Search found 119 matches
- Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: USAA 2.5% Cash Back Credit Card
- Replies: 278
- Views: 49873
Re: USAA 2.5% Cash Back Credit Card
Victoria, you just made my day. I've been checking the USAA website multiple times per month for almost a year to see when it would expand eligibility to NC. There seemed to be a regular pattern of adding new states until it just stopped around April. I thought it might have stalled or been cancelle...
- Fri Sep 08, 2017 3:02 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: NW ~$0. Advice for next steps please!
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1861
Re: NW ~$0. Advice for next steps please!
Congratulations, keep up the good work! You should have a party to celebrate. When my wife and I finally claw our way up to $0 NW (massive student loans), we're going to invite our friends over for a "zero party". We've been talking about it for years. Still have years to plan it...
- Fri Sep 08, 2017 2:53 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Contemplating an Electric Car
- Replies: 147
- Views: 10877
Re: Contemplating an Electric Car
The problem with this is the public l2 charging stations, suck. Half of them don't work while the others are iced. This is a huge advantage for Tesla which puts a good effort into keeping their chargers up and in good locations. Just curious, are you saying this from personal experience? Any non-Te...
- Tue Sep 05, 2017 8:13 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Has anyone ever experienced automatic collision notification in a car accident?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 1755
Re: Has anyone ever experienced automatic collision notification in a car accident?
I had a Mercedes that called 911 for me when I got rear-ended and totaled. I was still dazed and confused, my kids were screaming, I had no idea what was going on. But it was extremely helpful for my car to call for me. It didn't use my cell phone. I didn't even know it had that feature. The police ...
- Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:06 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
- Replies: 3498
- Views: 986362
Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
I just watched Spotlight because my wife got to pick the movie. She picked it because it won Best Picture a couple of years ago. I was not too enthused about watching a movie about investigative journalism - it sounded a little dry to me. But man, it was riveting.
- Fri Sep 01, 2017 9:32 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Ally savings rate raised to 1.20%
- Replies: 51
- Views: 8875
- Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:08 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Sigh...I'm ready for criticism...how am I doing?
- Replies: 50
- Views: 7406
Re: Sigh...I'm ready for criticism...how am I doing?
If it makes you feel any better, I'm a physician two years out of training (but 4 years older than you), married to another physician, and we are in a worse financial situation than you primarily due to our large med school debt (about 600k, combined). We have similar or slightly more savings, and h...
- Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Employer reimbursement for plugin hybrid charge cost?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1593
Re: Employer reimbursement for plugin hybrid charge cost?
This by the way is where a hybrid like a Prius is at its best. On the other hand, an electric-only car with limited battery capacity like a LEAF is in danger of running the battery down if you spend a lot of time in traffic jams in extremely hot or cold weather where the AC or heat may consume more...
- Wed Aug 23, 2017 4:23 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Employer reimbursement for plugin hybrid charge cost?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1593
Re: Employer reimbursement for plugin hybrid charge cost?
Electric engines (including in a plug-in hybrid) are so efficient that I would not imagine you would get reimbursed much if you submitted kilowatt-hours used. Even at a very inefficient worst-case scenario of 3 miles/kWh, you would be using around 33 kWh/100 miles. At the national average cost of $0...
- Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:30 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: How far would you travel to see The Eclipse?
- Replies: 259
- Views: 18425
Re: How far would you travel to see The Eclipse?
We made a medium-length drive to the mountains of western North Carolina to see totality. A hot and sunny day... until the hour before and after the eclipse, when a thunderstorm popped up and blotted out the sky at precisely the wrong moment. I was so excited to see the sun's usually hidden magnetic...
- Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:36 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Best place (with warm weather) to raise children
- Replies: 107
- Views: 21252
Re: Best place (with warm weather) to raise children
Asheville, NC is a mountain paradise and has excellent public schools.
- Sat Aug 05, 2017 3:32 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: only have 401k & emergency funds. what's next?
- Replies: 24
- Views: 2079
Re: only have 401k & emergency funds. what's next?
I'm in a similar situation - mid-30s, about 600k of medical school debt, not much retirement savings yet. I totally understand the feeling of wanting to build wealth. I think you have to look at paying off debt as building wealth; you'll have to eventually directly subtract that debt from your wealt...
- Mon Jul 31, 2017 9:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Dinner plates that do not get so hot after microwaving?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 8143
Re: Dinner plates that do not get so hot after microwaving?
Just a caution - dishware marked "microwave safe" can still get super hot. I know from unfortunate personal experience. "Microwave safe" seems to be more of a marketing term than an objective standard. I agree with all the Corelle recommendations though,
- Mon Jul 31, 2017 9:04 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Lexus Rx 350 or 450
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1327
Re: Lexus Rx 350 or 450
My wife has a 7-year-old RX 450h. She got it as a 3-year-old off-lease CPO from one of our local dealerships in the Research Triangle in North Carolina, where both 350 and 450h were in abundance. I would recommend the 450h over the 350 for the more refined and smooth driving experience, for not much...
