Search found 650 matches

by NHRATA01
Wed Mar 13, 2024 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Given Haiti Situation, is Dominican Republic safe?
Replies: 49
Views: 25091

Re: Given Haiti Situation, is Dominican Republic safe?

ichee_marone wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:59 pm
nisiprius wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:47 pm Would you have been afraid to vacation in Florida during the Cuban Revolution?
No, but father's are sometimes are overprotective :wink:
Understood as the father of a HS aged daughter, and one who went on a college spring break 23 years ago, my opinion is she has far more to be aware/concerned about from fellow spring breakers under the influence of various substances than political unrest in an adjoining country. Much like Mexico with Cancun and such, the DR is highly motivated to keep its tourist destinations well protected and insulated from outside issues.
by NHRATA01
Fri Mar 08, 2024 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity advice
Replies: 67
Views: 8018

Re: Fidelity advice

Zoom call seems surprising to be a scam as you can see faces, but yes I would certainly attempt to verify the identities. My skepticism would be based on the 11% guarantee of return as well as a "VP" being on a call with you, but maybe Fido makes anyone a VP? I will say this regarding Fidelity's solicitations - I've had an old 401K and BDA with them for a number of years and always found them to be good, but left me alone with regards to soliciting for the most part. With a recent employment change I have a new 403B with them, plus I migrated over to Fido a second former 401K as well as an HSA. My investments there just breached the 2 comma level. Within the past month I have now gotten 2 voicemails and 3 emails from a regional Fi...
by NHRATA01
Mon Aug 28, 2023 8:23 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Thoughts on real estate as the 4th fund
Replies: 46
Views: 7086

Re: Thoughts on real estate as the 4th fund

I believe Bernstein has backed off his reit enthusiasm. I'm only part way through his updated book, but he seems to only recommend total stock market funds, short term government bonds, and small value if you want to do any tilting. I used to have a dedicated reit allocation, but Swedroes highlighting of the research showing that a reit allocation can be mostly beaten by a combo of corporate bonds and small value led me to drop them for simplicity. This thread is kind of timely as I've been thinking about REITs lately too. I have a 10% REIT allocation of my overall equities portion (80/20 stock to bond) in my retirement portfolio. Coincidentally the onset of the Great Recession and real estate crash in '08 lines up with roughly the beginni...
by NHRATA01
Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Calling all Boglehead car mechanics
Replies: 37
Views: 3594

Re: Calling all Boglehead car mechanics

If it's running poorly once at operating temp, it could point to an O2 or MAF sensor failure. O2 sensors are technically consumable parts and become slow responding with age. Mass air sensors build up grime on the resistor wires and then become inaccurate. I'm not a mechanic, but drive old cars and sometimes fix them myself. These were the first two things that came to mind. JT I'm not a mechanic either. But wouldn't a bad O2 or MAF sensor throw off a code? Francis Yes, they both will typically (not 100% of the time though) throw codes if they are causing the car to run that poorly - at the time of the reply it wasn't clear what codes the car was throwing. I would probably not bother with the Nissan dealer. 1) they will most certainly char...
by NHRATA01
Thu Aug 24, 2023 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Calling all Boglehead car mechanics
Replies: 37
Views: 3594

Re: Calling all Boglehead car mechanics

Flashing CEL is usually indicative of a continuous missfire. Knowing the codes would definitely help, OBD2 is pretty universal covering '96+, yes newer vehicles have many more specific codes, but even older OBD2 codes should point to something like a fuel injector open, or Mass Airflow, O2, Manifold Air Pressure sensors out of range or open (failed). If the car runs normally at cold start, it's in open loop and not using O2 sensor readings in controlling the fuel delivery, since O2s need to warm up to read properly. Once they do, the car is in closed loop. If it's running poorly once at operating temp, it could point to an O2 or MAF sensor failure. O2 sensors are technically consumable parts and become slow responding with age. Mass air sen...
by NHRATA01
Wed Aug 09, 2023 8:28 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Life Insurance for child
Replies: 64
Views: 6071

