Search found 714 matches

by bostondan
Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:05 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to eliminate kitchen burnt grease/smoke odor from house
Replies: 20
Views: 1789

Re: How to eliminate kitchen burnt grease/smoke odor from house

Has anyone else here ever forgot about their stove until the fire alarms went off? After clearing and dousing the burning items, opening every door and window, turning on every fan, and cleaning and polishing up all the greasy charring, how did you mitigate the lingering burnt grease odor? Fortunately in this case everything was aired out quickly before the smoke had time to form a visible layer on the walls and ceiling. The smoke was pretty heavy though, making it through most of the house and leaving a heavy odor. Are there any good ways to eliminate the odor quickly, rather than waiting for it to gradually dissipate over time? We purchased 4 high powered air purifiers at Home Depot. I anticipated I might end up returning them after, but...
by bostondan
Sun Feb 04, 2024 1:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Fish at Costco
Replies: 43
Views: 6249

Re: Fish at Costco

We've had great success with various frozen fish options at Costco. We buy the large bags and keep them for 6-12 months sometimes and they always seem just as good as fresh fish. I just throw them in the fridge the day before to allow them to defrost, or sometimes run them under cold water for 10 minutes (in their vacuum seal bag still) to quickly defrost them safely.

Also, isn't all fish frozen first? I believe the only fish that is truly "fresh" is if you buy it from a fresh fish market right near the water. In the US I think all sushi fish has to be flash frozen first to reduce the risk of parasite. The "fresh" fish you buy at the supermarket/Costco is usually fish that was flash frozen and then defrosted.
by bostondan
Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home energy/electricity monitoring?
Replies: 68
Views: 6032

Re: Home energy/electricity monitoring?

snackdog wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:06 pm Very cool. I will look into the Emporia. The smart plugs are only 15a? Seems low for refrigerator, etc.
I’m not actually sure, since I only used them temporarily for those devices to get an idea of energy use. I kept them plugged in for a day or so each and then removed them, since I didn’t need ongoing monitoring of the individual devices. I do have a few low powered things plugged in that are on schedules, like our baby monitor that turns on automatically at 7:30pm and off at 7:30am.
by bostondan
Mon Mar 20, 2023 6:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home energy/electricity monitoring?
Replies: 68
Views: 6032

Re: Home energy/electricity monitoring?

Has anyone had more insights or luck with whole-home electricity monitoring? We have a complex system that would require 3 Sense units, at least. Not sure it is worth it. Some of the Amazon reviews are pretty bad. I’ve been using the Emporia Vue and it has been extremely reliable and was fairly easy to set up. It monitors individual breakers in addition to the whole panel. I have a larger panel, so I had to get 2 of them and only one is connected to the mains, whereas the other device I only use the sensors for the remaining breakers that were not monitored by the first device. You can also put the monitor in sub panels and set it up so that the device knows they are sub panels. It’s not quite as sleek as the Sense, but I absolutely hated ...
by bostondan
Tue May 24, 2022 8:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trane mini-split noise
Replies: 5
Views: 1035

Re: Trane mini-split noise

Is there any way to convert it to a gravity drain? We have 8 heads and 7 were gravity with 1 pump. I asked the installer to be more creative and he was able to make the 8th pump into a gravity drain despite it being on an interior wall. It works great, is silent (because no pump), and is less likely to flood when the pump unexpectedly breaks.

We had a leak in our basement because of a dehumidifier that had a broken pump. I converted the dehumidifier to a gravity drain (took some creativity) and I made the decision to never trust a water pump again.
by bostondan
Sat Apr 23, 2022 7:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What do Fidelity advisors want?
Replies: 89
Views: 13849

Re: What do Fidelity advisors want?