- Mon Jul 31, 2017 5:18 am
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Tesla - next big lottery ticket ?
- Replies: 179
- Views: 20399
Re: Tesla - next big lottery ticket ?
I had this thought in 2013 (shortly after Model S came out) and put 1k of play money into TSLA (before I was a Boglehead). I'm still holding it, still just for fun. I didn't have more than 1k (of play money) at the time but of course there's the wistful thinking of wishing I had put more in. It's th...
- Sun Jul 30, 2017 2:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Questions about prescribed sunglasses
- Replies: 14
- Views: 1477
Re: Questions about prescribed sunglasses
All of my sunglasses are prescription. You can get any brand of eyeglasses or sunglasses at an eyeglasses shop turned into prescription sunglasses for an additional fee. You can use the same prescription as your eyeglasses. You are not limited to just one brand - I have 3 or 4 brands of prescription...
- Sat Jul 29, 2017 9:45 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Philosophy major and future law student
- Replies: 93
- Views: 6341
Re: Philosophy major and future law student
I majored in philosophy in college and wound up in medical school. I will admit that most of my colleagues in the major went to law school. However, I feel that philosophy is an excellent base coat on which to apply further studies. Nothing else really gives you that versatile critical reasoning ski...
- Sat Jul 29, 2017 8:57 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Tesla Model 3 or Chevy Bolt?
- Replies: 330
- Views: 38689
Re: Tesla Model 3 or Chevy Bolt?
A couple of days before committing to a reservation made a big difference. Here's my posted schedule:
First production: Mar - May 2018
Standard battery: May - Jul 2018
Dual motor: Dec 2018 - Feb 2019
Reserved first thing in morning on Apr 4, 2016. Not a Tesla owner, live in the Southeast.
First production: Mar - May 2018
Standard battery: May - Jul 2018
Dual motor: Dec 2018 - Feb 2019
Reserved first thing in morning on Apr 4, 2016. Not a Tesla owner, live in the Southeast.
- Fri Jul 28, 2017 2:18 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Commuters (that drive), what do you listen to?
- Replies: 60
- Views: 3793
Re: Commuters (that drive), what do you listen to?
NPR. Usually, All Things Considered or Marketplace syncs up with my commute.
- Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:19 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: GF Picking a college major
- Replies: 105
- Views: 7022
Re: GF Picking a college major
+1. I was a philosophy major. And now I'm actually a productive member of society.aristotelian wrote:+1, your college major is not a life sentence.
- Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where to View Total Eclipse? - Kansas City / Nashville et al
- Replies: 98
- Views: 7952
Re: Where to View Total Eclipse? - Kansas City
From that map, using the time of maximum eclipse when it just hits the US west coast to when it just leaves the US east coast, and measuring that distance using Google maps, I calculate that the "sweet spot" of the eclipse is travelling at Mach 2.148 (1648 mph)! Where's the XB-70 Valkyrie when we n...
- Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:05 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Where to View Total Eclipse? - Kansas City / Nashville et al
- Replies: 98
- Views: 7952
Re: Where to View Total Eclipse? - Kansas City
A couple of thoughts regarding eclipse traffic: 1. Traffic is expected to be so bad it's being compared to the "zombie apocalypse". https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/solar-eclipse-day-could-resemble-zombie-apocalypse-ncna785411 2. Thinking you'll be able to get around the big jam using traffic ap...
- Wed Jul 26, 2017 8:49 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What Car Should I Buy My Daughter as a Graduation Present
- Replies: 150
- Views: 12385
Re: What Car Should I Buy My Daughter as a Graduation Present
I think everyone is losing sight of the fact that she picked the Fit as a car she'd like to drive, and it's a totally acceptable, safe, and reliable option. Small size is a giant advantage when driving in the city, and not a huge safety liability on modern cars like it might have once been. The heav...
- Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:47 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Outside Pittsburgh short trip ideas
- Replies: 36
- Views: 2790
Re: Outside Pittsburgh short trip ideas
Agree with Falling Water and Ohiopyle
- Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Better hurry if you want a gas-engine Volvo
- Replies: 96
- Views: 6731
Re: Better hurry if you want a gas-engine Volvo
I drove a hybrid for 10 years and almost 100k miles and only got rid of it when there was an issue with the gasoline engine - never had a single issue with battery or electric drivetrain. Now I drive an all-electric car. Granted, I am lucky enough to have a garage (pretty rare in my city), but charg...
- Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:40 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Getting a new cooktop, gas vs electric?