Re: Life Insurance for child

Thank you for those offering constructive advice. It's unfortunate that at times your questions cause mockery and unhelpful comments. I have been researching this topic and reading upon how to use Life Insurance as an investment product and how to use as tax advantageous vanue. I've read several books on this topic and am looking for people who have used Life insurance to build wealth it to gain more understanding on it. -https://www.amazon.com/Top-10-Ways-Avoid-Taxes/dp/B08848PHVW/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=mark+quann&qid=1691539420&sprefix=mark+quan%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-2 -Money. Wealth. Life Insurance.: How the Wealthy Use Life Insurance as a Tax-Free Personal Bank to Supercharge Their Savings by Jake Thompson So, if you don't have any...
by NHRATA01
Thu Jul 27, 2023 1:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Anyone Noticing Kids Getting Addicted to CashApp Trading
Replies: 74
Views: 7835

Re: Anyone Noticing Kids Getting Addicted to CashApp Trading

AerialWombat wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 10:28 pm Had to do a Lycos search to learn what this CashApp thing is.
I apologize for finding that sentence far too ironically hilarious. :D
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home Gym Flooring
Replies: 11
Views: 1181

Re: Home Gym Flooring

RJC wrote: Mon Jul 24, 2023 12:03 pm Thanks to you both. Apparently there is a Tractor Supply near my home (DC/MD/VA area).

Just place the mats over a concrete floor? No glue?
Yeah definitely no glue, they won't move. They are deceptively heavy! 2 people to move them and I think the best way is to fold it over the short length.

Though if you are going to do barbell (or dumbell) work that would entail regular drops like oly lifting or deadifts I would probably at least double up in an area specific for those lifts, or even better just build a basic platform with some plywood and additional matting to give the slab some extra protection.
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 17, 2023 12:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Teenager car
Replies: 102
Views: 7987

Re: Teenager car

HanSolo wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 10:57 am
The post you quoted (and the chain of posts before that) clarified that I wasn't talking about tire pressure (it was just an off-the-cuff response to my middle-aged friend; see above for his actual comment, which is the salient point here, in case you're interested to know that).

Of course, sometimes semantic and non-salient commentary is fun too, so thanks!
I understand the point and was making a counterpoint - while it's a generational rite of passage for old folks to complain about "young kids today" viewed through the lens of years past, it's just worth remember those young folks also have capabilities (which often are more applicable to navigating modern society) that the old folks don't. :beer
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 17, 2023 8:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Teenager car
Replies: 102
Views: 7987

Re: Teenager car

It seems to be off-topic, but since it's important enough to you to pursue, then here's the story (in my recollection): Middle-aged guy: "I've been noticing that younger people aren't interested in learning how to take care of their own car." Me: "Wow, I mean, like, if they can't even check the tire pressure on their own car, that's insane." Middle-aged guy: "Yeah, that's about right." I thought it was on-topic, but I don't think the semantic issues are. While younger people shake their head in disgust as middle aged people love to answer what are obvious password mining questions on social media like "Let's all post who our third grade teacher was and tell warm anecdotes about the person!" A TPMS ha...
by NHRATA01
Fri Jul 14, 2023 11:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Teenager car
Replies: 102
Views: 7987

Re: Teenager car

I know a lot of us in the older years want to harken back to days when our first car was a barely road worthy jalopy (I myself drove a 1980 caprice classic as my first car in 1996, inherited from grandma) but the safety and crashworthiness enhancements of the last decade aren't worth dismissing for a new driver to save a few bucks. Is it worth it to just lease a subcompact, like a Versa? A teen driver should be able to keep it under 10-12k miles per year for 3 years. Insurance of course is going to be rough on a brand new car. Also relieves the headaches of unforeseen out of warranty repairs of a used car. If there is any way to push it out 6-12 months, it does seem like a correction to the norm is coming for the car market, based upon risi...
by NHRATA01
Wed Jul 12, 2023 6:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. Can I? Should I?
Replies: 103
Views: 9609

Re: 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. Can I? Should I?

Yeah OP identified as not really being a car guy, so buying a classic that's going to need about an hour's worth of wrench time for two hour's of driving time (or the reverse), is not going to be ideal for his situation.

A Miata is a fun car but it isn't in the realm of a Porsche. It would be like telling the person who's drooling over getting a C8 Z06 Vette to just get a V6 Camaro, it's got 335hp and handles almost as well on the streets, what more could you need?
by NHRATA01
Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. Can I? Should I?
Replies: 103
Views: 9609

Re: 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. Can I? Should I?

