plan B". The expression "stay the course" seems quite clear on this subject.
by Batavus
Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you/will you have a pension?
Replies: 210
Views: 35527

Perhaps a one sided view of this debate can be found tonight on C-Span Book TV:
Plunder!: How Public Employee Unions Are Raiding Treasuries, Controlling Our Lives and Bankrupting the Nation The one reviewer on Amazon points out that the most dangerous jobs are private sector jobs like loggers and cab drivers that rarely come with pensions.

I don't see my private sector job as some sort of high flying active fund, quite the opposite, a steady eddie; and when I accepted it 30 years ago, it had a generous pension; however, CEOs and their apologists changed the rules halfway through the game and took most of my pension away.
by Batavus
Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Life changeing books recommendations for twenty-somethings.
Replies: 114
Views: 20365

FWIW, When I was in my twenties, the books that stuck with me were:

Og Mandino's University of Success
~ Og Mandino

What's Ahead for the Economy
~ Louis Rukeyser

What Color Is Your Parachute?
~ Richard N. Bolles

The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
~ Andrew Tobias

I would feel lucky if I could get my kid to read:
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
~ Dr. Seuss
and
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything ~ Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
by Batavus
Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: NCAA Champion...One guess only
Replies: 80
Views: 11242

Louisville (over Duke in the final)

Roy Williams (NC) doesn't make it to Detroit.
by Batavus
Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Anyone increased their equity allocation?
Replies: 125
Views: 25673

Where are the Value Averagers?

I have a fairly conservative Value Averaging Plan set up for my equity portion. My neutral position is % bonds = 95-age or 43% equities but now my value averaging spread sheet is calling for me to be at 51% to set equities back on their path. I pulled money out of equities as the market went up, that part was easy, now I am slowly moving back in, in roughly 2-3% increments, aiming for that higher level.

Looking back, I am happy I was in the low 40s as the market peaked, hopefully I will look back at fall 2008 and be glad I was in the upper 40s when the market bottomed.
by Batavus
Fri May 16, 2008 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity Low Priced Stock Fund
Replies: 17
Views: 5665

Just to add to the discussion, according to this chart:
http://stockcharts.com/charts/performan ... l?FLPSX,VO
FLPSX has tracked the Vanguard Midcap ETF (VO) since the ETF's inception over 4 years ago. The fact that it hasn't lost to the index is a good thing, the fact the the manager has only made enough to cover his expenses, not so good.

Fidelity does show it to have a lower turnover rate than the Van Mid cap fund (not the ETF).
by Batavus
Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:52 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: college costs
Replies: 28
Views: 6397

Paying the Talent

There was a James Surowiecki article in the New Yorker last year discussing how the cost of labor intensive “tasks” and the cost of superstars in all occupations are outpacing inflation. And there seems to be no end in sight.

An interesting piece of advice I once saw was to save a third, hope to pay a third from current income during the college years and cover the final third with debt. How you and your kids, and maybe their grandparents, split those thirds is up for negotiation.
by Batavus
Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Indoor Exercise - Need Advice
Replies: 57
Views: 18014

We have a Tunturi elliptical trainer. We've had it for years, use it hard and it has held up without complaint.

http://fitness-en.tunturi.com/pages/bul ... cross.aspx Tunturi...
by Batavus
Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Any Good Music?
Replies: 69
Views: 34543

I hope this is FINALLY my 4th post. I keep trying to post without links but with dot com in the text and and some sort of anti-spam software eats my message.

As I said in my now eaten post - Petro, thanks for the Pandora tip! Those that haven't been there should go. Sorry I can't supply a link, I might be a spam generator.
by Batavus
Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:33 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading?
Replies: 566
Views: 245952

I just read Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer which is a very serious account of tragedy on Everest. I've done some crazy things but paying $65,000 and risking it all for a chance to climb to the top of Everest outweighs them ten fold.
by Batavus
Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:12 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Jimmy Rogers on CNBC
Replies: 23
Views: 5062

He seems to be a regular on Bloomberg, even though he has now moved to Singapore. You can search there and find the interview in question. I had a link but can't post it until I achieve 4 posts (and at this rate that may never happen).