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From: owner-persfin-digest@lists.xmission.com (persfin-digest)
To: persfin-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: persfin-digest V5 #37
Reply-To: persfin
Sender: owner-persfin-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-persfin-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
X-No-Archive: yes
persfin-digest Saturday, July 25 1998 Volume 05 : Number 037
In this issue of the Personal Finance Digest:
Credit Reports
Asset Allocation & Overlap pgm.
Gift stocks - what's the basis
Re: Questions on Residences
Debt Free and Prosperous Living(tm)
Re: Social Security and our govt
Re: persfin-digest V5 #36
Re: Purpose of this List
A Vexing Choice faced by money novice...
Re: persfin-digest V5 #36
Limit on 403(b) contributions?
Re: Mutual funds Supermarkets
Rationing health care
Re: persfin-digest V5 #36
Y2K Okay on Wall Street
Re: Y2K Okay on Wall Street
The messages posted to the Persfin-Digest are opinions and are not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 09:22:25 -0400
From: Roberta Healey <rhealey@MAIL.COLGATE.EDU>
Subject: Credit Reports
This month's Consumer Reports suggested that one adapt a
defensive stance concerning the upcoming "Year 2000 problem" and order a
credit report from each of the major three credit-reporting bureaus and
keep them to compare with a report ordered after 2000.
Equifax 800-685-1111
Experian 800-682-7654
TransUnion 800-916-8800
It is my recollection that one is entitled to a free credit
report from each agency once a year, so this sounded like a good idea to
me, but when I called Equifax to request one, I got only voice mail,
which instructed that there would be an $8 charge and requesting me to
leave credit card authorization. I haven't tried the other two yet.
What I was wondering is if anyone knows if one is, indeed,
entitled to a free credit report once year if they have not been denied
credit?
Roberta
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 12:23:36 -0400
From: "Cook, James" <jcook@mailserver.disc.dla.mil>
Subject: Asset Allocation & Overlap pgm.
Hi:
I'm trying to gather opinions on whether the mutual funds I have contain
enough diversification. I've been reading about asset allocation which
states that you should have a certain percentage of your funds in large, mid,
small, & international funds. A couple people at work have told me that my
funds are too heavy in large caps. Here's what I have.
Baron Asset - 8.5%
Janus - 10.9%
Vanguard Wellington - 34.9%
Vanguard Windsor - 24%
Vanguard Windsor II - 21.7%
These funds comprise 44% of my total portfolio and I have another 11% in
large blue chip stocks. I dollar cost average into all the funds except
Wellington which I just stopped. Should I sell some Wellington or another
and get a international/global fund?
I recall reading some time ago that there is a "overlap" pgm which will
compute the overlap among various mutual funds. Does anyone have any
knowledge of this or is there something similiar.
Thanks in Advance,
Jim
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 09:52:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Eric Shen - FDC <eshen@pcocd2.intel.com>
Subject: Gift stocks - what's the basis
Hi,
I received some stock from my uncle and want to know how to calculate
the cost basis when I sell the stock. Do I use the amount he paid?
If he received the stock for free (he's on the board), would the price
I sell it at be the capital gain?
Eric
- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Shen 916-356-5536
Intel Corporation, FM5-161 fax: 916-356-5719
1900 Prairie City Rd, Folsom, CA 95630 eshen@pcocd2.intel.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 14:05:56 -0500 (CDT)
From: ldavis@ix.netcom.com (Lynn R Davis)
Subject: Re: Questions on Residences
>Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:20:35 -0500
>From: trinh@anywhereusa.com
>Subject: Questions
>
>
>
>I bought a house recently, and am now living with my parent
>and relatives. If I move out (may be out of state) say, for
>a new job, I will most likely need to pay at least $300 out
>of my pocket each month to cover the mortgage because they
>can't afford it. I don't think i can kick them out without
>breaking the relationships, so this isn't an option for me.
>
>My questions are:
>1. Will I still be eligible for getting a tax break if I
> don't live there ?
Yes, and you have two choices. You can charge those who do live there
"rent" (which you have to recognize as income) and then take ALL
expenses (including insurance, depreciation, repairs) as deductions
(and possibly have a net loss to charge against other income).
