Bogleheads.org

pointyhairedboss wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 8:29 pm We have a Ring doorbell at our house. The free trial period has run out, and I haven't paid money to re-up. Without re-upping, videos aren't saved. You only get live video.

My question to the board is, is there a doorbell product that does not charge an ongoing subscription fee that allows you to save video files.. say to a network drive that you provide or something similar?

A few posts above, someone mentioned Eufy and provided a link. I don't have any experience with them, but I'm looking for something similar. I'd rather keep any data myself, and I'd rather not pay a monthly fee.

Gaston diverged stating he was off topic. Do you want to address that with him as well? I didn’t realize this was only about the risk of being out for a few days or weeks. Thank you. I knew someone who had to execute a big trade and the market fell just as her order executed. She lost thousands that she couldn’t afford to lose. I genuinely thought you might have accidentally posted in the wrong thread. I wasn't trying to finger wag at you, I was trying to help. :D And I do see now how your post was related, thanks for explaining. My parents lost a percent or two when they transferred accounts from their previous high fee advisor to Vanguard years ago, just by luck of how the markets moved over the few days they were out. It wasn't a lot of...

Every month $20k accrues in my accounts after taxes, investments and expenses, from salary and auto transfers from my low interest bank. I’ve already maxed my 401K, IRA, catch ups for both and my I bond allotment. So every month lately I’ve been putting it into short term treasuries in taxable for the nice interest. But this might be dumb because once those t bills mature (ok they are on auto roll) but once it’s no longer worth it to do this I’ll be stuck having to buy equities at presumably higher prices than now (or not). My IPS says to add equities in taxable (I do have some there) and bonds in my 401K but with t bill rates so high and my discomfort buying equities often other than through DCA in my 401K, lump sum in my IRA and on RBDs,...

Every month $20k accrues in my accounts after taxes, investments and expenses, from salary and auto transfers from my low interest bank. I’ve already maxed my 401K, IRA, catch ups for both and my I bond allotment. So every month lately I’ve been putting it into short term treasuries in taxable for the nice interest. But this might be dumb because once those t bills mature (ok they are on auto roll) but once it’s no longer worth it to do this I’ll be stuck having to buy equities at presumably higher prices than now (or not). My IPS says to add equities in taxable (I do have some there) and bonds in my 401K but with t bill rates so high and my discomfort buying equities often other than through DCA in my 401K, lump sum in my IRA and on RBDs,...

Chase is discontinuing the Freedom. They are product changing you to the Freedom Unlimited. The only benefit of accepting the change to Unlimited is keeping the average age of your account, if that is important to you. ... I like keeping my average and oldest credit card age and available credit and credit score up. My aged chase freedom card expires soon, and they did not send me a new one. This is very odd, but may be part of their Freedom discontinuation program. Now I will have to check all my other cards, to see when they expire, as I can not depend on the bank sending me new ones every few years. Sorry to revive a thread from 2021, but this seems to be the most recent relatable posting. Have you tried requesting a new chase freedom c...

Anyone have experience with something like this (below)??? I helped my elderly parent file 2/22. Similar return to previous year, just some minor differences in itemized deductions. Used TaxAct and eFiled as I've done for them the previous several years. Return accepted almost immediately. No update on status beyond accepted for a few weeks. Refund status now finally shows approved, but there is a large adjustment to the refund from the expected couple of hundred to a few thousand. The code is 9021 (math error), and they say there is a letter of explanation on the way. Hitting the "details" button on the Where's My Refund screen, and the info that pops up indicates the "math error" is due to: "We changed the amount ...

Absolutely understand, and I hope that they too have 15-20 more years (or more) to recoup their losses and make money on their investment. The fact that I inserted myself at all was because I felt that they were being taken advantage of by this neighbor and I didn't want to see them being swindled. I think I would not use the language "recoup their losses." It is the nature of the beast that value of investment assets rises and falls yo unpredictable degrees at unpredictable times. You just live with the rise and fall. The enterprise is worthwhile because there is an underlying upward trend to be expected. Where that trend ends up is an uncertain proposition except that the expectation is that the average of it is good. You're ri...

