Search found 11015 matches

by stratton
Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The role of Authorized Participants in pricing of ETFs [Almost Entire $8 Trillion ETF Market Hinges on a Few Key Firms]
Replies: 73
Views: 11080

Re: The role of Authorized Participants in pricing of ETFs

What went wrong with Third Avenue Focused Credit in 2015? Was the SEC asleep at the switch? Admittedly this was an extraordinary event and an unusual fund (although described as a "high-yield bond fund" it was actually distressed credit of much lower quality than a normal high-yield bond fund. I never heard anyone in this forum mention it , let alone say they were investing in it). ... (And yes, this was a mutual fund fragility-in-a-crisis event.) May I introduce you to "Skippy" Nisiprius?! https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=179312&start=100 You have so many posts you can't possibly remember everything you wrote here. I was a Third Avenue Value fund investor around this time. The focused credit fund wa...
by stratton
Sun Nov 12, 2023 10:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Seattle area residents, how should I think about your housing market? [Potential move for job]
Replies: 81
Views: 8606

Re: Seattle area residents, how should I think about your housing market? [Potential move for job]

Here's a tool to help you get an idea of traffic and commute issues. https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/ Washington Dept of Transportation traffic map. Check it at various Seattle times. I suggest checking at 6 am Seattle time all the way to 7 or 8 pm. See what it looks like and where bottlenecks happen. I live in the middle of Bellevue. To the North: North of Totem Lake gets less expensive. Juanita gets less expensive. South: Anything with a Renton zip code will be less expensive, but the commute past Boeing Renton clogs the freeway when their shifts start and end. In Bellevue West of 405 is expensive. Crossroads area in East Bellevue is less expensive. Redmond and Kirkland are both expensive. Sammamish is pricy. Issaquah not so much, ...
by stratton
Sat Jan 04, 2020 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Damp carpet in closet in 2nd floor condo
Replies: 13
Views: 1665

Re: Damp carpet in closet in 2nd floor condo

Learn where the shutoff valve is located and a wrench to turn it off.

A friend had a pipe break in their condo and it took more than 5 minutes to locate the shutoff valve and appropriate wrench which wasn't near the valve. Flooded the lower floor in that condo.

Paul
by stratton
Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Effects of extreme cold weather
Replies: 107
Views: 13787

Re: Effects of extreme cold weather

In a sheltered from wind carport at -38 F

Trying to change a flat tire I broke two lug bolts... and then quit.

At -20 F the lug bolts didn't break and could actually change the flat.

This was February 1981.

Paul
by stratton
Mon Dec 25, 2017 7:10 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Confusion about prepaying property taxes
Replies: 139
Views: 19964

Re: Confusion about prepaying property taxes

You CAN'T prepay property tax in Washington state. King County: Don’t prepay your property taxes now to avoid tax hit next year But Washington state bars counties from collecting tax payments until the full tax roll is certified, which isn’t expected to happen until January. Link in the quote is to the "Revised Code of Washington" (RCW). Our property tax system is complicated since we don't have an income tax. From the same article. The local property tax system is convoluted — it’s not just a matter of multiplying last year’s rate by your new assessed value. There are new and changing tax rates, caps on how much governments can charge, several government agencies all collecting pieces of the tax pie, utilities that cross county l...
by stratton
Sun Oct 01, 2017 9:30 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Bloomberg: Smart Beta Debate Sparks Identity Crisis at Vanguard
Replies: 15
Views: 4194

Re: Bloomberg: Smart Beta Debate Sparks Identity Crisis at Vanguard

Seems like everyone is doing everything they can to slow down the $$ inflows into Vanguard. Less active investing threatens Bloomberg's terminal business which is 80 to 85% of their income. All Bloomberg Terminals are leased in two-year cycles (in the late 1990s and early 2000s, three-year contracts were an option), with leases originally based on how many displays were connected to each terminal (this predated the move to Windows-based application). Most Bloomberg setups have between two and six displays. It is available for an annual fee of $20,000 per user ($25,080 per year for the small number of firms that use only one terminal).[3] As of October 2016, there were 325,000 Bloomberg Terminal subscribers worldwide. https://en.wikipedia.o...
by stratton
Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:28 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Iphone X is $1000
Replies: 385
Views: 42530

