Search found 34 matches

by Sid
Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Math/MS Access question
Replies: 12
Views: 1141

Re: Math/MS Access question

Thanks all for the help. I understand the difference between the two types of averages after your explanations. Makes sense now.
by Sid
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:53 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Math/MS Access question
Replies: 12
Views: 1141

Re: Math/MS Access question

Tdubs wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:49 pm
Sid wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:08 pm
InvestmentName, SumOfDollarAmt, SumOfSharesTrans, AvgSharePrice
Vanguard S&P 500, $33,062.15, 293.84, $116.08

But if you simply divide (33,062.15)/(293.15) = 112.78
This doesn't explain the $4 difference, but why are the shares 293.84 on the first line but 293.15 on the second?

I'd agree with the earlier poster, this sounds like an average of averages problem.
Oops. That is a typo. Should be 293.84. So (33,062.15)/(293.84) = 112.52
by Sid
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:36 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Math/MS Access question
Replies: 12
Views: 1141

Re: Math/MS Access question

fortfun wrote: Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:23 pm I'd use Excel. Access is a terrible program, IMHO. I know, not your question.
The both have their pros and cons. I use both, but I like Access for entering and storing data. But then I have been using it since it first came out.
by Sid
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:34 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Math/MS Access question
Replies: 12
Views: 1141

Re: Math/MS Access question

"AvgSharePrice is an average of averages, so it won't be accurate."

Actually, it is the average of a calculated value. PurchaseCost/ShareNum = SharePrice

And Access is taking the average of all the calculated shareprices.
by Sid
Sat Jan 11, 2020 9:08 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Math/MS Access question
Replies: 12
Views: 1141

Math/MS Access question

I should be able to figure out the answer to this question since I have a Math minor, but it escapes me for some reason. I am entering my investment transactions in MS Access. Just a few simple fields like this: Date InvestmentName TransactionType Cost ShareNumber Then I built a query that calculates Share Price by dividing Cost/ShareNumber. If I use Access to then find the average share price for all transaction it is different than if I first sum all the Costs and sum all the ShareNumbers then divide. Like this: SumOfCosts/SumOfShareNumbers It is different by a few dollars. Here are the actual numbers. This is from the Access query with the average of all the calculated Share Prices: InvestmentName, SumOfDollarAmt, SumOfSharesTrans, AvgSh...
by Sid
Tue Dec 18, 2018 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Paint adhesion issue (painted table)
Replies: 3
Views: 390

Re: Paint adhesion issue (painted table)

This is odd. You would expect problems with adhesion to the original polished wood veneer, but not the primer. Normally, any kind of paint adheres well to the sound primer (oil or latex). An oil based primer was the right choice. I would lightly sand the primer with 120 or higher grit sandpaper and make sure the surface is clean. I'm assuming your current satin paint is latex. It may help to use an oil based enamel. Also, make sure there is nothing on the primer, like a wax or polish, before you apply the paint. Use a top quality paint.
by Sid
Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Honda Care Extended Warranty experience?
Replies: 56
Views: 68304

Re: Honda Care Extended Warranty experience?

I wouldn't buy it. I did buy it once for a 1999 Accord, and when I tried to use it I was told that problem was not covered by the extended warranty because no parts were required to be replaced. Briefly, the accelerator pedal was sticking causing surging when starting from a stop. It was pretty dangerous. The solution was to clean the throttle body with carb cleaner. The dealer charged about $100 to clean it (I think, it was a long time ago). But because no parts were replaced, Honda Care did not cover the cost, according to the dealer. I have since learned how to clean it myself in about 15 minutes.
by Sid
Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
Replies: 760
Views: 149465

Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

I really enjoyed the Red Rising Saga (a trilogy) by Pierce Brown. There is a lot of violence though, so be warned.

I enjoyed all of the prequels and sequels about Dune written by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. I always look forward to their next book.
by Sid
Wed Jan 24, 2018 12:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Excel for Personal Finance Accounting ?
Replies: 41
Views: 8576

Re: Excel for Personal Finance Accounting ?