We have someone assigned to us since we are in the "Fidelity Private Wealth Management" category. Not sure what the cutoff is for that, but we've got about $7m at Fidelity. I manage all the investments myself with a simple three-fund portfolio strategy and my average ER is 0.03%, much of which are Vanguard ETFs, so Fidelity gets very little money from me. The advisor never pushes anything on me and has been extremely helpful several times when issues arose. He has not tried to sell me anything. He helped navigate some complex issues involving an estate, a problematic wire transfer, setting up a solo 401k, and more, all without ever making me feel like anything was being sold to me. Perhaps we are lucky and our advisor is just a go...
by bostondan
Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Verizon 5G Home Internet Service
Replies: 22
Views: 3645

Re: Verizon 5G Home Internet Service

JoeRetire wrote: Thu Feb 17, 2022 2:41 pm
boglefannyc wrote: Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:04 pm I signed up with Verizon 5G on 2/3/22 and it has been solid with good speeds and no outages. My DL/UL speed on my wifi connected desktop is about 300/20 Mbps on Verizon with NO data cap.
That's 5G speed?

Either that's very disappointing, or your Wi-Fi router is the limiting factor.
I believe Verizon 5G home internet limits the speed compared to what you get with 5G on your phone. People here seem to get similar 300/20 or so speeds, maybe a little faster. However, with my iPhone 13 Pro I frequently get 2100+/50+ when connected to 5G. I assume they are limiting it because it is likely to be used more than cell internet and they don't want to overwhelm the network, at least not yet.
by bostondan
Wed Apr 06, 2022 1:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Locked out of Gmail acct but did not violate TOS that I can tell
Replies: 13
Views: 2686

Re: Locked out of Gmail acct but did not violate TOS that I can tell

buyholdforever wrote: Wed Apr 06, 2022 12:59 pm I pay for extra storage and I feel like it makes it less likely to have your account randomly terminated, but I could be wrong...

These tech monopolies are ridiculous and I hope they are broken up!
I've wondered the same thing about whether this makes my account less likely to get locked. It probably does make it less likely for an account to get flagged as fraudulent since most scammers probably would not spend money on an account.

I use Google Takeout to schedule a backup of my entire account every few months and keep it on my laptop, which also gets backed up to a separate cloud location. If I ever get locked out of my account it will be painful, but at least I'll have access to all my emails and files.
by bostondan
Wed Apr 06, 2022 11:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Stanford vs Brown vs Rice
Replies: 120
Views: 10486

Re: Stanford vs Brown vs Rice

Brown PLME is good, but there are other medical schools that might be a better fit once the student has a better idea of what he is looking for in a medical school. I think these programs force students to plan too far ahead. I went through an accelerated medical degree at another top program and think I probably should not have, though it worked out in the end. All of my classmates, myself included, had much higher GPAs, MCAT, SAT scores than the medical students not in an accelerated pathway. These programs take advantage of the fact that there are anxious students who are high performers who will jump at the chance to secure a spot in medical school even though they could get in elsewhere too. A couple of my classmates decided to drop ou...
by bostondan
Wed Apr 06, 2022 11:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Locked out of Gmail acct but did not violate TOS that I can tell
Replies: 13
Views: 2686

Re: Locked out of Gmail acct but did not violate TOS that I can tell

You said that "Apple required" you to provide a phone number, but it was Google that locked you out. Was that just a typo? I assume it was Google asking for the phone number.

Were you trying to sign up for a Google voice number for the new account? Or could you have done so accidentally? If so, Google only allows one free Google voice number per account and could have flagged it as someone trying to get multiple Google voice numbers to be used for nefarious purposes (like spam, fraud, etc.). In my experience they generally warn you that the number can't be used before locking your account, but perhaps that is changed.
by bostondan
Sat Apr 02, 2022 9:59 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts
Replies: 8
Views: 1411

Re: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts

Usually, repayment and benefits received happen in two separate years. And IRS Pub 525 has very clear instructions on how to report the repayment. However, your wife received the benefit and made repayment in the same year of 2021, correct? If so, she can deduct the repayment from the unemployment benefit and report the difference (-0) as income. Make sure she attach an explanation to clearly describe the sequence of the event. That is repayment to the government? In this case the check was signed over to her law firm, not back to the government. It is a messy situation and she probably should have been given different guidance from the PFML office. The form to apply for PFML clearly stated that the payments should have gone to the law fir...
by bostondan
Sat Apr 02, 2022 9:15 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts
Replies: 8
Views: 1411

