Search found 254 matches

by linguini
Wed Feb 12, 2020 7:22 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Sad news: LadyGeek's husband has passed
Replies: 352
Views: 37541

Re: Sad news: LadyGeek's husband has passed

So sorry for your loss :(
by linguini
Wed Feb 12, 2020 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tuition vs Retirement Accounts
Replies: 31
Views: 4619

Re: Tuition vs Retirement Accounts

Just wanted to follow up on this after six years and provide some observations on what we did and how things have gone, in case anyone else finds themselves facing similar choices. My wife has graduated medical school and is now working hard on her pediatrics residency as a PGY-1. We initially maxed out the lower interest loans and avoided the higher interest PLUS loans. Just before she graduated, I had the enormous fortune of finding a higher paying job that allowed us to stop taking out loans entirely, and so she graduated with under $100k in loans which we managed to pay off in less than a year. So, one lesson learned, sometimes you can think really hard about an issue and fine tune your plan, and then your life changes in a way that mak...
by linguini
Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone else decided not to finish med school?
Replies: 76
Views: 32176

Re: Anyone else decided not to finish med school?

He may feel like a failure, but he absolutely isn't. What he is realizing is super common , and it's actually a good thing he realized it so early on. If he's already feeling burned out in the first couple years and like he doesn't get enough time with his spouse, then it probably won't get any easier. My wife is in med school (also came out of public health), and now that she's doing rotations, she spends even less time at home and works odder and longer hours. She comes home exhausted, she sometimes works weekends, and occasionally she even has to pull overnight shifts where I won't see her for a full day and a half. And she hasn't stopped studying just because she isn't sitting in classrooms anymore; it just gets added on top of the exis...
by linguini
Tue Apr 04, 2017 12:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Low-earners- What is your profession?
Replies: 371
Views: 62518

Re: Low-earners- What is your profession?

I'm a surgeon in private practice for 30 years. Used to be a "high earner". Last 2 years I couldn't even take a paycheck to keep my practice afloat. Obamacare is ruining us. Most young doctors want to go and work for a hospital or network for a fat salary right out of training, and I can't blame them. If you are in solo practice the expenses are vastly overriding the ability to generate revenue. So yes, I'm a surgeon and I'm a low ( make that negative) earner. That's shocking. Insurance companies in general are ruining us. They like taking money in but will fight every payout tooth and nail. I don't find it super shocking, and it probably has more to do with public policy than decisions by private insurance companies. Among other...
by linguini
Mon Apr 03, 2017 4:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IS 200k household income "middle income" these days? Has that threshold increased?
Replies: 42
Views: 23266

Re: IS 200k household income "middle income" these days? Has that threshold increased?

$200-250k definitely isn't middle class, not even in places like Manhattan or San Francisco. That's solidly upper-middle class, bordering on upper class depending on which definition you use. What if someone makes $200k and lives in a low cost of living area and spends $50k a year and saves the rest (after taxes). Is that person middle class or upper middle class? I don't like using the word "class" when talking about income because it conflates two concepts. Social class implies more than just pure income and wealth: some sort of inherited station, education level, different cultural influences, consumption-based status-signaling, etc. But a family that earns $200k+ a year is a high income family, regardless of what it spends.
by linguini
Mon Apr 03, 2017 3:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Young-ish bogleheads: How much (if any) social security do you expect in retirement?
Replies: 88
Views: 9059

Re: Young-ish bogleheads: How much (if any) social security do you expect in retirement?

