Search found 605 matches
- Mon Mar 25, 2024 2:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Retired but low income
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2509
Re: Retired but low income
I don't think you need a plan--that sounds like you are waiting for just the right moment--a right moment that may or may not ever arrive. All you reallly need to do is take your money and buy a low cost stock market and bond market index fund with it. The Boglehead wiki will steer your right there. The only thing that the Boglehead wiki can't really decide for you is your risk tolerance. Are you the kind of person that can sleep at night if the stock market had a bad day or month or year? Maybe. Maybe not. If you don't know the answer to that, start very conservatively and then adjust the ratios as you gain confidence. Maybe 10% or 20% in a stock market index fund and the rest in a bond market index fund for a year or two until you feel co...
- Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:52 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Looking for advice on unhappy experience in VG short term bond fund
- Replies: 67
- Views: 5674
Re: Looking for advice on unhappy experience in VG short term bond fund
Maybe a bond fund with a shorter duration? There are bond ETF's out there with durations of around 6 months or 3 months or 1 month. XHLF looks like a bargain. Other suggestion would be to just buy a secondary market t-bill with the bond side of your portfolio for a duration that matures just before your annual draw. That's what I do. So, for example, I take my annual draw on 2/1. Right after I took my annual draw last year, I used all of my bond money to buy a secondary market t-bill that matured just before 2/1, took my draw, and then bought another t-bill with the remainder that matures just before 2/1 again next year. Simple stuff. Will I get killed by high inflation? Maybe, but it won't be that painful--it's only for a period of a year ...
- Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:56 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Equiy Indexed Annuity using retirement money
- Replies: 28
- Views: 1903
Re: Equiy Indexed Annuity using retirement money
Your advisor is pushing bad products on you. You've signed on with the wrong advisor.
- Wed Mar 06, 2024 1:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: the psychological value of "paycheck replacement." Any role for annuities or TIPS ladders?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 6529
Re: the psychological value of "paycheck replacement." Any role for annuities or TIPS ladders?
I would rule out any insurance product for regular income. A SPIA deserves serious consideration if you are in danger of running out of money before you die. That is not where you are right now. Ladders are fine for regular income, but they are more work than holding an index fund or two. Not worth it, IMO. What I would suggest is that you experiment on yourself. You don't need to resolve the "paycheck replacement" quandry overnight. Try the simple solution first--withdraw from your portfolio as often as you need to for it to still feel like a paycheck. If that doesn't solve the problem, circle back to it in a year or two and try something else. All the great ideas and opinions on this forum can sometimes make you overthink--and t...
- Wed Mar 06, 2024 7:06 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: the psychological value of "paycheck replacement." Any role for annuities or TIPS ladders?
- Replies: 54
- Views: 6529
Re: the psychological value of "paycheck replacement." Any role for annuities or TIPS ladders?
Have you already considered just withdrawing from your portfolio more frequently? There's no law that says that you can only withdraw from it just once a year. Maybe withdrawing from it once a month--or more--is more comforting for you and more similar to a traditional paycheck?
- Sun Mar 03, 2024 10:50 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Vanguard Wellesley
- Replies: 125
- Views: 18653
Re: Vanguard Wellesley
OP,
We don’t have magical investing powers here. No one does. If the markets go in the tank tomorrow, we’re all at their whims. If you’re really hooked on the idea of find a product that will pay you close to 5% annually long term, I would suggest shopping for a SPIA—that’s the only product, other than maybe a long term treasury or TIPS, that would offer you the kinds of guarantee you seek.
Wellesley and Wellington are great funds, but their management teams don’t possess any dark voodoo magic that will help them to avoid market storms. If you are OK with moving forward without a guarantee, then Wellesley is a fine choice, as would any allocation of one third stocks and two thirds bonds would be.
We don’t have magical investing powers here. No one does. If the markets go in the tank tomorrow, we’re all at their whims. If you’re really hooked on the idea of find a product that will pay you close to 5% annually long term, I would suggest shopping for a SPIA—that’s the only product, other than maybe a long term treasury or TIPS, that would offer you the kinds of guarantee you seek.
Wellesley and Wellington are great funds, but their management teams don’t possess any dark voodoo magic that will help them to avoid market storms. If you are OK with moving forward without a guarantee, then Wellesley is a fine choice, as would any allocation of one third stocks and two thirds bonds would be.
