Search found 19735 matches

by VictoriaF
Sat Mar 09, 2024 8:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is your favorite book?
Replies: 186
Views: 19931

Re: What is your favorite book?

ReadyOrNot wrote: Sun Feb 25, 2024 2:26 pm Jane Austen's "Pride and Predjudice" has held up well despite its age.
Protagonist hates Jane Austen.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Mar 09, 2024 8:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is your favorite book?
Replies: 186
Views: 19931

Re: What is your favorite book?

rockstar wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2024 1:04 pm If you like spy books, I recommend John LeCarre. Start with the Spy Who Came in From the Cold. It’s nice and short and will give you a good idea if you like the genre before committing to his longer books.
I have recently discovered Mick Herron who is frequently called a modern le Carré. I have just finished all his "The Slough House Novels" series of novels and novellas and will be reading the Zoë Boehm Series and stand alone books.

I liked Robert Galbraith's (J. K. Rowling) Cormoran Strike series and Oliver Harris's Detective Nick Belsey Series.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Mar 09, 2024 7:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Concierge Medicine
Replies: 79
Views: 12091

Re: Concierge Medicine

We have some high net worth forum members. If spending $100K over the rest of your lifetimes of the millions your kids are going to inherit to easily see a physician you like has value to you then by all means do it. It's cheaper than a CCRC if quick access through concierge care helps make it more manageable to live independently in your own home. We are at the point where for some people it is a luxury purchase to make life a little easier, like hiring a tax preparation service to do your taxes rather than the inconvenience or "work" of going through the process yourself. I do my taxes myself and I organize my healthcare myself. I think I can do these better than most tax preparers and healthcare managers. As Bill Bernstein sai...
by VictoriaF
Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Washington Post: "That 'free' annual checkup might cost you"
Replies: 112
Views: 11774

Re: Washington Post: "That 'free' annual checkup might cost you"

setsail26 wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:16 pm Everyone here needs to get over it. Nothing is free. Everyone says how important their health is but complains endlessly about a doctor bill for 200 bucks. Billing in medicine sucks because of the government and insurance companies, not because of doctors or staff. If you want to make it better, choose better elected officials. Pretty much no one in this thread has any idea what they are talking about with regards to billing. Have some respect for doctors and stop suggesting they are ripping you off. 99.9% of them are not.
The American medicine is not free. We pay more for the healthcare than citizens of other countries in the "Global North" and receive less care.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:21 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bogleheads Conference 2023 Videos Now Available!
Replies: 26
Views: 4675

Re: Bogleheads Conference 2023 Videos Now Available!

I have finished watching all videos from the 2023 Bogleheads conference. I consider myself a seasoned member of this Forum and was amazed how much I still learned.

The most actionable item was to follow Bill Bernstein's advice and, instead of counting sheep at night, counting TIPS.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Wed Jan 24, 2024 6:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Xfinity autopay: Gaming the system to get discount
Replies: 24
Views: 3368

Re: Xfinity autopay: Gaming the system to get discount

treecat wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 9:13 am I think we saw the same thing - Comcast now offers us a $10 discount for paying from a bank account, but only a $5 discount if paying from a credit card. We chose to use the credit card in case of trouble, which I've had before with Comcast.
I chose the same option: auto-pay with a credit card (instead of a bank debit) for a $5 discount. For the auto-pay I am using a card that gives me 5% bonus with telecom providers.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Wed Jan 24, 2024 6:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?
Replies: 254
Views: 41954

Re: What are some of the things that improved YOUR quality of life?

TIPS with high real rates.

