Search found 730 matches

by keystone
Mon Mar 04, 2024 9:46 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Where to cap 529 contributions?
Replies: 64
Views: 4927

Re: Where to cap 529 contributions?

Agree with the previous poster, I'd prefer to be a little underfunded than overfunded in the 529 plan since I can cover the shortfall from other sources. When I started my plan 10 years ago, my aim was to have enough for 3 years of in state tuition + room & board. I'm currently sitting at 2 years.

However, recent tax law changes involving converting a portion to a Roth IRA have made me less concerned about overfunding the 529 than I was when I started.
by keystone
Sat Mar 02, 2024 9:41 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are We in a Stock Market Bubble? (Ray Dalio)
Replies: 132
Views: 15402

Re: Are We in a Stock Market Bubble? (Ray Dalio)

The word “bubble” has really been overused. At this point, it almost has no meaning. It seems everybody is callling everything a bubble now. I don’t think we’re in a bubble. We may be a market that is overvalued. We may see meager future returns. But I doubt that we’re in an actual bubble, that would “pop” with unexpected suddenness, and tank the market by 50% or more, and stay there for a long long time. Maybe the market is just “swole”. Like things are swell, but maybe a bit over inflated, swole as the bros might say. Unlike any of the pundits though, I know, and freely admit that I’m a smooth-brained dummy. And I don’t know anything. And having that level of self awareness is a powerful thing. Agreed. In real life and on TV these days, ...
by keystone
Tue Feb 27, 2024 3:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: another 5500ez penalty tale - $210,000
Replies: 131
Views: 23721

Re: another 5500ez penalty tale - $210,000

This thread serves as an excellent PSA for solo 401(k) holders and I appreciate the bump. I'm inching my way closer to the $250K threshold and with my 1099 NEC work winding down, I'm starting to think I should just shut the plan down now rather than deal with the potential nightmares.
by keystone
Tue Feb 27, 2024 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 1099-NEC payment timing issue
Replies: 15
Views: 878

Re: 1099-NEC payment timing issue

I don't have an answer other than to just report it in 2023, that's what I would do as a sole proprietor but yeah it can be annoying to have to follow-up and explain the discrepancy.

On the flip side, I report income from several organizations that do not file 1099s on my behalf because my compensation is less than $600 per org. Not once I have ever been asked to explain those "surpluses" of income. Funny how I never get asked about those.
by keystone
Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Total Verizon
Replies: 6
Views: 888

Re: Total Verizon

I've been with Total by Verizon for a few years and have had zero service issues that I can recall. I was on Verizon for many years as well. I cannot tell a difference between the two.

However, since they were bought out by Verizon, the rates have gone up for new customers and we are only grandfathered into the existing plan through (I think) November 2024. Regardless, I'm thinking about switching even sooner since it appears that there are cheaper plans out there. I pay $62 per month including taxes for 2 lines and 30 gb of shared data. It looks like US Mobile and some others have better deals out there and I'd rather get this over with sooner than have to deal with the looming increase.
by keystone
Mon Jan 29, 2024 8:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Recommendations needed for dental insurance for someone with no dental plan
Replies: 31
Views: 2816

Re: Recommendations needed for dental insurance for someone with no dental plan

DesertGator wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 8:48 am All dental insurance sucks. 100% - no exceptions. Don't buy it.
Yep, I don't think there's any great option out there. I was talking to a dentist friend of mine and he said dental insurance is like the opposite of health insurance. With health plans, you typically pay your deductible first then have potentially unlimited coverage. With dental plans, typically a nominal amount is covered up front and then everything else is out of pocket.
by keystone
Mon Jan 15, 2024 9:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Calling Ocean Engineers: What is happening to my cruise ship?
Replies: 86
Views: 11488

Re: Calling Ocean Engineers: What is happening to my cruise ship?

