Search found 515 matches

by traveltoomuch
Thu Nov 16, 2017 5:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Flying first class, business, versus economy.
Replies: 184
Views: 29491

Re: Flying first class, business, versus economy.

cartman wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:50 pm The question we are contemplating is whether it is worth it to upgrade our seating the next time we travel abroad.
The OP posted in a new thread that they've decided to fly in first or business.
by traveltoomuch
Mon Sep 11, 2017 12:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Rental Car, best options
Replies: 22
Views: 4140

Re: Rental Car, best options

jasc15 wrote: Wed Sep 06, 2017 4:17 pm...saying that while I would be covered, I would be liable to pay for the car's time out of service during repairs.
I've never dealt with this myself, thankfully. It's called "loss of use", and I have heard of rental car companies trying to get reimbursed for it. I imagine that the effective way to fight it is by demanding "fleet utilization records" - essentially, proof that their fleet was fully booked and that having this one car out of service actually cost them money. I keep being hopeful that credit-card-based cover (whether as primary or secondary payer) is wise to this scheme and knows how to fight it effectively.
by traveltoomuch
Sun Jun 18, 2017 7:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Office Chair
Replies: 15
Views: 3367

Re: Office Chair

My favorite is the Allsteel 19. Normally it's at least as expensive as Herman Miller, but Madison Seating has them now for $400.

I'd also check craigslist. I expect used Aeron's to go for $300-400.
by traveltoomuch
Tue May 23, 2017 10:57 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Fidelity and their "free advisor" service?
Replies: 44
Views: 15488

Re: Fidelity and their "free advisor" service?

Lots of old threads on this topic. Here's one from about a year ago where LeeMKE (two posts up) and I both contributed: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=186223&p=2830116&h ... y#p2830116
by traveltoomuch
Tue May 23, 2017 9:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need advice from FF miles experts
Replies: 25
Views: 3397

Re: Need advice from FF miles experts

Thanks for clarifying that these are AA miles. It makes a difference. I would not use 70k AA miles on a $600-something ticket. I want to see at least $.01/mile of value out of an AA mile redemption, ideally $.02. Also remember that paid tickets will earn miles, which has a small effect on the value calculation. I've been crediting AA flights to Alaska's MileagePlan rather than AAdvantage recently - they still offer distance-based earnings. Here are some travel bloggers' views on point values. Two put AA miles at 1.5 cents/mile and the other is 1.3 cents/mile. http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2017/04/08/value-of-miles-how-much-frequent-flyer-miles-worth/ https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/april-2017-monthly-valuations/ http://onemileata...
by traveltoomuch
Fri May 05, 2017 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: best way to get a handle on expenses?
Replies: 16
Views: 2031

Re: best way to get a handle on expenses?

If you decide you need to track cash spending, I suggest writing it down daily, either on paper or on the computer. Do not try to enter each transaction into your financial software everyday. Entering a month's cash transactions should only take a few minutes.
by traveltoomuch
Wed May 03, 2017 10:05 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: best way to get a handle on expenses?
Replies: 16
Views: 2031

Re: best way to get a handle on expenses?

Quicken. Set it up to download from all accounts with one click. You'll spend less than one hour per month categorizing downloaded transactions, and drill-down is spectacular. Either lump all cash spending into one category or enter the transactions, as you prefer.

Warning: Quicken has a "sunsetting" planned death - it stops downloading transactions after ~three years.
by traveltoomuch
Tue May 02, 2017 8:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Time to upgrade bed/bath linens
Replies: 23
Views: 3857

Re: Time to upgrade bed/bath linens

+1 to Costco for sheets, specifically the Kirkland Signature pima cotton sheets. I've seen a $15 discount on those, usually in November, but it comes along rarely.
by traveltoomuch
Tue May 02, 2017 5:38 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Motor Home
Replies: 33
Views: 5395

Re: Motor Home

Another RV thread from about a month ago: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=214853

And speaking of repairs: that thread led me (somehow...) to the TechNomdia blog. They have a 1961 bus conversion that they have significantly renovated using specialty RV repair shops. http://www.technomadia.com/2016/02/earn ... on-report/
by traveltoomuch
Tue May 02, 2017 5:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buying couches the Boglehead way
Replies: 36
Views: 6924