Wife and I are 35 years old. I'm trying to think about, and plan for, retirement, but I'm having a hard time wrestling with social security benefits. Based on current projections, our social security earnings at full-retirement-age would provide approx 55-65% of our current expenses (I imagine our retirement expenses will be similar to current). What do other folks do when projecting social security benefits 30+ years into the future? If current SS #s hold true, my wife and I would barely need to max-out our annual 401ks, yet we could retire early at age 55. If SS gets axed by 50%, we would need to max our 401ks for the next 20yrs, plus save another $22k per year for the next 20 years. I know there is no exact answer, but what do yall thin...
by linguini
Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:02 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Social Security Taxes going up for some in 2017
Replies: 46
Views: 7045

Re: Social Security Taxes going up for some in 2017

badger42 wrote:Most people also don't live in areas with insane cost of living. Think 10%-ish state taxes, 3k/mo for a 1br apartment, etc. The costs and income scale, but the social security taxes assume a very different reality.
As a New York resident currently in that income range, I would seriously advise anyone for whom an unexpected $500 tax increase will break the bank to reconsider renting a one-bedroom apartment in midtown Manhattan without a roommate.
by linguini
Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I replace my Samsung Galaxy S4?
Replies: 43
Views: 6752

Re: Should I replace my Samsung Galaxy S4?

Honestly, if you like what you have, just keep it until it runs down. You are getting immense value if the phone you really want is only worth $50 and you plan to use it for another year or two. I know you're worried about your $50 phone becoming a $0 phone, but its value will probably drop slower than whatever new phone you plan to replace it with, so you end up much better off just using your phone as long as you want to keep using it. Also, which carrier are you on? If you are using T-Mobile or AT&T, and you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get $50 off the Blu R1 HD or the Moto G4 by buying an Amazon ad-supported phone, which just adds a tiny unobtrusive notification at the bottom of your lock screen that you can ignore. Other tha...
by linguini
Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:07 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Are TIPS really inflation protected, if 1% return does not make up for 1% inflation?
Replies: 25
Views: 4155

Re: Are TIPS really inflation protected, if 1% return does not make up for 1% inflation?

It is interesting that one rarely hears talk of the real taxation rate. I am quite sure that the average person on the street does not know they are paying taxes on returns that only kept them even with inflation. Twas ever thus, and also, one could make the argument that the government needs what it needs and would merely raise its rates if it were forced to only tax on real returns. A personal example: From the time I bought my home in 1996, my property tax increases came mostly from the increase in the assessed value of my home. But after 2008, the property tax increases came not only from rate increases, the rate increases were so drastic that the fact that the value of my home was cut in half did nothing to prevent the county from col...
by linguini
Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Post your current employer retirement plan! (if any)
Replies: 94
Views: 13980

Re: Post your current employer retirement plan! (if any)

I work for a professional sports league.

401(k): No matching. We have a mix of high and low ER funds, including Fidelity spartan funds (S&P 500, extended market, and short term bonds) which is where I put most of my contributions to this account, with a small remaining amount going to a stable value fund.

Pension: A percentage of the average of your final few years of salary working at the company. The percentage is based on a combination of years worked with the company, the age at which you retire, and single vs joint survivor. It maxes out at I think 63% for single people who work for the company long enough and retire late enough. I haven't looked at the exact details in a while though because I'm not close to retiring.
by linguini
Sat Aug 22, 2015 10:25 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Buying a SPIA Joint Life or 2 Single Life SPIAs
Replies: 7
Views: 1185

Re: Buying a SPIA Joint Life or 2 Single Life SPIAs

My first answer is that it is all about insurance against the event of the death of one of you. Doesn't it look like there is a good reason why one might take the lower payout to not have the income of the survivor take a drastic hit? The consideration here is what will be the income need of the survivor. I think it is often considered that the survivor of a couple needs about 2/3 the income the couple needed before. You can think what the plan should look like considering when one or the other of you is gone. To expand on this, you are not limited to either buying a joint life or two single life annuities, nor are you limited to evenly splitting the premium between the two single life annuities. For example, given the numbers above, you c...
by linguini
Sat Aug 22, 2015 9:52 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Buying a SPIA Joint Life or 2 Single Life SPIAs
Replies: 7
Views: 1185

