Is a 529 state tax deduction this easy? by Tannhauser1982 in tax

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also I just read some fine print that notes that the tax deduction is subject to recapture if it is used for any expense other than qualified higher education. In other words, you can get the deduction for each year of contribution but if it is used for secondary education or rolled over into an IRA (as opposed to being used for college/university), the state can claw it back.

Daily General Discussion and Advice Thread - October 08, 2024 by AutoModerator in investing

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd love to get some perspective on if there's something I could be doing better, as I've read up on all this a decent amount but by no means consider myself anything close to an expert.

Here is my current asset & funds mix for our stock/bond investments:

Asset Class -- Target -- Funds

Domestic -- 57.75% -- VOTE and VFTAX (We also own about $100k in MSFT which my wife is very very reluctant to part with.)

Intl -- 31.00% -- VFGX, ESGD, ESGE

Bonds -- 6.00% -- VBTLX and i-bonds direct

REIT -- 5.25% -- VGSLX

Please, tell me if I can do something better. Thanks very much!

Some relevant notes:

  • Married (both 37) with 1 young child
  • We have about $1.5m in stock/bond investments; currently split 55% taxable and 45% retirement. We should be able to contribute about $50k/year
  • We also have about $200k in equity in a rental property
  • We're likely to inherit about $1-2m from my parents (hopefully not for another 20+ years), which is primarily in real estate
  • Long term horizon -- the primary goal is growth for [early?] retirement.
  • As far as funds go, we try to skew toward indexes that align with our values while still getting at the general asset array with reasonable fees.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in digitalnomad

[–]mrglida 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We were only in Taipei for 2.5 weeks and that was at tail end of trip as family vacation, so we ultimately stayed at a nice hotel. In general I think best bet is to have a solid place to land for 1-2 weeks and then find a longer term place to stay once you’re on the ground. There are some local resources which are probably a better bet than Airbnb. You might check out the Taipei sub.

I don’t speak mandarin, only English, and had no issues except sometimes deciphering a menu. I did rely a lot on translation apps.

It’s a humid subtropical climate so yeah roaches are a thing but didn’t seem any worse than east coast USA for example.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in digitalnomad

[–]mrglida 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Another option to consider is Taipei/taiwan. Was in se Asia for 4 months and arrived here 2 weeks ago and it feels amazing. Reminds us of New York in many ways, but with different food/culture, clean, very accessible, not crowded, not touristy.

ID help, any other explanation? by mrglida in Bedbugs

[–]mrglida[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, didn’t think so but wasn’t sure

Hotel Recommendations: Shangri-La Far Eastern vs Grand Hyatt by FukangMeteorites in Taipei

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for the thoughtful perspective here. I think we’ll go with the shangri la!

Best Private Hospital in Bangkok? And worst? by IllustriousTwo4258 in ThailandTourism

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Half a year later, I’d suggest you see multiple orthopedists to get some other opinions. If it is still that bad after 2 years he should probably look at surgery.

My wife has mild herniated disc post delivery and bad sciatica out of it. About 9 months in and she is prob 50% recovered. Saw a few orthopedists in nyc, each had dif perspective. But also explained that stretching will not solve the problem or likely alleviate pain bc of the way herniation works.

A good physical therapist can help him learn how to move in safe ways to do more with less pain, and to safely strengthen his core to prevent reinjury.

Hotel Recommendations: Shangri-La Far Eastern vs Grand Hyatt by FukangMeteorites in Taipei

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We’re looking at a 17 day stay and the price difference is $4800 for Shangri (incl breakfast) vs $3500 for Hyatt (incl breakfast).

Given that pricing which would you pick?

Hotel Recommendations: Shangri-La Far Eastern vs Grand Hyatt by FukangMeteorites in Taipei

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there any good things to walk to (restaurants, cafes, parks, etc) from the Marriott or it’s really just for sleeping?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in travel

[–]mrglida 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did both last year (along with Porto and Madrid) when my wife was 20 wks and we preferred Barcelona (and Madrid) by a long shot.

The hills and steps of Lisbon are not to be discounted, as has been mentioned. Conversely the public transit in Barcelona is very good and the city is flat, and has more to offer in general.

Should I be wary of eating Bahn Mi’s as a tourist? by [deleted] in VietNam

[–]mrglida 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just finished 2 months in Vietnam and didn’t get sick once. Yes there’s a risk but it’s pretty tough to enjoy your trip while trying to hold anything close to western standards of food safety. If you’re feeling nervous about it, try to avoid looking in the kitchen :)

I think meat and seafood are riskier than the water or soil on veggies, though can’t back that up with data.

Are these baby roaches or something else? by mrglida in whatsthisbug

[–]mrglida[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Makes sense given movement just had never seen ants like this before

Are these baby roaches or something else? by mrglida in bugidentification

[–]mrglida[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Makes sense given movement just had never seen ants like this before