I am a car guy, albeit it more of the knuckle dragging V8 muscle car kin, though mostly because it's more in my price range. Have an '01 Trans Am bought new that I've torn apart and put back together a number of times. Daily a Chevy SS sedan (aka a poor man's E39 M5). Faint dreams of grabbling a ZL1 in the next few months before the Camaro dies. That said, a Cayman GTS 4.0 is about the most perfect sports car you could buy, now and possibly forever going forward. A naturally aspirated, high revving traditional Porsche flat 6, a manual gearbox, and a perfect chassis. Those who might foolishly call it a poor man's 911 do not appreciate the difference - a 911 is more of a grand tourer excepting the GT3 model (which is a spiritual sister of the...
by NHRATA01
Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to Title Cars if Married?
Replies: 43
Views: 4202

Re: How to Title Cars if Married?

One factor to consider is that it's generally more convenient to have one person on the title. Both of our cars are titled and registered as "DH or DW". Why would only one of us on the title be more convenient? Theoretically some asset protection. If I am at fault in an accident and injure/disable a young high income professional, I might face a massive judgement necessitating bankruptcy. If my spouse is also on the title, her assets might also be at risk. I title the car that I primarily drive in my name. My wife titles the car that she primarily drives in her name for this reason. That is an interesting point but I wonder what the cause of action would be against your wife in that scenario other than negligent entrustment? And ...
by NHRATA01
Mon Jun 12, 2023 12:09 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 100/0, 90/10, 80/20…. Does it really matter?
Replies: 66
Views: 14264

Re: 100/0, 90/10, 80/20…. Does it really matter?

In addition to the risk reduction, I find having 10-20% in bonds provides the sell high/buy low ability if you stick to your asset allocation targets. When the market takes a dive and your bonds stay stable or slightly rally, rebalancing lets you buy into the market during a trough. Of course then you also have to be willing to take some profits out of the market in good times and rebalance into bonds.
by NHRATA01
Tue May 23, 2023 9:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Elderly Mom has run out of money - ** New York State **
Replies: 37
Views: 9097

Re: Elderly Mom has run out of money

I am not an expert but did have to get my feet wet some years back with my dad's failing health, which fortunately for him did not drag out more than about 6 months.

You and certainly your brother will probably want to consult an elder care expert for guidance. The one that sticks out to me, is if she needs to go into a facility or needs more rigorous care and lacks the ability to pay out of pocket, she will need medicaid assistance. That means they will come looking at her assets to take. I believe at least in my state the lookback has been bumped to 7 years. So in your brother's case, since you stated she deeded him the house 6 years ago, they may come for it.
by NHRATA01
Wed May 17, 2023 12:58 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Power of Attorney at Fidelity - Questions
Replies: 12
Views: 1512

Re: Power of Attorney at Fidelity - Questions

I have an elderly family member with investment accounts (taxable brokerage account, traditional IRA, and Roth IRA) at Fidelity. I am currently their durable power of attorney. Fidelity's paperwork was used to establish the DPOA. Overall I am satisfied with Fidelity, but I've noticed there are some significant limitations to durable power of attorney access at Fidelity when it comes to initiating transactions online. For instance, online on behalf of my family member I am unable to: -set up one time or recurring transfers to their bank account -take RMDs from their traditional IRA -make Roth conversions -update dividend elections (i.e. dividend reinvestment, dividends to settlement account, dividends to bank account, etc.) Has anyone else ...
by NHRATA01
Mon Apr 17, 2023 9:43 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Will We See 20 Year Old Hybrid Cars?
Replies: 178
Views: 22220

Re:

EDIT: My apologies Valuethinker for completely missing this was a 15 year old thread! I did find it surprising we were only referencing ~10y/o hybrids for longevity data when we can go back ~25 years now. - US power production is c. 50% coal. Then gas, then nukes, then hydro FYI your data is a bit old at this point. US power production is nowhere near 50% coal, it is just under 20% and a hair ahead of nukes. Wind now outproduces hydroelectric. Coal has been dropping drastically in the past 10 years since shale/fracked natgas exploded. Although the term "transition fuel" in reference to natgas has fallen out of favor the past couple of years, the environmental benefit of natgas - based on both CO2 + SOx and particulate ash emission...
by NHRATA01
Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mom's Heating Oil Supplier
Replies: 12
Views: 1550

