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Quicken is making some changes. My credit union sent this to all their customers. I haven't received this from any other financial institutions, and I wasn't planning to upgrade. But if I had been planning to go with Quicken 2005, this would have stopped me. "Important information about Quicken...

I have a question for Cut-Throat or others with audio knowledge. I just bought two Polk Audio Monitor 40 bookshelf speakers to use for CDs, DVDs, TV, VCR, etc. They should arrive in a couple of days. These speakers each have two 5 1/4 inch woofers, so I'm hoping I can get by with these alone. I...

First question: I have some money set aside for goals other than retirement. I'm not sure when I'll spend it, so I want to keep it relatively liquid in case I need to access it. I'll probably spend most of it within two years. Anything not spent by then will go back into the retirement pot...

I just bought a Tracfone to use for emergencies. I noticed that existing users can refer new users and each party gets 100 free minutes (~$30.00). I haven't activated mine yet, so if anyone wants to refer me, send an instant message with your email address and I'll email you with mine. Details...

For those who enjoy getting under the hood, William Sharpe has posted some interesting observations about asset allocation and re-balancing. It's in three parts and it's quite long. I'm only part way through it: http://www.stanford.edu/~wfsharpe/art/princeton/prince0.htm He seems to be saying...

I haven't bought a stereo for 25 years and don't have a clue what I'm doing. The one I have now consists of a receiver, 2 big speakers, and a CD unit I bought to replace the turntable years ago. The receiver quit working. I will probably continue using the speakers and the CD. So I'm looking for...

I have individual TIPS and some are in a taxable account. My daughter is starting college, and if I can do a 1040A instead of a 1040, I will not be required to list my assets on the Student Aid application. The 1040A handles only interest, ordinary dividends, and cap gain distributions. Do TIPS...

I was just getting ready to call my mechanic to schedule some maintenance on my 2000 Honda Accord. I have about 50,000 miles on it. For years I have changed all the belts and coolant hoses periodically whether they appear to need it or not. I just preferred to avoid a breakdown at all costs. But...

I want to verify Vanguard's math regarding Yield to Maturity on a recent purchase of long term TIPS. The number I get is fairly close to theirs, but far enough off that I can't attribute it to rounding. I must be doing something wrong. So, what is the formula for determining YTM on long term...

For anyone who has been waiting for long term TIPS to come down in price, I just bought a bunch on the secondary market with a yield to maturity of 2.532%. They mature in 25 years.

I have a question for anyone who has an understanding of Monte Carlo simulators. The simulator I'm using is called Portfolio Survival Simulator http://www.portfoliosurvival.com/ and I like it because it enables me to input as many income streams and expense changes as I want. I don't really buy...

This may not appeal to everyone, but I just saved a couple hundred dollars on eyeglasses by buying online. I spend so much time at the computer that I decided to buy a pair of computer glasses. I also like to watch TV from a reclining position and have been wanting a pair for that (so I don't...

I'm in the process of becoming a member of Penfed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union). Others here have also expressed interest. In reading the fine print on the application I noticed there is a $15 per quarter charge for accounts with no activity. I emailed and told them it was my intent to open a...

Re: Retiring at 33, where to invest the money? Hi Ganda, You have a very long horizon. Perhaps something like this: 35% Vanguard Total Stock Market Fund 5% Vanguard REIT Fund 5% Vanguard High Yield Bond Fund 55% Individual TIPS

Re: Need the groups opinions/advice Hi Brit, Could you supply a few more details? --How much do you have in financial assets? --How is it invested? --Is 400 hours doable, or will it make you miserable for the next two years? --Is the pension indexed? --There are two of you, correct? Does your...

Re: Asset based or dividend based Good point, Jarhead. One thing I'm having trouble getting a feel for is how long term TIPS prices and yields will change as market conditions change. Would one be buying TIPS at the top now? If five years from now we had conditions similar to 1980, what would...

I've been pondering a significant shift in assets in preparation for ER in about 10 months. I would appreciate any comments. I'll be 52 when I leave the job, with 7 years before I can tap retirement funds. I have enough taxable money to carry me the distance without SEPP. I've examined cash flow...

I recently tripped upon this series of articles and it got me to thinking that I should be using every tool at my disposal: http://www.moneychimp.com/articles/risk/riskintro.htm So I'm looking for reasonably priced software that will enable me to use modern portfolio theory to determine the...

As we approach RE, my wife and I are trying to determine what we need to spend each month. We have 10+ years of Quicken data, so we know what we have been spending, and we plan to continue to spend at about that level, or a bit lower. But we don't really know "how low we can go" when we...

I found this to be a particularly well done analysis of demographic trends, savings rates, and government spending trends that will likely have an impact upon ER for most of us: http://www.403bwise.com/pdf/retirementcrisis_tiaa.pdf