Things you have learned on the forum

[UnrealizedPotential]

I will go first. When I first joined this forum, I always ran my sentences together with no space in between. Of course, I have corrected this. Anyone else want to share? It could be anything at all you have learned. Investing or otherwise.

 

[aja8888]

I've learned to use the "delete post" button at times, but sometimes not soon enough.

 

[Gumby]

This is where I first learned about I-Bonds, a little over a year ago. I also learned that I can't make a Roth conversion with an RMD. There are a million other things, I'm sure, but those are two that just popped into my head.

 

[disneysteve]

This is where I learned all about T bills and brokered CDs. I knew nothing about them before and they now make up a good chunk of our portfolio paying as much as 4.95% interest.

 

[braumeister]

I learned to evaluate advice carefully.

As it says in our Community Rules,

Do your own due diligence! People who are professionals in a variety of fields post on this forum and share their general knowledge. Many of them are brilliant. Some are doofi.
Information obtained from professionals (or from anyone for that matter) who are participants in this forum should be not be relied on when making important life decisions. Their posts are not intended to be professional advice. Their posts may not be accurate, applicable or complete for your own unique situation.

 

[jollystomper]

This is where I first learned about I-Bonds, a little over a year ago.

I Bonds jumped to my mind quickly as well. They were being discussed on this forum light years ahead of most other places, especially the media.

Roth IRAs and all of the conversion/withdrawal aspects. We were never eligible to have Roth IRAs until after I retired, so the bulk of my practical education on them and conversions has come from this forum.

Withdrawing taxes owed from one's 401K at the end of the year, since it is treated as ongoing withholding, was a technique I learned here that has served me well.

 

[JoeWras]

Roth conversions in the ER period when I have no income, before social security. That nugget got me hooked here.

 

[Love This Community]

This is where I learned / am learning about FIRE. Including I-bonds, after tax brokerage accounts, LBYM, 4% rule, SORR, and more importantly to stay invested and not get panicked during the market ups and downs.

 

[wdwwildbill]

Been lurking for a couple of years and only have a few posts as I am absorbibg it all in.
Leaning so much !! Firecalc , FIRE , what I will need to be sure I have as safe as possible retirement ,,,, Lot's of investing ideas and now learning and doing T Bills
Awesomw stuff and people here !!!!

 

[steelyman]

I bonds (like many).

Also a great deal of information to help understand the Medicare/supplement/Advantage maze.

Although I never used it, it seemed there was a lot of useful information when the PPACA was coming online.

 

[Car-Guy]

I learned this in high school but I practice it everywhere, including here.

A smart man only believes half of what he reads or hears; a wise man knows which half to believe.

Another wise man once said, "Trust but Verify"

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I learned that LBYM actually means living BELOW your means and not living BEYOND your means as I originally thought.
I still read it as beyond and then have to correct myself.

 

[jimbee]

Feelings override data.

 

[Dtail]

Brokered CD's
Roth conversions window before RMD's
Social Security receipt delaying concepts
Retirement calculators
Did already figure out the MAGI income control concept for ACA purposes on my own.

 

[JDARNELL]

I have learned the pay off mortgage vs invest topic is a never ending circular discussion. Also about IRMAA from our resident expert, COLA calculation by the govt again from our resident expert, and also just recently about ACA subsidies and Medicare thresholds. Well the last one I haven't learned quiet enough yet but in time it will come! All good stuff!

JDARNELL

 

[aaronc879]

I have learned a lot over the 15+ years I have been on this forum. The earliest thing that comes to mind is that when I first started here I was very new to investing and I was contributing monthly to a ROTH at AG Edwards. The fees were crazy. I asked if that was normal and got several quick replies saying it was far from normal. They asked why I wasn't using Vanguard. I wasn't using Vanguard because I had never hear of Vanguard. I fixed that problem quick. Now I help other people as much or more than I get help.

 

[audreyh1]

I learned that some people actually use dryer sheets!

On a more serious note this forum has helped me work through and prepare for major financial changes such as ACA, new tax laws, SS and Medicare, RMD changes, etc. And how to navigate shingles and other vaccines!

 

[MichaelB]

So many things, so much knowledge here, where to begin. Perhaps top of the list are:

- Never post before morning coffee

- Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day

 

[iloveyoga]

This bb is where I first read about COVID affecting daily lives.

 

[Dash man]

I learned a ton about bonds and buying brokered CDs. There’s so much knowledge spread among the members here, and I’m thankful for everyone willing to share.

 

[Romer]

I have learned a lot

- Roth Conversions and Tax implications

- Income related to Medicare being two years early than plan year to determine cost

- The window of 60 and 61 years old where you don't get a Social Security COLA, but do get a wage adjustment. Fortunately this time they were close to each other

- Knobs to use on Firecalc to better use the tool

- Other books to read

- The back and forth on complex issues has been helpful even when there isn't a consensus

- Insightful posts on different reasons to retire and what to do once retired

- Lots of interesting reads in the Financial, Health, Technology and Other sections

- A place to ask questions about all that is involved in Life and retirement

And more stuff that I can't clearly articulate at the moment

 

[Germonico]

I've come to rely on RIP posts for celebrity deaths as I do not follow mainstream news.

 

[socca]

• EFTPS for paying federal taxes - encountered that suggestion here. The IRS doesn't promote it; don't know why. EFTPS came in very handy when I had to pay my dad's huge estate tax. The computer-generated form letter from the tax return preparer said, "Send a check for <gazillion dollars> to XXX by certified mail before XXX." Yeah, right.

• FEMA reimbursement of funeral expenses for COVID-related deaths. Never even occurred to me. Encountered that suggestion here. Don't know if FEMA is still doing this.

• way back when, I was surprised to encounter a large number of folks hosting the SWR memeplex seemingly unaware that the SWR mental framework for retirement planning runs counter to the old-fashioned notion that a secure retirement involves replacing a healthy percentage of employment income with actual retirement income (not virtual retirement income such as that obtained with the "4% rule").

 

[RetiredAt49]

OldShooter and others here (and my own personal research + Boogleheads) gave me the confidence to fire our wealth management company and save 1.25%

 

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Oh my goodness, so many things, and I'm truly grateful. I learned:

• that individual bonds are not such a scary thing to invest in
• about I-Bonds
• why water hammer can be so damaging to a dishwasher intake valve
• about different withdrawal strategies, and the pros and cons of each
• about brokered CDs
• about some of the finer things in life, like Jamon Iberico and Louis XIII cognac

The list can go on and on. Really too many to list them all.