- Replies: 72
- Views: 5470
Re: Getting a new cooktop, gas vs electric?
It may actually be cheaper to get an electrician to run a new circuit with higher gauge wire to your cooktop compared to plumbing a gas line, especially if your kitchen is somewhat near your circuit box. Can't hurt to get a quote.
- Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:12 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Lease New Car?
- Replies: 38
- Views: 4983
Re: Lease New Car?
It's true that most electrical power still comes from coal in the US, but most EVs that drive on coal-generated electrons still at least break even in terms of carbon footprint due to their markedly increased efficiency compared to ICE vehicles. And the electric grid is rather dramatically moving aw...
- Mon Jul 03, 2017 2:17 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Lease New Car?
- Replies: 38
- Views: 4983
Re: Lease New Car?
One small niche where leasing may make sense is in leasing electric cars (outside of Teslas). This market segment is improving so rapidly that owning one doesn't make much sense because you're guaranteed to be rapidly obsolete when new and improved battery technology comes out. A 5-year-old electric...
- Sat Jul 01, 2017 5:50 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: New cars w/ no CD player -- what can I do with my CDs?
- Replies: 47
- Views: 15081
Re: New cars w/ no CD player -- what can I do with my CDs?
They still make CDs? I think I bought my last one in 2006.
- Tue Jun 27, 2017 5:07 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Any Reason to Stay With USAA?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2240
Re: Any Reason to Stay With USAA?
To be sure, NFS is only the clearing firm for USAA funds, but the bottom line is that this still allows you to buy Fidelity funds without a transaction fee. I'm not sure if staying at USAA is right for you, but it is possible to have a pretty Boglehead-ish portfolio with Fido funds at USAA. See this...
- Sun Jun 25, 2017 7:42 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: [Sam's Club, Costco, BJ's, and other wholesaler clubs]
- Replies: 274
- Views: 19278
Re: Sam's Club vs. Costco
I've been a member at both. There's a reason the lines are longer at Costco. Quality is better all-around at Costco compared to Sam's, no contest. Plus I rarely wait more than 5 minutes even when it's a "zoo" - they typically have managers on the floor doing air traffic control and helping pre-scan ...
- Thu Jun 22, 2017 9:38 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Bogleheads: Please help me pick a new car
- Replies: 81
- Views: 9316
Re: Bogleheads: Please help me pick a new car
We've got a 6-year old Lexus RX 450h hybrid that has never had a single problem and has performed flawlessly. I would imagine the slightly smaller NX (also available in a hybrid, FYI) would be just as reliable. I had a NX loaner once and it handled nicely.
- Thu Jun 22, 2017 12:25 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Which High-Yield Online Savings Account Should I Open?
- Replies: 72
- Views: 12119
Re: Which High-Yield Online Savings Account Should I Open?
I've had online savings accounts with SFGI Direct, Synchrony, and now Ally. Strongly prefer Ally of the three because of their better online interface. The other two banks had difficulty synchronizing with my main financial hub (USAA), and that I cannot abide. I use my USAA page/app to keep track of...
- Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:57 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Which motorcyle?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 1979
Re: Which motorcyle?
I would do the same thing if someone posted asking for a recommendation for cigarettes. My life's work is generally fighting against those two things more than anything else - motorcycles (they cause TBI) and cigarettes (they cause strokes).
Please don't ride a motorcycle! I beg you!
Please don't ride a motorcycle! I beg you!
- Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:30 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Which motorcyle?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 1979
Re: Which motorcyle?
I'm a neurointensivist who frequently cares for devastating brain and spine injuries due to motorcycle accidents. What strikes me is how random the accident can be - it can be a seasoned pro who rides all the time and all it takes is someone in a car not paying attention. There are at least a few pe...
- Mon Jun 12, 2017 9:26 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Got a parking ticket - what to do?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 4504
Re: Got a parking ticket - what to do?
Another vote for ignoring it. Whether it was meant for you or not, it's not associated with you forevermore if the license plate isn't recorded correctly.
- Thu Jun 08, 2017 3:43 pm
- Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
- Topic: Does anyone feel they missed out on AMZN, NFLX,TSLA?
- Replies: 113
- Views: 12120
Re: Does anyone feel they missed out on AMZN, NFLX,TSLA?
TSLA is the only individual stock I've ever owned. I bought it about 4 years ago when the Model S came out and I took a test drive. I was convinced it was the future and bought some stock (not a Model S, sadly). This is before I was a Boglehead and I've never bought another individual stock since. I...
- Mon Jun 05, 2017 1:29 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Black and white laser printers
- Replies: 43
- Views: 3429
Re: Black and white laser printers
Personal experience with Brother HL-5470DW: going strong for about 5 years. Laser printer with black-and-white only. It's a totally reliable workhorse, never had a single problem. All of our printing is done wirelessly from iPads or iPhones.
