Search found 297 matches

by ChowYunPhat
Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Boglehead Lessons From the Texas Winter Storm?
Replies: 226
Views: 23245

Re: Any Boglehead Lessons From the Texas Winter Storm?

We had a Generac whole house generator that automatically kicked on and provided power during the rolling blackouts. Prior owners had this installed and very blessed to have this in place. Highly recommend for those who experience natural disasters or the occasional storm damage. The unit has a 22kW capacity and can run the whole house including climate control.

We will want to have one of these in future homes as well. Not really a lesson learned but appreciated the amenity this week.
by ChowYunPhat
Wed Feb 03, 2021 4:27 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265695

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Just finalized mortgage refi process with LenderFi. Overall, this was a very efficient process with professional communication with the LO, processor, and closing coordinator...no complaints there. The LenderFi portal was fairly easy to use and there was not much headache with regards to underwriting or overreaching document requests. The title company used by LF was Amrock, and no real complaints on this one except for a double charge on the closing disclosure which was address prior to close. I would happily refi through LenderFi again. We hit a pretty good rate on a 15-yr @2% with some lender credits when we applied and locked back in late Dec. I didn't shop this very much as LenderFi led with a fairly aggressive rate that wasn't availab...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:44 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Would you accept this job offer?
Replies: 28
Views: 3583

Re: Would you accept this job offer?

Liverpool, hope all is well. It sounds like you're in a pretty good position and have a couple of good options. My rough napkin math suggests greater than $100K annual difference in total comp after accounting for 401K contributions and target bonus % achieved. I would want to know how likely the 50% target bonus is to hit in new role, as the answer to that question significantly impacts the financial evaluation of the offer. At my company, target bonus levels are rarely missed, but every company is different. If you are likely to hit close to 50% most years AND you would plan to stay at new company to grab your 401K vest, the move more than compensates for lost retiree HC benefit for you and spouse. It sounds like you know the people at th...
by ChowYunPhat
Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:49 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Any boring investors left?
Replies: 222
Views: 17991

Re: Any boring investors left?

1. no individual stocks - Check
2. no active managers - Have a a tech tilted fund, and 2 Vanguard active managed funds
2. no options - Check
3. no margin - Check
4. no futures - Check
5. no bitcoin or other crypto - Check
6. no leverage - Check
7. no alternative investments - Have some REIT mutual fund in a Roth
8. no risk parity - Check
9. no currencies - Check
10. no gold or commodities - Check

I'm not sure, maybe I'm pretending for a little excitement but still wearing my seat belt and looking both ways before I cross?
by ChowYunPhat
Mon Jan 11, 2021 8:41 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: CitiBank $700 Offer
Replies: 44
Views: 15188

Re: CitiBank $700 Offer

whodidntante wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:28 pm I've done Citi bonuses before. They are worth it, but Citi is the worst bank in the world. So put your tiger underwear on. And check my post history so you can understand how to close the account without paying a service fee, gleaned from data points on the worst bank in the world.
Whodidntante, can you reference a post or share how best to close out a Citi account to avoid fees? Appreciate you weighing in on the thread.

CYP
by ChowYunPhat
Mon Jan 11, 2021 4:31 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Do you have FOMO (Bitcoin, TSLA, whatever?)
Replies: 201
Views: 17664

Re: Do you have FOMO (Bitcoin, TSLA, whatever?)

Maybe I need some BH therapy or support group. Do you have FOMO on not chasing the latest shiny coin that worked out so well? Bitcoin? TSLA? I'm not saying dump your entire portfolio, but even with my play money I did not invest/speculate in Bitcoin and TSLA. I did play with commodity funds and got eaten up alive by Contango, so the only 1 rebellious streak ended up with 0% growth (approx). Yet, we have noobs getting rich off Bitcoin and TSLA. Do you have FOMO? Be honest. I admit I have some FOMO. I thought of buying Bitcoin back in 2019 when it was $5k-ish but dragged my feet because of implementation issues. A friend told me about hot TSLA stock, but I ignored it. I hate to say it but if I had got into Bitcoin or TSLA with my play money ...
by ChowYunPhat
Wed Jan 06, 2021 5:58 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Should I sell my RSUs?
Replies: 13
Views: 1495

Re: Should I sell my RSUs?