Re: Buying couches the Boglehead way

Costco tends to have big furniture like sofas in the warehouse twice a year. Around here, that's around January and July. They get one shipment and when it's gone, there is no more. On the other hand, you can pick individual pieces that way, and at better prices than the sets they sell online. If you're considering that path I'd ask your local warehouse when they expect their summer shipment and plan to show up within a few days of it going onto the floor. The past couple of years they've had leather reclining sofas for $800-900, loveseats for $700-800, and recliners for about $500. Unlike the ones in higher-end furniture stores, they have mechanical recline controls rather than powered. They've also had recliner fabric sofas and sectional ...
by traveltoomuch
Thu Apr 27, 2017 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to CA for 2 yrs, lease or buy used car?
Replies: 13
Views: 1756

Re: Moving to CA for 2 yrs, lease or buy used car?

Sophia1884 wrote: I had to look up HOV...and was reminded that we're headed into a metropolis.
I don't think of Monterey that way. You'll be within driving distance of a metropolis, but Monterey is still over an hour's drive from even the outskirts of San Jose. I don't think you'll encounter many HOV lanes in your day to day life.
by traveltoomuch
Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:50 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Moving to CA for 2 yrs, lease or buy used car?
Replies: 13
Views: 1756

Re: Moving to CA for 2 yrs, lease or buy used car?

Sophia1884 wrote: I didn't realize it was per mile actually, thought it was a total number per year and assumed that number would cover our trips as long as it wasn't to NY.
It's a per mile charge over some base allowance, perhaps 12k/year. Another downside: you'll need to carry collision insurance, and on a newer car - that might result in a higher insurance bill than you're accustomed to.

Buying and selling used cars in my usual style can take some time, and I'd be asking myself whether I wanted to commit to that effort when I wasn't expecting to keep the car for very long. If I thought the mileage allowance would be sufficient and I could find a lease with enough flexibility, I would consider leasing. You'll still likely come out ahead by buying.
by traveltoomuch
Mon Apr 24, 2017 10:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hotel Living
Replies: 20
Views: 4542

Re: Hotel Living

Here is a thread from last summer that may have some useful insights.

extended stay hotels [to snowbird for 3 months?]
by traveltoomuch
Sun Apr 23, 2017 11:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Alaska cruise advice
Replies: 33
Views: 5057

Re: Alaska cruise advice

I would make a point of flightseeing over glaciers in Juneau. If you're feeling frugal, hire a local aviator rather than arrange the excursion through the cruise ship. Misty Fjords did not impress me as much.
by traveltoomuch
Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: National Parks in Northern CA
Replies: 34
Views: 4011

Re: National Parks in Northern CA

JMacDonald wrote: Yosemite Valley will be very busy no matter what day during the summer. Getting out of the Valley it is less crowded.
The valley offers some spectacular scenery and the most luxe lodgings in the park, but I wouldn't want to spend very long there during the summer. Make sure to get up to Glacier Point, Olmstead Point, and some of the other high vistas around the valley.

See if you can get a tent at one of the high country lodges (Tuolumne Meadows or White Wolf) along Tioga Road. The accommodations are rustic, but it gets you out of the biggest crowds and within range of some lovely day hikes. Be sure to make dinner reservations.
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hotel Living
Replies: 20
Views: 4542

Re: Hotel Living

Pay attention to lease early termination terms. While their month-to-month offer might be outrageous, maybe the terms for walking away early are more tolerable? What's your proposed mechanism for keeping yourself fed while living in a hotel room, and how does that compare to your life now? Consider the hotel's laundry arrangements. Using a hotel's coin-op laundry (if it has one!) can be annoying - few machines, possibly inconveniently located. Consider asking for a room near the guest laundry machines. I hear that you're planning to streamline your life down to a suitcase, but I would find that tricky. I have too many hobbies that demand special clothing or gear. Add seasonal variation to that (winter boots and jackets?) and you're talking ...
by traveltoomuch
Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Booking united award tickets with 2 accounts
Replies: 13
Views: 3156

Re: Booking united award tickets with 2 accounts

I'm wondering if I should convert some ultimate rewards to british avios as I think they have cheap domestic award flights. Don't convert UR points speculatively. Make sure there are award seats on the days you want them and that the price makes sense before you jump in head-first. Be aware that BA prices awards segment-by-segment, so if the itinerary involves a connection, the price might not be attractive. Hopefully you've also considered just buying the tickets? At least on EWR-FLL, UA is competing with Spirit, and they're offering some $50 fares... To your original question: combining UA points into one account is likely a needless waste of money. Since each one-way ticket is 12,500, ticket as many of those as you can out of each accou...
by traveltoomuch
Tue Apr 18, 2017 4:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best cruise
Replies: 50
Views: 6551

