Search found 162 matches

by poundwise
Thu Feb 01, 2024 7:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sofa Bed/ sleeper sofa for condo living room
Replies: 17
Views: 2494

Re: Sofa Bed/ sleeper sofa for condo living room

jodhpur wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 7:49 am Checkout the American Leather brand. It's a little higher end but we've been very pleased. It pulls out into more of a platform base so you avoid the dreaded bar in the bed. My relatives, who love to complain about beds, don't complain at all.
I was scrolling down to see if anyone had posted this. Yes, American Leather sleeper sofas can cost 4K or more, but I have yet to find a more comfortable sleeper bed. I love the way jodhpur puts it: there is no "dreaded bar." They also sell these at Crate & Barrel, Room & Board, and elsewhere under those brands, but it's American Leather that makes them.
by poundwise
Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Final, Definitive Thread on Brokerage Transfer Bonuses
Replies: 7737
Views: 1337623

Re: The Final, Definitive Thread on Brokerage Transfer Bonuses

BlackcatCA wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:21 pm This topic is so long, very hard to find things!
Agree. Is there any hope of creating a wiki page that contains active bonuses? (like TheFinanceBuff used to do).
by poundwise
Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:22 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Where does the loyalty to Vanguard come from?
Replies: 72
Views: 6408

Re: Where does the loyalty to Vanguard come from?

Normchad wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:23 pm Another important difference is that Schwab, Fidelity, etc are all in business to make money. Schwab is publicly traded I think. Fidelity is not, but made $8B in profits in 2022. That money is coming from somewhere…..

Vanguard doesn’t have an obvious profit motive.
I've noticed that this manifests itself in a few ways. Most notably, in that Vanguard offers full interest on its sweep fund. It drives me nuts that in Schwab you have to constantly buy and sell their interest-bearing money market fund to manage cash. Not sure what the story is with Fidelity. But with Vanguard, it's prime all the way, and you can almost always be certain you are getting the highest rates -- even with your sweep fund.
by poundwise
Fri Jul 15, 2022 2:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is AAA membership worth it?
Replies: 197
Views: 27170

Re: Is AAA membership worth it?

As noted above, AAA membership can come loaded with junk mail. Marketing lists are sold and resold. When joining anything or subscribing to anything, unless you like junk mail, it's important to do it by phone and ask them to "opt you out" of everything they can, including 3rd party information sharing and mailings. They have boxes to check on their screen and are happy to do it, especially when you explain that you want to minimize the junk mail. My mail carriers are often amazed at how little extra mail I get. The language is key: "opt out." Add that to the magic words, "please and thank you" and don't get me started on how unfortunate it is that so many kids (and adults) don't know to use them. I've often w...
by poundwise
Fri Jul 08, 2022 7:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help…Mosquito Madness! Summer is Here.
Replies: 62
Views: 6458

Re: Help…Mosquito Madness! Summer is Here.

I'll throw in a left field suggestion: install bat boxes. Free mosquito protection! Especially in the hours of dusk and twilight when mosquitos are out, and bats come out to feast.
by poundwise
Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sienna vs. Odyssey vs. Pilot
Replies: 64
Views: 7384

Re: Sienna vs. Odyssey vs. Pilot

LawEgr1 wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 9:54 am The Odyssey has the magic slide seats which we quite enjoy.
^ I had to hit control F to see if this had been mentioned, and was surprised it only came up once. This was the single most important differentiator in our search. Game-changing.
by poundwise
Sun Jan 09, 2022 6:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Vanguard Mobile Check Deposits
Replies: 21
Views: 4738

Re: Vanguard Mobile Check Deposits

I have been unable to deposit mobile checks to Vanguard for over 6 months because the check recognition functionality is so bad.

A lot of money has gone to other brokerages because of this. Since my preference for Vanguard is just a tiny bit higher than for other brokerages, once it goes somewhere else, I am too lazy to move it.

Vanguard lurkers: if you are monitoring this forum, please fix the mobile deposit photo recognition!!
by poundwise
Tue Sep 28, 2021 8:58 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Origin of the backdoor Roth?
Replies: 40
Views: 6148

Re: Origin of the backdoor Roth?

poundwise wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:41 am This post suggests at least one Boglehead was waiting for 2010 in anticipation.