HomeStretch wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 2:34 pm You might also try posting this question on the Boards over at cruise critics. There are sub-forums for each cruise line.
Same with reddit. I enjoy the subreddits for each cruise line.
by keystone
Fri Jan 05, 2024 4:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Rule of 55 Workaround
Replies: 15
Views: 1810

Re: Rule of 55 Workaround

Another option - if you are able to establish a solo 401K, for example if you are a sole proprietor and have earned income, I think you could essentially stop working, ie retire at 55 and withdraw from the solo 401K without paying the penalty. What is nice about that is you can dictate how much or how little you would work until age 55.
by keystone
Thu Jan 04, 2024 10:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Plumber's Auger - Clogged Shower Drain
Replies: 44
Views: 5659

Re: Plumber's Auger - Clogged Shower Drain

I have this issue about once a year as well. I got tired of calling a plumber and use a wet/dry vacuum and it has worked every time.
by keystone
Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:38 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Was JB anti-ETF??
Replies: 32
Views: 3512

Re: Bogle on ETFs

PersonalFinanceJam wrote: Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:34 am This is one of those endless debates on the forum which will probably not have a real conclusion. You've been given some good searches and reference material. There really isn't going to be a "right" answer. It's going to be best for you to review the material and make your own judgement call on what's best for you.
+1.

It always amuses me how much this topic gets discussed. The reality is for the vast majority, it really won't make a material difference one way or the other. The most important thing is to save and invest over a long period of time.
by keystone
Mon Dec 11, 2023 8:32 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How much are you down\up from the top set in 2021?
Replies: 79
Views: 11948

Re: How much are you down\up from the top set in 2021?

I am up 2% since 2021. Note: Nov 2023 was terrific -- up 7% in that 1 month! No new money going in. VTI is down about 5.8% from all time high of $242.92 on 1/3/2022. I'm curious to know how bogleheads using boglehead investing strategies are break even, let alone up many percentage points. The OP meant without additional contributions or withdrawals, otherwise feedback on up/down is arbitrary. You say no new money going in. So you've beat VTI by 7.8%? Yeah, I was starting to wonder how so many are up by a lot when I'm still down. For example, I just looked at my balance in a Roth IRA that has had no new money and I am down 5.67% from 12/31/2021. It is invested solely in Vanguard Balanced Index Fund, but other accounts invested more aggress...
by keystone
Mon Dec 11, 2023 8:23 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?
Replies: 41
Views: 4722

Re: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?

Bumping this for 2024. My family has been with GEHA HDHP for several years and have been very happy. However, starting in 2023, my wife has been seeing an out-of-network therapist to the tune of $230 every other week and that has put a wrinkle in things. I am hoping this will start to go down, but I cannot accurately forecast this. I discovered that these out of network costs do not apply to our in network deductible (and vice versa). All of our other family medical costs are in network, so we're paying 100% out of pocket for these out of network charges and it's not quite high enough to reach the out-of-network deductible. Now that it's open season I went through all of the federal HDHP plans and discovered the following passage in the Ca...
by keystone
Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?
Replies: 41
Views: 4722

Re: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?

Has anyone else been in a similar predicament and considered Carefirst HDHP over GEHA HDHP? Anything I'm missing? I cannot speak for the comparison of the two, but we are a Carefirst HDHP family and hit our deductible this year. We remain satisfied with it, and have never run into an issue with finding doctors in network. When we have to go out of network it's never been a problem, either. Carefirst is extremely common in the areas where the Carefirst HDHP is offered and I dont hear many complaints. May I ask, how does the HSA work with Carefirst? With GEHA, the funds are deposited at HSA Bank and then you can transfer funds to a brokerage account at Schwab to invest. It looks like HSA funds are deposited at an account at Carefirst? Are yo...
by keystone
Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?
Replies: 41
Views: 4722

Re: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?

Has anyone else been in a similar predicament and considered Carefirst HDHP over GEHA HDHP? Anything I'm missing? I cannot speak for the comparison of the two, but we are a Carefirst HDHP family and hit our deductible this year. We remain satisfied with it, and have never run into an issue with finding doctors in network. When we have to go out of network it's never been a problem, either. Carefirst is extremely common in the areas where the Carefirst HDHP is offered and I dont hear many complaints. May I ask, how does the HSA work with Carefirst? With GEHA, the funds are deposited at HSA Bank and then you can transfer funds to a brokerage account at Schwab to invest. It looks like HSA funds are deposited at an account at Carefirst? Are yo...
by keystone
Wed Nov 22, 2023 9:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?
Replies: 41
Views: 4722

Re: Feds - Is GEHA Still The Best HDHP Option?

