Search found 4909 matches

by Nicolas
Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

We just finished watching Humphrey Bogart in: The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and The African Queen. Those movies are all hailed as so great, but tbh none of them did a lot for me. Maybe the hype pushed expectations too high? For me, it's the production quality of 1930s-1950s films that puts me off. I haven't seen any of the above films for that reason. That plus on the whole, acting and directing wasn't as polished as it is now...but I always try to take that into account with older movies. There are old movies I thought were truly great, like Casablanca...but with those three, I came away not getting the praise. The Big Sleep was directed by Howard Hawks. John Huston directed The Maltese Falcon and The African Queen . Hawks, Huston and...
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Those movies are all hailed as so great, but tbh none of them did a lot for me. Maybe the hype pushed expectations too high? For me, it's the production quality of 1930s-1950s films that puts me off. I haven't seen any of the above films for that reason. That plus on the whole, acting and directing wasn't as polished as it is now...but I always try to take that into account with older movies. There are old movies I thought were truly great, like Casablanca...but with those three, I came away not getting the praise. Why would you be getting the praise? You’d be giving it wouldn’t you? I think gunny2 meant something like “I came away not understanding the praise those films had received.” Okay that makes sense. I read that too literally.
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 27, 2024 7:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

gunny2 wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:18 am
roamingzebra wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:11 am
gunny2 wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 6:18 pm
AlohaBill wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 4:47 pm We just finished watching Humphrey Bogart in: The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and The African Queen.
Those movies are all hailed as so great, but tbh none of them did a lot for me. Maybe the hype pushed expectations too high?
For me, it's the production quality of 1930s-1950s films that puts me off. I haven't seen any of the above films for that reason.
That plus on the whole, acting and directing wasn't as polished as it is now...but I always try to take that into account with older movies. There are old movies I thought were truly great, like Casablanca...but with those three, I came away not getting the praise.
Why would you be getting the praise? You’d be giving it wouldn’t you?
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Watches for $1K
Replies: 45
Views: 6076

Re: Watches for $1K

pbc561 wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:11 am One good choice is the Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic. It's tough, looks classic, and you can choose between a leather or metal strap. It's also not too pricey, so you can maybe grab him another small gift with the money you save.

Seiko Presage is another watch to think about. It's really nice looking and works super well. I own this model, and I'm very satisfied with it + it looks really gorgeous.

Image
Great-looking watch! Sunburst dial and domed crystal, but not sapphire. I have one. My Hamiltons are more accurate though and have sapphire crystals. And they cost me more.
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 26, 2024 9:12 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Apple ... stay the course or scale back?
Replies: 177
Views: 33389

Re: Apple ... stay the course or scale back?

I had Apple for a while and it was nice to log into my account and see a 1,000%+ gain which is rare. I sold mine a good year or two ago. With the huge run up of stocks like Google and META I'm now considering reducing/selling those as well. At some point a stock gets so big and have metrics that they can't beat, it is time to move on. You can go the lazy route of just adding to index funds or considering other options like utilities and maybe banking for 2024. My other lazy path is adding to Berkshire. While the index funds are diversified they are top heavy with the tech companies and if those go down, the indexes will also have issues. Your money, your choice. But Berkshire is 47% Apple. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/nearly-80-of-warre...
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 26, 2024 7:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

About 6 years ago I completed a lifelong goal and built a permanent telescope observatory, which I can run completely remotely to do my astrophotos. You can’t post something like this without including at least some pictures… Sure. Here are a few from my observatory. https://imgur.com/a/UyaPbNF Nice photos. I’d like to see a picture of the observatory too. I added a short video of the roof opening remotely, and a picture of the imaging assembly partway through the build to the link above. The physical structure of the observatory isn't anything particularly impressive. Some build theirs with a lot of comforts of life so they can spend the night in it, but since I do almost exclusively remote imaging I built mine to look like an inconspicuo...
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 26, 2024 6:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

physics911 wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2024 5:21 pm
supalong52 wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 11:00 pm
physics911 wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 7:11 pm About 6 years ago I completed a lifelong goal and built a permanent telescope observatory, which I can run completely remotely to do my astrophotos.
You can’t post something like this without including at least some pictures…
Sure. Here are a few from my observatory.
https://imgur.com/a/UyaPbNF
Nice photos. I’d like to see a picture of the observatory too.
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:59 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Those complimentary dinners for retirees by investment advisors
Replies: 137
Views: 10180

Re: Those complimentary dinners for retirees by investment advisors

Never went to one. For one thing I don’t want to eat any of that food, I’m a pescatarian, also I have no interest in their products. A few years ago we started getting invitations to free dinners to discuss funeral and cremation plans, not something I want to discuss over dinner.
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590785

Re: What are you listening to now

Gord’s Gold — Gordon Lightfoot
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:06 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Apple ... stay the course or scale back?
Replies: 177
Views: 33389

Re: Apple ... stay the course or scale back?

