Search found 21 matches

by sapperleader
Thu Jul 30, 2015 7:15 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Home insulation
Replies: 12
Views: 5674

Re: Home insulation

I am not a expert on it, but we are building a very energy efficient home.  Our home is Insulated concrete forms(ICF).  It is basically a foam mold, where the concrete gets poured between the two pieces of foam.  It is around 8 inches of concrete.  The house is still being built, but the AC is now b...
by sapperleader
Tue Jul 07, 2015 11:09 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: If I go PP, do I still need a Cash Emergency Fund?
Replies: 26
Views: 18548

Re: If I go PP, do I still need a Cash Emergency Fund?

My wife and I definitely include the emergency fund as part of PP cash holdings.  I think people would be surprised if they add up all of the buckets of savings and life costs how easy it is to get close to  25% cash. We use a spreadsheet we call a savings tracker which tracks all of the savings goa...
by sapperleader
Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:52 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: cash as an underperform asset that could get rid of.
Replies: 32
Views: 15776

Re: cash as an underperform asset that could get rid of.

One of my favorite parts of PP's cash is how it fits with how most people handle money.  Instead of saying I have X in investments, Y in my emergency fund, and Z in checking/savings, you can just say I have whatever percent in cash. Only time I think designating funds as a emergency fund outside of ...
by sapperleader
Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:51 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Ting for Cell Phone Service (Potential Cost Saver)
Replies: 22
Views: 16440

Re: Ting for Cell Phone Service (Potential Cost Saver)

I didn't like any of Republic Wireless phone's was the main driver for me going with Ting.  Republic is also unlimited at a flat rate, whoch appealed to her.  Going forward with Ting adding CDMA to thier capabilities, I envision we will both end up at Ting at some point. Last year, my wife switched ...
by sapperleader
Wed Apr 01, 2015 8:36 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Ting for Cell Phone Service (Potential Cost Saver)
Replies: 22
Views: 16440

Re: Ting for Cell Phone Service (Potential Cost Saver)

Last year, my wife switched to Republic Wireless and I switched to Ting.  We are both thrilled, and save a ton, while having great service.  Neither of us is a heavy cell phone user,but the nice thing about ting is I have a busy month with work or family, it automatically ramps up without me thinkin...
by sapperleader
Mon Mar 09, 2015 1:15 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: How much to gamble in a VP and how frequent are your trades?
Replies: 13
Views: 8058

Re: How much to gamble in a VP and how frequent are your trades?

I view VP more like dualstow, and don't view it as gambling money.  Money I am willing to expose to more risk(for more return) does not mean I want to lose it.  We(my wife and I) buy and hold everything, including individual stocks, so we do not do day trading.  Our goal is 0% turnover except when r...
by sapperleader
Fri Feb 20, 2015 6:47 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Uncharted Waters?
Replies: 43
Views: 22071

Re: Uncharted Waters?

I will say that since I added the variable portion of our portfolio that I rarely look at what the assets are doing :)  We ran the numbers in January to see how good 2014 was to us for both halves of our portfolio, but fluctuations within a month or six are complete noise.  I also say this with havi...
by sapperleader
Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:56 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: 401k Advice Sought
Replies: 9
Views: 5694

Re: 401k Advice Sought

That looks really good, seems to be a nice mix.  My 401k is one of those awful ones that until recently the lowest and best choice I had was a ugly TRowe target retirement at a cost of 1.29%.  I now have some new lower fee indexes and I will be setting up a boglehead portfolio style instead. It is a...
by sapperleader
Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:48 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Carl Jung's Archetypes
Replies: 17
Views: 7983

Re: Carl Jung's Archetypes

INTJ though the J is almost 50/50 with  P.  Long range planner who is not detail oriented,  loves introspection of self, and but plays well in social situations (though of my goodness people are exhausting :) )  I forget which exact type my wife is, but she is also a long range planner(though very d...
by sapperleader
Thu Feb 05, 2015 7:14 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Our VP - adding returns and income streams(dividends, bonds, real estate)
Replies: 4
Views: 3139

Re: Our VP - adding returns and income streams(dividends, bonds, real estate)

