Search found 233 matches

by schuyler74
Sat Apr 17, 2021 3:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New car same price as 1 year old
Replies: 24
Views: 3194

Re: New car same price as 1 year old

So, the high used car prices aside, were those safety features and connectivity features important to you or did you just take them, and pay for them, because they were there? I really wanted the ability to connect with my phone via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. I know you can buy aftermarket audio systems that claim to integrate with the car but I wanted the original equipment. The extra features I'm referring to are some of the newer things you'd expect: Backup Camera, Lane Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance, Smart-Braking Cruise Control, etc. My Dad's car doesn't have any of these things, but he was able to choose an unusual color & trim combo which was evidently more important to him. We're both happy with what we have, so I gues...
by schuyler74
Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New car same price as 1 year old
Replies: 24
Views: 3194

New car same price as 1 year old

This past January, I bought a one year old used 2020 sedan with 12k miles for (roughly) the book value, according to cargurus.com . Last month, my Dad bought a new 2021 car of a similar style and size, though a different but comparable manufacturer. Including fees and taxes, we paid the same price for our cars. Since his is brand new, he was able to select exactly the options he wanted, whereas mine is what it is. However, mine has a lot more safety features and connectivity options, hence the reason they cost the same. Is there an official Boglehead stance on which of these is the better route, or maybe neither? Some say don't buy any car less than 3 years old in order to get the best value. Neither of us are millionaires, so we can't just...
by schuyler74
Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:34 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need a cheaper cell phone plan
Replies: 79
Views: 8833

Re: Need a cheaper cell phone plan

ncbill wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:25 pm I moved my three lines (previously unlimited) to the new $15/month plan...from $110/month to $45/month. :)
I also just bumped down to this $15/month plan. It's no effort for existing customers, and is available for new customers too.

Only caveat I see is that their discounted phone deals for new customers don't apply to this $15/month plan. But if you own an unlocked phone already and you port your phone number over to Cricket (they call this BYOD, or bring your own device), then it's just $9.99 for them to mail you a new SIM card w/ 1-day shipping. Or just pay their non-discounted price for a new phone.

https://www.cricketwireless.com/cell-phone-plans
https://www.cricketwireless.com/cell-phones/bring-your-phone
by schuyler74
Sat Mar 28, 2020 9:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio
Replies: 649
Views: 112400

Re: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio

My SiriusXM subscription was set to expire in 3 days. I just called them up on the phone and found out they're closed on weekends. The recording said customer service is badly delayed right now due to the economic shutdown and suggested writing an email or visiting the website instead.

Went to the site, found the pull-downs to CANCEL and three offers came up:
  1. 12 months of XM All Access for $99 (includes streaming, Howard Stern, and more live sports)
  2. 12 months of XM Select for $60
  3. 6 months of XM Select for $29.94
I chose #2. With a U.S. Music Royalty fee of $12.84, it came to $72.84 for one year, not bad.

Note: all subscriptions will auto-renew upon expiration at whatever the monthly rates are at the time.
by schuyler74
Sat Nov 25, 2017 7:17 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Why Did You Choose Your Username and Avatar?
Replies: 377
Views: 19657

Re: To Avatar or Not - Get One? How did you choose?

Sandtrap wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 5:59 pm Ease of formatting an avatar to fit the size and kb requirements are a hurdle as well as unfamiliarity with image hosting url parameters.
FYI -- If one isn't too picky, an easy way to find an avatar that fits the constraints is use Google Images and choose Icon-only sizes. All the results are 256x256 or smaller, and almost always square. For example, here's an Icon-only search link for "Ladygeek"; just change the search field to whatever you want (I'm not sure which is really her):

https://www.google.com/search?q=ladyge ... 817&dpr=1
by schuyler74
Sat Nov 25, 2017 5:42 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Why Did You Choose Your Username and Avatar?
Replies: 377
Views: 19657

Re: To Avatar or Not - Get One? How did you choose?

Avatars should be mandatory. Without one, you aren't memorable. For example, which of the bullets below did you notice first? Almost every one of you immediately focused on #2 and recognized it before you even started reading anything else in this post. Same with avatars.
  1. M&Ms
  2. Image
by schuyler74
Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Why do some knowingly not do what's in their best self-interest?
Replies: 6
Views: 1357

Why do some knowingly not do what's in their best self-interest?