Re: Best cruise

Five year planning horizon for a cruise? ... If you book a cruise too early you pay a higher price as often prices decline as you approach sailing date but this varies by line. You've got lots of time to watch the cruise pricing cycles and see what works best for you. Depending on the cruise you take it's quite possible for the costs (airlines) of getting back and forth to the ship to exceed the cost of the cruise itself. For a first cruise you might want to consider a cruise that's economical to get to, or pick one where you fly to a distant point to join the cruise and the ship returns you closer to home. +1. Like others here, vacationstogo.com is my favorite search engine. Suggestion: pick one or more general destinations that excite yo...
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 15, 2017 5:31 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: How to download your own Bogleheads posts
Replies: 4
Views: 3215

Re: How to download your own Bogleheads posts

sean.mcgrath wrote:To underline Lady's point, I'd suggest that you edit your original post to make clear that the information you mention contains the only things that need to be filled in, and that personal information is not required.
I added some color and more specific language. Thanks for the suggestion!
by traveltoomuch
Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:15 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: ibond vs cd
Replies: 36
Views: 6782

Re: ibond vs cd

Da5id wrote:For those who actually plan on buying i-bonds this year, I'm curious your plan is?
I'm leaning toward "buy now" with the assumption that I'll likely cash it in at the 12 or 15 month point. Here's a writer whose thoughts I like:

https://seekingalpha.com/article/406247 ... cent-may-1

He's speculating that we won't see a fixed rate above .1%.

Buying in April, cashing at 12 mo. will give 1.87% total interest (ignoring compounding and ignoring the 11-month magic of I-bonds.). Cashing at 15 mo. will give 2.36% total interest (same simplifications), or an annualized 1.89%. That easily beats every 12-15 mo. CD I'm finding, though the money is firmly tied up for 12 months.
by traveltoomuch
Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: What constitutes "a lot" of money?
Replies: 81
Views: 14393

Re: What constitutes "a lot" of money?

I like the data points of $10 on lunch is "a lot" and $10k on vacation reasonable. Thanks *3!4!/5! and Da5id. :happy I've just posted in a couple of car repair threads here, and those triggered some thoughts about how my own spending habits have changed through the years: when I need to replace the tires on my car, I will now replace all four, v. just replacing the two on the drive axle . I'll also buy Michelins rather than shop around for the cheapest thing I can find. But I'll get them from Costco for $450 rather than pay $750 . Which is a long way of saying: despite having more money in the bank, I still pay attention to the details. I may go out to eat more often than before, but I still think twice before ordering appetizers ...
by traveltoomuch
Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Repair vs Replace car for someone just starting out
Replies: 25
Views: 3458

Re: Repair vs Replace car for someone just starting out

I hear your fears about this car failing. How realistic are those fears? How well have you and the previous owners kept up with maintenance? How often have the oil and the transmission fluid been changed? The 2007 Sonata has a timing chain, not a belt, so there's little risk of a failure there. More importantly, what are the odds that this car will cost more to keep on the road than the Elantra you propose to buy for 10k? Unless you have reason to believe that this car is unusually prone to failure, I'd say that any older used car risks the occasional failure, and the differences between this and some other used car you get for 10k are pretty minor. I have owned Hyundai Elantras of this vintage and, based on that experience, I would not be ...
by traveltoomuch
Thu Apr 13, 2017 9:19 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Mixed Feelings - "Investing" in my car
Replies: 6
Views: 1582

Re: Mixed Feelings - "Investing" in my car

If the money from the bonus had not been staring at you, what would you have done differently? Not done all of the repairs? (Perhaps only done enough to get it back on the road but held off on the tires and brakes?) Taken on CC debt to do the repairs? Sold other investments to pay for the repairs? Taken out a loan to buy a new car, instead?

