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asur posted:I'm pretty certain this isn't true in his case. You can save receipts and reimburse yourself at any point, but I'm almost positive that you can't reimburse more than you had in the account at the time. According to my company, you can reimburse more than you had at the time. Like if the company puts in $100 a month and you have a $500 expense, you can just pay yourself back the entire amount in 5 months. I'm just not sure what happens when you switch insurance without paying yourself back in its entirety first.
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Nov 4, 2016 06:32
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PRADA SLUT posted:I'm just not sure what happens when you switch insurance without paying yourself back in its entirety first. Self reimbursement is more of an IRS rule rather than an insurance issue.
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Nov 4, 2016 08:00
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nelson posted:Self reimbursement is more of an IRS rule rather than an insurance issue. So what does the IRS say about it then?
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Nov 4, 2016 14:19
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PRADA SLUT posted:So what does the IRS say about it then? You can receive tax-free distributions from your HSA to pay or be reimbursed for qualified medical expenses you incur after you establish the HSA.
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Nov 4, 2016 16:37
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il serpente cosmico posted:It's just about benefit election time at my place of work. New for this year is the option for a HDHP / HSA. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to go that route, but I wanted to run down the two options and make sure I'm not missing something. Both plans being offered are through Providence. I should also note that my employer will still be paying roughly $5K per year for my HDHP, which is loving insane to me. The medical industry in this country is so hosed.
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Nov 5, 2016 03:53
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il serpente cosmico posted:I should also note that my employer will still be paying roughly $5K per year for my HDHP, which is loving insane to me. The medical industry in this country is so hosed. No, but it's really lucrative for me so don't say this too loudly.
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Nov 5, 2016 14:50
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I don't see a Mint thread, so I'll ask here. Is there a way in Mint to change a charge and put a new one in? For example, I went to the grocery store, but also bought some stuff from the pharmacy. I want to be able to look at my receipt, subtract an amount from that transaction, and create a new transaction myself. Also, is it possible to make the graph shows specific categories rather than the generalized ones? Like how there's a food category that includes restaurants and groceries, can I make the pie chart show each of those rather than one lump amount? I'm trying to put together a more accurate report for myself and my thread.
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Nov 7, 2016 01:03
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22 Eargesplitten posted:I don't see a Mint thread, so I'll ask here. Is there a way in Mint to change a charge and put a new one in? For example, I went to the grocery store, but also bought some stuff from the pharmacy. I want to be able to look at my receipt, subtract an amount from that transaction, and create a new transaction myself. On the transaction, choose split. On a browser it looks like a forking arrow. For the graph, you can change search terms at the top. Certain views let you drill down into subcategories, while others just go to an aggregated lost of transactions. Off the top of my head, I don't remember which views do which.
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Nov 7, 2016 02:33
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I currently have 2 credit cards. One I have had for 6 years with a 0 balance that the rewards are pretty crappy and my credit limit is $1,700 and I have never requested it to be bumped up. The 2nd credit card I got 11/1/2015 when we bought all new appliances for our house and have it completely paid off and it has a credit limit of $5,000 and it was a card that allowed me to buy the items with 0% interest but has no rewards tied to it.. My credit score is ~800. I have a couple quesitons. First, should I close the second credit card now that it is paid off and don't plan on using it ever again since there are no rewards tied to it? Second, I need more than $1,700 credit limit. Should I request a credit limit bump on my first card with the crappy rewards or leave it how it is and be on the lookout for another credit card (possibly Citi Double Cash Card)?
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Nov 11, 2016 16:46
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fyallm posted:I currently have 2 credit cards. One I have had for 6 years with a 0 balance that the rewards are pretty crappy and my credit limit is $1,700 and I have never requested it to be bumped up. The 2nd credit card I got 11/1/2015 when we bought all new appliances for our house and have it completely paid off and it has a credit limit of $5,000 and it was a card that allowed me to buy the items with 0% interest but has no rewards tied to it.. If the 2nd credit card has no annual/monthly fee I would just leave it open. The extra available credit helps your credit utilization. An 800 credit score is excellent so I would expect you could get a credit line increase on your first card without much difficulty. Some issuers do it automatically and not when you request though. You can also get another credit card if you want, you don't have to pick between a new card and a credit line increase. If you do want to close the 2nd card that's fine, just get your credit line increase and/or new card before you close it.