Bumping this for 2024. My family has been with GEHA HDHP for several years and have been very happy. However, starting in 2023, my wife has been seeing an out-of-network therapist to the tune of $230 every other week and that has put a wrinkle in things. I am hoping this will start to go down, but I cannot accurately forecast this. I discovered that these out of network costs do not apply to our in network deductible (and vice versa). All of our other family medical costs are in network, so we're paying 100% out of pocket for these out of network charges and it's not quite high enough to reach the out-of-network deductible. Now that it's open season I went through all of the federal HDHP plans and discovered the following passage in the Car...
by keystone
Mon Aug 21, 2023 1:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Price for HVAC system
Replies: 24
Views: 2692

Re: Price for HVAC system

DPEMD wrote: Fri Aug 11, 2023 2:47 pm It looks like Rheem is a low end brand
I can't speak for the current Rheem lineup but my Rheem is close to 30 years old and still going strong. When I first moved into my house 12 years ago, the AC technician told me that Rheems last a really long time and I should expect a lot more life out of it. My neighbor two doors down also has a similarly aged Rheem still in operation.

I doubt any furnace or AC produced today is built to last 30 years though.
by keystone
Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Iphone vs Android
Replies: 181
Views: 11086

Re: Iphone vs Android

bendix wrote: Sat Jun 24, 2023 10:43 pm iphones are like a Toyota 4runner. Android phones are more like a Hyundai.
That's funny. I think of my Google Pixel 5a more like a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. It does everything that I want it to do very well and reliably, at a great price. As another poster mentioned, the price range of Android phones is greater than iPhones, so to me it ranges from like a Chevy Spark to a Lexus LS 500.
by keystone
Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Behavioral warning bells
Replies: 120
Views: 18874

Re: Behavioral warning bells

SantaClaraSurfer wrote: Fri Jun 23, 2023 4:27 pm
  • Double or triple counting income or assets
Good list overall, but I don't think this one is particularly common, at least among Bogleheads who tend to have a relatively high degree of financial literacy.
by keystone
Sun Jun 18, 2023 9:19 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Disappointed in TSP
Replies: 85
Views: 9222

Re: Disappointed in TSP

gotoparks wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2023 8:35 am TSP costs have gone up in the last five years. It is not horrid. If you save enough in the basic funds or a target date fund you will probably be a millionaire when you retire plus a pension and social security.
Wow, I hadn't been paying attention and did not realize this was the case. Yeah, not terrible but no longer the standout plan it once was.
by keystone
Mon Feb 20, 2023 8:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is [car's] blind spot monitor worth while?
Replies: 180
Views: 12217

Re: Is [car's] blind spot monitor worth while?

Sometimes my wife accidentally turns it off and then I get annoyed when I discover mid-drive that it's not on.

I love it and would not purchase a car without it.
by keystone
Mon Jan 30, 2023 10:56 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How much will you get as Costco Citi reward this year?
Replies: 112
Views: 16445

Re: How much will you get as Costco Citi reward this year?

$870 this year and I am very happy about the direct deposit option. We use the card for all of our purchases at Costco, restaurants and travel.

We should be over $1,000 next year since I recently booked 2 big trips through the Costco travel website.
by keystone
Wed Jan 25, 2023 2:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Starting first Roth conversion this year. Any reason for opening a new account?
Replies: 2
Views: 438

Starting first Roth conversion this year. Any reason for opening a new account?

As part of my plan to transition to semi-retirement, my household income will be reduced in 2023 and for the first time we should end up in a lower (12%) tax bracket before doing any Roth conversions. At the beginning of the year I switched my wife's 2023 TSP contributions from traditional to Roth and I will be shifting my contributions as a sole proprietor from traditional to Roth in my solo 401(k). I am projecting that we will still have some space left in the 12% bracket to convert from traditional to Roth IRA (I may also convert some in the 22% bracket, but that's another topic). Due to my early retirement and possible depletion of taxable funds down the road, there is a chance I may need to withdraw Roth conversion contributions at som...
by keystone
Wed Jan 25, 2023 2:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: HSA - deduct from paycheck vs contributing yourself
Replies: 34
Views: 8287

Re: HSA - deduct from paycheck vs contributing yourself

muel87 wrote: Sun Jan 22, 2023 9:52 am
keystone wrote: Wed Dec 21, 2016 3:21 pm
MI_bogle wrote:
If you deduct from payroll, you do not pay the nearly 8% FICA tax. A guaranteed return of about 8% is what you'd be missing out if you contributed outside of your payroll to lump sump invest

Unless your income puts you over the social security income cap, in which case your savings would be 1.45% in medicare tax.
Why would being over the cap eliminate your FICA tax savings on your first $160,000 of income? When you are over the cap, you just stop paying more tax, but the first $160k is still taxed at 6.2%.
Maybe it wasn't clear from my wording, but I was specifically referring to the portion of income above the cap.
by keystone
Wed Jan 11, 2023 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Why does ophthalmologist only schedule annual exams?
Replies: 21
Views: 2559

Re: Why does ophthalmologist only schedule annual exams?

