Search found 99 matches

by Student2
Fri Dec 15, 2023 6:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggestions for charity doing international work
Replies: 26
Views: 2651

Re: Suggestions for charity doing international work

Peter Singer is a bioethicist who has an organization that reviews charities based on the proportion that actually gets to the people in need, aims, and other factors. (Others have pointed out some other good organizations that provide similar reviews.) I have found some very good charities I was unaware of through his reviews.

Mr Singer’s organization is called The Life You can Save and can be found here:https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/
by Student2
Mon May 15, 2023 2:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seattle airport to [downtown Vancouver BC]
Replies: 66
Views: 6207

Re: Seattle airport to [downtown Vancouver BC]

I have driven to Vancouver from Seattle many many times (fam in Vancouver, while I lived in Seattle). Sometimes I drove home every weekend. I’ve also flown to Seattle on my way to Vancouver many many ti es (and likely more now that Alaska has a direct flight from the Midwest!) You’ve gotten good advice and it looks like you found a good solution. It’s been a few years since I drove home, but do follow the advice from Kojima . Check the wait time and then take the Pacific crossing regardless, instead of the Peace Arch. Peace Arch is more scenic but you will tire of it by the time you get to cross. Watch for the Pacific crossing carefully. I believe they did some road work but it was easy to miss if you weren’t expecting it and there aren’t a...
by Student2
Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:39 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA lump sum vs. payroll deductions for >$160k earner?
Replies: 10
Views: 1377

Re: HSA lump sum vs. payroll deductions for >$160k earner?

Even if you don’t like your employers’ HSA custodian, you can just transfer (small fee usually, but unlimited) or rollover (free but only allowed once per year) your contributions to your preferred custodian.
by Student2
Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New HVAC system. SEER question
Replies: 87
Views: 8255

Re: New HVAC system. SEER question

We have a variable stage Bryant system SEER18 for our small midwest home. It was expensive for the size of our home (~$11k) but we are not friends with the summer temperatures/humidity in this part of the country. (We long ago decided if it ever came to it, we would choose air conditioning over food -- hasn't ever been an issue, but I'd stand by that decision today.) Aside from the cost, the comfort has been priceless. The temperature stays where we set it, it manages humidity well in summer and winter, and it's QUIET. I am always surprised now when visiting friends with newer homes at how loud their HVACs are. Of all the things we have improved in our home, this is my favorite and money well-spent. We are regularly in the 'most efficient n...
by Student2
Wed Dec 29, 2021 11:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: How to migrate investments to US from living in Canada
Replies: 2
Views: 364

Re: How to migrate investments to US from living in Canada

There’s not enough information in your post to understand what might be involved. Are any of these accounts tax-deferred and/or registered accounts, e.g., RRSP, tFSA? These cannot be brought to the US without closing the accounts, which will trigger substantial taxes and early withdrawal penalties, just as they would in the US if you closed a, e.g., 401k. If this is all taxable or in Canadian parlance, non-registered’ accounts, then there may be substantial capital gains taxes triggered upon sale. Depending on how the non-registered account is invested, it may be possible to move a Canadian version of a stock to a US version, but again, this may trigger substantial capital gains taxes. This approach is used to move cash across the border in...
by Student2
Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Title Work - Indiana
Replies: 5
Views: 681

Re: Title Work - Indiana

An update from last year on the Mortgage Professor's site suggests you may have dodged a bullet: https://www.mtgprofessor.com/A%20-%20Title%20Insurance/selling_title_insurance_directly_to_borrowers.htm - read the update at the bottom of the page. Searching the site, a much older post lists Boston National Title Insurance company (https://bostonnationaltitle.com/title-settlement-services/purchases/). But you could also look for companies that are members of a professional organization like the "American Land Title Association". Looking in Indianapolis, there are several members (search results here: https://www.alta.org/membership/directory-results.cfm?id=&subs=1&lastname=&company=&county_name=&city=indianapolis...
by Student2
Wed Aug 04, 2021 8:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Prescription Costs
Replies: 31
Views: 2514