Since I moved my funds from the TSP and lost access to the G fund, choosing fixed income investments was a perpetual problem. Now, I am buying TIPS as if there is no tomorrow. But, of course, the main point of the TIPS is to enjoy them tomorrow, and day after tomorrow, and so on for at least 30 more years.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Wed Jan 24, 2024 6:12 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: South Florida Local Chapter
Replies: 628
Views: 213461

Re: Taylor's 100th Birthday Party! -online- Sun Jan 28, 2024- 7:00 pm ET

Hello South Florida Bogleheads! 🌴 8-) Our next online meeting is on Sun Jan. 28, 2024, at 7:00 pm ET We are celebrating Taylor Larimore's 100th Birthday :D Taylor turns 100 years young on Jan. 25, 2024! He is as energetic as ever, still posts helpful words of financial wisdom on the Bogleheads forum with his customary decency and kind humor, dresses like a gentleman (or a sailor) and walks briskly with determination. Please join us, along with Bogleheads from around the country and Canada, in wishing him a very happy birthday and honoring his many accomplishments. Taylor started the Bogleheads in 1998 as an investment forum to discuss the investing philosophy of Jack Bogle. He lives in Miami in the "House that Jack Built" and is ...
by VictoriaF
Wed Jan 17, 2024 2:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hotel recommendation (or at least what area) in DC
Replies: 64
Views: 5089

Re: Hotel recommendation (or at least what area) in DC

Outer Marker wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 9:49 am
adamthesmythe wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 9:45 am I read that the Willard Hotel has permanently closed.
False. https://washington.intercontinental.com/
In January 2023, I used my annual free IHG night to stay in the Willard. The people at the reception were very polite, the room was spectacular. My problem was that they had a very elaborate coffee machine and I could not figure out how to use it. And I did not want to break it trying. And so I went back home early in the morning.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sun Jan 14, 2024 6:41 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TIPS ladder- Two strategies for dealing with 2034-2039
Replies: 72
Views: 9645

2034 10-year TIPS auction

The auction for 10-year TIPS maturing in 2034 is coming up. I have placed an order at Vanguard for about a half of what I'd like to have for this rung of the ladder.

How about you?

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Fri Jan 05, 2024 11:04 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Safe Withdrawal Rate for a 30-year TIPS ladder?

... you said "return", not "yield". I was reporting a return, not a yield, and that was the largest source of discrepancy. Of course it's yield that we're interested in if comparing to nominal Treasury yield. I think you meant yield. I'm not following you, Kevin. Yield-to-maturity (YTM) of a bond is the same as its return -- assuming no defaults. <snip> Yeah, I meant "return" as in "internal rate of return", which is the more conventional way of calculating return. The bond yield convention of using y/2 in the discount factor in discounting the cash flows to get present value is unique to bond yield, as far as I know. For example, it's the only place I see it in my investment textbooks. Kevin M, #Cru...
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 8:09 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2024 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST REGISTRATION
Replies: 579
Views: 37965

Re: 2024 BOGLEHEAD CONTEST REGISTRATION

4321.99

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 8:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: books on housing purchase
Replies: 5
Views: 820

Re: books on housing purchase

As I was buying my first home I was frustrated with the lack of reliable information. The general advice was "find a good agent." Which to me sounded similar to finding a good financial adviser for managing my money.

And so I was happy to find Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home, https://store.nolo.com/products/nolos-e ... -htbh.html . The book provided a detailed guide to buying a home and helped me to understand the entire process. A lot of information is location-specific but the book provides keywords to look for and illustrative examples. A significant value of the book is awareness of numerous things that can go wrong.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 7:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Rate of return on primary residence
Replies: 56
Views: 6793

Re: Rate of return on primary residence

I went through this exercise in deciding whether to buy a condo (in cash) or rent a similar unit. For planning purposes, I assumed the condo would appreciate at the rate of inflation. In addition, I save on rent, paying only the condo maintenance fee instead of the gross monthly rent. My estimate was that I'd earn a 3% return above inflation, tax free, over the long run. I am in a similar situation. I bought a condo in cash and compared it to renting a similar apartment in the same neighborhood. After subtracting condo maintenance fees and taxes, my imputed rent is about 3% of the price I paid. I am assuming that both condo fees and comparable rents will be rising with inflation and therefore the 3% earnings are real . On the other hand, a...
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 7:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pros and Cons of "Do Not Resuscitate"
Replies: 209
Views: 49692

Re: Pros and Cons of "Do Not Resuscitate"

nonnie wrote: Wed Dec 27, 2023 5:40 pm I would like to add another consideration because I have seen this issue arise twice in just the last 2 weeks in my independent living facility-artificial nutrition-- which I will discuss below.
...
nonnie,

Thank you very much for all your contributions in this thread!