Do you know the difference between optometrists and ophthalmologists? Optometrists test you for glasses, can write the prescription for glasses or contacts and can provide them to the patient (or the patient can go elsewhere for the purchase). Prescriptions for glasses or contacts are usually only good for two years, then you need to see an optometrist again for a new prescription. Ophthalmologists, on the other hand, focus on the health of your vision/eyes and can do surgery or write prescriptions for prescription eye drops (none of which an optometrist can do). They don’t care about contacts or glasses. Depending on your overall health or your specific eye health, you may need to see them once a year or more. If your vision is important ...
by keystone
Thu Dec 01, 2022 4:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Booking a Royal Caribbean cruise: Use Costco, travel agent, VacationsToGo.com, or...?
Replies: 21
Views: 2854

Re: Booking a Royal Caribbean cruise: Use Costco, travel agent, VacationsToGo.com, or...?

Your question is timely as I recently booked a Royal Caribbean cruise. Cruise Compete will likely quote you a better price or more onboard credits. I have used them in the past with good success except for my last cruise. I went with the best bid and the agent supposedly had 99% positive reviews. The issue was that I never received my onboard credits. After the cruise I contacted the travel agent and they informed me that it was the cruise line's fault. I contacted the cruise line repeatedly and never heard back. I still to this day don't know who was at fault. This time around I compared the major sites and decided to go with Costco. Between the Costco Shop Card and the 2% Executive membership credit, they were more or less competitive wit...
by keystone
Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Toyota Highlander or one year old Lexus SUV?
Replies: 56
Views: 7044

Re: New Toyota Highlander or one year old Lexus SUV?

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/2022-lexus-rx-vs-2022-toyota-highlander-comparison I would get the Lexus for sure, but that's just me. I find it much more refined and comfortable. +1 Come back in 10-12 years or 250,000 miles and ask about what car to get next. IMHO, your RX350 will last that long and be reliable. Good luck. If the implication here is that Highlanders aren't usually reliable it may be worth your time to check out the table in this article https://www.iseecars.com/cars-people-keep-longest-study Highlander is #2 in top vehicles original owners keep for 15 years or longer. The Highlander is a great vehicle... however I wouldn't trust any vehicle from any brand built in 2022 (and likely 2023) due to the quality ass...
by keystone
Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Boglehead Cellphone carrier
Replies: 170
Views: 16577

Re: Boglehead Cellphone carrier

My wife and I have have been on a 2 line plan with Total Wireless (Verizon MVNO) the last couple of years. $60/mo and 30 gb of shared data. Service has been flawless and zero gimmicks. Perhaps not the cheapest plan out there, but the plan works very well for us.

I know Visible is popular but I had issues with texts not being sent and received. It appeared to be some type of fluky issue with Pixel 3 phones and Visible at the time. I discovered others were having similar issues through various forums and it seemed like Pixel phones were the common denominator.
by keystone
Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:53 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Taxable much better than 529 for certain scenarios?
Replies: 31
Views: 3264

Re: Taxable much better than 529 for certain scenarios?

livesoft wrote: Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:36 am Earn $4,000 and put into a taxable account. Use it to pay at least $4,000 of QHEE. Get the AOTC and get a tax-credit of $2500 provided that you have a Federal income tax liability of an appropriate amount and your AGI is below a specified limit. So $2500 return on $4000 is tough to come by even in a 529 plan investment.

So that's a description of a "certain scenario."
Thanks for the reminder! Yes, this is precisely why it's better to underfund the 529 than overfund it.
by keystone
Mon Jun 06, 2022 9:21 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Taxable much better than 529 for certain scenarios?
Replies: 31
Views: 3264

Re: Taxable much better than 529 for certain scenarios?