Re: Prescription Costs

+1 on looking for the manufacturer's website and calling them to see if they can help. You are interested in their "customer support program" or "patient support program". This is typically well-funded for new medications, not so much for off-patent or medications that are older. Also ask the pharmacist what the uninsured costs are, in some cases they are prohibited from sharing that cost unless you ask and for some medications it can be quite a bit less than your insurance plan costs (depending on your plan, the specific medication and which pharmacy chain it is). Edited to add: Not suggesting you misrepresent your situation, but you may want to ask about the 'no insurance' costs with the company and the pharmacy before...
by Student2
Sun Aug 01, 2021 8:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Carbon Dioxide Monitor Recommendations
Replies: 16
Views: 1454

Re: Carbon Dioxide Monitor Recommendations

As someone commented earlier, CO2 monitors are drawing more interest as indicators of COVID-19 transmission risk. As these monitors are typically for industrial or medical use, they tend to be expensive. With the interest in real-time portable monitoring for schools or the public, though, there is at least one group who has developed a less expensive monitor: https://www.co2check.com/product-page/ ... onitor-buy. I haven’t used it and don’t know much more about it than is on the website but tin case it is helpful, there it is. I would be surprised if there aren’t others who step into this niche. That said, caveat emptor!
by Student2
Thu May 20, 2021 10:20 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA
Replies: 27
Views: 2734

Re: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA

Based on my research, if our AGI is over 150,000 and our tax withholding is at least 110% of our tax owed in 2020 then we do NOT need to make estimated payments. Since half of the payout will be taxed, our tax withholding will be at least 110% of our 2020 tax owed. Likely much higher than 110%. OP, you mentioned room left in your tax bracket somewhere in the thread. Make sure you take into account all if the phase outs (e.g. stimulus, child tax credit) in addition to regular tax brackets when evaluating your marginal tax rate. AnEngineer that was me or at least that was also me. Thanks for the reminder, but this is based on our recently completed tax return figures, and we have *ample* room in the current bracket. Also, thanks to the poste...
by Student2
Wed May 19, 2021 10:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA
Replies: 27
Views: 2734

Re: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA

Yikes, an_asker ! That’s quite an adventure. Seems like it’s coming together, though, and you’ve left a trail of helpful posts for anyone needing to do a similar rollover. We also have an old IRA to resolve, but just rolled with the pro-rate rule for DH’s account last year and decided to bite the bullet and convert the total to a Roth so we can have a nice simple back door Roth in the future. Good problems to have, certainly, especially in this last year. Good luck! To be honest, the trail is helpful to me too :-) I didn't get what you meant with your rolling with the pro-rate rule. I am also considering biting the bullet and converting one of my rollover IRAs to Roth. Let's see ... Autocorrect is not my friend. I meant only that we rolled...
by Student2
Wed May 19, 2021 9:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA
Replies: 27
Views: 2734

Re: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA

Yikes, an_asker! That’s quite an adventure. Seems like it’s coming together, though, and you’ve left a trail of helpful posts for anyone needing to do a similar rollover.

We also have an old IRA to resolve, but just rolled with the pro-rate rule for DH’s account last year and decided to bite the bullet and convert the total to a Roth so we can have a nice simple back door Roth in the future. Good problems to have, certainly, especially in this last year.

Good luck!
by Student2
Wed May 19, 2021 8:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA
Replies: 27
Views: 2734

Re: Unexpectedly Ineligible for Roth IRA

an_asker wrote: Wed May 19, 2021 8:43 pm [...]
Nice to know. Thanks!

