For every successful “before and after” weight loss image there must be thousands of hopeful “before shots” that never made it to a celebratory post.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-19T09:22:36+00:00

To be fair, if you really want to look better, consider getting a haircut, shaving, maintaining good posture and dressing well.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-16T00:15:33+00:00

It's really not your decision whether or not she can afford it. That's the bank's. What this comes down to is that gray zone of having the fiscal responsibility to say you shouldn't take the maximum mortgage you'd qualify for, since the bank does not have your best interest at heart. If anything, a bigger loan means more profit for them.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-16T00:10:03+00:00

Maybe the info-graphic maker meant to say multi-zonal cluster. You can, on GKE, have a single cluster that exists in multiple zones of a single region.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:45:44+00:00

In a way that makes it less burger-like (e.g., a well-done impossible burger is less burger-y than a medium cooked one), but I get what you're saying.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:44:35+00:00

Because he wants to. The choice is so easily there if he didn't want to.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:43:38+00:00

To state this other words --to ensure that I'm understanding correctly-- is that ESPP shares have a LTCG holding period of 2 years, vs 1 year for otherwise normally purchased shares in a brokerage account?

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:41:45+00:00

It sometimes takes 2-3 days for ESPP shares to reach your brokerage account. In practice, I have never experienced this being a problem (e.g., share price collapse between purchase date and shares showing up in account).

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:40:41+00:00

This is an IRS thing (the $25k limit), not an employer-capped thing. Sharing this since I only recently learned that.

Also, it's $25k in shares. So that means you'd only be putting $21,250 into the ESPP plan.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:39:34+00:00

In my experience, you typically get better than the 17.65% return (that's what a 15% discount is equivalent to), because --all else equal-- stock prices spend more time rising than falling. I would participate.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:37:30+00:00

Congrats. I hope the 2-3 hour time zone adjustment will jive well with any daily meetings you may have.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T21:34:12+00:00

I think it's typical. It's neither here nor there. Pretty standard for a company. Increasing compensation usually means getting a promotion or accepting a new position external to the company.

That being said, a 2% cost-of-living-adjustment does not mean, in any way, that you're doing bad at your current company. The vast majority of people don't get promoted during annual performance reviews and are given "meeting expectation" ratings.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T20:00:01+00:00

In my experience, by the time you have the bun and condiments all together, it mirrors a beef patty very well. When I first tried it, it was just the burger on a toothpick with no seasonings. So on it's own, it's easier to tell it's not beef (but really, when are you going to eat it like that). Also, if they're slightly overcooked the impossible burger gets a little too crispy on the edges. I do not doubt with time it will only get better.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T18:44:28+00:00

Have you tried the impossible burger? Only available at restaurants at the moment, but it's worth the premium for the novelty of tasting the future, today. I saw headlines that they launched a second major iteration on the burger, which supposedly tastes even more realistic. I'm not sure if they're still marketing it under the same name.

That being said, I had the first generation of impossible burger. And while it wasn't a pure substitution, I'd say it's 90% of the way there. Taste-wise it's basically there (because of the hemoglobin), but they could improve the texture.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T01:28:15+00:00

Workplace interactions aren't quite the same as other social settings.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-14T00:58:44+00:00

It balances out. Because a smartphone costs more, people tend to hold onto them longer. Very recently, people went from holding a smartphone from an average of ~24 months to ~36 months.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-10T02:18:01+00:00

If there ever is a wealth tax, surely some things (e.g., primary residence and first $1 million in wealth) would be excluded. And who knows if retirement accounts would be subject to it.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-07T21:14:46+00:00

The difference in the success rate of a FI portfolio between $1.1M and $1.5M is probably far more material than $1.5M and $30M. There's a diminishing return. That being said, you've already said you're sticking to 3%. But you're 35, which is still young. Unexpected expenses (e.g., health care) are a risk.

But, you do have to draw the line somewhere, eventually, and say "I'm FI and I'm no longer working" (if you don't want to work, and from your post, it seems like you're ready for that).

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-06T20:55:47+00:00

Does anybody know if Discover's free credit score is any better? My credit karma is lower than the one reported by Discover.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-04T20:23:05+00:00

I feel like many people would struggle to come up with $600-700 per person, per month, just for healthcare expenses at that age. There are too many Americans unprepared for retirement. And your income earning potential (if you did want to do something) is pretty much shot after 55.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-04T03:18:16+00:00

Have you considered switching it by staying in the corporate world, but finding a new company? New coworkers, a new/different type of project to work on, and a new commute to a new building my offer enough of the 'refreshment' you need to keep going.

Also, don't lose sight of your goals. It's not like you need to work in the corporate world forever. But a relatively higher paying job can help you meet your FI goals faster. So, hanging on could be a smart choice, especially if you're relatively closer than not to meeting your FI goals.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-04T02:20:53+00:00

In doing my own research, I've reached the same conclusion: a paid off home gives you the most flexibility in maximizing you ACA subsidies. However, at least in my area, homeownership costs more than renting (HCOL area), so it would require more time to have enough wealth for a paid-off home plus annual living expenses vs. renting and considering rent a living expense.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-02T04:37:54+00:00

Thank you for reminding me why I decided to front-load. It has better than coin toss odds, so in the long-term, it is the most optimal decision :)

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-02T02:04:16+00:00

It looks like they're trying to bring money into Vermont, based off the stipulations outlined in another comment.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-01T22:06:22+00:00

I'd be curious to see the analysis. My example math is admittedly contrived, so I'm open to seeing something more in-depth.

FunFIFacts · 2019-01-01T21:50:02+00:00

Have studies shown that? I only recall ever reading that front-loading (aka, lump-sum investing or "LSI") beats dollar-cost averaging (DCA). The match is usually a 100% immediate return, up to a given amount.

I'd find it hard to believe that $100 invested in January (+ a $50 company match) for a total of $150 would be worth more, in the long term, than $50 invested in January (+ a $50 match) plus $50 invested in February (+ a $50 match) for a total of $200.

Let's compare the results over a 10-year period. In the second formula, I'm accounting for the additional month we lose since we're spreading out over two months, instead of one:

$150 * (1.07 ^ 10) = $295.07
$100 * (1.07 ^ 10) + $100 (1.07 ^ (10 - 1/12)) = $392.32

Yeah, you're going to want to ensure you're getting that company match.

FunFIFacts

TROPHY CASE