I'm in the same situation as the OP, except I used MS Money until it went extinct, then switched to Quicken. I will not pay a subscription and keep my data on their server. I might try GnuCash based on the comments here, but I am actually considering simplifying my life by not tracking every transaction anymore. I currently download or enter every transaction whether it is checking, credit cards, investing, etc. But I ask myself why? Why not just go to the latest Vanguard statement or website if I want to know what is up with my Vanguard investments. In 40 years of doing this I have never found a mistake in my bank or investment statements. So why worry about it. I have had fraudulent credit card charges, but the credit card company actuall...
by Sid
Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bicycle wheels - what's a reasonable budget
Replies: 48
Views: 4971

Re: Bicycle wheels - what's a reasonable budget

Dieharder wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 5:14 pm Slower though on the hills compared to rest of group for reasons I still haven't figured out fully. May be it is the stock wheels, may be it is gearing and technique, or just not enough experience in the group.
I find it is usually the engine that is to blame... I have to replace my wheels about every 20k miles because they wear out and the rims crack. So I go for durability, not speed. I have 85,000 miles on my steel bike frame and I am on my 4th set of wheels. I go for min of 32 spokes, but I don't race either.
by Sid
Thu Jun 29, 2017 9:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Vanguard upgraded my accounts - angry [Brokerage Services]
Replies: 222
Views: 39143

Re: Vanguard upgraded my accounts - angry

I use Quicken to automatically download account information. I have four VG accounts (with four account numbers) and they all four get downloaded into the a corresponding Quicken account. Will this still work after I upgrade to a Brokerage account that only has one account number?
by Sid
Thu Aug 25, 2016 3:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Honda maintenance schedule?
Replies: 57
Views: 20177

Re: Honda maintenance schedule?

I'm on my 4th Honda. If I were you, I would change my engine air filter and my cabin air filter and that is it. I noticed someone said they changed the transmission fluid at 30k. IMO that is just a waste of money. Nothing to be gained by replacing perfectly good trans fluid.
by Sid
Wed Jun 15, 2016 10:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Any app recs for finance/budgeting?
Replies: 9
Views: 1545

Re: Any app recs for finance/budgeting?

BlueShoe wrote:Quicken for a long time, then switched to Moneydance.
So why did you switch and how does it compare to Quicken?
by Sid
Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Dental Insurance
Replies: 53
Views: 7350

Re: Dental Insurance

I know there have been many posts on dental insurance and the general consensus seems to be that it's barely worth it. I've not purchased any since retiring but am again looking around. So Delta Dental has this plan with the following provisions: Deductible per calendar year per person: $0 Maximum per calendar year per person: $0 The thing is, the annual premium is just $105 (to cover just me), which to me is in the too good to be true category. Am I missing something? I bet you are missing something, that sounds like too good of a deal. Or maybe it is that maximum benefit per year shown above. It wouldn't take long to reach zero :) I do think that dental costs are outrageous. I recently bought a couple of crowns and they were about $1500 ...
by Sid
Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:15 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: GE Synchrony Share Exchange
Replies: 50
Views: 10720

Re: GE Synchrony Share Exchange

I don't know if this is a good deal or not, but last time I was involved in something similar was when Disney divested itself of its radio stations by converting so many shares each investors Disney stock to X number of shares in Citadel. Not long after the value of the stock for Citadel went to near zero. This action was involuntary for the Disney investor. Thanks a lot Disney!

This GE offer is different in that we are being given a choice whether we want Synchrony stock or not. Personally, I have already thrown my paperwork away, because I have such a bad taste in my mouth from the Disney experience.
by Sid
Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:48 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Homeowners Insurance Claim Question
Replies: 10
Views: 1767

Re: Homeowners Insurance Claim Question

Last time I collected insurance for a roof due to hail damage, the insurance co sent me a check for half the cost and only paid the rest after proof was provided that the roof had been replaced. This was in Texas.
by Sid
Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1713007

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

I just finished reading "Seed to Harvest" by the late science fiction author Ocatvia E. Butler. This was a compilation of four of her books. It was excellent.

