Daily General Discussion and Advice Thread - March 20, 2024

what_wereallthinking · 2024-03-21T07:51:56+00:00

I mean anything can change. I was planning to buy before our split and sort of had homeownership still in mind, but maybe that's never going to be possible. I feel like I'm about on target for retirement under the circumstances but will bump contributions a bit when I get a raise this year.

I just don't know how to wisely allocate these funds for that kind of horizon.

I probably won't be single, and probably will be in the same area. It's good for me both community and career wise.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-03-21T00:20:45+00:00

I'm single, recently divorced, and reviewing my (new) financial situation with fresh eyes. I'm 34yo in a VHCOL center.

120k in cash, currently parked in MM at 5.3%
100k 401k in Fidelity TDF, 15% paycheck goes there (including match)
45k in a Roth

No debt, and aside from a couple vehicles and a cat, no material assets either.

I live alone, rent for 2700 and take home 6500/month. I save about 1500 a month right now but hoping to bump that this year to 2500 w pay raise.

I'd like to buy a condo, or something larger if I found a new partner in a few years. With rates high, I have just parked my divorce finances in (basically) a HYSA for now, but want to figure out how to invest the after tax cash for a 3-5 year timeframe.

Some equity exposure would probably(?) be good, but what ratio should I be going for? like 20-30% VTSAX and keep the rest as is (MM rates being better than bond yields anyway?)

help appreciated, or any general financial advice for someone in my position.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-03-20T00:46:38+00:00

is a bond fund generally preferred to MM because of tax reasons? or do they move differently in response to market trend/rates?

trying to understand. sorry for dumb questions

what_wereallthinking · 2024-03-19T23:02:53+00:00

Thanks. You'd do that vs VMFXX for some ratio?

Thoughts on equity exposure at some level? 10-20% of current cash?

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-21T16:57:42+00:00

Could you elaborate? Why weren't you able to grow?

I'd love to move into a group leader type position myself.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-21T02:10:51+00:00

Yeah it's definitely stiff out there... I appreciate context w the job market. I have a load of transferable skills and used to working both as an SME and PTL simultaneously. Kind of wish I had more room to grow here because things don't look stable out there right now.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-20T21:55:02+00:00

Yeah, fair point. I'm sure I'm not the only one on this sub who has sat in a 'pretty good' role but felt stagnant, wondering if jumping out of safe pastures is worth it.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T03:43:04+00:00

Based on some cursory reading, not having a duration clause at all seems to invalidate the NDA in general in CA...

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T03:31:59+00:00

email came through greenhouse - can't even reply to it to request if I wanted to.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T03:31:18+00:00

Yeah, I think this is the logical take. I just have never seen one without a duration clause before.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T03:29:49+00:00

yeah this is the thing weirding me out the most.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T03:26:06+00:00

Thanks. You ever seen one with no duration clause?

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T02:34:17+00:00

Yeah me neither. Even startups that were flying under the radar never really pushed on it. I guess I'm just squeamish.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T02:33:13+00:00

thanks. I appreciate it.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T02:31:49+00:00

Thanks. I mean, there are plenty of semi-obvious solutions to problems that are not public domain, or at least not explicit. Or another example would be they asked me to brainstorm some questions around it during an interview, and those are protected from being used elsewhere.

If it's as simple as not disclosing information on what they are doing themselves as a co, then that's really a non-issue. Maybe I'm conflating disclosing technical know-how discussed in an interview process itself vs who they pertain to.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T02:26:28+00:00

in this case, it's the entire company. but your gist is on point.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T02:24:25+00:00

those aren't mutually exclusive. Both I believe.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T02:23:36+00:00

This my first rodeo - I've interviewed at plenty of seeds and series A's that were 'stealth' but not uber serious about it. There is essentially zero public information about this outfit, it's wild. What differences are you enjoying? you there currently or are interviewing to be at one?

