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SurfCityBill

SurfCityBill wrote: ↑ Thu Jul 25, 2019 11:27 am I have a Schwab One account as well and live in CA. I put a sizeable portion of my emergency funds in SWCAX, tax free CA muni's. While not as safe as a money market fund it is a relatively stable choice that I'm comfortable with. How do you report on ...

SurfCityBill

I have a Schwab One account as well and live in CA. I put a sizeable portion of my emergency funds in SWCAX, tax free CA muni's. While not as safe as a money market fund it is a relatively stable choice that I'm comfortable with.

SurfCityBill

In my 6th year of 529 distribution experience going through child number 2. I've done all three options. Check made out to myself. Check made out to the child. Check sent from administrator directly to university. Easiest seems to be to have administrator send funds directly to university. Usually c...

SurfCityBill

Just transferred shares from Computershare to Chas Schwab. Very easy and no cost incurred. No cost basis because shares were from a demutualized insurance company that the IRS says so.

SurfCityBill

Recycle. No one is going to buy it on eBay. It would cost more to ship than it's worth. Or call Goodwill. I was surprised to find they still wanted a 24" Toshiba I was about to get rid of.

SurfCityBill

I can empathize with you about Disneyland. I live within ear-shot of their nightly fireworks and after one expensive, hot, long day with the kids many years ago, I never fed the mouse again. Both kids would go on occasion with their friends but that was school trips and when they collected enough mo...

SurfCityBill

Recommend Universal Disneyland (1 day or 2 days) Huntington Beach (Water may be cold but 7 and 10 year olds usually don't think so.) Toss up (not in any order) Aquarium of the Pacific - Long Beach (Can add the Queen Mary to this but may not be of much interest to little kids.) Angel Game (Not Dodger...

SurfCityBill

I've always used corded and have never considered it a problem. In fact, it lets me show off my cowboy lasso talents in front of the neighbors. Actually, I've never trusted battery op. Every device I've had always seems to fail prematurely.

SurfCityBill

Those costs do seem high but then my kids played in CA. If those are just coaching fees then someone's making a killing. Factor in travel costs, hotel stays, meals, incidentals, etc, and it seems like those costs could double.

SurfCityBill

Both college kids have cars. Daughter, Nissan Versa, drives everywhere, necessary for off-campus internship, etc. Son, Hyundai Sonata, drives no where. 2,000 miles in 2 years. Both cars have been fine, although the Sonata has had a lot of recalls. I would have re-thought his car based on mileage but...

SurfCityBill

Why can't I put a "freeze" on any SIM / Port transfers with my wireless carrier? The system is circumventable by any agents you interact with, even if you put restrictions on your account. People are terrible with codes and passwords under normal circumstances, so it’s not hard to convince an agent...

SurfCityBill

Why can't I put a "freeze" on any SIM / Port transfers with my wireless carrier?
When I get a new phone I would have to call with a code to unfreeze or physically go to a carrier location.
Wouldn't this have prevented the authors problems and beefed up the 2FA security we rely on?

SurfCityBill

I would be surprised if your childs college did not charge for using a CC. Usually 2.50-2.75%. Free for eDebit from your bank or check payments, either from you or the 529 trustee.

SurfCityBill

Thanks, that's helpful.

SurfCityBill

Hello Bogleheads, Would appreciate some input concerning some "found" shares of stock and how to proceed. My Mother-in-law recently passed away and DW's family is in the process of liquidating her estate. Seven individuals share equally. We recently found details concerning almost 500 shares of a ut...

SurfCityBill

Sounds like you figured it out. I will share that my underpaid student kid showed a minimal amount being owed to the state of California. After paying said amount, a check for the same amount arrived for her 3 weeks later essentially reducing her tax owed to zero. Never did figure out why TT indicat...

SurfCityBill

Supplies are tight in California. I was fortunate. My doctor had a stockpile for his patients use.

SurfCityBill

My college kid had income in two states and was able to use Turbo Tax Free along with their Fed return. It really was completely free.

SurfCityBill

After comparing numbers I was shocked to find that even though taxable income for 2018 was within 2% of prior year 2017, total tax was significantly less for a difference of over $10,700. Home state is high cost California.

SurfCityBill

I'd ask the brokerage what happens in a case like that. They might do as you suggest or there could be regulations in place that limit what actions they can take to keep the trade current.

SurfCityBill

Not so sure these quick refunds are a good thing. The scammers are going to be paid and long gone before many of us even realize they've fraudulently filed on folks. At least with a long delay in getting paid, folks have a chance of cutting the scammers off at the pass.

SurfCityBill

I agree with many other posters about not worrying too much about it. I'm deep into my fourth year of dealing with 1098-T's and have always had trouble reconciling the schools numbers with mine. I've kept accurate track of actual expenses and in what calendar year they occurred in case the IRS decid...

SurfCityBill

I wouldn't go any further south than San Diego. Problems solved and avoided.

SurfCityBill

The reason the price seems so close between the premium and the full size has to do with demand. Notice in this string a lot of posters don't want the premium either because of liability or higher gas consumption. I've actually run into occasions where the premium was lower in price than the full si...

SurfCityBill

I use Hertz. I often get cars with under 10,000 miles. Had one recently with 300 miles on it. Upgrades like Mercedes GLE350 or small Infinity SUV. They usually have the most prominent or easier location to access at the airport or consolidated rental center. Very good frequent renter program. By the...

