Search found 329 matches
- Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:08 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: VTMFX in taxable - who has it and what do you use it for?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 269
Re: VTMFX in taxable - who has it and what do you use it for?
4 paragraphs but not enough time to spell out what fund it is
- Wed Feb 24, 2021 3:59 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Qualified Charitable Distributions
- Replies: 17
- Views: 607
Re: Qualified Charitable Distributions
Also, you must have the same type of acknowledgment of your contribution that you would need to claim a deduction for a charitable contribution. The above wording is from IRS pub 590. To me, this means you just need an acknowlegment that the charity received your "contribution". Whether or...
- Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Sequence of RMD withdrawal from our IRA account
- Replies: 11
- Views: 934
Re: Sequence of RMD withdrawal from our IRA account
Otherwise, your only timing requirements are to complete all intended QCDs before you complete your RMD, and complete your RMD before you convert additional amounts. To clarify, it is **NOT** a requirement that a QCD is part of the RMD. It can be withdrawn as part/all of the RMD or after the RMD ha...
- Mon Feb 22, 2021 6:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Sequence of RMD withdrawal from our IRA account
- Replies: 11
- Views: 934
Re: Sequence of RMD withdrawal from our IRA account
Otherwise, your only timing requirements are to complete all intended QCDs before you complete your RMD, and complete your RMD before you convert additional amounts. To clarify, it is **NOT** a requirement that a QCD is part of the RMD. It can be withdrawn as part/all of the RMD or after the RMD ha...
- Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Costco vs. Fidelity credit card for Costco purchases
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2030
Re: Costco vs. Fidelity credit card for Costco purchases
When buying durable goods like electronics or furniture at Costco, where the credit card extended warranty is important to me, should I use my Costco Visa credit card or Fidelity Visa credit card? I may be wrong, but I think both cards offer the same warranty benefits. I also think they both give 2...
- Mon Feb 15, 2021 6:16 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Can Qualified Charitable Distributions be automated?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 751
Re: Can QCDs be automated?
Why are certain acronyms accepted but not - what are really unambiguously universal - ticker symbols, which are frowned upon? For reference, in my line of duty, a QCD is a Quit Claim Deed. And I don't think that has anything to do with your question :oops: How often does a client ask you about auto...
- Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Needing input - Thinking to move back to TX after my move to CA
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2304
Re: Needing input - Thinking to move back to TX after my move to CA
Are you renting or do you own a home in San Diego? Do you have an IT job that easily supports work from home, or do you have a specialty that often requires working on-site (yes there are some)? While 1%ers with millions or tens of millions in unrealized capital gains do well to move to TX, for peo...
- Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Thoughts on Fidelity Zero Extended Market Index
- Replies: 27
- Views: 1887
Re: Thoughts on Fidelity Zero Extended Market Index
Upon opening my Roth IRA at Fidelity one of my first purchases was their Zero Extended Market Index (FZIPX). After purchasing I looked into the number of holdings in the index and it is 1928. Then I looked at the non Zero Extended Market Index (FSMAX) and it has 3218 holdings. That lead me to think...
- Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Thoughts on Fidelity Zero Extended Market Index
- Replies: 27
- Views: 1887
Re: Thoughts on Fidelity Zero Extended Market Index
I hold FZROX (Fidelity zero fee Total Market Index Fund) as my sole Fidelity HSA fund and it has 2442 holdings. It's likely the tracking error is minimal, and keep in mind tracking error can be positive as well as negative. At some point the ER vs the equivalent Fidelity fee fund is likely larger t...
- Sun Feb 14, 2021 5:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Needing input - Thinking to move back to TX after my move to CA
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2304
Re: Needing input - Thinking to move back to TX after my move to CA
As someone who has lived in both states also, you basically nailed it when you said living in California "is freaking expensive compared to Texas". That is no joke.
- Sat Feb 13, 2021 5:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Does Anyone Confirm Dividend Amounts?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2422
Re: Does Anyone Confirm Dividend Amounts?
Not only don't I confirm dividend amounts, but I never thought of doing so. On the other hand, I do check each item in my monthly credit card bill, which many people probably don't do. Over the course of many years, I think I only found one or two errors. I am like this too. However, I have actuall...
- Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Does Anyone Confirm Dividend Amounts?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2422
Re: Does Anyone Confirm Dividend Amounts?
LOL! Very true. Anyone who has tens of thousands of posts on ANY message board (not just Bogleheads) would fall into the "too much time on their hands" category.dukeblue219 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 9:55 pm No, but I'm certain someone here has. Some BHers have way too much time on their hands![]()

- Thu Feb 11, 2021 1:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Vanguard no longer providing a Foreign Tax Paid statement
- Replies: 80
- Views: 6762
Re: Vanguard no longer providing a Foreign Tax Paid statement
Has anyone been able to recreate the information that used to be on the Foreign Tax Paid statement? Here (and subsequent posts) from earlier today. Also here , although that thread is more distress and less calculation. Thank you. I replied there and pointed out that "You also need Foreign Inc...
- Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum
- Replies: 47
- Views: 4012
Re: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum
I just got hit with my AF for the CSR and they aren't giving me a retention offer. So I'm debating whether to keep this card. I just had my second child so between that and COVID I don't know how much flying I'll be doing this year before December. Is it worth keeping the CSR? Seems that the Amex P...
- Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:23 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum
- Replies: 47
- Views: 4012
Re: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Amex Platinum
I just got hit with my AF for the CSR and they aren't giving me a retention offer. So I'm debating whether to keep this card. I just had my second child so between that and COVID I don't know how much flying I'll be doing this year before December. Is it worth keeping the CSR? Seems that the Amex P...
- Sat Feb 06, 2021 5:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Completely Roth in retirement?
- Replies: 59
- Views: 4752
Re: Completely Roth in retirement?
This would be an utterly ridiculous plan. However, given that the general BH advice is so overwhelmingly slanted toward pushing people to convert to Roth even when it makes no sense at all, I can easily see why some newbies on this board would be driven to such a foolish decision.
- Sat Feb 06, 2021 10:15 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 3330
Re: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
If the couple chooses to have both spouses delay, and then one spouse dies early, sure, that deceased spouse will no longer care that they could have received some benefits. But the surviving spouse might care. His or her circumstances might be meaningfully improved by having that additional money....
- Fri Feb 05, 2021 7:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Move to a shorter-term bond fund ?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1770
Re: Move to a shorter-term bond fund ?
As always, if you think you have picked a perfect time to get out of something then you first need to think about how you will decide when to get back into it.
- Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Waiting Till Age 70 to Draw SS
- Replies: 129
- Views: 9302
Re: Waiting Till Age 70 to Draw SS
You didn't explain it well enough.
- Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:07 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 3330
Re: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
You could continue to search for new calculators and ask for advice on additional finance message boards. Then you could assemble and assimilate that information, come to grips with the nuances, wrestle with and resolve all the inconsistencies, and ultimately gel on a solid plan. That will probably ...
- Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:26 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 3330
Re: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
jhawktx You are correct - it suggests my wife take hers right now, which was the same answer given to me a year ago. And wait until age 70 for mine. Steve Perfect. You said above you wanted to avoid doing something foolish. From this point forward, every month you delay signing your wife up for SS ...
- Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:06 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 3330
Re: Taking Social Security early to pay for IRMAA?
Use the great and free tool at opensocialsecurity.com to get the best strategy. My situation is not too different from yours and it tell me to wait until 70, but have my wife claim at 65 and 3 months. Since your benefit is larger, it will continue even after the first one of you passes, whereas the...
- Wed Feb 03, 2021 7:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Medicare
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1422
Re: Medicare
Well, maybe. More likely it will change significantly so I'd recheck current info. closer to that date.KneePartsPro wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:21 am Thank you for posting this. While I am nowhere near Medicare age, I very much hope to be one day and at that point this information will come in handy.![]()
- Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:03 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: [GameStop GME trading mega-thread]
- Replies: 4013
- Views: 191673
Re: [GameStop GME trading mega-thread]
Things are going backwards today on the way to the moon.