A coworker/friend of mine is getting ripped off by his local cable company, and he knows it. Or, I assume he does, since he often complains that they keep jacking his rates. He's now paying about $160/month for little more than basic cable. It's the only cable company in town, but he has the option of satellite providers, and not even counting all the internet-based TV. Even though he knows that DirecTV et al will be roughly half the cost (at least initially), he refuses to call them -- yet continues to [rightfully] be annoyed that his cable bill is so high. I don't understand why he doesn't just make the change today and start saving money; I'm not like that. What are the psychological hindrances to someone changing their behavior in this ...
by schuyler74
Sat Oct 01, 2016 5:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Clearing car "Check Engine" light
Replies: 51
Views: 31324

Re: Clearing car "Check Engine" light

Michread wrote:The Auto Zone near us doesn't have the code reader available for free any longer. Is this true in your area now?
Dunno, haven't needed to ask! Always fun when someone mentions they have a Check Engine light on, and you whip out your little scanner tool and ask, "Want me to clear your codes?" Best pickup line ever. :)
Michread wrote:Which code reader do you recommend from Amazon?
Amazon.com search for "obd2 scanner torque bluetooth". Anything with a good rating from many buyers will be fine, most are still under $15. I prefer the slightly bigger ones with the blinking lights as opposed to the tiny ones without; both fit in the palm of your hand.
by schuyler74
Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:48 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "Women and Investing" class offered by Employer
Replies: 84
Views: 9530

Re: "Women and Investing" class offered by Employer

Schuyler, So, have you decided to go and let us know what it was about? No dice! Women only. Asking around, I can't find anyone who attended, and I didn't stalk the conference room to see who showed up. I know, major letdown. Sorry, Celia. While that meeting was going on, I received the following email. No distinguishing as to who may attend this one, so I think I'll attend and just ask the presenter what went down during today's women-only session. MetLife's Investing 201 Investing can mean many things to many people. If you already have an understanding of basic investment concepts but want more in depth information about stocks and bonds, then MetLife's Investing 201 is for you. In this complimentary 90 minute workshop you will learn ab...
by schuyler74
Wed Sep 21, 2016 12:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "Women and Investing" class offered by Employer
Replies: 84
Views: 9530

Re: "Women and Investing" class offered by Employer

OP here. This forum is great... and it's not a quality thread until nisiprius is posting pics of his deodorant! [Not any more --admin LadyGeek] I expect the seminar will be put on by the same guy from MetLife who visited several months back when it was advertised as a general info session on retirement investing. I attended that one and thought it was about as fair as could be, considering the company who was presenting it. That class took 3 lunch hours to complete, while this new one is just the one hour. Tried to cover everything so didn't do anything particularly well but would be valuable for someone who doesn't know much about the topic. There was no sales push during the time I attended, but after the class was over, I received at lea...
by schuyler74
Tue Sep 20, 2016 7:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "Women and Investing" class offered by Employer
Replies: 84
Views: 9530

"Women and Investing" class offered by Employer

One week ago, I received an email from my employer promoting a lunch-hour investing seminar put on by a local financial consultant (associated with one of the big American investing companies), stating the following: This session will focus particularly on women and investing, and the unique financial challenges many women face and why it's so important to take an active role in planning your financial journey. What does this mean? What's an example of a "unique financial challenge" that women face? I'm not a woman, and I'm not making fun -- I mean this seriously, as I've been reading this forum for almost 5 years now and I don't recall a single post that gives me any idea what sorts of topics might be covered in this seminar. App...
by schuyler74
Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:21 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Pension buyout, take lump sum?
Replies: 2
Views: 1100

Pension buyout, take lump sum?

I'm 42 years old and was offered a pension buyout from my former employer with these choices: immediate one-time lump sum of $63,335 immediate annual benefit of $3,444 (default) age 65 annual benefit of $17,572 The cost to purchase my default pension today is $128,216 (per ImmediateAnnuities.com ). I have no debts beyond my mortgage and no need for immediate financial assistance. And to keep things simple, assume a lifetime annuity ignoring options such as spousal benefits. I don't mind the risk in taking the lump sum today and investing it, but in doing that, am I likely to result in a better financial position at age 65 than declining the offer and staying with the default pension? For reference, Excel shows that the lump sum invested tod...
by schuyler74
Fri Jul 15, 2016 4:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Pokemon Go" -- should buying Nintendo have been obvious?
Replies: 88
Views: 10577

"Pokemon Go" -- should buying Nintendo have been obvious?

