Search found 103 matches

by Material Guy
Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:32 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: 🎁 🎉Happy 100th Birthday to Taylor Larimore 🎊🎂
Replies: 429
Views: 43349

Re: 🎁 🎉Happy 100th Birthday to Taylor Larimore 🎊🎂

Happy Birthday, Taylor! I am still on the path set over a decade ago with help from this forum and direct advice from you then! 3 fund + index only + stay the course + simplicity. Thank you.
by Material Guy
Mon Aug 21, 2023 12:29 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Subletting -- in London, UK
Replies: 2
Views: 378

Re: Subletting -- in London, UK

That is correct, MGBMartin. His lease allows for this and the landlord and the agent are aware that he is doing this. All completely above board.
by Material Guy
Mon Aug 21, 2023 9:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Subletting -- in London, UK
Replies: 2
Views: 378

Subletting -- in London, UK

DS in London is looking for someone to sublet his apt. He moved in last year with a married couple as roommates. He found another place now--a studio without roommates. No issues with roommates--just wanted to stay on his own. But he prematurely moved to the new place and now is desparately looking for someone to sublease his old place. He has advertised in spareroom.co.uk which appears to be the primary site for folks looking for roommates, and is contacting prospective tenants. No luck so far though he has had a number of people come by and a couple of almost yeses but who dropped out at the last minute.

Any suggestions for other things he might do to look for a tenant?
by Material Guy
Thu Jul 06, 2023 2:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Political science undergraduate degree- which colleges to apply to?
Replies: 46
Views: 4411

Re: Political science undergraduate degree- which colleges to apply to?

DD graduated with a double major in Economics/Political Science from Boston University. BU has a good International Relations program (The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies) and you could do a dual major. BU is located in an urban setting of course. She did mention towards the end that Econ was a more practical major than PolySci. But if he is interested, he could consider an International Relations/Poly Sci major/minor or dual major.
by Material Guy
Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:11 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay
Replies: 17
Views: 1907

Re: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay

Thank you, all, especially Valuethinker, mecht3ach, MGBMartin, for all the valuable input. Looks like we have much work to do for getting a place to stay. Fortunately he will stay with some friends initially and then consider an Air BnB while he searches. He will likely have to increase his rent budget and look for places away from London, outside zone 1 for sure. I like the idea of Cambridge or similar or even further. Much to digest, but I think he is ready to explore. Again, thanks for the fantastic leads.
by Material Guy
Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay
Replies: 17
Views: 1907

Re: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay

Thank you for the multiple suggestions to use Wise! We will look into it.

We are looking into opening an account at HSBC or similar here before he moves there. We will also look at the Chase option. He does not have much time though to create a long history. He has a primary Ally account here.

Yes, around London is going to be expensive. Hopefully he will find something reasonable a bit away from London. He will not need to commute so that opens up some options.
by Material Guy
Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay
Replies: 17
Views: 1907

Re: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay

squirrel1963 wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 9:17 pm The cheapest way I found to move USD to another currency is with XE.com, they typically charge 0.1% when converting to EUR (I assume GBP will be equally cheap to convert).
On the US side you set up ACH transfers from your bank account, on XE.com you specify the destination IBAN.
I am not sure from UK to USD, sorry I've never needed to move currency this way.
Another really cheap way is with Interactive Brokers, it's a standard feature, but you need to have an account with them.
Thank you, squirrel1963!
by Material Guy
Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay
Replies: 17
Views: 1907

Re: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay

22twain wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2022 9:30 pm What is his budget for rent?
Will he need to commute to a central office regularly, and if so, where? It might be helpful to minimize the number of train/tube connections he has to make.
I would estimate up to £1500. No commuting since he is freelancing and will be working from home.
by Material Guy
Fri Sep 16, 2022 7:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay
Replies: 17
Views: 1907

Moving to the UK--Banking, Credit Card, Where to Stay

DS is moving to the UK on a special 2 year visa from NYC. He is a freelance science writer here and will continue this there. While he will continue to have a US freelance income, he will explore writing opportunities in the UK and Europe. 1. He will need to open a bank account in the UK. Will this need to be done after he moves there or can this process be started from here? Or maybe use a bank that operates internationally where he can open an account in NYC? 2. What would be the best way to move funds back and forth between the US and UK? He has an Ally account. 3. Can he temporarily use one of our credit cards without a foreign-transaction fee as an additional user until he gets a credit card? Or can he maintain a US credit card in the ...
by Material Guy
Thu May 26, 2022 10:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Critique my summer Hawaii vacation plan (plus camera?).
Replies: 51
Views: 5283

Re: Critique my summer Hawaii vacation plan (plus camera?).