Re: Mom's Heating Oil Supplier

In my opinion, I would separate out the boiler service portion and the oil delivery portion. Where I am in NY we also have about 2-3 large oil suppliers that are "full service". So they'll put you on auto delivery, do the annual boiler cleaning, and promise emergency service all for one contract. For a person who cares not about cost and just wants convenience, apparently it works. When I first bought our house I carried over to this type of supplier because the previous owner had used them, and I was coming from a natural gas house so what did I know yet about oil deliveries. After a handful of auto deliveries I started watching the price, and saw they were at least 50 cents higher than even road diesel. Found out about cash deli...
by NHRATA01
Tue Mar 21, 2023 8:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Boglehead powerlifters?
Replies: 200
Views: 22983

Re: Any Boglehead powerlifters?

I strongly disagree with forgetting squats and deadlifts as you get older. Both are basic human movement patterns and being able to perform them in later years will allow you to do daily tasks like getting up from a couch and picking up a bag without injury. That does not mean you have to be the 0.01% at 70+ with 300lbs on your back or trying to deadlift a quarter ton. Lightweight goblet squats or dumbell RDL's will accomplish this. But the ability to execute a proper squat and hip hinge will be a big benefit to mobility and stability in the senior years. The human body is resilient, do not be afraid to use it as was intended. What is necessary is to do so in a slow ramp of intensity to allow it to accommodate to the task you are asking of ...
by NHRATA01
Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bogleheads powerlifters - What equipment are you using for a home gym?
Replies: 51
Views: 4109

Re: Any Boglehead powerlifters?

I'd be curious to hear what brand of bar and plates BH's have in their home gyms. I did deadlifts and power cleans regularly when I belonged to a gym, and am now looking to expand my home gym. Wonder if there's a happy medium between Rogue and a Dick's Sporting Goods 300 lb set? I mostly buy from Rogue, Titan is a cheaper version but like with everything you get what you pay for. I have a rogue rack, and built my own deadlift platform with plywood and stall mat. EliteFTS has some good stuff too for bars and accessories. I set mine up at the very start of Covid, so at the time Dick's was the only place I could get 45lb plates and shipping - which kills you with plates - was free. They served the purpose BUT (assuming it's the Fitness Gear b...
by NHRATA01
Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Boglehead powerlifters?
Replies: 200
Views: 22983

Re: Any Boglehead powerlifters?

hudson wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:00 pm
simplesimon wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:40 am
muffins14 wrote: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:32 am Any tips on good squat form to avoid rounding near the bottom?
Not trying to sound crass, but really focus on pointing your butthole to the wall behind you. Same with deadlift.
Thanks!
Impossible to forget this advice.
If you like that, you'll appreciate the cueing advice from the great Ed Coan - "You have to open up your *rhymes with paint* " which while funny and memorable, is effective and useful in getting some external hip rotation in the squat.
by NHRATA01
Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Boglehead powerlifters?
Replies: 200
Views: 22983

Re: Any Boglehead powerlifters?

my gains now (at 43) are better with less soreness than in my 30s. My squat (386) and deadlift (512) are beyond what I'd have thought about trying in my 20s. Ok fine :-p I should shut up and get to work on this. Congrats on the Impressive numbers! I’ll get back to work on starting strength today. Any tips on good squat form to avoid rounding near the bottom? 1. Ankle mobility, give them some good stretches before as part of your warmup routine (look up some routines on youtube). Also you may want to consider a raised heel shoe. This lets your knees come forward a bit more without feeling that your heel is coming off the ground. (sidenote, please don't listen to the outdated advice that knees can't go over toes in squats or you'll explode y...
by NHRATA01
Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Boglehead powerlifters?
Replies: 200
Views: 22983

Re: Any Boglehead powerlifters?