- Wed Feb 28, 2024 1:29 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Absolute cheapest "total stock" ETFs
- Replies: 54
- Views: 7385
Re: Absolute cheapest "total stock" ETFs
"Cheapest" does not necessarily mean the fund with the lowest expense ratio, at least not in a taxable account. You would want to look to see how much each fund typically loses to taxes as well each year. Last time I checked, Vanguard products had the edge here, despite other funds having a lower expense ratio.
- Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Floating an Unusual 529 Strategy
- Replies: 38
- Views: 3154
Re: Floating an Unusual 529 Strategy
Isn’t there a $35k lifetime limit on the Roth IRA rollover aspect of a 529 now? I didn’t see that mentioned and it sure looks like you’ll have to tangle with that limit somehow down the road since you’ve done such an awesome job of saving for them so far.
- Thu Feb 08, 2024 2:13 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Lost in Numbers Moving to Fidelity, Raymond, or?
- Replies: 53
- Views: 4892
Re: Lost in Numbers Moving to Fidelity, Raymond, or?
Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard are all good choices, as long as you use their very low cost index mutual funds and ETF's. All 3 also offer actively managed mutual funds and ETF's, so you have to be careful to choose investment products with very low expense ratios no matter where you go.
- Thu Feb 08, 2024 11:17 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Transition to ACA - Avoiding Health care Coverage gap
- Replies: 14
- Views: 986
Re: Transition to ACA - Avoiding Health care Coverage gap
Voluntary loss of employment is not considered a life event for ACA plans, meaning you will likely not be able to start coverage on any day of the year other than January 1. Get fired and you can start coverage February 1.
- Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:49 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Bad Debt - Sell Investments?
- Replies: 48
- Views: 3989
Re: Bad Debt - Sell Investments?
You can't make your current expenses work with a $75k a year job. You just can't. You need more income or fewer expenses or both. You need to make some kind of drastic change to keep your ship afloat. It's always painful to hear that, but that's where you are in life right now. Side gig seems like a reasonable option, since you are not willing to move to reduce the rent. Spending less on groceries may be enough to tip the scales into the green, but I doubt it.
- Wed Feb 07, 2024 9:13 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Requesting seasoned comments on info gathered from local investment advisor/friend...
- Replies: 30
- Views: 2328
Re: Requesting seasoned comments on info gathered from local investment advisor/friend...
Passive management is the way to go. Mutual funds are the way to go. You don't need to pay a manager. Since it sounds as if your father is very conservative, I would put most of the money in a t-bill index fund and the rest, if any, in a stock index fund. And that's it. All you really have to do is determine the ratio. If you father can't sleep at night knowing that any of his money is in the stock market, then just put it all in a t-bill index fund. If he can sleep with 10 or 20 or 40% in a stock market index fund and the rest in a t-bill index fund, then do that. That is all you have to do. If you want to get even more conservative, use Fidelity's CD ladder tool for all of the money--very simple stuff. Active management is not going to br...
- Tue Feb 06, 2024 2:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help! 25 Maxed out credit cards.....
- Replies: 268
- Views: 34504
Re: Help! 25 Maxed out credit cards.....
OP,
I just don't see change happening here. It's very rare that people change. It's even less likely when you are helping them to avoid the repercussions of not changing their ways. All you will do is drive yourself crazy--and drain your wallet--trying to "help" them. The only thing you have going for you here is that their habits aren't chemically addictive. Someone who spends $100 on tanning when they don't have two nickels to rub together isn't really interested in change. As long as they continue to string along food and shelter for themselves, I doubt that your input will be accepted. You can keep trying, but don't get your hopes up.
I just don't see change happening here. It's very rare that people change. It's even less likely when you are helping them to avoid the repercussions of not changing their ways. All you will do is drive yourself crazy--and drain your wallet--trying to "help" them. The only thing you have going for you here is that their habits aren't chemically addictive. Someone who spends $100 on tanning when they don't have two nickels to rub together isn't really interested in change. As long as they continue to string along food and shelter for themselves, I doubt that your input will be accepted. You can keep trying, but don't get your hopes up.
- Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:37 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Help! 25 Maxed out credit cards.....
- Replies: 268
- Views: 34504
Re: Help! 25 Maxed out credit cards.....
