Search found 57 matches
- Sun Feb 07, 2021 6:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Co-op management ignoring requests to acknowledge my POA
- Replies: 6
- Views: 896
Re: Co-op management ignoring requests to acknowledge my POA
Thanks for the suggestions. I had considered showing up in person, but COVID has made that impractical for the time being. As for whether the 1098 is the same for everyone else, it's possible, but I don't know any of the other shareholders. Good idea about getting a government oversight agency invol...
- Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:31 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Co-op management ignoring requests to acknowledge my POA
- Replies: 6
- Views: 896
Co-op management ignoring requests to acknowledge my POA
I have durable power of attorney for a relative who can no longer manage his own affairs. He owns a co-op apartment that he rents out. I had tried for six months before COVID to have the management company acknowledge my POA status, and I am picking it up again now that it's tax time and I need the ...
- Wed Feb 03, 2021 2:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Genealogy
- Replies: 108
- Views: 11176
Re: Genealogy
I'm concern about privacy and identity theft, I fear posting full names, old address, birthdays, mom's maiden name etc online. What Mac (OSX) program should I use so I could build my family Tree without sharing it online or open to the public. What app will keep all the info/data only on my compute...
- Mon Jan 04, 2021 5:20 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Tracking down a possible pension
- Replies: 3
- Views: 483
Re: Tracking down a possible pension
Thanks for your suggestions. Google didn't yield anything, but I will try the PBGC as soon as their phone system issues are resolved.
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:44 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Tracking down a possible pension
- Replies: 3
- Views: 483
Tracking down a possible pension
About 10 years ago, my mother received a form SSA-L99-C1 mailing from the Social Security administration informing her that she or her late husband might be entitled to a private pension through a company where he had worked years before. I remember at that time calling the plan administrator shown ...
- Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Streaming TV ?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 2653
Re: Streaming TV ?
It's a bit obscure, but Kanopy is a great movie service available through many libraries, especially if you like foreign or art house movies. It's the best channel you've never heard of. HBO Max has a big selection or current and older movies, and as of last week is finally available in the Roku eco...
- Mon Dec 14, 2020 3:25 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: 2FA - SMS good enough or get a Yubikey
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2147
Re: 2FA - SMS good enough or get a Yubikey
I think the odds of you being impacted by both your SIM being virtually hijacked and your password (assuming you have a strong password that is protected), well let's just say, it's probably very remote. If you're being hacked by chance, I'd agree. But if a bad guy knows that you have, say, a seven...
- Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:55 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Favorite Travel Experiences
- Replies: 178
- Views: 12799
Re: Favorite Travel Experiences
Try to meet locals any time you have an opportunity. My best trips have included talking, sharing a meal, or a home visit with a local.
- Mon Nov 30, 2020 2:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Small Camera recommendation
- Replies: 22
- Views: 1049
Re: Small Camera recommendation
The latest smartphones take exceptional pictures, especially the ones with dedicated lenses for different focal lengths. I have an iPhone 11 Pro with separate lenses for wide-angle, normal, and telephoto shots. I always have it with me, so I can snap a picture any time I want. Apples at least have a...
- Wed Nov 25, 2020 4:50 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Silliest Investment Mistakes?
- Replies: 171
- Views: 14087
Re: Silliest Investment Mistakes?
Sold my 200 shares of AAPL in 1986, when I didn't even need the money.
- Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:11 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Coffee storage
- Replies: 42
- Views: 3495
Re: Coffee storage
I use a FoodSaver vacuum bag with an oxygen absorber thrown in, and store it at room temperature in a cabinet. Search for "oxygen absorbers for food storage" on Amazon.
- Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:37 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Who is your favorite fiction author and what is your favorite book of theirs?
- Replies: 216
- Views: 15592
- Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:00 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Who is your favorite fiction author and what is your favorite book of theirs?
- Replies: 216
- Views: 15592
Re: Who is your favorite fiction author and what is your favorite book of theirs?
Patrick O'Brian, his Aubrey/Maturin series (starting with Master and Commander). Doesn't get much better. Great characters, great stories, great story arc.
- Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:14 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: [On-going Scams - Post them here]
- Replies: 367
- Views: 24981
Re: Very sophisticated banking scam: Krebs on Security
This story makes plain the need for a strong, consumer-suitable, mutual (i.e. two-way) authentication protocol that can be used between financial companies and their customers. Such a protocol needs to be resistant to replay attacks (passwords and security questions fail in this regard) and man-in-t...
- Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:24 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: [On-going Scams - Post them here]
- Replies: 367
- Views: 24981
Very sophisticated banking scam: Krebs on Security
[Thread merged into here, see below. --admin LadyGeek]
The victim had professional IT security experience, yet still got scammed in a very slick, multi-stage fraud:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/04/whe ... call-back/
The victim had professional IT security experience, yet still got scammed in a very slick, multi-stage fraud:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/04/whe ... call-back/
- Tue Mar 03, 2020 10:10 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Should I get a safe? What kind? What would you do? How safe is a "safe"?
- Replies: 91
- Views: 6559
Re: Should I get a safe? What kind? What would you do? How safe is a "safe"?
You will need a media safe if you are planning to store any kind of magnetic media or data/backup storage (disk drives, flash drives, tapes, etc). Media safes are fireproof, waterproof, steam proof, and they will keep the contents of the safe below 125 degrees F for the rated amount of time. Standar...
- Sat Feb 29, 2020 8:56 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: new VG dashboard [New Vanguard home page]
- Replies: 47
- Views: 2989
Re: Vanguard new opening page
Response had been slow on the Vanguard website this week. Switching to the old website may have enabled them to deal better with the load.
- Thu Feb 06, 2020 11:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Philly with Kids
- Replies: 25
- Views: 1869
Re: Philly with Kids
We went there about 20 years ago with our kids. We liked Reading Market, Penn's Landing (USS Olympia -- old cruiser from the Spanish-American War), the WW2 battleship New Jersey (includes a ferry ride across the Delaware), the Mütter Museum (medical collections, maybe not great for young children, t...
- Sat Dec 07, 2019 3:39 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Car buying - negotiating tips - need sage advice
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1736
Re: Car buying - negotiating tips - need sage advice
I used this technique for my last two cars with great results: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=131530 The low bid both times was just where I had wanted it to be, and in both cases was about $2,000 lower than the highest bid. At pickup, I would walk into the dealership, fil...
- Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:06 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Alternatives to VOIPo?
- Replies: 50
- Views: 3626
Re: Alternatives to VOIPo?
I ported my home number to voip.ms last year and couldn't be happier. Inexpensive, great customer service. It's more of a techie service than, say, Ooma, but I can do some very sophisticated things, such as routing all "neighbor spoofing" calls to the "It's Lenny" chatbot.
- Sat Oct 12, 2019 12:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Want to stop renting optimum modem.
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2063
Re: Want to stop renting optimum modem.
The Arris SB6141 works great for me with Optimum at 200M. The Arris SB6190 did not work. Note that neither of these has an RJ-11 analog telephone plug; they are ethernet only.
edit: 200G -> 200M
edit: 200G -> 200M
- Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Recommendation for Carry on Luggage
- Replies: 64
- Views: 5073
Re: Recommendation for Carry on Luggage
I've been very pleased with eBags (https://www.ebags.com), especially the TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible backpack and the TLS 22" Expandable Wheeled Carry-On. I had earlier tried the Rick Steves Classic Back Door Bag, but found the quality and sturdiness to be lacking.
- Mon Jun 17, 2019 6:39 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Restore Corrupted External Hard Drive
- Replies: 20
- Views: 1478
Re: Restore Corrupted External Hard Drive
I would suggest Drivesavers ( https://drivesaversdatarecovery.com ). I used them for a crashed drive at work, and they were able to recover most of it even after a different, less competent company had opened it up and made something of a mess of it. Keep in mind that some recoveries can be very exp...
- Thu Mar 07, 2019 5:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Things to do in Maine
- Replies: 72
- Views: 7607
Re: Things to do in Maine
The Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport is fun, especially with kids.
https://trolleymuseum.org/
https://trolleymuseum.org/
- Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire?