Nintendo ( NTDOY ) stock price has been hanging around $18 per share all year. The Pokemon Go app was released on Wednesday, July 6. On Friday, it closed at $20 and opened Monday at $27. Today is July 15 and it just closed at $33. If "all known information" was already baked into the $18 price on July 5, then why did the stock double in 10 days? Is the company really twice as profitable today as it was just last week? The game has been in Beta testing since March and the testers had an idea how popular it would become, so what explains the fantastic jump in stock price? My tech savvy friends were telling me on July 6 to buy the stock and I didn't. Now, looking back, it was rather obvious what would happen. So, per the rules of Eff...
by schuyler74
Sat Jul 09, 2016 8:06 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: REIT's Get Their Own Sector!
Replies: 13
Views: 1620

Re: REIT's Get There Own Sector!

https://www.reit.com/investing/investor-resources/gics-classification-real-estate In 2016, S&P Dow Jones Indices and MSCI will reclassify and elevate stock-exchange listed real estate companies (including listed equity REITs) from under the Financials Sector to a new 11th headline Real Estate Sector in the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®). GICS is the leading classification system for stock exchange-listed equities worldwide. The change will be effective August 31, 2016, and is the first new headline Sector since GICS was created in 1999. The link also has a few video clips, links to more info, and these "positive implications": The addition of a new headline Real Estate Sector to GICS has a number of positive ...
by schuyler74
Sun Jun 21, 2015 3:52 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why do Bogleheads/BiggerPocketers think there is only one way?
Replies: 155
Views: 33414

Re: Why do Bogleheads/BiggerPocketers think there is only one way?

As with most preferences, I expect a lot of it is personality type. From evidence found in prior posts, this board has a disproportionate amount of "C" (from the DiSC profile). I expect people who are less risk-averse tend to be "D" or "i" types.

Image
by schuyler74
Tue May 05, 2015 10:13 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Bogle eBlog -- no longer maintained?
Replies: 0
Views: 1030

The Bogle eBlog -- no longer maintained?

http://johncbogle.com/wordpress
The last update on "The Bogle eBlog" was about 6 months ago. Is the site dead? Who'd been maintaining it? It is referenced on the Wiki and it always had the latest video clips and links to articles he'd written. Would be a shame to see it go.
by schuyler74
Sun May 03, 2015 8:09 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Polls Disabled
Replies: 60
Views: 17197

Re: Polls Disabled

Perfect -- I was going to respond and say this anyway, and then read this: I too am disappointed that polls were disabled. Even if they were not scientifically accurate, they provoked some good discussions, and were certainly entertaining. I think voting in polls is a sort of stepping-stone for new members... it's easy to vote, and is a way for them to start becoming more active in the forum. I initially joined as a member solely to be able to vote in the Polls. I was mildly interested in posting, but wouldn't have bothered otherwise. I suppose if I went back and looked at the threads I started, most would have a Poll. They're a quick, fun way to get the reader's mental juices flowing on the topic and help quickly get into the head of the O...
by schuyler74
Fri May 01, 2015 1:10 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do REITs really offer effective portfolio diversification?
Replies: 108
Views: 16882

Re: Do REITs really offer effective portfolio diversificatio

I think there are two questions here: Is owning commercial property a different kind of investment than an equity or a bond? If so, is it an effective portfolio diversifier? A bond is a loan, which a REIT most definitely is not. An equity is an ownership interest in a business that has intrinsic value, which does apply. However, Real Estate is dramatically under-represented in the TSM as a share of the total economy which is why some on these forums (e.g. Rick Ferri ) overweight it in their portfolio. Per https://www.reit.com/investing/reit-basics/faqs/basics-reits , a REIT must: Invest at least 75% of its total assets in real estate assets Derive at least 75% of its gross income from rents from real property or interest on mortgages financ...
by schuyler74
Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:51 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Favorite Boglehead Avatar?
Replies: 89
Views: 15255

Re: Favorite Boglehead Avatar?