Re: Buying a SPIA Joint Life or 2 Single Life SPIAs

My first answer is that it is all about insurance against the event of the death of one of you. Doesn't it look like there is a good reason why one might take the lower payout to not have the income of the survivor take a drastic hit? The consideration here is what will be the income need of the survivor. I think it is often considered that the survivor of a couple needs about 2/3 the income the couple needed before. You can think what the plan should look like considering when one or the other of you is gone. To expand on this, you are not limited to either buying a joint life or two single life annuities, nor are you limited to evenly splitting the premium between the two single life annuities. For example, given the numbers above, you c...
by linguini
Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Obamacare and out of state student
Replies: 3
Views: 628

Re: Obamacare and out of state student

You need to check with each of the policy providers to determine how benefits would be coordinated with your daughter on both plans. Call the number on the back of your health insurance card to ask them how it works, and also look up the university's health plan and find a number for a coordination of benefits representative. My guess is that this is doable and that your individual insurance through the ACA exchange will be treated as the "primary payer" while the university insurance plan will be treated as a "secondary payer" that will fill in the gaps in coverage, but you need to check in with each of them and determine the exact details. Based on what you find out, you may determine that it is a good idea, but it is ...
by linguini
Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Laptop: Windows based vs. Apple
Replies: 87
Views: 18848

Re: Laptop: Windows based vs. Apple

I'll admit that I don't get Windows 8. It looks like MS thinks EVERYONE has a touchscreen/Tablet? Every time I hit the "windows" key on the 4-5 Win 8 machines I've tried, it goes alternatively to the "charm" screen and then to the "main screen", but no longer has a start button nor an easy way to enter commands (The command prompt I would often use in Win95/XP/even Vista seems somehow gimped.) I'm not really clear on the terminology of Windows 8, but I'm pretty sure the charms menu is what pulls in from the right side if you hit win-C or put the mouse in the top right corner of the screen. The windows key alone brings you to the start screen, which is sort of similar to the start menu in Windows 7. If you want...
by linguini
Sun Mar 22, 2015 10:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Laptop: Windows based vs. Apple
Replies: 87
Views: 18848

Re: Laptop: Windows based vs. Apple

Discussion threads where Windows users are contemplating a switch to the Mac environment are common. I don't ever remember seeing one from a Mac user thinking about moving to Windows. I made a reverse-switch of sorts. I figure the reason people like me who switch from Mac to Windows don't make a public show of it is that we already had Windows experience and are able to make an informed decision without asking anyone. The reason I reverse-switched was primarily because I had repeated hardware issues with Apple products. I owned an iBook during college. Its GPU failed because of a hardware defect that affected all iBooks of that generation and I had to replace it with a Macbook after about a year. The case around my Macbook's keyboard start...
by linguini
Thu Jan 08, 2015 1:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: myRA is now open
Replies: 37
Views: 6237

Re: myRA is now open

If Vanguard had a money market account earning 2% a year, we would all be clamoring to be the first to invest in it in our Roth IRAs, even if we were required to move it to another fund after it reached $15k. And I get that $15k may not be life-changing to most bogleheads in the grand scheme of things, but when you reach that $15k you just roll the MyRA into your existing Roth IRA, ... I would not waste precious Roth IRA space on a money market account - my MM is a sweep account in taxable. But if Vanguard had a MM that was earning 2%, I would definitely use it in taxable. If you already have a Roth IRA, there is no point in having a MyRA, since the latter reduces the amount you can put in the former. Do you not use tax advantaged space fo...
by linguini
Thu Jan 08, 2015 1:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: myRA is now open
Replies: 37
Views: 6237

Re: myRA is now open

And I get that $15k may not be life-changing to most bogleheads in the grand scheme of things, but when you reach that $15k you just roll the MyRA into your existing Roth IRA, which doesn't seem like some sort of onerous activity to me when you consider that half the forum is opening and closing a new IRA account every single year to squeeze a few thousand dollars of extra tax advantaged space as part of the backdoor Roth. So once the myRA hits $15k then all of it has to be rolled over and another myRA can never be opened again? It seems odd that we can't let it cap at $15k and then tell the additional interest where to go. That is my presumption, yes, based on what others have said. There are a lot of things I wish were different about my...
by linguini
Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Voya 401(k)'s insanely high ER's on Vanguard funds
Replies: 39
Views: 29914