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 6:58 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

Re: What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

In this case he's right. There's no 5-year penalty, as you pointed out. The interest earned from the previous month is applied at the start of the following month, so December's earned interest was added on January 1, and you wouldn't get any of January's interest until February 1st, so there's no incentive to hold on and sell at any later time in January. And the current interest being earned by those I Bonds is less than the better yields on High Yield Savings Accounts or money markets (both can reasonably be found with 5% or more) or short-term US treasuries even, so it makes sense to get the I Bond proceeds into those as quickly as possible (assuming you have an account that does in fact pay 5% or more). One other consideration you mig...
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:48 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

Re: What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

Sell everything today. Invest the proceeds in a money market fund until you spend it. It looks like you are joking. But it's hard to tell. Victoria In this case he's right. There's no 5-year penalty, as you pointed out. The interest earned from the previous month is applied at the start of the following month, so December's earned interest was added on January 1, and you wouldn't get any of January's interest until February 1st, so there's no incentive to hold on and sell at any later time in January. And the current interest being earned by those I Bonds is less than the better yields on High Yield Savings Accounts or money markets (both can reasonably be found with 5% or more) or short-term US treasuries even, so it makes sense to get th...
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:35 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

Re: What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

What is a good month to sell old I Bonds? This year I want to sell I Bonds that I purchased in the following months (fixed rate): July 2010 (0.2%) Oct 2010 (0.2%) Jan 2012 (0%) Mar 2014 (0.2%) Nov 2015 (0.1%) Jan 2016 (0.1%) All these I Bonds are over 5 years long and so I won't be paying a 3-months penalty. I need to sell them for cash flow but I don't need to sell them all at once. What is the optimal strategy for selling? Thank you, Victoria Sell everything today. Invest the proceeds in a money market fund until you spend it. It looks like you are joking. But it's hard to tell. Victoria In this case he's right. There's no 5-year penalty, as you pointed out. The interest earned from the previous month is applied at the start of the follo...
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

Re: What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

toddthebod wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:12 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:10 pm What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

This year I want to sell I Bonds that I purchased in the following months (fixed rate):
July 2010 (0.2%)
Oct 2010 (0.2%)
Jan 2012 (0%)
Mar 2014 (0.2%)
Nov 2015 (0.1%)
Jan 2016 (0.1%)

All these I Bonds are over 5 years long and so I won't be paying a 3-months penalty. I need to sell them for cash flow but I don't need to sell them all at once.

What is the optimal strategy for selling?

Thank you,
Victoria
Sell everything today. Invest the proceeds in a money market fund until you spend it.
It looks like you are joking. But it's hard to tell.
Victoria
by VictoriaF
Tue Jan 02, 2024 5:10 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

What is a good month to sell old I Bonds?

This year I want to sell I Bonds that I purchased in the following months (fixed rate):
July 2010 (0.2%)
Oct 2010 (0.2%)
Jan 2012 (0%)
Mar 2014 (0.2%)
Nov 2015 (0.1%)
Jan 2016 (0.1%)

All these I Bonds are over 5 years long and so I won't be paying a 3-months penalty. I need to sell them for cash flow but I don't need to sell them all at once.

What is the optimal strategy for selling?

Thank you,
Victoria
by VictoriaF
Mon Dec 25, 2023 7:02 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone Bored in Retirement ??
Replies: 131
Views: 30089

Re: Anyone Bored in Retirement ??

bobcat2 wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:03 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:41 am I don't understand the concept of being bored. Most of the time I have more things to do than time to do them. My default activity is reading (physical) books and I have far more books that I want to read than the time to read them.

Victoria
Hi Victoria,

Long time no see. Wishing you a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year. :D

Bob
Hi Bob,

Wishing you happy holidays too!