Or, you are allowed to deduct mortgage interest which you owe and pay
for both your PRIMARY residence (where you would be living) and a
SECOND residence (which would be this one). You do not get as many
deductions, but if your relatives give you some gifts in gratitude for
living there or pay the non-deductible expenses, you do not need to
count that as income, just as contribution to keeping up this second
residence.
>2. Will my lender closes the loan because I broke the agreement
> that the property will be used as my primary residence ?
This depends upon what the agreement itself says. In California, most
loans I know of simply require that you have had a good faith intention
to live there and actually do live there for a while. They do not as a
matter of course try to collect on the loan if you move out, as long as
the payments are still made.
>3. If I save enough money in the future, how much do i need
> to put for down payment, percentage-wise ? Can one have
> more than one residents ?
You can own as many residences as you desire and can afford. However,
you can only deduct mortgage interest for up to two residences, one of
which I believe must be your primary residence. Property taxes are
likely a different matter, and can probably be deducted for more
residences or properties than just two.
>4. I've heard that by making one extra payment each year to the
> mortgate will pay off the loan quicker, does it matter if
> you make the extra payment at the beginning of the year or
> the end of the year ?
Making the payment at the BEGINNING of the year saves you the interest
that would have accrued during that year. So, it is about 7 to 8%
better than the end of the year.
>
Lynn R. Davis
Fremont California
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 13:11:22 -0700
From: <ricky.hatch@us.pwcglobal.com>
Subject: Debt Free and Prosperous Living(tm)
My brother lent me the tapes and workbook. The concepts are pretty
helpful, though basic, and the speaker is fairly motivating. We have
implemented a few of his ideas and have found success so far. He takes the
discussion beyond financial topics into simplifying your life, and even
into faith. He seemed genuine, but I probably wouldn't have spent $100 or
so bucks for what I learned (most of it is common sense--cut up the credit
cards, pay off highest-interest debt first, etc.).
I have a follow up question for everyone. Greg Moore brought up an
interesting comment that I'd like to throw out for your feedback.
Regarding mortgages, his argument was interesting: during the first several
years of our mortgages, the overwhelming majority of our monthly payment is
going to interest. The average length of time that we live in a house
before moving is 7 years. So, in essence, we are paying 80-90 percent
interest on our home loan because by the time we start increasing the
amount of our monthly payment that goes to principal, we refinance into
another home, another mortgage, and we're back to a monthly payment that
goes mostly to interest. Any thoughts?
****************************
From: ANDREA WELCH <ACE.AWELCH@MEMO.ACEHARDWARE.COM>
Subject: Debt-FREE & Prosperous Living(tm)
Has anybody had experience with the "Debt-FREE & Prosperous
Living(tm)" course being offered by Greg Moore, Certified
Financial Independence Consultant, Financial Independence Network
Limited?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to
which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged
material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or
taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or
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this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any
computer.
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 16:59:19 -0400
From: Greg.Panayotti@wdr.com
Subject: Re: Social Security and our govt
>Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 18:11:42 -0400
>from: "Cal Lester" <cal_lester@email.msn.com> Subject: Re: Social Security and
>our govt
>
>I read your interesting article lambasting our Federal Government, and the
>Social Security System in general. I must admit that there some inequities in
>it, but I am secure in the knowledge that people like you, although you
>complain, will still continue to work, earn money, and contribute to my
>retirement funds. I for one do appreciate the fact that you are contributing to
>my personal welfare. My parents (posthumously) thank you, my wife thanks you,
>my children thank you (so that they do not have to support me) and I thank you.
>
>Kalman J. Lester CLU
>Insurance Course Coordinator
>Broward Community College
Kalman,
Thanks for proving my point. Yours in the kind of high-brow smug
response I would expect from someone with their head buried in
the world of Academia.
Bottom line is: I pay because I'm not a right wing nut-ball extremist
on some ranch somewhere - but that doesn't mean I don't want it
changed. You pay too, and you're paying for my parents
and grandparents... and you're children are paying too (or they will
someday). It's not just SS, it's other tax money wasted as well.
