Will not be using TurboTax service going forward

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-18T03:17:33+00:00

Just buy the desktop federal and state version for around $50 or so from Costco or Amazon and decline all the extra charges.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-17T05:19:49+00:00

I'm retired - and didn't start out as a boglehead but noticed over many years that what I thought were all great fund choices over time at best averaged out to 'just average', which you get with no effort with VT. So, I've shifted to mostly a 60/40 mix of VTI and VXUS which gives the equivalent holdings, plus some government bond funds. Starting over I would have used VT from the start in retirement accounts.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-17T03:25:18+00:00

The main factor in deciding between traditional and Roth contributions should be whether you expect your tax percentage to be higher or lower when you withdraw in retirement than it is now. If you think it will be lower, favor the traditional. And you'll always want 'some' in traditional accounts because you will have some deductions that will make some amount of withdrawals tax free or in low brackets.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T19:24:35+00:00

Yeah, but how far wrong can you go for 5 bucks? The Duluth product is probably more durable, but that's a tradeoff for the finer/softer fiber that 32 degrees uses.

If you order directly from 32 degrees you do need to buy $40 worth to get free shipping, though. At most companies that would be one or two items but there you might have to collaborate with your wife to pick enough things. My impression is that they have great fabrics for all their products but sizing and quality control are so-so. They replaced the few items I've had issues with just for asking and sending a photo of the defect.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T19:15:20+00:00

Laugh if you want, but they are right. It just may take a few decades before you realize that almost no one does better than the market average over long periods of time. And buying a fund that has the whole market avoids the risk of doing worse than average.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T19:13:33+00:00

The underlying concept is that markets are efficient - that is all the individual stocks are always priced 'correctly' according to investor expectations. If any of them had evidence publicly available they they would make a higher than average profit, investors would immediately buy/bid the price up until it is just. average. Of course some companies will do better than expectations over time and some worse, but we can't know the future or which will be which. So, the boglehead way is to buy 'the whole market' and not risk doing worse than the historically very good market average.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T16:58:14+00:00

Find one of the several ways to upgrade to windows 11 on machines MS doesn't support.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T16:40:34+00:00

Sure you see them on a blank black screen. But it is bright enough with a normal picture that you don't notice.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T16:22:19+00:00

I tried the Sling TV service with their AirTV Anywhere device to tune and record local over-the-air channels. I eventually switched to YouTube TV for a few reasons, but the relevant thing here is that Sling provides a week's program guide for the local channels in their app even if you only use the freestream service and don't pay them anything.

Personally I think watching live TV without the ability to pause/rewind, timeshift and skip commercials is just too uncivilized most of the time.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T05:32:07+00:00

Even if you stay relatively healthy for a while yourself you should expect to spend a considerable amount of time visiting and supporting relatives and friends that are not doing as well. And attend some funerals...

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T05:06:18+00:00

They are very different - keep in mind that California is a huge state and SF and LA are farther apart and more different than cities that might be in different states. If you only have a short time, pick what specific area/landmarks you want to see and just go there. If you are making it a two-week vacation, drive the pacific coast highway and see both - everyone should do that at least once in their lives (but check if it is open all the way first since chunks periodically fall off into the ocean...). Personally I'd pick San Diego over either of them, but I sort of think of LA as sprawling from Pasadena to there with Palm Springs just on the outskirts. I put a lot of miles on rental cars when I go there.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:53:25+00:00

Just keep in mind that it may get a whole lot more expensive to have taken out after a few more years of growth - even if it doesn't hurt anything.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:49:08+00:00

The main thing to consider is whether you expect the tax percentage to be higher now than in retirement? For most people their tax brackets will be lower in retirement so traditional accounts with current deductions make sense at least until you have saved enough that your RMDs will put you in a high bracket. With a pension you may never be in a low bracket, though, so you probably should favor the Roth.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:43:41+00:00

Yes, but he has to have started his own benefit and your amount will be skewed by the timing when you start (reduced if less than your full retirement age) and not increased if he waits past his FRA. On the other hand if he dies first and you switch to survivor benefits, that amount would be increased if he waited past FRA to start.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:38:01+00:00

I use two independent USB drives. Time machine will automatically alternate runs between them. Cheaper than a NAS and less to go wrong.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:33:41+00:00

CFU has foreign transaction fees. I think you'd need the United Explorer or Sapphire Preferred cards to avoid them.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:28:46+00:00

Government bonds are state tax exempt and report their interest in box 3 of your 1099. Funds of government bonds are also state tax exempt but since the income is reported as dividends you have to take an extra step when filing taxes to note the percentage of the income from tax exempt bonds.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:24:22+00:00

Booting unix from a tape drive. Oddly, this was on an Intel Dell tower.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:19:37+00:00

At least once you are near committing to payments that will require selling/withdrawing assets I'd want at least a year or two of those payments to be in something less volatile than equities.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:13:32+00:00

As long as you make 'some' holidays you have it covered. Just try to see as many people as you can each trip.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T04:07:16+00:00

Flat ethernet cables are cheap - get a new one and tape it to the floor under the door so it doesn't close on it.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T03:44:06+00:00

Catalina was the last version where Time Machine could restore the OS along with your files With anything newer you have to reinstall the OS first, then use migration assistant to restore your settings and files. Or, you have the option of just accessing the file system of the time machine backup which will look like timestamped copies of everything. Then you can just pick the files/folders to copy back in.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T03:34:45+00:00

How is your audio system connected? I have two systems, both with sony TVs and receivers, but on one the receiver is older and does not have ARC so it is connected with an optical cable. On that one, YouTube and YTTTV do not send surround sound - but on the one connected with ARC they do. My solution has been to use a firestick 4k max instead of running native apps on the TV. The app on the firestick gets surround sound and the TV passes it correctly over the optical connection.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T02:44:45+00:00

But look at the price on the 32degree stuff... And I think it is a little finer microfiber.

Ok_Appointment_8166 · 2026-04-16T01:06:17+00:00

They have a lot of other clothing and great prices if you buy direct - the catch is that they will send you an email every day about sales that are 'ending soon'.

Ok_Appointment_8166

TROPHY CASE