Re: Voya 401(k)'s insanely high ER's on Vanguard funds

ualdriver wrote:My wife's 403b: You pay the expense ratio of the Vanguard fund PLUS .9%......and that's the cheapest option in her entire plan! The.....ahem....financial planner that is assigned to her is a complete moron that keeps offering bad advice even though I tell him I don't need or desire financial advice. I wouldn't trust him with my kid's allowance. I feel your pain :(
I am kind of interested in hearing examples of what this financial planner says, if you don't mind.
by linguini
Fri Dec 19, 2014 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: myRA is now open
Replies: 37
Views: 6237

Re: myRA is now open

OP: For the reasons you outlined, the myRA has limited appeal. (Takes away your Roth IRA or Traditional IRA space and has a cap of $15K). The only reason to use it is simplicity for a beginning investor, and is it that much simpler than an IRA? Even if you think the G Fund is magical, you can only get $15K of it (how much more interest would you get than if you bought a $15K 10 year CD?) I would think of it like this. The benefits of a 10 year CD are that your account balance will never go down, your investment is backed by the full faith and credit of the US treasury, and you have predictable returns. The benefits of a Roth IRA are that you don't have to pay taxes on returns and you are able to withdraw your initial investment or transfer...
by linguini
Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:13 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Health Care/ACA question about losing coverage
Replies: 19
Views: 2635

Re: Health Care/ACA question about losing coverage

bungalow10 wrote:
zanian wrote: I think if this continues much longer I will contact the CA insurance commissioner.
Contact the insurance commissioner today. You might be surprised at how quickly Kaiser figures out how to start your coverage October 1.
I agree with this. The insurance commissioner is there to take care of this sort of issue. Kaiser is slowrolling you, so take it to a higher authority asap instead of delaying.
by linguini
Fri Oct 03, 2014 9:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Health Care/ACA question about losing coverage
Replies: 19
Views: 2635

Re: Health Care/ACA question about losing coverage

What state do you live in? If Kaiser does not pay a claim which they are legally required to settle, you can seek external review of the denied claim through your state's department of insurance. Do you have documentation demonstrating that you applied for coverage beginning on October 1?
by linguini
Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:54 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Stubbornly Non-Boglehead Husband. What To Do?
Replies: 122
Views: 12536

Re: Stubbornly Non-Boglehead Husband. What To Do?

madbrain wrote:
linguini wrote:Your husband has a gambling problem, and like everyone with a gambling problem, he doesn't see it as a problem. But like others I don't see much you can do. Just keep investing half in index funds.
As long as he doesn't gamble more than his half through the use of leverage.
Good point. This is a man who lost half his annual income in one month by betting on gold futures. Who knows what sorts of weird schemes he could hatch.
by linguini
Wed Sep 24, 2014 7:46 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Stubbornly Non-Boglehead Husband. What To Do?
Replies: 122
Views: 12536

Re: Stubbornly Non-Boglehead Husband. What To Do?

Your husband has a gambling problem, and like everyone with a gambling problem, he doesn't see it as a problem. But like others I don't see much you can do. Just keep investing half in index funds.
by linguini
Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Pay off Debt, by cashing in Retirement account?
Replies: 25
Views: 3216

Re: Pay off Debt, by cashing in Retirement account?

Whatever taxes and early withdrawal penalties you pay for cashing out the retirement account will probably be larger than the interest you would be paying.
by linguini
Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Establishing "Small Business" and Cheating IRS?
Replies: 11
Views: 1990

Re: Establishing "Small Business" and Cheating IRS?

deanbrew wrote:
NOVACPA wrote:Has this acquaintance ever turned into a friend?