Agree with majority of posters to sell RSUs upon vest. If you have a stock purchase program for discount this may come with a mandated holding period but typically RSUs are sellable upon vest. Move the money to your 2-fund or 3-fund portfolio or start one if you don't have a brokerage taxable account. Congrats on the RSUs!

CYP
by ChowYunPhat
Tue Jan 05, 2021 9:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any multimillionaire's (more than 2mm) out there still mow their own lawn?
Replies: 341
Views: 33438

Re: Any multimillionaire's (more than 2mm) out there still mow their own lawn?

I mow my lawn. I like gardening/landscaping and have a small yard so it's no big deal. But the reason I'm really posting is that I had a big success yesterday. My fridge (20 year old GE Profile side-by-side) wasn't cooling properly. I diagnosed the problem (Google search), ordered the part from Amazon (condenser fan motor), and removed and replaced it. Pretty much every repair job I ever attempt goes awry, so I'm pretty excited about my success. My wife was impressed! That is a good feeling Quest. Love this thread and the fun responses. Mow my lawn with a push mower, and can listen to tunes or podcast cranked up. Usually skip the walk on lawn day. Besides the exercise, there is something fulfilling about starting and finishing a project in...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:50 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265695

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

presto987 wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 10:46 am I can’t comment on your part C costs, as those are highly dependent on what state you’re in. But I can tell you that I haven’t heard of anyone using an alternate title company with LF. They have negotiated rates with their title providers that are better than what you can get directly. My suggestion is not to worry about shopping for part C costs if you’re working with LF. They should be competitive.
Thanks Presto. Your guidance turned out to be correct. The title insurance in TX is regulated so no way to shop for that, and the closing fee was fairly reasonable through LF. Appreciate the feedback.

Cheers.
CYP
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:48 pm
Forum: Forum Issues and Administration
Topic: Time to give to this website
Replies: 91
Views: 13487

Re: Time to give to this website

Sent a donation to the Bogle Center directing resources to the forum from my DAF. Thanks for the reminder and for those who help keep the forum going. Nice that Fidelity Charitable lists the Bogle Center as one of the charitable options :D

:sharebeer
by ChowYunPhat
Thu Dec 31, 2020 8:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265695

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Feeling pretty good about current refi loan in progress with low rate. Not sure how competitive refi closing title services are on a $300,000 refi 15 year. Part C is roughly $1550 which includes title insurance, guaranty fee, closing fee, and endorsements. Any suggestions if this is a good price and where to look? Refi is through LF FWIW. I received a quote from Radian that was $1000 less than Better's in-house settlement services. I was just about to email my processor but I read this advice first. I've instead asked for another price match to LC, assuming that the processor has a different budget than the LO (plus, this LE was $100 more competitive than the original one I used to have Better's LO come in with a more competitive proposal)....
by ChowYunPhat
Tue Dec 29, 2020 3:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: When to make Roth conversions?
Replies: 6
Views: 805

Re: When to make Roth conversions?

Is there a good resource / calculator / rule of thumb for when one should make ROTH conversions and how much? Also, should one factor in RMDs even if they're 30+ years away from them? I may have a couple lower income years coming up so am considering ROTH conversions. I anticipate my lower income years to be around what I'll spend in retirement. My accounts are pretax heavy (75% pretax, 15% taxable, 10% roth) from getting as many tax-deductions as possible during my higher income years. I have trouble wrapping my head around estimating what my future taxes will be like, especially if I move to higher tax state like CA. There's a chance I could FIRE and spend $75k / year or not FIRE and spend closer to $150k / year. MTB, this is a great que...
by ChowYunPhat
Tue Dec 29, 2020 3:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Methods of Anonymous Donations and a DAF question
Replies: 6
Views: 716

Re: Methods of Anonymous Donations and a DAF question

I tend to agree with the previous posters. If you have a taxable account AND you are charitably inclined AND you will itemize on federal income taxes, then having a DAF is a very smart move. Even if you don't like the idea of another account, the ability to donate securities, avoid capital gains tax, and take a current year deduction is too good to pass up. This benefit is even more impactful if you're in higher tax brackets and/or have state income taxes to pay.
by ChowYunPhat
Tue Dec 29, 2020 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: How important is tax strategy for building wealth?
Replies: 158
Views: 14000

Re: How important is tax strategy for building wealth?

