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Social Security won't mail annual statements- MSN Money I guess it might take the Brain Trust over at the Social Security Administration a few more decades to consider how they could send these statements out via email or otherwise make them available online at a fraction of the $70 million...

I'm looking to pick up a Honda or Toyota minivan in the near future, been thinking I'd skip the whole haggle-with-the-dealer thing (both because I'm pressed for time and because I dislike it) and just go with carsdirect.com or some other online car-buying service. Any advice, or experience good...

I have some Federal Govt student loans left over with a "low" interest rate of 2.65%. A while back, instead of paying the loans off, I dumped an equivalent sum of money into a savings account linked to the loans via auto-payment, and up until lately the money in the savings account was earning...

Thus far I have kept up the family tradition of buying only used cars and driving them until they die. I have had a decent run with my mid-90s Toyota compact, but now the tally in my growing household stands at 4 (2 adults, 2 little kids) and we're in need of more space. Plus, the Toyota is...

First off -- this isn't about making a play on exchange-rate movements or fear of an impending dollar collapse or anything like that. A elder family member in one of the PIIGS of Europe is concerned about the safety of his retirement savings (CDs and savings account, from what I can tell)...

I ran a quick calculation in FIREcalc today. Based on the money I have saved for retirement so far, assuming zero future contributions and zero Social Security payments, and assuming I need a FIRE stash that will last me to age 100, I will reach 100% success rate for retirement at the age of...

I've generally followed the rule-of-thumb of keeping an emergency fund stocked with 6 months of post-layoff expenses (which would include COBRA payments for health insurance). With that set aside, the rest of my savings went first into tax-favored retirement accounts, then toward any specific...

Thus far, I've been pretty much following the old "rule of 110" when it comes to asset allocation: the percentage of my investments held in stocks is 110 minus my age. So roughly 80% stocks at this point. During the past year or so, I switched to 100% stocks for new contributions, just to...

If your spouse was not knowledgable about investing and you were going to give him/her advice about how to invest the proceeds of your life insurance, and you wanted/needed some very basic advice, what would you say? My wife is hands-off when it comes to investing, so I've already advised her...

I have some life insurance, but after taking stock of changed circumstances (marriage, kid, increased income, etc.) I've decided to increase the amount of life insurance I carry. I'm only looking at term life insurance, probably something between 20 and 30 years. I'm probably somewhere...

Based on the trillions of dollars our govt is creating out of thin air, I'm worried about hyperinflation in the not-too-distant future. I've stuck with my retirement asset allocation and will continue to do so, so I'll be invested in the stock market as I've always been. But I'm considering...

I've got a 529 for my 2 year old. Right now, I'm about 80% in stocks in that account, but most of that was purchased in pre-crash 2007/2008. Since I've got 16 years before we'll need this money, I'm thinking now's a good time to at least try to lower my cost-basis in stocks by shifting it to a...

In which of the examples below is it important to track your investment basis in your IRA accounts? 1) Roth IRA 2) Traditional IRA (deductible) 3) Traditional IRA (non-deductible) 4) Rollover IRA (i.e. money you had invested in a 401K plan and then rolled into a separate rollover IRA) 5)...

I'm 34 and have been maxing out my 401(k) and my (and my wife's) IRA contributions pretty much since I started working 12 years ago. It's almost religion to me. :coolsmiley: I'm still maxing out my 401(k), but this year is the first year the market has me so ... unenthused ... that I'm...

So, not that I'm a dirty market timer or anything, but if I needed to adjust my asset allocation by purchasing additional shares in some of my Vanguard equity mutual funds, what's the deal with rules on share price? E.g. if I make a transaction tonight, what share price do I get - tomorrow's...

I've been a Vanguard client for about 10 years, never had a problem, and I'm a big fan of theirs. This isn't a complaint, just a question ... Anybody else check their balances on Vanguard's website recently and see some strange stuff? I checked the "Asset Mix" tab, under My...

If you haven't already heard of this guy ... a college professor diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live ... made a "last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon that's made the rounds on YouTube ... died today at 47. Inspirational guy for the way he kept up his spirits in the face of certain...

I'm in my early 30s, and sometimes even thinking about being able to FIRE at 40 seems like a lifetime away (even though I know in my head that it's not all that far away, and that it's a very early retirement age). One thing I just realized today, while playing around with FIREcalc and...

I searched the threads and saw some discussion about recharacterizing from a Roth into a regular IRA if it turns out you realize at tax time that you earned too much to qualify for a Roth. Can a recharacterization work both ways? I'm probably not going to qualify for a Roth IRA in 2008 due...

Right now, essentially all of our retirement savings are in various tax-advantaged plans, the usual mix of 401(k), Roth, IRAs, etc. Overall, I'm comfortable with my asset allocation between stocks/bonds, and within my stocks I'm comfortable with my asset allocation between U.S./International...

Vanguard introduced a new international index fund, this one appears to track the FTSE All-World Index: http://www.vanguard.com/us/VanguardViewsArticle?ArticleJSP=/freshness/News_and_Views/news_ALL_announcement_06262008_ALL.jsp&email=returnarticle&oeaut=gHNQqsnbUj I have been holding the old...

I ran a search and did some reading up on the past discussions of long term disability (LTD) insurance. My employer provides some basic LTD coverage but recently offered the option to voluntarily increase the basic LTD benefits and based on my family's situation I think it makes sense to do so...

My wife and I have lived in our current home for about 5 years. We always knew that this home would not be a long-term home for us, because of its small size. Now that we have a child, we’re starting to feel like we’re running out of room, and since we’re hoping for another child before long...

A while back we had a thread debating the problems with Social Security and the gloomy outlook for Gen X/Y when it comes to retirement and SS. While all those issues remain, I was reminded recently that I and my fellow Gen X/Y young dreamers do receive one immediate benefit of SS even if we're...

For those who are married, do you treat your investment portfolio and your spouse's investment portfolio as one portfolio or two portfolios when it comes to asset allocation. For example, if both of you agree that an asset allocation of 75% stock / 25% bonds is the right allocation for you, do...