We will probably be "eligible" to backdoor within the year or so!

an_asker, if you are that close to being 'eligible' to backdoor Roth, you should consider just starting now. That way there's no chance you will be :shock: like mnsportsgeek or like I was last year. As I understand it, there's no disadvantage to using the backdoor Roth before you need it.
by Student2
Sun May 16, 2021 4:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Moving with 2 cats
Replies: 59
Views: 5594

Re: Moving with 2 cats

Lots of good advice here and things that we've done too when moving short-distance or flying with cats. One thing I've seen mentioned only in part is that we have always kept a room with the "cat stuff" alone until the last possible minute, preferably their usual room but best someplace where no one is entering/passing through. That way they stay out of the fray until the last moment. On arrival, their 'stuff' is the first thing we unpacked and set up. Again, we put them in a room by themselves where they would be undisturbed until everything else was unpacked. So, last packed & first unpacked. We moved several times over a few years so our guys would start to get nervous when they saw packing start to happen, but they were al...
by Student2
Sat Apr 24, 2021 7:53 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: HSA investments
Replies: 5
Views: 974

Re: HSA investments

I keep two-year’s worth of our maximum deductible in the savings part of a Lively account and my employer’s preferred HSA custodian and the rest is invested according to my IPS. We pay out-of-pocket for medical expenses, but I like the security of the cash amount in case of a catastrophic (and that doesn’t take much!) expense at the end of a year that extends into the next.
by Student2
Mon Apr 12, 2021 4:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: blue Sapphire jewelry
Replies: 9
Views: 1241

Re: blue Sapphire jewelry

If you’re even more daring, you can buy the stone(s) separately and have them set by a local jeweler. There are some reputable gemstone faceters on Facebook, Etsy, and eBay who do work that is at or above the quality of a typical retail setting. I expect you would also get better prices for the stone(s) too. I don’t have any affiliation but have done business several times with a UK source https://jeffdaviesandson.com/. I have never been disappointed.
by Student2
Tue Dec 29, 2020 4:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to make Roth conversions?
Replies: 6
Views: 805

Re: When to make Roth conversions?

The Boglehead wiki provides insight into that: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Roth_IRA_conversion

I am also evaluating a Roth conversion and trying to decide how much to convert. A generic rule-of-thumb I've read recently, if you think the tax brackets are relevant for your retirement income, is to convert up to the top of the 24% bracket. There are lots of things to consider before adopting that though, but they are listed in the wiki.

Without commenting specifically on politics, I am also trying to take into account the probability that marginal tax rates will increase in the future when considering how much to convert and when.
by Student2
Tue Dec 29, 2020 2:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is There a "Bogleheads" for Health and Medical Issues
Replies: 31
Views: 3329

Re: Is There a Bogleheads for Health and Medical Issues

Yes, I'm familiar with those sites. But I'm looking for discussion among users. For example, Mayoclinic and webmd are analogous to Morningstar, which has a lot of information and data on investing, but doesn't supplant Bogleheads. I do have a specific issue I'm dealing with now, and I wish I could post it on Bogleheads for discussion. It's something that would not be addressed on Mayo or Webmd. This "discussion among users" that you seek is not a good idea in the field of medicine. Stick to sites like Mayo. What he said. While the sources of information I suggested above do not include the discussion feature you wanted, they will lead you to reliable information if you are able to navigate the clinical content. If you're not able...
by Student2
Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is There a "Bogleheads" for Health and Medical Issues
Replies: 31
Views: 3329

Re: Is There a Bogleheads for Health and Medical Issues

Sadly there is no shortage of websites that purport to offer health information, but it can be difficult to tell the chaff from the wheat unless you already have some training. When I search the general web, I often restrict my searches to ".edu" sites or ".gov" sites to improve the quality of results. Note that you may come across some '.edu' websites that are grad student and/or lab websites, so those may also have a specific perspective, but I have found them to have better quality info overall than random internet websites. To restrict your query in google search: "your search words" site:.edu You don't need quotes. Edited to add: You can also search Pubmed ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov which will resul...
by Student2
Tue Dec 29, 2020 1:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Basement water issues, advice
Replies: 20
Views: 1425

Re: Basement water issues, advice

Also have some water issues in the basement of a 1950s home. We will address them with a French drain but you might be interested that we were told we could do a partial French drain, installing it only in the walls that are leaking. That might substantially reduce costs, depending on the location of your leak. Also, you may know this already, but you don't have to remove all the concrete floor, just a trench beside the wall (e.g., https://hammerandhand.com/best-practices/manual/7-basements/7-4-basement-retrofit/ ). Any attempt to address water infiltration has to include managing the external flow of water, so you can always start with that. It's likely less $ than even the partial French drain and maybe it will solve your problem. Good lu...
by Student2
Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How do YOU find a good doctor these days...
Replies: 83
Views: 7248

Re: How do YOU find a good doctor these days...

This depends on what you’re looking for (general practice type concerns vs. neurosurgery), the type of insurance you have ( integrated health system vs. commercial medical/prescription coverage), and how much you an pay (concierge medicine fees or copay only). In general physicians with between 2-3 decades of experience, board certified (check their state license and/or their professional organization, eg American society of rheumatologist), and without medical license complaints (check your state attorney general’s site). Someone without / with these may still be a very good physician, but without any other information, these are reasonable filters. If you are part of an integrated health system, like Kaiser Permanente, you’re in luck. The...
by Student2
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Canadian bank account
Replies: 11
Views: 1189

Re: Canadian bank account

RoadRat is correct, Canadian banks do not want to deal with the reporting requirements for US citizens. As soon as you provide a US address or fail to have a Canadian SIN (equivalent of a US SSN), they will decline to do business with you. I suppose if you operate in rarefied atmospheres of multiple digit$, there is usually a way, but for most of us, this is not an option. TD Bank would be the only place I would suggest you try and you should call the Canadian side and ask them. You will need to talk to an investment representative. TD Bank does seem to offer greater flexibility for cross-border finances than any other Canadian bank. If you're in the midwest, you could also chat with BMO Harris Bank, which is actually a US bank owned by Ba...
by Student2
Tue Aug 25, 2020 9:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is the best concert you ever witnessed?
Replies: 434
Views: 39237

Re: What is the best concert you ever witnessed?

Isabel Bayrakdarian, before anyone besides the locals knew who she was, in a concert hall, about 15 rows away from the stage.

And, long ago, Natalie McMaster, in what was essentially a school auditorium. She never stopped moving.
by Student2
Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good quality face mask recommendation, please
Replies: 106
Views: 13623

Re: Good quality face mask recommendation, please

There are lots of threads on this very topic here, like
  • etc
Just search the forum for "mask". I purchased the masks at https://o2canada.com/ and have been quite happy with them. Full disclosure, a colleague was concerned that they may have a vent, but I couldn't decide. In any case, it is downward facing and covered by silicone. If you were really concerned, I suppose you could get a face shield, but I digress.
by Student2
Sun Jul 26, 2020 2:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying a new or used piano - advice needed
Replies: 39
Views: 3094

Re: Buying a new or used piano - advice needed

I second what desiderium said. You will be far better off if you contact a bona fide piano technician https://www.ptg.org/home . They will not only be able to make a recommendation, but will also know what is available in your community, and will be able to help you arrange for transport and ensure it is in working order when it arrives. I knew a piano technician long ago, whose unpleasantness was exceeded only by his skill. I learned a lot by listening to him. The very best pianos of today, in terms of both the sound and beauty, are all used. While there are some very good pianos today, they don't equal the equivalent pianos made ~40-60 years ago. One of those old pianos, properly restored by someone who has trained and has the experience,...
by Student2
Sat Jul 11, 2020 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Questions re Facebook Privacy
Replies: 11
Views: 957

Re: Questions re Facebook Privacy

Apart from any security concerns, which you should be able to guard against using reasonable efforts (no personal details, no info about upcoming vacations, pictures of your house front/streets or neighborhood, etc etc), the main issue to be aware of is that they will use any information you post, any info from your prior or future browsing sessions on that browser, any information they can link to you from public or commercially acquired data (lots of people sell your data, it's supposed to be de-identified but it is possible to cross-link it) to target you. Ostensibly this targeting is so that advertisers can identify the most likely candidates for their sales pitches, but the information can also be used to target you in other ways. I wo...
by Student2
Sat Jul 11, 2020 3:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Backdoor Roth screw up
Replies: 7
Views: 900