Hoping the collective mind of of Bogleheads recalls these days of yore...
I just noticed that retiredjg was actually the first person to reply to the 2009 post I referenced above, and also commented in this thread. That's just what I meant when I asked about folks remembering this history. Thank you for your sustained contributions. So cool. Love bogleheads.org!
by poundwise
Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Origin of the backdoor Roth?
Replies: 40
Views: 6148

Re: Origin of the backdoor Roth?

Something that's always bugged me about the 401k saving mechanism is how so much of it is wholly dependent on the "generosity" of the employer. So the total limit is $58k but I can only put in $19.5k. To me that's just dumb. Make the limit X dollars and whether that's filled by me or my employer should not be of the IRS' concern. Yes the employer contribution is something I (or my union) negotiate but that's oversimplifying the situation most of us are in where the company rate is fixed (and woefully pitiful, usually) and thus really limits how much we can take advantage of a 401k. Maybe in the good old days when +10% employee match was common but these days people are lucky to get a few percent if anything. At least lets all hav...
by poundwise
Fri Sep 17, 2021 8:20 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Origin of the backdoor Roth?
Replies: 40
Views: 6148

Re: Origin of the backdoor Roth?

BolderBoy wrote: Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:34 pm On January 2, 2010 I made my usual, non-deductible tIRA contribution and on January 3, converted the entire tIRA balance to my Roth IRA (was around $100k).
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your story.

How did you have the foresight to have 100K after tax sitting in your tIRA? I recall my account recommending in 2006 or so that I move some after tax money into tIRA each year for the mild benefit of deferred taxes on the gains. So I feel lucky that I started doing that. I don't remember if he had a future conversion in mind or not - I was too inexperienced to have grasped that at the time.
by poundwise
Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:29 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Origin of the backdoor Roth?
Replies: 40
Views: 6148

Re: Origin of the backdoor Roth?

Lee_WSP wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 4:29 pm Before the estate tax exemption increase, family LLC's used to be extremely popular devices. Lots of tax strategies have fallen by the wayside and have cropped up over the hundred or so years since the income tax was introduced.
Very interesting. I suppose family LLCs are still used, but only when estate values are above 25M or so. Or maybe GRATs and IDGTs and such have superseded family LLCs altogether.
by poundwise
Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Origin of the backdoor Roth?
Replies: 40
Views: 6148

Re: Origin of the backdoor Roth?

Duckie wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 3:17 pm They missed it. Congress lifted the income cap on conversions so that a lot of people with high incomes would convert pre-tax IRAs creating higher taxes. That would mean more money for Congress to spend. I doubt they had a clue about the potential loophole. It's not the first time their laws have had unintended consequences. Just consider how 401k plans got started.
This seems so predictable (in hindsight, of course). Why not just allow conversions, but disallow after-tax contributions? What was the point of ever allowing after-tax contributions to traditional IRAs.

Congress should hire a team of "white hat" tax attorneys to identify loopholes before legislation is released.
by poundwise
Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Baxter Securities Litigation
Replies: 4
Views: 716

Re: Baxter Securities Litigation

Thank you. I obviously did not read this documentation deeply enough.

That said, it is still a lot of manual work to go through records and fill all this out. One would think they already have information about the holders of record (that's how they know whom to send the mailings, right?). So this information could be pre-populated so you could just click "OK" instead of spending an hour or two digging through files and typing in forms.

Just a rant. Thanks for correcting my misperception. Moving on!
by poundwise
Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Origin of the backdoor Roth?
Replies: 40
Views: 6148

Origin of the backdoor Roth?

With all of the fascinating discussions and news stories about tax changes, I've been curious about the origins of tax breaks we've come to know and love. Does anyone know who the first person was to recognize the backdoor Roth loophole? And was this intentionally left in by congress, or did they just miss this? This is the earliest reference to the term "backdoor" I was able to find on Bogleheads. This article gives a little bit of detail about how the 2006 Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act introduced the allowance of conversions from traditional to Roth, if I am interpreting correctly, beginning in 2010. So that may have been what triggered the opportunity, and by the time 2010 rolled around everyone was lined up an...
by poundwise
Wed Aug 04, 2021 10:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Baxter Securities Litigation
Replies: 4
Views: 716

Baxter Securities Litigation

I got another one of the dreaded class action securities settlement mailers today for an individual holding I have: Baxter (BAX). Website is baxtersecuritieslitigation.com.