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Nov 11, 2016 16:54
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THF13 posted:If the 2nd credit card has no annual/monthly fee I would just leave it open. The extra available credit helps your credit utilization. An 800 credit score is excellent so I would expect you could get a credit line increase on your first card without much difficulty. Some issuers do it automatically and not when you request though. You can also get another credit card if you want, you don't have to pick between a new card and a credit line increase. The reason I was thinking I had to pick is because if I request a credit limit increase it counts as a hit against my credit report, and if I get a new card that also counts as a hit against my report?
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Nov 11, 2016 17:17
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fyallm posted:The reason I was thinking I had to pick is because if I request a credit limit increase it counts as a hit against my credit report, and if I get a new card that also counts as a hit against my report? The effect of a credit inquiry on your credit is extremely small, having 2 is completely normal. It might start to be a concern if you have ~8 or more, and even then probably wouldn't be a big deal. Not all credit card issuers actually pull your credit for a credit line increase either. Doctor of Credit has a pretty good list. http://www.doctorofcredit.com/credit-cards/which-credit-card-companies-do-a-hard-pull-for-a-credit-limit-increase/
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Nov 11, 2016 17:23
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If you have an 800 score you can take a hit on credit to open/extend a card, just keep doing whatever you have been and it will rebound just fine.
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Nov 11, 2016 20:01
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I have no consumer credit. I'm a grown-rear end man who owns an apartment but got turned down for a decent Chase credit card because I have no consumer credit card history. Is there a decent card that I can get and just use for a couple years, pay off every month or whatever and get a consumer credit history going?
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Nov 11, 2016 20:21
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You should be able to get a credit builder loan through your bank or credit union. e: this might not have been the exact answer you wanted, but if it's more for the credit history than the actual card, it's not a terrible idea. Moneyball fucked around with this message at 22:04 on Nov 11, 2016 |
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Nov 11, 2016 20:35
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nelson fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Nov 11, 2016 |
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Nov 11, 2016 20:43
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Rashomon posted:I have no consumer credit. I'm a grown-rear end man who owns an apartment but got turned down for a decent Chase credit card because I have no consumer credit card history. Is there a decent card that I can get and just use for a couple years, pay off every month or whatever and get a consumer credit history going? Discover It Secured Card. You give them a deposit, they give you a credit card with a limit equal to that deposit. After 7-12 months of paying it on time they convert it to a standard version of the credit card and give you back your deposit. You now have a decent credit score and assuming you pay in full every month haven't paid a cent in interest.
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Nov 12, 2016 03:14
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THF13 posted:Discover It Secured Card. You give them a deposit, they give you a credit card with a limit equal to that deposit. After 7-12 months of paying it on time they convert it to a standard version of the credit card and give you back your deposit. You now have a decent credit score and assuming you pay in full every month haven't paid a cent in interest. Thanks, I've heard of these things and it makes sense. I will probably apply for one. More newbie credit card questions: I assume it's better to use it as much as possible (up to the limit) and pay it off as soon as possible to maximize credit history? It looks like this card lets you give a higher deposit for a higher credit limit, so if I give them, say, $1000, and use it for $1000 of purchases a month, that will build faster than $200 right?
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Nov 12, 2016 17:46
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Rashomon posted:Thanks, I've heard of these things and it makes sense. I will probably apply for one. More newbie credit card questions: I assume it's better to use it as much as possible (up to the limit) and pay it off as soon as possible to maximize credit history? It looks like this card lets you give a higher deposit for a higher credit limit, so if I give them, say, $1000, and use it for $1000 of purchases a month, that will build faster than $200 right? Not at all, you could put your netflix subscription on it, stick it in a drawer and forget about it for a year and it would build credit just as fast as maxing it out every month. What's important for your credit score is a history of on time payments. You actually want to avoid using close to your credit limit as credit card companies consider using most of your available credit a risk factor, but you don't need to worry about this while you're using a secured card. The history of that isn't taken into account, just your last reported balance.