We plan to pay for our kids college but have contributed to a taxable account over a 529 because we don't get a state tax break, want to reach FI first, don't want certain strings attached, aren't 100% sure we'll pay for it/kids will go to college... We have ample retirement tax advantage space which we maxed for a number of years plus built up a taxable account (instead of a 529). I know we've had some small tax drag on the account, but we've also been able to tax loss harvest effectively, so it's probably close to a wash. Are you maxing out retirement accounts? If not, then it is more advantageous to save for college expenses in tax advantaged retirement accounts than in taxable even if you have ample retirement savings. As you've said, ...
by keystone
Tue May 17, 2022 10:02 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any you doing any Adjustments to your 100% Vanguard Total Bond ETF Position?
Replies: 33
Views: 4010

Re: Any you doing any Adjustments to your 100% Vanguard Total Bond ETF Position?

Nope. I'm staying the course and my total portfolio is roughly 35% in a combination of Total Bond/Total International Bond.

It seems like almost every time I have visited this site in the last few months I come across a thread by someone who mentions they recently shifted some things around in their bond portfolio. I ponder for a few seconds whether I should be making a similar move and then realize that a) I don't have any good ideas about what kind of move to make and b) I wouldn't know when it's a good time to move back to total bond. So I stay put.
by keystone
Fri Apr 01, 2022 1:14 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Life Strategy Funds
Replies: 11
Views: 1650

Re: Life Strategy Funds

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. Yes, my LS fund in in a tax-deferred/IRA fund. I researched it as well as others and chose it for some of the reasons you have suggested. I'm a middle-of-the-road person, I don't have to earn the most but don't want to be the worst either. I also wanted something that my heirs might have an easier time messing with when my time comes to meet the other Bogleheads in the sky. Guess I just wanted some reassurance that this fund is still ok. I know Vanguard messes with funds sometimes. Thanks again, Julyguy I'm a big fan. I have 100% of my Solo 401K in VSMGX. My wife and I have Roth IRAs at Fidelity and put 100% in AOR (iShares Core Growth Allocation) which is very similar. I do the 3 fund portf...
by keystone
Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Google Pixel 6. Opinions?
Replies: 59
Views: 6236

Re: Google Pixel 6. Opinions?

MikeWillRetire wrote: Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:44 am If you can wait, the Pixel 6a is expected in the early summer. It is rumored to be about $400.
That's what my wife and I will likely be doing. We've had great success with the budget versions, she's on the 3a and I'm on the 4a. Also nice that Google usually gives a credit for trade-ins of previous versions. I'm a little concerned about the fingerprint sensor though, from the comments here and reviews I've read, it doesn't sound good. The 6a is rumored to have the same fingerprint sensor on the display as the 6.
by keystone
Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replace parts of 20 year old furnace or buy new?
Replies: 28
Views: 4168

Re: Replace parts of 20 year old furnace or buy new?

I replaced the control board on my Rheem about 7 years ago when my furnace and A/C were already 20 years old. It's been working great since then. I know eventually my 27 year old furnace and A/C will need to be replaced, but I'm glad I chose the repair route.
by keystone
Mon Jan 10, 2022 8:50 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: You can retire early … how did you do it?
Replies: 79
Views: 13191

Re: You can retire early … how did you do it?

I really disliked the article but at least the discussion is a lot more interesting.

Age 47 and consider myself 25% retired now and will possibly fully retire in the next year or so. Early retirement was a massive priority for me since I graduated college, way before FI was a thing. I don't know if I would say any of these were extreme measures but a few of the most important things I did were:

-Strived to be an above average performer at work to remain continuously employed and well compensated
-Sought out employers with above average 401K benefits (i.e. generous defined contribution)
-Always maxed tax advantaged accounts
-Invested any bonuses I received along the way

And yes, finding a spouse who will continue to work is a huge plus!
by keystone
Sat Jan 08, 2022 8:11 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Close to 50? What’s Your Risk Tolerance?
Replies: 133
Views: 15083

Re: Close to 50? What’s Your Risk Tolerance?

Age 47 and roughly 60/40. I have been at this allocation since 40ish and will probably continue with it for life. I'm a huge fan of Vanguard Lifestrategy Moderate Growth and just moved my entire Roth IRA at Fidelity to iShares Core Growth Allocation (AOR) which has a similar allocation.

It suits me just fine, not too risky so that I would panic in a crash and not too conservative where I would feel like I'm missing out in a bull market.
by keystone
Fri Jan 07, 2022 10:01 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My estimated SS benefits have gone down.
Replies: 21
Views: 2838

Re: My estimated SS benefits have gone down.