Has anyone read through the fine print on this to see if it is worth filling out the paperwork? Thanks!

Relatedly, how can these lawyers still get away with requiring a paper form to be sent back (you pay for postage) to participate? It seems like an obvious effort to make it as hard as possible for shareholders to participate, so the lawyers get more. Ugh.
by poundwise
Sat Jul 25, 2020 8:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Costco’s Kirkland Signature as a free lunch
Replies: 9
Views: 1586

Re: Costco’s Kirkland Signature as a free lunch

Thanks for sharing!

What I wouldn't give for an special X-Ray machine that tells me what manufacturer actually makes white-label products. Then again, it seems like you can just about always trust Kirkland, so other than curiosity, it might not matter...
by poundwise
Wed Jul 15, 2020 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which household items have made your life easier/more convenient/happier?
Replies: 82
Views: 8645

Re: Which household items have made your life easier/more convenient/happier?

Cherry pitter.

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Cherry ... B008FWD4HQ

Some up front work, but then uninterrupted pit-free cherishing of those delicious fruits. Kind of a metaphor for the Boglehead financial plan, actually.
by poundwise
Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How do I get the best mortgage?
Replies: 32
Views: 5194

Re: How do I get the best mortgage?

I have the exact same question, and am just at the earliest stages of research. This whole thing seems like a really annoying process that involves too much time calling people, investing in understanding fees, hidden and otherwise, etc. Blech.

Has anyone tried better.com? They claim to help cut through the red tape.
by poundwise
Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: etrade money market funds
Replies: 2
Views: 874

Re: etrade money market funds

Thank you so much for this reply. I was excited to see that VMFXX is available and transaction-fee free.

I have now seen your other post with extensive research on etrade vs vanguard. That's a cornucopia of information! Thank you.
by poundwise
Sun Feb 23, 2020 3:15 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Considering switch from Vanguard to eTrade...pros, cons and other input?
Replies: 235
Views: 33800

Re: Considering switch from Vanguard to eTrade...pros, cons and other input?

Thank you much for this detailed research. I am in a very similar boat -- switching a portion of my assets to etrade -- and have greatly benefitted from your research. As someone who will not be using the etrade cash management features, here are the only downsides that mattered to me thus far (both already mentioned in the thread): * Not every Vanguard fund is transaction fee free. Some of the muni funds I would use are $19.99 / trade. * Sweep account earns almost no interest. So if you have any stock/fund where you do not wish to reinvest dividends, you have to pay attention and regularly move to VMFXX. Something I will watch out for this tax season is whether taxes are "easy." I own single-state state muni funds and every year ...
by poundwise
Thu Feb 13, 2020 1:57 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: etrade money market funds
Replies: 2
Views: 874

etrade money market funds

Does anyone know the best way to invest in a reasonable-yielding money market funds at eTrade?

For example, is there an etrade equivalent of Vanguard Prime Money Market https://investor.vanguard.com/mutual-fu ... file/VMMXX? Or do you just have to invest in VMMXX itself, possibly grinning and bearing any purchase fees applied by etrade?

Thanks!
by poundwise
Sun Jan 26, 2020 5:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Engineers - What are you making? ($$$)
Replies: 357
Views: 54072

Re: Engineers - What are you making? ($$$)

Great thread! I wonder how the data here compares with that in Glassdoor, Blind, etc.

Anyone want to compile the responses in the form (comp, engineer type, yrs experience, cost of living) and report back the summary statistics? :)
by poundwise
Tue Dec 24, 2019 11:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Help not being a Scrooge with presents
Replies: 49
Views: 4700

Re: Help not being a Scrooge with presents

I've read it's getting cool for millennials to buy less "stuff" and invest more in "experiences." Great news for the planet. But I agree with OP, and my relatives still are catching up on this one as well.