I am now in the process of moving to a condominium I purchased in DC in the Fall. My rental lease is until the end of January and I am using this time furnishing the condo and moving things in. Depending on the state of my move I may or may not be able to come to the January meeting.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 6:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Sex, Lies, and Optimizing Utility by William Bernstein
Replies: 21
Views: 5328

Re: Sex, Lies, and Optimizing Utility by William Bernstein

thanks for sharing the article. I saw the "lies" and the "optimizing utility" parts but did I miss the sex parts? (pun intended?) Motivated by your question, I went back to the article looking for the sex parts. And I found them! Historian and author Robert Caplan observed that human history is half geography and half Shakespeare. One can apply this bon mot directly to investing; there comes a point where the financial practitioner should pay less attention to differential equations and more to investing’s Shakespeare: the frequency and nature of extreme financial events, the social psychology of booms and busts, and especially how even the most solid models can break down during them. Shakespeare is a proxy for sex. Vi...
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pros and Cons of "Do Not Resuscitate"
Replies: 209
Views: 49692

Re: Pros and Cons of "Do Not Resuscitate"

nonnie wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:43 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:50 am
When I was investigating this topic a couple years ago (during COVID) I came across U.S. Advance Care Plan Registry (USACPR), https://www.usacpr.net/ , that seems to provide a registration that can be accessed even when you are away from your state. I am curious if anybody has used USACPR and how it worked for them.

Victoria
The USACPR used to be called the US Living Will Registry. One of the benefits of membership in Final Exit Network is a free lifetime membership for U.S. Advance Care Plan Registry (USACPR). I registered with US Living Will Registry a l-o-n-g time ago. I'd recommend them. I need to update all of my paperwork with them, thanks for the reminder.
Thank you for sharing your experience,

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:29 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…
Replies: 2937
Views: 611632

Re: Now that long TIPS yields are 60 bp off their highs I will…

I sometimes wonder if we bogleheads are not too smart for our own good! (And I'm as guilty as the next one, though not even that smart!) :happy If you can fill out your ladder in January with positive real yield, and the proceeds will meet your income needs, do you need to continue to play games to make it even better? Will the small increase in yield you achieve increase your quality of life? Is that small yield increase worth the extra complexity? I know for me, the answers would be no, no and no. But, that may not be true for you - only you can decide. But, good enough is sometimes the best (and easiest!) solution. Wrench A small increase in yield will not increase my quality of life. But a regret from buying at a low yield and then wat...
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Peter Attia podcast alternative?
Replies: 41
Views: 5366

Re: Peter Attia podcast alternative?

Great thread. Thanks for all the info. I've recently liked podcasts that interview Phil Maffetone (he doesn't host a show, but he's often a guest). He has a wholistic attitude, a consistency (I think he's said basically the same thing for 40 years, vs. the flavor-of-the-month feel of many fitness personalities), and an emphasis on the basics -- diet & movement. I wish every fitness podcast would start with the "bogleheads" approach to fitness: eat minimally-processed actual food you cook yourself , and move your body daily in activities that confer strength, endurance, balance, and range-of-motion. Find whatever activities/variations allow you to persist with minimal injury over years/decades. I wish they'd say that first, th...
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 3:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

The size of this trade is not significant, but I was getting bogged down with analysis paralysis, so decided getting started with this relatively small trade would help with that. Having some skin in the game always seems to help me. That's how I got started buying TIPS in the first place--with some small purchases when yields were still negative. I have been recently buying TIPS on the secondary market and I was suffering from analysis paralysis, too. The YTM values were changing minute by minute and I had a strong temptation to wait for the "best" ones. Buying and holding mutual funds is easy for me, but with the TIPS it seemed to be different. Going forward, I may adapt your strategy of buying very small amounts every day or s...
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 9:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Peter Attia podcast alternative?
Replies: 41
Views: 5366

Re: Peter Attia podcast alternative?

stoptothink wrote: Sun Dec 10, 2023 12:08 pm Max Lugavere's "The Genius Life" is a good resource for those who aren't "scientifically-minded". He's not an expert himself in any topic, but he's really good at breaking down research into easy to understand terms.
Thank you, stoptothink. I find your contributions valuable and followed up by trying Lugavere's podcast.