If not, retain counsel.

Then visit: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Whistleblower-Informant-Award

"If the IRS uses information provided by the whistleblower, it can award the whistleblower up to 30 percent of the additional tax, penalty and other amounts it collects."
Wow. Straight out of Orwell's "1984". Tell Big Brother about the suspicious neighbor who might be questioning the motives and validity of the Inner Party.
That doesn't sound at all like 1984. In 1984 people were informing on each other for thought crimes, not actual acts of fraud in which they effectively stole money from the government. The core message of 1984 was definitely not "no snitching".
by linguini
Thu Jul 24, 2014 1:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Rich Spouse, Poor Spouse [Tax filing apportionment]
Replies: 77
Views: 10035

Re: Rich Spouse, Poor Spouse

Thank you everyone who has tried to help. Let's do an example :) Beer Spouse: 50k salary income Champagne Spouse: 500k realised capital gains What do we do? If both spice just had salary income, I think I would work out the tax on 2x50k if MFJ and each would pay half of that, and champers spouse would pay the rest. But champers spouse is lightly taxed on their capital gains which would seem to complicate things. :? I think you're overcomplicating this by trying to figure out what the "correct" apportionment of tax liability is, because there really is none. The government is calculating your combined tax liability because from their perspective, the two of you have one combined income and you are both jointly liable for it. There...
by linguini
Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Buying in ok neighborhood vs good neighborhood
Replies: 27
Views: 2566

Re: Buying in ok neighborhood vs good neighborhood

No way I'm paying 620K (or 400K or zero K) to be 8 blocks from an area with Your words): Burglary and theft from motor vehicle Retail theft burglary to garage or apt Armed robbery Aggravated assault. At least I don't see murders on the list. But still. Are you kidding? I don't know, I just pulled up a crime map of April for the completely safe, suburban-ish, expensive neighborhood I used to live in. Within a one mile radius of where I lived, it is pretty much littered with crime reports: theft, larceny, vehicle break-ins, robbery, simple assault, fraud, burglary, DUI, drugs/alcohol violation, and to my complete surprise even a murder (non-negligent manslaughter, but still!). And yet, not once did I ever feel like I was unsafe in my home wh...
by linguini
Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:40 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: An Argument for Long Term Treasury Bonds
Replies: 62
Views: 23208

Re: An Argument for Long Term Treasury Bonds

This is correct. When the economy does poorly, stocks lose market value and interest rates for safe treasury bonds go down, driving up their market value. So stocks and long term treasuries tend to have an inverse relationship.
by linguini
Thu May 29, 2014 3:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Would you work without pay?
Replies: 63
Views: 6580

Re: Would you work without pay?

livesoft wrote:
KyleAAA wrote:Are you referring to volunteering? Then yes, I would volunteer.
Actually, I was really referring to drug companies giving away their drugs for free to people with infectious diseases or with cancer.
Like pharmaceutical assistance programs? I'm not sure how that is related to working without pay. :confused
by linguini
Thu May 29, 2014 10:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Would you work without pay?
Replies: 63
Views: 6580

Re: Would you work without pay?

I would not work for less than is required to support myself and my family. But I also volunteer in my spare time by applying the same work skills I use in my career to charitable organizations. After I have a suitably large enough income stream through investments, I would love to "retire" into full time volunteer work. I'm not sure if that means the answer is yes for me?
by linguini
Thu May 29, 2014 10:30 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Int'l travel & Fidelity card experiences?
Replies: 20
Views: 7708

Re: Int'l travel & Fidelity card experiences?