It is really unlikely that their Edward Jones portfolio would have done any better. To assuage your own feelings, you might try to make the effort to find out exactly what their portfolio was, and use a tool like PortfolioVisualizer to see how it would have done. Since October of 2021, US stocks (VTSAX) have lost about -12%, bonds (VBTLX) have lost about -14%, and VASIX has lost about -13%. In other words, if the Edward Jones portfolio was mostly stocks and bonds, it's very likely that, too, would have lost just about -13%. Well, see, that's the problem. They weren't invested in stocks/bonds, they were in some sort of cash equivalent fund at Edward Jones. So they would have kept their initial investment and it would have even grown very sl...

What was their portfolio at Edward Jones? What were they invested in there? What is their desired asset allocation?

Life strategy income is in general a reasonable recommendation for someone that wants a low percentage of stocks. But last year both stocks and bonds lost money as you know. Most every buy and hold index investor was down some.

You did save them the Edward Jones fees.

Depending on their risk tolerance and goals they might be happier with CDs or with a different stock/bond mix. Hard to say without knowing more about what they want and need and expect from their investments.

What does your wife think? She is the one that may need to navigate this without your help someday.

Outer Marker wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:42 am Our family is fortunate to count two Havanese among us. Small dog package; big dog personality. No "unnecessary" barking or whining. Fun and playful without being crazy.

This is a nice suggestion for a small breed dog for a family.

wabbott wrote: ↑Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:59 pm Found it! It is a Northern Cardinal. But the bird calls in my neighborhood is slower by half to what's in this video. So maybe they're "Redneck" Northern Cardinals with a southern drawl?

At 0:30 in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egd73TfeiMA

Also, the Great Horned Owl in this video duplicates what we heard earlier this week.

Our Northern Cardinals also sound more like the video you posted than the one in the video I posted. I do think birds vary by region, but also perhaps by mood (excited, tired, etc). Glad you were able to ID the cardinal and the great horned owl!

I have a sincere question. As I get older, the bird songs early in the morning when mrs. wabbott and I take our daily walk are pure music to me. It says maybe the world ain't coming to an end, at least not today. There's this one call that I can't identify that's very prolific here in North Central Louisiana. Best I can describe it is: "PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de, PUR-de." Then a chirp, chirp. I've listened to a lot of video and audio but I still can't find it. Any suggestions from all y'all? I agree with jebmke, your description sounds like a cardinal. Take a listen to this one if others online. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLaeG6WCj0 You can also try a search for common bird songs, there are a variety of resources from that searc...

Atilla wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:34 pm

wfrobinette wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:37 am

Atilla wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 6:05 pm No personal experience, but Pugs are small and lazy.

And snore, have breathing problems and other things .

Yes, but they are small and lazy - what the original poster is looking for in a dog.

Me - if that was what I wanted, I'd just get any random cat and be done with it.

Well, OP also mentioned they were looking for healthy, hence the comment on breathing problems, etc.

SuperSaver wrote: ↑Wed Mar 15, 2023 1:29 pm HERE IS YOUR ANSWER:

CAVAPOO!!!!!

So sweet. So affectionate. Doesn't shed. 12 lbs. Low fecal load. Great with babies and kids.
Would rather spend time with owner than anything else in the whole world.

I never wanted a dog. Never had a dog growing up. This dog breed has changed my whole life.

Is a Cavapoo a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel crossed with a mini poodle? Sounds like a sweet little dog, I'm generally a fan of poodle and poodle mixes. Does it need regular trips to the groomer?

Regarding pugs and French bulldogs, which were mentioned above - neither are good choices if you are looking for healthy breeds. Both have the brachycephalic problems (pushed in faces and breathing issues, which can be severe). It's really not fun for the dog to go through life not being able to breathe well when awake or asleep. And it can be heartbreaking and expensive for owners as well. They are each also prone to a variety of other health problems. On top of that, French bulldogs are very, very trendy right now. That means they're quite expensive. This tends to bring in a lot of less reputable breeders just looking to make money on the hot trendy breed, rather than breeding for health and temperament. (The reputable breeders will still...