- Replies: 62
- Views: 6232
Re: Can I retire?
Will your pensions be cost-of-living adjusted, or fixed?
- Mon Nov 26, 2018 9:38 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Do I need a financial advisor?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2183
Re: Do I need a financial advisor?
There's a book that deals with "dementia-proofing" your retirement savings:
What to Do When I Get Stupid: A Radically Safe Approach to a Difficult Financial Era, by Lewis Mandell.
https://www.amazon.com/What-When-Get-St ... B00EDWTFU2
What to Do When I Get Stupid: A Radically Safe Approach to a Difficult Financial Era, by Lewis Mandell.
https://www.amazon.com/What-When-Get-St ... B00EDWTFU2
- Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Where can I put savings to live on for 2+ years?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1751
Re: Where can I put savings to live on for 2+ years?
Thanks all for your suggestions.
- Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:52 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Where can I put savings to live on for 2+ years?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1751
Re: Where can I put savings to live on for 2+ years?
OP here: Yes, I'm planning on doing Roth conversions while my income is low.
- Sun Nov 04, 2018 9:16 am
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Where can I put savings to live on for 2+ years?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1751
Where can I put savings to live on for 2+ years?
I'm retiring on January 1 at age 59.5. I'll have about $230K in after-tax savings that I want to live on for 2.5 years starting then. After that (August 2021), my pension and (possibly) SS will kick in. I want to avoid tapping my 401(k) during this period if possible. I will start it off in an Ally ...
- Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
- Replies: 492
- Views: 87340
Re: Good Modern Science Fiction
Tim Powers, 'The Anubis Gates", a time travel / historical fiction / fantasy novel with compelling characters, great plot, and a twist. Also good are "Dinner at Deviant's Palace", "Last Call", and "The Drawing of the Dark". One that I keep coming back to is "T...
- Sat Oct 13, 2018 10:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Stinky Car After Changing Cabin Air Filter
- Replies: 6
- Views: 960
Re: Stinky Car After Changing Cabin Air Filter
There could very well be a dead mouse in there. In my various Japanese cars, when you slide the air filter out, whatever was on top of the filter (acorns, seeds, mouse nesting material, baby mice) is scraped off by the upper lip of the filter access slot and ends up dropping down onto the squirrel c...
- Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Fidelity's calculator suddenly more optimistic?
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1942
Re: Fidelity's calculator suddenly more optimistic?
Could you have been looking at "Today's Dollars" in the past, but now at "Future Dollars"?
- Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Replace water heater at end of warranty or repair?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 2528
Re: Replace water heater at end of warranty or repair?
A water heater is one of those things that I replace proactively, usually at the end of the warranty period. Leaks are messy, and you could suddenly find yourself with no hot water. BTW, the guy who last replaced my water heater told me unequivocally that the only physical difference between the Bra...
- Tue Jun 05, 2018 12:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Boston trip with small kids
- Replies: 19
- Views: 1985
Re: Boston trip with small kids
Thank you all! I'm looking into researching a hotel now. It seems the Hyatt Regency has a good location and is only 15,000 points which I can transfer from ultimate rewards. Thanks for all of the help!! We had fun at the Boston Museum of Science, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and the MIT M...
- Tue Apr 17, 2018 6:21 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
Thanks!msk wrote: ↑Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:17 amIn that case I feel you are ready to goDigitalJanitor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:41 pm msk: The $120K spending amount includes accommodation.![]()
- Tue Apr 17, 2018 6:17 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
I've been told that the retirement health plan, once one is enrolled, is for life. Legally, this is not true. Just ask IBM retirees, who took it all the way to the USSC - it was deemed legal to halt health care for retirees. It's why I won't retire until I have some confidence that I will have cove...
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
Thanks!ShowMeTheER wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:24 am Work to the end of 2019 and then retire. You have plenty to enjoy some great years. Cut back a bit if the full $120K/yr seems a stretch.