Your stepson has an addiction—thankfully, it is not fentanyl or heroin, or opioids, but it is an addiction just the same. The sooner you can look in the mirror and say this to yourself, the sooner you can get on to trying to find him professional help.
Sadly, money and credit discipline problems don’t get the same respect that drug problems do in our society. There isn’t a lot of infrastructure in place for dealing with them. But, by at least admitting to yourself that his problems are far larger than you can help with, it will allow you to turn the corner and to start looking for professional help for him instead of wasting your time thinking you can help him.
Sadly, money and credit discipline problems don’t get the same respect that drug problems do in our society. There isn’t a lot of infrastructure in place for dealing with them. But, by at least admitting to yourself that his problems are far larger than you can help with, it will allow you to turn the corner and to start looking for professional help for him instead of wasting your time thinking you can help him.
- Fri Feb 02, 2024 10:59 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Military FIRE Check-in: Hit $1M, 5yrs to FIRE
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2817
Re: Military FIRE Check-in: Hit $1M, 5yrs to FIRE
OP, what happens if you die? Is the "...up to 55%..." survivor benefit enough for your family to carry on? Do you have a lot of life insurance? I think you're plan looks fine, but I didn't hear a lot about what happens if you die. Is the plan built for that possibility?
- Thu Feb 01, 2024 1:37 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Bonds, again
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1245
Re: Bonds, again
When interest rates fall, you will recoup your losses. I would not sell until that happens, no matter how long it takes. If you want bonds that are not as sensitive to interest rate changes as the fund you currently have, you will need to purchase a fund with a much shorter duration.
- Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:29 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Social Security: "You Have Earnings Not Covered By Social Security"
- Replies: 39
- Views: 4809
Re: Social Security: "You Have Earnings Not Covered By Social Security"
Sounds like the TA job was long ago, so likely no easy way to double check if you indeed did not contribute to SS while in that position. If SS is in error, of course, you'll want to contact about them. If they are not in error, then you'll want to make sure you familiarize yourself with WEP. WEP can be a very nasty surprise if your SS benefits are unexpectly affected by it.
- Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:30 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Homeowner's liability for fallen tree?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3490
Re: Homeowner's liability for fallen tree?
In Ohio, where I live, tree cleanup and damage is the responsibility of the person who was the victim as long as there isn't any negligence on the part of the tree owner. Had a tree in my yard fall on both my house and my neighbor's house last spring. My insurance was not involved in the damage to the neighbor's house or the removal of the parts of the tree that were in their yard from their yard in any way.
- Mon Jan 29, 2024 8:55 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Question on claiming a qualified education expense.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 493
Re: Question on claiming a qualified education expense.
Sounds like the 1099-Q is not reported on the mother's tax return and that she just needs to keep it and the receipts for those purchases in case the IRS inquires about it. Does that sound right?
- Mon Jan 29, 2024 6:44 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Question on claiming a qualified education expense.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 493
Question on claiming a qualified education expense.
Mother has 529 plan for child. Mother purchased laptop and books for college for child--all expenses that should qualify. Mother took distribution for purchase from 529 plan to reimburse herself for the purchase even though she is not the beneficiary of the 529 plan. Wondering how to deal with that on mother's income taxes and the child's income taxes, if at all.
- Thu Jan 25, 2024 7:41 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: 20% bond allocation: BND or US treasury note better?
- Replies: 28
- Views: 3053
Re: 20% bond allocation: BND or US treasury note better?
It all depends on what you want from your bonds. If you want to make as much money from them as possible because you believe there will be long periods of time when they outperform stocks, then you want long term bonds. If you want them to remain unscathed when the stock market is tanking, you want very short government bonds. If you want a little of both, then you want intermediate bonds. There's no right answer--you just want to select the bonds that are the most appropriate for what your brain wants from them.
- Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Just got laid off
- Replies: 120
- Views: 16232
Re: Just got laid off
I had 28 years in at an employer when I got let go. The important thing is to not do anything rash in the next few weeks. Don’t burn any bridges. Sometimes the company’s fortunes turn around. Sometimes the person that decided you were the one to go gets let go themselves. But, most importantly, it’s not personal. It’s just business, for better or for worse. It just takes a couple of weeks to get your head wrapped around that kind of thing.
- Sun Jan 21, 2024 9:04 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: How to prove that I am not losing money with bond funds?