For some reason I only discovered her writings about 8 months ago, but I am really enjoying her books now. Before this one I read "Lilith's Brood" which was also a compilation, and it was a fantastic read. I don't know how I can claim to be sci fi fan and only recently discovered her writings. Odd. Anyway, I highly recommend her books.
by Sid
Fri May 29, 2015 11:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for a DVR device for antenna TV (Simple.TV?)
Replies: 48
Views: 22329

Re: Looking for a DVR device for antenna TV (Simple.TV?)

DennisTheMenace wrote:I use a Magnavox DVR I purchased at Walmart. It's worked fine for several years. I used it on cable initially and it continues to work fine after I dropped cable and started using an antenna. The model currently for sale is the Magnavox MDR557H/F7. It's also available from Amazon.com.

Dennis
This is my solution also. It has a High Def tuner and records to an internal hard drive. If you decide to keep the recordede program, you can write it to a DVD. You can select the quality of your recording. The higher the quality the more hard disk space it takes. For me it works fine.
by Sid
Fri Apr 17, 2015 11:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is 2007 Accord 60K mile service worth $300?
Replies: 54
Views: 19388

Re: Is 2007 Accord 60K mile service worth $300?

katnok wrote:Here is what they are going to do:

1. Change the engine oil and oil filter
2. Rotate the tires.
3. Inspect the front and rear brakes.
4. Check all fluid levels and conditions.
5. Check brake lines and hoses, cooling system hoses and connections and fuel line hoses.
6. Replace spark plugs.
7. Replace air cleaner element
8. Replace brake fluid
9. Inspect or replace drive belts.
I typically do all this myself, but $300 is not a bad price for this amount of work. Replacing the brake fluid is not much fun for the home mechanic. I find as I get older, I am more willing to pay for the things that require me to lay flat on my back under the car :happy
by Sid
Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
Replies: 760
Views: 149465

Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

An oldie but goodie is "The World at the End of Time" by Frederik Pohl.

Also, if you liked Frank Herbert's "Dune" you might like the sequels and prequels by his son, Brian Herbert, and Kevin Anderson. I think Dune is one of the best books ever written in any genre, and I have enjoyed all the books by Brian and Kevin. Some I liked more than others, but I always look forward to their next Dune book.
by Sid
Fri May 17, 2013 2:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1561417

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

"A Feast of Crows" by George R. R. Martin. The 4th book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I am really enjoying this series. What blows my mind is that I am an avid reader and yet I didn't know about these well written books until HBO did the TV series Game of Thrones based upon the novels. And yet the first book was published in 1996. It is funny how you can always be on the lookout for good books and yet miss something this obvious. These stories are kind of like a cross between the more adult versions of the King Arthur novels (Bernard Cornwell) and the Lord of the Rings novels with more violence and sex thrown in for good measure. "Invisible Armies: An epic history of guerilla warfare from ancient times to ...
by Sid
Sat Mar 14, 2009 4:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What does a trillion dollars look like?
Replies: 16
Views: 2903

tj218 wrote: Produced isn't the right word.....


mined? extracted? sifted?
I guess extracted would be the right word. Since you mine and then process gold, unless you are lucky enough to just find nuggets in a stream or somewhere. Gold is actually created only during a supernova explosion of a star. These gold atoms then disperse throughout the galaxy to later be incorporated during the later formation of another star system, like ours.
by Sid
Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:31 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What does a trillion dollars look like?
Replies: 16
Views: 2903

[quote="baw703916"]$1 Trillion = a sphere of gold 15 meters in diameter (assuming $900/troy ounce).