Just returned from a 10 day trip to Honolulu (conference + vacation) last week. Decided to ditch the DSLR and just use my 13 Max Pro, which worked really well. I did not miss the DSLR at all and got some amazing pictures. I recommend you do the same.

COVID cases were on the rise in Honolulu last week so keep an eye on the situation--different on different islands.

First trip to Hawai'i and I'm ready for the next one.
by Material Guy
Thu Apr 21, 2022 7:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Quickbooks Alternative?
Replies: 8
Views: 882

Re: Quickbooks Alternative?

DW is an accountant and works with Quickbooks & various accounting software and suggests checking out Xero.
https://www.xero.com/us/
Options for individuals, small and large businesses. Used by CPAs/accountants.
by Material Guy
Mon Mar 28, 2022 12:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPhone upgrade - pro or max?
Replies: 30
Views: 3040

Re: iPhone upgrade - pro or max?

This is always a dilemma and I am in the midst of it. I have an iPhone 7 plus that has served me well and continues to do so. But I am thinking of an upgrade and here's my analysis. iPhone 11 would be the Boglehead way to go (a couple of generations behind the latest and greatest) with a good latest tech/price balance 12 is better with features like 5G 13 is only marginally higher priced than the 12 so go with 13? The next iPhone will come in Sept and will drop the price of the 13--is it worth waiting a bit? I don't need the max or pro, since photography is not a priority, plus I can't justify paying that much more compared to the 11 or 12 or 13 (I'll get $90 for my iPhone 7+ through Apple) To the OP with the 12 mini, I suggest waiting unti...
by Material Guy
Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:20 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: NY, PA state tax filing requirement question
Replies: 2
Views: 513

Re: NY, PA state tax filing requirement question

David, Thanks for this excellent information and the pointers!
by Material Guy
Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: NY, PA state tax filing requirement question
Replies: 2
Views: 513

NY, PA state tax filing requirement question

Background: DS was a student in 2020 and graduated at the end of 2020 from NYU with a master's. We claimed him as a dependent on our tax return for 2020. Since he had a small income for the last two years, he filed appropriate Federal, PA state, and local taxes in 2020. For 2020, he also filed a NY state return. For the year 2021: He is currently a freelancer and continues to live in New York City. He plans to stay in NYC for the rest of the year. He uses our PA home address for paperwork. He also still has a PA Driver's License. Question: For 2021, does he need to file both NY and PA state tax returns, or just a NY return? He will not be listed as a dependent on our 2021 tax return and will be filing Single. Being a freelancer, his clients...
by Material Guy
Mon Jan 18, 2021 6:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How is living in Auburn, AL
Replies: 47
Views: 5742

Re: How is living in Auburn, AL

Went to grad school at Auburn in the late 80s. Enjoyed my stay there overall--its a nice college town. Visited there again a few years back for an award and a couple of times since. Lots of improvements for the better. They have fancy off-campus apartments now for students, way better than the ones I lived in! Cosmopolitan atmosphere due to the University. Summers are warm but overall nice weather. Close to enough to Atlanta.
by Material Guy
Thu Nov 12, 2020 7:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Taylor Sends His Best to Fellow Bogleheads
Replies: 334
Views: 34466

Re: Taylor Sends His Best to Fellow Bogleheads

Best wishes, Taylor, for a rapid recovery! Great photograph!
by Material Guy
Sun Aug 02, 2020 7:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: best mesh wifi system on the market?
Replies: 53
Views: 5666

Re: best mesh wifi system on the market?

CeeKay1729 wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 2:43 am Do you have a Costco membership? Deco M9 Plus Tri Band is on sale for $199. Hands down the best mesh network at that price point. Tri bank with dedicated wireless backhaul.