I used to be stronger… maybe at 25-28 Bench: 235 X 5 Squat: 305x 5 Deadlift: 335 x 5 Now, nope I’m curious what you all would recommend doing to “get back into it” at 37 I can probably: Bench: 135 Squat: 185 Deadlift: 195 I’ve been doing StrongLifts, like an A/B/A workout that has me squatting each time Stronglifts/Starting Strength are decent beginner programs and grounded in simplicity, which is all you need. I found after the novice period, 5/3/1 to be useful for more of an intermediate lifter. After that phase, you start to get an idea of what works for you and what doesn't - and try them all along the way. My programming now is 4 days a week, with a bench or press variation every day, and 2 days squats/2 days deadlifts with associated...
by NHRATA01
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:38 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Managing Windfall
Replies: 18
Views: 3236

Re: Managing Windfall

8foot7 wrote: Wed Mar 08, 2023 6:06 pm
I tend to agree but 20k over the next 2-4 years isn’t going to make much difference either way.
Eh, if we're really in a bear market currently it's a good time to be buying in. And a sub 3% interest rate, IMHO is hard to justify paying off. You could buy 10 year notes paying over 1% higher than his car loan right now.
by NHRATA01
Fri Mar 03, 2023 2:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Disney World Vacation
Replies: 57
Views: 4326

Re: Disney World Vacation

I think it's one of those things where it's basically a right of passage to do it as a kid, and when you have kids. We did it in '14 (kids 2.5, 5.5, 7) and '17 (5.5, 8.5, 10) for a week each time. Went at the very end of August due to school (kids + wife), found it was a little better crowd wise because all of the southern schools were back in session by then. Still hot. If money is not (much of) an issue, you can have a pretty enjoyable time. Like others have said economizing just adds to the stress and eats away at some of the enjoyment. To an extent, you just have to embrace that it will be hot, expensive, and crowded, and just go at your pace and soak up the experience. We paid the extra and stayed concierge level at Beach/Yacht clubs. ...
by NHRATA01
Wed Feb 15, 2023 7:54 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: HSA's After Age 45?
Replies: 35
Views: 3496

Re: HSA's After Age 45?

I think the strategy of documenting every single medical expense you pay out of pocket over the years, and then reimbursing yourself down the road if needed supports continuing to fund the HSA in the later years. So long as you keep good documentation, you essentially have an IRA to withdraw from with no tax implications nor RMDs.
by NHRATA01
Tue Feb 14, 2023 2:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: [Friend missing a] 401K check issued by Fidelity
Replies: 40
Views: 5072

Re: Lost my 401K check issued by Fidelity

ClassII wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 8:06 pm Besides the fact that we still use wildly unsecure paper checks at all, I find it ponderous that 401k rollovers are done via paper checks through the mail. Whether it's $5k or $5m. It's wild.
I just changed companies on 1/1, starting my 3rd 401k. Was hoping to roll the 2nd (first is in Fido and a good plan) to the new. Did not like the hard check process so leaving it as is for now.

Now, I did read that as part of the new SECURE act, the government is supposed to be nudging these custodials to start doing electronic fund transfers for 401ks, as they are finding too many are either forgetting about them or cashing them out and taking the penalty. So keep your ears open on that.
by NHRATA01
Tue Feb 14, 2023 11:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Exotic cars
Replies: 164
Views: 10477

Re: Exotic cars

It seems strange to me to desire a generic "exotic car". Exotics tend to scratch one or more of the following four itches: 1) performance, 2) collectible / investment 3) impress others / signaling 4) emotional. From your original post it seems you are not particularly interested in performance or investment aspects and likely not interested in impressing others. If you don't have an immediate emotional response to one or more of these cars that screams that you "have to have it" why bother? If you're going to go through an analytical process, why not start with defining requirements (miles per year, cost per year or mile, types of driving, seating, comfort, minimum performance, reliability etc.) and see whether an "...
by NHRATA01
Tue Nov 22, 2022 1:38 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I still have Flagship status!
Replies: 33
Views: 5131

Re: I still have Flagship status!

shunkman wrote: Sat Oct 15, 2022 7:42 pm How do I determine whether I have Flagship status?
Have you not received the secret handshake???

