Search found 452 matches
- Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:01 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Withdrawing Roth for Down Payment
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1097
Re: Withdrawing Roth for Down Payment
Just to clear up any confusion, there are absolutely situations in which taxes/penalties apply to distributions from a Roth account. This is explained in detail by the IRS here.
- Wed Jan 02, 2019 12:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Withdrawing Roth for Down Payment
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1097
Re: Withdrawing Roth for Down Payment
Thank you for the feedback. Good to see that others agree I should leave the Roth alone. You can withdraw from a Roth without any reason. Prior contributions may be withdrawn at any time, but any amount above that (i.e., asset returns) may be subject to an additional tax/penalty. And pay off the stu...
- Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Moving to online banking (Ally)
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2473
Re: Moving to online banking (Ally)
I use Ally and I've been very happy with them. I like receiving a higher interest rate and the reimbursement on ATM withdrawals. Some of my coworkers have switched over the years. They tell me the process of switching banks is a pain in the butt, but they're happy they did it. So, I would say go for...
- Tue Jan 01, 2019 9:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Withdrawing Roth for Down Payment
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1097
Withdrawing Roth for Down Payment
I'm in contract to purchase a condo. In the next couple weeks I need to provide about $125,000 in cash for the down payment. I have about 145,000 in taxable accounts (checking and brokerage). I also have about $100,000 in my Roth account. Since this is a first time home purchase, I understand this i...
- Tue Jan 01, 2019 2:34 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Total world allocation?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 880
Re: Total world allocation?
I generally look at the Vanguard Total World Stock ETF (VT) for the allocation. It tracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index. You can find the allocation for the most recent month's end here here . I'm sure there are other more precise or up-to-date ways to find this information, but I've found this appr...
- Sun Nov 04, 2018 4:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Buy house without agent
- Replies: 55
- Views: 5098
Re: Buy house without agent
Or, the agent wasted OP's time by showing houses OP wasn't interested in purchasing. If OP found the house on their own then I don't see any reason to pay the agent.
- Tue Aug 21, 2018 4:08 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What should I do with my pension lump sum?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1344
Re: What should I do with my pension lump sum?
Consider taking it as an annuity?
- Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Cash Balance Pension to non-COLA Annuity
- Replies: 2
- Views: 462
Re: Cash Balance Pension to non-COLA Annuity
Yes. You usually get a better-than-market deal on the annuity if you do it within the plan.
- Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:15 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Please - Need Help With Pension Plan Options
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1354
Re: Please - Need Help With Pension Plan Options
As another poster already commented, these are likely all equivalent in terms of value. I think you should pick the option that makes the most sense for your situation. Probably options (1), (2), or (3). The level income options don't seem to do a very good job of leveling out your income if they ar...
- Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Mega Backdoor Roth: automatic quarterly Roth In-plan conversion and transfer to private Roth IRA
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1849
Re: Mega Backdoor Roth: automatic quarterly Roth In-plan conversion and transfer to private Roth IRA
tax-wise, i don't believe there is any difference between an in-plan conversion versus a rollover to your personal Roth IRA. You have a bit more control in the Roth IRA but you may also have slightly higher expense ratios that way. I realize most expect that the expense ratios will be higher in the ...
- Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Pension Lump Sum: Short-term bonds?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 2423
Re: Pension Lump Sum: Short-term bonds?
Do you have to take it as a lump sum now?
- Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Heart Rate Monitors Fitbit vs. Garmin
- Replies: 33
- Views: 3541
Re: Heart Rate Monitors Fitbit vs. Garmin
i love my Garmin Fenix 3. Would absolutely buy another Garmin.
No experience with Fitbit.
No experience with Fitbit.
- Thu Jul 05, 2018 12:04 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Are options, futures good investments?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2396
Re: Are options, futures good investments?
I agree with this. Triple leveraged funds are almost certainly a terrible idea. The leverage resets daily. That makes long-term losses almost a certainty -- it's just the way the math works out. You should never buy one of these for more than a day. Without advocating that investors use 3x leverage...