BrandonBogle
Image
by schuyler74
Sat Apr 11, 2015 3:00 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Favorite Boglehead Avatar?
Replies: 89
Views: 15255

Re: Favorite Boglehead Avatar?

That's weird.

Zaboomafoozarg's is what I was going to respond with before reading the OP. I even dragged it into Google Images once to discover its origin.

And Nisiprius' for the same reason just mentioned. If I'm scrolling and see the butterfly, I stop.
by schuyler74
Wed Feb 18, 2015 12:02 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Dave Ramsey Lashes Out at His Financial Critics
Replies: 89
Views: 30924

Re: Dave Ramsey Lashes Out at His Financial Critics

In just nine lessons, you'll learn to take control of your money, invest for the future and give like never before. The average family pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 90 days! Assuming that's true, wouldn't it immediately settle the debate of whether he is "doing more harm than good"? I suspect once people advance past his 3rd Baby Step (having a "fully funded emergency fund"), it won't take them long to figure out a wiser style of investing than paying an advisor via purchase of Class A shares. If such an investor stays in that spot for the rest of their life, then they're still in a far better position than they'd be had they never listened to Dave. And yet, if they move on and find a site like t...
by schuyler74
Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Am I a mess?
Replies: 31
Views: 5645

Re: Am I a mess?

My suggestions: Pay off ALL loans to leave you with $10,000 cash. Stop borrowing money. Call around for cheaper car insurance and raise the deductibles to $1,000 ($1,560 per year is very high; mine is $650 for 2 cars.) $10K is a sufficient emergency fund (for now) if you consider unemployment pay; build it up over time. Buy a house only when you can put at least 10% down, while leaving your N-month emergency fund untouched. Your income minus listed expenses leaves you with $2,000 per month left over to put towards your emergency fund. If that's true, you can have a 10-month emergency fund of $40K built up in just over year (15 months @ $2K = $30K, plus the $10K you start with). After that, start to save up for the house down payment. Don't ...
by schuyler74
Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Lending money to family - I can't say no
Replies: 82
Views: 9120

Re: Lending money to family - I can't say no

Not perfectly relevant here, but whenever I hear about intra-family money lending, I think of this letter written by some old guy to his brother who'd just asked him, yet again, for a small loan that he promised he'd repay quickly. January 2, 1851 Dear Johnston: Your request for eighty dollars I do not think it best to comply with now. At the various times when I have helped you a little you have said to me, "We can get along very well now"; but in a very short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now, this can only happen by some defect in your conduct. What that defect is, I think I know. You are not lazy, and still you are an idler. I doubt whether, since I saw you, you have done a good whole day's work in any one day....
by schuyler74
Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:08 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Video on emotion in investment decisions
Replies: 10
Views: 1062

Re: Video on emotion in investment decisions

If only a daring Boglehead would volunteer their own money to be the Auctioneer, we could start a new thread to do this exact experiment. :twisted:
(It would only work, however, provided everyone really believed that all bids were honest and would really be paid, at the conclusion of the auction.)

I'll start the first bid at $1, if we're doing this.
by schuyler74
Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:11 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Build large equity position gradually or in one purchase?
Replies: 6
Views: 1188

Re: Build large equity position gradually or in one purchase

https://pressroom.vanguard.com/content/nonindexed/7.23.2012_Dollar-cost_Averaging.pdf wrote: If a foundation receives a $20 million cash gift, what are the tradeoffs to consider between investing those funds immediately versus dollar-cost averaging the investment over time? How might an individual who receives a $1 million windfall approach the same decision?
This is a short article talking about that white paper.
by schuyler74
Sat Oct 04, 2014 2:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Age 30, should I buy 30 year term?
Replies: 10
Views: 1686

Re: Age 30, should I buy 30 year term?

