Search found 97 matches
- Thu Jan 04, 2024 11:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Interior paints
- Replies: 47
- Views: 6361
Re: Interior paints
I’ve used a lot of BM Aura. It’s very expensive but it’s great to work with and the results are outstanding.
- Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Transfer Trad IRA from E*Trade/MS to VG for SEPP?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 338
Re: Transfer Trad IRA from E*Trade/MS to VG for SEPP?
Thank you to Alan S. for your thoughtful reply. You are correct that I could have used clearer writing to describe the situation! E*Trade/MS has changed their policy/forms this year (2023) and I'm getting ready to make my distribution for 2024 come January. So, indeed, I'm thankfully not in panic mode, just annoyed mode.
- Thu Dec 28, 2023 3:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Transfer Trad IRA from E*Trade/MS to VG for SEPP?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 338
Transfer Trad IRA from E*Trade/MS to VG for SEPP?
I'm 4 years into a SEPP program with 2 traditional IRAs at E*Trade. I noticed as I was preparing to fill out the forms for distribution this year that the 72(t)/SEPP option had disappeared from the form since the transition to Morgan Stanley. When I called, I was told that since the transition, they "no longer do" SEPP distributions. Now, I'm guessing that I could still do the distribution and file IRS 5329. But, given how happy (sarcasm) I've been with E*Trade customer service, I'm thinking I should transfer these 2 IRAs to Vanguard where the rest of my money lives.
Anyone have thoughts on this? Particularly those using Vanguard for SEPP distributions? Thanks.
Anyone have thoughts on this? Particularly those using Vanguard for SEPP distributions? Thanks.
- Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: BMW 330e and other PHEVs
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2033
Re: BMW 330e and other PHEVs
I have a 2022 530e bought new a year ago. Essentially the same powertrain with a bit larger body. I've been very happy with it, no issues other than a nasty pothole taking out a tire!
- Tue May 17, 2022 7:33 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Experience buying a new car recently?
- Replies: 122
- Views: 19862
Re: Experience buying a new car recently?
I used a site called www.kilter.com to track down the configuration of the BMW that I wanted, and which dealer(s) had it in stock. Worked very well for BMW in California, can't speak for other brands.
Data point for BMW, bought in California, March 21, 2022. Model: 2022 530e. Discount of $2k, plus $500 credit for using BMW financing (which I'll pay off in 4 months), plus California Clean Fuel Rebate (~$500) and ~$5300 Federal Tax Credit.
- Tue Apr 26, 2022 11:23 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: What short term treasury ETF are you using?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 726
- Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:09 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Googlefinance function is broken again
- Replies: 27
- Views: 2143
- Fri Mar 04, 2022 7:56 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Is Vanguard Site Down
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1464
Re: Is Vanguard Site Down
As of 5:55 PM PST my automated Google sheets script is not pulling prices from Vanguard's site, and there is another thread reporting some odd behavior, so it seems there may be some instabilities with the site right now...
- Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:34 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 2021 Refund Times
- Replies: 297
- Views: 30404
Re: How quickly did you receive your 2021 tax refund?
e-filed with TurboTax desktop software on 2/11. Received (via ACH) California refund on 2/15 and Federal on 2/18. No complaints here!
- Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:06 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: 72(t) Friendly Brokers/Custodians
- Replies: 4
- Views: 734
72(t) Friendly Brokers/Custodians
If anyone has had a "smooth ride" with their broker's handling of 72(t) transactions, could you please share who you have been successful with? I'm inclined to consolidate at Vanguard, but I'm aware of CS service issues there of course. If anyone has specific 72(t) experience, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Thanks. I've been using E*Trade, and I've reached my limit of frustration...a quick summary: Tax Year 1 - Mostly Fine, once unwritten requirements for process were revealed... Tax Year 2 - Slow, but mostly OK, but I just got my 1099s and they have the wrong distribution code. Spent 45 minutes on the phone, we'll see if that corrects things. Tax Year 3 (Right Now) - Complete disaster. Missed witholding on one distribution, the...
- Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Aerospace Engineering as a college major
- Replies: 82
- Views: 7853
Re: Aerospace Engineering as a college major
I have a BS in Aerospace from Michigan and an MS from Stanford. I had a 32 year career with a MegaCorp Aerospace/Defense company and retired as a Director...so it worked fine for me! As others have pointed out, having an Aerospace degree may limit you somewhat in terms of what companies will consider hiring you, at least to a first order. There were a few times I thought that I might have been better off with an ME degree in terms of career flexibility. However, I've always loved spacecraft and airplanes, so getting paid to build spacecraft for 30+ years was pretty much a dream job for me. Also, to amplify on what others mentioned, at some schools ME and Aero are often very similar in course content, sometimes they are even in the same depa...
- Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:40 am
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Vanguard issue with Yubikey : Won't support U2F API soon?
- Replies: 73
- Views: 9339
Re: Vanguard issue with Yubikey : Won't support U2F API soon?
Switching to Edge probably isn’t a good answer, as I’ve been getting the same message for the past week using Edge (fully up to date) with Windows 10.Archean wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 9:17 am Just FYI, I called Vanguard web support, and the person I talked to says they have not heard of this issue. He wrote down the "error" message and said he would talk to his supervisor. As an aside, he said I could switch from Chrome to Edge browser. A little concerning this might not be on Vanguard's radar!
- Tue Nov 30, 2021 5:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 72t/SEPP Withdrawal from Etrade
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1513
Re: 72t/SEPP Withdrawal from Etrade
Does anyone know if the date can be changed for the SEPPs? If I withdraw the same amount each calendar year am I okay? I don't plan on changing the date (other than if it falls on a non-business day), but if I make a withdrawal next week and then need money earlier than next December (annual withdrawal) is that okay? I couldn't find anything on the timing of withdrawals. I believe if the annual amount winds up correct that is all that matters. This is assuming I choose a calculation method where the payment doesn't change from year to year of course. I believe you are correct. I made my first withdrawal in December of 2020 as Tax Year 2020, and then my second (in the same amount) in March 2021 as TY2021. So far so good, but of course I've ...
- Tue Nov 30, 2021 5:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 72t/SEPP Withdrawal from Etrade
- Replies: 18
- Views: 1513
Re: 72t/SEPP Withdrawal from Etrade
Having done a 72t withdrawal from E*Trade, I can tell you that you will need to upload a signed copy of their withdrawal form *and* a copy of the withdrawal calculation using their 72t calculator. They don't tell you about requiring the copy of the calculator output up front, but they will reject the withdrawal request if it's not included. I'll let you guess how I figured this out...
Because of possible snafus like the one above, you definitely want to allow some time between when you make the request and when you need the money and/or the tax year deadline that you are trying to hit. In the case of E*Trade, the process took about a week once everything was in order, so in other words about two weeks from when I started.
Because of possible snafus like the one above, you definitely want to allow some time between when you make the request and when you need the money and/or the tax year deadline that you are trying to hit. In the case of E*Trade, the process took about a week once everything was in order, so in other words about two weeks from when I started.
- Fri Nov 26, 2021 6:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Please recommend a 34" or 38" inch Ultrawide monitor primarily for spreadsheet use
- Replies: 39
- Views: 8052
Re: Please recommend a 34" or 38" inch Ultrawide monitor primarily for spreadsheet use
I've been quite happy with the Samsung 32" (Model LU32R591CWNXZA) currently on sale for $349.99 at Costco. It's 4K, with a VA panel...I am happy with image quality for primarily web browsing and spreadsheet use. One thing to be aware of is mounting - you can only use the stand that comes with it.
- Wed Nov 24, 2021 6:22 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Google sheets not pulling stock prices
- Replies: 261
- Views: 54372
Re: Google sheets not pulling stock prices
A couple things...
1) First, thanks to retiringwhen for their work and spreadsheet contributions. When the Big Charts "scrape" started acting up, I successfully adopted retiringwhen's spreadsheet mentioned upthread, specifically the "BestMFTracking" sheet. It seems at the moment, the Vanguard "scrape" is the only reliable method. Everything else is either dead or wildly unstable.
2) I have no idea if all this is connected, but there seems to be a lot of instability around Google services the last couple days. I've had other weirdness in Google sheets, and Gmail refused to load for most of the (PST) morning on my computer even though it was OK on my iPhone.
FWIW...and thanks again retiringwhen!
1) First, thanks to retiringwhen for their work and spreadsheet contributions. When the Big Charts "scrape" started acting up, I successfully adopted retiringwhen's spreadsheet mentioned upthread, specifically the "BestMFTracking" sheet. It seems at the moment, the Vanguard "scrape" is the only reliable method. Everything else is either dead or wildly unstable.