- Sat Jun 30, 2018 9:57 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Are options, futures good investments?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 2396
Re: Are options, futures good investments?
Options and futures are useful IMO. Boglehead purists will never own either and that's fine too. I don't see any constructive use for a triple leveraged ETF for an individual investor. If you're just starting out, I would encourage you not to overthink it, because you don't have the knowledge base ...
- Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Reason for Airlines horrible ticket policy
- Replies: 32
- Views: 2544
Re: Reason for Airlines horrible ticket policy
It's not a free market.
Imagine if passengers could sell their tickets back to the airlines or to other passengers.
Imagine if passengers could sell their tickets back to the airlines or to other passengers.
- Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:19 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: New York Times on current yield curve as powerful signal of recession
- Replies: 44
- Views: 4759
Re: New York Times on current yield curve as powerful signal of recession
The current yield curve is not inverted.
Maybe I'm missing something?
Maybe I'm missing something?
- Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Self-insuring for healthcare - how would you invest
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3850
Re: Self-insuring for healthcare - how would you invest
I'd pay for a health insurance policy and invest the rest in stocks/bonds.
- Wed Mar 21, 2018 4:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Cash Balance Defined Benefit Plan
- Replies: 26
- Views: 4065
Re: Cash Balance Defined Benefit Plan
Thanks for a great thread! Wanted to follow up with a couple questions here. ... the firm will terminate it within 5-7 years after establishing the plan, thus giving the partners the ability to perform such a rollover (presumably for some, into a qualified account ... * Already max out all other ta...
- Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:07 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Interactive Brokers IB Key Exasperations?!
- Replies: 5
- Views: 936
Re: Interactive Brokers IB Key Exasperations?!
I haven't tried to remove any funds yet. I'm still able to log into the web interface with my PC though.
- Fri Mar 16, 2018 1:36 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Interactive Brokers IB Key Exasperations?!
- Replies: 5
- Views: 936
Re: Interactive Brokers IB Key Exasperations?!
I find the new key, the one that is integrated with the trading app, to be better than the prior solution.
- Sat Mar 10, 2018 6:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Rent Vs. Buy Spreadsheet
- Replies: 1
- Views: 531
Rent Vs. Buy Spreadsheet
Does anyone have a recommended spreadsheet for Rent vs. Buy decisions that has been updated for tax reform? I'm looking for one that takes into account the cap on property tax deductions and the new limitation on interest deductions for loans larger than $750,000.
- Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:09 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
- Replies: 42
- Views: 6687
- Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:47 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
- Replies: 42
- Views: 6687
Re: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
Thanksdesafinado wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:46 pmXIV is based off VIX futures, not the spot VIX. So a large change in the spot VIX wouldn't necessarily drive it to zero.
- Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:47 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
- Replies: 42
- Views: 6687
Re: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
potentially stupid question here... VIX was up more than 100% today. Doesn't it make sense XIV would go to zero? Nevermind. looks like this is linked to VIX futures, not the index itself. Apparently the futures on VIX didn't go up 100% today. Quite a bit less actually. But yeah, seems like somethin...
- Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:45 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
- Replies: 42
- Views: 6687
Re: Inverse VIX ETN down 80% after hours
potentially stupid question here...
VIX was up more than 100% today. Doesn't it make sense XIV would go to zero?
VIX was up more than 100% today. Doesn't it make sense XIV would go to zero?
- Thu Feb 01, 2018 2:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Wireless Earbuds For Running (Updates for 2018?)
- Replies: 36
- Views: 3551
Re: Wireless Earbuds For Running (Updates for 2018?)
Bone Conduction.
Several of the members in my running group use Aftershokz. I understand you can still hear ambient noise (since your ear isn't covered) and the sound quality is "good enough".
EDIT: Supposedly these are good for biking too.
Several of the members in my running group use Aftershokz. I understand you can still hear ambient noise (since your ear isn't covered) and the sound quality is "good enough".
EDIT: Supposedly these are good for biking too.
- Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:59 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Who is buying 20 and 30 year bonds?