As for Peter Attia, I think people need complements rather than alternatives to him. Attia has many podcast guests who describe health approaches that are not the same as his own. People can check out Attia's guests' information and choose those that resonate with them.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:52 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone Bored in Retirement ??
Replies: 131
Views: 30089

Re: Anyone Bored in Retirement ??

Sandtrap wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:39 am
VictoriaF wrote: Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:41 am I don't understand the concept of being bored. Most of the time I have more things to do than time to do them. My default activity is reading (physical) books and I have far more books that I want to read than the time to read them.

Victoria
Merry Christmas, Victoria🌺🌺

Same here. Too busy striving and struggling and reading and so much more in life. "Boredom" is not in my vocabulary.

Best to you and loved ones and fuzzy buddies 🌺🌺
jim
Merry Christmas, Jim!

Best wishes for you now, in the new year, and for a long, long time,

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Pros and Cons of "Do Not Resuscitate"
Replies: 209
Views: 49692

Re: Pros and Cons of "Do Not Resuscitate"

Bogleheads: Yesterday I signed a "Do Not Resuscitate" form. You can read its advantages and disadvantages here: https://www.ablison.com/pros-and-cons-of-do-not-resuscitate/ Best wishes. Taylor Jack Bogle's Words of Wisdom: “Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!”. Thank you, Taylor, for starting this thread. I am now in the process of moving from Virginia to District of Columbia. After I settle in the new place, I'll create various forms with my new address, including POLST at my hospital. I appreciate a recommendation for "all or nothing." People make mistakes, people do not read carefully, people have their decision-making impaired. A clearly expressed wish makes it easier for he...
by VictoriaF
Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone Bored in Retirement ??
Replies: 131
Views: 30089

Re: Anyone Bored in Retirement ??

I don't understand the concept of being bored. Most of the time I have more things to do than time to do them. My default activity is reading (physical) books and I have far more books that I want to read than the time to read them.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 6:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [Exercises for physical balance]
Replies: 43
Views: 5835

Re: [Exercises for physical balance]

The conundrum of balance exercises is that to be effective they must be challenging. And when your balance exercises are challenging you run a risk of falling down while doing them.

I found a book that helps to build balance gradually and safely, "Better Balance for Life: Banish the Fear of Falling with Simple Activities Added to Your Everyday Routine" by Carol Clements.

I also recommend Dr. Sten Ekberg's video "Benefits Of Exercise For Fall Prevention & Balance" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yq6EfrXw_o [10m 21s]

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 6:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good decisions that paid off for you 60, 70, 80, 90+
Replies: 30
Views: 4872

Re: Good decisions that paid off for you 60, 70, 80, 90+

NOTE: The responses in this thread, including mine, are reflections of our current state, not of the end-of-life circumstances. It's conceivable that we are missing something that we'll realize later, when it's too late to change. My critical decisions: 1. I have recently purchased a condominium and I am in the process of moving in. The condominium is within a short walking distance from my hospital, metro station, university (GWU), Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and a library. By living there I will not depend on my ability to drive. 2. I have stopped eating sugar and limited other carbohydrates. I believe this will reduce my probability of getting endocrine and neurodegenerative diseases. 3. Like heyyou (see the post above), I finished my Rot...
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 6:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Peter Attia podcast alternative?
Replies: 41
Views: 5366

Re: Peter Attia podcast alternative?

G-Force wrote: Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:44 am Huberman Lab, FoundmyFitness, and Wild Health are 3 others that fit in a similar genre.
I subscribe to Peter Attia's Drive and Huberman Lab. FoundmyFitness is Dr. Rhonda Patrick's program. She has some good information but her presentation style does not work for me and I stopped listening. I'll check out Wild Health.

