Growing Up In A Big House
27 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 9/9/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 9/10 | RECENT: Nick Politakis on 9/15
Looking Back On My Hard Luck Days
27 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 8/7/2026
FIRST: Jack Hannam on 8/7 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 8/15
Too Good to be True
20 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/22/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 7/23 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 7/23
Tax Free Income Trap, Dealing With MAGI
24 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/21/2026
FIRST: Ormode on 4/21 | RECENT: Andy Morrison on 5/4
Hidden Surcharge
11 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/21/2026
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 4/21 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 4/27
Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
66 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/12/2026
FIRST: kristinehayes2014 on 4/12 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 4/21
How do I scam thee? Let me count the ways
47 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/20/2025
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 7/21/2025 | RECENT: Susan Farke on 3/6
2026 Charitable Contributions
10 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 2/9/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 2/9 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 2/10
Planning a Trip
21 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/30/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 1/30 | RECENT: normr60189 on 2/4
Less Paper, More Fraud
11 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 2/2/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 2/2 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 2/3
Smart Watch
8 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/22/2026
FIRST: normr60189 on 1/22 | RECENT: Jeff Bond on 1/23
Private Equity Investing
8 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/21/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 1/21 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 1/22
DIET, Did I Eat That
24 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 1/16/2026
FIRST: David Lancaster on 1/16 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 1/18
Plan for a Pay Cut
36 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/26/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 12/26/2025 | RECENT: Lis7 on 1/13
Filing Status and IRMMA
4 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/28/2025
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 12/28/2025 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 12/31/2025
Humble Christmas and Holiday Message
6 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/20/2025
FIRST: OldITGuy on 12/20/2025 | RECENT: Nick Politakis on 12/22/2025
They Never Call
1 reply
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/19/2025
FIRST: greg_j_tomamichel on 12/19/2025 | RECENT: greg_j_tomamichel on 12/19/2025
27 Months
73 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/12/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 12/12/2025 | RECENT: Andy Morrison on 12/19/2025
Enough Already
29 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/9/2025
FIRST: William Perry on 12/9/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 12/12/2025
The Point of Diminishing Returns
50 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/31/2025
FIRST: Gary Klotz on 11/1/2025 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 12/8/2025
Are the actuarial assumptions regarding benefit neutrality still accurate?
19 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/5/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 12/5/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 12/8/2025
A Day In Philly
26 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/11/2025
FIRST: Jack Hannam on 11/11/2025 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 11/12/2025
To Help, And To Be Helped
14 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/11/2025
FIRST: David Lancaster on 11/11/2025 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 11/12/2025
Public Schools and Property Taxes
16 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/27/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 10/28/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 10/30/2025
HumbleDollar Friend Request
8 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/27/2025
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 10/27/2025 | RECENT: Edmund Marsh on 10/28/2025
Don’t Give Up on the Wayward Kid
16 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/24/2025
FIRST: greg_j_tomamichel on 10/24/2025 | RECENT: Mom & Dad Schneider on 10/27/2025
Balance Transfers and Money Factors
6 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/21/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/21/2025 | RECENT: youthbudget on 10/25/2025
Discarding the Negative
23 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/19/2025
FIRST: Andrew Forsythe on 10/19/2025 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 10/21/2025
Drinking on the Job
10 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/16/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/17/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 10/19/2025
The Wine Chronicles