Yes, an income decline is the most likely culprit.
by keystone
Thu Jan 06, 2022 9:39 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: ETF Market or Limit order
Replies: 18
Views: 2048

Re: ETF Market or Limit order

I always did market orders for ETFs like VTI and never had an issue.

The last two days I have been converting my Roth IRAs to AOR and I feel like I have been going through the same thing as the OP. It's thinly traded and I was a little hesitant to place a large market order so I tried going the limit order route, using the ask price as my limit price, but the price kept bouncing around and my orders weren't getting filled. I finally put in a limit price above the ask price and it went through after a few minutes. If I have to do this again, I think I will just split my order into chunks and test the waters with one market order at a time.
by keystone
Fri Dec 24, 2021 2:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A gold coin for Christmas
Replies: 19
Views: 3207

Re: A gold coin for Christmas

I love the idea. I sure would have been thrilled with one or several of these in my youth. I still have all of the Kennedy halves that I received as gifts 35+ years ago.
by keystone
Fri Dec 17, 2021 8:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What was the best and the worst advice you ever received on Bogleheads.org?
Replies: 203
Views: 22268

Re: What was the best and the worst advice you ever received on Bogleheads.org?

Best: Filing tax returns for minor annually at 0% or low 10% tax rate to reduce tax liability in the future (sscritic) Could you elaborate on this please? By "filing tax returns" do you mean selling appreciated shares owned by the minor to harvest the gain while in a low tax bracket? Good question! :sharebeer Yes, that would be a reasonable suggestion. I recently had reason to give a sum of money to a young person and gave them appreciated stock that they could sell within the 0% cap gains tax rate. A young couple that might for some reason have no income in a year have an $80,000 plus standard deduction head-room there. Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. My son was recently gifted money to buy shares of stock and I hadn't even t...
by keystone
Fri Dec 17, 2021 6:01 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What was the best and the worst advice you ever received on Bogleheads.org?
Replies: 203
Views: 22268

Re: What was the best and the worst advice you ever received on Bogleheads.org?

Grt2bOutdoors wrote: Thu Dec 16, 2021 10:08 am Best: Filing tax returns for minor annually at 0% or low 10% tax rate to reduce tax liability in the future (sscritic)
Could you elaborate on this please? By "filing tax returns" do you mean selling appreciated shares owned by the minor to harvest the gain while in a low tax bracket?
by keystone
Sat Dec 11, 2021 9:37 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: One Fund Portfolio - VSMGX (AOR) vs VGSTX
Replies: 46
Views: 5061

Re: One Fund Portfolio - VSMGX (AOR) vs VGSTX

I agree Star fund is kind of a goofy fund. If it were me I'd go with VSMGX (this is exactly the fund I use in my 401k).

I also agree with the nobody knows nothing philosophy and the past may not repeat itself. Having said that, the Star fund is not a terrible all in one fund choice.
by keystone
Fri Dec 10, 2021 9:04 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TSP: G and F fund
Replies: 48
Views: 7999

Re: TSP: G and F fund

RamblinDoc wrote: Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:43 am If you can’t decide and either seem reasonable, consider going 50:50 (G:F) for your desired bonds. Then, you’ll only be half wrong in retrospect. :wink:
That's exactly what I do with my wife's TSP, a 50/50 split between G and F, it seemed like a good compromise.
by keystone
Thu Dec 09, 2021 12:54 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is it okay for 30% of IRA in one fund?
Replies: 11
Views: 1201

Re: Is it okay for 30% of IRA in one fund?

I don't think many here would have any concerns with 100% of their retirement assets in one fund, if it were the right fund given their asset allocation.

I think what the advisor said in this instance makes sense given the expense ratio of 0.7%. If the stock/bond allocation is a concern, you could very likely find a much cheaper fund with a suitable stock/bond allocation. I know it's not exactly 70/30, but something like Vanguard Balanced Index Fund for instance.
by keystone
Wed Dec 08, 2021 12:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Stolen vehicle recover systems.
Replies: 14
Views: 1384

Re: Stolen vehicle recover systems.