I think we are getting away from the main question here - maybe the proper term is tax drag? What does .5%, 1%, 2% even 3% increased returns a year mean over a lifetime? https://www.physicianonfire.com/drag-getting-taxed/ Once you are doing the first ~5 things right....tax drag can lead to *millions* of dollars over a lifetime. Have to agree here. Tax is one of those things you can exert some control over with careful planning, and can have a huge impact in overall returns. There are several things I'm doing today that I wasn't 10 years ago which are related to tax planning. These steps are potentially worth $million+. 1. Backdoor roth conversions. Moving money from pretax to tax free. 2. Mega backdoor roth conversions. Moving money from p...
by ChowYunPhat
Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:00 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: DAFs
Replies: 33
Views: 2419

Re: DAFs

retiringwhen wrote: Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:40 am Our family chose Fidelity even though 95% of our assets are at Vanguard due to the lower minimums mostly.

It is slightly more difficult to transfer funds from Vanguard to Fidelity Charitable than to Vanguard Charitable, but very doable (may take a time or two to get the hang of it.)
This. Fidelity just has a better DAF. I would add that should you need assistance with a non Fidelity donation to the DAF, you can go to a Fidelity office for assistance and they can guide you through the paperwork. Good on you for setting one of these up. It's tax savvy and it makes donating really easy from your DAF app.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:21 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: If you're already FI and still work . . . 
Replies: 149
Views: 14997

Re: If you're already FI and still work . . . 

In my mid 40s right now and enjoy working at a medium sized company. I will probably evaluate at 50, and then likely reevaluate each year thereafter. I hasten to add, it's difficult to make plans these days as the world seems less rational than a year ago. Any number of things could trigger a change in your life, for both positive and negative reasons.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Dec 18, 2020 8:21 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: If you're already FI and still work . . . 
Replies: 149
Views: 14997

Re: If you're already FI and still work . . . 

In my mid 40s right now and enjoy working at a medium sized company. I will probably evaluate at 50, and then likely reevaluate each year thereafter. I hasten to add, it's difficult to make plans these days as the world seems less rational than a year ago. Any number of things could trigger a change in your life, for both positive and negative reasons.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:17 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: [Maxing out your IRA and other things to do on January 1st]
Replies: 172
Views: 17671

Re: So, who's maxing out their IRA on Jan 1st?

bloom2708 wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 12:36 pm I will put $7k in both our Roth IRA on Jan 4th. I turn 50 in 2021. Bonus $1k. :o
Lucky duck Bloom. Approaching the catch up contribution age...consolation prize for aging :)

I will Roth contribute in early Jan as well. No time like the present.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Nov 20, 2020 6:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: End of year cheer
Replies: 43
Views: 3534

Re: End of year cheer

It's great you're thinking about being charitable, and I'd encourage a couple of actions. Consider involving your time with charities you would want to support financially. As the sum of resources you give increases, you will want to have an even greater understanding of what the charity is doing. Not just for accountability, but also for the benefit of the charity. Consider giving on some time consistent basis vs. lump sum. Can you give monthly or quarterly vs. annually? This helps institutions plan effectively. My opinion is we all have a charitable obligation, and the obligation is correlated with our success and surplus (both time and money). Everyone can have an impact...even my dog acts as a therapy animal. What else can you do? Best ...
by ChowYunPhat
Sun Nov 15, 2020 9:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Traeger Pellet Grill - Super Excited!
Replies: 38
Views: 4120

Re: New Traeger Pellet Grill - Super Excited!

