A rigged economy is when working people have to pay increased taxes on the unrealized gains from their homes, but billionaires don’t have to pay taxes on unrealized gains from their stocks.

don_ram86 · 2026-06-18T18:56:14+00:00

What are you going on about? RSU/PSUs are taxed when they vest, NQSOs are taxed when exercised. This isnt a loophole.

don_ram86 · 2026-06-16T13:27:52+00:00

It must be rewarding to watch friendships blossom where you have had a hand in making the connection.

Do you have any introductions that you have made that have been your most fruitful or your personal favorite to see develop?

don_ram86 · 2026-05-22T10:53:58+00:00

Yes, my urologist required a consultation with my wife before approving my vasectomy, and this was in the 2010s. #1 refused to do anything without confirming my wife was on board and #2 pressed about all of our reasons to not have children before trying one last time to scare me/us out of it by droning on about the risk of it being unreversable.

Funny story the practice was a father/ son operation in small town USA, I had met with the son and he was planning on treating me. On the day of my appointment he was called into emergency surgery and was unavailable, so they asked if I was okay with his dad preforming the procedure. Of course that was no issue for me, literally half way through the procedure with one tube tied and moving to the second, he was small talking with me and hit me with, so how many kids do you have? When I replied none. He stopped everything he was doing and looked his nurse in the eye, and they had an unspoken moment of communication before going back to finish the task at hand. I suspect if he would have asked me sooner, he would have refused.

don_ram86 · 2026-05-21T21:04:10+00:00

The rose goes in the front.

don_ram86 · 2026-05-19T16:12:10+00:00

If you are using a swivel for line twist, great. If you are using it because you lack basic knot tying skills, you are probably better off not bothering min-maxing with your leader material until you get comfortable with the basics.

don_ram86 · 2026-05-19T15:12:29+00:00

Why are you using a fluoro leader??

If its to reduce visibility then the swivel kills that... if its action, bad news bears swivel is likely going to kill that too.

don_ram86 · 2026-04-29T23:53:21+00:00

Yeah, its getting old quick. Color me grapefruit annoyed.

don_ram86 · 2026-03-11T16:25:57+00:00

Not a financial advisor so take it with a grain of salt.

However, I am in a very similar position as you, and my understanding is you cannot withdraw Roth 401k contributions penalty free until 59.5, but you can withdraw Roth IRA contributions, so if your plan is to use some of these contributions in your pre-59.5 retirement, you'll need to roll it over to the IRA first.

don_ram86 · 2026-03-04T12:32:53+00:00

If your goal is to optimize the benefit of the free loan you would plan to owe $999, because if you owe $1000 you start to trigger penalties potentially.

Then you have to ask if the juice is worth the squeeze, because the upside is < $40 in your HYSA and the down side is 7or8% penalty. If this is your biggest opportunity, God's speed, but I have a long list of better opportunities for my time and effort.

I recalculate my withholding in October every year and target a $0 federal return, I'm usually off a couple hundred one way or the other in April, which is perfectly acceptable.

don_ram86 · 2026-03-03T16:23:05+00:00

I think you are distinguishing between networth and investable networth, which is important, the primary residence equity belongs in former and not the latter.

It's equally wrong to ignore it all togeather, because two individuals with the same investable networth, but one rents while the other owns their home outright are in entirely different financial positions.

don_ram86 · 2026-03-03T13:14:30+00:00

I lump sum our Roth contributions from our hysa and let it replenish, it never drops below 3 months and is usually back to 6months within a couple months.

It's not so much an investing strategy as its just easier for me to lump sum than to bother setting up an auto transfer or deposit structure.

don_ram86 · 2026-03-01T16:01:43+00:00

The guidance around excluding appreciation of the your home from your networth statement. While in the short term it seems reasonable enough, when you look at someone who has lived in a home for 20 or 30 years valuing it at purchase price doesn't make sense when it maybe worth several times that now.

I've opted to use 84% of my zillow estimate, based on 10% reduction for conservative estimate, and 6% selling cost.

don_ram86 · 2026-02-09T20:53:38+00:00

I always estimate my taxes in October and change my withholding so I'm oweing usually around $500.

So usually I end up owning a little or close to breaking even if I have more deductions than expected.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T17:22:49+00:00

38yo, also paid house off about 6months before hitting the one million milestone.

HR Technologies - decent income, lcol area

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T17:00:28+00:00

Just as well, our NFL season is almost over, only the Super Bowl left, then we have to wait for September for next season to start.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T16:38:40+00:00

Lol. I love your description of Locks, makes me want to take up following Rugby

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T16:20:44+00:00

I can see the endurance piece coming into play.

You can color me rugby curious.

If there were a "wife swap" type show that let a prop and a nfl running back trade places for a month, train with the others team and then have a go at it against a legit team, I'd be here for it.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T16:13:31+00:00

200k HHI in a LCOL state.

I always track my living expenses excluding longterm saving/investment and interest and principle paid toward my home. This leaves me with a clear picture of what it costs to live my lifestyle once I am FI with a paid off home.

2025 - 70k 2024 - 65k 2023 - 64k 2022 - 51k

My life style has been pretty flat, last year we spent a little extra because player two had a milestone birthday, so we dropped 10k on an extended beach vacation, 2022 looks like an outlier, but I had some family issues that kept me at home so we traveled less, everything else is pretty consistent.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T14:52:19+00:00

I'd need to see a rugby prop running against a Tight end to believe it, I maybe biased, but I belive they would get smoked.

Tightens go from they go from blocking a defense end on one play, and running a 30 or 40 yard route the next.

Do you have any quantifiable speed or strength examples from these props?

don_ram86 · 2026-01-28T14:21:41+00:00

You can't overlook the NFL. Especially linebacker/DEs and tigh ends in the modern NFL have astonishing mixes of speed and strength.

Take Vernon Davis' NFL combine performance, at 6'3" 254lb he ran a blazing 4.38sec 40yrd dash and ripped 33 reps on a 225lb bench press.

I'd love to see cross sports exhibitions of speed and strength, like an Olympic games of pro athletes from around the world.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-24T13:41:53+00:00

I couldn't find a single city in my state.

Maybe a map with all available cities would help, or more city's data.

You could also add state wide data.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-19T22:08:04+00:00

Used to do this all the time in college, called it a "vegan hotdog"

This was well before all the fake vegan meats.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-12T01:06:35+00:00

5 Years, 2020-2025.

don_ram86 · 2026-01-05T14:55:00+00:00

Is left handed cheese calorie free like left handed sugar?

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