I see life insurance as fulfilling a single purpose: providing peace-of-mind to your spouse that, if you were to die, he/she will be able to raise the kids until they are adults and are capable of taking care of themselves. To that end, I wouldn't buy insurance until I had a wife and first child, and then I'd buy exactly enough for her to feel comfortable with a term length of 20 years. That should cover the first kid and any additional ones if you have them reasonably quickly. If it turns out you feel you need more coverage in the future (due to having more children than you thought, or having them later than you expected), then you can always just buy an additional policy to make up the difference. Also, remember that in most cases, no ta...
by schuyler74
Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:46 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Stocks and shares," different things? "Peter Pan"
Replies: 40
Views: 10430

Re: "Stocks and shares," different things? "Peter Pan"

I found an online analysis of the text in question, part of which I pasted below. Although it doesn't get into the specifics of what nisiprius was asking about, I think its writer would lean toward the idea that Barrie was intentionally trying to show Mr. Darling as an arrogant male who acted overly sophisticated in order to make women feel inferior in the realm of men... make-believe though it may be. ...was one of those deep ones who know about stocks and shares. Of course no one really knows, but he quite seemed to know, and he often said stocks were up and shares were down in a way that would have made any woman respect him. Straight away we are told that ‘deep’ men know about stocks and shares, only to have this negated by the admissio...
by schuyler74
Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:41 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Stocks and shares," different things? "Peter Pan"
Replies: 40
Views: 10430

Re: "Stocks and shares," different things? "Peter Pan"

http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/140.asp wrote:For example, "stock" is a general term used to describe the ownership certificates of any company, in general, and "shares" refers to a the ownership certificates of a particular company.
by schuyler74
Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:01 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: do you lie about your finances to friends
Replies: 103
Views: 14338

Re: do you lie about your finances to friends

How you should answer depends on why they're asking, rarely is it helpful to disclose info about your own finances to someone who has no intention of doing anything differently. If they just want to vent (and not change) then you listen because you're their friend. If they actually want real advice on what or how to change, then you can still do that without revealing specifics. In any case: lying bad, helping good.
by schuyler74
Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:28 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: To stay a Boglehead, I have to leave Bogleheads.org
Replies: 56
Views: 8756

Re: To stay a Boglehead, I have to leave Bogleheads.org

A year ago, I decided to go to a "Core Four" (TSM, TISM, Bonds, REITs) and rejected tilting. Last week, after reading various threads, I almost decided to start tilting. But then other threads show that investors tend to lose returns due to jumping in to a trend too late. So then I decided I must be wanting to tilt now not because it's actually good to tilt, but instead because tilting would have performed well the past few years. So I decided to make no changes.

So... I'm not sure if reading all these threads is a good idea or bad idea. I'm still tempted to make adjustments due to recency bias.
by schuyler74
Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:56 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Personal Life subforum?
Replies: 97
Views: 12461

Re: Personal Life subforum?

Can someone present a specific example of a post that would be allowed in this proposed new forum that is not allowed in the existing forums? All of the above is too vague for me to understand what we're actually debating.
by schuyler74
Thu Jun 12, 2014 6:48 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 85
Views: 7602

Re: If chasing market performance is bad...

steve_14 wrote:Generally speaking, though, chasing what's hot is a bad idea IMO. If everybody's talking about it, all the possible money that can/will move into it already has.
Isn't that what "momentum" is, though?
http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Momentum_index_returns wrote:Momentum in academic finance is defined as the return of stocks that have outperformed in the recent past (typically one year) minus the return of stocks that have underperformed. ... The momentum factor provided a positive premium over the 1981 to 2011 period, with considerable volatility. These results are consistent with longer term data.
If so, then the entire subject of this thread ("If chasing market performance is bad...") is wrong. Chasing market performance is GOOD!
by schuyler74
Thu Jun 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 85
Views: 7602

Re: If chasing market performance is bad...

If chasing market performance is bad... Then isn't doing the opposite good? Sounds exactly like what I asked a month ago ( here ): "If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right." ( YouTube clip ) If following normal, natural emotions provides investors with returns that are less than they could be, then why not just do the opposite of what comes naturally? Just buy more when your gut is telling you to bail, and start selling to those jumping on the bandwagon during a bull run. If the former behavior results in inferior returns, then the latter would have to give you the opposite. Right? Has anyone done an actual behavioral study on this? Intuitively, it still seems obvious to me that if "norm...
by schuyler74
Wed Jun 11, 2014 5:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40