I have the Sam's version of the pellet grill...nickname is the "Saeger" but seems to work the same. It does grilled and hole chickens very well, and it's perfect for an overnight pork shoulder. My favorite, although indulgent recipe, is au gratin potatoes. Here is one variant of the recipe https://www.traegergrills.com/recipes/potatoes-au-gratin I recommend adding a couple of ground jalapenos into the cream mixture to give it a little kick. Also add some cheese at the end for a nice charred cheese topping. I've found au gratin potatoes to be a bit touchy as you need to make sure all of the potato piece have been soaked in the dairy mixture and adding a little extra cook time helps ensure an appropriate softened texture. You also w...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Nov 13, 2020 9:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Which Tax Software
Replies: 43
Views: 6664

Re: Which Tax Software

mav12 wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 2:14 pm
ChowYunPhat wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2020 6:06 pm
Psyayeayeduck wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:55 am freetaxusa.com

They are more of a "get to the point" type and much cheaper than the big players out there (HR Block, TurboTax)
This. Have been using FreeTaxUSA for a couple of years now and works great. Completely free federal efile as well. Highly recommend after my experience with HRB and Taxact.
How would you / anyone compare FreeTaxUSA to Turbotax (Delux) ?
I have not used TurboTax in over a decade so probably wouldn't give a fair opinion. I can tell you that FreeTaxUSA's GUI is nice and easy to navigate, and user base has grown...I saw 275,000 user reviews implying a very large base.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: If your net worth is over $3 million, how did you do it?
Replies: 913
Views: 239049

Re: If your networth is over $3 million, how did you do it?

I'll be that guy. I received several million from my parents through a trust fund and an inheritance when they passed away. They were both doctors, lived in a low COL area, and were very frugal. My wife and I don't spend that money; we invest it and let it grow and live off our salaries. We both make good money so this is no big hardship. We've considered having one of us stay home with the kids full time, but we both like our jobs and have things we still want to accomplish in our careers. Steven, sorry for your loss. However, you may be the most disciplined among us. I admit it would be hard for me to not sign up for some lifestyle inflation if my family was making it on salaries and then received a windfall. Even though you're owning th...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Nov 13, 2020 6:11 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Taylor Sends His Best to Fellow Bogleheads
Replies: 334
Views: 34165

Re: Taylor Sends His Best to Fellow Bogleheads

Thank you Taylor. Appreciate the picture post and wish you and your family well. Great to see you with the laptop hammering away!
by ChowYunPhat
Thu Nov 05, 2020 4:40 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Management help for wife when I am gone
Replies: 35
Views: 3423

Re: Management help for wife when I am gone

backpacker61 wrote: Wed Nov 04, 2020 7:03 pm My mother mostly just left things on "autopilot" after my father died, and took the dividends/RMD's for living expenses, as needed.
I'm hopeful my DW is in this position if I were to pass early. It's worrisome to not have many clean answers in the thread thus far. If you're doing this for a spouse, chances are no one will be around to contribute on a thread like this for results. So hoping folks who've guided parents in this area will weigh in. Appreciate the replies.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140253

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

I recently bought a PowerSpec B744 for $800 and then a $200 Lian Li XL case to house the system. Overall, really happy with the value and visual upgrades. Worth a look if you have the inclination to transfer the motherboard, power supply, and reconnect in a new case (don't do this if you've never built a PC before). Loved the outcome. The PowerSpec PC by itself is nice as well. POWERSPEC PC Intel® Core™ i7-9700K Processor Windows 10 Pro 64-bit ASUS Prime Z390-P 16GB composed of 2- 8192MB DDR4/3200 DIMMS 1TB NVMe Solid State Drive Realtek Integrated Gigabit Ethernet RTL8111 Dual Band Wireless B/G/N/AC/Bluetooth ESET Internet Security Trial and Microsoft Office 365 Trial 600 Watt 80 Plus Standard Keyboard Optical Scroll Wheel Mouse Onboard gr...
by ChowYunPhat
Mon Aug 31, 2020 5:00 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have experience with Excess Social Security withholding due to more than one employer for the tax year?
Replies: 8
Views: 629

Re: Anyone have experience with Excess Social Security withholding due to more than one employer for the tax year?

stats99 wrote: Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:23 pm When it has happened to me the excess gets applied to your federal tax payments and I was part of my tax refund those years.
This. You will get it back as a tax overpayment.