:mrgreen:
by NHRATA01
Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Class A motorhomes - aerodynamics of a brick
Replies: 66
Views: 5343

Re: Class A motorhomes - aerodynamics of a brick

I figured it was a combination of getting as much interior space for the length, and also giving people who aren't quite expert semi-truck drivers (I don't think you even need a CDL for them?) the best view forward possible so they don't run the rest of us over.
by NHRATA01
Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mini vacation to Albany, NY
Replies: 15
Views: 1413

Re: Mini vacation to Albany, NY

There's some interesting things in the Capitol, although in my humble opinion I think 3 days is probably pushing it, 1-2 days is likely more than enough. Empire Plaza is a nice walk. You can go in the Corning tower, which is the tallest building in the state outside of NYC, and hit the observation deck for some beautiful views. The Museum of NYS is a good way to spend 2-3 hours, a lot of interesting items there, also a nice 9/11 section. If you go on a workday and it's good weather, you may get food trucks lined up in the area of the reflecting pool. The mall below is impressive from an architecture standpoint, but really nothing much down there beyond the food court and gift shop (it is really all government offices after all). The Capitol...
by NHRATA01
Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retiring to Upstate NY
Replies: 160
Views: 23776

Re: Retiring to Upstate NY

There have been some mentions of Newburgh upthread. I've been in and around the city a number of times in the last couple of years. I feel like the area is improving, but it has a long way to go. The crime stats aren't very nice, though I've never felt unsafe in the areas I've been in downtown. I definitely wouldn't want to live there. I've lived in the HV area since 2001. I referenced it a little in my page 2 post, but Newburgh is a very rough area. Of all the smaller former industrial cities beteween the Capital Region to NYC area, it's probably the worst off, although I hear Middletown can give it a run. The riverfront is a semi decent area to grab a meal. 20 years ago it was new and sparkling, and probably an effort to kickstart some r...
by NHRATA01
Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buy new car or spend money on my existing one?
Replies: 48
Views: 5096

Re: Buy new car or spend money on my existing one?

The sway bar endlinks and motor mount - is the car making any clunks or rattles, particularly when going over bumps (endlinks) or any thuds when first accelerating (motor mounts)? Endlinks are usually pretty cheap and easy and yes if you're in the salt belt they may have rusted and snapped by now. Motor mounts can be a bit more labor intensive. As for the plugs, yes they should generally be changed at 100k miles. I would find a good independent shop or even the dealer if they'll do it for <$500. 4 cylinders are usually very easy (I just did them on our V6 Traverse which requires quite a bit more effort and it took about 2-3 hours). Honestly if you were my neighbor I'd do it for a drink of my choice (which these days is a good coffee) and so...
by NHRATA01
Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retiring to Upstate NY
Replies: 160
Views: 23776

Re: Retiring to Upstate NY

You may want to consider Beacon. It’s one of the several dead river towns along the Hudson River - think Peekskill, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Hudson, etc. Lately, Beacon and Hudson are seeing a revival with refugees from NYC and the surrounding area relocating or buying second homes. I don’t personally know much about Beacon, but I have heard a lot of chatter about it being an up and coming place. I do know Hudson and besides the main drag, Warren Street, it still seems a little sketchy to me. I do know that the high taxes in the Town of Poughkeepsie, yes there is a Town and City of Poughkeepsie, drove a good friend of mine out of NY to Florida even though it’s way too hot for him in the summertime there. Forget Westchester, Rockla...
by NHRATA01
Sat Aug 06, 2022 12:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retiring to Upstate NY
Replies: 160
Views: 23776

Re: Retiring to Upstate NY

tomd37 wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:40 am NHRATA01 - "I went to college north of the Adirondacks".
Canton or Potsdam or elsewhere?
Pots-DARN-it's cold. Engineer, not musician. :)
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retiring to Upstate NY
Replies: 160
Views: 23776

Re: Retiring to Upstate NY

The Hudson Valley is a nice place to be, you're still a 1-2hr train ride from Grand Central but not near as congested or as expensive as Rockland/Westchester & LI. I grew up in Rockland, went to college north of the Adirondaks and have lived in Dutchess for 21 years, so been well traveled around NY. We live outside the Poughkeepsie area, Dutchess is kind of what Rockland was ~30 years ago. Plenty of strip malls and civilization on the main drags, but still a lot of open space. A lot of nice little small towns like Fishkill, Wappingers, Pawling, etc with good eating and walkable main streets. One county up is Columbia which is cheaper and sparser. There are some larger towns along the Hudson that have really staged a nice comeback. Cold ...
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Spare tire?
Replies: 148
Views: 10302

Re: Spare tire?

rob wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:40 am
NHRATA01 wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:35 am 4. There's 0.001mpg benefit to CAFE ;)
While your other points are very logical... THIS is the real reason :oops:
Lol nah I think it's more of the cost savings, and they try to argue CAFE so the consumer can focus their ire on the government instead of their cheapness.
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Spare tire?
Replies: 148
Views: 10302

Re: Spare tire?