Re: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts

Asyouwish wrote: Sat Apr 02, 2022 9:14 am Usually either the company pays the disability (through the W-2) or the employee gets the disability directly from the state. Not both.
Yes, I do agree with this statement. I thought it sounded odd at the time. Unfortunately, it was the PFML people that said to sign the check over to the law firm. I have a feeling it was just someone at the PFML office being lazy and not wanting to figure out or implement a proper solution.
by bostondan
Fri Apr 01, 2022 5:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts
Replies: 8
Views: 1411

Re: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts

Sorry I don't have experience in this area. If you don't get an answer here, I imagine a law firm would have some tax law experts on board -- maybe their HR department as well -- to help fix this problem! Thanks. It is a fairly small firm that does not specialize in tax law, so unfortunately I don't think they'll be the most helpful in this situation. I chatted with a Turbotax expert and was given the following advice: 1. Do not report the 1099-G on your tax return, with the understanding that the form will have been sent to the IRS. 2. Try to get the situation rectified, with the PFML income returned to the state and instead issued directly to the law firm. 3. Get a corrected 1099-G showing that the income is now $0 after being returned. ...
by bostondan
Fri Apr 01, 2022 3:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts
Replies: 8
Views: 1411

Turbotax, PFML tax issue 1099-G in Massachusetts

My wife and I had a child in 2021. Her law firm offers 3 months of maternity leave, which she took. Her company is also eligible to be partially reimbursed for my wife's maternity leave by the government through the PFML program. Unfortunately, something went awry in the application process and my wife received checks from the state rather than her law firm receiving the checks. Her firm spoke with the Massachusetts PFML people and were advised to just have my wife sign the checks over to the law firm, which she did. My wife continued to receive her usual paycheck throughout maternity leave, as expected. My wife received a 1099-G indicating she received a $9350 PFML benefit (box 1). Inputting this form into Turbotax results in a significant...
by bostondan
Wed Mar 30, 2022 1:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seeking Advice On Making New Car Downpayment Binding on Dealer
Replies: 14
Views: 1366

Re: Seeking Advice On Making New Car Downpayment Binding on Dealer

I agree with other posters. I put down a $5000 credit card deposit on a Subaru for 2% below invoice price in November 2021. The car was not available until February 2022. They could have easily sold the car for at least MSRP, or likely a few thousand above MSRP. When I came in to purchase the car they had zero inventory and the next shipment was not coming until June 2022 (so has not even happened yet). They never gave me a hard time about the purchase.

Also, the owner of this dealership told me he refused to sell cars above MSRP. His business manager was pushing him to do it, but he lived in the community and felt that it was mean to do so since he still made a profit at MSRP.
by bostondan
Mon Mar 21, 2022 3:36 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Turbo Tax for a Trust
Replies: 30
Views: 3004

Re: Turbo Tax for a Trust

Hockey10 wrote: Tue Nov 02, 2021 2:17 pm I have used the online version of Tax Act for Estates and Trusts. It is fairly easy to use.

https://www.taxact.com/individual-taxes ... and-trusts
+1

I have used TaxAct online for multiple trusts and it was fairly easy to use. We have an inherited IRA that passes the RMDs to the trust and it was not hard to implement that using TaxAct. I encountered a handful of quirks along the way, but nothing that I couldn't figure out fairly easily.
by bostondan
Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:52 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone negotiate a car lately? Any room as consumers?
Replies: 177
Views: 24767

Re: Anyone negotiate a car lately? Any room as consumers?