How would you have likely felt about that choice? And how does that perspective change your feelings about the course you chose?
by traveltoomuch
Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:11 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Seeking feedback on portfolio
Replies: 7
Views: 1040

Re: Seeking feedback on portfolio

As others have said, this looks pretty good. I'd get the bonds out of the taxable accounts and consider selling individual stocks. I prefer to use Roth space for equities, leaving bonds in the 401k/IRA tax-deferred accounts. It looks like you're considering not maxing your 401k even though you have taxable investments. I would max out the 401k even if it means spending from the taxable accounts. Is your spouse working? Does your spouse have a 401k, also? Having the same holdings in multiple accounts is not a problem unless you're doing tax loss harvesting and might encounter an unplanned wash sale. You can sort that out later, if needed. When managing a 3-fund portfolio or similar, and yours counts, I like to have one account (or one per sp...
by traveltoomuch
Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Keep old yet reliable used car or buy new
Replies: 28
Views: 3025

Re: Keep old yet reliable used car or buy new

those are very different vehicles. which will you enjoy more? would you consider a used Jeep instead?

if it were me, I'd keep (or buy) the 2007 BMW 328. No (or lower) sales taxes. Lower excise taxes, if applicable. Probably lower insurance.
by traveltoomuch
Wed Apr 12, 2017 5:30 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: New 401(K) Fund Options & Overall Allocation
Replies: 5
Views: 918

Re: New 401(K) Fund Options & Overall Allocation

3-fund is very popular here. Consider leaving the existing 401k account alone. It sounds like you don't need to do a backdoor roth now, and I would not recommend a roth conversion. It sounds like you don't understand the roth options fully - I'd just ignore them for now. Are you sure you're not missing one or more funds from this new 401k lineup? Maybe an S&P index fund or a total market index fund? If not, I would cherry pick the good funds from this new 401k and ignore the others, at least until this 401k grows so large that you have to do something else. Use one or more of the funds Duckie suggests and then make up the difference in other accounts. e.g. put 100% of new 401k contributions into the American Funds EuroPacific Growth Fun...
by traveltoomuch
Wed Apr 12, 2017 5:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: .
Replies: 55
Views: 6934

Re: Car Breaks Down on Long Road Trip

Sidney wrote:Why not rent a car to begin with? If car breaks down, rental company brings you a replacement and deals with the problem.
This idea came up in another thread recently.
Loik098 wrote:did you book the hotel stay with a credit card that has trip interruption/cancellation insurance? If so, you might look at what that credit card covers.
I have had AAA's trip interruption insurance pay out for something very much like this. Most credit card trip interruption policies I've seen do not cover car breakdowns. (I just checked the T&C's from Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Citi Costco card.)
by traveltoomuch
Wed Apr 12, 2017 12:28 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Helping a friend move retirement $ to Vanguard
Replies: 4
Views: 997

Re: Helping a friend move retirement $ to Vanguard

First, only use target date funds in tax-advantaged accounts, like an IRA.

Second, do not allow the change in custodian to change the asset allocation. If he was 60/40 at EJ, put him in 60/40 at vanguard until he figures out what asset allocation he wants going forward. It's unlikely that the bulk change from invested to not invested and then to invested again is in anyone's interest.
by traveltoomuch
Wed Apr 12, 2017 5:28 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: How to download your own Bogleheads posts
Replies: 4
Views: 3215

How to download your own Bogleheads posts

For those who wish to download an archive of all of your own Bogleheads posts over the years, here is a tool for doing so: http://creativeandcritical.net/fups/enter-options?forum_type=phpBB The 'forum type' is: phpBB The 'base forum URL' is: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum Follow the instructions on the form for 'extract user ID' and 'extract user username'. Leave the 'login user username' and 'password' blank. Other fields can be left as-is. This was inspired by a conversation with a moderator about the recently-locked Disappearing Posts thread, in which the moderator told me "...the forum is a place for discussions, not a place for archival storage, and it is the forum members' own responsibility to save anything important for thems...
by traveltoomuch
Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:23 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: 2017 BOGLEHEADS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
Replies: 192
Views: 41355

Re: 2017 BOGLEHEADS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT

With so many people on the wait list year after year, what is preventing the group from making the conference larger? Since no one with direct knowledge is answering, I'll guess: unwillingness to switch venues and unwillingness to switch to theater seating (v. banquet seating). They appeared to be using the largest of the spaces available at the 2016 venue and filling it to capacity. Edited to add: there might have been one small ballroom segment closed off with an airwall, but the existing space was already too long for its width which left the back of the room very far from the stage, so opening that section (if it was not open before) is probably a bad idea. On the whole, the 2016 venue was lovely. Aside from the dimensions, the space w...
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 08, 2017 6:30 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Disappearing posts?
Replies: 21
Views: 6880

Re: Disappearing posts?