The other thing to be careful of with multiple employers is your 401K contributions. Make sure you don't surpass the $19.5K pretax limit or the $57K total annual limits. If you don't contribute the max then probably not a big deal but something to be mindful of.

Congrats finding a job during COVID19 as well. :sharebeer
by ChowYunPhat
Sat May 30, 2020 8:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can my wife and I afford a $600K + house?
Replies: 134
Views: 17115

Re: Can my wife and I afford a $600K + house?

Just want to add that oftentimes the first year of home ownership is very expensive. Previous owners may have deferred maintenance or done sub par repairs that need to be fixed. Even if the house is in great condition and well-maintained, there are things you won't notice that you want to fix/change until after moving in. Since you may be cutting it close on cash savings, don't forgot about these expenses or underestimate them. This. Home ownership requires a little cash buffer. Our first home was under $150K and that required $5K-$10K over the first couple of years. Not sure that it would scale for you, but $24K buffer seems cutting it close especially with the baby on the way. The other side of the coin is you can afford it, and this is ...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri May 29, 2020 5:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265695

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

orangecrushv wrote: Thu May 28, 2020 1:18 pm Closed my 2.5% 15-year with Northpointe today. (Started the process on 4/15.) Only out of pocket cost was the Title Insurance.
OrangeCrushv, can you tell me which state you did your refi? That's a great outcome.
by ChowYunPhat
Fri May 29, 2020 12:30 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Simple jobs during FATFire?
Replies: 152
Views: 15158

Re: Simple jobs during FATFire?

Buy a 12 unit apartment building Or better yet, 32 units. Self manage and cut the lawns yourself. That’ll keep you busy.😬 j🌺 Sandtrap, you're my kind of guy. To the OP. If you're needing money then recommend working longer. If you're needing activities, volunteer work is extremely fulfilling. You may be tempted to think this is low value work, and you will not get a lot of respect depending on the role. But your skills could help a number of non-profits stretch their IT dollars...there is a big need for this and it's very rewarding. Think of things like helping an organization decrease their managed services agreement, or upgrade network environment, or help source temp / permanent contract labor, or conducting classes. A lot of volunteer ...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri May 29, 2020 11:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Learning about bank promotions that pay you to transfer money.
Replies: 5
Views: 614

Re: Learning about bank promotions that pay you to transfer money.

Thanks for posting this Jeff1949. I knew about the Dr of Credit but not the others. Will add the links.
by ChowYunPhat
Wed May 13, 2020 1:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dentist charges $10 for PPE
Replies: 240
Views: 16349

Re: Dentist charges $10 for PPE

It's all negotiable. We recently negotiated the following with our dentist.
  • Composite crown upcharge. Insurance only pays for metal. We asked the dentist to eat the difference and they agreed.
  • Negotiated $1,000 off of orthodontia
Don't be afraid to ask for reductions. You can do this in a polite way and emphasize your loyalty simultaneously.

Good luck.
by ChowYunPhat
Mon May 11, 2020 6:36 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Layoff Imminent, seeking guidance.
Replies: 56
Views: 8404

Re: Layoff Imminent, seeking guidance.

I work for a large corporate company in an industry that has been very hard hit by the covid-19 shut down. Management has been very transparent that deep cuts would be necessary to the workforce, but not likely before July. However, last night when looking at my HSA account it seems the company has initiated a potential COBRA event for me, marked "pending eligible" (oddly it is listed effective June 15, 2016, which is suppose is 1 month after I started with the company originally-confused by this). This entry on my account has little information but is new as of this past week, someone I am close to at the company confirmed that s/he does not have a similar pending COBRA action on her HSA account. Monkeypants, I'm sorry to hear a...
by ChowYunPhat
Wed May 06, 2020 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home brewing recommendations
Replies: 25
Views: 1900

Re: Home brewing recommendations

SevenBridgesRoad wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 2:58 pm Another idea: if you have a local or nearby brew club, you will have opportunities to join in and help others on their brew days. You can get a feel for the hobby without spending money up front. I highly recommend this approach.
This may be the best advice thus far. Start learning with some experience before making any financial investment. Appreciate this little gem.
by ChowYunPhat
Wed May 06, 2020 3:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home brewing recommendations
Replies: 25
Views: 1900

Re: Home brewing recommendations

lazydavid wrote: Wed May 06, 2020 12:09 pm Tons of options all across the spectrum, from extract brewing you can do in a large pot on your stove, all the way up to 3-vessel HERMS system with full automation, like a scaled down version of a regular brewery.
Lots of great stuff in your post lazydavid. Thanks for all of the great guidance.
by ChowYunPhat
Wed May 06, 2020 3:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home brewing recommendations
Replies: 25
Views: 1900

Re: Home brewing recommendations

Look up Brew in Bag homebrewing. Its what I do exclusively and turn our great beer. Brew in bag is easier with less cleanup than traditional 2 or 3 pot brewing. For 5 gal batches all you need is a 10 gal pot, burner, mesh bag, fermenter bucket, various tubes, and a few other small odds and ends. Bottling or kegging is up to you. If you bottle, do it on the dishwasher door to make cleanup easy. I use brewtarget to calculate my water temps and volumes. Its really important to adjust your settings after each batch until you get it dialed in. After that you really only need to measure your initial water temp. I only measure the mash temp about half the time now and haven't measured my specific gravity in a couple years. My focus is on making g...
by ChowYunPhat
Wed May 06, 2020 3:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home brewing recommendations
Replies: 25
Views: 1900

Re: Home brewing recommendations

For the detailed advice/procedures I'd get a book, or there are probably websites. My 2 cents: I brewed for a few years ages ago before the craft beer renaissance arrived. Washing bottles is a huge pain, as is carbonating in the bottle. I ended up getting a soda keg/CO2 setup. The good news there is you aren't messing with bottles and carbonating is a no-brainer. The bad news is that you have 5 gallons of the same beer to drink; unless you drink a lot or have friends that takes a while. Once craft beers arrived I found I'd rather just buy them for the variety. The soda keg setup is still going strong, though, for seltzer water. Thanks Whomever. The consensus seems to be 5 GA batches to start with and having a decent pot that can accommodat...
by ChowYunPhat
Wed May 06, 2020 9:23 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home brewing recommendations
Replies: 25
Views: 1900

Home brewing recommendations

For those of you who have delved into the hobby of home brewing, how did you go about this? I'm considering giving it a shot and enjoy craft beers. The excess time I have at home demands a hobby for the sake of my sanity. Several questions for today's home brewers What types of equipment / kits would you recommend purchasing to get started? If you wanted to splurge on equipment, what upgrades would you recommend? Best beer bottles for reuse or do you use other storage containers? Money saving tips? Favorite recipes that have turned out well? Storage of equipment and location of your setup (garage / basement / other, climate controlled)? Equipment cleaning process? Other recommendations or advice to help avoid beginner mistakes? I'm aware of...
by ChowYunPhat
Sun May 03, 2020 3:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Share your Re-Balancing Strategy
Replies: 25
Views: 2105

Re: Share your Re-Balancing Strategy

I am reviewing my IPS and the section on re-balancing has always been a weak spot in terms of my understanding of best practices. I appreciate this comment. My IPS describes allocations but doesn't go into great detail into the mechanics of rebalancing. At this time, I'm overweight cash by 5% and alternatives 5% (includes residential real estate) and underweight stocks by ~10%. This is somewhat explained by the recent volatility. At this time, all new fund purchases are going into equity mutual funds so the daily DCA schedule we use shouold achieve the desired rebalanced allocation in a couple of months. However, we'll take opportunities to TLH as they arise and have already done so, although this was more stock to stock fund exchanges. We...
by ChowYunPhat
Sat May 02, 2020 3:45 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: One million for 6-24 months
Replies: 2
Views: 775