Dhru Purohit https://www.youtube.com/@DhruPurohit/videos and Dr. Sten Ekberg https://www.youtube.com/@drekberg/videos have pretty good YouTube channels.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 5:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?
Replies: 7203
Views: 1413542

Re: What's Your Credit Card Rewards Strategy?

mrmass wrote: Mon Dec 04, 2023 3:42 pm
Mattman25 wrote: Mon Dec 04, 2023 3:19 pm For those of you with grocery cards, it is my understanding that most of the big superstores like Target, Walmart, Sam's Club, etc. will not register as grocery retailers. Is that true? These are pretty much the only places we shop at. We use Target Red Card for 5% off there, and I think Sam's has a 5% back card, but is there a good rewards CC for these types of retailers?
Thats true because they're not grocery stores. Chase has a Flex card that during a certain time period they give 5% at wholesale clubs like Sams, Walmart.
I have an old Chase Freedom card that occasionally offers 5% at wholesale clubs. On such occasions, I buy several hundred dollars worth of Costco store cards and use these cards for many more months.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 5:43 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Longevity Risk
Replies: 64
Views: 7737

Re: Longevity Risk

I understand how a tips ladder provides better inflation protection, but isn’t it a lot more expensive as well? What would be the cost difference in your approach versus a SPIA based approach? I have not calculated the cost difference between an SPIA and a TIPS ladder, because I would not consider SPIAs for the reasons I mentioned earlier (insurance company, sales pressure, etc.) While comparing the expected values of SPIAs and TIPS is possible, the actual difference depends on how long one lives. If one far exceeds his estimated life expectancy, SPIAs may be more advantageous. But if one dies a year after purchasing an SPIA, the lump sum paid for it is gone. Even if a TIPS ladder is more expensive, for me it does not matter. If necessary,...
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 5:32 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Purchasing TIPS on secondary market

Which is precisely what I was thinking of doing: creating a rolling ladder such that the maturities of the TIPS aligned with RMDs. This was the premise of my question - figuring that RMD requirements are about as good as any for making money available for spending. A TIPS ladder should match what you expect to spend from your portfolio. In general, that's not going to be equal to RMDs. Maybe it is equal for you, but when you asked the question by referring only to RMDs, it implied that you believed RMDs must be in cash. Right The two issues here are that RMDs are first of all just a transfer from tax deferred to taxable assets with a tax bill. They can be in kind, or very often in cash and then reinvested. It could be a cash RMD is about w...
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 5:11 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Longevity Risk
Replies: 64
Views: 7737

Re: Longevity Risk

This is far preferable to buying an annuity because you don't have to deal with the insurance company's sales pressure, fees, and lack of inflation protection. And after you die your heirs get the remaining TIPS. I understand how a tips ladder provides better inflation protection, but isn’t it a lot more expensive as well? What would be the cost difference in your approach versus a SPIA based approach? I have not calculated the cost difference between an SPIA and a TIPS ladder, because I would not consider SPIAs for the reasons I mentioned earlier (insurance company, sales pressure, etc.) While comparing the expected values of SPIAs and TIPS is possible, the actual difference depends on how long one lives. If one far exceeds his estimated ...
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 5:02 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

WhitePuma wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:39 pm
protagonist wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:17 pm
i completely agree with this.
That said, I see no reason NOT to wait. It may be only $20/$10K in your pocket, but why not? You have a little to gain and nothing to lose by waiting.
It also buys you time to consider other investments.
For example, what if TIPS yields shoot up to 3% by the end of the month? You might reconsider your decision to put your money in I-bonds (though I agree the difference on a $10-20K investment would be fairly trivial).
Life is a tapestry of micro-optimizations. This being one such opportunity.
Micro-optimizations have behavioral advantages. It's less risky to play with the timing of I Bond purchases than looking for hot stocks. And the level of satisfaction is about the same.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 4:48 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Longevity Risk
Replies: 64
Views: 7737

Re: Longevity Risk

A TIPS ladder is a perfect solution to the longevity risk. You start by constructing your ladder with available TIPS and then keep adding every year as new 30-year rungs become available and the holes in the current offerings get filled. This is far preferable to buying an annuity because you don't have to deal with the insurance company's sales pressure, fees, and lack of inflation protection. And after you die your heirs get the remaining TIPS. Hmm, maybe. I hurriedly built a 30 year TIPS ladder (actually 10-30 years) when rates topped 2% recently. Will I buy a new 30 year rung in a year? Depends on rates. I'm also in the drawdown phase, so I'd have to figure out where this new money is going to come from. You are making a good point tha...
by VictoriaF
Sat Dec 09, 2023 4:40 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Longevity Risk
Replies: 64
Views: 7737