But Berkshire is 47% Apple. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/nearly-80-of-warren-buffetts-portfolio-is-invested-in-these-6-stocks-as-2024-begins That's not actually true. The article said Apple is 47% of Berkshire's stock holdings, not 47% of the value of the company. The $170B in Apple shares may have been worth 21 to 22 percent of Berkshire's market cap at the time that article was written. Apple has gone down since then, and Berkshire has gone up, so the same number of Apple shares would now be worth 17 to 18 percent of Berkshire's current market cap. With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, it does seem that diversifying out of Apple may have been a good idea. Being agnostic about the stock, I tend to concur with the following: Isn’t there ...
by Nicolas
Sun Mar 24, 2024 11:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

AlohaBill wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 4:47 pm We just finished watching Humphrey Bogart in: The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and The African Queen.
I rank these films in this order of quality:
1. The Maltese Falcon — Such good acting, characters, and plot. Bogie, Greenstreet, Lorre, Elisha Cook Jr! The stuff that dreams are made of.
2. The African Queen — Bogart paired with Hepburn! And in color!
3. The Big Sleep — The plot is too confusing. Even the author, Raymond Chandler, could not explain it when asked.
by Nicolas
Sun Mar 24, 2024 10:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Panic In Year Zero! (1962) Ray Milland, Frankie Avalon, directed by Ray Milland

Post-apocalyptic narrative of what an average family would do after Los Angeles is destroyed in a nuclear attack, and it’s not pretty. Better than it sounds, it leads the viewer to constantly question what they, the viewer, would do in those situations. Gasoline is being price-gouged at $3/gallon in 1962! Avalon does not sing. Released 100 days before the Cuban missile crisis. We streamed it on The Criterion Channel. Recommended.
by Nicolas
Sun Mar 24, 2024 12:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590785

Re: What are you listening to now


Yesu Ka Mkwebaze
— Noviciat de Soeurs

I found a new app: radiooooo

That’s five o’s.

With this app you can play music from any decade from any country, if it exists! Decades listed are 1900 to Now, there’s even a future decade, 2070, with what they imagine the music will be. I found the song linked above under Rwanda 1950s. It’s free but of course there’s a paid tier with additional features. Right now I’m playing Japanese pop from the 1980s as I was in Japan then so it has some memories for me. I don’t know of any other service doing this. Anyway it’s kind of fun.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590785

Re: What are you listening to now

Didn’t it Rain? — Sister Rosetta Tharpe
The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll:
https://youtu.be/FKK_EQ4pj9A?si=D7nxRkIGNvfisfrG
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 10:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

SwiftKey wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:50 am I bought a Litter-Robot for my cats as a bit of a splurge; I was feeling good with life after a trip to Japan, my friends were raving about it, and I’d gone way over my saving goals for the year. I thought it would be hokey and I’d have buyers remorse.

I absolutely love it, and never want to go back to not having one.
We bought one too last year and we like it. It makes litter-cleaning chores easier and reduces smell. The cats even seem to like it. One of our cats watches it cycle.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 5:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

I just upgraded my old 2016 iPhone SE to a iPhone15. It’s so much better. If this fall's iPhone 16 Pro has the 5x telephoto lens that the 15 Pro Max now has, as rumors suggest, I'll upgrade to it from my XR. Not currently interested in the Max because of its size Agreed. I needed a new phone now or I would’ve waited. I considered the Pro but in its current incarnation its telephoto is a mere 3x versus 2x for the basic 15, not enough to sway me. If it’d had 5x I would’ve gone for it. And like you, the Max is too big for me. It needs to fit in my pocket. What is a telephoto lens? I agree iPhone must fit in pocket. From ChatGPT: A telephoto lens is a type of camera lens designed to magnify distant subjects, making them appear closer to the ca...
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 1:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

Doom&Gloom wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:23 pm
Doom&Gloom wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 6:48 pm I'm too serious about my things to consider them as toys.

Adulting is hard :oops:

j/k. Play away, folks!
I finally thought of a few that I don't consider practically necessities:
Beer refrigerator
Electric golf cart for yard work/tasks
EGO battery powered leaf blower and weed eater

Other than the beer fridge, I consider them toys only because they make me giggle every time I think of how much time and effort they save me.
I bought an EGO lawnmower last year with a 7.5 Ah battery and charger. I can almost cut my lawn on one charge. I usually have to break for an hour to recharge. That’s okay, gives me time to rest.