Re: One million for 6-24 months

I would do Capital One. They have both branches and a nice online presence with a healthy 1.5% savings account with no fees. Believe there is a signup bonus of $500 for a $50K deposit over 90 days. The 1.5% is best I've seen at this time with MMs below 1% these days. Not sure how long that will last though.
by ChowYunPhat
Mon Apr 20, 2020 7:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Laid off!!
Replies: 96
Views: 18122

Re: Laid off!!

1. I'm hurt, deeply hurt. I was lied to and someone got rid of me to look good, and maybe earn a bonus. The trust I had on small company management, as compared to mega-corps, has been shaken. How do these wounds heal? 5. Do I stand a chance if I decide to sue them? I will refuse to sign the severance agreement, and use their narrative in the town-hall and the fact they are still hiring at least one person against them. Q1 and March sales was decent. My performance was good - just few weeks ago they paid me a decent bonus. So sorry about your situation Moneywise. You're probably feeling a ton of emotions right now and feeling misled. It is likely not much consolation that the layoffs were less about you and more about hitting a number (peo...
by ChowYunPhat
Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:19 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Anyone preparing to sell all their stock holdings to raise cash?
Replies: 36
Views: 3772

Re: Anyone preparing to sell all their stock holdings to raise cash?

We've been tilting towards more cash for about a year, and with the obvious drop in equities we're probably 8-9% in cash at this time. The additional cash is an added blessing as we work in an industry that would be considered a high risk to labor. I'm not sure if we'll make it out of this unscathed.

As a future consideration, we don't know if RE will be a reality. But we'll be continue to keep cash allocation a bit higher to combat sequence of returns risk which could arise in a RE outcome.

Stay safe everyone and enjoy the outdoors if you're able. There's been some beautiful weather as of late.

CYP
by ChowYunPhat
Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:52 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: [Archived] Bogleheads community discussion - Coronavirus
Replies: 4963
Views: 298499

Re: Optimism amongst the panic and worry

Love this. More good news: I'm an advisor for a national lab - we begin COVID-19 testing Friday. More good news: plasma from previously infected individuals is being used to give antibodies to others Possible good news: due to increased awareness of hygiene, it is projected next year's flu season will be significantly less. Also thankful to be living in the US at this time. Very thankful for the BH community and wonderful advice received over time. My family would not be in the position it is today without so much of the learning. We have a decent EF and ability to ride out a period of joblessness or other financial hardship. Hoping it doesn't come to that of course, but grateful knowing we're somewhat prepared for some of this. Wishing eve...
by ChowYunPhat
Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:24 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Who is continuing to buy as planned?
Replies: 119
Views: 10283

Re: Who is continuing to buy as planned?

Continuing with DCF strategy. Tempted to think I'm smarter than market at times but a little reflection on past mistakes usually helps correct that thinking. :)
mbasherp wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2020 8:23 am I won't touch our emergency fund though, because we really might need it.
Thinking this too and will do likewise. Hoping that we won't need it.
by ChowYunPhat
Sun Mar 15, 2020 8:35 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: My dad says I should pull out of the market before "they" steal it all
Replies: 113
Views: 9645

Re: My dad says I should pull out of the market before "they" steal it all

This will sound overly harsh, but it's perspective and hope you'll consider it. If I read some of the previous threads correctly, your father is borrowing money from his son (you) because he is otherwise unable to obtain the money through lending institutions (bad credit, no credit, ?). Is this someone you should be taking financial advice from? You seem to be learning from the forum and the collective wisdom here. If you're truly investing for the long term, such a time as 2020 is merely part of the journey and periodic volatility actually helps as you DCF in your 401K or other accounts. Stay the course, and don't be swayed by voices that react emotionally or are trying to garner "clicks". It takes great discipline to be wealthy,...
by ChowYunPhat
Sat Mar 14, 2020 4:19 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Who is staying course and how are you dealing with net worth going down?
Replies: 359
Views: 33489

Re: Who is staying course and how are you dealing with net worth going down?