SurfCityBill

Nice thread and good question. I'm in the same boat as the OP. I thought my furnace was old as it's from the 1970's. Based on the OP's furnace age I guess I still have another ten + years. I agree with some of the other posters. Ignore too many fancy options. Basically on and off with a good thermos...

SurfCityBill

Laddered CD at PenFed paying 2.75%. Planning to build out monthly so I'm never more than 1 month away from a portion. Some savings for less than 30 day emergencies.

SurfCityBill

A man that made a difference in my life and the life of my family. Eternally grateful, Mr. Bogle.

SurfCityBill

CA response here. In order to get a CA permit, a teen must take a course through a certified company either on-line or in a classroom setting. I have one child that did the classroom version and one that did the online version. Online tends to be less expensive and more convenient. Both did about th...

SurfCityBill

Geico acts as an agent for Travelers Insurance for homeowners. At least in Calif. So I was able to "bundle" auto / home and get all the discounts associated with bundling. Maybe just try that and then cut your homeowner ties with this guy for good.

SurfCityBill

Strongly recommend you purchase a book by Richard L. Kaye titled Lease Your Car For Less . This book is only 54 pages but explains very concisely everything you'll need to lease sensibly. https://www.amazon.com/Lease-Your-Car-Less-Consumer/dp/0962364452/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1546636048&sr=8-2&keywo...

SurfCityBill

Stamps have become such a non-issue. Used to use 10 a month, now less than 10 a year, although we do still send a handful of Xmas cards.

SurfCityBill

Accounts at both and no complaints at either end. Schwab primarilly has after-tax accounts except for one small traditional IRA. Vanguard has pre-tax accounts, Roth and former 401K rollovers. Offers a simple general view of the pre-tax/post-tax allocation.

SurfCityBill

Can't speak to anyone else's circumstances, but in our case we have one student at an in-state public university and one at an out of state public university. Never filled out a FAFSA and it has not affected merit scholarships or negatively affected us at all.

SurfCityBill

Better football tickets.

SurfCityBill

Premium seat LA Lakers tickets with Lexus Club access. Cost a small fortune. As my son suggested, it would almost be cheaper to fly to another city and see them as the visiting team.

SurfCityBill

bloom2708 wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 28, 2018 2:13 pm
Everything is relative.

If you are both maxing pre-tax 401k and Roth IRAs and filling up your HSA (if available), then you are fine. Spend the rest.

If you are not doing those things, then $700 on dining out seems too like too much. How much for Groceries/dining in?

Everything is relative.

+1

SurfCityBill

Why are you budgeting? Are you saving for something specific like a house in two years? Are you trying to get out of debt and identify where your money is going? Are you trying to save a specific amount each month for retirement? All good reasons to budget. I don't actually budget but I do broadly t...

SurfCityBill

[quote I have been using LastPass (free version) for a few years now. Not sure why you could not both use the same single (free) account. Could manage his/her specific sites using folders. OTOH, if it's only $50 a year and you'd rather not commingle that is fine too. Just not a lot of money to hand-...

SurfCityBill

When I was a kid I read in my Weekly Reader that in the future something called "Cable TV" was coming, and there would be no commercials because you'd have to pay for it. What a laugh. Ha, ha. I recall that as well. Except when I was told there would be "Pay TV", I was thinking I'd be feeding dimes...

SurfCityBill

Catch the Boise State / Utah State game in Boise. Go Broncos.

SurfCityBill

If you can stop in San Carlos de Bariloche and stay at the Llao Llao en route to Patagonia you won't regret it.
Heading North, after Montevideo, Iguazu Falls is a must, especially for outdoor enthusiasts.

SurfCityBill

Hidden gem slightly outside your geo zone, Clarkson University - Potsdam, NY.

SurfCityBill

I'm in the same boat you are. I see no reason to accelerate the CA prop tax payment due Apr 19 to end Dec 18 anymore. I also do not expect to itemize after doing so for decades.

SurfCityBill

Received a ticket out of state several years ago. Did traffic school on-line, paid the fine and never saw any increase in my insurance rates.

SurfCityBill

Personally I'd cringe at a $1261 car payment but if it's all the same to you then take advantage of the 1.99% rate and invest the funds.

SurfCityBill

If the buyer is reluctant to go to the bank with you, unwilling to get a cashiers check, or in any other way seems hesitant to cooperate, I'd avoid the transaction.

SurfCityBill

If you buy and insure the car in California, are you saying that Geico won't insure it if your daughter is in Idaho with it? She is a resident of California, as she is currently receiving 50% or more support from you. Yes, exactly. Geico will issue a "copy policy" to mimic my policy but the car mus...

SurfCityBill

I've run into an issue that I'm sure many have and I'm hoping there's an easy solution. Currently live in CA. Daughter will be going to college in Idaho and will need a car. Our auto insurer, Geico, was going to write a "copy policy" but advised that if the car is still registered in CA they can't w...

SurfCityBill

As a follow up to the Anthony Bourdain tragedy, it is reported that he left an estate worth $1.2 M which included a large percentage in cash, $425,000, $250,000 in personal property, $500,000 in "intangibles" such as royalties and residuals from TV work and books and a paltry sum in brokerage accoun...

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