- Replies: 118
- Views: 15091
Re: How to prove that I am not losing money with bond funds?
PV does indeed calculate real returns. You just have to click on the little “I” icon to the right of the nominal return to see it.lazynovice wrote: ↑Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:25 am Use Porttfolio Visualizer. Choose your fund and choose a time period that matches the average maturity. Make sure it is set to reinvest dividends.
https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/bac ... RXDnGOU4ZJ
It calculates nominal returns only, not real.
- Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:40 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Retirement Wthdrawal Services
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1889
Re: Retirement Wthdrawal Services
I would just let the person I chose to handle medical decisions for me when I can’t do it handle withdrawals for me. If you keep your investments super simple and express your wishes in writing to this person, I don’t think it would be too difficult for them. That path might be somewhat fraught with peril, but I can’t think of a better option at the moment. I’m only in my 50’s, but I already have a complete “this is what to do if I am incapacitated or dead” document on Google docs that I share with all the interested parties.
- Sat Jan 20, 2024 8:09 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Retirement Wthdrawal Services
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1889
Re: Retirement Wthdrawal Services
If you have IRA or Roth at Vanguard and just one fund in it, you can turn on automated RMD function. Can’t think of a way to do that for a non-retirement account, though, other than to buy a SPIA with the whole thing.
- Fri Jan 19, 2024 2:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Finally got a Will. Now a trust?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1433
Re: Finally got a Will. Now a trust?
In my experience, re-titling property to the trust at the time the trust is created is not onerous. The lawyers usually handle that. What is tiresome is titling property to the trust after the trust is created, like that new car or boat you are going to buy 4 years from now.
Main advantage of a living recovable trust is that everything in it bypasses probate, saving the heirs time and money. If probate is not a big deal in your state, likely not worth the time and expense to set up a trust. Also, if you don't own a lot of assets with a title (house, car, boat, etc.) also no real reason to create a trust.
Main advantage of a living recovable trust is that everything in it bypasses probate, saving the heirs time and money. If probate is not a big deal in your state, likely not worth the time and expense to set up a trust. Also, if you don't own a lot of assets with a title (house, car, boat, etc.) also no real reason to create a trust.
- Fri Jan 19, 2024 1:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Windows laptop for student, good battery life, mid level
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1698
Re: Windows laptop for student, good battery life, mid level
You sure battery life is important? Every college classroom I've been in over the past couple of years is now loaded with electrical outlets. It is not uncommon for every seat to have one.
- Tue Jan 16, 2024 7:01 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Choosing between DIY and Financial Advisor
- Replies: 67
- Views: 6948
Re: Choosing between DIY and Financial Advisor
I think DIY is the way to go. Only advice I think is worth paying for would be a fee only fiduciary to draw up a plan. That’s maybe $500 once in a lifetime unless you have big unexpected changes down the road, but I think even that is a stretch. Use low cost index funds and all the legal tax breaks Uncle Sam allows (and there are only a handful) and you’ll come out way ahead. Keep the plan super simple and write it down and share it with those that you trust so they can stick to it when you’re no longer capable of running it.
- Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Structuring small income stream for my sister - trust?
- Replies: 2
- Views: 385
Re: Structuring small income stream for my sister - trust?
Buy her a SPIA.
- Fri Jan 12, 2024 12:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Electric Heat Pump / Mini Split vs Natural Gas Furnace in Cold Weather
- Replies: 68
- Views: 8382
Re: Electric Heat Pump / Mini Split vs Natural Gas Furnace in Cold Weather
I live in NE Ohio. I have an air source heat pump. Installed 2 years ago. It is able to heat the entire house in winter. Summer cooling has not been a problem either, but the ceiling fans generally get a lot of use in the summer, too.
- Mon Jan 08, 2024 1:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Berkshire Hathoway (BRK.B) stock
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3068
Re: Berkshire Hathoway (BRK.B) stock
I would consider VIGAX instead. More diversity, but some dividends, although not that much.
- Mon Jan 08, 2024 1:45 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Is only maxing out a 401k and IRA "enough"?
- Replies: 55
- Views: 8612
Re: Is only maxing out a 401k and IRA "enough"?