2) I have no idea if all this is connected, but there seems to be a lot of instability around Google services the last couple days. I've had other weirdness in Google sheets, and Gmail refused to load for most of the (PST) morning on my computer even though it was OK on my iPhone.
FWIW...and thanks again retiringwhen!
- Wed Oct 20, 2021 5:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Streaming Warriors games - what options work for you?
- Replies: 8
- Views: 927
Re: Streaming Warriors games - what options work for you?
The loss of the Warriors was what pushed our longtime San Jose Dish network household over to YouTube TV. My dear wife and dear daughter are huge Warriors fans, so this was a deal breaker. The good news is that we've been quite happy with YouTube TV, and the price is probably 60% of what we were paying Dish.
- Mon Oct 04, 2021 10:34 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Hawaii - Big Island: Tips & recommendations
- Replies: 66
- Views: 6204
Re: Hawaii - Big Island: Tips & recommendations
Active lava: yes. Any way for the public to stand anywhere close to it right now: no.AlphaLess wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 10:20 pmCurrently, there is active lava on the Big Island.marcopolo wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 8:04 pmYes. But, no opportunity to do that at this time on the island.mr_brightside wrote: ↑Mon Oct 04, 2021 4:18 pmthis
seeing actual lava flowing at your feet is unworldly
--------------------------------------
From ground level the best you can see is the glow at night. You might get a distant glimpse of the lava itself from a helicopter.
- Mon Oct 04, 2021 6:47 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why is E*TRADE not popular here?
- Replies: 77
- Views: 13044
Re: Why is E*TRADE not popular here?
E*Trade lured me in with a signup bonus ($1500 I think) 2 years ago when I rolled my 401k over into a TIRA. My account is all VG ETFs, plus 1 Schwab ETF. I've been pretty happy with the service and the web site, so I haven't considered changing horses yet.
- Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Hawaii - Big Island: Tips & recommendations
- Replies: 66
- Views: 6204
Re: Hawaii - Big Island: Tips & recommendations
(To the OP: Sorry, I just re-read your post and caught the kids ages, so you're correct, I think the Mauna Kea summit is out. I hope some others will find the write-up on the summit trip useful. Regarding dinner at the visitor center, weather permitting, you could do that at the picnic tables they have outside. Strictly BYO for food and drink though. I'm not sure how much hiking is available at the visitors center. There is a a short loop (10 min) to see some Silver Swords that we did during our stop. The other thing to keep in mind is moon phase - unless it is a new moon (i.e. no moon) the moon will wipe out a lot of the "dark sky" advantage for seeing stars/Milky Way) Here's a few thoughts/suggestions, based on trip that my fami...
- Tue May 25, 2021 12:05 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Downside of PHEVs?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 5137
Re: Downside of PHEVs?
I had a first generation Volt which I loved, and now have a second generation (2018) which I also love. For calibration, I’m a car snob, so this is really high praise!
Maintenance costs are much lower than a gas powered car.
Maintenance costs are much lower than a gas powered car.
- Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Does anyone recommend this $350 laptop?
- Replies: 51
- Views: 5031
Re: Does anyone recommend this $350 laptop?
Don't do it OP! Here's why: (It's not a gateway, nor is it an Acer...) https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/we-found-out-who-makes-walmarts-new-gateway-laptops-and-its-bad-news/ Those cheap machines can have some severe limitations. For example, something like the mouse scroll direction may not be selectable (quite true.) We got our son a Lenovo Ideapad from Costco for $450: - Full HD IPS screen - 128G SDD - 12 G RAM It had an extra drive bay and a memory slot, so we installed a 1TB HDD and brought the memory up to 20G. Now it's a pretty decent machine, will likely take him into college. Keep looking. Find something that is _marked_down_ to $350 rather than something with MSRP of $350. Big difference. interesting that Acer decided to li...
- Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Independent insurance agent for SF Bay Area?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 436
Re: Independent insurance agent for SF Bay Area?
I can't say enough good things about my agent Jerry C., who does business as Village Insurance Services, in Saratoga. 408-973-0800. I've been with him for over 35 years, and he's never steered me wrong, and he is super knowledgeable. Tell him Jeff V. sent you!
- Wed Aug 28, 2019 6:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Friend has cancer. What should be the next steps?
- Replies: 65
- Views: 6356
Re: Friend has cancer. What should be the next steps?