Cognitive_Squeeze wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 1:33 pm
bostondan wrote: Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:10 pm I was in need of a second car just for commuting and decided on Subaru. I donated $500 to ASPCA and got immediate VIP pricing of 2% below invoice on a Subaru. I called my local Subaru dealers and found a few that would honor the price on any factory ordered car and a couple that were willing to honor the price for any in-stock car. I ended up getting a Subaru Impreza hatchback for 2% below invoice without any further negotiation. It was much better than I was able to negotiate on my own before finding the VIP pricing deal.
Congrats. Do you mean invoice price or MSRP?
Thanks. I mean invoice price. It was a very good deal even during normal times.
by bostondan
Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone negotiate a car lately? Any room as consumers?
Replies: 177
Views: 24767

Re: Anyone negotiate a car lately? Any room as consumers?

I was in need of a second car just for commuting and decided on Subaru. I donated $500 to ASPCA and got immediate VIP pricing of 2% below invoice on a Subaru. I called my local Subaru dealers and found a few that would honor the price on any factory ordered car and a couple that were willing to honor the price for any in-stock car. I ended up getting a Subaru Impreza hatchback for 2% below invoice without any further negotiation. It was much better than I was able to negotiate on my own before finding the VIP pricing deal.
by bostondan
Fri Jan 07, 2022 7:40 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Calculating 2022 RMD
Replies: 15
Views: 1381

Re: Calculating 2022 RMD

Fidelity did not use the correct divisor this year. They did not adjust based on the updated 2022 tables.

We have two inherited IRAs with automatic RMDs scheduled for December 15 each year that I usually end up canceling after taking the RMDs manually.

This is the second time that Fidelity has had the wrong numbers. So, your financial institution may get it correct, but make sure to double check because there is no guarantee based on my example.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 10:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Re: Interpreting HOA docs

Look at it this way...only 3 owners...if you don't have a unanimous decision, someone's gonna be pissed off. It isn't like a condo with 100 people and you don't so much car there will also be some people that can't agree...but 1 out of 3 is gonna be pissed and I don't think you want that. This is why my initial interpretation of 67% was that it meant more than 2/3 of owners had to agree, which effectively means unanimous in a 3 unit building. I’m starting to think maybe it was just a poorly drafted document and they did in fact mean 2/3. I’m still not sure how a court would interpret it. I’m sill stuck on why you don’t think 2/3 = 67%? Because it definitively doesnt. Look at an extreme case - if rules at a massive community said you need 1...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:58 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Re: Interpreting HOA docs

Look at it this way...only 3 owners...if you don't have a unanimous decision, someone's gonna be pissed off. It isn't like a condo with 100 people and you don't so much car there will also be some people that can't agree...but 1 out of 3 is gonna be pissed and I don't think you want that. This is why my initial interpretation of 67% was that it meant more than 2/3 of owners had to agree, which effectively means unanimous in a 3 unit building. I’m starting to think maybe it was just a poorly drafted document and they did in fact mean 2/3. I’m still not sure how a court would interpret it. I’m sill stuck on why you don’t think 2/3 = 67%? It does if you’re rounding up. Who says we are rounding up? I’m a math guy, not a lawyer, so maybe that’s...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Re: Interpreting HOA docs

twh wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 9:42 pm Look at it this way...only 3 owners...if you don't have a unanimous decision, someone's gonna be pissed off. It isn't like a condo with 100 people and you don't so much car there will also be some people that can't agree...but 1 out of 3 is gonna be pissed and I don't think you want that.
This is why my initial interpretation of 67% was that it meant more than 2/3 of owners had to agree, which effectively means unanimous in a 3 unit building. I’m starting to think maybe it was just a poorly drafted document and they did in fact mean 2/3. I’m still not sure how a court would interpret it.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Re: Interpreting HOA docs

pizzy wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:57 pm I figured it would be the 1/3 no vote that would nitpick 66.666666666666666666666666…% vs 67%
I get that you are being at least mildly sarcastic or humorous, but I really can't figure out what is correct here and it seems like it matters to my close friend. It was not the unit owner that called this into question, it was me, and I'm generally not a nitpick type of person.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:53 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Re: Interpreting HOA docs

