Bogleheads.org

dandan14

Don't forget the key issue: are they dying before you or after? What is in their wills? Are you asking what happens if the child dies? I've never considered that. I know that it is easy to change the beneficiary of 529s. I'm not sure how it works on an ESA. I am fixated on my estate at this point i...

dandan14

Don't forget the key issue: are they dying before you or after? What is in their wills? Are you asking what happens if the child dies? I've never considered that. I know that it is easy to change the beneficiary of 529s. I'm not sure how it works on an ESA. The other issue of course is how ESAs wil...

dandan14

Anyone have any insight on the smartest way to title a Coverdell ESA account? Should it be in my name with my children as beneficiaries or should it be in their names? Are there pros/cons to each? (For example, will having it one way or the other make it easier to spend, impact financial aid, etc.)

dandan14

Mr. Gatti wrote:Ever seen the show "Property Ladder"? If the lead guy has been so successful, why do they need you to buy the property? Caveat emptor.

Yeah...that smells a little fishy to me too. High risk.

dandan14

This is very interesting, because I've been seeking out a similar deal. However, I'm not looking to lend to consumers. What I've been thinking about (and apparently these deals are plentiful) is doing hard money lending to house flippers. From what I've read, the going rate is 4 points with 12%. Len...

dandan14

I have a very common problem of way too much paper in the house. I have nearly 20 years of tax returns in my file cabinet for starters. Does anyone know of a way (or a company I can pay) to scan all of that stuff and digitize it? It is certainly not something that would be cost effective for me to s...

dandan14

Repairs This is the estimated expense for repairs not covered by the vehicle manufacturer's warranties over the five years from the date of purchase, assuming 15,000 miles are driven annually. We estimate this expense based on the cost of a typical "zero deductible" extended warranty for ...

dandan14

In 2010, I bought a 2007 Toyota Avalon that had 38k miles. For the first time, I seriously considered an extended warranty because this is an expensive car that likely is expensive to maintain. Toyota seemed to have a credible extended warranty (as far as that goes). However, the warranty had wiggl...

dandan14

I'm afraid this thread has deviated away from my original question. I KNOW they are typically rip-offs. I agree they are insurance products. I agree that you are pre-paying for repairs you may never need. I agree that most cars are very reliable and will likely not need any repairs until after 100k ...

dandan14

http://www3.ambest.com/ratings/default.asp

dandan14

Very interesting. You make a good point about roadside assistance.
I pay $13/year for that through Geico. So in a 7 year warranty (4 years beyond factory warranty), that's a tangible value of $52. Ok....we're getting somewhere.

(Assuming those 2 coverages are apples to apples.)

dandan14

I'm curious what you guys think about something. I've long been of the opinion (and still am) that extended warranties on cars are a complete rip off. But....at what price do they become a good deal? Does anyone have payout data? (For example, I believe health/life insurance companies have a 80%+ pa...

dandan14

I'm retired at 25 and wrote a (pseudonymous) article that partially discusses my thinking: http://voices.yahoo.com/why-retire-lima-peru-11818472.html You can tell the article is for a 25-year old's concerns because it doesn't even mention heath care :) You can definitely hugely reduce costs - you j...

dandan14

Oddly enough, I think the "idea" is the easy part. Implementation is the hard part. We did some brainstorming exercises in business school where we started with random words as "company names" and had to come up with that that company did. In 10 minutes, we had a whiteboard full ...

dandan14

Mike Piper's Social Security book goes into several different scenarios depending on age and SS earnings. http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Made-Simple-Retirement/dp/0981454283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355078471&sr=8-1&keywords=mike+piper Jill Schlesinger also addresses some concepts ...

dandan14

Latest draft. Because of the color scheme, I think this will work better as a poster than as a shirt.

Click for full size.

dandan14

I agree. I'd like to get more words on there too. Let me think about how I might be able to do that. Maybe I could compile the wiki or something. Would it be possible to come up with our own compilation of words and phrases and use that? Yes...but it takes more words than you think. I think I have ...

dandan14

I agree. I'd like to get more words on there too.
Let me think about how I might be able to do that. Maybe I could compile the wiki or something.

dandan14

Ok....so if you step back a bit, it looks like Jack. Sort of.

dandan14

Glad to see this post. My dad would tell me about Pearl Harbor every December 7. (He was just a kid, but saw WWII America from a child's eyes.) I asked some of my co-workers on a conference call this morning, and not many knew what Dec. 7 was. Interestingly enough, I also mentioned to a co-worker ye...

dandan14

Interesting thought. I'll see what happens with words like
Bogle, Boglehead, or even "stay the course."

dandan14

I tried to hide all usernames and common words...but looks like I missed a few.

dandan14

What do you think about this? (Link to "This is pretty neat (Bogleheads tag cloud" thread.) BTW I love the T-shirt above. I think people would see that t-shirt and actually go to the website! That's a good idea. Attached below is the one I made last night (that I posted in the other threa...

dandan14

Ok...this is pretty neat. I found a site called Tagxedo and pointed it at some bogleheads content. In a few seconds, I had this:

dandan14

If I could buy a used phone on ebay for cheap, i'd give it a whirl. But buying a $300 phone retail is too rich for my blood. At least until I have some assurance that the service is solid. Then I'd be willing to take the plunge and get paid back through monthly savings.

dandan14

The problem with this is that a company doesn't have to have a 401(k) plan and they certainly don't have to match at all. Be careful what you wish for... I agree. But on the other hand, to send it out worded in such a way, while touting how world-class your 401k is, is no way to treat your employee...

dandan14

Dandan, Do you mind to share what kind of match you are getting that makes your "401(k) plans among the best in the industry" I agree...it probably is in the top quartile of company matches. They match dollar for dollar up to 5%. The 401k used to be a 3% match on up to 6% savings -- but t...