FI4LIFE wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 5:29 pm

stan1 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 8:30 am

Boston Terrier Fan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 13, 2023 6:51 am The American kennel club has a useful site where you enter the characteristics you want and can put up with, and the site recommends breeds. It was helpful for me.

Did it return Boston Terrier?

Why do you say this? Asking because I'm interested in the breed for my next dog.

Guessing because that poster's name is Boston Terrier Fan.

Bostons can be great little dogs. They do have the brachycephalic issues (varying degrees of trouble breathing, which can sometimes be improved with surgical intervention) common to all dogs with smushed in faces/really short noses.

Having worked in rescue for a number of years, be aware that some groups do not look favorably upon someone who fosters as a way to "try out" the dog. That is because switching the dog's home is stressful. That said, the rescues where I volunteered did not bar fosters from adopting. I fostered my current pup and adopted him in less than 24 hours. Yes, I think some rescues like "foster failures" (foster families that adopt and then can no longer foster since they have the dog they were wishing for). Other rescues are looking for fosters who can work with a variety of dogs over time. And others are looking just to adopt out dogs and hopefully not have them bounce back (no fostering involved). I think it can vary by rescue...

Thanks for all the recommendations so far. Kids are 12,9,5. My DW did 90% of taking care of the dog and really worked on training her. Getting the kids to take care of the dog was hard most days. Really didn’t want to walk her etc. But know I would say 1 kid really misses the dog along with DW. If your wife is going to put in the work with the dog, she should probably be the one to pick which dog to get. It's nice for you to gather some ideas for her, though, and you can show her this thread. Getting an adult dog is the easiest way to get a dog with a known temperament. This can be done through shelters or rescues, or even through breeders sometimes (retired show or breeding dogs). Any dog will still need training to fit into your househol...

Cavalier King Charles are lovely dogs, but unfortunately prone to heart problems. This can be heartbreaking for the owners, too.

masonbarn272 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 8:16 am

UpperNwGuy wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 7:12 am Whenever this happens, check the calendar. If it's the wee hours of a Sunday morning Vanguard is doing system maintenance. Try again on Monday morning.

This was it. What you see when you try to log in when they're doing their routine maintenance is exactly what you would see if your account had been hacked, which is kind of [Inappropriate reference removed. Moderator Pops1860], but whatever. I was able to log in a few hours later and all my money was there. Thanks guys!

Good to hear your account is ok.

Please edit your first post to let people know you weren't hacked and this is resolved. Use the pencil icon at the top of your first post to edit.

You might also consider a cat! No barking, but cats have their own issues, and they do shed.

Whatever dog you get will need basic training to behave well in your household. Consider an adult dog rather than a puppy because puppies are a lot of work.

How old are the kids? Smaller dogs are vulnerable to injuries from little kids.

Dogs that shed less will need regular trips to the groomer. That can be a great trade off if you are prepared for the cost and time commitment of going to the groomer.

Because while I think the money is FDIC insured, I do not want to take any chances. [Unnecessary comment removed by admin LadyGeek] If you a person who is worried that FDIC Insured money isn't safe at a bank... then there's little that people on the forum can do to help you via personal finance topics. [Unnecessary comment removed by admin LadyGeek] --- Brian If it was less than $250k I wouldn't have this concern. It's because I am relying on the additional FDIC insurance for a POD account with 4 beneficiaries. It's not as if I received some official document from the FDIC stating that I now have $1,000,000 of FDIC insurance for this money instead of the typical $250,000. So while I believe I should have this additional protection, in the ...

rob wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:33 am Forget about normal vacuum's - Just go for a shop vac

I've used a shop vac before primarily for wet messes. I guess I don't see how it would be practical for regular vacuuming of carpeted rooms around the house. Have you used one regularly to vacuum carpeted areas of a home?

srmach05 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:07 am We have a malamute so well aware of this issue after burning out a Dyson. Ended up going to a local vacuum shop (apparently they still exist) and they recommended a Titan T500. Checks all the boxes on low maintenance (replace belt once a year and bag as needed) and has no issue picking up dog hair and clumps.