Mudpuppy wrote:That's a linear scale, O(n). On the other hand, just notifying the OP takes the same amount of time regardless of the number of participants, e.g. a constant scale, O(1).
Your point is well taken. It's also work that could (presumably) be automated.

In any case, I'd like to hear the moderators' answer. They're the ones who know how often they're moving threads to the private forum (v. merely locking them), and they're in the best position to estimate the impact on themselves.
by traveltoomuch
Fri Apr 07, 2017 9:49 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Disappearing posts?
Replies: 21
Views: 6880

Re: Disappearing posts?

gkaplan wrote: Again, why don't you PM a moderator?
Because I'm asking for a change in moderation behavior, not for someone to dig up one post. I think those discussions should happen in the light of day provided by the public forum, not in a PM with a single moderator.
by traveltoomuch
Fri Apr 07, 2017 7:25 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Reevaluating Asset Allocation in Retirement Portfolio
Replies: 8
Views: 1900

Re: Reevaluating Asset Allocation in Retirement Portfolio

Interesting idea. Those are definitely Boglehead-ish funds - if you want to do the 3-fund portfolio, those are fine choices. As harvestbook says, though, fee differences down at this level are rounding errors, at least compared to the fees of the funds you're in now.

The Fidelity 401k site should have a link for "Plan Fact Sheet" under "BrokerageLink" which will give you any plan-specific fees.
by traveltoomuch
Thu Apr 06, 2017 1:10 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Reevaluating Asset Allocation in Retirement Portfolio
Replies: 8
Views: 1900

Re: Reevaluating Asset Allocation in Retirement Portfolio

sottimate wrote: Which leads me to my next question: If I choose the target date option, is the assumption that the 'age-appropriate' allocation of bonds are in the mix? So therefore I would put 100% in the target date fund and forget the bond index in my 401k?
right.
sottimate wrote: I would reallocate sooner if I weren't being forced to select new investment options in a couple of months. I figure the less movement the better. Do you agree?
Not really, no. If an investment plan is the right thing to do, "just do it" has charm. Better that than leave yourself invested in the wrong thing(s), even if only for two months.
by traveltoomuch
Thu Apr 06, 2017 8:12 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Disappearing posts?
Replies: 21
Views: 6880

Re: Disappearing posts?

traveltoomuch wrote:... that's why I think the proactive notification of deletion will help. Would you be willing to notify everyone who's contributions are deleted?
Bumping this thread in hopes of getting a direct answer to my request/suggestion.
by traveltoomuch
Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:40 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Reevaluating Asset Allocation in Retirement Portfolio
Replies: 8
Views: 1900

Re: Reevaluating Asset Allocation in Retirement Portfolio

1. I like 80/20.

2. First, why not use the target date fund? The expense ratio is right, and it means you don't have to think about it again. If you want to go with the 3-fund thing: I would add in the small/mid cap fund in an 80/20 ratio with the S&P fund, but it probably doesn't matter much. Why are you choosing the DFA (actively managed) int'l fund instead of the index option?

3. At your tax rates, I wouldn't use the Roth401k option - I'd take the tax break now.

What I'm wondering is: why not implement this now? Can you put together something that looks like this, including the 20% bond allocation, using the current 401k funds?

What's your plan for investments in the RothIRA and taxable accounts going forward?
by traveltoomuch
Mon Apr 03, 2017 7:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What use are Chase UR Points (to me)
Replies: 21
Views: 4855

Re: What use are Chase UR Points (to me)

From what you're saying, just cash them out.