I'm glad I asked because you all have provided some excellent responses and it got me reading more about TAA in Artsdoctor 's wiki link. Tactical asset allocation is an active investment strategy that adjusts a portfolio's asset class weightings according to short term forecasts of expected returns. ... Managers usually return to the portfolio's original strategic asset mix when desired short-term profits are achieved. I believe Bogle's usual response to doing anything "tactical" is to caution that difficulty arises when trying to decide when to undo the change . If you're "temporarily" shifting from stocks to bonds, when do you go back? If moving from US to ex-US, when do you return to the proportions dictated by your I...
by schuyler74
Wed Jun 11, 2014 1:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40

I still don't see how "tactical asset allocation" is any different than "market timing", except that in the former you're doing it with entire indexes and the latter is individual stocks. All Bogleheads agree that trying to time buy/sell of individual stocks based on evaluations would get you kicked out of the Boglehead club, but in this thread I see many of the same people saying that it's okay to do it with collections of stocks. What am I missing?
by schuyler74
Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any [iPhone] "Apps" you like?
Replies: 69
Views: 11775

Re: Any "Apps" you like?

"Vanguard Investor" is an app to monitor your investment accounts.
"Vanguard Advisors" has lots of links to articles and videos of interest to Advisors.

I don't have a vanguard account but I installed the Advisors app. There's a new article/video every other day or so.
by schuyler74
Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:02 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40

Several (including EmergDoc) have mentioned above the possibility of looking around for alternative investments besides stocks and bonds. Would Bernstein's numbers imply that the next decade might be a good time to pay down those "negative bonds" many of us have in our home mortgages?

From what I've seen, the consensus on these forums tends to lean away from pre-paying your mortgage, but I wonder if the next 10 years are expected to give such low returns whether we might finally get agreement to pay off early -- or is it STILL better to invest, low ERs notwithstanding? For example, my mortgage rate is 3.375% -- would getting that percentage as a "guaranteed" return be wise considering the forecasts being discussed?
by schuyler74
Tue Jun 10, 2014 3:53 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40

Thank you for answering my question, JoMoney. I appreciate it! :beer

Sometimes I ask questions that are possibly obvious to many members on these forums, but I think I'm asking questions that many others reading this thread might also be wondering about.
by schuyler74
Tue Jun 10, 2014 8:15 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40

All this discussion of preemptively overweighting Foreign vs Domestic, or Value vs Growth, Stocks vs Bonds. Isn't that just market timing? Why not just stick with your usual AA? Hasn't it been shown that performance chasing causes investors to miss out on gains they could have had, had they "stayed the course"?
by schuyler74
Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns

What are the reasons why he predicts a 2.5% real return over the next decade? Is it due to a fundamental shift in the world economy or something else? Because if it's based on things "being different now" than they have been, then why limit it to just the next decade and not the next 50 years? He's using dividends, the dividend growth rate, and the assumption of mean reversion to historic valuations. Jack Bogle uses this method in print and in interviews when calculating expected returns. Right, that makes sense. As I understand it, the general equation is: RealReturns = Dividends + DividendGrowth - Inflation So, his guess at 2.5% real return would be something like (1.5% + 3% - 2%)? Isn't 3% a bit low for expected Dividend Growt...
by schuyler74
Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:51 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns [1.4% for 60/40]
Replies: 232
Views: 36161

Re: Bernstein: A Decade of Super-Low Returns

What are the reasons why he predicts a 2.5% real return over the next decade? Is it due to a fundamental shift in the world economy or something else? Because if it's based on things "being different now" than they have been, then why limit it to just the next decade and not the next 50 years?
by schuyler74
Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:26 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: [Poll] How do you rebalance?
Replies: 30
Views: 3094

Re: [Poll] How do you rebalance?

I rebalance once a year, whenever I fill my Roth IRA.
NAVigator wrote:"Band rebalancing" refers to a tolerance band — when the allocation to a certain asset class strays more than some percentage from the target.
For those who voted "use bands: range 5% and < 7.5%", how do you apply these percentages? Say you have 60% stocks and 40% bonds. Does that mean you rebalance when bonds are off 5% of 40% (i.e. 38% to 42%), or when they're 5% off 100% (i.e. 35% to 45%).
by schuyler74
Sun Jun 08, 2014 6:05 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Who are the Bogleheads.org heavyweights?
Replies: 127
Views: 15447

Re: Who are the Bogleheads.org heavyweights?