Re: Backdoor Roth screw up

sk005 , let me restate your problem to make sure I've understood. I also have a comment about your original transaction, but I'll leave that to the end since that's not your question. As I understand, instead of making a non-deductible contribution to a tIRA so you could execute a backdoor Roth IRA contribution afterward, you contributed to your roth IRA directly , which is not allowed for you. You made this error for both your 2019 and 2020 IRA contributions. If I've summarized correctly, it's easy to fix. All you have to do is recharacterize both your 2019 and 2020 contributions so that they are tIRA contributions. When the recharacterization clears, which will take 2-3 business days, convert then to Roth IRA contributions. Since the dea...
by Student2
Fri Jul 03, 2020 4:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What to do with all this MONEY ?
Replies: 201
Views: 24534

Re: What to do with all this MONEY ?

It sounds like you are a model Boglehead, LBYM most of your life and accustomed to a modest lifestyle while still enjoying life. You might consider what others have suggested and think about inflating your lifestyle a bit. It may be hard to go against a lifetime of habits, though. You mention your children and some concern about your son, in particular, Our kids were born in the lap of luxury, in some ways it is not their fault as they have not yet seen the struggle which many face, he has not learnt the virtue in saving. If you provide everything your children need, they may never need to learn how to succeed (save) on their own. I've thought about this a little myself although I don't expect to have anywhere near the 'problem' you describ...
by Student2
Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is Backdoor Roth Worth It?
Replies: 5
Views: 865

Re: Is Backdoor Roth Worth It?

Current max contribution (each) to IRA = $6000 Let's assume a modest 4% annual return on your investments and you deposit the full amount at the beginning of each year. Further, let's assume you work until full retirement age (and that Roth IRA's still exist and are as favorable from a tax perspective as they are now) and that you contribute every year (37 years). At the end of that time, you'll have just over $1M. You won't have to take withdrawals unless you choose and (making wild assumptions) you will never pay taxes on the money in the account. Based on your income, it will cause you exactly zero pain to put this money away each year. What's not to like? Watch out for pro-rata rules and pay attention to tax efficiency (eventually, you'...
by Student2
Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:07 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Sell company stock and use to fund Roth IRA?
Replies: 10
Views: 636

Re: Sell company stock and use to fund Roth IRA?

My company also does the same as part of total compensation. I have always sold it the moment the stock vests and invested it according to my IPS. Per that document, I do not hold individual stocks but buy a broad market index and hold a corresponding proportion of bonds, to reduce volatility. If your IPS includes holding individual stocks, this might be a stock you continue to hold, but when it vests you would then rebalance according to your set investment proportions. I agree with David Jay . The financial wellbeing of my company directly impacts me, through not only the bonus I receive each year but also, potentially, my future salary. I do not want to concentrate risk either in my company or in the sector my company is a part of. YMMV.
by Student2
Mon May 25, 2020 10:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Help understanding Credit Utilization (new to credit cards)
Replies: 15
Views: 950

Re: Help understanding Credit Utilization (new to credit cards)

I agree with mervinj7 . The impact to your credit score from higher utilization is temporary and will return to normal in a few months at most. Unless you need as high a credit score as you can have, there's no reason to worry about it. If you ever do need to maximize your credit score (and it's going to take you at least 6 months or at least a couple of years to do that), then keep your credit utilization on *each* card as well as overall, well below 30%. The 30% threshold is definitely where you cross a line, but keeping your utilization below 15% or so will make the greatest impact to your credit score. Do this if you're applying for a mortgage in a few months or if you're applying for a loan. Credit scores are a game, but they're a game...
by Student2
Fri May 22, 2020 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Financial advice for undertaking a PhD
Replies: 48
Views: 4892

Re: Financial advice for undertaking a PhD

So I went back to school to get a PhD at around the same age as you. It made good sense for me as I did not want to keep doing what I was doing and I now love my job and get paid much better than I would have been without the PhD. I did see some calculations showing that getting a PhD doesn't really pay from a financial perspective if the alternative is a Master's. The MS graduate gets to be in the labor market for longer and the PhD will be lucky to break even. Something for you to consider, before you jump in. It wouldn't have made a difference to me. The jobs available are very different and I wanted to have autonomy (which MS doesn't provide so much). You will want to have some emergency savings. Having access to funds made a big differ...
by Student2
Sat May 16, 2020 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Advice for first time homebuyer? Cheapest mortgages?
Replies: 9
Views: 1520

Re: Advice for first time homebuyer? Cheapest mortgages?