Check out the "The Deadweight Loss of Christmas" -- a great research paper from ~20 years ago that gets trotted every year on news stories. It calculates the approximate total economic waste of people buying gifts that others don't want. Yes of course there is the sentimental/psychological value that comes from giving gifts. But it's still a good read:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/th ... -christmas
by poundwise
Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "bogleheads" for estates ?
Replies: 32
Views: 3413

Re: "bogleheads" for estates ?

Excellent topic. This could be a great area for a bogleheads wiki entry, provided disclaimers were plastered everywhere.

I haven't bought this book, but love the title:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Die-Without- ... 0312244010
by poundwise
Thu May 09, 2019 9:58 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Final, Definitive Thread on Brokerage Transfer Bonuses
Replies: 7737
Views: 1337623

Re: The Final, Definitive Thread on Brokerage Transfer Bonuses

I secured $7,000 in bonuses in 7 days. I'm very happy. 1. Yesterday, Fidelity granted me a $3,000 retention bonus. Here's how I did it: I went into the local Fidelity office and set an appointment with my advisor. (Only the second time in 20 years I've met with the assigned rep). I shared that I was seriously considering going to E-Trade for a $3,000 bonus and wanted to give him an opportunity to retain me as a client if he so desired. He immediately went to work with a district manager, and then all the way up to a regional vice president. It took about one and a half days for Fidelity to approve it, but it was well worth a few minutes of my time. This was for a $1 million account. My tip is to make it personal by reaching out to your ass...
by poundwise
Sat Jan 26, 2019 2:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What frugal thing did you do today?
Replies: 4524
Views: 617317

Re: What frugal thing did you do today?

When I occasionally splurge and buy a coffee shop latte, I sometimes bring my own cocoa in a small tupperware to make it a mocha. Not worth the extra 75 cents they charge for a couple squirts of chocolate. Not many people in life would get this, but perhaps some Bogleheads might...
by poundwise
Sat Jan 26, 2019 2:12 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: John Bogle has died at age 89
Replies: 856
Views: 81278

Re: John Bogle has died at age 89

Something I reflect on is how much mental relief Jack Bogle has saved me, and I am sure countless others. Yes, there is absolutely the mental relief of having enough money to not have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck -- that is enormous and he has helped with that for so many. But there is also the mental relief of knowing that within the infinitely complex financial world of investing/saving/banking/stocks/bonds where almost no one is to be trusted, there is a simple approach that will do just fine. Better than fine, as we know.

Thank you, Mr Bogle, for protecting this time and mental energy, and for letting us dedicate it to more important matters in life.
by poundwise
Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:26 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: invest in sears bond maturing next week 10/15 , trading at 58c on the $
Replies: 18
Views: 3050

Re: invest in sears bond maturing next week 10/15 , trading at 58c on the $

OP: while this is a decidedly un-Bogley move, would you mind sharing your process for the edification of others?

Where do you buy and sell these bonds?
How much are the trading fees?
How do you check the market price?
How much is the spread? (And do you care about this when trading?)
by poundwise
Wed May 16, 2018 5:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any experience with Blue Apron?
Replies: 34
Views: 4555

Re: Any experience with Blue Apron?

I’ve been using Blue Apron about once a month for the last 6 months, albeit with extreme guilt. As others have alluded, the amount of packaging waste generated is astronomical. The biggest culprits are the bags of frozen gel and the giant thermal blanket that is wrapped around everything. To the best of my knowledge, neither of these are biodegradable or recyclable. Not to mention the plastic bags in which each item is individually wrapped (including, say, a sprig of rosemary). I believe blue apron allows you to ship the box and the packaging back free, but it’s not clear what they do with the materials, and the mere cost of shipping such a heavy waste item already feels environmentally dubious. It’s convenient, time-saving, tasty, and fun....
by poundwise
Tue May 08, 2018 6:56 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: WSJ--Fidelity Employees Fired After Alleged Misuse of Reimbursement Programs
Replies: 51
Views: 9577

Re: WSJ--Fidelity Employees Fired After Alleged Misuse of Reimbursement Programs

Employee theft is a big deal. I wouldn't be surprised if the true cost were much higher than the number quoted in the article below.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/12/workpla ... -year.html
by poundwise
Thu Mar 29, 2018 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fitbit One alternative? (simple clip pedometer)
Replies: 9
Views: 5023

Re: Fitbit One alternative? (simple clip pedometer)

What a great list -- thank you, Mudpuppy! I will check these out. Interesting that so many of these clips don't have a display to show the number of steps. I'm realizing now that I am a bit pickier than I thought.