24 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/10/2025
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 10/10/2025 | RECENT: Mark Crothers on 10/11/2025
Taxpayers Say the Darndest Things
30 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/2/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 10/2/2025 | RECENT: David Lancaster on 10/8/2025
November 7 HumbleDollar Reader/Writer Meet Up
6 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 10/4/2025
FIRST: Dave Melick on 10/4/2025 | RECENT: S on 10/5/2025
Told Ya So Big Dummy
38 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 9/26/2025
FIRST: greg_j_tomamichel on 9/26/2025 | RECENT: greg_j_tomamichel on 9/28/2025
An Idea Every Week
12 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 9/6/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 9/6/2025 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 9/7/2025
Shifting Gears
23 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 8/29/2025
FIRST: quan nguyen on 8/29/2025 | RECENT: Richard Hayman on 9/2/2025
Bad Trip
32 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/31/2025
FIRST: 1PF on 7/31/2025 | RECENT: David Shapiro on 8/2/2025
Breaking Up 2
25 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 7/1/2025
FIRST: Scott Dichter on 7/1/2025 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 7/5/2025
A Lesson in Accountability
15 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 5/29/2025
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 5/29/2025 | RECENT: Michael1 on 6/1/2025
Can’t Figure Out This Darned Insomnia
16 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 5/16/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 5/16/2025 | RECENT: DAN SMITH on 5/17/2025
Insomnia and the Back of an Envelope
19 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/21/2025
FIRST: Ken Cutler on 4/21/2025 | RECENT: DrLefty on 4/27/2025
Trying To Think Through the Bond Situation
15 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 4/14/2025
FIRST: Russ Paoletti on 4/15/2025 | RECENT: Randy Dobkin on 4/18/2025
Will Work For Food, Starting My Diet Soon
14 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 3/31/2025
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 3/31/2025 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 4/1/2025
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
41 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 3/6/2025
FIRST: R Quinn on 3/6/2025 | RECENT: Cheryl Low on 3/9/2025
Things That Don’t Much Interest Me No More
33 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 12/5/2024
FIRST: bbbobbins on 12/5/2024 | RECENT: DrLefty on 12/10/2024
After It's Over
11 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/21/2024
FIRST: mytimetotravel on 11/21/2024 | RECENT: mytimetotravel on 11/22/2024
Good Old Days?
19 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 11/18/2024
FIRST: Jeff Bond on 11/18/2024 | RECENT: H S on 11/19/2024
How Much is Too Much
5 replies
AUTHOR: DAN SMITH on 6/27/2024
FIRST: Jonathan Clements on 6/28/2024 | RECENT: Ed Wong on 6/29/2024


Comments
Good man, Dick! Yes, I'd help in a heartbeat. I hope that your DIL has a good outcome.
Post: What would you do if you received this text from your child as I did this morning?
Link to comment from September 16, 2026
Thanks, John, very informative.
Post: The Silent Committee
Link to comment from September 14, 2026
Yes, I see that it's mostly used by institutional investors.
Post: Total portfolio approach?
Link to comment from September 14, 2026
.... and that's what it's all about!
Post: Growing Up In A Big House
Link to comment from September 14, 2026
Chris, that’s a great question, and one that this dumb investor has no readily available answer. Following your lead, I also turned to AI for some clarification. I still can’t explain it clearly, but my impression is that it’s a term invented by active managers trying to get us to pay them old fashioned management fees by promising market-beating mutual funds. Please, someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Post: Total portfolio approach?
Link to comment from September 14, 2026
Andy, your comment really gets to the heart of my post. My parents were extraordinary people. Two long lost friends from my childhood who were frequent guests at the ‘big house’, have found me on social media, both commented on how great they were treated by my folks. My wife said the same shortly after we got together. Their kindness was a gift that couldn’t be measured with dollar signs.
Post: Growing Up In A Big House
Link to comment from September 13, 2026
Great post, John. This would be an excellent topic to include in the notes and instruction section of one's final documents.
Post: Widow’s IRA Choice
Link to comment from September 13, 2026
I think Morgan Housel is correct; going back into the 50s would almost feel like living off the grid to me.
Post: Growing Up In A Big House
Link to comment from September 12, 2026
I'm with you, William!
Post: Growing Up In A Big House
Link to comment from September 12, 2026
John, when we contracted to build in 2002, interest rates were around 3%, and we were prepared to borrow at those rates. By the time the house was ready for us, rates rose to about 7%, so we paid cash. I think the only plus to paying off your loan would be the warm and fuzzy feeling of being loan free. I don't think it makes financial sense though. Thanks for posting.
Post: Growing Up In A Big House
Link to comment from September 12, 2026