Thanks for sharing your experience with your malamute and vacuum. How does the Titan T500 avoid having the brush roll get tangled up, or does it get tangled but it's easy to untangle? Looking at specs online I don't see any info about the roller, or even a photo of the underside.

It is cordless, and I was hoping for a corded model, but if it works in all the other ways, sounds like a good bet.

JohnTh wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:37 am
Can we go back only so many years to count the quarters. ie. were there quarters earned in her case in 1994-1997?

She can go online and create a My Social Security Account and see how many quarters she has so far, as well as the rest of her account overview information. Old work history definitely does count, it just depends on whether there was enough income to earn one or more quarters in any given year.

Looking for recommendations for a vacuum for a home with a Nordic breed dog. Our dog has a long, fine, easily tangled undercoat and sheds that long fine easily tangled hair in single strands and clumps all over the house regularly. We also have general dust and dirt tracked in from the garden, etc, but it's the dog hair that seems the biggest problem for vacuums we've tried. We need: - vacuum that can pick up that dog hair without tangling the brush wheel or clogging other parts of the vacuum - reliable and low maintenance machine (If I have to do multiple steps beyond bag changes regularly to keep it running well, I'm not likely to use it as often as I should. It's challenging enough to find time to clean while caregiving and juggling the ...

If the storage place isn't dedicated to vehicles, ask if you're allowed to store a vehicle there. Not all of them will allow it. And certainly not all units are accessible to get a car into the unit (indoor units, various size doors, etc). Not being a car person, my other question to you is how much are you going to enjoy a classic car that is stored away out of site and off property? How often will you get a chance to drive it, or even go and see it? You're going to pay a lot to store it over time. I have a small unit for seasonal items and camping gear and whatnot, and the costs really add up over time. Whatever they charge you when they first rent any unit to you is a teaser rate, and it will increase regularly, FWIW. My unit costs are a...

Call the office and ask how they handle that. I assume you can just pay for services and not use your insurance. If you can afford it, and it’s the dental office you want to go to, go for it.

I’ve never had dental insurance, so I always just pay my bill at whatever dentist I go to. I get estimates before any work is done.

A lot of states are looking for teachers. With a masters degree already, it probably wouldn't take much more school to get a teaching certificate if you are interested. Teaching isn't for everyone, but for the right person it can be a good career path. Not high paying like an oil rig job, but a lot higher pay than CVS. Something to think about, perhaps.

cj

I plan to be out of here the second my mother can no longer safely live in FL without a caregiver 24/7. She will come with me, wherever that may be. Have you talked to your mother about this? If she wants and needs your support, and you want to be a significant part of her life in her remaining years, would she be willing to move with you now? Why wait until she needs 24/7 help before you move with her, since she'll be coming with you regardless? There are many tradeoffs in caregiving for a family member, or even in supervising the care others give them. It can be a huge commitment and personal sacrifice. Only you know what you want and are able to give to your mother during this time of your life and her life. Since you have no other fami...

Maybe the trick is to stay in touch with people well enough to be aware if/when they are facing something dramatic. And then if that happens, you can ask what kind of help they need. If they feel comfortable telling you their spouse can’t work due to illness and they’re worried they’ll lose the house or whatever, then you will have the opportunity to help when their need arises. Be the sorts of people that family can talk to about the challenges of life. You can just be a good listener most of the time, you don’t need to offer financial support unless you think it meets your criteria of truly needed.

I’m not in your financial position, so this advice is theoretical, but it’s my first thought about the question you’ve asked.

cj

I don't have a webcam, so as far as I know I can't create an ID.me account, that's why I care. I was hoping I could show up at say a Social Security or IRS office and they would be able to create one, does anyone know if that's true? You do not require a webcam. If you have a smartphone, you can get the ID via a chat with a representative using the Zoom platform. I'm not particularly Zoom savvy and the rep. was patient and helpful. That's how I did it a few weeks ago. As you likely already know, several documents are required and you must place them in view so the person doing the verification can see the information on your Passport or Driver's License or Social Security, etc. I don't have a smart phone either. If you want to use a webcam...