I realize that this thread is mostly focused on the financial aspect of your friend's situation, but I would also stress the importance of having your friend examined at a Major/Specialty Cancer Hospital, if they have not been already. Often times, in my experience with loved ones, the cancer specialty centers may have newer/better treatment options and/or a higher standard of care. My personal experience is with Roswell Park in Buffalo and Moffitt in Tampa. If your friend lives in Massachusetts, then I would think Dana Farber in Boston or Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York would be some obvious options, and there may well be others I'm not familiar with.
Best wishes to all.
Best wishes to all.
- Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Aliens have captured my husband [wants to buy a Porsche]
- Replies: 138
- Views: 14620
Re: Aliens have captured my husband [wants to buy a Porsche]
Hard core Porsche guy here...a lot has already been said (3 pages!) in this thread but I'll add:
1) In general, Porsches are very rugged cars and will last a long time. I don't have any direct experience with a Panamera.
2) Cost to maintain can be on the high side, but your biggest cost is going to be depreciation, as Panameras depreciate quickly, as do most German luxury cars.
3) I'm not personally a huge fan of the Panamera, but if you and hubby like it, that's what matters!
I say do it (or another nice car) while you can!
1) In general, Porsches are very rugged cars and will last a long time. I don't have any direct experience with a Panamera.
2) Cost to maintain can be on the high side, but your biggest cost is going to be depreciation, as Panameras depreciate quickly, as do most German luxury cars.
3) I'm not personally a huge fan of the Panamera, but if you and hubby like it, that's what matters!
I say do it (or another nice car) while you can!
- Wed Jul 10, 2019 3:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Visiting Buffalo,NY / Niagara Falls area - things to see and do?
- Replies: 46
- Views: 3782
Re: Visiting Buffalo,NY / Niagara Falls area - things to see and do?
Yes! And definitely go somewhere that has "Beef on Weck" - a local food favorite. Agree. A good beef on weck is fabulous. I didn't think about going over to the Finger Lakes from Buffalo. We stayed in Geneva a couple of years ago and went to some wineries around Keuka Lake and Seneca Lake. Had a great time... what a beautiful area. These days, increasingly, there are fewer and fewer local and unique food items in various localities. The big chain food places are everywhere. Some still left that I have had in those cities: - Philly Cheese Steak - Barbque in Memphis - Beef on Weck in Buffalo, as well as wings there I don't know how close to or in Buffalo this extends, but in Rochester, NY (about 90 miles away) and surroundings, &qu...
- Fri May 31, 2019 2:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Blinds for Windows - Where is the best value ?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 8795
Re: Blinds for Windows - Where is the best value ?
There was an older BH thread that mentioned that ordering through Costco provided the best pricing. I found this to be true when I bought some Bali blinds a few months ago.
- Mon May 20, 2019 6:28 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Vanguard ETFs, ranked by diversification benefit
- Replies: 66
- Views: 8439
Re: Vanguard ETFs, ranked by diversification benefit
To the OP: Thanks for this post...very interesting. Could you elaborate on why you state adding 10% small value is helpful when your numbers show 1.02 for all the Vanguard Small Cap funds? I understand Utilities when the factor is 1.3, but not small cap at 1.02. I'm a very interested observer since I own a lot of small cap (VB and VBR) and no utilities!
- Mon May 20, 2019 11:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: If you liked “They Shall Not Grow Old” - “Cold Blue” coming May 23
- Replies: 13
- Views: 2426
Re: If you liked “They Shall Not Grow Old” - “Cold Blue” coming May 23
Maybe try Fandango.com com or the Fandango app. Worked for me...Workinprogress wrote: ↑Sun May 19, 2019 11:20 pm I am not one to go to a movie normally, so I have no experience finding tickets for this event.
I have searched the local theaters to no avail.
The Vulcan Productions site does not list affiliated theaters.
Is it maybe only at AMC Theaters? I do see it listed there, but they are only in Seattle and Spokane, a bit far from my house.
How did you find the venue?
Maybe I need to find a friend with HBO.
- Sun May 19, 2019 6:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: If you liked “They Shall Not Grow Old” - “Cold Blue” coming May 23
- Replies: 13
- Views: 2426
Re: If you liked “They Shall Not Grow Old” - “Cold Blue” coming May 23
Thank you for the tip! I might have otherwise missed this. Just booked tickets for myself and my (airplane/military buff) son.