If you want to be able to retire before you can access your tax advantaged funds without penalty(likely 55 for your 401k and 59.5 for your IRA), you'll need to have some money saved that isn't in a tax advantaged account. But, yes, other than that, it is just that simple, as long are you are investing in index funds with the biggest chunk in stocks you can stand and can continue to max out your tax advantaged account contributions up until you have enough to retire--at least you'll have done your part--the rest is up to the markets.
- Sun Jan 07, 2024 10:18 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Looking for a good multi-purpose tablet
- Replies: 49
- Views: 6200
Re: Looking for a good multi-purpose tablet
The 2023 versions of the Onn tablets that Walmart sells work just fine and get the job done. Recommend them over the Amazon Fire tablets because they run straight up Android.
Personally, if I wanted a smallish tablet, I would just buy a cheap unactivated prepaid phone like a Samsung A03s for Tracfone for $50 and use it.
Personally, if I wanted a smallish tablet, I would just buy a cheap unactivated prepaid phone like a Samsung A03s for Tracfone for $50 and use it.
- Sun Jan 07, 2024 7:23 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Real Estate Windfall Amid Family Drama
- Replies: 96
- Views: 17387
Re: Real Estate Windfall Amid Family Drama
Yeah…you can always say no to an inheritance or transfer if you want to. They aren’t always a good thing. They can’t just stick you with these problems if you don’t want them.
- Fri Jan 05, 2024 1:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: looking to buy a new laptop
- Replies: 58
- Views: 7663
Re: looking to buy a new laptop
Unless you are using software that is very CPU intensive, you don't really need to worry about hardware specs too much anymore like you used to. SSD's, and now their M.2 descendants, have pretty much made every machine that employs them suitably fast for the average user. Biggest concerns in a laptop would be display quality and fan noise. Hard to beat a HP Pavilion Plus with an OLED display on either of those counts. You can get into one for about $800. But, just about any $400 15" laptop is gonna be pretty satisfactory performance wise for the average user these days, especially if it has a keyboard feel that you like and an IPS full HD display.
- Thu Jan 04, 2024 12:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Devices to Increase Hand-Grip Strength
- Replies: 49
- Views: 8025
Re: Devices to Increase Hand-Grip Strength
Gripmaster works really well. It it a guitar finger strenghtener.
- Thu Jan 04, 2024 12:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Board Games for Two in 2024
- Replies: 53
- Views: 7083
Re: Board Games for Two in 2024
Lost Cities the card game
Patchwork
Codenames Duet
All 3 are winners.
Patchwork
Codenames Duet
All 3 are winners.
- Wed Jan 03, 2024 6:50 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Pros and cons of rolling over a 401(k) to an IRA
- Replies: 30
- Views: 4283
Re: Pros and cons of rolling over a 401(k) to an IRA
Biggest CON I can think of is that most 401k's allow you to start making penalty free withdrawals at age 55 while you have to wait until 59.5 to do so with an IRA.
- Sun Dec 31, 2023 8:30 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: love your tablet?
- Replies: 63
- Views: 6273
Re: love your tablet?
The Dex feature on some Samsung phones does not get enough love. OP, you should check that out a little.
Personally, I think the file management is where most tablets fall short. But, if you don’t do any of that, an iPad on a standing desk with a full sized Bluetooth keyboard and mouse is a fairly agreeable setup.
Personally, I think the file management is where most tablets fall short. But, if you don’t do any of that, an iPad on a standing desk with a full sized Bluetooth keyboard and mouse is a fairly agreeable setup.
- Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: retirement laptop?
- Replies: 146
- Views: 14282
Re: retirement laptop?
6-7 years of support from a Chromebook feels fine to me. Does not sound like you need anything more than that.
- Tue Dec 26, 2023 3:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: buying first T Bill on my own
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2104
Re: buying first T Bill on my own
Vanguard acts as a broker for 2nd hand t-bills. Kinda sounds like you think that the US treasury website or phone support would be involved with a purchase at Vanguard. That is not the case. Everything happens within Vanguard’s website.
- Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Post-minivan options
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2540
Re: Post-minivan options
Kia Palisade
- Sat Dec 23, 2023 8:54 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What to do with Emergency fund
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3830
Re: What to do with Emergency fund
$200k seems like way too much in an emergency fund. What kind of emergency could you possibly have that costs you that much? Can’t be house or car—you have insurance for those. Health—nope, have to have insurance for that too. That only leaves job loss and you would likely get severance or unemployment for that, right? Death would probably be a biggie, but you have term life insurance as appropriate, right?