Hi Phalanx, We currently have 33 companies that we own , and a total of 12 more that we are watching but have not yet purchased.  That is my upper limit I I can manage.  It is a balancing act between having a smaller number you can pay closer attention to, versus a larger number with less exposure t...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:28 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Building a house
Replies: 4
Views: 2460

Re: Building a house

Thanks, tend to do my research :)  Standing seam
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:45 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Our VP - adding returns and income streams(dividends, bonds, real estate)
Replies: 4
Views: 3139

Re: Our VP - adding returns and income streams(dividends, bonds, real estate)

Thanks for the advice, we definitively love i-bonds :)  I actually just had lunch with a younger coworker and was telling him about the awesomeness of I-bonds.   We do split our cash between shallow(t-bills, savings) and deep(ibonds and cd's).  That said, I think they help preserve purchasing power ...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:42 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Building a house
Replies: 4
Views: 2460

Re: Building a house

We are big fans, and I love the sturdiness of concrete over stick. I grew up in tornado country, and even though we live in a area now with rare tornadoes, I like knowing the house can withstand the winds.  I have heard of the sandwich panels, though its been a few years.  I look forward to reading ...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:12 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Our VP - adding returns and income streams(dividends, bonds, real estate)
Replies: 4
Views: 3139

Our VP - adding returns and income streams(dividends, bonds, real estate)

Long time lurker, and evidently in the mood to post today :)  I danced around the PP and first heard about in 2008.  My wife and I went all in PP in 2012 with the thought that perfect is the enemy of good, and we would tweak our long term allocations as our finances merged and we developed our retir...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:28 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Building a house
Replies: 4
Views: 2460

Building a house

Off topic, and I'd love to comment on another thread, but how far along are you in your house? What kind of construction are you using? To answer your question we started the process (vetting builders, designing the house, finding the land) October 2013.  We closed on the construction loan early Ja...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:23 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: is pp for all ages and portfolio sizes?
Replies: 47
Views: 21410

Re: is pp for all ages and portfolio sizes?

Ill start a thread for that to avoid any more off topic :) 
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:44 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: How much do you keep in cash in a regular bank account?
Replies: 28
Views: 14994

Re: How much do you keep in cash in a regular bank account?

My wife and I treat cash as part of our PP these days.  Before we implemented the permanent portfolio I had the emergency fund set as a separate allocation (which made sense when I had a small portfolio).  Nice thing about treating it all as part of the portfolio, we don't have to do any mental game...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:31 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: is pp for all ages and portfolio sizes?
Replies: 47
Views: 21410

Re: is pp for all ages and portfolio sizes?

Fascinating discussion :)  My wife and I  started building a house this year.  We pushed our cash allocation to the limits of the rebalancing band the past 3 years knowing that the market could certainly have losses during that time and that we needed the money liquid.  We did i-bonds and cd's where...
by sapperleader
Wed Feb 04, 2015 7:30 am
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Dividend Aristocrats
Replies: 4
Views: 3191

Re: Dividend Aristocrats

I would agree with MG and wild about Harry that there are no great Dividend ETF's and that a portfolio of 30-50 Dividend Aristocrats can act like a mini index.  My wife and I do dividend investing in our variable portfolio and really like it.  In no way does it substitute for owning a total stock in...
by sapperleader
Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:01 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Advice on setting up my pp - mix of Taxable and Retirement accounts
Replies: 3
Views: 2743

Re: Advice on setting up my pp - mix of Taxable and Retirement accounts

So I went for it, and outside of the actual bonds I need to order on the bond desk tomorrow, I have TLT, buys for VTSAX, and IAU in my IRA pending today.  Feels good to finally be implemnting the PP.
by sapperleader
Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:37 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Advice on setting up my pp - mix of Taxable and Retirement accounts
Replies: 3
Views: 2743

Advice on setting up my pp - mix of Taxable and Retirement accounts

Hello, Long time lurker and tire kicker, new poster :)  I have been reading the forum for years, but until this year when I had an opportunity to rollover my 401k to a vanguard IRA that I control was not ready to implement the PP.  My fiance and I have been slowly migrating into the PP this year, an...