And that would equal about 1/9 of all the gold ever produced by man.
by Sid
Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Best car insurance
Replies: 50
Views: 9895

I switched to Hartford/AARP from Allstate a few years ago, and saved 2 or 3 hundred dollars per year. I also checked with Geico and they were more expensive at the time. Haven't had a need to file a claim, knock on wood.
by Sid
Mon May 12, 2008 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What if your careless neighbors dent and scratch your car?
Replies: 26
Views: 37711

Stuff happens. About 10 years ago, I had recently purchased a new car and, like you, I would park at the far side of the parking lot so no one would dent it. One day, I came out of a Walmart on a windy day, having parked at the very end of the mostly empty parking lot, and I'll be darned if a shopping cart had not blown all the way across the lot and T-boned my new car :shock: . After that I just gave up and decided not to worry about the little dings and scratches, too much. :)
by Sid
Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:05 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why not nationalize Bear Stearns?
Replies: 24
Views: 4990

Money from Nothing

And where does the Fed get this money they are lending everyone? Are they printing it or borrowing it from the Chinese?
by Sid
Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:24 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Article on future returns
Replies: 9
Views: 2295

Article on future returns

Here is an interesting article from Fortune mag that predicts the stock market will continue downward because stocks are too expensive. Near the end of the article, his predictions on future earnings are in line with what I have heard from Mr. Bogle based upon hysterical averages.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/27/news/ec ... /index.htm

In case I can't post a url, here it is in text.

money.cnn.com/2007/11/27/news/economy/tully_meltdown.fortune/index.htm
by Sid
Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: You just found a briefcase filled with $1M in $100 bills...
Replies: 57
Views: 17090

It depends, but if you wanted to pay off the national debt with $100 bills it would take you 1,435 years assuming you could count off 2 bills per second, 24 hrs per day, 365 days a year. :shock:
by Sid
Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:16 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Cash Edge TSP problem
Replies: 8
Views: 3042

I guess they have updated the program because I didn't have any problem linking to my TSP today.

However, once the information was imported into Vanguard, their portfolio analysis program didn't seem to know how to handle the TSP L 2030 fund. It just lists it as "Other". I can go in and manually identify it as a mutual fund or stock, but then it wants a stock symbol and the TSP L2030 does not have a stock symbol.

Does anyone know a way to get the correct information associated with the L2030 fund into the portfolio analysis?
by Sid
Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:55 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Musings on Bogle's Article
Replies: 9
Views: 2718

Musings on Bogle's Article

I posted this a while back at the end of a long thread and no one commented. On the off chance that people didn't comment because not many read it, and not because it isn't an interesting topic, I thought I would post it again. From the Daedalus article "Democracy in corporate America", Bogle states. • No mutual-fund or private-pension manager has ever sponsored a proxy resolution that was opposed by management. • Not a single institutional manager testi fied before Congress regarding the expensing of executive stock options. • No institutional investor testified before Congress about the most signifi- cant piece of legislation affecting public companies in the last seventy years, the Sarbanes-Oxley reform bill. • Among the some s...
by Sid
Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Never own your home outright, Never pay it off
Replies: 114
Views: 41980

A 100k loan at 5% over 30 years = 93k in interest. Over 15 years = 42k in interest. The difference is 52k you could have invested or spent on something else. Bottom line is I like earning interest not paying interest.

Sid
by Sid
Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:56 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Did you watch OUR guy J Bogle?
Replies: 51
Views: 16968

Also from the Daedalus article "Democracy in corporate America", Bogle states. • No mutual-fund or private-pension manager has ever sponsored a proxy resolution that was opposed by management. • Not a single institutional manager testi fied before Congress regarding the expensing of executive stock options. • No institutional investor testified before Congress about the most signifi- cant piece of legislation affecting public companies in the last seventy years, the Sarbanes-Oxley reform bill. • Among the some seventeen thousand responses to the Securities and Exchange Commission (sec) proposal to grant institutions limited access to proxies in order to nominate corporate directors, no large shareholder demanded more substantial a...
by Sid
Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:26 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: TSP G fund
Replies: 10
Views: 3361

The G fund is a good no risk bond type fund that has not returned much in recent years, like most interest bearing accounts.

As for the 10% penalty, I believe that also applies to the TSP unless you have extenuating circumstances such as a documented financial hardship.
by Sid
Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:04 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Avatar test
Replies: 68
Views: 40592

avatar test

testing