- Wed May 01, 2019 3:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: My solar investment experience
- Replies: 106
- Views: 13119
Re: My solar investment experience
Solar only makes sense with generous subsidies and super high electric rates. Come, join the 21st century, where we will move away from fossil fuels. It won't happen overnight, and it won't always be easy, but it's where we have to head. I offer the following quote: "Solar energy has already reached price and performance parity in roughly half of the United States and in regions around the world, meaning that power is generated at a cost level equal to, or less than, conventional methods. According to a U.S. Residential Solar Economic Outlook Report published by Greentech Media Research, solar grid parity is anticipated in 42 states by 2020. As technology quickly increases in efficiency, clean energy sources are expected to transition...
- Wed May 01, 2019 12:23 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: My solar investment experience
- Replies: 106
- Views: 13119
Re: My solar investment experience
Ok, I'll throw my numbers into the mix for fun. As others have mentioned, whether or not solar makes sense depends on many factors, including the magnitude of your electricity usage, the cost of electricity where you live, a climate favorable to solar, and your state/local tax and incentive situation. For me, in California, with a large house, expensive electricity, and lots of sun, it makes sense. My system is now coming on 10 years old (115 months to be precise.) It is a 7.7 kW DC system, single 7000W SMA inverter. Peak AC power I've seen is about 6200 W. Net cost to install was $24,000. Maintenance costs thus far have been $500 to fix a failed board in the monitoring box. I probably will need a new inverter in the next few years. I haven...
- Wed May 01, 2019 12:21 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best electric cordless lawn mower for medium sized yard?
- Replies: 40
- Views: 4607
Re: Best electric cordless lawn mower for medium sized yard?
Do the research. I just sat through a long research report on this yesterday. Electrics have very poor long term durability. Battery replacement costs are very high as the cheapest are $100 and most are as much as $300 and will not last more than 3 years. First year performance on units is very good and it’s why the ratings are high. Second year performance can be terrible as batteries degrade rapidly due to heat/cold cycles. I tested some models and in year two with the snapper, I got a 50% reduction in run time. When you add up initial purchase price and battery repurchase over 7-10 years of ownership you will pay 3-4X as much for electric as a gas unit. Repurchase intent for electric is around 22%. That means nearly 80% of electric buye...
- Mon Apr 29, 2019 7:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How much is a good insurance agent worth to you?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2079
Re: How much is a good insurance agent worth to you?
I've had an outstanding agent (for auto/home/umbrella; no life or other insurance), who I lucked into 30+ years ago. There have been numerous times he's given me great advice, particularly now that I have teen drivers in the house. I really appreciate having someone to talk things over with about insurance who I can trust. I say this as a diehard Boglehead (see what I did there?) who feels I can totally go it alone in terms of investing and finances. Your mileage may vary!
- Tue Apr 16, 2019 6:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best and cheapest way to finance a new car: dealership?
- Replies: 23
- Views: 2596
Re: Best and cheapest way to finance a new car: dealership?
2.9% sounds pretty good...my Credit Union, which has always been very competitive, is at 3.45% for 7 yr term right now. I am in California. Looks like PenFed, usually another good source is at 3.74% for 60 months.
- Wed Apr 10, 2019 3:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Contact lens solution
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1890
Re: Contact lens solution
I've had very good luck with the Hydrogen Peroxide/Catalyst systems, e.g. ClearCare. I've found that the store brands/generics work just as well as the name brand. Just remember that you can't put the solution directly in your eye, or use it on a lens and then put it in your eye without having "catalyzed" out the Hydrogen Peroxide using the lens case for a few hours first.
The benefit of these systems is that the disinfecting agent (the Hydrogen Peroxide) gets converted ("Catalyzed") to water in the lens case by a small "doohickey" coated with a catalyst. So, when you take your lenses out to wear, there aren't any residual disinfecting chemicals left to irritate your eyes.
The benefit of these systems is that the disinfecting agent (the Hydrogen Peroxide) gets converted ("Catalyzed") to water in the lens case by a small "doohickey" coated with a catalyst. So, when you take your lenses out to wear, there aren't any residual disinfecting chemicals left to irritate your eyes.
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 7:58 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Anybody else get a huge tax increase due to SALT deduction changes?
- Replies: 101
- Views: 10039
Re: Anybody else get a huge tax increase due to SALT deduction changes?
^This. For me, the AMT reduction and lower marginal rates resulted in a (small) reduction.
...and I approve of the user name!