- Sat May 06, 2017 5:50 am
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Student loan debt, PSLF, planning for future
- Replies: 37
- Views: 3516
Re: Student loan debt, PSLF, planning for future
Cautionary tale: my wife and I are both physicians who have massive combined student loan debt (over 600k) and have been paying by IBR while in training and early career (she's been out in the "real world" a few years longer because my residency/fellowship was so long). We have both worked for a 501...
- Sun Apr 30, 2017 8:35 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Turned down for umbrella policy
- Replies: 23
- Views: 4658
Re: Turned down for umbrella policy
We were turned down by USAA due to a minor at-fault scratch (not even an accident) and another at-fault accident (someone slammed on brakes in front of me). Unfortunately both were in the last few months so we'll be stuck with them for the next 5 years. I guess I'll be looking for an umbrella policy...
- Sat Apr 29, 2017 9:43 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: USAA 2.5% unlimited Cash back Card - Weird...
- Replies: 34
- Views: 5632
Re: USAA 2.5% unlimited Cash back Card - Weird...
I got a little excited when I saw this thread title come up because I've been waiting with bated breath for any news about new states being added to this card. Come on, NC!
- Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:16 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What online bank do you use?
- Replies: 82
- Views: 11189
Re: What online bank do you use?
Duplicate post
- Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:28 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What online bank do you use?
- Replies: 82
- Views: 11189
Re: What online bank do you use?
Ally Savings for emergency fund.
USAA for everything else - it's my online digital financial hub, with all other investment and loan accounts linked to my USAA web page.
USAA for everything else - it's my online digital financial hub, with all other investment and loan accounts linked to my USAA web page.
- Tue Apr 04, 2017 9:31 am
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Economics of Charging an Electric Car
- Replies: 85
- Views: 7971
Re: Economics of Charging an Electric Car
Unlike gasoline cars, electric cars are able to take advantage of free level 2 charging at various places around town. Usually this isn't enough to really bank on because you still do the majority of your charging in your garage, but it is a benefit. I happen to have multiple free public chargers wi...
- Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:58 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: What Do You Keep In Your Bank Safe Deposit Box?
- Replies: 66
- Views: 9605
Re: What Do You Keep In Your Bank Safe Deposit Box?
Safety deposit boxes seem so twentieth-century. You can get new copies of all the most important documents, and digital redundancy is better achieved through local backups and multiple cloud backups. And keeping valuable investments out of the financial growth cycle seems very un-Bogleheadish. This ...
- Fri Mar 10, 2017 7:46 pm
- Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
- Topic: Where to go from here? Paid off Student Loan.
- Replies: 5
- Views: 909
Re: Where to go from here? Paid off Student Loan.
Congratulations! I'm incredibly jealous and hope to be in your position one of these years. When that day comes, I'm going to have a nice party and then start plowing all that extra money into VTSAX in taxable, just like you suggest. I'll have to start sharply adjusting the proportion of bond funds ...
- Tue Mar 07, 2017 2:27 pm
- Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
- Topic: Are Fiat Cars Junk?
- Replies: 71
- Views: 6783
Re: Are Fiat Cars Junk?
I second the comment about the Nissan Leaf. I don't own one but I know several people who do and they're all happy with it. Obviously it's not practical for road trips. The newer ones get about 100 miles a charge, but the batteries do slightly degrade over time so I would conservatively plan on no m...
- Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:40 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Buy a house? But there's a student loan elephant in the room
- Replies: 65
- Views: 6095
Re: Buy a house? But there's a student loan elephant in the room
Well, I'm honored. Jim, your blog started me on the path of financial awakening and led me to Bogleheads while I was still in fellowship training. To answer a few other points: - DW does see a salary increase in the near future, though family medicine is just among the lower-compensated specialties,...
- Fri Mar 03, 2017 4:41 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Buy a house? But there's a student loan elephant in the room
- Replies: 65
- Views: 6095
Buy a house? But there's a student loan elephant in the room
I've learned a lot from the Bogleheads over the last year or two since discovering the site (and waking up as an investor). My wife and I are both physicians who recently finished training (2 years ago for family doc DW; 6 months ago for neurologist me). As such, we have an unbelievable mountain of ...
- Fri Mar 03, 2017 4:22 pm
- Forum: Investing - Help with Personal Investments
- Topic: Ever dip your feet into individual stocks?
- Replies: 63
- Views: 4852
Re: Ever dip your feet into individual stocks?
I bought 10 shares of TSLA in June 2013. I think it was around $100/share at the time. This before I knew the ways of Bogle. It still remains the only single stock I've ever owned. My position is now worth just over $2500. At this point it's just a curiosity more than anything else. We'll see where ...