Suggest to your friend that he spend some time at https://mtgprofessor.com/home.aspx . There is a lot of learning to be had there. I spent time after learning about the website from other BogleHeads and it was very helpful when I got my first mortgage. Pay special attention to what the Mortgage Professor likes to call "Upfront Mortgage lenders" who disclose all the fees associated with the mortgage up front, even before you enter into discussion with them. So you can see what the interest rates are for various mortgages, what the origination and other lender fees are, and what the points are. Those are the 3 factors that can be tweaked to generate profits for the lender, but the borrower seldom gets to know all 3 before starting a...
by Student2
Thu May 14, 2020 10:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Companies that have a pension and 401k?
Replies: 63
Views: 4905

Re: Companies that have a pension and 401k?

Another pharma company and another 401k and an open pension (not employee contribution required). I know that not all BigPharma offers pensions, but so far I'm counting 4 that are 4/4.
by Student2
Mon May 11, 2020 8:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: $55k CAD check
Replies: 7
Views: 1241

Re: $55k CAD check

Don't cash it in the US, that's a substantial amount as far as fees and bad exchange rates go. Check out Norbert's gambit at the Canadian site's financial wiki https://www.finiki.org/wiki/Norbert%27s_gambit . Also take a look at the posts on the Canadian forum to get additional details https://www.financialwisdomforum.org/forum/search.php?keywords=norbert%27s+gambit&sid=58cef98508ea6674798964c0dad8a247 . You'll need to open a discount brokerage in Canada and have one in the US, too. Because Canadian banks will not want to have anything to do with you since you're domiciled in the US (due to the IRS' requirement that they report accounts), you will want to deposit the cheque (that's Canadian for check, eh?) directly into the discount bro...
by Student2
Mon May 04, 2020 7:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: terro ant treatment
Replies: 34
Views: 3916

Re: terro ant treatment

I occasionally have ants. They range from little tiny ones you almost can't see to a few stray big ones. I've seen them eat an entire oreo cookie (outside) in a few hours...scary. Good thing they are small! I try to tolerate the ants and discourage their visits to my house. I've even (successfully) resorted to putting out some sugar water a good distance from my house, but not too far from their nest. That worked out pretty well (as did making sure my cat stopped leaving kitty bites around his bowl). Occasionally, though, I find there's a strong trail or two that refuses to heed my warnings. In that event, I resign myself to making a Borax solution with sugar. You can easily find a recipe online by searching on "borax formicide" o...
by Student2
Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to Canada as a US Citizen with income from both countries
Replies: 21
Views: 1712

Re: Moving to Canada as a US Citizen with income from both countries

One thing no one has mentioned is that many Canadian banks (and independent investment companies) will not want to do business with you, as an American (or even as a Canadian) with accounts in the US. The US IRS requires that Canadian banks dealing with Americans report annually on deposits and account totals. For many Canadian banks & financial companies, this is just more hassle than they want to deal with. You can avoid this by not mentioning it and using your Canadian address for all things (although some of them will ask that you fill out a form that asks specifically about that, so that doesn't always work) or you can open an account at TD Bank. (I have no affiliation, but I went through this search for a bank that would deal with...
by Student2
Wed Feb 26, 2020 9:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vancouver area trip in Aug - 5 nights
Replies: 20
Views: 2366

Re: Vancouver area trip in Aug - 5 nights

So for Chinese food, you really need to take the skytrain to Richmond, about an hour drive (or 30 min) depending on traffic. DO NOT drive at rush hour if you plan on driving. Richmond, just south of Vancouver, has the largest concentration of Hong Kong & mainland Chinese outside of China. You will find authentic food and lots of delicious fusion options. Downtown Vancouver and Yaletown have some of the best dining around. Period. In the summer, there are architectural tours of the city available https://aibc.ca/news-events/signature-events-programs/architectural-walking-tours/ . Don't believe what anyone posts about neighborhoodds in Vancouver being like the worst neighborhoods in the US. That specific neighborhood (outside of Chinatown...
by Student2
Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What do you/did you spend your bonus on?
Replies: 109
Views: 10524