That's a good point -- why aren't there more authors / bloggers / financial experts peddling their wares on this board? Really? I haven't seen anybody peddling anything on this board. Letting us know when an article or book of interest becomes available doesn't seem like peddling wares to me. Oh, I agree! What I mean is that -- precisely because this is a forum full of relatively rich investors -- I'm surprised there aren't more of the financial types you mentioned lurking about who have something to sell. The links to articles that Ferri, Swedroe, Bernstein, EmergDoc, Piper, and so on, have written themselves are likely in general agreement with most Bogleheads. So, is there a particular reason such people don't loiter about? Do the moder...
by schuyler74
Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:15 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Who are the Bogleheads.org heavyweights?
Replies: 127
Views: 15447

Re: Who are the Bogleheads.org heavyweights?

What i find most interesting is that many potential heavyweights arent in the financial business (there are several of course). Originally i would have thought more "experts" would be on such a list and that more "good experts" would want to come here and get their name out but alas that doesnt seem to be the case. That's a good point -- why aren't there more authors / bloggers / financial experts peddling their wares on this board? The two that first come to my mind are Rick Ferri and Larry Swedroe, both of whom consistently post links to their most recent online publications (e.g. Ferri's blog, Larry's etf or seekingalpha sites). Their posts often garner much conversation and help to promote the author as well. Not th...
by schuyler74
Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:54 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein's Four Pillars of Investing for $1.99 on June 4th!
Replies: 88
Views: 8576

Re: Bernstein's Four Pillars of Investing for $1.99 on June

I've it loaded to my android but don't see an option for audio. Does anyone know how? Thanks. You can't, though [(link removed) --admin LadyGeek] claims a way to do it by transferring the downloaded Kindle book (file) from your Android device to your PC, converting it there to a MOBI file, then copying that new file back to your Android Device. Then, on your Android Device, use an app that can read MOBI files which has text-to-speech. But some of the reviewers are saying it doesn't always work because of DRM protection. Come on, Amazon, just give the Kindle app text-to-speech already. Google Play Books has this ability built-in, but wasn't selling Four Pillars for $1.99. :) And... I'm a slow reader, so don't anyone go spoiling the ending o...
by schuyler74
Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:58 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: AAPL to split 7-1, moving to DJIA?
Replies: 10
Views: 1544

Re: AAPL to split 7-1, moving to DJIA?

Okay, the DJIA is operates the way it does; it's price-based. But is there an incentive to get into it? Will AAPL's stock price probably rise if it makes it in? Shouldn't we all buy AAPL in that case -- if it's a lock to soon rise in price? And again, if there isn't an incentive, then why would the author suggest that Apple is doing the split in order to get into the DJIA?

Does the DJIA even matter anymore? Maybe it isn't influential and nobody cares.
by schuyler74
Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:26 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: AAPL to split 7-1, moving to DJIA?
Replies: 10
Views: 1544

Re: AAPL to split 7-1, moving to DJIA?

And does the fact that it is likely moving into the DJIA have any influence on its price? Will it become more or less attractive to investors because of this? If so, how/why? If not, then why would the article's author imply that Apple is splitting in order to get into the DJIA?
by schuyler74
Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:24 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: AAPL to split 7-1, moving to DJIA?
Replies: 10
Views: 1544

AAPL to split 7-1, moving to DJIA?

Apple to be 'cheap' Monday. Will you buy? The split may also help convince the people who run the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the most well-known barometer of the stock market in the world, to finally include the company among its exclusive group of 30 stocks. Apple is worth significantly more than the other tech companies in the Dow: Microsoft (MSFT), Cisco (CSCO), IBM (IBM) and Intel (INTC). Apple's annual sales are higher than all of them as well. But it's not currently in the Dow mainly because the Dow is weighted by stock price. And at $650 a share, Apple would have too much of an impact on the Dow's daily moves. That won't be an issue once the stock starts trading under $100. There are already 11 companies in the Dow with triple-di...
by schuyler74
Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:41 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bernstein's Four Pillars of Investing for $1.99 on June 4th!
Replies: 88
Views: 8576

Re: Bernstein's Four Pillars of Investing for $1.99 on June

Downloaded to PC, tablet, and phone... for $1.99 !
336 pages, feels like a Large-cap Value.

My first Kindle purchase! I suppose that's the reason for the discount -- to get new Kindle users?