I have spectrum 200mb and get full signal everywhere in a 3100 sq ft two story home.
+1
I recently replaced my two unit Google Wifi (previous generation) mesh with the Deco M9 from Costco (3 units) after some research. It has been working very well.
by Material Guy
Wed Jul 29, 2020 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) Index for Kid
Replies: 32
Views: 2429

Re: Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) Index for Kid

My daughter also 19 is also considering investing some extra money she has earned. I have suggested splitting between a ROTH (Vanguard Target Retirement 2065) and a taxable account (ETF-VTI).
by Material Guy
Wed Jun 03, 2020 8:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Firefox Send to share sensitive documents
Replies: 5
Views: 640

Re: Firefox Send to share sensitive documents

Thank you for the responses! Good point about the Property Management Company's handing/storage of documents being of greater concern rather than the send method. Given the number of documents, I just might try Firefox Send--thanks, lazydavid, for the explanation of how encryption is handled.
by Material Guy
Tue Jun 02, 2020 12:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Firefox Send to share sensitive documents
Replies: 5
Views: 640

Firefox Send to share sensitive documents

Has anyone used Firefox Send to share sensitive/financial documents online?

I need to send some supporting documents to a property management company as a guarantor for my DS who will be renting an apt. Firefox Send appears to be a good option with end-to-end encryption. I can send them a link, which expires within a few days or after a few downloads.

The other option is a password protected zip file but the password has to be sent separately or called in. Phone access is not easy in this case.

I could also try Dropbox but that does not seem to be the most secure method.

Final option is physical papers and overnight mail.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!
by Material Guy
Wed May 27, 2020 3:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HBO Max
Replies: 38
Views: 3648

Re: HBO Max

Signed up for the $12 deal but discovered that HBO Max will not work on Roku devices yet--perhaps soon. A lot of irate Roku users out there as I see from some of the comments on news stories. DD streams it on her Macbook and to a TV via Apple TV so we will keep this for now but I can't access it on my two main TVs with Roku devices. I believe we still have access to HBO Now.
by Material Guy
Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving from Bay area, CA to Knoxville, TN
Replies: 98
Views: 9473

Re: Moving from Bay area, CA to Knoxville, TN

Knoxville is next door to Oak Ridge National Labs, home to nuclear research, supercomputers and hundreds of basic science PhDs. Where do their kids go to school? I used to work at Oak Ridge many years ago and still have friends who live in Farragut. This area has one of the highest percentages of PhDs in the country. Partly because of ORNL and of course the University of Tennessee, the populations in locations such as Farragut is quite cosmopolitan. Even more so in recent years. Even though average scores may be lower in the Farragut and Oak Ridge schools, they graduate a high fraction of achievers who go to excellent colleges, thanks to the highly educated parents. To the OP: I would move to Tennessee in a heartbeat. Your quality of life ...
by Material Guy
Wed Jan 16, 2019 7:59 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: John Bogle has died at age 89
Replies: 856
Views: 82116

Re: John Bogle is dead at 89

Thank you, Jack Bogle! A life well lived.
by Material Guy
Thu Dec 06, 2018 7:36 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Southern California Vacation Questions
Replies: 39
Views: 3039

Re: Southern California Vacation Questions

My thanks again to all of you for the excellent responses. We are trying to sift through the suggestions to decide how best to finalize details of the trip.

I should add that yes, unfortunately, we will not have the official tour of UCLA, but we plan to get a map and walk around the campus and the surrounding area. Good point about the high cost of attending UCLA and the low chance of financial assistance. DS a few years back also got into UCLA, Berkeley and Davis, but ended ended up at Vanderbilt with an excellent financial package.

We are still somewhat torn between squeezing in a visit to SD or spending time this trip in the LA area.

Appreciate all the responses.
by Material Guy
Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Southern California Vacation Questions
Replies: 39
Views: 3039

Re: Southern California Vacation Questions

Thank you for all the fantastic suggestions! I had forgotten about the Rose Bowl! That certainly changes the plans somewhat. We fly out on the 30th so hopefully we will skip the worst of it. On the other hand, a visit to see the floats sounds like fun. Home is Pittsburgh so the beaches and sunshine are certainly an attraction! We have been to Universal and Disney in Orlando and also to Disneyland many years ago. However, one of the other studio tours might be interesting. DD has already applied to UCLA and the only school on the west coast! She has her reasons for applying there. Hence the other schools are of less interest. We are aware of the high out-of-state costs! From the suggestions, I think we will skip Hollywood and Grauman's. Lots...
by Material Guy
Wed Dec 05, 2018 3:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Southern California Vacation Questions
Replies: 39
Views: 3039

Southern California Vacation Questions

We will be in Southern California the last week of this month (Christmas to New Year Eve) for 5 days. Flying into LAX from the east coast. Will be with dw, ds (22) and dd (17). Main excuse is for dd to visit UCLA where she is applying, but it is more of a vacation. I had some general questions that I hope some of you will be able to answer. We were thinking of staying in Santa Monica, as a convenient base. Don't want to be in too crowded an area. Good option? We were also thinking of a couple of days in San Diego. Would that be too much? Or should we just stick to LA? We were thinking of ditching a rental car and using metro rail/Lyft. Maybe renting if we decide to go to San Diego. Considering the following to visit: UCLA; Getty Museum - ne...
by Material Guy
Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Highlander or Murano 2018 ..
Replies: 36
Views: 3143

Re: Highlander or Murano 2018 ..

As the owner of a 2017 Highlander XLE (AWD), most certainly, the Highlander is a better choice.
Toyota includes 2 years of maintenance which should be factored in.
Been very happy with it and the safety features are excellent. It's also somewhat more spacious than the Murano.
by Material Guy
Sun Aug 26, 2018 7:21 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Online savings account for 17 yr old?
Replies: 6
Views: 722

Re: Online savings account for 17 yr old?

Thanks for the responses.

I guess the option to wait until she turns 18 might be a good one.

This is earned income. I do intend to also start a Roth for her with part of her earnings.

I did try to open a joint account at Ally but they were clear about all applicants being over 18.

I'll look more at a custodial account at Ally.
by Material Guy
Sun Aug 26, 2018 11:24 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Online savings account for 17 yr old?
Replies: 6
Views: 722

Online savings account for 17 yr old?

I was trying to open an online savings account at Ally for our 17 yr old, when I realized that she had to be at least 18 to do so. She has 2k sitting in a credit union account earning miniscule interest.

I don't want to open a UTMA account. It appears that only CapitalOne 360 has the option for an online savings account for the under-18 crowd. Is this correct? Are there other options to keep things simple beyond just waiting for her to turn 18?

Thanks.
by Material Guy
Fri Aug 17, 2018 1:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Is President Jimmy Carter a Boglehead?
Replies: 22
Views: 2402

Is President Jimmy Carter a Boglehead?

A fascinating portrait of how President Jimmy Carter lives today in Plains, Georgia. The un-celebrity president Jimmy Carter shuns riches, lives modestly in his Georgia hometown "With book income and the $210,700 annual pension all former presidents receive, the Carters live comfortably. But his books have never fetched the massive sums commanded by more recent presidents. Carter has been an ex-president for 37 years, longer than anyone else in history. His simple lifestyle is increasingly rare in this era .... Carter is the only president in the modern era to return full-time to the house he lived in before he entered politics — a two-bedroom rancher assessed at $167,000, less than the value of the armored Secret Service vehicles park...
by Material Guy
Wed Aug 01, 2018 9:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: WiFi router
Replies: 46
Views: 55736

Re: WiFi router

Google WiFi users:

Are you limited in terms of maximum WiFi speeds if you have gigabit internet? I am looking to replace an Apple Airport Extreme and this was one of the limitations mentioned online.

In other words, if you have gigabit internet, which mesh system is the best for maximum (AC) WiFi speeds?
by Material Guy
Mon May 14, 2018 2:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: College laptop for fall 2018 freshman
Replies: 82
Views: 7979

Re: College laptop for fall 2018 freshman

Buy a Mac.

I'm still using a 2011 Macbook Air bought refurbished at home. Its used daily. Still trying to find a reason to replace it, though it is getting a bit slow now and the wifi card is not the latest ac. Never had an issue.

My son did buy a Dell since he wanted a gaming computer when he went to college. But we have had to replace it twice in three years. I have had bad luck with Dells (from Costco no less with 3 going bad).

I have been very happy with the HP Elitebooks at work but they may be overkill for school.