We've been a little heavier in cash so may up our DCF amount or frequency, but haven't decided. With any recession or bear market you risk job loss as some of the other posters have mentioned so having a little more cash not always bad in this circumstance. Sequence of returns risk applies here as well.

We are currently 10% cash / 67% equities / 15% bonds / 8% alternatives (little bit of int'l mixed in the equities and bonds) but more US centric overall.

Will be staying the course in 401K, Roth, and Taxable investing, as well as TLHing along the way.
by ChowYunPhat
Mon Mar 02, 2020 7:22 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Worth using a CPA for my taxes this year?
Replies: 39
Views: 3477

Re: Worth using a CPA for my taxes this year?

Your withholding should be on your W2 if you selected net shares, which it sounds like you did.

What likely happened is your cost basis was not reported to IRS and there is a supplemental form at the back of your 1099B that shows the cost basis information on your RSUs. If you don't enter this information, the tax prep software may assume you had a cost basis of $0 which will greatly overstate your tax liability. You will need to use this supplemental data to go back and adjust your capital gains entries to include the correct cost basis.

Good luck to you!
by ChowYunPhat
Sat Feb 29, 2020 6:01 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I bet the house. [Rebalanced portfolio to a 10/90 asset allocation]
Replies: 255
Views: 13971

Re: I bet the house.

BoggledHead2 wrote: Sat Feb 29, 2020 2:03 pm You did all of this because of a virus that 80+% of its “victims” have symptoms that are so mild they don’t even know they have it.

Wow.
From what I've read the mortality rate is 10-15% if you're >70 years old and have other pre-existing conditions especially a chronic respiratory illness. Anyone contracting COVID-19 under the age of 50 may not know they have it as BoggledHead2 indicated, and the mortality rate is 0.02-0.04% depending where you fall on the age scale within the age 1-50 demographic.

I am hesitant to react with my money on this one.
by ChowYunPhat
Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you ever use cash?
Replies: 228
Views: 18545

Re: Do you ever use cash?

Toll booths, valet, flea markets, and especially when traveling internationally. Try to minimize the use of cash for tracking purposes, but would probably be tough for me to eliminate it completely from my life.
by ChowYunPhat
Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:05 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Millionaire Next Door compared to Dave Ramsey research
Replies: 31
Views: 5402

Re: Millionaire Next Door compared to Dave Ramsey research

I read both the MND and the Millionaire Mind. It seemed these were different books in a couple of regards. MND covered millionaires very broadly when it was written, and shared data around the majority of millionaires who were in the $1MM-$3MM range including vocation, habits, and other demographic data. Reading this book really tuned me in to the fact that most average households in the US could achieve millionaire status in one generation with careful planning, discipline, and a little bit of luck. The Millionaire Mind took a closer look at the millionaires in the segment between wealthy and ultra high net worth, or the $5MM-$50MM balance sheet segment from what I could tell. Stanley's findings about this segment were very different than ...
by ChowYunPhat
Sat Feb 08, 2020 10:47 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Use same lawyer to update trust and other estate documents?
Replies: 7
Views: 665

Re: Use same lawyer to update trust and other estate documents?

Our revocable trust (created 8 years ago) needs to be updated (no longer own a house, wish to tweak how beneficiaries get allocated, make changes if necessary accounting for new tax law, etc.). I would grade the law firm we used as just OK (knowledgeable but as I think back too "salesy"). Is it typically less costly and more advisable to return to the same firm for updates vs. shopping around? And if I decide to go elsewhere is there such a protocol as requesting a "soft" copy of the documents (they must have them stored electronically, right?) to make it easier for a new provider to update? I have similar questions Tealeaves and didn't much traction on a similar post I made previously. I need a lawyer to help update es...