Bogleheads.org

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Emergency funds: 6 months of expenses Debt: $149,000 mortgage @ 3.125% 19 years left Tax Filing Status: Married Filing Jointly Tax Rate: 22% Federal, 6% State Age:32 Desired Asset allocation: 80% stocks / 20% bonds Desired International allocation: 0% of stocks New 401k best options: Vanguard Instit...

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TIPS are a good investment in HSAs for other reasons; they make it less likely that the HSA will grow so much that it exceeds your medical expenses. If the stock market booms, you would rather that boom be in your Roth IRA so that you can spend all the money in retirement. However, if one plans to ...

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Even if you move down a bracket, the HSA still comes out well ahead. In the Roth, you get no tax deduction, and you pay no tax on withdrawals. In the HSA, you get a federal tax deduction on the value, and you pay no CA tax on the contribution amount, only on the gains; you can even avoid the CA tax...

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OP, Besides the newest generation, I believe some Impalas still had bench seats as recently as 2014. These were often used as rental cars and sold with relatively low miles. Since the new generation came our prices on the older models has dropped. With just a cursory search I found a 2012 Impala LS ...

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For various personal, practical, and financial reasons I donate time not money. Nothing will change.

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About 55% of Americans either don't have access or don't participate in a 401k according to this article https://www.denverpost.com/2017/12/23/donald-trump-most-voters-dont-have-401k/ In 2016 of 401k plan participants only 10% made the maximum contribution if $18k according to a vanguard study cited...

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Thanks for the replies all. I will get some quotes for 20 and 30 year terms based on the amount we decide we need.

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Ok I screwed up. I updated the original post with the correct information.

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Both my wife and I have life policies. We are about 5 years into them. I wasn't as financially knowledgeable as I am now when we signed up for them. My wife's relatives are in the insurance business and my wife has always been sold on the idea that whole life is superior because your rate never chan...

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New car with Automatic CVT transmission It’s the first car I’ve ever purchased and I want it to last as long as possible . I’ve read that using the parking brake is good for the parking prawl as well as motor / transmission benefits. How do you apply the parking brake correctly? I’ve been parking b...

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Just because pensions are going away doesn't mean the average person .... The average person doesn't graduate from college either. That is a non sequitur. You stated "I think kids won't have to go to college anymore." No mention of graduation rates. 67% percent of students who graduated high school...

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Along with all this, I think kids won't have to go to college anymore. This is because instead of pensions that go away when you die, their parents will have 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and IRAs that will get passed on to the children. They will be able to retire as soon as their parents die, so no need for ...

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OP
What was the third gift you opened on your 6th birthday? What was your first vacation? I imagine one of these is much easier to recall. So which was the better "investment" by your parents? Not everything is a financial decision.

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Yes, I hate when my money turns into more money. Off to bury some in the backyard to protect it from the evils of appreciation and dividends.

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If you only plan to own the car for 24 months and want something reliable why not just lease? You could maintain liquidity, have a reliable car, and not have the hassle of trading in/selling in 2 years.

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You may have also overpaid for the repairs earlier in the year. . . . You just had a 2010 die, if you buy a 2014 version of the same model then why would you expect it to last more than 4 more years? The repairs earlier this year were done at an independent shop I have used for years. I was on my w...

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To those that say pay cash does the answer change if one is in retirement and would need to pull funds from a tax deferred account? It seems the tax hit could be much greater than the low interest paid on the loan given the current interest rate environment. Emphasis on "could" because there are man...

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Jaguar XJ? Used ones with low miles can be had well within your budget. Some versions get up to 550hp.

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On the other hand...higher pay with less responsibility..isn't that kind of the goal? I want the highest pay possible and the least responsibility possible. :twisted: I know it doesn't work like that. Like Big Tom Callahan says "You're either growing or you're dying. There ain't no third direction....

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I got a new job several months ago, but am having second thoughts about the move. During the interview process I was led to believe the role was much more than it has turned out to be. It was presented as a very similar role to my previous job and I was excited to continue on my career growth. I enj...

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Why not bring this opportunity to your employer? If they like the idea offer to head up the group/division. If they don't like the idea then ask if you can pursue it on your own.

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Currently I read the Economist, and a bit of Washington Post for breaking news. Thing is, I have recently had several smart people give me the advice to stop consuming news completely. The argument is that: 1) virtually none of it is actionable 2) it makes you unhappy Go cold turkey? Restricting yo...

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I will also add there are as many "rules of thumb" about what people should pay for houses / cars etc. as there are people giving advice. Dave Ramsey: everything you own with an engine should be less than 50% of your annual household income. Suze Orman: only buy a car if you can put 20% down and can...

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I'm on page 3 of this thread and have yet to see the term "luxury car" defined. Is that based on price, features, badge, or some combination of the three? You can get a CPO 3 series BMW or MB C Class for the same price as a new Camry or CPO Avalon. Does that mean the income requirements for the BMW/...