Re: Iphone X is $1000

I am not sure if new Iphones support new T-Mobile 600 MHz frequency. T-Mobile users may need to wait for another phone. No it won't. I thought so too. Thanks for confirming that. For that, I wouldn't think of any reason to buy this phone if I was a T-Mobile user. I have no idea if it is just a bios upgrade for the new band to be added or it requires an all new LTE modem which probably means wait until next year for a new phone. Confirmed it's a hardware update . Because the capability to support 600MHz is hardware based, the new iPhones will not be able to get support later on through a software upgrade. Currently T-Mobile is adding the 600Mhz spectrum to areas where they have the least coverage. It would be nice in their current coverage ...
by stratton
Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:58 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Iphone X is $1000
Replies: 385
Views: 42530

Re: Iphone X is $1000

wander wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:58 pm
stratton wrote: Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:31 am
wander wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:50 pm I am not sure if new Iphones support new T-Mobile 600 MHz frequency. T-Mobile users may need to wait for another phone.
No it won't.
I thought so too. Thanks for confirming that. For that, I wouldn't think of any reason to buy this phone if I was a T-Mobile user.
I have no idea if it is just a bios upgrade for the new band to be added or it requires an all new LTE modem which probably means wait until next year for a new phone.

Paul
by stratton
Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Iphone X is $1000
Replies: 385
Views: 42530

Re: Iphone X is $1000

wander wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:50 pm I am not sure if new Iphones support new T-Mobile 600 MHz frequency. T-Mobile users may need to wait for another phone.
No it won't.
Also of note is that the iPhone X will support LTE band 66 but not LTE band 71, the latter of which is T-Mobile’s new 600MHz spectrum. Here’s the full list of the iPhone X’s supported cellular bands:

FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66)
TD-LTE (Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41)
TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900, 2100 MHz)
UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Paul
by stratton
Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Iphone X is $1000
Replies: 385
Views: 42530

Re: Iphone X is $1000

xkcd is on the job.

Image

Paul
by stratton
Wed May 03, 2017 9:07 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: U.S. SEC approves request to list quadruple-leveraged ETFs
Replies: 27
Views: 3936

U.S. SEC approves request to list quadruple-leveraged ETFs

And I thought triple was risky enough

U.S. SEC approves request to list quadruple-leveraged ETFs
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday approved a request to trade quadruple-leveraged exchange-traded funds, marking a first for the growing market for such products in the United States.
...
One of the funds is designed to deliver 400 percent of the daily performance of S&P 500 .SPX stock index futures, while another fund will aim to deliver four times the inverse of that benchmark.
...
For details, symbols etc. follow the link.

Paul
by stratton
Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:41 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Seattle Area Chapter Meetings - Master Thread
Replies: 259
Views: 113987

Re: Seattle Area Chapter Meetings - Master Thread

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Paul
by stratton
Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite survival books?
Replies: 41
Views: 6157

Re: Favorite survival books?

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks.
The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Fully illustrated and exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.
Paul
by stratton
Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:37 pm
Forum: Spain
Topic: Moving to Barcelona - Expat Taxes
Replies: 8
Views: 26123

Re: Moving to Barcelona - Expat Taxes

You might look at this web site which is an English language site for Spain.

http://www.thelocal.es/

There appears to be links for expats.

Paul
by stratton
Tue Jan 10, 2017 5:13 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Sad News About a Respected Forum Member
Replies: 118
Views: 30368

Re: Sad News About a Respected Forum Member

I loved Ole Meph's insurance posts. Love the boil down to main points cutting through the sales chaff.

Paul
by stratton
Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is the most inexpensive way to learn driving in Seattle?
Replies: 14
Views: 3796

Re: What is the most inexpensive way to learn driving in Seattle?

http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/ge ... .html?hcwp

Go to the link above and follow the top two links:
Getting a license
Steps to getting your first license

Find out how to get your first Washington State driver license.

Driver training and testing

Find out where training and testing are offered in your area, learn about the knowledge and drive tests, and use the study guide and practice test to prepare.
by stratton
Sat Aug 27, 2016 6:23 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: "Are Index Funds Eating the World?"
Replies: 44
Views: 9065

Re: "Are Index Funds Eating the World?"