Even with your preference for budget hotels, I think you could get some value from transfers to Hyatt - category 1 and 2 redemptions cost 5k and 8k points, respectively, which is only $50 or $80 at $.01/point. Many Hyatt Place properties are category 1 and 2. The real value comes when cash rates are unusually high - peak seasons, days when there's a ballgame in town, etc. The points price remains the same 5k, 8k, or whatever. But there aren't Hyatts everywhere. And you say you would never transfer to partners, so you've already ruled this option out. So take the money and run.
by traveltoomuch
Mon Apr 03, 2017 12:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Craigslist still the main site to sell stuff locally?
Replies: 51
Views: 16101

Re: Is Craigslist still the main site to sell stuff locally?

jeffyscott wrote: Craiglist still works okay for me, but can be annoying as there seem to be a lot of no shows.
How are you making and (re-)confirming the appointments? A phone call within two hours of the appointment might help.
by traveltoomuch
Mon Apr 03, 2017 8:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Google Voice as secondary number: pros & cons
Replies: 19
Views: 4468

Re: Google Voice as secondary number: pros & cons

1. GV apparently only accepts cell phone numbers, so they need to temporarily port the number to a cell first. What is the best way to do this? 2. The GV needs to be associated with a gmail address, but my friend should get a separate email address to associate it with and not use their main gmail address 3. Once the number is on GV it can be forwarded to another number, but does not need to be. 4. GV will transcribe messages to read and save them as voice files to listen to, both from the computer logged onto the new gmail account. 5. They can download an app onto an Iphone and check this GV number through that app, but if the app is closed, their Iphone and cell number will work as normal. Are there any downsides to using GV in this scen...
by traveltoomuch
Mon Apr 03, 2017 7:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Screwed over by the airlines...
Replies: 42
Views: 6903

Re: Screwed over by the airlines...

I'm sorry you had a bad travel day. I would have hoped for a better response from Southwest. I'm sorry that didn't work. Honestly, I'd chalk this up to "lesson learned" and walk away. The most productive path might be to poke Southwest again. I might try filing a claim with the CSR card, but don't expect anything. Their Trip Delay protection is about providing you with food and lodging during a delay, not the extra cost of a rebooking a missed/cancelled/something flight. The Trip Cancellation protection is about covering the cost of the trip if you cancel the whole thing because you get sick (or, alternatively, have to interrupt the trip for similar reasons). While I have had both types of coverage pay out, I don't think either wi...
by traveltoomuch
Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:51 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [2016 Bogleheads 15 Conference Report]
Replies: 53
Views: 10706

Re: [2016 Bogleheads 15 Conference Report]

Reflecting back on the 2016 conference, which was my first: Notably lacking in the program was any tie back to these forums - there was nothing in the program about how to improve the forums, e.g. "how to be more help to newcomers". Many people I met do not post (regularly) on the forum. Some did not even have accounts. It was quite a counterpoint to other face to face meetups of people who have met on online forums - those are usually about building on and reinforcing the social connections already made online. The Bogleheads conference was something entirely different, at least for a relative newcomer like me - it may feel different for those who have been doing this for years and years. The sessions were mostly one-to-many pres...
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:43 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Physician-Resident looking for Portfolio Advice
Replies: 34
Views: 4714

Re: Physician-Resident looking for Portfolio Advice

Thanks for the amazing feedback everyone! You are most welcome. Thank you for taking the time to so thoughtfully engage on our responses. I'm seeing this as a sign that you'll be a good doc. :happy Interesting take on the TIAA Real Estate Account to replace the REIT index. Could you go into a little more detail as to why that is your thought process? I don't know much about the difference between them. At first glance, the ER is significantly higher in the TIAA Real Estate Account (ER 0.89% vs. 0.10% in REIT). First, don't pay too much attention to TREA's ER. TREA owns properties directly, so the ER includes some costs normally attributable to "property management" like evaluating new properties for acquisition. The ER of a REIT ...
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 01, 2017 11:11 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Master directory [for important documents]
Replies: 8
Views: 1503

Re: Master directory [for important documents]

How well would something like Dropbox or Google Drive work for you? Or Evernote, as jebmke mention. What requirements would those not meet?
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 01, 2017 9:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's your personal criteria for deciding whether or not to rent a car?
Replies: 105
Views: 8725

Re: What's your personal criteria for deciding whether or not to rent a car?

wrongfunds wrote:Are all these example with free pickup and drop off from your home?
My examples are not, though presumably the Enterprise example is. Enterprise tries to make that a selling point. In my experience, other companies offer the service "as available". It's not so reliably available that it's included in the price quote. For my own rentals, I try to avoid Enterprise (for other reasons), and I tend to plan on pickup/dropoff service not being available - I'll plan to get myself to/from the rental facility. Doing otherwise is risky.
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:33 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is Craigslist still the main site to sell stuff locally?
Replies: 51
Views: 16101

Re: Is Craigslist still the main site to sell stuff locally?