Re: What do you/did you spend your bonus on?

you think of it as “lumpy salary,” and mentally account for it over 12 months. This is the correct way to think about it. You need to base your consumption decisions off of part your total compensation from all sources. I dislike the word bonus. It implies that it is extra and special. Like a gift from your employer or something. My goal has always been to get the highest fixed salary I can get with little to no variable comp. If I had a sales role I suppose variable comp would make sense. The way we’ve always approached bonuses is assuming we weren’t getting any additional money for the year, and to plan our annual budget around our fixed income. I’m really intrigued by the fact people treat it as part and parcel of their total compensati...
by Student2
Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:47 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommended biology/life science related majors and careers?
Replies: 51
Views: 4660

Re: Recommended biology/life science related majors and careers?

+1 to the bioinformatics suggestion, also anything related to "big data": combining biology with some quantitative training, i.e., statistics, esp. biostats, is at the very least flexible and likely to provide more than average earnings. Alternatively, I would also highly recommend epidemiology, a field with public health relatedness but no "patients" (unless you count a cohort of patients) but that is usually not available as an undergraduate degree. Then there is also pharmacoepidemiology which often (easily) translates to a job working for a pharmaceutical company, where one would earn at minimum a living wage in almost any city in the country and which is also reasonably mobile (US and outside of US) depending on int...
by Student2
Sat Feb 01, 2020 8:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Who would you refinance your mortgage with?
Replies: 45
Views: 6913

Re: Who would you refinance your mortgage with?

I refinanced with Aimloan about 1-1/2 years ago. The process was as simple as such things could be, they beat rates & cost compared to the 3 other banks/lenders I queried (RocketLoan, local CU, and previous lender). Any mortgage I shop for again will include AimLoan as a potential lender. I would definitely use them again.
by Student2
Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mortgage Options
Replies: 12
Views: 1796

Re: Mortgage Options

You can compare the impact of using different mortgages using the calculators at the Mortgage Professor https://mtgprofessor.com/CalculatorArticles/Mortgage%20Comparison.html . (Incidentally, I would take a look at the mortgage rates at the upfront mortgage lenders there, too, for comparison. The highly specialized local credit union at my Big Co couldn't beat AimLoan's mortgage offer when I refinanced into a no-cost lower rate.) Whether or not you take the 30-year or 15-year mortgage may ultimately depend on the size of your mortage payments plus your other monthly payments (car loan, escrow for mortgage, etc.) compared to your income, taking into account your savings, etc. Paying off a mortgage vs. saving continues to be a hotly debated t...
by Student2
Tue Jan 07, 2020 6:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Cross-border tax accountant recommendations
Replies: 1
Views: 291

Re: Cross-border tax accountant recommendations

You may have better luck posting on the Canadian Bogleheads Forum https://www.financialwisdomforum.org/forum/index.php. In general, it's easier to find cross-border accountants nearer the border so you might try looking in Bellingham, WA to see if you can find a smaller firm that does cross-border work. I'm going to be looking for one myself, but I don't expect it will be inexpensive.
by Student2
Tue Jan 07, 2020 6:00 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Opening a new HSA
Replies: 25
Views: 2301

Re: Opening a new HSA

As long as you are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan, you can deduct contributions to an HSA, outside of your employer plan, for both federal and (in most states) state taxes. I think what you miss out on by not using payroll deductions to fund your HSA are the FICA exemptions. For this reason, I use payroll deductions then roll over my HSA once per year, as permitted, to my preferred HSA custodian, https://livelyme.com/ . My employer's chosen HSA custodian, BenefitWallet, isn't bad, but there are no fees associated with investing at Lively. This way I get money into my HSA with a little more effort, but triple-tax free. One thing to be aware of is that there is often a charge for trustee-to-trustee transfers, which are allowed as m...
by Student2
Tue Jan 07, 2020 1:46 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Potential pitfalls with Roth 401k vs. traditional 401k
Replies: 25
Views: 2863