It’s great that the EF is earning solid interest now, but that won’t last. Scale that fund down and put most of that money to work for you.
It’s great that the EF is earning solid interest now, but that won’t last. Scale that fund down and put most of that money to work for you.
- Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:05 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Investment advice for a 21 year old
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1564
Re: Investment advice for a 21 year old
Buy VOO or VTI—anytime she has money to do so—don’t worry about whether it is “high” or “low” at the time of purchase. Roth probably a better choice at this point in her life because her income is low and the tax refund is not large. I wouldn’t bother to convert any money she’s already placed in an IRA—having both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA will likely come in handy in her retirement years.
- Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:57 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Tv soundbar question
- Replies: 17
- Views: 1933
Re: Tv soundbar question
I would track down reviews in Consumer Reports. There are are a few good sound bars out there and a lot of lousy ones. And, contrary to popular belief, there are TV’s out there with decent sound, especially at the high end and 65” and larger sizes. Also keep in mind that many TV’s have Bluetooth built into them, which makes Bluetooth headphones an option with them.
- Thu Dec 21, 2023 2:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Need advice on whether CDs or ....?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 981
Re: Need advice on whether CDs or ....?
I've been sitting on mid-six figure cash, finally had time to look at what to do and rates on CDs are making me kick myself for losing out so much ground to both inflation plus 'what could have been' (CD accrual for the year). That being said, not wild about CDs being ordinary income for tax purposes at that $ amt to invest, might kick me into a different tax bracket. Trying to decide if there's something 'close to/like' the guaranteed return of a CD, being treated as dividend and/or long term capital gains for tax purposes, and that does not take on the pure volatility of regular stock market. No idea if this type of investment vehicle for tax treatment purposes exist, was thinking maybe something like an ETF that is tied to bonds or some...
- Wed Dec 20, 2023 1:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What is my problem with bond ETFs
- Replies: 42
- Views: 4103
Re: What is my problem with bond ETFs
I dislike bond etfs. I just feel better about buying bonds that I know I can hold to maturity to get my entire principle back even if rates rise. In my view, bond funds have a terrible drawback of not offering the holder the same opportunity. I guess with short term funds it is less of an issue. Anyone else hate bond funds for this reason? Who thinks bond funds rock and I'm completely missing the point? My guess is that you are down on bond funds because interest rates have been rising the past couple of years. You will think bonds funds are the best thing ever when interest rates are dropping. This is the nature of any bond fund. Over a long period of time, an inexpensive bond index fund performs the same as buying individual bonds, but i...
- Wed Dec 20, 2023 6:35 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Elephant in the room? No savings at retirement?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3233
Re: Elephant in the room? No savings at retirement?
What happens when the majority of people that seem to have little to zero retirement savings reach retirement age? Massive increases on capital gains and tax increases for the savers? Will social security cover these people or are they going out in the streets? I find myself worrying about this buy now pay later thing becoming the straw that broke the camel’s back. I don't think there is a big wave coming. I think the percentage of folks retiring on only SS benefits has remained, and will remain, pretty steady. SS, is going to struggle if changes aren't made, but it isn't because the populace is more or less responsible than they used to be. It is because birthrates went way up for a while after WWII and have since fallen dramatically. SS ...
- Sat Dec 16, 2023 7:24 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Ideal Home PC Setup?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3903
Re: Ideal Home PC Setup?
Just buy a monitor or tv in the size you want and connect it to your laptop with a cheap HDMI cable. Haven’t seen a Windows laptop made in the past few years that didn’t have an HDMI output on it. Plenty of cheap 43”
4k TV’s out that that work perfectly fine as a large laptop monitor. Plenty of really nice monitors out there too like the Asus ProArt series. You can easily connect a keyboard and mouse to that laptop, too. No real reason to replace the laptop unless it too slow with what you use it for.
4k TV’s out that that work perfectly fine as a large laptop monitor. Plenty of really nice monitors out there too like the Asus ProArt series. You can easily connect a keyboard and mouse to that laptop, too. No real reason to replace the laptop unless it too slow with what you use it for.
- Sat Dec 16, 2023 7:53 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: First time job options for a woman in her early 50s
- Replies: 49
- Views: 11066
Re: First time job options for a woman in her early 50s
Public library job, especially one that has a pension—many do.