It sounds like the rep is describing fees that are not charged by Fidelity, but are charged by other banks for using their ATMs, and Fidelity will reimburse your account for the fees charged by the other banks. You would not be paying fees to Fidelity. And it sounds like there are two separate rules: 1. You are only allowed to withdraw up to $500 in cash per day. 2. The combination of the amount of cash you withdraw and the amount of fees other banks charge you are not allowed to exceed $510. That is, if you withdraw $490 and Fidelity reimburses your account for $20 in those other banks' fees, then you aren't allowed to withdraw any more money for the day because withdrawn cash + fees cannot exceed $510. Keep in mind that I do not know the ...
by linguini
Mon May 12, 2014 7:00 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is my 401k boat Setting Sail for FAIL??
Replies: 31
Views: 2723

Re: Investing in the Frey!! Please HELP

For the Roth IRA question about using a taxable brokerage account to increase contributions, you should not be investing in a taxable brokerage account to grow your Roth contributions. Instead, just immediately put the money in the Roth IRA and it will grow there instead of in the taxable account. If you put $100 in your Roth IRA and it grows to $200, you have $200. If you have $100 and grow it to $200 in a taxable account, you will have to pay $10-$15 taxes on the growth, and you will only have $185 to give.

Good luck!
by linguini
Sat May 10, 2014 6:05 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Efficient market theory - not
Replies: 13
Views: 1877

Re: Efficient market theory - not

We would avoid a lot of unnecessary confusion if it were just called market unpredictability instead of market efficiency.
by linguini
Tue May 06, 2014 2:53 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Retirement conversation with fiancée
Replies: 13
Views: 2583

Re: Retirement conversation with fiancée

My wife, when she was just my fiancee, hated talking about money or investing and had all her money in a savings account. I forced her to listen to a ten minute summary of investing basics with brief descriptions of benefits and risks to make sure I had informed consent, then set up a Roth IRA with a target date fund at Vanguard which I had her fund once a year. It worked fine and got her used to the general up and down nature of investing so that she is comfortable discussing investing now, though she still prefers that I take care of retirement planning. There is no need to over complicate things beyond that very simple target date strategy.
by linguini
Tue Apr 29, 2014 3:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seattle and Portland, OR restaurant recommendations
Replies: 31
Views: 2896

Re: Seattle and Portland, OR restaurant recommendations

There was a Sichuanese restaurant with delicious unlimited meat hot pot in the international district, I think this place:
http://m.yelp.com/biz/sichuanese-cuisine-seattle

I lived in Bellevue (suburb of Seattle), and my favorite restaurant was this small Taiwanese place with delicious shaved ice. There was also a pretty good dumpling place at the mall.

I guess what I'm saying is, the Seattle area has good East Asian food, haha.
by linguini
Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Buying no load Vanguard mf's...is there always a fee
Replies: 22
Views: 3044

Re: Keep investing simple.

Taylor Larimore wrote:
luberhill wrote: Do most here who hold VG funds have an account at VG ?
Luberhill:

Since 1986 we held all our funds with Vanguard directly (no brokerage account). It works beautifully. We spent less than an hour a year managing our accounts.

My wife of 62 years died last May. Vanguard re-titled our funds and our accounts. It was difficult with one company; it would be a nightmare with several.

Keep investing simple.

Best wishes.
Taylor
I am sorry to hear about your wife's passing, Taylor. Deepest condolences.
by linguini
Wed Apr 23, 2014 12:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: POLL: why carry cash?
Replies: 243
Views: 25484

Re: POLL: why carry cash?

winglessangel31 wrote:1) Why would you buy from a vending machine? If the goal is to save money, bring a bottle, found a fountain, something. If you get something other than drinks from a vending machine, the same principle applies. Overpriced goods.
I don't know, that is probably pretty situational. I buy 50-cent cans of seltzer water from the vending machine at work instead of lugging liter bottles from the grocery store 25 minutes in public transit and 25 minutes walking every two or three days. Not even taking into account convenience and storage space, I think the $10 or so a month I spend on the vending machine is probably worth whatever wear and tear I would be putting on my bag and back.
by linguini
Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: POLL: why carry cash?
Replies: 243
Views: 25484

Re: POLL: why carry cash?