The 4000+% annual turnover on SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) says there is a lot of price discovery going on.

Paul

Edit: replaced 5800% because I overstated it since the share price has gone up over the last year. I was using (daily share turnover ) x (share price) x (250 days) / (total SPY assets). Better to calculate a daily % turnover and multiply by 250 days to remove that problem.
by stratton
Wed Aug 24, 2016 6:11 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why Does Wealthfront Allocate So Much To Emerging Markets?
Replies: 9
Views: 2754

Re: Why Does Wealthfront Allocate So Much To Emerging Markets?

Burton Malkiel has been an emerging markets fan. For example, in the 2013 update of The Elements of Investing , which is supposed to be aimed at novices, Malkiel and Ellis withdrew their recommendation for Total Bond and suggested a "surrogate bond portfolio" for the "age of financial repression" consisting of 1/2 dividend stocks and 1/2 emerging markets bonds. In 2007 he coauthored a book with the rather enthusiastic title From Wall Street to the Great Wall: How Investors Can Profit From China's Growing Economy. It would be beneath me to make such an obvious pun as to call him a bull in a China shop, so I won't. (Oops, too late). A lot earlier than 2007 Global Bargain Hunting: The Investor's Guide to Profits in Emergin...
by stratton
Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:59 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Seattle Area Chapter Meetings - Master Thread
Replies: 259
Views: 113987

Re: Seattle Area Chapter Meetings - Master Thread

Bump!

It's about time for another get together.

Paul
by stratton
Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Timeshares, again
Replies: 57
Views: 8158

Re: Timeshares, again

People that inherit timeshare have been known to disclaim them, "No, I don't want it."

That's what I'd do if I somehow inherited one or someone tried to give me one.

Paul
by stratton
Mon Jul 18, 2016 11:52 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Farmland REITs?
Replies: 33
Views: 7685

Re: Farmland REITs?

I forgot about these REITs. I remember reading about them starting up, but farmland was at record highs so any interest was academic and not for investing.

Pretty tiny in the ~$140 million range. Microcaps.

Paul
by stratton
Mon Jul 18, 2016 11:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's up with 4K tv? Should I buy one?
Replies: 101
Views: 18481

Re: What's up with 4K tv? Should I buy one?

pondering wrote:Does anyone have experience using a 4K TV as a monitor?

Thanks
From the same place I previously mentioned.

New Samsung 4k for everyone

174+ page thread. :P

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:20 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What's up with 4K tv? Should I buy one?
Replies: 101
Views: 18481

Re: What's up with 4K tv? Should I buy one?

2015 Samsung 4k TV as a Monitor Set Up Guide Assumptions/Disclaimers: -This guide was written based on my JS9000 model. All of these models (JU6500, JU6700, JU7100, JU7500, JS7000 JS8500, JS9000) are very similar, but there are slight differences. This guide should still be mostly applicable for all of them. -This guide assumes you have the TV assembled already, have powered it on for the first time, and gone through the initial setup (setting date, time, network settings, etc.) but have not yet gotten to picture modes, color configurations, and other things which really make these TV's shine as monitors. -This guide assumes you have a HDMI 2.0 capable video card. These TV's are only equipped with HDMI ports, and this means that if you wan...
by stratton
Tue Jun 28, 2016 5:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best watch for around $5,000? [Archived]
Replies: 1479
Views: 347544

Re: Best watch for around $5,000?

What an awesome leading line...
Petrocelli wrote:I would not consider hiring someone because they wear a watch, or don't wear a watch.

I may, however, form a negative opinion if a male wore a very flashy watch; such as one with a lot of diamonds.
Says the guy whose BH handle is based on a diamond. :P

Paul
by stratton
Tue Jun 28, 2016 2:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Planning to relocate to Austin, TX
Replies: 48
Views: 7299

Re: Planning to relocate to Austin, TX

birraj wrote:Hi All,

I am planning to move from Denver to Austin, TX within 2 months. My office address will be near the Austin Airport. I would like to see if it is possible for me to buy a house in Austin with the following criteria.

1. Single family house around 2000 Sq.ft
2. Around $350 K max
3. Good Middle school and high school
...
Is this doable?
Check the property tax amount. In Texas it may be higher than you think. A $350K house is probably $7K or $8K and up for a year.