I realize the OP is reconsidering this, but I wanted to post my thoughts since I recently re-retired from a low stress, low pay, easy job.I took it because I wanted to get out and be social, meet people in a new location. The job was low/mid-level office work (billing and compliance for a custom home builder) and I only had to work 15-20 hours a week to get everything done. I mostly worked afternoons, 3-4 days a week. Pay was low $22/hr, no benefits. The people were awesome, the work was fine (actually incredibly boring considering what I used to do for a living which was IT/software architecture). After a few months, I knew the job was a mistake. I missed being able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I disliked having to schedule...

Regarding this year's taxes, I would start with AAARP preparers, who are indeed competent, and OP can at least see if taxes were done correctly . How would that be determined? I thought OP made comment that husband did their taxes and if they match Tax Aide results than he did them correctly. Except, it is possible that both are “garbage in, garbage out.” If the husband was not aware that the sale of securities (or the distribution from a TRA) would result in taxable income, he might have ignored some 1099s. Particularly since Isabella mentioned her husband has early dementia. While he may have been perfectly capable of doing their taxes previously, she would be wise to get outside help for their taxes this year and all years going forward...

Tax exempt income counts for ACA. ACA uses a modified AGI which adds tax exempt income to AGI. So my understanding is that munis do not lower income for ACA purposes. Muni or not, the interest counts.

I do not believe your taxes necessarily will be simple. I do not think it is a good idea to try to do them yourself. I do not think it is a good idea to rely on your husband who may be struggling with these types of tasks right now while at the same time that your taxes may be significantly more complicated than usual. I do not think you should go to Jackson Hewitt who is the tax prep company in Walmart. In my experience they charge more and have less standards for their preparers than other options. The AARP TaxAide program are volunteers while give their time to help low to moderate income tax payers. They do not have an income cut off, but they can not do complex schedule D forms and AMTs and such. Also, you have sufficient resources th...

Still waiting for my check (wife got hers), but did get a check in the mail today for a different class-action lawsuit against Apple storage. The check was for $0.16 (yes, 16 cents)! How much does postage cost now? Lol. Those were my exact thoughts when I opened the envelope and saw the sixteen-cent check. With a 16 cent check, I would just hang on to it and never cash it out of spite. Just frame it on the wall. I'd hope that they can't reconcile their books or even better would be to mail you a letter asking if you received it and they spend another postage stamp on the letter. See how many stamps you can get them to buy for your 16 cents. I think a lot of these sorts of checks say "not valid after 90 days" or similar. I'm not s...

Chat with your local friends for more detailed recommendations. We don't know where you're going, how cold or windy it's likely to be, or if you are going to be near a ski lodge the whole time vs. snowmobiling in the back country with your local friends.

You have lots of good suggestions in this thread, but the details of what you need will vary a bit with local conditions, how long you will be out, how far away you are from a house or lodge with heat and hot chocolate, etc.

If they have a different CUSIP you are not going to be hit with a wash sale by your brokerage. If you get audited by the IRS, you'd be the first person I've seen get audited on a wash sale with different CUSIPs. But again, the burden is on the taxpayer to decide beforehand what is "substantially identical" Since these are in the OP's Roth, there is only a potential issue with wash sales if OP also holds either of these in taxable. If they are only held in Roth (and/or traditional IRA, and/or 401K or other tax sheltered account, but not in taxable), then there is no wash sale issue to be concerned with. Maybe OP can specify why they are worried about the funds being too similar. It depends on what the goals are for the overall por...