2/3 in % form is 67% otherwise it’s a never ending 66.66666666666666…….% I totally see that as an interpretation if there is precedent for it, but it's easy mathematically to say that 2/3 is less than 67%, unless the law has already defined how numbers are rounded. They could have written "two-thirds" of unit owners if they wanted to say 2/3. It still feels to me like saying 67% means "don't exclude the third unit." Is there a vote to change something and you are the 1/3 voting no? It's actually for a very close friend of mine that lives around the corner and they are the 1/3 vote. The other unit owners feel that the 4 year old child walking, with a rare playdate with another 4 year old, is too noisy and threatened to m...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Re: Interpreting HOA docs

pizzy wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:40 pm 2/3 in % form is 67% otherwise it’s a never ending 66.66666666666666…….%
I totally see that as an interpretation if there is precedent for it, but it's easy mathematically to say that 2/3 is less than 67%, unless the law has already defined how numbers are rounded. They could have written "two-thirds" of unit owners if they wanted to say 2/3. It still feels to me like saying 67% means "don't exclude the third unit."
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Interpreting HOA docs
Replies: 29
Views: 2085

Interpreting HOA docs

I am trying to understand the HOA docs, but am having a debate about the part that involves amendments to the docs. It says, "Except as stated in Section 6.7, the Trustees, with the consent in writing of Unit Owners entitled to not less than 67% of the beneficial interest int this Trust, may at any time and from time to time amend, alter, add to, or change this Declaration of Trust in any manner or to any extent..." There are 3 units. Each unit has an equal share, so 1/3 of the beneficial interest in the trust. In this case does 2/3 (66.6%) round up to 67%? Or would 2/3 be strictly less than 67% and therefore 2 units are not sufficient to amend the HOA docs without it being unanimous? When I initially read it, my interpretation wa...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bogleheads rejoice, there is a new Corolla!
Replies: 61
Views: 9824

Re: Bogleheads rejoice, there is a new Corolla!

StevieG72 wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:21 pm I stand corrected! Lock away, it will be my last for the year.
I appreciate knowing these types of things and find your post to be perfectly actionable. Thank you for the contribution.
by bostondan
Thu Dec 23, 2021 8:20 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best RMD Calculator for Inherited Stretch IRA online ?
Replies: 13
Views: 1490

Re: Best RMD Calculator for Inherited Stretch IRA online ?

Perhaps you know all of this already, but here are a couple relevant things I have learned while managing an inherited IRA at Fidelity. 1. Fidelity will do the RMD calculation for you. I assume Schwab will do the same. They have our inherited IRA on an automatic withdrawal plan that is scheduled annually for mid-December. I always end up doing the RMD manually and skipping the automated one, but I like that the automated withdrawal plan is there as a backup and I also can check that the number Fidelity has calculated matches my spreadsheet (which I created and it does the calculation for me). 2. You must use the IRS table for inherited IRAs at the time when you first start taking the RMDs. You then subtract 1 each year and do not reference...
by bostondan
Thu Dec 23, 2021 1:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Best RMD Calculator for Inherited Stretch IRA online ?
Replies: 13
Views: 1490

Re: Best RMD Calculator for Inherited Stretch IRA online ?

Perhaps you know all of this already, but here are a couple relevant things I have learned while managing an inherited IRA at Fidelity. 1. Fidelity will do the RMD calculation for you. I assume Schwab will do the same. They have our inherited IRA on an automatic withdrawal plan that is scheduled annually for mid-December. I always end up doing the RMD manually and skipping the automated one, but I like that the automated withdrawal plan is there as a backup and I also can check that the number Fidelity has calculated matches my spreadsheet (which I created and it does the calculation for me). 2. You must use the IRS table for inherited IRAs at the time when you first start taking the RMDs. You then subtract 1 each year and do not reference ...
by bostondan
Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Who is working for benefits only?
Replies: 44
Views: 7700

Re: Who is working for benefits only?