dandan14

What happens if you leave the employment of the company prior to the date the annual contribution is made? Wow...I didn't catch it the first time I read it, but lower in the email it says: "You must be employed on December 15 of each year to receive your company contribution for that year.&quo...

dandan14

Interesting email today from my company 401k administrator: Beginning January 1, 2013, we will be changing the timing of the match and automatic contribution for our 401(k) plan from semi-monthly to an annual contribution at the end of the year. The percentage of the match and automatic contribution...

dandan14

Fee-only advisors typically have 3 ways they get paid. Hourly: Typically $150-$350/hr. Retainer: depends on your situation Percentage of assets: Typically 1% or less For hourly advisors, they are just that, hourly. That likely do not have access to your accounts, and you go to them for advice, secon...

dandan14

In 2010, we had insurance with very high premiums ($1000/month). Part of the benefit was $500 baby delivery.

In 2012, we had an HSA. Very low premiums ($200/month) and about $8000 out of pocket for delivery.

Neither of these had any complications.

dandan14

That would be like going back to visit the car salesman after you've already bought a car. He has one goal -- and that is to sell you a fund. He's not going to agree with you, since his compensation depends on him not.

dandan14

Hmm....so putting in 10k a year for the next several years and then having rates move would mean moving that money over to some other vehicle. I could only reinvest 10k at the new rates. Interesting. When the inflation rate goes up, it goes up for all bonds. One choice is to keep what you have and ...

dandan14

Hmm....so putting in 10k a year for the next several years and then having rates move would mean moving that money over to some other vehicle. I could only reinvest 10k at the new rates. Interesting.

dandan14

Quick question about ibonds. One of the advantages of ibonds is that you can sell them at par without penalty (after a year). Let's say I buy 10k of ibonds in 2012 and in 2015 the fixed rate on ibonds goes up to 1%. Clearly I will want to cash out and take advantage of the better rate. Will I be lim...

dandan14

Another necessary component is what might be called "Strategic Wisdom Planning", the strategic cultivation of the family members' individual and collective wisdom so that wise use can and will be made of family's wealth (and other potential-goods) in order that the family's wealth may ben...

dandan14

I continue to consult Estate Planning for Financial Planners by Dalton when I have a question. It is a text book (from my CFP program) and an excellent resource.

You can pick up a used copy on amazon for a few dollars. (But don't get one that is too old, or else too much will have changed.)

dandan14

Your thinking is right on. Now that you have the emergency fund, focusing on getting the mortgage to 20% mark should be one of your top priorities. Once you've done that, you can refi with a low cost provider like PenFed (penfed.org) and get a much better rate and get rid of PMI. At the same time, l...

dandan14

I would wager that money spent on cell phones is directly inversely proportional to age. (The younger you are, the higher the bill.) However, I would also guess that other expenses such as land lines, cable, etc. would be lower for the younger crowd. And...just to weigh in....I'm on Boost Mobile's $...

dandan14

Hate to burst your bubble, DanDan. The liability associated with kids rideing around in a limo is far higher than the $5 charged to enter - not even worth thinking about. There may be some liability....but I'm not sure it would be YOUR liability, it would fall under the limo operator. Just brainsto...

dandan14

I love it. Pajamas might be difficult. I've never seen those customized and it would likely be a higher price point. Tshirts on the other hand would be a low price point and fairly simple to order. Likely $5 to order, sell at $10. Tossing another idea out there.....(just brainstorming) What if you r...

dandan14

Maybe something black with white text.

dandan14

National Mortgage Alliance offers explicit "no cost" loans. Easiest way to get there is to Google "National Mortgage Alliance no cost". Amerisave, Aimloan, and Firstib all offer sliding scales of rates and closing costs. Depending on your loan balance, you may be able to get a r...

dandan14

"Honk if you're invested in a diversified mix of low-cost, indexed mutual funds that you periodically rebalance according to an asset allocation developed in accordance to your own risk tolerance!" JJ I love that quote. Would look great on the back of a shirt. How about we crowd source so...

dandan14

Boost is on the sprint network. So if you switch from Sprint to Boost, you will have the same coverage. PagePlus uses Verizon's network. StraightTalk has contracts with 3 (or is it 4 now) carriers. The phone you pick will dictate which network you are on. Verizon clearly has the largest / best cover...

dandan14

I usually try to give our interns a few words of wisdom on being smart with their new found salaries. My advice is to keep living the "college" lifestyle and save as much as possible for as long as possible. Unfortunately, most of them seem to not be strong enough to resist the lure of a n...

dandan14

Hello all. I wanted to update you on my decision. I have decided to wait for the pension payouts or entertain any future offer if offered. I spent alot of time looking at the numbers - re reading all your collective responses and reading other threads here. I feel good waiting and agree with the 3 ...

dandan14

Are you saying, I do not have to pay for membership fee if I get gift cards online from Costco's website? That would be great. Please let me know. Right now, I use FIDO AMEX for 2% on everything so i get my rewards but if I can save extra $110.00 per year great. :moneybag Thanks. From Costco's webs...

dandan14

(I also find this ironic, because they will sell you a membership for $110 that allows you to earn 2% cash back.) I'm not sure why this is ironic. Provided you spend enough, the additional 2% from the "executive" membership is worth it. It doesn't replace credit card cash back, it stacks ...

dandan14

(I also find this ironic, because they will sell you a membership for $110 that allows you to earn 2% cash back.) I'm not sure why this is ironic. Provided you spend enough, the additional 2% from the "executive" membership is worth it. It doesn't replace credit card cash back, it stacks ...

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