Re: Potential pitfalls with Roth 401k vs. traditional 401k

You are still required to take RMD from a Roth 401(k), although you can avoid them by rolling over your Roth 401(k) to a Roth IRA before you reach 72.2 years (the SECURE Act changes the age of RMD from 70.5 to 72.2 years). Even if your income is too high to allow direct Roth IRA contributions, you can still make what is sometimes called a "backdoor Roth IRA" contribution. Essentially you make your contribution to a traditional IRA then make a Roth conversion. There is no tax impact since there was no tax benefit to contributing to the IRA in the first place since your income was over the limit. This has been described in detail in many threads on this forum and is also explained in the wiki https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Backdoor...
by Student2
Sat Dec 07, 2019 3:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Does anyone have a dishwasher they recommend?
Replies: 161
Views: 14478

Re: Does anyone have a dishwasher they recommend?

Definitely Miele. They are not as widely known as other brands, but that's at least in part due to the fact they don't spend much on advertising and count on word of mouth. Good Bavarian engineering :D ... yes, that means the wash cycles are pretty long, but I appreciate the energy efficiency. We don't really care how long it takes tbh, as we just set it to run at night.) After the first time through, all our dishes looked new. It's so quiet (one of the criteria I used for selecting it) we have to look for the red light to see if it's running even when standing right beside it! Three racks, a built-in water softener and the option to add rinse-aid to a reservoir to deal with hard water spots. It has more programs than I think we will ever u...
by Student2
Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:10 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: any canucks living in US? i've got an RRSP question
Replies: 7
Views: 935

Re: any canucks living in US? i've got an RRSP question

As emlowe stated, depending on your balances and your plans to return to Canada some day, it may just be easier to liquidate your account. That said, you can choose to keep your RRSP and you no longer have to file annually to report it. The IRS no longer requires you to disclose amounts and returns annually. As you are now a US resident, depending on your status (green card / citizen) you will have a hard time opening a new account in almost all Canadian banks. The majority are not interested in taking on the burden of reporting annually to your new US overlords. The exception is TD bank. As an added bonus, if you read the bogleheads forum, you will quickly come to realize how bad most Canadian investments are, with expense ratios averaging...
by Student2
Mon Oct 28, 2019 8:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Best option for transferring +/- 100k Euro to US$ account
Replies: 11
Views: 1293

Re: Best option for transferring +/- 100k Euro to US$ account

I'm no expert, but I suggest you take a look at "Norbert's Gambit" in the Canadian forum's wiki https://www.finiki.org/wiki/Norbert%27s_gambit. This is a way to optimize the transfer rate for currency. I'm not sure it will work for euros, but in principle, if it's possible to find a stock that is traded on both an EU exchange and a US exchange, it should be possible.
by Student2
Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:40 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Transfer into former employer's 401(k) possible?
Replies: 25
Views: 2378

Re: Transfer into former employer's 401(k) possible?

Just fyi, re: rollovers into former employers, my 403(b) at TIAA allows rollovers even after detachment. Given the availability of TIAA's RE fund, along with their other funds at institutional fee rates, I consider myself very fortunate especially now that you tell me how rare this is.
by Student2
Sat Oct 05, 2019 10:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendation for Carry on Luggage
Replies: 64
Views: 7396

Re: Recommendation for Carry on Luggage

I entirely agree with Stan1 that a USB/battery pack is probably more flexible (especially if you had a solar panel charger for THAT), but it’s my Away battery that made me appreciate that. In my daily life, I’m never more than a few feet away from an outlet so it’s mostly not an issue. When I’m traveling is when this becomes a problem and having a place for the battery in my suitcase means I have one less thing to carry - a big bonus for me. If you think you’ll use a battery other than when traveling, by all means, get one. But if it’s going to be used when you’re traveling, well, you can always take the battery out of the Away bag and carry it with you if you need. As for the bag itself, which you can get with or without battery, I have fo...