A fair number of my older patients work at golf clubs or tennis clubs just for the benefits. Most of them like the fact that they can also make use of the facilities when they are not working, which helps them remain active and in good health. I like the fact that this keeps them exercising rather than sitting around at home.

There are two medical assistants that work just for the benefits. They are both work in a low-stress environment that does not involve heavy lifting. It is mostly just doing an occasional EKG and taking vital signs. They both seem relatively happy with their situation.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 12, 2021 9:40 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

I just wanted to provide a follow up to let people know what ended up happening. I had a perfectly good conversation with my neighbor, who offered the car for $550/month or the parking spot for $200/month. The $550 was the amount to cover the cost of the car to him per month. The parking would only be available to me for the first half of 2022. I ended up finding a deal on a Subaru that provided "VIP pricing" if you donate to ASPCA, which gave me a non-negotiable 2% below invoice. Since most dealers are charging at least MSRP in this area, if not higher, that seemed like a good deal. I only found one Subaru dealer willing to honor the price on non-factory orders, but they happened to get the car I wanted the following day and it w...
by bostondan
Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:08 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:00 pm The problem comes when he asks you a favor down the road and you say no. Good fences make good neighbors, as the saying goes.
I would probably say yes when he asks for a favor. He also probably won't ask for an unreasonable favor.

I understand the concept of the saying, and know the Robert Frost poem that popularized it, but I am not someone that puts up large fences and it has so far only brought joy to my life. There is much debate about Mending Wall by Robert Frost and whether the point of the poem is that the fence is a good thing or a bad thing. In fact, the purpose of the poem is likely to suggest that either interpretation of community may be correct.
by bostondan
Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

celia wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:16 pm I would forget about the car rental and ask a parent who drives to the same school to drive your kids too. In exchange, maybe you can drive their kids to weekend sports activities or such. Surely at least two of your kids are in the same classes/activities as someone else’s kids.
It is a daycare/preschool and I have three children, so that would be a heavy ask unfortunately. Otherwise it would be a good idea.
by bostondan
Mon Dec 06, 2021 8:03 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

On the surface, this sounds like a reasonable idea where all parties can benefit. However, IMHO, there are way too many potential pitfalls many of which have been brought up already. Maybe this has been discussed earlier, but how would you feel if you had an accident? More than just a ding or scratch. Now your neighbor has a car with an accident on its vehicle history potentially lowering the resale value. Maybe the car is never really right again, and the neighbor now has to go out and buy a new vehicle when prices are inflated. I once sold a car to a neighbor and would never do it again. Won't get into details, but it created a tense situation. From a boglehead perspective, you need to determine your willingness, need, and ability to tak...
by bostondan
Mon Dec 06, 2021 5:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

I think most of the folks here are making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. I see it exactly the way you do - it's mutually beneficial. You'll get use of a good car, likely saving some money, and having the parking spot. Obviously your neighbor will get some cash whereas he'd otherwise have the car sitting there idle. Yes, anything can happen to the car while you're using it - as could with any other car. Regardless of what car you rent/buy, you are going to have insurance coverage - so anything that goes wrong as far as damage/liability will be covered. If you bought or leased a car and a repair was needed, or the oil needed to be changed, etc. you'd take responsibility for it. Why don't you just drop your neighbor a note and s...
by bostondan
Mon Dec 06, 2021 3:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

Sometimes this board can be a little too conservative for its own good. You've said to believe the insurance piece will handled appropriately by both parties. I think a fair price is dependent on whether you want to pay for regular maintenance. I would offer the IRS rate with you handling gas, oil changes and scheduled maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations that come up as you drive. If you're using for six months I'd offer to pay for half a state inspection. Larger maintenance items like a belt at 65,000 or whatever should still be the responsibility of the owner. I'd make sure the car is in good shape now with no lingering scheduled maintenance -- if there is some, I'd offer to coordinate getting it done and the owner could reim...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 8:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

