OpticalMoose

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

https://discuss.tchncs.de/pictrs/image/c1297424-6cd4-443a-bcdc-e874cf91571e.jpeg

Monty Brewster approves.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

The number one app for companies right now is “we can replace a lot of people and save a ton of money”, specifically look at the chatbot assistants you see on websites. Once they get the kinks worked out there, I guarantee they’ll have a talking version that will replace call center workers. And that’s only the beginning.

They’ve already run the numbers and figured the upfront costs are worth it. Occasional maintenance/cooling/upgrades/tech support is still going to be cheaper than FICA/Medicare/401K matching/PTO/maternity leave/overtime/workman’s comp/running a huge HR department/family day barbecues, etc.

Just trading one type of equipment for another, in their eyes.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

It’s just the start though. It’s going to spread to any and every thing they can think of. When’s the last time a corporation said “Naw, that’s off limits. We can’t in good conscience monetize that.”

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

With index funds you should be ok. Only thing I’d say is make sure they’re the right funds for you(and your risk tolerance).

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

Seriously. And amnesia. Back in the 70s/80s nearly every show had at least one episode where somebody got amnesia, then hilarity ensued.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

That’s why religious leaders are starting to turn on him. He’s cutting in on their racket.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

The real-estate mogul, of course, suggests he’s actually worth much more — valuing his own brand at as much as $10 billion.
… “I think it’s the hottest brand in the world.”

Yeah, I mean the Ford logo was good for $23B back in 2006, but I guess 10 > 23.5. Alternative math and all.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

Just a question for people calculating PNW (personal net worth). For real estate, are you using the purchase price or the current market value?

In my case, I bought a house in 2018 and Zillow says it’s worth 68% more right now. I think the Zillow figure is too high, but the purchase price is unrealistically low as well. Or maybe I should split the difference and add 34% to the purchase price and use that.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

No, not planning on staying there. I love the house, but I bought it in a self directed Roth IRA, so I’d have to withdraw it from there in order to actually live in it. It’s had such a big gain in only 5 years, I don’t really expect that to continue. After insurance and property tax, the rental income is only a 4.9% return on what I originally paid for it.

I hate these inflated prices. It’s hard to make any decisions because everything looks overpriced.

OpticalMoose, 4 months ago

Good luck, and congrats on the “outstanding”!

OpticalMoose, 4 months ago

Anyone feel like a tax advisor would be more helpful than a financial advisor?

Years ago, I had a financial advisor, and I wasn’t really impressed by the experience. He steered me into some investments that weren’t really appropriate (If I’m in my 30s, I don’t want bond funds or income funds, I want growth). Eventually, I got rid of him after he trailed the S&P for 2 years in a row.
Really, investing isn’t hard. If you don’t know anything else, just invest in the S&P 500.
Being tax efficient is the hard part. I’ve made some dumb tax moves over the years - converting my whole IRA to Roth at once instead of spreading it out over multiple years, not making a Roth contribution because selling a rental property put me over the income limit(I didn’t know about backdoor Roths at the time).
Paying a few hundred to talk to a tax professional once a year could have probably saved me thousands. I imagine nowadays you could get similar info from an AI chatbot though.

OpticalMoose, 4 months ago

Oops, I should have specified - find a good tax advisor. I’d always assumed tax advisors were all pretty competent, but I guess some aren’t.

And, to be clear, I’m not talking about a tax preparer. Where I live, pretty much anyone can take an online course and become a tax preparer. An actual tax advisor would typically be someone with a degree in accounting, at a minimum.

It’s just frustrating because financial articles always say “consult a tax professional before making any moves” or something like that. But how many of us have our own tax professional? I don’t even know where to find one.

I don’t mind paying the tax. That’s not the problem. I just hate all the complexity. We shouldn’t have to rely on an entire industry just to file our taxes. I remember the days of filling out a 1040-EZ by pencil and mailing it in to the IRS. Nowadays, my nephew (single, no kids) pays someone $140 to file a simple return.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

Nice! I’m approaching that mark. Hopefully I’ll get there by the end of this year. The market was spooked by Tesla and Intel this week, but I think it’ll recover by the end of the month.

OpticalMoose, 4 months ago

He wanted Playboy to be progressive (on abortion, weed, euthanasia, sexuality, etc), and he wanted equality for women, but he personally didn’t live by those same rules. Rules for thee, not for me, etc.
That’s just my opinion, though.

OpticalMoose, 4 months ago

Feeling called out by this. I mean those cars are tasty.

OpticalMoose, 4 months ago

I don’t think the handheld data is accurate. The Steam Deck, and any other x86 handheld, will probably be lumped in with PC sales. But still, the Nintendo Switch should have huge numbers by itself.

OpticalMoose, 3 months ago

Just some anecdotal data, it can definitely start before 50. My brother was in his late 40s when he started showing changes (not necessarily symptoms). He was 48 when he quit working (I think he was actually fired). My sister is older, but appears to be in the early stages (not remembering things from earlier in the same conversation, needs help making decisions). I’m 50 and starting to have memory lapses.

Definitely don’t wait until 50 to look for symptoms.