Also, I just noticed that Fitbit is still selling its One device on Amazon...for $259! I can imagine third parties gouging users for a discontinued item, but I wouldn't have expected Fitbit to gouge this way. I'm all for the laws of supply and demand, but this doesn't feel cool.

https://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Wireless- ... B0095PZHPE
by poundwise
Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fitbit One alternative? (simple clip pedometer)
Replies: 9
Views: 5023

Re: Fitbit One alternative? (simple clip pedometer)

I realize the phone has some great apps, but I prefer not to take it along when I am walking or jogging.

@travelgeek: firmware aside, thanks for the commentary on the Zip. I might go with that if nothing else surfaces.

There are many lesser known pedometers listed for sale on amazon in the 10-15 dollar range, but it’s hard to tell if any of these offer the ‘basic’ functionality of saving your step count and letting you check it on your phone or online.
by poundwise
Thu Mar 29, 2018 1:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fitbit One alternative? (simple clip pedometer)
Replies: 9
Views: 5023

Fitbit One alternative? (simple clip pedometer)

TL;DR: Anyone have a recommendation for an alternative to the recently discontinued Fitbit One, Fitbit's "clip" product?

I was sad to see that Fitbit discontinued the One. I loved that it was a slim, simple pedometer that you could clip in your pocket, and that it synched with your phone app so you can see your steps over time. I'm not interested in the wrist models that seem to dominate the market these days.

Fitbit still makes the Zip ($60, but very bulky) and the Alta ($99, need to remove the electronic component from the band and buy a separate clip), but there has to be some thing simpler and cheaper out there... right? Suggestions welcome - thank you!
by poundwise
Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:57 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Fewer acronyms please
Replies: 119
Views: 18767

Re: Fewer acronyms please

Every company I have worked for has had its own set of acronyms. Some were unique to the company, while others were more universal.

The solution? An acronym guide. Company newbies were given the link during orientation.

For Bogleheads, maybe a wiki page is in order. It could include both finance acronyms (e.g., HELOC) and general internetz acronyms (e.g., YMMV).

And if not, of course there is always LMGTFY (http://bfy.tw/GNkj).
by poundwise
Sun Jan 21, 2018 1:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Save all this money, what do you splurge on?
Replies: 193
Views: 24200

Re: Save all this money, what do you splurge on?

Here is what I should splurge on but can't bring myself to due to my Boglehead ways: the delicious-smelling, $29.99 / pound cheese in the artisanal cheese section of Whole Foods.
by poundwise
Sat Jan 06, 2018 8:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much are you putting in a 529?
Replies: 111
Views: 17097

Re: How much are you putting in a 529?

I "superfunded" the 529 for each of our two very young children, dropping 5 times the annual gift contribution into Vanguard's aggressive growth portfolio at their births. Each stands at around 100K now. My logic was similar to that of 18_bank_accounts, I think. The way I see it: - we had the funds available in taxable (sitting as dry powder) - we were maxed out on all other tax-deferred options - there is little likelihood we will need the cash ourselves (we live below our means; hopefully we always will) - our kids may go to private universities, who knows - our kids may go to graduate school - we may want additional degrees ourselves in retirement. for me, that would be a fun retirement. - if we have extra, I'll give it to gran...
by poundwise
Sun Dec 31, 2017 11:57 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Muni Money Market funds starting to look good!
Replies: 139
Views: 34372

Re: Muni Money Market funds starting to look good!