As others have mentioned, whatever it is, make sure it has a solid-state drive and preferably a dedicated video card.
by Material Guy
Thu May 10, 2018 8:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund as substitute for Total International Stock Fund?
Replies: 33
Views: 6450

Re: Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund as substitute for Total International Stock Fund?

nisiprius: Interesting observation, and something I was not aware of. I always thought one needed to rebalance at least yearly (or if AA drifts outside a range). But interesting point that the allocation drift is actually quite slow! Thanks. I will say that if you do decide to split into separate funds, with regard to "small adjustments every year," I think the need for this is often exaggerated. If the purpose of rebalancing is to keep the stock allocation from climbing out of one's risk tolerance zone, then I doubt that anybody can tell the difference between ±10% in stock allocation either way. For example, Vanguard only provides four LifeStrategy funds, with allocations of 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, and 20/80. Obviously they do not ...
by Material Guy
Thu May 10, 2018 3:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund as substitute for Total International Stock Fund?
Replies: 33
Views: 6450

Re: Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund as substitute for Total International Stock Fund?

Thanks, everyone, for the excellent and thoughtful responses. I will chew on the options for a bit but I'm in no hurry, which is always a good option, and also look a bit closely at the numbers. It is a low-to-mid six digit portfolio in the 401(k) and I will weigh the balance between complete hands off or small adjustments each year. As nisiprius said, the additional ER is in the noise range compared to daily fluctuations. I always like Taylor's simplicity factor, which is why I am in the Target Date Fund in the first place.
by Material Guy
Thu May 10, 2018 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund as substitute for Total International Stock Fund?
Replies: 33
Views: 6450

Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund as substitute for Total International Stock Fund?

Our 401(k) plan offers a nice selection of Vanguard funds, happily. I have mine in the Target Retirement 2035 Fund (0.14% ER). I would like to move this to the 3-Fund portfolio to lower the ER. We have Total Stock Index (0.04%) and Total Bond Index (0.05%). but we do not have access to the Total International Stock Index Fund, instead we have the Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund (0.07%).

Is the Developed Markets Fund a reasonable substitute for Total International? Or should I stick to TR 2035?

I could achieve my AA via a combination of my IRA and the 401(k).

I would appreciate your thoughts.
by Material Guy
Mon May 07, 2018 8:10 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: NYT article - 96 year old Brooklyn secretary...
Replies: 12
Views: 3144

96-Year-Old Secretary Quietly Amasses Fortune, Then Donates $8.2 Million

[Thread merged into here, see below. --admin LadyGeek]

Another interesting story of someone quietly building up wealth and leaving it to a good cause. Not many details on specific investments or what stocks.

96-Year-Old Secretary Quietly Amasses Fortune, Then Donates $8.2 Million
by Material Guy
Wed May 02, 2018 12:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: knee replacement - materials? [edited]
Replies: 9
Views: 1313

Re: knee replacement - materials?

As others have stated, you should talk to an orthopedic surgeon and they will run through your various options.

I am sure others on this forum who have received knee implants will be able to give you their experiences.

I will add that your knee implant will likely include both a metal alloy and a plastic.

The plastic part is usually a ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, UHMWPE.

Previously, stainless steel used to be the metal used, but no longer. These days it will likely be a titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V, to be technical) or a cobalt-chrome alloy.

There are newer, more expensive metal implants available including a zirconium alloy and tantalum (also trabecular tantalum) that are better and last longer.
by Material Guy
Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Equifax customer information leak
Replies: 711
Views: 96721

Re: Equifax customer information leak

Simple question that does not seem to have been addressed anywhere:
Why was the information on the Equifax servers NOT ENCRYPTED?
by Material Guy
Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:47 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help with college choice
Replies: 125
Views: 11616

Re: Help with college choice

Easy choice: Vanderbilt.

DS currently attends Vanderbilt as an undergraduate and loves it. The campus is beautiful and Nashville is a great town. There is enough of an Asian student population, both directly from Asia as well as Asian-American, on campus. There are students from every state and many countries.

The campus itself is very liberal, as is Nashville to a large extent. Can't say the same about the rest of the state but that should not affect him.
by Material Guy
Sun Mar 05, 2017 6:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Oil Change Advice Honda CR-V
Replies: 40
Views: 25347

Re: Oil Change Advice Honda CR-V

Honda CR-V owner for almost 10 years now. I specifically talked to the dealer about oil changes and have had discussions with a Honda mechanic. Here are recommendations for a new Honda. (1) Follow the oil change minder/indicator. It takes the quality of the oil into account, not just mileage. 15% is a good indication to change the oil. (2) The oil that comes with the new Honda has a special composition and lasts longer than the regular oil. Again follow the oil change indicator in the car. (3) If it goes past 1 year, I would change the oil, even if mileage is low. (4) Preferably, do not use synthetics, just regular oil. (5) After many experiments, I now get oil changes done at the dealership. They sometimes have coupons and there is a bit o...
by Material Guy
Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: New YouTube TV Service $35 per month
Replies: 43
Views: 7391

New YouTube TV Service $35 per month

This could be a game changer for TV cord cutters and for people wanting to get rid of cable TV. YouTube has announced a $35 per month TV subscription service with local channels and DVR to be available later this year.
by Material Guy
Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you clear your inbox?
Replies: 49
Views: 6137

Re: Do you clear your inbox?