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Nov 12, 2016 18:12
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THF13 posted:Not at all, you could put your netflix subscription on it, stick it in a drawer and forget about it for a year and it would build credit just as fast as maxing it out every month. What's important for your credit score is a history of on time payments. Just be sure to set up auto-pay from your checking account before you forget about it.
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Nov 12, 2016 18:24
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To also try and head off a common misconception, it doesn't matter when you make a payment on the card, just as long as it's not late. If you set up auto pay to always pay off the full statement amount a few days before it's due, you'll never pay a cent of interest and your credit will build just fine. Just make sure there's always enough money in your account to cover the bill.
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Nov 12, 2016 19:30
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THF13 posted:but you don't need to worry about this while you're using a secured card. The history of that isn't taken into account, just your last reported balance. Huh, didn't know this. I've been paying off my secured card weekly to keep my utilization low, so it's nice to know I can relax a bit.
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Nov 12, 2016 21:10
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Hey, I would like a little bit of financial advice. I'm 26, happily married, and have about 20k in savings. I'd like to make that money do more, but we're both abroad right now (and will be until Summer 2018). That money is currently our lifeline in case something drastic happens to us, but I'm wondering if I could take about 8k of it and invest it in the VTSAX because I've been reading the Simple Path to Wealth guy's blog. We have no debt and are currently not in a situation where it would make sense to save part of our earnings and transfer it to our American bank (we'll bring what we saved with us when we leave tho). I don't have reliable internet or phone access, but I do trust my parents a whole lot who do have the authority to interact with my money. Should I just wait the two years and begin investing then? Or does it seem sensible to start now with assistance from trusted family?
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Nov 14, 2016 21:51
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Do not take money that in your own words is your lifeline and put it into assets that can lose value.
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Nov 14, 2016 22:06
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That's a sobering comment. I'm also aware that I would need to put at least 10k into Vanguard at a minimum. The only alternative I can see is to let the money rest and get the interest from sitting in a bank.
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Nov 14, 2016 22:23
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The 10k minimum is due to VTSAX being Admiral shares. Vanguard offers similar (identical?) index funds with a slightly higher expense ratio that I believe have a minimum around $1k. I'm not entirely sure if they offer these index funds available separately or if they're just a part of target date funds though. This isn't an endorsement for your idea being either good or bad, I'm simply pointing out that the $10k minimum is specific to the index fund you've highlighted and is not a blanket policy for everything Vanguard. e: VTI and VTSMX are the other funds, which look to be identical outside of ER and minimum purchase amount. Other posters who are far smarter and less ignorant than myself can guide you through the rest. Teeter fucked around with this message at 23:04 on Nov 14, 2016 |
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Nov 14, 2016 22:56
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N. Senada posted:That's a sobering comment. I'm also aware that I would need to put at least 10k into Vanguard at a minimum. The only alternative I can see is to let the money rest and get the interest from sitting in a bank. What is wrong with that alternative? The entire point of an emergency fund is that it's easily accessible and is there when you need it.
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Nov 14, 2016 23:09
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N. Senada posted:That's a sobering comment. I'm also aware that I would need to put at least 10k into Vanguard at a minimum. The only alternative I can see is to let the money rest and get the interest from sitting in a bank. Do you have any family that could definitely drop you 10-20k in an emergency? That might be sufficient (it would be for me) to reduce your emergency fund. I think people put too much emphasis on it being there the second there's a problem, because there just aren't very many problems that come up that are going to need immediate cash as opposed to cash in a couple days to a week, and those that are critically immediate are typically smaller amounts. VTSMX is the $3k minimum version of VTSAX, and VTI is an ETF that you can buy individual shares of for ~$100 each. VTTSX would be another option, as a target retirement fund including bonds and international, and it has a $1k limit.
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Nov 15, 2016 13:24
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"I'd like that money to do more" means that it can decrease just as readily as accrue in value over the 18 month period you want to park it. For instance, I dodged a bullet very early on not parking a rather sizeable inheritance I was going to use to pay for medical school in an index fund in 2007-2009. That said, years like 2008 are few and far between, Praise Jah, but the idea that you want all of your money "doing something" is dangerous. Your retirement money, when you're 3 decades away from retirement? Go nuts - put it in stocks (hell, I'm ALL in stock indices on my retirement) and let it ride that volatility. Your emergency fund? Something readily accessible and insured by a financial organization is best.