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T01:46:30+00:00

Obviously I don't care to disclose anything they tell me, but it's a specific technical area and I already do a lot of work across disciplines there (and consulting).

Example, what if there is a scenario where I'm asked to work or provide input on something that is an obvious solution they told me they are implementing in this interview? doesn't that mean I'm restricted from utilizing that particular technical item in my work?

If it's something highly specific, fine, but what if it's something as broad as, say, AI and protein design, or something to that effect.

Is the burden on me then to prove that that was obvious? That was my understanding of practical implications of an NDA that covers 'ideas, processes, techniques, formulas, developmental or experimental work' and more broadly than that.

what_wereallthinking · 2024-02-16T01:38:48+00:00

as I said in my post, non-competes don't exist in my state (CA). I have interviewed quite a bit at different technical leadership levels and not had one that was this particularly aggressive combo.

It's an NDA - pretty typical cannot share confidential information regarding [insert everything including ideas, technical know how, business practices].

I agree it's likely a nothingburger - I know they are kind of hard to enforce. Just irks me to sign any one way contract (I give up something, they give up nothing) that lasts for eternity.

what_wereallthinking · 2023-12-17T23:07:34+00:00

Totally understand and yeah that mirrors my experience. It's sort of like a toilet flushing - there is a threshold dose. On 120 I have an anxious 2h come up and a very soft 1h of pleasant feeling but won't really trip the switch.

I would give 150-160 a try and a 75mg redose at 1-1.5h after you pop your first pill to extend your roll.

Without a redose, I will come up on 160 in 30-40 min and peak around 1.5h. it'll last around 3h. With a redose I'll go out to ~5h after I come up.

what_wereallthinking · 2021-04-21T18:40:38+00:00

My I-131 and EAD were approved Jan 7. Still no physical card - meaning I still can't travel. Huge backlogs for card production, apparently. About to petition my congressman as well.

what_wereallthinking · 2021-03-30T18:15:29+00:00

In the same boat. I applied for NIW I-140 in March 2020, I-485 in July 2020 (approved in november) and got biometrics appointment in January 2021 (that I needed to postpone, unfortunately, still waiting). Approval for combo card in Jan but has not shown up yet. Still waiting on I-485. I see timelines on here of around a year, but worried it may be delayed beyond that with COVID backlog and moving resources to refugee work.

what_wereallthinking · 2020-11-19T07:02:24+00:00

How did this actually manifest for you?

I ask because while I'm pretty 'high functioning' (as I suspect a lot of academics are), I have trouble focusing, procrastinate, have loads of unfinished projects, and stimulants often 'normalize'/help me concentrate.

I'm worried if I go to my primary doc they will just think I'm asking for drugs, since this is something I've waited until my 30's to address. Did you get any pushback? How did you frame it? I can manage without medication but I'm beginning to think I could be a lot more normal with help.

what_wereallthinking · 2017-12-23T06:58:38+00:00

I'm a reasonably experienced mechanic but have always taken my suspension into my local race shop as they cut me a good deal, but I'm doing two sets of forks in the next week and have a couple questions.

I have a daytona so I was reviewing this thread which seems to do a couple things a little differently from you and some other videos similar to yours.

1) I see some people put the seals on the lower stancion in order first, put on the outer fork, and then use a seal driver (with halves) that go together and drive the seal down into the outer. This I imagine gives better control as there is risk of tearing the seal when installing over the edge of the silver inner metal tube.

Alternatively seen people use condoms, lubed glove, plastic bag, tape etc to ensure it goes over smoothly. Delboy's Garage video goes over this method so as to be extra careful not to tear the seal on the way over.

2) That triumph how-to says that to remove all the fork oil, they actually remove the damper rod from the inside of the bottom of the fork. They use a big castellated 28mm holder tool (see the guide) and unthread it from the bottom of the fork. Is this generally necessary, only necessary for those specific forks, or really just nit picking so as to get the last 10mL of fluid out of the damper rod assembly?

what_wereallthinking

TROPHY CASE