I suspect that the folks who keep their inbox empty are the same ones who keep their desk clean, and the ones who let items linger in their inbox have lots of stuff on their desk as well. Either style can work if it fits your personality. I'm firmly in the large inbox/messy desk camp myself. I think you are absolutely right. My work inbox typically has fewer than 10 emails at any time, and these tend to be to-do items. I occasionally reach zero. My gmail inbox has fewer than 5 most of the time though I do use the tabbed inbox with Social, Promotions, Updates, but these also tend to have close to zero emails. I do have a good system of folders and tags. I cannot stand having any clutter on my desk. It has to be absolutely clear. This also a...
by Material Guy
Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:03 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: HAPPY 93RD BIRTHDAY, TAYLOR!
Replies: 199
Views: 20683

Re: HAPPY 93RD BIRTHDAY, TAYLOR!

Happy Birthday, Taylor!
by Material Guy
Tue Nov 08, 2016 12:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: India to Replace Largest Bank Notes
Replies: 20
Views: 3767

India to Replace Largest Bank Notes

A sudden move by the Indian government and central bank. This is certain to shake things up and will keep the Indian stock markets volatile for some time. http://www.wsj.com/articles/india-to-phase-out-current-500-and-1000-rupee-bank-notes-1478619693 India to Replace Largest Bank Notes Country plans to fight counterfeiting by replacing old bills with new 500- and 2000-rupee notes In a surprise announcement on prime-time television Tuesday night, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country will replace its largest-denomination bank notes with newly designed ones, in a move aimed at thwarting counterfeiting and curbing corruption. The new 500- and 2,000-rupee notes, worth $7.50 and $30 respectively, will begin to circulate soon, offi...
by Material Guy
Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: which engineering major for renewables
Replies: 62
Views: 10253

Re: which engineering major for renewables

I would highly recommend a Materials Science & Engineering (MS&E) undergraduate degree for getting into the field of renewables. Zecht touched upon this in his post and made the excellent point that there are many routes to get to broad field of renewables. Considering the original question posted by the OP's son of wanting to study "The harvesting, storage, delivery and further development of renewable energy sources and how to improve efficiencies in this area," arguably materials are critical to this endeavor. Materials science touches every aspect of harvesting and generating energy (wind, solar, tides, nuclear), storing and delivering energy (batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors), and developing new sources. Improvi...
by Material Guy
Mon Oct 03, 2016 2:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Routers!! are driving me crazy
Replies: 33
Views: 5439

Re: Routers!! are driving me crazy

Highly recommend the Apple Airport Extreme.
http://www.apple.com/airport-extreme/
by Material Guy
Tue Sep 06, 2016 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Alternatives to Quicken 2016?
Replies: 58
Views: 17127

Re: Alternatives to Quicken 2016?

We got Mac Quicken last December at my insistence and moved from a previous Windows version. My DW who is an accountant and manages our day-to-day finances hated the Mac version. A recent update messed up previous reconciliations. She got mad and recently transferred everything to Quickbooks (which is a story in itself), which she regularly uses for work. She appears to be very happy with the move though she is still adjusting the accounts and the setup. Obviously, a move to Quickbooks is not for everyone--you need someone well-versed in it to set it up and also you need access to Quickbooks. I am learning to enter transactions etc. leaving the reconciliations and more complex stuff to her. To the previous poster with the macs, if you alrea...
by Material Guy
Tue Jan 26, 2016 3:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Deducting a desk exercise bike in tax return
Replies: 3
Views: 957

Re: Deducting a desk exercise bike in tax return

Thanks, Toons, sounds like this could be a deduction, but ideally one would want a written recommendation from the Doctor for the desk exercise bike in case the IRS questions the deduction.