Re: Longevity Risk

This is far preferable to buying an annuity because you don't have to deal with the insurance company's sales pressure, fees, and lack of inflation protection. And after you die your heirs get the remaining TIPS. I understand how a tips ladder provides better inflation protection, but isn’t it a lot more expensive as well? What would be the cost difference in your approach versus a SPIA based approach? I have not calculated the cost difference between an SPIA and a TIPS ladder, because I would not consider SPIAs for the reasons I mentioned earlier (insurance company, sales pressure, etc.) While comparing the expected values of SPIAs and TIPS is possible, the actual difference depends on how long one lives. If one far exceeds his estimated ...
by VictoriaF
Wed Nov 29, 2023 7:46 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Longevity Risk
Replies: 64
Views: 7737

Re: Longevity Risk

I'm somewhat partial to a TIPS ladder with a fat final rung that can be used to purchase a SPIA when it matures. That way you have 30 years of inflation protection followed by an annuity with a rather high payout rate that provides longevity protection, and fewer years for inflation to grind down the purchasing power of the annuity. A TIPS ladder is a perfect solution to the longevity risk. You start by constructing your ladder with available TIPS and then keep adding every year as new 30-year rungs become available and the holes in the current offerings get filled. This is far preferable to buying an annuity because you don't have to deal with the insurance company's sales pressure, fees, and lack of inflation protection. And after you di...
by VictoriaF
Sat Nov 25, 2023 3:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)
Replies: 6651
Views: 1202978

Re: I Bonds Mega Thread (I Bond Heads Rejoice!)

Richard1580 wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:32 pm
anon_investor wrote: Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:24 pm Redeeming 0% fixed rate I Bonds makes sense. Is buying 1.3% fixed rate I Bonds or TIPS in taxable better total return if the plan is to hold long term?
This is the question I had been pondering. I decided that TIPS at 2.4%+ was better than I-Bonds at 1.3% (despite the "phantom" income tax versus tax deferral). Time will tell ...
Have you purchased 2.4% TIPS a while ago? The last time the 2.4% rate was on November 1st. I am trying to decide whether to buy TIPS at 2.2% real or wait for a higher rate.

As for the I Bonds, I have plenty from the years when they were earning 0.0%-0.3%. I'll be selling them after 5-year mark; I just don't see the need to lose 3 months of interest.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Nov 25, 2023 3:48 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

Also keep in mind that TIPS prices change throughout the day. Yields could have been different at the time you bought yours compared to the time Treasury pulls the quotes it uses in its pricing algorithm. If LTPZ approximates the volatility of individual long term TIPS, the variation in price on Friday was about 0.9% (53.29 high and 52.82 low for LTPZ on 11/17). Using the fund's duration of 19 years that would mean that the yields varied by about 0.17% during that day. So even just that could potentially explain Victoria buying at 2.36% vs. the Treasury yield curve's 2.24%. Thanks a lot, Kevin M and JeffyScott! It seems that I was lucky with my timing of purchasing these TIPS. I need to condition myself not to look for luck when buying fur...
by VictoriaF
Sat Nov 18, 2023 9:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

Question: Why are brokerage values different from the Treasury Yield Curve?

The Daily Treasury Par Real Yield Curve Rates, https://home.treasury.gov/resource-cent ... nth=202311 - for 11/17/2023 shows 2.20% for 20-year TIPS and 2.24% for 30-year TIPS. However, on 11/17/2023, I purchased a 30-year TIPS maturing in 2044 with 2.36% Yield To Maturity (YTM). Why was my YTM higher than the curve?