No fall detection device currently available is going to be perfect. It's best to look around at what is available, what features each have and what requirements each system has (e.g. wifi, cellular, recharging, plug in, live help over a squawk box or not, needs to coordinate with a cell phone or not, etc, etc). And think about the person using the system and what will work for them. Also realize that the system may or may not work as hoped when it is really needed - fall detection may not be 100%, etc. So while this adds a layer of safety, it's just one layer, and having friends or relatives check in regularly and other safety protocols in place will still be necessary. I think for a tech savvy person that lives alone, already uses an iPh...

No fall detection device currently available is going to be perfect. It's best to look around at what is available, what features each have and what requirements each system has (e.g. wifi, cellular, recharging, plug in, live help over a squawk box or not, needs to coordinate with a cell phone or not, etc, etc). And think about the person using the system and what will work for them. Also realize that the system may or may not work as hoped when it is really needed - fall detection may not be 100%, etc. So while this adds a layer of safety, it's just one layer, and having friends or relatives check in regularly and other safety protocols in place will still be necessary. I think for a tech savvy person that lives alone, already uses an iPho...

To the OP - Please ignore the JEPI suggestion above. JEPI has been coming up in discussions here just recently, and perhaps it is a good fit for some. But it is NOT a generally recommended boglehead style investment, for lots of reasons. Some of which are that it is complex (relies on options and derivatives strategies), actively managed, high expense, and doesn't have a long track record. I agree with those above who are saying your MIL really shouldn't be in stocks at all at this age and with a relatively small portfolio and with her need to have money available for her care now and in the near future. Stocks are long term investments, and she may need the money before "long term." She needs to have her money in something that w...

Assuming I stick with Publix and plan on retiring at age 66, what would be the smartest/cheapest way for me way to move money from my retirement plans at work to my target date fund? I believe that I am able to take a portion of my money out of my 401k ("Smart Plan") and Profit Plan when I am 59 1/2 years old (The profit plan is the stock publix gives me each year). Would it be best to start rolling over a portion of my money starting at 59 1/2 into a traditional ira and then convert it to my roth ira and keep doing that each year until retirement at age 66? Or just rollover everything when I retire? Here is the tax information about the two plans: 401k "Smart Plan"- https://www.publix.org/-/media/feature/passport/pdfs/...

persimmon_tree wrote: ↑Thu Jan 12, 2023 4:59 pm Along the lines of using a magnet, a suggestion:
tie a string to a Neodymium ring magnet (available on ebay), and slip it inside the sofa, and try to fish it out
or even use the Neodymium magnet externally along the skin of the sofa, to try to locate it

Caveat: not responsible for damaging AW's internal electronics, by using a strong magnet

If there is any steel or other metal parts in the sofa, it may be difficult to get a really strong magnet to the watch. It will get stuck on something in the sofa and it be difficult to remove the magnet, unless the magnet is still in an easy to reach spot.

OP, I have Prime and I have seen this message occasionally. The package usually arrives a few days later. If not, after I’ve given it some time, I request a refund. If you don’t need the item ASAP, give it some more time, and it will likely arrive in a few days.

FWIW I have had this happen with USPS packages lately as well, from non-Amazon vendors. Again, usually the package arrives after a few days. Deliveries everywhere get delayed occasionally, regardless of carrier.

(Edited to fix typos)

Sprucebark wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 1:32 pm Thank you to those who replied. My friend passed away that night from the injuries. I haven’t been able to collect my thoughts and I’ll write a more detailed reply once I come back down from this.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

cj

It has been a huge help during the pandemic, and in general in getting care for my elder parent. It's very convenient to have a consultation at home, rather than loading a wheelchair bound parent in and out of the car multiple times, sitting in a crowded waiting room, etc. Ditto for me being able to stay home rather than arrange a caregiver for my parent while I go to an appointment for myself. Ditto for being able to stay home when the weather is bad. It doesn't work for every needed appointment, because sometimes the doctors really do need to see and/or feel and/or listen to things in person. But for our regular doctors, they are happy to see either of us virtually, and to let us know when they do need to see us in person. We see doctors ...

Thank you both for taking time to explain, that makes sense.

jebmke, neat that you see unusual birds that may have been blown off course to your area.