Paul
by stratton
Thu Jun 23, 2016 5:43 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Malkeil on Preferred Stocks - what's the Bogleheads take?
Replies: 33
Views: 4860

Re: Malkiel's WSJ piece today - Use preferred stocks instead of bonds

Valuethinker wrote:Also as per Grabiner's post, because most preference shares don't have a redemption date (but some can be called by the issuer, a nasty feature for the investor) they are very "long duration" ie maximally sensitive to interest rate changes (up or down). The same would be true of a bond with an infinite life.
So how would these compare to Consols which were just redeemed in the last few years. Some of them dating back to the 18th century.

-Both are very "long duration."
-Both can, and did with the consols get "called."
-The consols had their interest rates lowered by Parliament.
-Consols are gilts (?) so they were UK treasuries. Preferred stock is corporate bonds.

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can we/Should we buy this house (SF Bay Area)
Replies: 54
Views: 10292

Re: Can we/Should we buy this house (SF Bay Area)

moneywise3 wrote:Are you sure your property taxes would null out of your tax savings? Bay area housing is stable, so go for it.
NO.

California real estate prices look like a saw blade. A several year run up followed by a crash.

Look at the crashes in 1991, 2001, 2008 and get back to us.

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:16 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July
Replies: 22
Views: 4145

Re: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July

Warning, construction on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass.

http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/sno ... fault.aspx

This has been going for at least a year or two.

I got caught in the night time blasting where they close the pass at 7.30 pm and don't reopen it until 8.45 or so.

I don't think there is anything on Highway 2 over Stevens pass.

http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/ste ... fault.aspx

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 19, 2016 1:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July
Replies: 22
Views: 4145

Re: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July

About 15 or 20 miles East of Leavenworth there is a state highway through Swauk Pass that connects Highway 2 to I-90 at Cle Elum. It's probably about 40 or 45 miles.

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 19, 2016 4:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July
Replies: 22
Views: 4145

Re: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July

Just so the OP understands...

The weather East of the Cascades on July 9 is very likely to be hotter than Seattle. Quite likely 95+ degrees. Maybe 100+. Not quite Arizona hot, buts still desert. Hiking around the Potholes will be hot because of all the dark basalt.

Take plenty of water, sun screen etc.

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 19, 2016 4:25 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July
Replies: 22
Views: 4145

Re: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July

Hmmm. I just did the Spokane-to-Portland drive yesterday (after driving to Spokane last Sunday). I was in Eastern Washington on a 4-day bus tour to learn about the geology of the Ice Age Floods. Fascinating stuff. I-90 will take you through Moses Lake. Just south of there is the Potholes Reservoir and the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge, where you can see "potholes" scoured out by the mega floods and the Drumheller Channels that were carved out by the rushing water. If you are interested in understanding why the landscape looks like it does, you might want to read up on the Ice Age Floods (aka Missoula Floods) before your trip. Our guide recommended the website http://hugefloods.com/ Heh. I went to the Potholes in the late 70s ...
by stratton
Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:57 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What is a Unit Investment Trust?
Replies: 14
Views: 3228

Re: What is a Unit Investment Trust?

The more I read, the more I don't like the UIT's that she has in her portfolio. Unfortunately, they are a significant percentage of her portfolio (27%). As far as I can tell, the expired ones have all the fees paid already, so that is sunk cost. There is one that is not expired yet, but expires this quarter, so maybe they all have the fees sunk. I gave her notes on her entire portfolio to switch from the 25 mutual funds (average fee of 1.46%), 9 individual stocks and these UIT's to a nice 3 fund portfolio. Her expense ratio total fees will drop from $12,461 / year to $852 / year. Saves her a lot of money. And her monthly statement won't be 15 pages of mass confusion. Make sure she actually wants to make changes. I've seen UIT's with expira...
by stratton
Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: High End Wrist Watches (Gone Crazy)
Replies: 254
Views: 40261

Re: IWC Watch, any thoughts?

Petrocelli wrote:Do you really think people who spend $25,000 on a watch are worried whether their watch keeps time more accurately than a Casio?
I like your Rolex better than the IWC watch. How well does it keep time considering you probably wear in court?

