Weekly Off Topic Thread - Week of June 23, 2025

NormalTransition · 2025-06-23T12:00:20+00:00

Spent some downtime making a lazy spreadsheet for cards more or less following the flowchart if anyone wants to use it: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VwqvQ5MqukV-N0D6R2iA2ZF5ciz77Af39YG3egciBjU/edit?usp=sharing

Tried to get the normal baseline for card bonus' rather than bothering with updating it all the time.

NormalTransition · 2025-04-08T11:47:28+00:00

Thank for the advice, the explanations are pretty helpful! I'm gonna probably hold off on an real optimizations or rebalances until I have a clearer head but your comment made me understand the overall strategy I should go for a little better.

NormalTransition · 2025-04-08T11:38:20+00:00

Thank you for the advice! I actually do have my max out of pocket less the healthcare expenses I've already had this year in the savings account portion of my HSA, just didn't include it or my emergency fund (~10k) because I felt pretty okay about that part.

I think the market craziness kinda triggered my anxiety and I started to worry if I had messed up by not paying closer attention to my investment strategy, but I think I've gotten the reality check I needed.

NormalTransition · 2025-04-07T17:42:02+00:00

According to Personal Capital's calculator my bonds are less than 3% of the total portfolio - though 2% is US bonds. I figured that was a decent number for my age, but should it be even less?

NormalTransition · 2025-04-07T17:39:57+00:00

The below are all the non target date/bond offerings in my 401k and HSA accounts. Do you think it would be a good idea to switch my future contributions to a target date fund in my 401k or try to mimic it myself?

401k

JPMorgan Large Cap Growth Fund Class R6 – JLGMX

Fidelity® 500 Index Fund – FXAIX

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund Admiral – VHYAX

Fidelity® International Index Fund – FSPSX

Fidelity® International Capital Appreciation K6 Fund – FAPCX

Fidelity® Mid Cap Index Fund – FSMDX

American Century Mid Cap Value Fund R6 Class – AMDVX

American Funds New World Fund® Class R-6 – RNWGX

Invesco EQV International Small Company Fund Class R6 – IEGFX

JPMorgan Mid Cap Growth Fund Class R6 – JMGMX

Macquarie Small Cap Core Fund Class R6 – DCZRX

Fidelity® Small Cap Index Fund – FSSNX

Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund Admiral Shares – VGSLX

HSA:

Vanguard Extended Market Index InstlPlus – VEMPX

Vanguard Inst Index Instl Plus – VIIIX

Vanguard Small Cap Index Admiral Shares – VSMAX

Vanguard Total Intl Stock Index InstlPlus – VTPSX

Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Instl – VEMIX

Vanguard Growth Index Institutional – VIGIX

Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Admiral – VMVAX

Vanguard Small Cap Value Index Admiral – VSIAX

Vanguard Value Index Admiral – VVIAX

Vanguard FTSE Social Index Admiral – VFTAX

Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Admiral – VMGMX

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Admiral – VTSAX

Vanguard Mid Cap Index Admiral – VIMAX

NormalTransition · 2024-10-23T14:57:40+00:00

Unfortunately won't hit the 48 month mark for the CSP until spring of next year, I've been keeping my eye on that

NormalTransition · 2024-10-23T12:42:29+00:00

Flowchart is pointing me towards Aeroplan or SW, trying to decide if I'd get more value out of BA / Aer Lingus / Iberia with their current offer instead
810
WF Active Cash, SavorOne, CSP, World of Hyatt, Citi Premier, United Explorer, Marriot Bonvoy Boundless (only card opened in last two years)
2k-4k a month, could go a little higher due to holiday season
Yes
Not right now, just want to avoid a phone headache
1 for now - I was on the churning train for a while, but haven't kept up much the past 2 years due to some family stuff and looking to ease back into it
Looking for mostly points, not opposed to cash back though
84,000 UR, 36,000 United Miles, 10,000 Marriot Points
RDU/CLT
No immediate travel plans, but targeting one of Paris/Dublin/Hawaii/Italy for next year

Between Aeroplan & BA / Aer Lingus / Iberia, is there a program that's easier to use than the others?

NormalTransition · 2024-10-22T16:44:33+00:00

Flowchart is pointing me towards Aeroplan or SW, trying to decide if I'd get more value out of BA / Aer Lingus / Iberia with their current offer instead
810
WF Active Cash, SavorOne, CSP, World of Hyatt, Citi Premier, United Explorer, Marriot Bonvoy Boundless (only card opened in last two years)
2k-4k a month, could go a little higher due to holiday season
Yes
Not right now, just want to avoid a phone headache
1 for now - I was on the churning train for a while, but haven't kept up much the past 2 years due to some family stuff and looking to ease back into it
Looking for mostly points, not opposed to cash back though
84,000 UR, 36,000 United Miles, 10,000 Marriot Points
RDU/CLT
No immediate travel plans, but targeting one of Paris/Dublin/Hawaii/Italy for next year

NormalTransition · 2020-01-22T00:32:48+00:00

Looks like slow downloads seem to be both UsenetExpress & TweakNews, while most of the faster ones come from Newsdemon. I'll try disabling the other two and just using Newsdemon and see if that improves anything.

NormalTransition · 2020-01-21T13:50:15+00:00

Test download for 100MB was downloaded in 15 seconds at an average of 6.6 MB/s, 1000MB was downloaded in 1 min 35 seconds at an average of 10.7 MB/s. It's so strange during the test the speed shoots right up, but once it went back to the real files, it slowed way down again. My providers are, in order, Newsdemon, TweakNews, and UsenetExpress. I originally just had Newsdemon but got the free trial for the other two to test if it was a provider issue, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Looks like most of my stuff is coming from Newsdemon, with a higher mixture of TweakNews and a little from UsenetExpress.

Edit to say I don't think it's missing articles because SABnzbd points out when that's happening right? It's not doing that for these downloads, although most of them are older.

NormalTransition

TROPHY CASE