There are a number of reasons fewer vehicles have a spare. The market reasons: 1. Far less people can change a tire today 1a. Many who think they can still can't - how many can find the appropriate jack location on a unibody car, how many will torque the lugs in a star pattern, how many regularly check the pressure in their spare, how many know that if a drive wheel goes flat the spare should go on non drive wheel, how many will throw a donut on and not drive under 55? 2. Manufacturers can save money The technical reasons: 1. Outside of large SUVs and trucks, it eats into storage space and is a significant design consideration 2. Between gains in vehicular mass and braking performance, in the past 20 years disc brake diameter has grown, nec...
by NHRATA01
Mon Jul 18, 2022 9:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Frustrated car buyer
Replies: 77
Views: 9208

Re: Frustrated car buyer

I read from a post by someone on fb that since all the stimulus stuff the previous administration signed into law, that a lot of people used the money to buy what they could not afford, and there would be a lot of repossessed used cars available in 6-9 months from now. Not sure how true that is. If you can't wait, you just have to pay the higher price now. I heard that as well. I am not sure whether that will come to fruition. Folks’ savings rates were high and I think they were / are buying cars outright or with significant down. If I am wrong used car market crashes and I get a good deal when 2-3 years down the line I have to replace my car 😀 People frequently like to blame the politicians they do not agree with for anything and everythi...
by NHRATA01
Thu Jul 14, 2022 9:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: AC unit letting cold air out through drain tube?
Replies: 16
Views: 4957

Re: AC unit letting cold air out through drain tube?

Hah, interesting! Well thank you for taking the time to lay out the explanation.

Building codes and the stock market...as an engineer two things to me that should be 100% logical but seldom are!
by NHRATA01
Wed Jul 13, 2022 2:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: AC unit letting cold air out through drain tube?
Replies: 16
Views: 4957

Re: AC unit letting cold air out through drain tube?

My recent HVAC install required a special switch directly on the auxiliary. The unit is in a pan, and the installer originally put a pan switch in like sandtrip referred in #2. However, the inspector said "no dice," since it was on a garage floor and the pan switch could cause a spark, possibly igniting gasoline vapors. I still have the pan, just no switch. I walk by it every day so visually I can see it. Boy that's odd to me. First, what gasoline vapors is he thinking of, short of storage cans? This isn't 1964 and modern cars don't vent gasoline vapors anywhere. Second, he's concerned about the switch, but he thinks the air handler is built to class 1 div 2 standards??? I also hope for common sense's sake we're not including a g...
by NHRATA01
Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: cleaning lady
Replies: 53
Views: 11890

Re: cleaning lady

Okay, I'm not hiring anybody. As to Merry Maids, my sister-in-law hired them and said they did a lousy job. Probably that varies by area. We tried Merry Maids when we finally wanted to outsource home cleaning. They come the first time with 2 people, spend a few hours there and make the place look great. After 3-4 visits you get one person, they rush through in 1-2 hours and we were less than enthused with quality. While they like to use the term "English speaking" as some sort of rather ethnocentric selling point, the reality is you are still often getting a different person each time, some of questionable background. I had a cousin who worked for them after being in a difficult situation and not able to get regular employment, a...
by NHRATA01
Tue Jun 14, 2022 12:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where to vacation with young child in northeast?
Replies: 30
Views: 4873

Re: Where to vacation with young child in northeast?