Paul
by stratton
Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July
Replies: 22
Views: 4145

Re: Driving Seattle to Spokane in July

I am thinking leave Seattle Sunday a.m.and get to Spokane in the evening,go to Coeur on Monday for the day and look around Spokane most of the day Tuesday before our flight back early evening.Maybe better to go on 90 if there are nice small towns to see. I grew up in Eastern Washington. Allow all day for Highway 2. Quite a bit of it is two lane 50 mph and it's longer distance than I-90. Leavenworth is a charming tourist trap Bavarian village. Lots of fun. Cashmere has the "World famous" Applets and Cotlets factory. Lots of farmland along a two lane road. You could detour slightly off course to visit Grand Coulee Dam. I-90 is a full four lane interstate at 70+ mph. Snoqualmie Falls just East of Seattle before North Bend. Gingko St...
by stratton
Sat Jun 18, 2016 7:56 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What is a Unit Investment Trust?
Replies: 14
Views: 3228

Re: What is a Unit Investment Trust?

pkcrafter wrote:That .218% is probably a small part of the fees. Here's some good information on UITs.

http://www.responsible-investing.net/ne ... 7_uit.html

Advisors pull their fees from your assets, but they never show them. If they did, a lot of investors would see the light and dump them.
Interesting. I've seen others where there is an ER of ~0.5% with a 5% load fee when the UIT Is bought. Much more straight forward then your example.

Paul
by stratton
Sat Jun 18, 2016 7:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: High End Wrist Watches (Gone Crazy)
Replies: 254
Views: 40261

Re: IWC Watch, any thoughts?

It hasn't gone down enough to buy the iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC).

Keep watch on it.

Paul

PS this is a financial board. :moneybag :wink:
by stratton
Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:58 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How to handle MSFT buyout of LNKD
Replies: 20
Views: 3937

Re: How to handle MSFT buyout of LNKD

From the FT's Alphaville blog

Image
by stratton
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Had entire lawn sodded, now some animal is creating holes...Philly Burbs Area
Replies: 27
Views: 3073

Re: Had entire lawn sodded, now some animal is creating holes...Philly Burbs Area

Fieldsy1024 wrote:I've had my house for 5.5 years and never have seen holes dug up from animals. The hole is about 3-4in diameter and 5-6 inch deep (in one day/night they did this). Both are just a few inches from the house.

This is the second time it has happened in the span of maybe 4 days. We don't have pets. I know I've seen foxes around once in a while. I have seen groundhogs miles away from home, but never in the yard.

What could it be you think and how to solve it? These animals are winning 2-0 against me.
There's at least one movie based on this plot premise. :twisted:

Paul
by stratton
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Had entire lawn sodded, now some animal is creating holes...Philly Burbs Area
Replies: 27
Views: 3073

Re: Had entire lawn sodded, now some animal is creating holes...Philly Burbs Area

JW-Retired wrote:Raccoons are less dainty and are apt to roll up whole areas of the sod.
Raccoons are for dealing with paper wasp nests. I had one the size of a volley ball a few feet off the ground. I wasn't about to go near it, but the raccoons chowed down on it one night. No more wasps.

Paul
by stratton
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Encyclopedia, World Book, Complete Set, 1960 Ed.
Replies: 43
Views: 10461

Re: Encyclopedia, World Book, Complete Set, 1960 Ed.

Epsilon Delta wrote:
Mingus wrote:Have a book burning in the backyard, invite the neighbors over!
I have unpleasant memories of a high school job tending a fire used to dispose of old paper records.

Burning books completely is a lot harder than most people think. Either you use a lot of extra fuel or you rip out and crumple each page. If you just pile up the books and throw in a match you're going to have to dispose of a lot of slightly charred books.
A tightly packed pile of paper such as a book keeps oxygen away so it doesn't really burn well which is why a filing cabinet has a high chance of surviving paper documents. Do not put data CDs in plastic sleeves which melt at ~185 degrees and stick to the plastic CDR which melts at ~350 degrees. Use paper sleeves.

Paul
by stratton
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Encyclopedia, World Book, Complete Set, 1960 Ed.
Replies: 43
Views: 10461

Re: Encyclopedia, World Book, Complete Set, 1960 Ed.

rakornacki1 wrote:Does anyone have any experience or useable outlets for a complete set of the World Book Encyclopedia (1960 Ed.), white cover?
It probably wasn't worth much 40 years ago.