Zip Car is all over Boston. Just use them. Neighbor would be required to at a minimum add you as a driver on HIS policy. If he doesn't do that and you get in an accident and they find you've been driving and renting the car, they can completely deny the claim and in addition, they can dump liability to the state minimum. This is very similar to uber and door dash in Mass. I've spent a LOT of time talking with my agent because one son wanted to do the delivery stuff. The simple answer was NO. In addition, you should also talk with your insurance agent for your own policy to cover you. I don't know exactly what you need, but you shouldn't go blindly into renting the neighbor's car. I do appreciate the advice, but want to emphasize again that...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

Rainier wrote: Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:28 pm I guarantee driving your kids anywhere for any amount of time is far more dangerous to them than Covid. You may to want to revisit your risk assessment.

Caveats... They are severely obese and/or were born with organs on the outside of their bodies.
There are more variables than COVID but it didn’t seem relevant. I didn’t anticipate so many comments about the nature of my question rather than replies to my actual question. My wife can continue working from home if she drives them, but if she takes the T she will likely have to return to the office to make it practical. She would like to continue working from home.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 6:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

I think most of the folks here are making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. I see it exactly the way you do - it's mutually beneficial. You'll get use of a good car, likely saving some money, and having the parking spot. Obviously your neighbor will get some cash whereas he'd otherwise have the car sitting there idle. Yes, anything can happen to the car while you're using it - as could with any other car. Regardless of what car you rent/buy, you are going to have insurance coverage - so anything that goes wrong as far as damage/liability will be covered. If you bought or leased a car and a repair was needed, or the oil needed to be changed, etc. you'd take responsibility for it. Why don't you just drop your neighbor a note and s...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 3:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

*disregard this post if the concerns are only financial and anything outside of that is moot. I certainly appreciate all of your very wise thoughts! I'll clarify that I basically am the HOA, since the other 2 unit owners are happy to let me just do whatever I want to maintain the building and generally I think of myself as a reasonable guy. In the past 2 years nobody has ever complained or asked for any particular favors. I've repaired more than the previous HOA president (the person who owned my unit before us), and I've spent a lot less. For the most part it is me that offers to help because I enjoy DIY home improvement stuff and my technical knowledge is reasonably good. I would say that this question is basically just financial, becaus...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 3:18 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

Another huge risk is that the car will need some maintenance while you are using the car and it will be real awkward if there is some expensive repair bill while you are using it. There are just too many things that can go wrong and you would not even be saving all that much. I would not touch that deal with a ten foot pole. I have not done it but there is a market for people to take over other people car leases so you could look into that. Since you do not need to drive it for a lot of miles you might be able to pick up a car that is getting near the maximum miles for the lease for a real good price. Even if you went over the allowed mileage the cost per mile may not be too high. I hate to agree, but this does seem like a potentially frau...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:46 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

Is it advisable to use your neighbor's car if your name is not on his insurance? Your own insurance would cover rental cars. If it doesn't already, you can add a rider...even specifically for the neighbor's car over the rental period. I would not assume this use case is covered without consulting the policy text and/or agent. Rental cars are covered as a short-term substitute for the car you have covered. Leased cars require a separate policy. The owner's policy likely does not cover the car if it is rented out. I completely agree that insurance has the potential to be a complicating factor, but am confident there is a solution and that my insurance agent can help me figure it out. I doubt it would be substantially more expensive than havi...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:45 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

tim1999 wrote: Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:41 pm My answer on the price would depend on how many miles you anticipate putting on it per month or whatever measure of time. No sense in paying $500 a month if you are only putting 100 miles per month on it. Perhaps a per-mile rate would be best? It would be easy for him to just read the odometer when he returns to visit and figure out what you owe/drove since last time. Otherwise, I would just make sure the insurance is correctly in place on both your end and his.
It is about 8-9 miles each direction to work, so probably >400 miles/month. I have no use for the car other than driving to work because we have a new fancy minivan that we use for all other driving.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:39 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