I just acted on the higher muni MM yields, moving my "dry powder" from VUSXX (treasury money market) to VCTXX (California muni money market). I've used VUSXX as my money market fund since 2009-10, when it gave me moderate comfort about "end of the financial world" scenarios. Now that yields are finally rising, it seemed like time to take a bit more risk. From what I've read, the risks of VCTXX vs VUSXX are 1) higher default risk 2) the recent laws limiting redemptions/liquidity from which VUSXX is exempt. I have no way to assess 1 and can't see 2 being pivotal for me, so I am just rolling the dice to take the higher effective yield of VCTXX. But I'm no expert, so if anyone sees flaws with this logic, I would greatly valu...
by poundwise
Mon Dec 11, 2017 1:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bitcoin IRA
Replies: 28
Views: 3833

Re: Bitcoin IRA

This thread quickly turned into a replica of the dozens of others about whether Bitcoin is a bubble. While all the caveats and basic lessons about putting money into Bitcoin are appropriate, the OP's title raises a good question: If one does want to want to damn the torpedoes and invest tax-deferred money into bitcoin, what is the best way to do it? A little Googling suggests one way to do this is to set up a "self-directed IRA." Apparently this allows you to invest in a variety of unusual assets, including Bitcoin (and real estate). Some IRA custodians appear to work directly with the Bitcoin Investment Trust, the vehicle underlying GBTC, making that one route to gain IRA exposure to BTC. Google search results are heavily investe...
by poundwise
Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Reduces 529 Fees
Replies: 10
Views: 2086

Re: Vanguard Reduces 529 Fees

Thanks for the dissection of these fees, Spirit Rider. I noticed that Vanguard was careful to break out the .04 underlying fund expense from the .12 program management fees, but where that .12 went was still a mystery. It sounds like getting the program fees to drop is not totally in Vanguard's control as long as it is tied up with Nevada in this deal.

Here's an idea: maybe Vanguard could do an "Amazon headquarters style" request for state partners who will offer the lowest program fee. The winner could well make up for low fees by getting all the volume Vanguard could bring to the table.
by poundwise
Sat Nov 11, 2017 7:45 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Reduces 529 Fees
Replies: 10
Views: 2086

Re: Vanguard Reduces 529 Fees

Huh? Vanguard is a for-profit brokerage and they are currently losing a price war to other fund providers who have been announcing their lower fees left and right. As for their 529 plan - they don't even offer the cheapest way to access Vanguard funds in a 529. Good call -- Indeed Vanguard is also a for-profit brokerage, though they treat profit differently. Per their website: "At Vanguard, there are no outside owners, and therefore, no conflicting loyalties. The company is owned by its funds, which in turn are owned by their shareholders—including you, if you're a Vanguard fund investor. Our unique client-owned structure allows us to return profits to our fund shareholders in the form of lower expenses. Low costs help our clients kee...
by poundwise
Sat Nov 11, 2017 6:24 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard Reduces 529 Fees
Replies: 10
Views: 2086

Vanguard Reduces 529 Fees

I was pleased to receive an email a few days ago indicating Vanguard reduced fees on most of its 529 plan funds, with the lowest expense ratio dropping from .17% to .16%. Here's the document they referenced:

https://personal.vanguard.com/pdf/529progdesc.pdf

Even though it is still frustrating that Vanguard's 529 plan has such high ERs (compared to the ERs for funds in individual accounts), it is a great reminder of why I love Vanguard: they typically lower fees and notify you, vs other companies that raise fees and do their best to avoid giving notice (cable cos., phone cos., for-profit brokerages). Here's to hoping Vanguard can keep those 529 fees heading south!
by poundwise
Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Buy when there's blood in the streets!
Replies: 39
Views: 8483

Re: Buy when there's blood in the streets!

I've been waiting for "blood in the streets" since I missed buying during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Moral of the story: don't wait that long.*

*I did buy in 2008/9, but not enough, as I was waiting for more blood.
by poundwise
Mon Oct 09, 2017 5:19 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Final, Definitive Thread on Brokerage Transfer Bonuses
Replies: 7737
Views: 1337623

Re: The Final, Definitive Thread on Brokerage Transfer Bonuses

From the comments, it looks like in many cases brokerages are willing to offer bonuses beyond those that are publicly listed. Has anyone managed to get a bonus beyond the "$2500 for 1M," which is where public offers typically max out?
by poundwise
Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:42 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Anyone following the latest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency news?
Replies: 25
Views: 9312

Re: Anyone following the latest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency news?