And if you think this is all amusing, I guess it's also why nothing is
ever done about it.
AGAIN: This is a great country - but we should be able to do alot
better than we are. You can ignore that all you want and label me
whatever you want. Fact is that it's alot safer for you to sit there,
not do anything about it and criticize those who would like to see
change. Nice and easy for you, eh? The (new) American way.
My reponse to people who don't think this dialogue is about finance
is: If you don't think 40% of your check (YOUR money, remember?)
going somewhere and some/most of it being wasted isn't wrong and
immoral then I suggest you wake up - and the sooner the better.
This country was built on change - not lazy complacency.
G.
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 14:32:00 -0700
From: Christy Rohrig <christy@netwiz.net>
Subject: Re: persfin-digest V5 #36
You should be able to set up a Roth IRA if you are a US citizen and deposit the
lesser of $2000 or your earned income (unless it's a spousal IRA in which case
it's your spouse's earned income less your spouse's IRA contribution). If your
AGI does end up being over the limit, the new technical corrections bill that just
passed will allow you to convert it to a non-deductable IRA. If you want more
information check out Publication 590 from the IRS.
I believe the AGI is before the exculsion of international income. You may also
want to look at www.rothira.com or post to misc.taxes.moderated
Cheers,
- -Christy
p.s. I took a risk and converted the funds to a Roth and will look closely at my
earned income about August to see if I should take an unpaid leave of absense or
sell some stock for a capital loss. (It's been a weird year financially.)
> Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 08:44:26 -0400
> From: Rick Baker <RRBaker@compuserve.com>
> Subject: Regular and Roth IRA AGI Limits
>
> My husband and I are living in Europe on an expatriate assignment. My
> question relates to the Regular and Roth IRA eligibility guidelines. We
> are interested in opening a regular or Roth IRA for me this (prior to the
> end of the year) and didn't want to wait until our tax return is completed
> in 1999 to determine our AGI, thus our eligibility. Both types of IRA's
> have AGI limits to determine eligibility, but does anyone know whether the
> AGI limits are calculated before or after the Special Foreign Exclusions
> (i.e. foreign earned income exclusion, foreign housing exclusion)? How do
> others out there handle determining eligibility for IRA's?
>
> Thanks!
> B. Baker
>
> - -
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 18:06:45 EDT
From: <MsProf2U@aol.com>
Subject: Re: Purpose of this List
<< Let's get back to the real purpose of this list. >>
Which is what? To read incredibly detailed accounts of some people's tax
situations, posted in their efforts to find out which avenue is best for them?
Situations which probably have nothing whatsoever to do with anyone else? I
"bleep" past half, maybe more, of the messages in each pers-fin digest because
they describe arcane and esoteric situations that are FAR better suited being
presented to the posters' own personal tax attorneys than to this list. I
personally enjoy when a discussion goes a level above such posts. Who
appointed you the moderator of what gets discussed here, anyhow? Why don't you
leave that to the list owner?
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 20:15:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: bonsai@channel1.com
Subject: A Vexing Choice faced by money novice...
I mostly lurk, but I'm always grateful to receive your helpful responses
when I do post the occasional specific question. Now I have a very
*general* question and I'm looking for some different points of view from
the list, if I may:
I recently got a raise and I'm determined, for the first time in my life,
NOT to squander the extra money or let it slip away unnoticed in daily
nickel-and-dime expenditures. This is a big step for me ;-)
So I have about $400-$500 a month that I want to put somewhere, and I am
torn between three options (each with obvious advantages, or tied to goals
I have):
1. Put extra money into my retirement account each month. I work in higher
ed and have my retirement money in TIAA-CREF (actually, all in CREF stock
funds). (I have no other investments). I currently put in 5% of my salary
and my employer matches 7%, so effectively, 12% of my salary is going into
my retirement fund. I can put in up to 16.67% (the school's contribution
will not go up, 7% is the max they will do). I'm tempted to put in more
(and many things I'm reading say I should if I can) because the
contributions are tax deferred. However:
2. I have no "three-month" cushion, or any # of months cushion in savings
- -- so accessible savings is also a goal/priority for me.