EMG$
OG
!RRRB
EMG$
OG
!RRRB
- Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:03 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: [GameStop GME trading mega-thread]
- Replies: 4013
- Views: 191673
Re: [GameStop GME trading mega-thread]
Possibly a very dumb question: but wouldn't it be possible for a hedge fund to.... hedge its bets by shorting GME now? It's still a gamble just as shorting always is, but they'd have a much better idea of when the bubble will pop. Absolutely, and It think that is how it ends. The robinhood crowd, s...
- Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:49 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Rebalancing into stocks when they fall is unrealistic
- Replies: 160
- Views: 14932
Re: Rebalancing into stocks when they fall is unrealistic
Hopefully by now the OP has reaized that rebalancing by putting money into stocks at the March llow would have paid off in a big way. If you are nervous about buying stocks when they fall then your asset allocation is set improperly.
- Mon Jan 25, 2021 10:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How much tax burden is too much?
- Replies: 64
- Views: 4625
Re: How much tax burden is too much?
We live 8n Texas with no state income tax but ridiculous property taxes. To me, property taxes here are the gift that keeps on taking, so Even with no taxable income you can be in real hurt. We recently bailed on a new house construction due to the tax implications. With 5 to 6 years to go before r...
- Mon Jan 25, 2021 7:32 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why isn't every indexer investing in small cap value index funds?
- Replies: 372
- Views: 33591
Re: Why isn't every indexer investing in small cap value index funds?
Speaking of apples and oranges, I don't understand why people in this thread keep comparing the RETURNS of SCV and TSM with no mention of the additional risk of SCV. Risk adjusted return is the only valid comparison of the two. So-called “risk-adjusted” returns are - at best - only valid when compa...
- Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:44 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why isn't every indexer investing in small cap value index funds?
- Replies: 372
- Views: 33591
Re: Why isn't every indexer investing in small cap value index funds?
I do have small growth value within total stock market. I've never understood why people say things like this it's redundant at best. We are talking about *tilting* you are not tilting you simply own a index - apples and oranges. If you look at the title of the thread, it's a reasonable response. E...
- Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Buying before Selling Existing Home
- Replies: 33
- Views: 2573
Re: Buying before Selling Existing Home
I mean, if the OP is willing to lower the price then more reason to just buy a new place, move, then sell the existing home. I don't understand the suggestion to rent a place, move, buy/sell a house then move again. The only situation that that makes sense is when the OP wants to become a renter, n...
- Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:07 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Cost of owning older vehicle
- Replies: 38
- Views: 3276
Re: Cost of owning older vehicle
However it got me wondering, on an older vehicle that you bought cheap...when is the cost at a point where it is better off purchasing another vehicle? Here is how I look at it. You will have operating costs like gas, insurance, tires, routine maintenance, etc with any car. Those are important but ...
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 7:22 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Kitces article on lower prob of retirement success ok
- Replies: 75
- Views: 7445
Re: Kitces article on lower prob of retirement success ok
Kitces articles are always an absolute must read. Extremely valuable advice and analysis. If you read, understand, and follow the learnings from Kitces you could save many, many thousands of dollars in your portfolio over a lifetime. [Disrespectful comment removed by moderator oldcomputerguy]
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Check my Zero ER Portfolio
- Replies: 42
- Views: 2701
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Check my Zero ER Portfolio
- Replies: 42
- Views: 2701
Re: Check my Zero ER Portfolio
You may wish to carefully compare returns of the Fidelity Zero funds with the comparable Vanguard funds and/or the correlated benchmarks. While past returns are no guarantee of future performance, if I am not mistaken, most if not all of the Fidelity Zero funds have lagged the Vanguard equivalents ...
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Check my Zero ER Portfolio
- Replies: 42
- Views: 2701
Re: Check my Zero ER Portfolio
Those Fidelity Zero funds are ones I have been watching. They are relatively new. The last time I checked, even though the Fidelity funds have an ER of zero they had a smaller total return than the equivalent (non-zero ER) Vanguard funds. The time period so far for comparison is short but I wouldn't...
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:57 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: "Key Social Security changes you should know about in 2021"
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1169
Re: "Key Social Security changes you should know about in 2021"
The full retirement age part of this article makes no sense to me. FRA is based on your birth year, not the current year.
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:46 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Is there a forum for people with first world problems.
- Replies: 77
- Views: 3737
Re: Is there a forum for people with first world problems.
Basically, 98% of the threads on this board are first world problems.
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:23 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Value and Momentum and Investment Anomalies
- Replies: 6
- Views: 611
Re: Value and Momentum and Investment Anomalies
I can't believe the guy who wrote The Incredible Shrinking Alpha is posting on alpha architect.com. I also can't believe people are still posting his articles here. OMG, there are groupies on here that follow his every word. I keep waiting for the almighty one to write a book claiming SCV is alive ...
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 2:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Quirk in the transition away from spousal benefits?
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1056
Re: Quirk in the transition away from spousal benefits?
Well, yeah, at this point there is no need to look at it (for you) since you already know the actual amount.
For anyone else that used the estimator prior (like, say, 1-18 months prior) to starting receiving SS benefits, did the estimator turn out to be pretty accurate?
For anyone else that used the estimator prior (like, say, 1-18 months prior) to starting receiving SS benefits, did the estimator turn out to be pretty accurate?
- Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:38 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Quirk in the transition away from spousal benefits?
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1056
Re: Quirk in the transition away from spousal benefits?
So you've never in the past gone to ssa.gov and used the retirement estimator?
- Thu Jan 07, 2021 6:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Quirk in the transition away from spousal benefits?
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1056
Re: Quirk in the transition away from spousal benefits?
I transitioned from spousal benefits on my wife's record and got my first benefit payment on December 9, 2020. My payment was the exact amount that they told me I would receive in a letter (Pub 05-10077) announcing the transition. This seems odd because there is apparently no deduction for my Decem...
- Thu Jan 07, 2021 5:30 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Which are best recommended Boglehead small-cap value indices? Is it worth to tilt to small cap value?
- Replies: 80
- Views: 4923
Re: Which are best recommended Boglehead small-cap value indices? Is it worth to tilt to small cap value?
Mr. Bogle's advice was against making "factor" bets or tilts, and believed simply holding a low-cost broad-market index fund a better way for most people to invest. http://johncbogle.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/WSJ%20op-ed.pdf So the studies that prove low cap factor and valu...
- Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:11 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2018
Re: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
Ok in that case. Although if you ever have a year with high medical bills you will wish you had $ in 401k to cover the extra itemized deductions.
- Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:40 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2018
Re: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
"This really helped me better understand your points. And now has me thinking about my Roth conversion plan. I was hell bent on getting everything converted prior to SS @ 70." Yes, converting everything would be a HUGE mistake. But again, this board is so over the top with pushing people t...
- Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:17 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2018
Re: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
You are making things more difficult than they are. It's simple. Over the long term which has a higher expected return, stocks or bonds? Stocks, right. Ok, now if you get your choice as to which account you want to increase the most on a % basis over the long term, which would you pick tIRA (which ...
- Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:51 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Why do car salesman want to talk to me?
- Replies: 63
- Views: 6700
Re: Why do car salesman want to talk to me?
What do they hope to gain?? A car sale.
- Wed Jan 06, 2021 10:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: PSA: Walmart gift card fraudulently drained
- Replies: 29
- Views: 2686
Re: PSA: Walmart gift card fraudulently drained
I wonder though, how can someone prove that it wasn't themselves or wasn't the gift card recipient that wasn't actually using the gift card? Seems kind of hard to prove, doesn't it just come down to your word against theirs, so to speak? OP, how did you prove it wasn't you or someone you gave the c...
- Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: PSA: Walmart gift card fraudulently drained
- Replies: 29
- Views: 2686
Re: PSA: Walmart gift card fraudulently drained
I don't understand. Unless the supposed thief did a really professional job of replacing the strip it seems like you would have noticed it had been tampered with.
- Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:39 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2018
Re: Managing Roth conversions for future market risk
You are making things more difficult than they are. It's simple. Over the long term which has a higher expected return, stocks or bonds? Stocks, right. Ok, now if you get your choice as to which account you want to increase the most on a % basis over the long term, which would you pick tIRA (which w...
- Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:16 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why 5-10% rebalancing bands?
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1063
Re: Why 5-10% rebalancing bands?
Rebalancing in tIRA and Roth is essentially free. Rebalance there as much or as little as you like.