Wow, in the three months since I started this thread, there has been a world of change in the crypto-world: * Bitcoin hitting an all time high this week of over $1600, with a market cap breaking $25B. -> A Bitcoin now sits at ~$2700, with a market cap of $44B. * Many alternative currencies surging as well, including one (Ethereum) that reached a market cap of almost $9B. -> Ethereum is up to a market cap of $21B, and the total crypto-cap is ~$100B * A vituperative debate over which technology will allow Bitcoin (or other currencies) to scale, largely pitting "miners" against most of the rest of the Bitcoin ecosystem. -> These two camps finally parted ways yesterday, and Bitcoin has split into two (Bitcoin vs Bitcoin cash). Each ho...
by poundwise
Sat May 06, 2017 1:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Anyone following the latest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency news?
Replies: 25
Views: 9312

Anyone following the latest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency news?

I would love to hear the (sobering) Boglehead perspective on the latest in the fascinating world of cryptocurrency. So many developments: * Bitcoin hitting an all time high this week of over $1600, with a market cap breaking $25B. * Many alternative currencies surging as well, including one (Ethereum) that reached a market cap of almost $9B. * A vituperative debate over which technology will allow Bitcoin (or other currencies) to scale, largely pitting "miners" against most of the rest of the Bitcoin ecosystem. * Actual payments using Bitcoin climbing steadily . It's a hobby of mine to follow this. I personally think that in the long term some form of electronic currency will play a critical role in the global monetary ecosystem, ...
by poundwise
Sun Feb 19, 2017 2:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tesla Model X Review, 2 Months In
Replies: 42
Views: 8106

Re: Tesla Model X 2 Months Review

Thank you Cannondale and others for taking the time to give this information to the community. The Model X has long been my car crush, but I haven't been in a position to buy one.

These issues do sound annoying, but also sound mostly solvable with better QA. I want to thank you and other early adopters for giving detailed feedback that the next wave of purchasers -- and hopefully Tesla! -- can use. And of course the more folks willing to make this leap, the better the economics for the company and future purchasers such as myself.
by poundwise
Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:13 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bogle worried Vanguard is getting too big
Replies: 68
Views: 19971

Re: Bogle worried Vanguard is getting too big

There's also this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_ ... educe.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/opini ... n-pop.html

The argument is that the concentration in the mutual fund industry can lead to anti-competitive outcomes in the underlying businesses. When I first saw this, I thought -- no way, Vanguard is a passive investor. But per the NYT article: "Vanguard states on its website, 'We believe that our active engagement demonstrates that passive investors don’t need to be passive owners.'"

Not sure if this is one of Bogle's worries, but regulators are keeping watch.
by poundwise
Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:04 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Capital Gains and Unwanted Mergers (BAXALTA / SHIRE)
Replies: 4
Views: 971

Re: Capital Gains and Unwanted Mergers (BAXALTA / SHIRE)

Drifting Along wrote:Same thing happened to us this year when Johnson Controls merged with Tyco. The M&A guys did some kind of back flip with a double twist deal that landed the JCI shareholders (us) with cash and something still called Johnson Controls (same ticker as before) but treated for tax purposes as a sale of all shares.
By some odd coincidence of the Boglehead gods, I also hold JCI. This was in another account, and I hadn't realized it generated gains. In that account I had some losers I could TLH. D.A., I owe you a beer. You (and Bogleheads) just saved me real $$.
by poundwise
Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:19 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Capital Gains and Unwanted Mergers (BAXALTA / SHIRE)
Replies: 4
Views: 971

Capital Gains and Unwanted Mergers (BAXALTA / SHIRE)

Hi all: I am a Boglehead, but have some residual individual stocks from before I saw the light. One of these was BAXALTA, which in 2016 merged with a company called SHIRE. I am trying to figure out the capital gain situation. In exchange for each BAXALTA share, I received some cash and a fraction of a SHIRE share. From what I see in my Vanguard Brokerage account and from what I have read online, it appears to me that for tax purposes it is as if all my BAXALTA stock was effectively sold and then SHIRE shares were purchased. This is depressing, since that means it triggered a large, unwanted capital gain. I have three questions -- two specific, and one more general: 1) Am I correctly understanding the tax treatment? (Suck it up and pay taxes...