I carry cash because a lot of the restaurants in Manhattan near where I work do not accept credit or debit cards. I am pretty ambivalent about either and feel that in general they take about the same amount of time (it is almost always less time to pay in either credit or cash then it is to ring up the items in the first place), but I prefer to carry less than $40 at a time in case I ever lose my wallet, and for large purchases I will always use a credit card for the added layer of protection in merchant disputes.
by linguini
Mon Apr 21, 2014 1:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 3-prong to 2-prong for laptop? & overseas?
Replies: 13
Views: 5353

Re: 3-prong to 2-prong for laptop? & overseas?

Software person here (but I have worked with ee's for decades :D ) - the 3 prong adapter will almost certainly ground the power brick only - not the computer. If there is a wiring fault in the brick (very unlikely) the ground is nice to have - that being said I have used my 3-prong Lenovo brick with a 2 prong adapter many places around the world and not had any problems. Thanks very much. This risk would be about the same as using a laptop whose power cord only has a 2-prong plug to begin with? It's another level of protection? Or is the power adaptor *different* when initially configured with a 3-prong cord? Years ago, we'd force a 3-prong into the cheapie 2-prong adaptor. But it's one thing to risk frying a small appliance with no data, ...
by linguini
Mon Apr 21, 2014 9:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 3-prong to 2-prong for laptop? & overseas?
Replies: 13
Views: 5353

Re: 3-prong to 2-prong for laptop? & overseas?

There are two things you have to look out for: the voltage and the plug type. Laptop chargers almost always take a wide range of voltage and work fine for any standard. Italy will probably be somewhere in the 220V range which should work fine. You will need a europlug adapter, which should take in a three pronged US plug and have two circle prongs sticking out. I have used this sort of adapter in South America and it worked great for laptops and cell phones. Do not use them for other devices which may not be rated for European voltage and frequency. I would expect a cruise ship to have a range of sockets for international travelers, but you should call and ask. EDIT: I just noticed you mentioned "a variety" of cell phone chargers....
by linguini
Tue Apr 15, 2014 9:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: deleted
Replies: 61
Views: 10366

Re: The slackening...

prudent wrote:I have noticed a trend that some people have no perspective on hardship. Such as:
Image
I have noticed a similar trend where some people interpret hyperbolic complaints as being literal. :wink:
by linguini
Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Why Americans are Retiring Overseas
Replies: 109
Views: 17096

Re: Why Americans are Retiring Overseas

I live abroad, and the vast majority of my expat friends did not move abroad for financial reasons. Several are much wealthier than me, and many of us could live pretty much anywhere on the planet if we wanted to, absent visa considerations. Although you can live anywhere on the planet, you cannot deny that the dollar worth more outside of the US considering healthcare and other expenses ... This is true for low-skilled services, but not for tradable goods. How much money does a typical retiree spend on low-skilled services? For example, I imagine doing my own cooking when I'm retired. Healthcare is actually a bargain in the US for retirees, given Obamacare and Medicare. Yep, as someone who has spent some time living in South America, I ca...
by linguini
Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Ancestry Tests
Replies: 19
Views: 3189

Re: Ancestry Tests

I used 23andme. It correctly pegged my ethnicity to the best of my awareness, which was not especially fascinating. However, much more interesting is that it also unexpectedly connected me with the illegitimate child of a close but deceased relative. We were both surprised to find out, but the story completely checked out when we compared family histories. So if you go down the rabbit hole of DNA testing, be prepared for what you might find! In some ways I was glad to settle this and discover a missing piece of my bloodline, but at the same time I was a bit blindsided. Regarding Native American ancestry detection, my wife, who we know is mestizo with significant direct indigenous ancestry, came back as something like 50% Native American wit...
by linguini
Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: good excel app for iPad?
Replies: 28
Views: 3533

Re: good excel app for iPad?

JupiterJones wrote:
Epsilon Delta wrote: Excel is a registered trade mark of Microsoft. "Spreadsheet" is a generic name for the type of software.
That's a good point to remember. I'm going to xerox several copies of it and scotch tape it to the wall.