3. Also, I would like to pull together a (to me) considerable sum of cash
to be used as a downpayment on a house or property I'll get around to
wanting to buy within the next 2-4 years.
I just don't know how to choose the best route. Are #'s 2 and 3 mutually
exclusive, I mean, does anyone ever have BOTH "safety cushion" money AND a
downpayment sitting around at once? I feel like if I split the money up
toward all three goals, the amounts going toward #2 and #3 are never going
to get me anywhere... I also don't know where to begin to evaluate WHERE to
put money for #s 2 and 3....
I should also mention (both because I expect it to come up as a
consideration in some answers and because I'm very happy to be able to say
it) that I have no consumer debt; I have FINALLY moved beyond "Step 1: Pay
off your expensive debt" ;-)...
Now how do I negotiate Step 2??
Any insights, suggestions, gut feelings, non-binding anecdotal advice
and/or hard-won experience will be most appreciated ;-)
tia,
Bonnie
- -
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1998 23:39:15 EDT
From: balaji@juno.com (balaji v ramanathan)
Subject: Re: persfin-digest V5 #36
> Mutual funds Supermarkets
>- - do they allow existing shares to be transferred in?
Fidelity will. You have to fill out a special form for
it. It may take a while for the transfer to take place and I have
heard some horror stories about botched transfers. If it is not
too big a position, it may be less hassles to sell it and take
the cash to the supermarket.
>- - if a fund or family is a transaction fee in one supermarket is it
>
> necessarily a transaction fee in all supermarkets?
No. I know that Schwab has some NTF funds that are not
NTF with Fidelity and vice versa. I used to have accounts with
both before Schwab pissed me off so much I closed my account with
them and took my whole business to Fidelity.
>- - the couple that I've looked at have a fixed fee per transaction,
>are
>there any
> supermarkets that are friendlier to DCA (dollar cost averaging)?
I think you should look for a supermarket in which the particular
fund you want to DCA into is NTF. Some supermarkets may waive
transaction fees to help out regular investors, but you will have
to ask around.
>- - which supermarkets will do DCA for your account automatically?
Practically every supermarket should allow for automatic
money transfers from your checking (or savings) account into their
"core" account and then use the funds in the core account to buy
the mutual funds you designate. Schwab and Fidelity had no problems
setting up such arrangements with me.
>
>kmealy@bigfoot.com
>Cincinnati, OH
bye/balaji/
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
- -
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 13:28:20 -0500
From: agrawal@ra.anl.gov
Subject: Limit on 403(b) contributions?
I work for a non-profit organization & have a question about
retirement plan.
I have a mandatory contribution + employer matched contribution.
In addition I am allowed a supplemental voluntary (deductible)
contribution (SRA) which I'd like to max out.
My employer has a calculation (which is done every quarter)
& takes into account salary, my age, years of service and
amount already in SRA. There are 4 different formula & the
calculation which results in the minimum is contributed.
Are these specified by the IRS? I thought the IRS just had
something like 15% (or 25%) of Gross Income with max of $9500?
Can organizations have their own limits & formulae?
I am trying hard to Dollar Cost Average but this fluctuates
from $200-800 / month!
In 1998, I may be allowed to contribute < $3000 whereas is 1997
I did > $9000. This is also a problem since my AGI will
be higher than planned & we may not be eligible to convert to
Roth IRA this year :(
Is there anything I can do?
Rupal
- -
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 11:27:38 -0700
From: Mark Ollendorff <MOllendorff@cybernautics.com>
Subject: Re: Mutual funds Supermarkets
I too am interested in hearing more about these "supermarkets." I have
heard rumblings of these types of funds, but have not found anything
substantial.
OnNow - Your Guide to Live Online Events
http://www.onnow.com
- -
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 15:49:15 -0400
From: GeorgeS <pip@shore.net>
Subject: Rationing health care
> John Silber lost the
>Mass Governor's race a while back for merely suggesting we "ration" health
>care.