I would say $500 to $600/month would be a good deal for both of you. We're talking about a BMW, probably in nice condition and the parking spot in a desirable neighborhood. If you were to buy/rent a car, you'd be paying more for a lesser car and parking it out on the street. That certainly could be the appropriate price. My alternative is to buy something like a Subara Impreza and park on the street, which would probably come out to less than $500/month or similar. I don’t really care about it being a BMW so that doesn’t add value for me, but I understand that it would still make it a more expensive car to rent. At this time, a long term rental is likely going to cost $1000/month - for an economy car. Buying a car, with the pricing and inv...
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

mary1492 wrote: Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:14 pm I would say $500 to $600/month would be a good deal for both of you. We're talking about a BMW, probably in nice condition and the parking spot in a desirable neighborhood. If you were to buy/rent a car, you'd be paying more for a lesser car and parking it out on the street.
That certainly could be the appropriate price. My alternative is to buy something like a Subara Impreza and park on the street, which would probably come out to less than $500/month or similar. I don’t really care about it being a BMW so that doesn’t add value for me, but I understand that it would still make it a more expensive car to rent.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Re: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

mikejuss wrote: Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:16 pm Is it advisable to use your neighbor's car if your name is not on his insurance?
I would certainly discuss this with my agent before proceeding. I’m sure there is a workable solution to the insurance issue.
by bostondan
Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:06 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot
Replies: 64
Views: 5862

Price to rent neighbors unused car/parking spot

I am need of a second commuting car for the first half of 2022, until the kids can get vaccinated and we can go back to bringing them on public transportation more safely. My wife's commute is in the opposite direction from mine, so it is hard to all commute together. I live in a 3-unit building and my upstairs neighbor is out of the country for most of 2022, but intermittently back for a week or less at a time. His BMW 3-series would otherwise just be sitting unused in the parking spot, so I asked if there is any interest in renting the car/spot to me during the times that he is away. I organize the HOA and do most of the condo maintenance myself and don't ask much of the other unit owners, and generally try to be a good neighbor, so I've ...
by bostondan
Sat Nov 20, 2021 2:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: EIN return expected ?
Replies: 4
Views: 550

Re: EIN return expected ?

I had to create an EIN in order to pay unemployment insurance for a household employee. We did not have to actually file a return using the EIN and I never received any type of notice from the IRS. If you do receive such a notice from the IRS it should be easy to deal with.
by bostondan
Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Benefits for high-net-worth customer from brokerage firms
Replies: 41
Views: 6374

Re: Benefits for high-net-worth customer from brokerage firms

mrspock wrote: Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:31 am A factor not mentioned yet: your age also matters here. At $5m @ 70, you are less interesting to these companies as your investment horizon is fairly small, at 30 or 40… you are far more interesting as you are likely to be worth well over $10m inside a decade, and are top 1% for your demographic. They know this, and pursue these clients accordingly.
This is an important point. I suspect we get better service because we have $8m+ and are in our mid-30s, whereas I know older people with close to $10m that are not pursued nearly as aggressively as we have been.
by bostondan
Wed Nov 17, 2021 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Benefits for high-net-worth customer from brokerage firms
Replies: 41
Views: 6374

Re: Benefits for high-net-worth customer from brokerage firms

We have a little over $8m at Fidelity. There aren't that many huge perks, but I don't really need anything other than a place to do low-fee investing and get quick service when needed. This is what we get: 1. Free TurboTax every year. We could obviously afford it, but sure I'll take it for free. 2. Someone answers my phone calls within 30 seconds every time. 3. The head of the Private Wealth group at our local Fidelity branch personally helps us whenever I need something. He responds to my emails extremely quickly and always knows how to solve problems. We have cycled through 3 people in that position and they have all been equally good. They stopped asking to actively manage our money many years ago, but continue to be just as helpful desp...