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Sat Nov 18, 2023 9:18 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

My question is : How will I earn YTM = 2.36% on $13,361 if the coupon is only 1.375%? Part of the YTM is from the discount. ... This is the explanation. The discount applies to the inflation adjusted principal as well as to the face value. With its 1.31945 index ratio on the 11/20 settlement date, $12,000 face value of the 1-3/8% Feb 2044 TIPS equals $15,833.40 of principal. #Cruncher, thank you so much! This is very helpful. I will recreate your spreadsheet in my own XLS and will use it for future TIPS purchases. Part of my confusion was that I was unaware of the Treasury's TIPS/CPI site (that you have linked in your message) that provides daily Index Ratios for TIPS, and did not know the principal value. I knew that I paid $13k, but I di...
by VictoriaF
Sat Nov 18, 2023 8:46 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

The Settlement date for my purchase is November 20, 2023. Will on November 21, 2023, the value of my TIPS be (approximately) $15,833? The inflation-adjusted market value of a TIPS depends on the inflation-adjusted market price at the time. The inflation-adjusted price is the unadjusted price, such as the about 84.38 used in other posts, multiplied by the inflation index for the day. $15,833 is the approximate inflation-adjusted principal for November 20 (the settlement date). The inflation-adjusted principal will be slightly higher for November 20. What the market value will be depends on what the market price will be. Thank you, FactualFran. I was confusing the inflation-adjusted principal and the market value of my TIPS. I was not concer...
by VictoriaF
Sat Nov 18, 2023 8:43 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Question re TIPS Yield to Maturity and Bid Ask Price
Replies: 13
Views: 1243

Re: Question re TIPS Yield to Maturity and Bid Ask Price

LadyGeek wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 3:58 pm FYI - VictoriaF has asked the same question here: Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS) which received several answers.
Thank you, LadyGeek, that's right. I was not sure if I was formulating my questions well in the other thread and tried to present them differently here.

At this time, I got the answers I needed.

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Fri Nov 17, 2023 3:29 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

FactualFran wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 3:20 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 2:38 pm My question is:
How will I earn YTM = 2.36% on $13,361 if the coupon is only 1.375%?
Part of the YTM is from the discount. The 2.36% is the real YTM, which is calculated from the values not adjusted for inflation. The price not adjusted for inflation was about 84.38 per $100 of par amount. The maturity amount not adjusted for inflation will be 100 per $100 of par amount.

Transactions are done in terms of the inflation-adjusted principal as of the settlement date of the transaction. The about $13,361 paid was for about $15,833 of inflation adjusted principal.
The Settlement date for my purchase is November 20, 2023. Will on November 21, 2023, the value of my TIPS be (approximately) $15,833?

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Fri Nov 17, 2023 3:25 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Question re TIPS Yield to Maturity and Bid Ask Price
Replies: 13
Views: 1243

Re: Question re TIPS Yield to Maturity and Bid Ask Price

I thought I understood the most important facts about TIPS. But today, I ran into a situation I can't explain.

Today, I purchased 12 TIPS on the secondary market and paid $13,388.37 for them.
CUSIP = 912810RF7
Maturity = 2/15/2044
YTM = 2.36%
Coupon = 1.375%

My questions are:
How will I get the 2.36% real return on the $13,388.37 principal I paid today?
I will be getting 1.375% coupon rate. But there must be something else to raise the return up to 2.36%

What am I missing?

Victoria
by VictoriaF
Fri Nov 17, 2023 2:38 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)
Replies: 4107
Views: 455524

Re: Trading Treasuries (nominal and TIPS)

Earlier today, I bought some TIPS at Vanguard, on the secondary market: - CUSIP = 912810RF7 - Maturity: 2/15/2044 - Coupon = 1.375% - Yield To Maturity (YTM) = 2.36% - Amount = 12 As the Coupon is smaller than the YTM (1.375% < 2.36%), I expected to pay less than $12,000 for these TIPS. However, Vanguard charged me $13,388.37. It seems that from now on, I'll be earning 1.375% (plus inflation) on $13,388.37 -- which is less than 2.36% I expected. What is my mistake? The settlement price includes the inflation-adjustment on the principal and the accrued interest. A recent ask quote is about 84.38 as the unadjusted price per $100 of par amount, which is a discount. The price adjusted for inflation is about 111.34 because of inflation adjustme...