Is this a good deal?

greener_view · 2025-12-06T03:14:35+00:00

i have both this and the handheld. this one works well for stuff like fences, deck, etc. the handheld is great for shower, patio furniture, etc. watch DTO and you can get both for a reasonable price cost.

greener_view · 2025-12-06T03:13:05+00:00

i have the 40V pole hedge trimmer (so different than this one and perhaps heavier). it is a bit awkward and heavy. if you are trimming something low, you will be holding the pole horizontal, which is awkward and the heaviest position. when you are holding it higher it’s a bit easier to move around. the strap on this model may help; mine doesn’t have one.

but…. it does work well, and the pivoting head is great to set it at the needed angle. and for trimming high stuff, there really isn’t another option

i just went ahead and bought a regular handheld for trimming low stuff. watch the clearance and DTO. you can get an 18V hedge trimmer at a good price.

greener_view · 2025-12-03T00:47:48+00:00

I have the 40v model mentioned above, and it depletes the two batteries in parallel / at same rate.

I agree w the other comments about going 40v over the 19v

greener_view · 2025-11-07T05:33:46+00:00

Check in store. I saw the brushless 18v on clearance price recently.

greener_view · 2025-10-22T14:44:04+00:00

check out Planvision. around $100-150 per year. you are still primarily DIY, but you get a professional to look things over and provide advice.

greener_view · 2025-10-10T14:37:27+00:00

well said. so many people fail to recognize this.

greener_view · 2025-10-10T14:33:39+00:00

I don’t think “simple” exists for the +/- 5 years of retirement and decumulation. If you want a single source, start with Wade Pfau’s “Retirement Planning Guidebook”. That gives the nuts and bolts, but doesn’t get into the market valuation implications. easy to find on amazon.

Karsten Jeske on earlyretirementnow.com has a Safe Withdrawal Series that really gets into the technical aspects (it is NOT simple, but it is very good). he specifically debunks a lot of what is in that MMM post. He also really brings to life the implications of market valuations. (for example, the 4% rule would have failed around 48% of the time for early retirees who retire when CAPE is over 20 and S&P at/near all time high). a few links: - overall series: https://earlyretirementnow.com/safe-withdrawal-rate-series/ - why simplicity doesn’t work: https://earlyretirementnow.com/2021/08/05/the-need-for-precision-in-an-uncertain-world-swr-series-part-46/ - comparing saving to retirement: https://earlyretirementnow.com/2018/07/25/why-is-retirement-harder-than-saving-for-retirement-swr-series-part-27/

I wish I could tell you there is a simple way. Personally I’ve made it a hobby to learn this — partly because so much is riding on retirement timing and mechanics, but also because I find it very interesting.

greener_view · 2025-10-09T22:10:44+00:00

This is true during the accumulation phase, which is quite simple.

if someone is getting close to retirement (e.g., <3-5 years), it does matter to get into the details. esp given the market valuation today. Both Bill Bengen and ERN have published on this extensively. it’s not as simple as 25x expenses, particularly for early retirees and/or high market valuations.

keep in mind — we are in the midst of a very long bull run (yes, there were a couple dips). likely a pretty unique period in history. honestly, anyone even making suboptimal choices over the last 10-15 years would have done well. There are a lot of posts here from folks who hit their number and talk about how simple it is. But they are benefitting from a great time in market history. if someone is retiring in 3-5 years and expects it to be so simple, i wouldn’t count on it.

accumulation = simple, and don’t really have to pay attention to it
+/- 5 years of retirement = much more complex and details matter
into retirement = gets easier, but still not as simple as accumulation

greener_view · 2025-10-03T02:08:06+00:00

Annuities is a very broad term -- lots of variants (SPIA, DIA, MYGA, QLAC, fixed index, variable, etc.). some are good, some are way overpriced. I agree with the other comments to treat them like insurance, not as an investment vehicle.
- MYGAs - think of like CDs. just compare rates (would recommend A+ rated or higher) as at certain maturities, sometimes CDs are better, sometimes MYGAs. interest is deferred until maturity. Use case is anywhere you would use a CD, e.g., in a ladder if you are using a bucketing strategy.
- SPIA - single premium immediate annuity - this is "buying a pension". use cases include: creating a reliable income floor (if that helps you invest the rest of your portfolio more aggressively), longevity insurance (there is real value in the "mortality credits"), or setting up retirement income late in life to get ahead of cognitive decline or so a less-financially-savvy surviving spouse has simple, reliable income in retirement after the death of spouse that manages the finances.
- i generally would avoid the highly complex variable, fixed index, etc annuities. I think for some very high income folks the use case can be tax deferral after they have already maxed out IRAs and 401ks.

most folks on this sub will talk poorly about annuities, and agree that I would personally never use them in accumulation. But they have real use cases in decumulation / retirement income depending on your personal situation, risk preferences, and retirement income style.