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Nov 15, 2016 14:43
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Wife and I just put an offer in on a house. So now the awful waiting period begins. Ugh.
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Nov 15, 2016 16:43
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Quick question on paying off debt vs retirement saving. I am putting some money into my retirement 403b, but not a ton. I've been prioritizing paying off a private student loan at 6.24%. With the amount I've been paying monthly it will be paid off about 12 years early and will save me 10k in interest. From my standpoint it seems that's 10k in value right there vs putting money into retirement and hoping for a good return. Does it make more sense to focus on this student loan vs putting more into retirement? No other debt besides a car loan at about 2.5-3%, not sure the exact rate I also have a strong emergency fund of about 8-12 months The Slack Lagoon fucked around with this message at 17:08 on Nov 15, 2016 |
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Nov 15, 2016 17:06
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I'd say pay down the loan first. I'd take a guaranteed 6.24% return anytime.
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Nov 15, 2016 17:07
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Put in the exact amount to get the entirety of a company match and no more.
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Nov 16, 2016 03:58
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If you're under the student loan interest deduction cap, you should discount your interest rate by your marginal tax rate to account for the deduction. This prob makes your loans closer to 4%, so paying them off might not be as clear cut a choice. I have some 4-5% loans that I will never pay more than the minimum on, because it's worth more to just invest that money in a taxable account
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Nov 16, 2016 04:59
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Xyven posted:If you're under the student loan interest deduction cap, you should discount your interest rate by your marginal tax rate to account for the deduction. This prob makes your loans closer to 4%, so paying them off might not be as clear cut a choice. I have some 4-5% loans that I will never pay more than the minimum on, because it's worth more to just invest that money in a taxable account Don't forget to consider the cash flow aspect as well though. It's something that I seldom see mentioned, but in my opinion is a nice thing to consider. This however is a lot more subjective an issue than interest rates and returns. By eliminating the loan payments, you have more cash flow and can be a lot more flexible with your monthly expenditures. There's a lot to be said in favor of that.
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Nov 16, 2016 13:35
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Quick question on paying off debt vs retirement saving. I am putting some money into my retirement 403b, but not a ton. I've been prioritizing paying off a private student loan at 6.24%. With the amount I've been paying monthly it will be paid off about 12 years early and will save me 10k in interest. With your being elligible for a 403(b) it's a shame you're not dealing with a public student loan instead (PSLF BABY). Is interest even deductible on a private loan?
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Nov 17, 2016 00:07
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EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:With your being elligible for a 403(b) it's a shame you're not dealing with a public student loan instead (PSLF BABY). Is interest even deductible on a private loan? This is just the portion of the loans that were always private. Another set of loans are going to die in pslf in 9 years. Refied these poo poo private loans from 9.8% variable to the 6.24
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Nov 17, 2016 02:36
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I don't know if PSLF is going to stick around in its current proposed form given the current government situation. When next October rolls around and the first round of loans become eligible, I think there's going to be some sort of public outcry about how much is forgiven, particularly due to physicians working for non-profit hospitals getting forgiveness while making 6 figures. I'd be surprised if there isn't either a cap imposed on the amount forgiven or some kind of means testing as a result.
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Nov 17, 2016 03:18
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Just found out that my car insurance is a good chunk of money per month. I'm a little surprised by it.  I am not ready to be an adult at all.Now that I'm having a major surgery that I've been saving up for for most of my adult life in January, it's time for me to start thinking about actually properly balancing my budget/not being lazy as gently caress with my finances. I make a decent amount of money (software engineering) for the Boston area, but it still doesn't feel like enough. What are some good metrics to convince myself that I'm financially secure? The good thing is that I have no student debt of any kind. The bad news is, we're about to enter the darkest four years of the USA...
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Nov 17, 2016 03:31
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Pollyanna posted:What are some good metrics to convince myself that I'm financially secure?
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