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2707
Re: Who is buying 20 and 30 year bonds?
I think you underestimate the portion of the market that is held by large institutional pension investors.
- Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:56 pm
- Forum: US Chapters
- Topic: What are some good, older threads?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3437
Re: What are some good, older threads?
A different approach to asset allocation
Econ student levers his portfolio to the max right before the 2008 crash based on advice from this book. Doubles down as things start to turn south. Slowly crawls his way back.
It's a great read.
Econ student levers his portfolio to the max right before the 2008 crash based on advice from this book. Doubles down as things start to turn south. Slowly crawls his way back.
It's a great read.
- Sat Jan 13, 2018 4:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Men's MUST iron dress shirt recommendations
- Replies: 49
- Views: 7257
Re: Men's MUST iron dress shirt recommendations
I like the "Hyde Park" shirts at Lands End, but in mu experience they need to be tailored. Too much fabric, even on the "tailored" fit version.
- Sat Dec 30, 2017 12:58 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Quarter end last minute sell-off again! How to leverage as much as possible next time?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1480
Re: Quarter end last minute sell-off again! How to leverage as much as possible next time?
Sell futures or purchase some out of the money puts.
Enjoy your 100% guaranteed return

Enjoy your 100% guaranteed return



- Wed Dec 27, 2017 7:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Buy And Hold Leveraged ETFs
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1134
Re: Buy And Hold Leveraged ETFs
What is less obvious is that if the market moves sideways, you also lose money, and at surprising speed . Bingo. Let's look at a quick example where the market goes up 10% in day one then down 9% in day two. In this example the market went up 1% over a 2 day period. Most would expect the 3x leverag...
- Wed Dec 27, 2017 6:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Buy And Hold Leveraged ETFs
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1134
Re: Buy And Hold Leveraged ETFs
Definitely do not do this. Most of these ETFs reset the leverage daily, which makes it nearly a mathematical certainty that your strategy will not work. Even the SEC and the fund managers advise against this strategy: https://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/leveragedetfs-alert.htm If you really want to le...
- Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:28 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: What is or was your target multiplier (_ x annual expenses) for retirement?
- Replies: 41
- Views: 6505
Re: What is or was your target multiplier (_ x annual expenses) for retirement?
Somewhere around 17-20 times expenses.
I don't know why you would need 50 or 85 times the annual expenditure. That seems like an unnecessarily large allocation of resources to me.
I don't know why you would need 50 or 85 times the annual expenditure. That seems like an unnecessarily large allocation of resources to me.
- Thu Dec 14, 2017 3:15 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: ESPP - Would you participate and what's your strategy
- Replies: 28
- Views: 4443
Re: ESPP - Would you participate and what's your strategy
max it out, sell, rinse and repeat.
- Wed Dec 13, 2017 5:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Thoughts on using safe-ish investments to buy S&P 500 on margin in December?
- Replies: 176
- Views: 8785
Re: Thoughts on using safe-ish investments to buy S&P 500 on margin in December?
If you want to use leverage, it probably makes sense to hold the position for longer than one day. Look into futures for a cheap way to do that.
-g$$
-g$$
- Wed Nov 15, 2017 4:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Previous employer terminating pension
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3152
Re: Previous employer terminating pension
Option 1-B is to DCA into annuitization...taking the lump, then later on, annuitizing a portion of it each year over a series of years. Please don't do this. Insurance contracts include a load for commission and for administrative fees. Why on earth would you want to pay that load multiple times? I...
- Wed Nov 15, 2017 2:20 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Previous employer terminating pension
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3152
Re: Previous employer terminating pension
Hello all, I just received a letter that one of my previous employers is going to be terminating their pension. They have offered lump sum payments 3 times since I left the company - which I've denied. The last time they offered, Nov 2012, the lump sum would have been $79052. Instead, I planned on ...
- Wed Nov 15, 2017 2:17 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Previous employer terminating pension
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3152
Re: Previous employer terminating pension
Please don't do this. Insurance contracts include a load for commission and for administrative fees. Why on earth would you want to pay that load multiple times?
- Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: cash balance pension - Advise
- Replies: 2
- Views: 517
Re: cash balance pension - Advise
Here are some very brief general comments about cash balance plans: Advantages: - Generally, the account cannot lose value. It can only increase. - You're earning an above average rate on the assets. Good luck finding a risk-free 3.87% per year in a savings account. - While the money is in the pensi...
- Thu Oct 19, 2017 11:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Lump Sum Pension Guidance
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1729
Re: Lump Sum Pension Guidance
This post may be useful for you.
- Tue Oct 17, 2017 10:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Another Pension Lump Sum Help Needed
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2070
Re: Another Pension Lump Sum Help Needed
Thank you. I did check immediate annuities and saw the same thing. Also saw that for a 65yo today you would need just shy of 400k to get 2161...or close to a 5.4% return for the next 20y. Seems like the annuity is pretty good, but then also I only see 3 rolling 20y periods less than 5% and they wer...
- Tue Oct 10, 2017 2:33 pm
- Forum: US Chapters
- Topic: Bogleheads you would most like to meet and why?
- Replies: 134
- Views: 15627
- Wed Sep 27, 2017 2:41 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Help me evaluate my pension
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1632
Re: Help me evaluate my pension
I think it's entirely reasonable to include the PV of your accrued benefit in your asset allocation.
-g$$
- Wed Sep 06, 2017 3:11 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: "Moshe Milevsky on Tontines"
- Replies: 61
- Views: 9942
Re: "Moshe Milevsky on Tontines"
but not if the reluctance stems from a more fundamental dislike for the mortality credit aspect of the SPIA. personally, I think retirees dislike giving away control of their assets to an insurance company more than they dislike the idea of a "mortality credit". The author notes there may...
- Sat Aug 19, 2017 3:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: low cost one person DB plan
- Replies: 35
- Views: 5459
Re: low cost one person DB plan
actuary here. My advice would be to go through Schwab or get an actuary in your local area. These plans can be expensive but the tax savings make it worthwhile.
PS. I don't work at Schwab -- just know from experience that they do personal DB plans and they seem professional.
PS. I don't work at Schwab -- just know from experience that they do personal DB plans and they seem professional.
- Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:50 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What Major Companies are Not Included in Standard Vanguard Index Funds?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2864
Re: What Major Companies are Not Included in Standard Vanguard Index Funds?
Samsung was the #2 largest holding for vanguard total international as of 6/30/2017. https://personal.vanguard.com/us/funds/snapshot?FundId=0569&FundIntExt=INT#tab=2 Rank Holdings 1 Nestle SA 2 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. 3 Royal Dutch Shell plc 4 Novartis AG 5 Tencent Holdings Ltd. I doubt any...
- Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:56 pm
- Forum: US Chapters
- Topic: favorite bogleheads posts?
- Replies: 116
- Views: 31353
Re: favorite bogleheads posts?
I love that thread. Someone could probably print it out, bind the pages, and sell it as a novel. So good.LadyGeek wrote:I think you mean this one: A different approach to asset allocation
- Tue Apr 18, 2017 11:14 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 6732.80 Refund
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1121
Re: 6732.80 Refund
I agree that this sounds like a scam.
- Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:10 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Trip Ideas - San Francisco & Northern CA
- Replies: 31
- Views: 3890
Re: Trip Ideas - San Francisco & Northern CA
Lots of great ideas. I'll add one that I think hasn't been mentioned yet: Point Bonita Light House. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Bonita_Lighthouse Took me 15 years living in the Bay Area to "find" it :) This is a good suggestion. It is close to the city, has great views, and inte...
- Thu Mar 30, 2017 9:26 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Mega Backdoor: In-Plan vs Out-of-plan conversion
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2293
Re: Mega Backdoor: In-Plan vs Out-of-plan conversion
I've been trying to get this implemented at my megacorp. Can anyone share the name of an employer that already offers this option? I think a concrete example would go a long way with my employer.
-g$$
-g$$