Or maybe I'll just write it on a post-it. I think I have some in the cabinet, next to the kleenex, band-aids, aspirin, and q-tips.

Then I'll drink a thermos of my favorite brand of coke. I got thirsty from throwing my lava lamp, crock-pot, frisbee, yo-yo, hula-hoop, crescent wrench, and jacuzzi in the dumpster.

:D
Haha. Oddly, I don't think aspirin is a trademark though!
by linguini
Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:44 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Joint or Separate Accounts? - Married Couples
Replies: 82
Views: 8486

Re: Joint or Separate Accounts? - Married Couples

schoolboyguy wrote:I'm pessimistic and I'm not trying to start a debate, but I would take a hard look at divorce rates before making anything joint....... or getting married.

There's my 2 cents.
I'm out
Individual accounts and joint accounts are both considered joint property in my state, and probably most states really except for non-comingled assets from before the marriage. I don't think this is relevant.
by linguini
Sat Mar 01, 2014 6:41 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What was your dumbest financial decision?
Replies: 173
Views: 25549

Re: What was your dumbest financial decision?

I don't know if I would call it a mistake in the same sense, but I declined a very generous job offer about four years ago from a well known start up when it was still on the smaller side but clearly established and on the way up. If I had taken the job offer, the stocks would now be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, my net worth a couple times over. I don't really regret it though, things worked out fine anyway. No reason to feel bad about what could have been, I still feel lucky and will continue to make the best out of what I have. :)
by linguini
Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bitcoin price plunges
Replies: 246
Views: 30400

Re: Bitcoin price plunges

You can store them on exchanges...or you can store them on your computer, smartphone, hard drive, wherever you can store digital code. Just like cash, it is subject to theft or damage (but it can be backed up to prevent loss from hard drive failure). Yes but if bit coin is hacked how does the investor recover the loss? There is no FDIC insurance if the funds are stolen. And what about the $400 million that was stolen from Mt Gox. Exchanges are not exactly Fort Knox which leads to the question of where can you store bitcoin with out any risk of theft or inability of the counter party to deliver the bitcoin you have entrusted to it. Seems that Bitcoin exchanges are like investment banks not regulated by the federal reserve (e.g., Lehman, MF ...
by linguini
Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:15 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: REAL inflation rate
Replies: 36
Views: 3039

Re: REAL inflation rate

How much is crystal Pepsi going for these days?
by linguini
Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Insurance [Deceiving Us] - Incorrect Marketing & Training
Replies: 28
Views: 3149

Re: Insurance [Deceiving Us] - Incorrect Marketing & Trainin

I believe you are correct. I confirmed that the school district is self-insured. I have the actual 122 page policy now. It clearly states that the baby is AUTOMATICALLY covered for the first 31 days as long as the employee [my wife] had coverage on the date of baby birth (which she did). To continue coverage past 31 days then you must add the baby to the policy with the subsequent premium change. That is almost verbatim of what the 122 page document says. The hospital billing department is printing off every note they have and correspondence I have had with them (which are many, as I followed up a lot to ensure this was going to get paid since I started getting opposite information). I should have all of the documents tomorrow from the hos...
by linguini
Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:10 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Insurance [Deceiving Us] - Incorrect Marketing & Training
Replies: 28
Views: 3149

Re: Insurance [Deceiving Us] - Incorrect Marketing & Trainin

I would consider taking this to small claims court, honestly. You don't need a lawyer, just the willingness to show up. Get documentation of the hospital bills, the timing at which you added the child to your wife's insurance, the payments made by you, any communications (especially written) between you and the various parties (insurer, hospital, employer), the insurance policy, and the benefits description and other marketing materials. Also see if you can get documentation from the hospital showing when the claims went out. Then file a claim against the insurance company and employer stating that the insurance company failed to pay the claims when it should have, and that benefits were fraudulently misrepresented in a manner that material...