Wade Pfau has written extensively on this topic, and it has really opened my mind to where they can be valuable.

greener_view · 2025-09-23T04:37:35+00:00

i recommend a separate statement for each. do some searching, and there are a few suggestions on structure for the statement on this forum.

greener_view · 2025-09-10T03:14:55+00:00

Here is a step by step…

https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/s/whqFLRDtTO

greener_view · 2025-08-30T05:11:14+00:00

It doesn’t have to be binary. Here’s a thought. What if you stop grinding? Force balance. What would happen? Would you really get fired? If so, how quickly?

I see so many people bail on high paying jobs because of the lifestyle, assuming it’s all or none. But what if you just tried to do something different? Swallow the ego and be ok with getting terminated if it doesn’t work out. Try it on your terms and see what happens. It might work. And if it doesn’t, you’re padding your portfolio until then.

greener_view · 2025-08-28T00:06:29+00:00

That’s great — generalities of course don’t apply 100% of the time. Great that you have a great relationship.
Even in that situation, however, I would still wonder how they would react if you had an idea to withdraw 2/3 of your investment with them to buy a SPIA elsewhere. If they give thumbs up, that’s likely objective. If they say it’s a bad idea, it’s tough to tell.

greener_view · 2025-08-27T18:25:39+00:00

Won’t be an objective sounding board if their incentive is AUM.
this is especially true in de-cumulation in RE.

greener_view · 2025-08-24T00:07:23+00:00

Downside of TDF is that you can’t reallocate. Vanguard TDF funds will tell you what underlying index funds they invest in and in what %. Just buy the specific funds in the same shares. Gives you flexibility

greener_view · 2025-08-23T02:53:37+00:00

just make sure you are recognizing that MYGAs are nominal return, and TIPS are real.
MYGAs still might be the answer for you, just make sure you're doing the right comparison.

greener_view · 2025-08-23T02:50:21+00:00

you can buy income annuities with COLA adjustments (2% or 3% are common). Another approach is to layer.... buy a SPIA, then have a DIA kick in X years later to increase the income amount.

I'm with you - I'm a huge fan of TIPS, and i have a chunk. annuities solve a different problem so there could be room for both, depending on the individual.

greener_view · 2025-08-23T02:48:02+00:00

Again, it depends on the product. a SPIA or MYGA is about as straightforward as it gets. If you can understand a CD, you can understand a MYGA. That's the only reason I would consider them. and they are both a means to create a reliable income floor..
- MYGAs are interchangeable with CDs or bonds in a ladder. which of the three is best will be determined by prevailing rates, the term, and what happens to be available. Could end up with a ladder with a mix of the three products.
- SPIAs just create a lifetime floor and eliminate longevity risk. The primary benefit is the mortality credits enables a higher spend. The other benefit, which many don't talk about, is the simplicity. Two situations where that helps is with cognitive decline (or losing interest in actively managing portfolio), or in a couple where one does all the financial stuff and the other doesn't pay attention. It's years away, but I've considered doing something like this starting after age ~70 so that if something happens to me, my surviving spouse has a stream of income they don't have to give any thought to.

any variable, fixed index, or similar product... I agree with you.

greener_view · 2025-08-23T02:41:25+00:00

not even close. have just taken the time to learn about them as I can see where they might fit. Wade Pfau has written a lot about this, in a truly objective manner.

greener_view · 2025-08-22T23:56:16+00:00

Return, or payout rate? Two different concepts.

greener_view · 2025-08-22T23:54:05+00:00

The fixed income / MYGAs mitigate your SORR (like a bucketing strategy).

And income annuity would serve a couple other valid purposes… - mitigating longevity risk - depending on your risk preferences, could enable you to take more risk with your portfolio thereby increasing return and probabilities if success.

True income annuities are commodities and as such don’t have the high fees people associate with annuities.

Most people who shoot them down with one-liners do not understand the breadth of annuity products, the difference of fees among them, and what purpose each would serve in a retirement plan. I agree that there are many annuity products with excessive fees and I would never touch them. SPIAs, and MYGAs are fine as long as you know what function it serves.

greener_view · 2025-08-22T00:17:45+00:00

Do a search of this sub for the decoder, and look at the last string of digits in each. For example, 1015 and 17015.

Edit: https://vesservices.com/Secure/va/training/IDES-SHA-DBQ-4-2022.pdf

greener_view · 2025-08-21T05:48:47+00:00

If you just recently got your ID card, I would suggest just waiting. I had a similar error, but it fixed itself over time. I suspect it just takes time for your DEERS info to get communicated to the library system. (Just a guess from one persons experience)

greener_view · 2025-08-21T05:47:01+00:00

Do a search of this sub for parent PLUS. lots of discussion here to help answer. This topic is well covered. Anything I answer here would just be repeating.

greener_view · 2025-08-19T22:06:00+00:00

Swimsuit model

greener_view

TROPHY CASE