- Thu Mar 28, 2019 2:40 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Why has the S&P500 gone up so much since 2009?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 5230
Re: Why has the S&P500 gone up so much since 2009?
To paraphrase James Carville, “The Economy, Stupid.”
I also agree with those that answered the Fed.
I also agree with those that answered the Fed.
- Fri Mar 15, 2019 1:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How to get rid of a car
- Replies: 48
- Views: 4801
Re: How to get rid of a car
To give you a data point, I had a 2007 Odyssey with about 130,000 miles that I got rid of about a year ago. CarMax gave me $4000.00 for it, which I was satisfied with. I might have gotten a little more in a private party sale, but, like you, the car had several issues that I didn't want to saddle someone with. I don't think CarMax is going to give you much more than the dealer offer you have for 2K, so it's probably not worth going there if it's 1.5 hrs away. I will add that the CarMax process was easy and quick (I've sold two cars to them,) so for those that have a store nearby, I think it's a good option for older, lower valued cars. As the value/desirability of the car goes up, the amount of extra money you can net by selling it yourself...
- Thu Feb 21, 2019 11:50 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How to finance car purchase for teen
- Replies: 60
- Views: 3920
Re: How to finance car purchase for teen
1) It's quite likely your kid is going to get in an accident. I am confused because the kids of friends and family must Be exceptional because there was one fender bender among 20 plus kids. Well, here's what the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html) has to say: "In 2016, 2,433 teens in the United States ages 16–19 were killed and 292,742 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes.1 That means that six teens ages 16–19 died every day due to motor vehicle crashes and hundreds more were injured. In 2016, young people ages 15-19 represented 6.5% of the U.S. population. However, they accounted for an estimated $13.6 billion (8.4%) of the total costs o...
- Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:45 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: How to finance car purchase for teen
- Replies: 60
- Views: 3920
Re: How to finance car purchase for teen
So, I know you don't want to hear about used cars, and probably do want to hear about safety, but let me give you some real world experience. :oops: This was a 2011 Honda Civic: https://i.imgur.com/mdn2VSr.jpg?1 My 20 year old son fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a light post at about 40 mph. The car was totaled. The car performed very well from an engineering and safety standpoint. Three airbags deployed, the crumple zone worked as intended, and there was no intrusion of structure into the passenger compartment. My son was lucky, and got away with only 1 day in the hospital and a broken sternum. Broken sternums are very common in crashes of this velocity because of the deceleration against the seatbelt. This happens to be the seco...
- Thu Feb 21, 2019 7:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Super Lazy portfolio, just VSMGX? [Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth]
- Replies: 117
- Views: 25011
Re: Super Lazy portfolio, just VSMGX? [Vanguard LifeStrategy Moderate Growth]
I keep seeing "it is bad for taxable" and understand the argument, but exactly how bad is bad? How much drag would it actually produce? I'll take a shot (with numbers I've arbitrarily picked...folks can use their own.) Let's assume $100,000 invested, and the 40% of the fund that is fixed income yields 3.5% in dividends. That gives you $1400 of taxable dividends a year. Let's assume our investor is in a 22% Federal and 5% state bracket - that means $378 a year owed in taxes. If we look at it like an expense ratio, that's a 0.38% drag. If we look at it as a percentage of return, assuming a total return of 8% ($8000) per year, it's a loss of 4.7% of return to taxes. Looked at this way, on a one year basis, the inefficiency is pretty...
- Mon Feb 18, 2019 4:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Breaking BND up for tax efficiency
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1326
Re: Breaking BND up for tax efficiency
Sounds like a fine idea. The only alternative I would suggest, which you may have though of, or may not apply to your circumstance, would be to increase your Bond holdings in you tax advantaged account(s) and correspondingly lower them in your taxable accounts.
- Mon Feb 11, 2019 7:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: [2018 tax return - How does it compare to previous years?]
- Replies: 441
- Views: 43870
Re: Smaller tax refunds this year? Clear explanation please
There is no one-size-fits-all explanation. Some people WILL pay higher taxes this year. Most people will pay less in taxes. The size of their refund is irrelevant. If one didn't change their W-4 this year, they are probably more likely to have received a bit more in every paycheck and a smaller refund. They likely paid less tax overall, though. Turbotax has a succint page on the possibilities https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901008-why-did-my-refund-go-down-compared-to-last-year-s This ^ I am a high earner in California, with a (very, relative to the rest of the country) expensive house, so the SALT limitation hit me hard. However, because I'm in a high tax state and I have 3 kids, and write off a lot of mortgage interest, the AMT used t...
- Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:45 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Can solar be worth it??
- Replies: 90
- Views: 13714
Re: Can solar be worth it??
As others have pointed out, the answer to solar being worth it can be "yes," but as with everything in life, it depends. You have to live somewhere where electricity is somewhat, to very expensive, and you have to use a fair amount, for it to be worthwhile. It helps if you live somewhere sunny too and/or in a state with generous incentives. In my case, living in a big house with air conditioning, in sunny (300 days a year!) San Jose California, it made a lot of sense, and I installed a system in 2009 which has more than paid for itself already. (I calculated a 6 year payback period when I installed.) I would also add, as a previous poster did, that the quotes you've gotten for installation look very high to me. I paid a lot less 1...
- Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:43 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Emerging markets as a percent of international
- Replies: 49
- Views: 7751
Re: Emerging markets as a percent of international
I'm at 33% of International in EM myself, and since I'm 30% of my Equity in International, and 75% of my portfolio is in Equity, I'm at 7% of my overall portfolio in EM. This is an allocation percentage I set a long time ago, and I've stuck to it. The reason for the overweight (vs. market cap) to EM was that since EM is more volatile/risky, it should return more. Also, since I'm a frequent rebalancer, I should be selling high and buying low as it cycles up and down.
Will this work? Dunno, as I realize that higher risk doesn't always produce higher return. The good news/bad news is that at 7% of my portfolio, I'm not going to go broke due to EM exposure, nor will I get rich!
Will this work? Dunno, as I realize that higher risk doesn't always produce higher return. The good news/bad news is that at 7% of my portfolio, I'm not going to go broke due to EM exposure, nor will I get rich!
- Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
- Replies: 94
- Views: 11027
Re: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
Or in an RV along El Camino Real in Palo Alto. There's hundreds of 'em. I wish I were kidding.whodidntante wrote: ↑Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:10 pm If I were single and making 200k in the Bay Area, I would probably live in a van down by the river.
- Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
- Replies: 94
- Views: 11027
Re: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
I don't think you will find anything reasonable at 800k, unless you go for a long (1h) commute. 1-1.2 million yes but it will be a townhouse with HOA to pay. Was thinking to buy a 2 bed, 2 bath two year old townhouse/condo in South San Jose It's not an automatic no but if you aren't sure you want to stay in your job for an extended period of time, know that living in South San Jose wipes out a massive portion of the job opps. in the Bay Area. Definitely something to consider if you're early enough in your career that moving around is expected. Saying this as someone who has worked in Palo Alto, SF and Fremont. Yes, saying this as someone who drives from South San Jose (Almaden) to Palo Alto everyday, the traffic is really bad these days. F...
- Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:54 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
- Replies: 94
- Views: 11027
Re: Should I buy a house in the Bay area or give up?
I'm going to jump in with the folks that say wait...here's why: 1) I've been involved (read: owned a house) in the Bay Area Real Estate market for close to 30 years. I've seen prices decline, pretty significantly for a least two periods, each lasting 5 years or more. You can't guarantee that buying right now will protect or grow your capital. If you do buy, make sure you can honestly say that you will be happy there for 5 years, so you don't have to sell into a down market. 2) I don't believe you can time markets, be they stocks or real estate. That said, I would say things seem a bit frothy/bubbly right now. Multiple offers over asking price, roads crowded beyond belief, etc. Long term, Bay Area real estate will probably keep going up, but...
- Wed Jan 16, 2019 11:00 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: End of an era - Boeing 727
- Replies: 35
- Views: 3256
Re: End of an era - Boeing 727
I live on the flight path of CVG/Cincinnati Airport. We are right at the edge of the 5 mile restriction zone. We mostly get arrivals, but occasionally departures as well. When we first moved in in the late 90’s, we would get the occasional 727 taking off. Loud as hell, left a big smoke trail behind. We would also get big L1011’s come over as well. Big and loud. Did I mention loud? In 1968, I lived near Wright Patterson Air Force Base. There were loaded B-52s taking off. They did not follow any noise abatement rules, and they did not climb very fast. Now that was LOUD. Yes, years ago I worked on Hill AFB in Ogden, UT for a couple of weeks on an Air Force project and got to see a B-52 take off. That was something I won’t forget. Ah yes, the ...