Search found 11 matches

by robj
Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:55 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Contest: provide a better metaphor than "bubble"
Replies: 51
Views: 5134

Re: Contest: provide a better metaphor than "bubble"

I will vote for any term CNBC uses less than 10 times in a given day. That eliminates "bubble" "all eyes are on the. . " "the all-important" and "Obamacare" and in a special nod to how much I cannot tolerate Larry Kudlow "King Dollar."
by robj
Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: All-inclusive in Cancun
Replies: 33
Views: 6466

Re: All-inclusive in Cancun

personal opinion based on many months on the Yucatan. Cancun will wear you out walking and cab fares. Excellent if all you want to do is stay on the same beach and eat at the same resort everyday. Cancun is a relatively new town and not much of an old town to go to. Unless you are a 20s'-something going for nightlife, I would consider Playa del Carmen (1 hour South). Many boutique hotels on 5th Avenue, or around 40th-42nd street at the beach, but if you are going around Spring Break you are probably too late to book almost anyplace in the Mex. Riviera already. Playa has a bustling old town with way better restaurants away from the hotels. Here are just a few local haunts. Fusion (Calle 4 at the Beach) Chairs in the Sand or in an airy seatin...
by robj
Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Holding off 2013 I-Bond Purchase
Replies: 31
Views: 5320

Re: Holding off 2013 I-Bond Purchase

Absolutely you are right that selling legacy 0% fixed I bonds and re-buying when they are better will use up your allottment for the year. However, I am all-in on my I Bonds, but it will be about 4 or 5 years before I wish to draw any cash off of them. I just want to have my total ibond amount in the best position when I do start to draw so exchanging some "zeros" for some hoped-for in the future 1.5%'s will help me with my draw. Sorry I didn't mean to imply that selling/rebuying strategy in any way gave you more purchasing power. (Wife and I do have individual accounts as well as individual Trust accounts at Treasury Direct so we maintain a $40,000 per year ibond limit together, which will help the conversions to higher fixed rat...
by robj
Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Holding off 2013 I-Bond Purchase
Replies: 31
Views: 5320

Re: Holding off 2013 I-Bond Purchase

Instead of deferring your I Bond buying until the inflation portion is >0, is there a school of thought that would say go ahead and buy in full now so that you can get your "holding period" started. Since one can't sell newly purchased I Bonds for a year, I would want that year to begin as soon as possible. My strategy will be to sell my lower legacy "fixed rate" bonds at the time fixed rates have finally risen and then re-purchase those higher fixed rate bonds guaranteeing higher rates throughout the future. What am I missing with this plan, if anything?
by robj
Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:52 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Coming Bond Market Crash
Replies: 180
Views: 20654

Re: Coming Bond Market Crash

I wonder if this time when interest rates go up if it might stimulate the economy instead of depress it. Oldsters have so much of the nation's wealth tied up in CDs earning next to nothing that they are currently scared to spend money on anything but utilities and medicine. How about if they can earn 3-4% on 24-month CDs, don't people think that could result in some pent-up spending being released. Might be too simplistic, but I wonder if Japan's lost decade+ is surely the wrong model for the U.S. to be following.
by robj
Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Visit to London
Replies: 40
Views: 3521

Re: Visit to London

Branson, MO resident currently living on London's East End for a few months. We spent 5 months a couple of years ago on Kilburn High Road. If you are a bit more adventurous and want to get out of the West End, put 5 pounds on your new Oyster Card for unlimited bus rides for a day and get on the #8 Bus at Oxford Circus and go toward Bow Church. Read about Bow before going and stop in at any East End pub that grabs your fancy for the best and cheapest pints in London. Ride the bus back to Oxford Circus and catch the #98 bus toward Cricklewood, which goes up Edgeware Road, Maida Vale and finally Kilburn High Road. You'll pass many middle Eastern restaurants in Edgeware; some of the nicest manses in London on Maida Vale and a vibrant multi-cult...
by robj
Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:35 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Haven't seen this Roth liquidation topic before
Replies: 8
Views: 1213

Re: Haven't seen this Roth liquidation topic before

Okay you guys.
Good info.
Alan, your last statement clinched my misery.

"Only the losses on TIRA after the conversion to Roth would count.
My losses in those IRAs occurred before I converted so I'll be limited to losses from regular Taxable accounts.

Glad I didn't retire any earlier. Our bank accounts would never have tolerated it if I had any more time on my hands.
Thanks all.
robj
by robj
Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Haven't seen this Roth liquidation topic before
Replies: 8
Views: 1213

Re: Haven't seen this Roth liquidation topic before

sscritic, thanks for the Subject Line suggestion--I made the change as you suggested.
I had seen the exact post you quoted, which is where my 2% AGI was confirmed.

The one thing the post doesn't address is (and I'll have to re-read Schedule D again to see if it there)

Whether the tax loss deduction above the 2% AGI limit counts towards the figure one needs to itemize rather than take the standard deduction.

It feels Catch 22-ish

I can only harvest the 50K loss if I can itemize, but I can't itemize without including the $50K loss in the figuring.
by robj
Mon Nov 26, 2012 7:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Haven't seen this Roth liquidation topic before
Replies: 8
Views: 1213

Haven't seen this Roth liquidation topic before

1. Wife and I (retired 59 & 60) have no debts and a paid-off condo and a couple of paid off rental houses. 2. For the last couple years without mortgage deductions we have had to use the standard deduction on taxes. 3. In 2011 we used up our last $3000 tax loss carryover and no further losses in taxable accounts forseen. 4. IRAs including SEP, SIMPLE, and REGULAR all trashed because of too much time on my hands and poor trading. 5. Because the combined value of all IRAs was miniscule I converted all into our existing Roths last week, which I also trashed prior. 6. I guess I should mention that the total contribution to Roth IRAs was only $5000 each 7. So now we're sitting in 2 Roth IRAs with about $50,000 of realized losses from all acc...
by robj
Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1565010

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

November 22, 1963--thought it was interesting Kennedy premise
by robj
Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:58 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Tax Loss Harvesting - Mistake
Replies: 5
Views: 999

Re: Tax Loss Harvesting - Mistake

Wait, how does it salvage his $2000 loss? Wouldn't his next gain or loss have a new cost basis, ie. the cost of what he just bought? :?: