Search found 338 matches

by WendyW
Sun Apr 23, 2023 1:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?
Replies: 17
Views: 2692

Re: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?

Outer Marker wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 1:34 pm I'd suggest option: 3) post your situation here for a free portfolio reivew, and if you still have questions, then think about hiring an advisor. viewtopic.php?t=6212
Ooooh, I didn't know about that. I will give that portfolio review a try. Thank you!
by WendyW
Sun Apr 23, 2023 12:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?
Replies: 17
Views: 2692

Re: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?

Grt2bOutdoors wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:40 am Tax loss harvesting applies to taxable accounts only.
I believe the VBTLX and VEMAX in my taxable portfolio are throwing off $4,000 a year in dividends, and increasing my taxable income. I'm wondering if I can reduce my tax bill.
by WendyW
Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?
Replies: 17
Views: 2692

Re: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?

Grt2bOutdoors wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:40 am Estate planning? - where do you reside, US or Canada?
I'm a US resident, but I used to live in Canada.
by WendyW
Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?
Replies: 17
Views: 2692

Should I hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor ?

I am 51 and have investments worth maybe US$1 million. I've never worked with any professional money manager. I'm thinking that maybe I should hire a Fee-Only Financial Advisor to make sure I'm on the right track? (I know "a lot" about finance theory, but less about real-world taxes etc.) I'm thinking that I should either: 1) Sign up with Vanguard Advisor, and pay 0.3% - 0.4% of portfolio value for ongoing advice? or... 2) Hire a non-Vanguard fee-Only Financial Advisor? My income is $115k/yr. I'm saving/investing maybe $50k/yr. These are some of the various things I'm interested in that I'm not currently doing: 1) Tax-loss harvesting 2) Allocating assets between taxable and non-taxable portfolios? 3) Back-door Roth? (Though I susp...
by WendyW
Sun Jun 21, 2015 10:18 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: When saving money becomes an irrational obsession
Replies: 157
Views: 42595

When saving money becomes an irrational obsession

.
"Saving is usually portrayed as a virtue. But for some people, saving becomes an obsession. Long after they have achieved financial freedom and can afford whatever indulgences they desire, they continue to squirrel away cash."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-in ... e24949946/
by WendyW
Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2014 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST WINNER
Replies: 23
Views: 3822

Re: 2014 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST WINNER

S&P 500 Blew the Top Off Wall Street’s Expectations in 2014
http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2015/01/ ... s-in-2014/

Most of Wall Street didn’t see 2014’s stock surge coming.

With its close at 2058.90 Wednesday, the S&P 500 ended the year up 211 points from where it started. That was good for an 11.4% gain, nearly double the average expectation of strategists at the start of the year.

....
by WendyW
Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: google.com/flights
Replies: 14
Views: 3125

Re: google.com/flights

VictoriaF wrote:I use Google flights to find airlines offering the best prices for my dates of travel and then I buy tickets directly from the airlines.
This ^

Once I've found my flight, I don't know any reason to book via Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity.
by WendyW
Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:53 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Bogleheads.org Home Page Updated
Replies: 230
Views: 76532

Re: Bogleheads.org Home Page Updated

If you revert back to the previous design once any three users have complained about a new feature, you're very quickly going to be back to the original layout.
by WendyW
Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Roku - Does everything cost $$?
Replies: 27
Views: 10124

Re: Roku - Does everything cost $$?

Browser wrote:Just got a Roku today to try out and hooked it up. Haven't explored everything yet, but I'm surprised that everything I've checked out has a pricetag, TV shows and all. What is actually free on Roku that's worth watching? Is there any alternative to Roku that doesn't have it's hand in your wallet all the time?
The free stuff on Roku is generally not worth watching. (For me, anyway.)

I always have a subscrption to either Hulu Plus (which is TV oriented) or Netflix (which is oriented to series and movies).

Each costs only $8/mo -- which is almost-free, compared to paying $100/mo for cable.
by WendyW
Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Roku - Does everything cost $$?
Replies: 27
Views: 10124

Re: Roku - Does everything cost $$?

SHB wrote:Everything that's normally free online (abc.com, nbc.com,fox.com etc) Roku is an aggregator media server with dvr capabilities not a content provider.
Almost all of this is incorrect, as far as I'm aware. I suspect that you've never owned or used a Roku.
by WendyW
Wed Feb 12, 2014 1:56 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TurboTax 10% Amazon Credit on refund
Replies: 19
Views: 4055

Re: TurboTax 10% Amazon Credit on refund

If you were getting the gift cards to actually give out as gifts throughout the year, then it would be a great deal.

I suspect that the majority of people between the ages of 7 and 70 would prefer an Amazon gift card to most other gifts.
by WendyW
Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:52 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: TurboTax 10% Amazon Credit on refund
Replies: 19
Views: 4055

Re: TurboTax 10% Amazon Credit on refund

crumbgrabber wrote:Were there any catches with this? Hidden fees? How long will it take to get the gift cards/refunds (any longer than usual)? I plan on taking advantage of this in a big way this year--we're due a huge refund due to many life events and we do about 50% of our shopping at Amazon.
The catch is that if you're getting a $5000 tax refund, you don't get $5000 cash plus a $500 gift card... which would be a sweet deal.

Rather, you get the entire $5500 in Amazon gift cards.

I do "a lot" of shopping at Amazon.com, but it would take me years and years to spend my entire refund there.
by WendyW
Mon Feb 03, 2014 6:17 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Living in retirement: 7 things I wish I could tell myself...
Replies: 47
Views: 10841

Re: Living in retirement: 7 things I wish I could tell mysel

kenschmidt wrote:I read an article a couple of years ago that estimated the value of a stay at home spouse was nearly $100k/yr.
The labor market disagrees; a fulltime live-in nanny costs $20k/yr or less.
by WendyW
Sun Feb 02, 2014 6:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keeping internet provider without price hikes
Replies: 53
Views: 7473

Re: Keeping internet provider without price hikes

I was paying $120 for cable TV + Internets.

A couple years back I dumped the cable TV part and bought a $10 set of rabbit ears antenna.

Now my monthly bill (for internet-only) is $50.

Plus $8/mo for Netflix or Hulu Plus.
by WendyW
Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon - now $35 for free shipping (was $25)
Replies: 94
Views: 12694

Re: Amazon - now $35 for free shipping (was $25)

sscritic wrote:Hmm, they just effectively raised the price of "Free Shipping." How long do you think Amazon Prime will stay at $79? My guess is months rather than years.
I doubt it. I interviewed for a job at Amazon in Seattle last month, and Two of the interviewers asked me to spell out the pros and cons of dropping the price of Prime from $79 to $39.
by WendyW
Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Any reason to still write checks?
Replies: 76
Views: 6487

Re: Any reason to still write checks?

Girino wrote:I do for groceries
Grandpa, is that you ?
by WendyW
Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Letting go: Classic textbooks
Replies: 54
Views: 6271

Re: Letting go: Classic textbooks

'
I sold all of my engineering texts the week the class was over. Made several thousand dollars this way. Win!

Some of my classmates didn't sell their textbooks, and have been hauling 100 lbs of old books around since graduation.

The moral of the story is: Sell stuff immediately after you're done with it, as it will soon be worthless.
by WendyW
Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:34 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Gold to tank in 2014: Goldman Sachs"
Replies: 112
Views: 15414

Re: "Gold to tank in 2014: Goldman Sachs"

Browser wrote:Maybe this prediction will be right. I've been looking for someone with a crystal ball that works.
If they could've told us about the 2013 price drop from $1700/oz to $1200/oz, that would've been handy.

Instead, Goldman predicted that the price of gold would rise to $1,810/oz in 2013.
by WendyW
Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:07 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Gold to tank in 2014: Goldman Sachs"
Replies: 112
Views: 15414

"Gold to tank in 2014: Goldman Sachs"

Bess Levin at Dealbreaker wrote:Bad news for “gold-bugs”—bullion’s current beginning-of-the-year rally will not only lose steam, but prices could drop sharply by the end of 2014, according to Goldman Sachs’ Jeffrey Currie. Currie, Goldman’s head of commodities research, told CNBC on Monday he had an end-of-year price target of $1,050 per ounce for gold, a 16 percent drop based from current prices of $1,251. The main culprit? Economic recovery. “Our view there really is driven by the expectation of the U.S. economy reaching escape velocity,” Currie said on “Squawk on the Street.” “Essentially when you think about a short on gold … it’s essentially just a bet on a substantial recovery in the U.S. economy.”
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101331595
by WendyW
Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: The Anti-Target Date Retirement Strategy
Replies: 48
Views: 5683

Re: THE ANTI-TARGET DATE RETIREMENT STRATEGY

Here's what I think is going on: In terms of expected returns, a 100% equity portfolio will generally perform best over time in a simulation. When you look at asset allocation over a person's lifetime, their asset allocation at age 20 and at age 90 isn't terribly important, because their nest egg is respectively just-begun, and almost-depleted. The most important factor in portfolio performance over a lifetime is what a person's asset allocation is in the years when their investment account is biggest: i.e. around age 50 to age 70. The more a person's asset allocation resembles 100% equity during this time, the better that person's portfolio will perform in a simulation. The same is true over all stages of a person's lifetime though: at all...
by WendyW
Wed Jan 08, 2014 4:01 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Bogleheads.org Homepage
Replies: 76
Views: 7134

Re: Bogleheads.org Homepage

Geologist wrote:Count me as one who thinks the /forum webpage annoying and likes the simplicity of the listing of all the threads on http://www.bogleheads.org
Agreed.

I think that the format at http://www.bogleheads.org -- where you can see all of the current topics of discussion -- is ideal.

Especially for new users, who will immediately be able to see all of the kinds of topics being discussed, without having to wade into a bunch of different subforums.

Honestly, I think the very existence of subforums on Bogleheads adds very little to the site for me personally, as there aren't any topics here that I'm completely uninterested in.
by WendyW
Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:38 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: When to invest $5,500 in Roth IRA in 2014?
Replies: 53
Views: 8654

Re: When to invest $5,500 in Roth IRA in 2014?

I had been planning to do my $5,500 Roth contribution tomorrow.

But now -- with the giant year-end rally that just happened -- I'm thinking that it might make sense to wait a week or two, for the likely pullback in equity prices.

Image

[puts on fireproof suit; awaits the replies of angry Bogleheads]
by WendyW
Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2014 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST
Replies: 537
Views: 44158

Re: 1790.29

BigFoot48 wrote:I'm going pessimistic. The S&P will drop by 3.1416% to 1790.29!
I'm with BigFoot48; I suspect that the S&P will end the year somewhat lower than it began.

Put me down for a 2014 S&P 500 close of 1777; a negative return... about -4%.
by WendyW
Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:40 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Rebalancing the Permanent Portfolio
Replies: 28
Views: 3893

Re: Rebalancing the Permanent Portfolio

Is the 'Permanent Portfolio' Permanently Broken? http://www.thestreet.com/story/12169118/1/is-the-permanent-portfolio-permanently-broken.html An investor who built the portfolio himself... would be down 15% for the year through last Friday. Obviously stocks have had a huge rally and are up almost 30% this year while gold is down almost that much and TLT is down 15%. ... The biggest obstacle for the future of the permanent portfolio in its purest form would be an end to the 31-year bull market in bonds as proclaimed by Barron's over the weekend. People have been able to borrow money essentially for free, but that can't last forever. If Barron's is right and the bull market ended last May, then the permanent portfolio would appear to have 25...
by WendyW
Tue Dec 31, 2013 9:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Rebalancing the Permanent Portfolio
Replies: 28
Views: 3893

Re: Rebalancing the Permanent Portfolio

I suspect that most of the people that piled into the "Permanent" Porfolio over the past couple years have abandoned it already.
Turns out that backtesting is only good for predicting the past, and doesn't work well for predicting the future.
by WendyW
Sun Dec 29, 2013 4:23 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: A monkey could have made money in 2013
Replies: 14
Views: 3320

Re: A monkey could have made money in 2013

Your annual income is $16,000 ?
by WendyW
Sun Dec 29, 2013 7:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Christmas Gift
Replies: 43
Views: 4453

Re: Favorite Christmas Gift

carolc wrote:Having christmas dinner with (what's left of) my family.

carolc
Uh-oh. Ninja attack?
by WendyW
Sat Dec 28, 2013 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Christmas Gift
Replies: 43
Views: 4453

Re: Favorite Christmas Gift

livesoft wrote:I only got one gift and it wasn't underwear nor socks, so I guess it has to be my favorite gift, by definition.
I've gotten old enough that I now get excited by a big ole bundle of brand new socks.
Image
by WendyW
Sat Dec 28, 2013 8:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do you think Warren Buffet was being irresponsible
Replies: 31
Views: 4501

Re: Do you think Warren Buffet was being irresponsible

Buffett has demonstrated time and time again that he has the discipline to buy equities when others are selling.

The average investor, on the other hand, can be relied on to panic and sell equities when markets fall.

This is why an all-equity portfolio makes sense for Buffett, but doesn't make sense for individual investors.
by WendyW
Fri Dec 27, 2013 6:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: UPDATED***Help me decide on a new job offer!
Replies: 45
Views: 7962

Re: UPDATED***Help me decide on a new job offer!

GeorgeMichaelBluth wrote:My career has really taken off since the move highlighted by a couple promotions and a company sponsored MBA. I'm now earning ~2x - 2.5x what I was before the move, and I expect that will continue to increase. There's now a decent chance the wife and I will join the 2 comma club before age 30
GeorgeMichaelBluth, you are clearly a high potential employee. Company B (and, eventually, company A) both recognized this.
by WendyW
Thu Dec 26, 2013 9:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Used Books
Replies: 30
Views: 3197

Re: Used Books

I've sold some books on Amazon, but generally it's not worthwhile from a strictly financial perspective.

Once I've paid Amazon it's cut, then paid for shipping, sometimes my profit is negative.
by WendyW
Tue Dec 24, 2013 8:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Got Mom a Kindle Fire HD! Top things I need to show her?
Replies: 19
Views: 2052

Re: Got Mom a Kindle Fire HD! Top things I need to show her?

Despite the Kindle name, the Fire tablets are not really intended for reading.

Go to the Amazon App Store and download some of the top free apps for her; Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Solitaire, etc.
by WendyW
Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:40 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Shorting your own employer
Replies: 48
Views: 9073

Re: Shorting your own employer

Finance theory tells us that we should all short the shares of the companies we work for.

Our employers, on the other hand, would like us to have a long position in the company.

The practical solution is to accept the incentive shares and options from your employer, but to sell them off as soon as they are vested.

Don't be like the employees at Enron who loaded up on Enron stock, and then simultaneously lost their job, savings, and pension.
by WendyW
Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Shorting your own employer
Replies: 48
Views: 9073

Re: Shorting your own employer

KyleAAA wrote:Were you around in 2000? The tech bust really wasn't all that bad, employment wise. Decent engineers still earned decent money after the crash and unemployment was still relatively low (peaked at around 6%, I believe). Only those on the low end of the skills spectrum really had much to worry about. For almost everyone else, is was close to a non-event.
That isn't how I remember the dot-com bust at all.

Were you around in 2000? I was working in the tech industry at the time; I suspect that you were still in college.
by WendyW
Sun Dec 22, 2013 6:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: OTA HDTV - Best antenna to use?
Replies: 54
Views: 14600

Re: OTA HDTV - Best antenna to use?

Try the $10 cheapy antenna first; I live in Podunk and still pull in more channels than I'm interested in watching.

Image
by WendyW
Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: U Penn Engineering choice
Replies: 14
Views: 1592

Re: U Penn Engineering choice

I wish I had these kinds of dilemnas. Penn is an extremely fancy school. Your kid's choice of engineering stream will probably not impact his success.

I did electrical engineering (at a far-less-fancy school), as at the time it had the reputation for being the most gruelling.
by WendyW
Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:24 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Did I Choose Wrong? Defined Benefit vs Defined Contribution
Replies: 14
Views: 2389

Re: Did I Choose Wrong? Defined Benefit vs Defined Contribut

Partly depends how long you expect to live. If all of your grandparents lived to 90+, you probably made the wrong choice.

If you stay with one employer for your entire career, Defined Benefit is almost always a sweet deal.

In your case however, the DB plan seems maybe a little less-sweet than most (I think 2% of final salary is common?), and the DC plan seems kind-of unusually generous (your employer kicks in 11.5% of your salary?!).

I'm no expert on pensions though.
by WendyW
Mon Dec 02, 2013 8:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Canon S110 Digital Camera - $219
Replies: 19
Views: 3142

Re: Canon S110 Digital Camera - $219

BlueEars wrote:Maybe I'm wrong but I bought this Canon Elph 330 for my wife for Xmas.
I suspect that none of Canon's cameras are "bad".

This S110 model got particularly good reviews though; and tens of thousands were sold for $349-$449 over the last year
by WendyW
Sun Dec 01, 2013 12:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Canon S110 Digital Camera - $219
Replies: 19
Views: 3142

Re: Canon S110 Digital Camera - $219

'
Ken Rockwell is indeed a bit of a nutter. On the other hand, most respected camera review sites agree with him about the S110.

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/236773 ... -cameras/4
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/c ... -s110A.HTM
by WendyW
Sun Dec 01, 2013 9:33 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2013 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST. One month to go. Lesson learned.
Replies: 20
Views: 2687

Re: 2013 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST. One month to go. Lesson learned.

Taylor Larimore wrote:61: Number of Bogleheads who out-guessed the best Wall Street Guru (Citigroup).
I don't think we should read much into this, except that the range of Boglehead guesses was wider than then range of Wall Street Guru guesses.
by WendyW
Sun Dec 01, 2013 8:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Canon S110 Digital Camera - $219
Replies: 19
Views: 3142

Canon S110 Digital Camera - $219

' A very highly-regarded and well-reviewed tiny pocket camera; on cyber Monday sale today at Amazon... Yesterday was $348, today $219... Black http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Camera-3-Inch/dp/B009B0MYSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385917126&sr=8-1&keywords=cannon+s110 Silver http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Camera-3-Inch-Screen/dp/B00CBYMWNQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1385917126&sr=8-7&keywords=cannon+s110 White http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Camera-3-Inch/dp/B009B0MYLS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385917126&sr=8-3&keywords=cannon+s110 (you have to put the camera in your cart to see the sale price) http://www4.pcmag.com/media/images/303223-canon-powershot-s110-angle.jpg http://www.blogc...
by WendyW
Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:30 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?
Replies: 107
Views: 11772

Re: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?

skylar wrote:As a government worker, my salary is public record. You can go to a website and see every raise I got, along with all my coworkers, managers, etc. It never has bothered me nor anyone else I've worked with.
I suspect that it is very common in the private sector today for one employee to make 20% more than the employee that they sit beside.

If managers knew that salaries were going to be published, there would be far fewer instances of this.

Managers would be forced to keep salaries in line with what can be justified by productivity etc.
by WendyW
Tue Nov 26, 2013 4:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?
Replies: 107
Views: 11772

Re: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?

denovo wrote:
SirOvlop wrote:but i can also see rules forbidding these discussions as simply another attempt at managing labor costs via hiding behind "HR Policy". Corporations do this all the time.
+1. This is what it's really about it; anyone who thinks otherwise is naive.
That's one facet of the issue for sure, but there are others.

What if grape monkey really is a better a better employee than cucumber monkey?

Now cucumber monkey's manager has to spend time and effort convincing cucumber monkey that grape monkey is the better employee. And cucumber monkey will probably be disgruntled regardless of the explanation.
by WendyW
Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?
Replies: 107
Views: 11772

Re: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?

ssquared87 wrote:Person #2 doesn't care that their salary is lower than Person #4 or 5 because they are satisfied with where they are.
The video suggests the opposite though.

Cucumber monkey is perfectly satisfied working for cucumbers, until he realizes that grape monkey is getting grapes.

Suddenly cucumber monkey becomes a disgruntled employee that refuses to work.
by WendyW
Tue Nov 26, 2013 12:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?
Replies: 107
Views: 11772

Should you reveal your salary to your coworkers?

'
This video explains why Human Resources doesn't want employees discussing their salaries...

http://youtu.be/meiU6TxysCg
_