We did Hershey when the kids were between 4-9 two years in a row ('15 and '16). It was always a nice economical alternative to Disney and enough to do for about 3 days for little kids. I will caution this if you go in the summer months - Disney at least gives you some breaks from the heat and the rides indoors are nice and cool, even when waiting on line. There is almost NO escaping the heat at Hershey on a hot day. Outside of the gift shop and Chocolate World, I recall only a couple rides being indoors and not much indoor dining either. One of the days was mid 90s, the kids barely made it an hour in mid morning before they were bright red, we were all miserable and instead went back to Hotel Hershey and spent the day at the pool. There is ...
by NHRATA01
Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice
Replies: 312
Views: 30254

Re: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore for Engineering

Certainly, Ithaca is a beautiful college town. However, it cannot rival Houston or Phillie for access to museums, symphony, opera, films, etc. Whether a student prefers a city or a small college town is a personal decision. If I were making the decision for myself, I probably would choose Rice or Cornell based on whether I wanted to be in a city or college town. Certainly, and why a visit is a great idea. My engineering school was in a very small town. The benefit of that vs. a city with all those attractions you mentioned, is it's easier to focus on what you are studying. There's still a typical college social life, but if you're in a rigorous degree program, not having a city's nightlife or sports/arts/entertainment attractions makes one...
by NHRATA01
Mon Apr 11, 2022 2:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 2018 Nissan Sentra Maintenance
Replies: 25
Views: 1976

Re: 2018 Nissan Sentra Maintenance

I would be rather skeptical that the dealer at all took a sample of the transmission fluid to judge that it is only in "fair" condition. I would follow the owner's manual guidelines.

As for the brake fluid, if one is to be technically proper it should be done every 4-5 years as the fluid does absorb moisture over time and will start to darken. In reality almost no one does that, and most shops don't even do it when they change the brake pads - which in my mind is when it should be done.
by NHRATA01
Mon Apr 11, 2022 9:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore - update Final choice Rice
Replies: 312
Views: 30254

Re: College opinions: Cornell vs Swarthmore for Enginnering

If it takes some pressure off...As an engineer 20 years into the field and currently a hiring manager, realistically she is not going to have a hard time finding a job anywhere if she graduates with an accredited engineering degree from either institution (or Michigan). I would recommend visiting both campuses and seeing which one she feels more comfortable with, rather than splitting hairs over the perceived public perception of either. For comparison I was between RPI and Clarkson for engineering schools, and the campus visit helped the decision, but either are great engineering schools. I did have friends who went to Cornell and I visited the campus several times - it is beautiful and the name speaks for itself, though a larger student b...
by NHRATA01
Fri Mar 04, 2022 1:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Support for displaced Ukrainians
Replies: 33
Views: 4782

Re: Support for displaced Ukrainians

Please no politics or discussions about the war in Ukraine, don't get this locked. I was looking into ways to help those displaced/impacted by the humanitarian crisis in the Ukraine. https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=9366 has some suggested ways to help out. The Ukrainian Red Cross also seems like a good idea, but they only accept donations in the local currency. Anyone have any thoughts on the best ways to be of assistance? And again, please no politics. I'm hearing AirBnB is waiving fees for the Ukrainian hosts, and people are booking stays without actually staying, essentially providing aid to them through AirBnB. I was going to echo this. I have a couple friends that have gone this route to assist Ukr...
by NHRATA01
Tue Jan 18, 2022 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Russian Equity Market
Replies: 15
Views: 1356

Re: Russian Equity Market

Why Russia? I can’t think of very many places in the world where the risk/reward ratio would be worse at the moment. It has political risks that are both deep and broad, and you probably won’t get rewarded for taking that risk, because the oligarchs take everything and leave everyone else with the crumbs. If I were going to take a flyer on a speculative investment right now (I’ve done that before, but I’m not now), I would search harder and find a country with less political risk, and a better story for how the market is going to grow. Even trying to remove the political risk aspect from it - which of course you really can't do, but just to focus on the economics - from my vantage point I don't see the Russian economy poised to have growth...
by NHRATA01
Tue Dec 28, 2021 2:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Disney experience
Replies: 301
Views: 26008

Re: Disney experience

We went in '14 and '17, had kids elementary school age then. My advice is the closest your going to get to an "ideal" time (short of playing hokey from school) is to go at the very end of August. The southern schools are usually back in session by then and the crowds aren't quite as bad. But there's no way around it, you're going to spend a lot of time waiting on lines and it's still going to be mid 90s and muggy. But Disney has, or at least back then had made it about as efficient as you're going to get and generally much of the wait ends up being indoors in conditioned space. The Magic Kingdom is always going to be the worst for crowding and lines but the other parks tend not to be as bad. If you stay at one of the more kid frie...