I sold and gave away my old ICE mowers. They were 38 and 20 years old, respectively.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Autos Collecting and Selling Our Driving Info? Is this real?
Replies: 25
Views: 2793

Re: Autos Collecting and Selling Our Driving Info? Is this real?

Yes it’s happening. I read a news article about it. Some drivers are seeing their premiums increase and one guy was denied insurance because of this. I think they use the OnStar service and others of its ilk. It’s buried deep in the privacy pages that you have to accept but no one reads. One guy is suing. So glad I never signed on to any of those services.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Paying Electric Bill With Checking
Replies: 49
Views: 3536

Re: Paying Electric Bill With Checking

I pay some bills by checking withdrawal and haven’t had any problem. Some utilities don’t allow you to use a credit card for this purpose. In your case I would just use the credit card. With the CC bonus you’re netting money every month, a tiny amount but still positive.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

22twain wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 7:10 am
Nicolas wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:15 am I just upgraded my old 2016 iPhone SE to a iPhone15. It’s so much better.
If this fall's iPhone 16 Pro has the 5x telephoto lens that the 15 Pro Max now has, as rumors suggest, I'll upgrade to it from my XR. Not currently interested in the Max because of its size
Agreed. I needed a new phone now or I would’ve waited. I considered the Pro but in its current incarnation its telephoto is a mere 3x versus 2x for the basic 15, not enough to sway me. If it’d had 5x I would’ve gone for it. And like you, the Max is too big for me. It needs to fit in my pocket.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

tetractys wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:53 pmiPhone
+1. I just upgraded my old 2016 iPhone SE to a iPhone15. It’s so much better.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 23, 2024 12:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Unable to login to Morgan Stanley from Turbo Tax
Replies: 12
Views: 833

Re: Unable to login to Morgan Stanley from Turbo Tax

In E*Trade I had to go into my Security settings —> Manage Third-Party Data Sharing and then hit the [Yes] radio button to enable TurboTax to get my forms.
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590785

Re: What are you listening to now

westpac wrote: Fri Mar 22, 2024 7:21 pm "I can't Explain." 1967 by the Who. A wonderful song. :shock:
A nice song. One of my favorite groups.
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 12 months before retirement what do you wish you had done
Replies: 71
Views: 8609

Re: 12 months from retirement what do you wish you had done

I retired mid-year and so I accelerated my 401(k) contributions to bunch it up, as much as I could, into the 1st half of the year. Also I took no vacation days that year so as to receive it as cash. My employer did not pay for unused sick days. I deferred filing for social security to age 70.
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

A Behmor coffee roaster. I’ve been home-roasting for twenty-one years but only bought a dedicated roaster a couple of years ago. Until then I was using various popcorn poppers and a home-built roaster that I cobbled together. This is much better!

I roasted a pound of Kenya peaberry yesterday and I’m drinking it today — delicious!
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 22, 2024 1:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 253
Views: 18267

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

I bought a set of Lewis Chessmen (copies, not originals!) from a sidewalk vendor on the Birdcage Walk in London in 1984 and it’s been a source of great fun and satisfaction ever since.
by Nicolas
Thu Mar 21, 2024 8:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Apple ecosystem and security
Replies: 7
Views: 951

Re: Apple ecosystem and security

We use Norton 360 and we’re all-Apple. I read a review putting it at the top of their recommended list. It comes with a built-in VPN and ad blocker which you can turn on and off. That’s all we use but it’s enough. Oh and we use Bitwarden for our password manager.
by Nicolas
Thu Mar 21, 2024 12:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Simple things like writing a check, balancing a checkbook, depositing, withdrawing, interest. Teach a child... but how?
Replies: 39
Views: 2599

Re: Simple things like writing a check, balancing a checkbook, depositing, withdrawing, interest. Teach a child... but h

tetractys wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:41 pm Banks used to have kids savings accounts. Is there anything like that anymore?

Test your child by giving them an expensive coin and seeing what happens.