I bought a 1960 edition Encyclopedia Britannica at a yard sale in 1974 for $7.50.

Paul
by stratton
Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone familiar with Crowsnest Highway in British Columbia?
Replies: 6
Views: 1261

Re: Anyone familiar with Crowsnest Highway in British Columbia?

I am thinking about biking from Bellingham, WA to Missoula, MT in August (see this thread for related details). The route I am considering runs from Bellingham, WA up into Canada and then along the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) from Hope through Manning Park and then on to Osoyoos, before crossing back into the US. You can see my suggested route here: http://mycycletour.com/displayroute.php?RouteNumber=865 Has anyone ridden a bicycle or driven a car along this road? I will be going west to east. If so, any thoughts on traffic, road width, or shoulders? I would start this ride August 1st. I've not driven on the part of Hwy 3 that you plan to be on; however, I'd be prepared for a lot of RV traffic. Also, note that it gets blazing hot in that...
by stratton
Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:01 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Crazy housing market
Replies: 77
Views: 14711

Re: Crazy housing market

Fresh out of todays FT Alphaville blog:

Image

That's a lot of housing value in a small geographic area.

Paul
by stratton
Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:54 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Bruce Williams Smart Money
Replies: 15
Views: 3855

Re: Bruce Williams Smart Money

miles monroe wrote:
Grt2bOutdoors wrote:He's retired, his last on air broadcast was in 2010.
he was back doing podcasts in 2012 and that gig lasted a year. i loved listening to bruce back in the day, and i listened to the podcasts while they were on but it wasn't the same. other than jersey boy pork roll he couldn't get any advertisers so he threw in the towel.
According to Wikipedia that's his business. :P

I used to listen in the 80s and 90s too. My folks loved it.

Paul
by stratton
Wed Jun 08, 2016 1:42 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Crazy housing market
Replies: 77
Views: 14711

Re: Crazy housing market

Latest NW Multiple Listing report

http://seattlebubble.com/blog/2016/06/0 ... time-high/

The inventory is waaaay low. Sales haven't hit the boom number of units.

Paul
by stratton
Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:22 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Financial Engines made a big move in my investments
Replies: 23
Views: 6686

Re: Financial Engines made a big move in my investments

AussieDad wrote:One thing I forgot to mention, is that I did elect to invest "aggressive for my age" when I originally signed up with FE.
The expected return of stocks is more than bonds over a long period of time. The best predictor of bond returns is their current yield which is really low right now.

If FE has an expected return of X% for a portfolio the decreased bond returns will require more stock to meet the goal.

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 05, 2016 10:27 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Crazy housing market
Replies: 77
Views: 14711

Re: Crazy housing market

itstoomuch wrote:No, we bought with inheritance, Seattle, 2015. Owner had the condo 2/2, unit for sale for 3 months, and had dropped the price twice. We were only bidders, a week after the 2nd price reduction.
Considering the market had 1 to 1.5 months inventory last year that owner was way over priced.

Paul
by stratton
Sun Jun 05, 2016 10:25 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Crazy housing market
Replies: 77
Views: 14711

Re: Crazy housing market

The Seattle real estate market is what happens when there is one month of inventory.

Tacoma and Pierce county is relatively plentiful with 2 to 2.5 months inventory.

Paul
by stratton
Fri Jun 03, 2016 7:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: TeamViewer users are being hacked in bulk
Replies: 2
Views: 962

TeamViewer users are being hacked in bulk

Change passwords. Consider uninstalling it if you're not using it.

One of my friends has it set to not autostart when their Mac is turned on.

TeamViewer users are being hacked in bulk, and we still don’t know how
Service blames password reuse for attacks used to drain financial accounts.
...
In the meantime, TeamViewer users should ensure their accounts are protected with a randomly generated password that's at least 10 characters long, contains numbers, symbols, and upper- and lower-case letters, and is unique. It's also a good idea to run TeamViewer only when it's truly needed, rather than allowing it to autostart each time a computer is turned on. How-To Geek has a thorough guide on locking down TeamViewer here.
Paul