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I will be starting a new job soon that will be ~35-40min commute. I haven't commuted in several years and technology and available content have changed quite a bit. I am curious what other commuters listen to on their drives (both the service and the content). Services such as Pandora and Spotify of...

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There are two types of truly "bad" bosses : the incompetent and the malicious. Both are equally dangerous. I refuse to work for either. Life is too short. I can deal with just about any issues outside of those two. I'm not talking about a boss that takes credit for your work or constanly dumping mor...

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Thanks for the feedback all. Proceeding with caution.

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I bought a new home in 2015. I'm a little lost on the poor quality comments on new versus old. Weren't old homes new at one time? Did they cut less corners 100 years ago? Even if they did, do people really expect quality components in a 100 year old home in aggregate would be better than a new home...

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Another, did you have an inspection done? Doesn't sound like it. You didn't know the dishwasher wasn't functioning?? An easy catch the inspection should have caught. Along with the other issues you mentioned. Yes, but just like any other profession not all inspectors are good at what they do. I was...

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For example, I know that when buying an older home, you have to be extra careful on the inspections, and ready for higher maintenance costs. But a new one ? What's the catch ? Any insight / experience would be welcome. Get references on the specific builder you want to use. Everything is built "to ...

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How many of the four were face to face? If some of them were phone interviews, then it might not be too terrible. In general, I would say that a repeat face to face interview with the same people indicates a hiring manager that is indecisive. They might have two finalists that are close, but they s...

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1.) Are you currently employed? If not then I would go along with their plans because you are not in a position to dictate the next steps. If so then I would move to #2. 2.) You didn't say whether or not you are working through an outside recruiter, in house recruiter or directly with the hiring au...

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ved wrote:Probably. But, what do you have to lose?

Other than wasting time/energy/resources, it makes me question whether that is the type of organization that I want to join (if an offer ever came).

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I have been through 4 rounds of interviews with the same potential employer and now they want to set up another interview (with the same people). This tells me that either: a) they are indecisive, b) they have concerns about my qualifications, c) they are stringing me along as a backup until they ca...

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Dappered.com

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1) In the middle of 2008 / 2009 recession, 50% of my co-worker at my location was laid off. Those remains were stressed out. Some of them are still under-employed until now. I slept through those times. Klang, Just because this happened in your situation doesn't make it a rule for ALL situations. D...

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David and Norcal, thank you both for the clarification.

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However, if you're looking for a blanket rule I will say that a 15 year mortgage should not be chosen over a 30 year at the expense of the 401K, as would be the case in the OP's scenario. I agree with this. From the bank's point of view, a 15-year mortgage and a 30-year mortgage are equally good. T...

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My honest opinion is that this sort of thinking is pretty dangerous. Those comps that sold might have been perfectly appointed inside when they sold, so might not reflect what the OP could get at resale. IT also seems that commissions, 6+% would be a lot more expensive than fixing up the existing h...

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How would you feel if you're employer said this about how they manage their money? We're fortunate to be in the high income bracket, but we're still ruthless about budgeting and telling our money where to go. Don't knock it till you try it :wink: I have worked for employers that kept urinal cakes l...

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White Coat Investor wrote:Let me assure you that you are very unusual...

I will take that as a compliment.

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Leemiller wrote:Fwiw, in my experience the rich have things as well as money.

Touche. I was referencing more the millionaire next door versus broke conspicuous consumer.

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A couple thoughts - what is your income trajectory like? Are you at 85k for the foreseeable future or is it rapidly increasing? Given your lack of debt and good savings, you seem to be doing the right things. What is your budget like right now - how much wiggle room do you have? Personally, assumin...

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It's probably not what you want to hear, but I think you'd really be stretching to afford a $325k house on an $85k salary. Even with the equity from your current house (which would be eroded by the repairs needed before you could sell it for the market rate), your offer would not be very powerful s...

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I've posted before about neighbor issues, being unhappy with our house and discussing the possibility of moving. We toyed around with the idea last winter/spring looked at a couple houses, but nothing really stood out so we decided to stay put. Both my wife and I will email each other every once in...

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Thank you.

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I wasn't sure if this should go into the Personal Finance section or this one. The question I have isn't regarding asset allocation, specific funds or expense ratios. I am seeking guidance on overall investment strategy for when my wife stops working (the next month or so). My wife currently works p...

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Couldn't have said it better and couldn't agree more with alfaspider. Me having an email address including "02tii" may indicate a shared hobby. Good advice on Tire Rack (I have driven on their test circuit for 20 years) as it's a great place for info on every brand, specs, and pricing. I will add; ...

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I saw in an earlier post that you work from home and wife mostly does (or something to that effect) so gains might be more if you're home most of the time. Glad I live in the cheaper midwest, my last 12 month average for electric is $52.01 and natural gas is $39.85. I spent about 1K in spring of 20...

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All, Thanks for the feedback. We will continue the behavioral practices, but probably won't pursue any major improvements. The only change we may make is adding some type of outdoor shade to one of the bedroom's windows. The sun constantly hits those windows and makes the room an oven in the summer....

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