Buy a share of Disney for your child.
I bought Disney shares for my kids but this was back when they still gave you actual paper stock certificates with Walt, Tinker Bell, and Mickey on the front in full color. They don’t issue them anymore so that takes all the fun out of it. Later my son castigated me over it. He said I should’ve bought Microsoft shares instead which they could’ve more easily identified with and he was so right.
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:23 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Simple things like writing a check, balancing a checkbook, depositing, withdrawing, interest. Teach a child... but how?
Replies: 39
Views: 2599

Re: Simple things like writing a check, balancing a checkbook, depositing, withdrawing, interest. Teach a child... but h

This doesn’t answer your question but I wonder at the value of learning to balance a checkbook now. I write so few checks that I don’t bother to balance my checking account anymore. I just make sure I have enough in there to cover my autopays, and I quickly glance at the account to see that the one check I might write, maybe once every two months or so, is properly documented. That’s it.

Do your kids learn cursive writing? I hear that’s coming back. Kids can’t read their grandparents’ handwriting in the Hallmark cards they get.
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 20, 2024 10:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Love Story 1970 love story flick nominated for several Academy Awards, on TCM. Adjusted for inflation, it's one of the highest grossing films of all time (according to Wikipedia). I put off watching this for many years, thinking I would not like it. And I was right. This film seemed to have set up many annoying stereotypes for the ensuing decades. The characters are all unlikable. The dialogue is stiff and awful. Despite the high earnings and several nominations, it won only one Academy Award for the best film score, which is deserved only on the basis of the one sad theme song that replays again and again throughout the movie. Romantic comedies are a lot more enjoyable. On the plus side, the timeline jumps around like Pulp Fiction. If onl...
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity equipment update
Replies: 17
Views: 863

Re: Xfinity equipment update

Duckie wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:23 pm
Nicolas wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:21 pm When I started with Xfinity they sent me a combined modem/router but I didn’t get good Wi-Fi coverage so I installed my own separate modem and router that I already had. It worked much better. I boxed up their equipment and put it on a shelf as I wasn’t paying anything for it. A few months later they asked me to return it.
So they could somehow tell you weren't using their equipment?
Exactly. They knew. They bugged me online for awhile by robo-email, telling me my equipment couldn’t be as good as theirs. When my first two years was up they were going to start charging me rent for it. I ignored them. Eventually they just said to return their unit which I did.
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity equipment update
Replies: 17
Views: 863

Re: Xfinity equipment update

When I started with Xfinity they sent me a combined modem/router but I didn’t get good Wi-Fi coverage so I took it out and installed my own separate modem and router that I already had. It worked much better. I boxed up their equipment and put it on a shelf as I wasn’t paying anything for it. A few months later they asked me to return it.
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 20, 2024 6:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590785

Re: What are you listening to now

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Mar 20, 2024 3:16 pm Korsakov, Flight of the Bumblebee, performed by Yuja Wang in 2016 - incredible performance
Nice! Here’s one of her performances of this piece from 2014: https://youtu.be/fdKEUmFUMFg?si=AS1eZY75M3r_7uA_
How can a human being play a piece like that without a single mistake? It’s almost superhuman. In centuries past it might even be described as diabolical. I had a similar reaction watching Glenn Gould play Bach’s Goldberg Variations. He was even more impressive.
by Nicolas
Wed Mar 20, 2024 2:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590785

Re: What are you listening to now

His Band and the Street Choir — Van Morrison
The songs Domino and Blue Money are especially good!
by Nicolas
Tue Mar 19, 2024 3:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11151
Views: 2085776

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) One of my favorite all time movies. Cannot believe it has been 43 years since its release. I recall seeing it at a theatre in the summer of 1981, the memory is still vivid. I saw it I think 3 or 4 times in 1981. I think it played for four straight months at one of the movie theaters. … and that’s what makes horse races. I vividly remember being depressed watching that film, which to my mind had ONLY ONE redeeming moment (where Harrison Ford shrugged his shoulders and used his pistol). I thought at the time that it was the end of good films in theaters, and I’m not sure that I was mistaken. Films have pandered to 12 year old boys since. I tried watching an Indiana Jones film once. Not sure now which one. Aft...
by Nicolas
Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:39 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Quarterly Tax Payments when retired?
Replies: 5
Views: 587

Re: Quarterly Tax Payments when retired?

I follow the “safe harbor” rule of paying 100% of my previous tax year’s tax liability if AGI is <$150k or (in my case) 110% if AGI is above that amount. Then I divide that by four and make the four identical payments. I never have to worry.
by Nicolas
Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 64
Views: 3368

Re: navigation system for car

Hi, tuna. My humble suggestions: 1. Get a smart phone, if you don't own one. Flip phones and Nook tablets are soooo 2010. They went out with Britney Spears and Ricky Martin. When I was in my 30s, a very smart 19 y o punk rocker with purple hair taught me: "Protagonist, you gotta stay contemporary or you will start growing moss." The child is father to the man. 2. Download the free Waze app. They use real time traffic data. For years I commuted between MA and NYC frequently. One route or another seemed to always be backed up, and which one was a coin flip. I tried everything else. Waze did a MUCH better job keeping me on the best route than any of the others. There are plenty of good dashboard phone mounts out there. You need not ...
by Nicolas
Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard invites clients to lend securities
Replies: 25
Views: 2472

Re: Fully Paid Lending program?