c-l still works for me. As a seller, I find that the more unique the item, the more patient I must be. Sometimes it can pay to chase a buyer - calling back someone who called last week but never closed the deal. But usually it's better to just wait. I've reposted items for months without seeing any real interest. Then the right buyer spots the right ad and the deal happens in the next hour. Meanwhile, I've been discarding the scammer responses and answering questions from people who don't really know what it is that they want to buy. The issue was usually not price. I still prefer c-l to ebay - I dislike paying the ebay + paypal + shipping fees. Shipping is usually as much of a hassle as meeting someone locally, and I'd rather keep more mon...
by traveltoomuch
Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's your personal criteria for deciding whether or not to rent a car?
Replies: 105
Views: 8725

Re: What's your personal criteria for deciding whether or not to rent a car?

Does anyone actually read the posts they are responding to? The sentence JUST ABOVE the one you quoted notes that the OP needs a full size car or 3-row SUV... Yes. Some even follow the whole thread. The $40 number came up in the context an example I had made up, separate from the OP's trip. I was imagining a different trip, one likely shorter than four days. And the $40 is a throwaway number - it was a placeholder for "something less than the cost of maintenance+depreciation". I tried to clarify the difference on Wednesday. Please do not allow your confusion over my example to lead to you flame new contributors to the thread. The link you posted is $9.99 for a COMPACT CAR. A full size car would be double that, plus taxes & fe...
by traveltoomuch
Thu Mar 30, 2017 4:30 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Disappearing posts?
Replies: 21
Views: 6880

Re: Disappearing posts?

You can always PM a moderator for a copy of the post. Thank you very much for offering that. It is a very generous offer. Unfortunately, it doesn't address the problem in most cases. I usually just remember "hey, I wrote a great post about this on Bogleheads four months ago", but I usually won't remember the name of the thread. I'm willing to go through the effort of normal searches, re-reading perhaps quite a number of my posts to find the right one. But if the thread has been deleted, it won't show up in that process. It can take quite a bit of search time before I realize that the reason I can't find my post is that it might have been deleted. That time is what drives most of the frustration. And that's why I think the proacti...
by traveltoomuch
Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:31 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Budgeting vs Tracking Expenses?
Replies: 42
Views: 5927

Re: Budgeting vs Tracking Expenses?

I find value in tracking expenses - knowing what went where (v. averages or even a "budget"), just so I can consider where I might want to cut next. What pain points give me the most financial impact? "Hummm, spending $2400/year on cable TV... do I want to continue that?" But as for budgeting... ... It seems obvious to me that the less I buy variable stuff (restaurants) the more savings I will have. Is there a psychological benefit to putting this in a formal budget? Do I just need better software? There may be benefit if you have a specific goal. Perhaps "I want to spend less", "I want to spend only $3k/mo.", etc. But then the question is "how how I control spending". A budget might or migh...
by traveltoomuch
Thu Mar 30, 2017 5:11 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Physician-Resident looking for Portfolio Advice
Replies: 34
Views: 4714

Re: Physician-Resident looking for Portfolio Advice

1. The portfolio looks pretty good. (And aside from using the 2035 fund, it looks great!) Good job. I'd reconsider the choice of the 2035 fund in the Roth, but this is not pressing. I personally use the TIAA Real Estate Account, and I would consider that in your 401k as an alternative to the REIT index. If you and your wife are willing to consider your finances as one and you're willing to do asset allocation across accounts, you might even consider putting more into TIAA Real Estate in your 401k and drop the REIT fund from her 401k. I love venkman's idea re: small cap value. Alternatively, add in the extended market index funds to both accounts. But this is really down in the weeds. 2. 80/20 is appropriate. I am willing to take on more ris...
by traveltoomuch
Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:11 am
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Disappearing posts?
Replies: 21
Views: 6880

Re: Disappearing posts?

We don't delete threads, but instead move them to a private forum. You can check if the thread was pulled if you get this message, which is in the FAQ (top left forum menu). ... We only notify the OP of the move . (emphasis added) I urge that you change this practice to include notifying every poster in the thread. When I've put significant energy into a reply , I find it disheartening to have the content summarily removed. As the FAQ says "not every post on a removed thread is necessarily in violation". In fact there may be helpful posts in the thread, even gems. When I wrote something I considered gem-worthy, finding that someone has chosen to delete it brings a strong emotional response. That response is even stronger when I'v...