My dad left the keys in his car On purpose? I live in a fairly upscale area and the cops are constant sending reminders to not leave your keys in the car as that’s the case in the majority of car thefts here. I always just assumed insurance fraud, but what do I know? That said, I left the doors to my house unlocked for an entire year, even on vacation. So I’m clearly not concerned. Ditto. I checkout the local crime report and in over 90% of the thefts, the car was unlocked and the keys were left inside. I don't understand how this happens so regularly. On the neighborhood discussion boards, most of the car theft talk revolves around the fear that car thieves can hack your key fob, but every now and then our local police representative chim...
by keystone
Tue Dec 07, 2021 2:41 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Solo 401k: Worth contributing?
Replies: 21
Views: 2581

Re: Solo 401k: Worth contributing?

Hello, I have a side gig generating 12k per year income. I already contribute max to my workspace 401k plan. Therefore, I can only contribute employer portion of Solo 410 which 20% of income. Not sure it is worth contributing 2400 pre-tax per year. Is it hard to set up and manage Solo 401k at Fidelity? If I dont contribute to it, I will be putting it in a Brokerage account. If Solo 401k is easy to mange, I could send 2400 over there instead of my Fidelity Brokerage. We are in 24% tax bracket and contribute 75k pretax to various retirement plans. Yes, I would say in your case it is probably worth it, especially if you think this side gig will continue. I have mine through Vanguard and it was easy to setup and maintain, I can't imagine Fidel...
by keystone
Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:25 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Post your Financial Milestone Announcements Here
Replies: 3606
Views: 562420

Re: Officially a 3 comma club member....you too can do it

HomeStretch wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:17 am Congratulations, how did you accumulate a $1 billion portfolio? I don’t believe many can achieve that.
Is this the 1st billionaire on Boglehead? :-P
by keystone
Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:15 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Gravy train ride over ? Time to reevaluate asset allocation
Replies: 259
Views: 34573

Re: Gravy train ride over ? Time to reevaluate asset allocation

Hi I feel that the the huge returns we have been enjoying last 10 years will be ending . Is it time to reassess one’s asset allocation? I was 60/40 and let it drift to 75/25 due to greed and to take advantage of the roaring market . But now am planning to dial down back to my target 60/40 I feel that especially those who have been investing <10 years and are 100% stocks may have a rude awakening and realize they do not have the stomach for 100% stocks ;this happened to me in 2008 when I went through the crash I graduated college in 1996 and like many here, I experienced two very major market drops (>50%). The first one didn't shake me because I was young and relatively poor, but 2008 left a similar impression on me as it did for you as I s...
by keystone
Fri Nov 26, 2021 9:48 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Take money out of Roth or Traditional IRA
Replies: 9
Views: 1168

Re: Take money out of Roth or Traditional IRA

KlangFool wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 9:37 am
bindery wrote: Fri Nov 26, 2021 8:03 am My wife and I have both Roth and traditional IRAs.
We will need about $40,000 for house improvements.
Should we take the money out of the Roth IRAs and not pay any taxes, or out of the traditional IRAs and pay the tax.
bindery,

None of the above.

A) Use your emergency fund.

B) Take a HELOC.

C) Do not improve the house.

KlangFool

What if they are retired and wealthy? Would your answer change?
by keystone
Wed Nov 24, 2021 12:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car battery replacement interval advice
Replies: 271
Views: 28709

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Same here. After reading this thread, I bought the $30 tester and now it's really nice to have assurance that my battery is good. I used to replace like clockwork every 4 years, but now I will just rely on periodic tests. One thing that I noticed was that my SOC was at 1%. I guess that means I should drive it around for more than a short trip the next time out? If your state of charge is at 1%, then you should charge it first and test it again. Battery impedance test results vary with voltage, so they are unreliable at low charge. I'm surprised the battery tester didn't tell you to charge the battery first before testing. Thanks, yeah I ended up getting the "Good-Recharge" result, but I will try again after a good charge.
by keystone
Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car battery replacement interval advice
Replies: 271
Views: 28709

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Thanks to this thread, I bought a $30 car battery tester from Amazon . It works well, and I no longer have to guess about the health of our car batteries, especially since one of our cars is rarely driven. Thanks to the above posters who recommended this! Ditto. I bought one last week as well. Higher battery prices and remote work has made this a no brainer. It seems like people working from home should be doing battery checks even if their battery is new. No point in throwing out a perfectly fine battery. Same here. After reading this thread, I bought the $30 tester and now it's really nice to have assurance that my battery is good. I used to replace like clockwork every 4 years, but now I will just rely on periodic tests. One thing that ...