Thanks, I should have searched first. At any rate, what scares me most is that you lose qualified dividend status on the shares, plus "Vanguard Marketing Corporation's ("VMC") shares on loan are not covered by SIPC". Im sure there are other risks as well, although my Disney holding might be ripe for this seeing as they no longer pay a dividend although I dont know if you get to stipulate which shares they Loan out. My fully paid lending program is applied only to my Roth IRAs so losing qualified dividend status for me is moot. And I don’t get to stipulate which shares are loaned, it’s whatever is in my account that someone wants to borrow. For example my VOO shares are never loaned out, nobody wants to short that, but m...
by Nicolas
Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:53 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard invites clients to lend securities
Replies: 25
Views: 2472

Re: Fully Paid Lending program?

I’ve used fully paid lending on both E*Trade and Fidelity and have earned a few thousand dollars. I haven’t used or been offered it on Vanguard.
by Nicolas
Mon Mar 18, 2024 10:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 64
Views: 3368

Re: navigation system for car

tunafish wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:31 am Even if I weren't opposed to smart phones, the screens are too small for this.
If you have a car that supports Apple CarPlay you can port your navigation to your car’s (bigger) screen.
by Nicolas
Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 64
Views: 3368

Re: navigation system for car

ScubaHogg wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:50 pm
Nicolas wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:40 pm My Toyota navigation system maps are outdated but to update it requires a $169 annual subscription. So I’ll use my new iPhone instead. It’ll have more up-to-date info anyway. But when out of cell range, which admittedly is a rare occurrence, it’ll be useless,
You can download maps to your iPhone for offline use in google maps

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/ ... form%3DiOS
I’ve done that but if I go off track it doesn’t recalculate if it can’t get to the Internet.
by Nicolas
Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: navigation system for car
Replies: 64
Views: 3368

Re: navigation system for car

My Toyota navigation system maps are outdated but to update it requires a $169 annual subscription. So I’ll use my new iPhone instead. It’ll have more up-to-date info anyway. But when out of cell range, which admittedly is a rare occurrence, it’ll be useless, so I keep an old Garmin in the glove box which of course is independent of cellular signals. I’ve used Garmins for seventeen years and they’ve served me well. It’s powered from the 12V “cigarette lighter” jack.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 16, 2024 10:09 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: HELP - what to invest in for 750,000 windfall
Replies: 14
Views: 2055

Re: HELP - what to invest in for 750,000 windfall

I would invest all of it in VOO, Vanguard S&P 500 Index ETF, and I would do it right now, all of it at once. I don’t know if this is appropriate for you as I know nothing about you. But you asked what I would do so I answered. There you have it.
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 16, 2024 9:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I buy a $3k camera lens or get a cheaper lens instead?
Replies: 25
Views: 1688

Re: Should I buy a $3k camera lens or get a cheaper lens instead?

I would go for the higher-priced best lens. It’s not a huge outlay and you obviously would prefer it and you would be delighted with it. You have my permission :D
by Nicolas
Sat Mar 16, 2024 10:43 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Appliance service wait times
Replies: 6
Views: 914

Re: Appliance service wait times

larrydmsn wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 9:34 am The OP was talking about warranty service, not regular repair service...
My repair was under warranty. I got pretty quick service.
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Am I Only One Who Hates Having Left Over Pennies
Replies: 53
Views: 4496

Re: Am I Only One Who Hates Having Left Over Pennies

A few pennies doesn’t bother me. If it’s a few dollars I’ll buy a fractional share of something I already own. I’m with Fidelity which permits fractional share purchases at no cost.
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Appliance service wait times
Replies: 6
Views: 914

Re: Appliance service wait times

No, I don’t think so. It might be your location or brand. We got a dishwasher repaired within a week’s time last year.
by Nicolas
Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Are white, red, blue and other bright colors safer [for cars] than other colors???
Replies: 45
Views: 4179

Re: Are white, red, blue and other bright colors safer [for cars] than other colors???

I think white is best. It helps reduce air conditioning too. I read once that red cars get pulled over more. I don’t know if that’s because they attract the eye of the law more or the drivers that favor red cars drive more infractiously.