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
With a non-COLAd pension, I would strongly advise waiting as long as possible for the higher-amount SS, so that the longest-lived of the 2 of you has a high COLA SS payment for life. It is like buying an inflation-adjusted annuity at a bargain cost, and is worth investing some of your retirement sa...
- Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:35 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
The "Black Swan" in the room is medical care. If it "goes away", your expenses may be substantial as you are far above the ACA Subsidy Cliff. If retirement medical "goes away", what are your options until qualifying for Medicare at approx. age 65? Suppose you had to pa...
- Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:26 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
OP, what is your assessment of your continued employment after the merger should you choose not to accept the retirement incentives, and how confident are you about this? Hi Andy: I am pretty confident that my job will survive the merger. And what does your modeling show you are the conseqiences of...
- Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:03 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
Hi Andy: I am pretty confident that my job will survive the merger.PhilosophyAndrew wrote: ↑Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:57 pm OP, what is your assessment of your continued employment after the merger should you choose not to accept the retirement incentives, and how confident are you about this?
- Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:41 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Re: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
OP here. Thank you all for your responses and suggestions. I am concerned about the discrepancy between a 4% SWR and the simulator results that seem to ignore it. I'll try to address some of the issues that were raised: ResearchMed and aristotelian: Regarding SS, I was willing to trade off bigger fo...
- Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:22 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 9102
Can I retire at the end of 2018 at age 59?
I have a window of opportunity that might enable me to retire towards the end of 2018, at age 59, and I am seeking the advice and suggestions of the Bogleheads. Due to a pending merger, a generous retirement severance program at my private-sector company may terminate towards the end of 2018 or begi...
- Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:47 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Make your retirement money last
- Replies: 56
- Views: 17994
Re: Make your retirement money last
I'm reading this now. Full of good information. Definitely a keeper.
- Thu Mar 29, 2018 1:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: New car on lot for 102 days. Concerns?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 8389
Re: New car on lot for 102 days. Concerns?
E-mail negotiation, eh? I prefer to make everyone miserable in person. When it comes to new car buying, you’re very likely not getting the best price if you try to negotiate in person given the myriad factors at play—regardless of your perceived skill or experience at negotiation. Negotiations via ...
- Tue Feb 20, 2018 1:48 pm
- Forum: Personal Investments
- Topic: Advice request: Managing Mom's Money
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1112
Re: Advice request: Managing Mom's Money
The interest she pays on her mortgage is money she'll never get back. Have you given any thought to liquidating some of her investments and paying off the mortgage?
- Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: used Prius (or Chevy Volt?)
- Replies: 58
- Views: 8001
Re: used Prius
Wanna really move fast? Get in line behind a Prius at the gas station.TallBoy29er wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:10 pm Most times I get behind a Prius on the interstate my commute extends by 5 minutes. Get one that moves faster.

- Fri Dec 08, 2017 6:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: 33 years old, 13 years IT experience, currently make 63k a year. I need advice to start making more money
- Replies: 76
- Views: 8936
Re: 33 years old, 13 years IT experience, currently make 63k a year. I need advice to start making more money
Learn Linux, and learn to program. Linux: There is a world beyond Microsoft. Download Linux and install it on a junk PC. Get comfortable with a command line interface. Read "The Linux Systems Administrators Handbook" by Evi Nemeth. Learn how to install and compile software. Learn about pop...
- Fri Jan 08, 2016 7:43 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Family Tree Software / Genealogy Website Recommendation
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2497
Re: Family Tree Software / Genealogy Website Recommendation
Ancestry.com is worth every penny. I have found more valuable info there in 2-3 years of searching than in the 30 years before that. Just lots and lots of raw material, well indexed, plus access to (and searchability within) trees of other members. Anecdote: my wife and I did the Ancestry DNA test. ...
- Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:47 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: College Admission Time, What parents need to be aware and how to be helpful
- Replies: 292
- Views: 38161
Re: College Admission Time, What parents need to be aware and how to be helpful
Definitely not an exaggeration. I'm paying $62K this year (tuition, room, board, and fees, no books or transportation) for my child at an Ivy. I'm pretty sure that this is the going rate for most top colleges nowadays.