Hmmm, as I recollect, Silber lost because he is a tyrannical self
aggrandizing loud mouth. Some pinpoint the exact moment he blew the
election. They say he lost the election when he tore Natalie Jacobson, a
mostly harmless local newscaster, a new anus in response to her puff
question : "what are your shortcomings." Old JS screamed his ad hominem (ad
Natalie?) response to her, and got his angry mug splashed all over local TV.
The unreasonable voters seemed to think, if he blows his cookies over this,
what happens when he gets a real problem.
Suggestions that he wanted to gas the Cambodians in Lowell, and ship off the
Revere Latinos to Mexico, are naught but apocryphal exaggerations of his
basic racist simplistic response to political problems. Silber, remember,
is the guy who thought Mandella belonged in jail, and squashed BU faculty
attempts to honor the man.
John Silber is the man who finally drove what we fondly call the democratic
peoples republic of Ma. into the hands of a republican governor. It takes a
special guy to do that. Remember Ma., home of demcocratic notables as T
Kennedy and B Frank. It takes grand canyon quantities of personal
peccadillos to make the average voter in Ma. vote republican. JS more than
met this criteria.
Health care rationing played a minor role in the election, one had a wide
variety of reasons to question Silber's qualifications for what we locals
know as
hizzoner da guvnah'
> Granted, Silber wasn't subtle,
Granted infinity is big
Granted eternity is a long time
- -
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 17:45:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: James Garcia <jimgarcia@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: persfin-digest V5 #36
> kmealy@juno.com (Keith Mealy) asked:
> Subject: Mutual funds Supermarkets
> These look like a terrific way to consolidate
> bookkeeping and allow easy rebalancing and exchanges.
> - does anyone have the list of where these
> supermarkets are?
most discount brokers have them now.
check their web sites.
> - do they allow existing shares to be transferred in?
Schwab did, but after the xfer, they didn't know what
my cost basis was, so they can't give you cap gain
reporting. For tax reporting I was on my own.
> - if a fund is a transaction fee in one supermarket is it a
transaction fee in all supermarkets?
no. you'll find different NTF funds in each s-market.
> - the couple that I've looked at have a fixed fee per >
transaction, are there any supermarkets that are > friendlier to DCA
(dollar cost averaging)?
for DCAing, you really want to find a supermarket
with the fund you want as a No Transaction Fee fund
or find a fund you like in the supermarket. Or deal
directly with the fund itself. Example, I don't think
Vanguard is NTF with any supermarket.
> - which supermarkets will do DCA for your account automatically?
Probably every one. If you want to send them money automatically, very
few will turn you down.
Go to their web sites. Get a phone #.
Call them and ask them these same questions.
Good Luck. Jim Garcia jimgarci@pacbell.net
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
- -
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 21:29:55 -0500
From: "Richard A. Bauer" <owowo@fclass.net>
Subject: Y2K Okay on Wall Street
FYI--
Y2K OK ON WALL STREET
A ten-day-long test by the Securities Industry Association's Year 2000 project
found no problems during a simulation involving 29 brokerage firms, all major
stock exchanges, and the corporations that conduct trades for them. Project
manager Leslie Tortora hopes that the success of the project will encourage a
similar effort by telephone companies, and says: "People are feeling good. An
enormous amount of energy and preparation has gone into making this
successful." (New York Times 23 Jul 98)
- -
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 10:31:07 -0500
From: Bill La Mar <blamar@dialnet.net>
Subject: Re: Y2K Okay on Wall Street
OK
Richard A. Bauer wrote:
> FYI--
>
> Y2K OK ON WALL STREET
> A ten-day-long test by the Securities Industry Association's Year 2000 project
> found no problems during a simulation involving 29 brokerage firms, all major
> stock exchanges, and the corporations that conduct trades for them. Project
> manager Leslie Tortora hopes that the success of the project will encourage a
> similar effort by telephone companies, and says: "People are feeling good. An
> enormous amount of energy and preparation has gone into making this
> successful." (New York Times 23 Jul 98)
>
> -
- -
------------------------------
End of persfin-digest V5 #37
****************************
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