Wonderful first post, Javier. Please write more! I would guess my relationship to money developed around family that had lived through Depression and war. To waste any resource was wrong and to save and spend thoughtfully was right. That foundation remains with me, though consideration of the planet's limited resources guides me more now in what I spend on and enjoy.
Have you considered a heat pump that would air condition in summer and heat in winter? Depending on your source of winter heat, you might recoup some of the installation costs over time in savings due to greater efficiency. You might also qualify for a rebate, too.
Such wise and sentient refections, Andrew. Sadly, I'm afraid that "trying to protect the people we love and build a better future for those who follow us" is often the reason given for waging war.
I don't see any downsides, Mark. I do something similar with fixed income, as virtually all of my 403(b) is invested in TIAA Traditional. Returns mirror 10 y Treasurys and principle also seems secure. No worries and no regrets.
My parents continually modeled financial discipline and deliberation, so adopting their behaviors came easily. But I didn't start thinking seriously about investments until my 30s. Then, the most useful resources were the print magazines I received each quarter from TIAA. They helped me to see investing as a journey, and to envision a future self. Easier, I think, to read and reflect on a printed page than to click on a soon forgotten article, HumbleDollar excepted.
I urge you to share, RDQ, with all four of your children. I suspect it will remove a huge, perhaps subconscious, load from your shoulders. My father began sharing his financial information with me, an only child, when I was in my 20s. Then, I hated it, as he reviewed his accounts and investment deliberations in great detail; I barely had the patience to listen. I also never counted on inheriting (the step family situation was fluid), and these talks did not alter my savings path. Over time, I grew to respect my father for sharing. I learned much, too. As his eventual executor, my understanding of his finances made my work that much easier. I already had a checklist. And the best part was that my father asked what I would do were I to inherit. We spoke of philanthropy and it pleased him to know that his money would be put to good use. He passed two decades ago, but I feel him with me to this day as I realize my giving plans.
I agree with you, RDQ, in not taxing unrealized gains. I wonder, however, could changes to the US capital gains tax laws result in more taxes collected overall? Billionaires, as I understand, borrow against appreciated assets rather than selling them, to avoid taxes. Imagine if they sold the assets instead, they would be paying the government and not the banks and perhaps in the process easing some of the country’s budget woes. I made the “mistake” decades ago to buy and hold tech stocks. This has led to concentrated positions in my taxable account that I would prefer to liquidate were it not for tax considerations. I would begin selling immediately, to lowers risks, if capital gains on equities were, for example, taxed like qualified dividends and not as income. Given the current tax code, and assuming I continue to hold, the government will never collect on my gains because of the stepped-up basis upon death.
To me, the "defense dividend" (aka reductions in military spending), Budget Enforcement Act, and rising income tax rates of the 1990s all factored large in reducing US government debt. I would be reluctant to attribute the budget surplus at the turn of the millennium solely to increased productivity and the stock market. The concept that a new economic paradigm had taken hold then turned out not to be the case. And now we have increased military spending, have little to no budget enforcement, and declining tax rates.
Comments
Wonderful first post, Javier. Please write more! I would guess my relationship to money developed around family that had lived through Depression and war. To waste any resource was wrong and to save and spend thoughtfully was right. That foundation remains with me, though consideration of the planet's limited resources guides me more now in what I spend on and enjoy.
Post: Quiet Failure: The Stories We Tell about Money
Link to comment from June 29, 2026
Apart from cost, one could consider a ceiling mounted heat pump and leave the radiators in place. Having a back-up heating system would seem a plus.
Post: The Price of a Cool Pillow
Link to comment from June 26, 2026
Have you considered a heat pump that would air condition in summer and heat in winter? Depending on your source of winter heat, you might recoup some of the installation costs over time in savings due to greater efficiency. You might also qualify for a rebate, too.
Post: The Price of a Cool Pillow
Link to comment from June 25, 2026
Such wise and sentient refections, Andrew. Sadly, I'm afraid that "trying to protect the people we love and build a better future for those who follow us" is often the reason given for waging war.
Post: Four Walls
Link to comment from June 24, 2026
I don't see any downsides, Mark. I do something similar with fixed income, as virtually all of my 403(b) is invested in TIAA Traditional. Returns mirror 10 y Treasurys and principle also seems secure. No worries and no regrets.
Post: TSP G Fund as the only Fixed Income Investment
Link to comment from June 21, 2026
My parents continually modeled financial discipline and deliberation, so adopting their behaviors came easily. But I didn't start thinking seriously about investments until my 30s. Then, the most useful resources were the print magazines I received each quarter from TIAA. They helped me to see investing as a journey, and to envision a future self. Easier, I think, to read and reflect on a printed page than to click on a soon forgotten article, HumbleDollar excepted.
Post: How financially illiterate are Americans?
Link to comment from June 21, 2026
I urge you to share, RDQ, with all four of your children. I suspect it will remove a huge, perhaps subconscious, load from your shoulders. My father began sharing his financial information with me, an only child, when I was in my 20s. Then, I hated it, as he reviewed his accounts and investment deliberations in great detail; I barely had the patience to listen. I also never counted on inheriting (the step family situation was fluid), and these talks did not alter my savings path. Over time, I grew to respect my father for sharing. I learned much, too. As his eventual executor, my understanding of his finances made my work that much easier. I already had a checklist. And the best part was that my father asked what I would do were I to inherit. We spoke of philanthropy and it pleased him to know that his money would be put to good use. He passed two decades ago, but I feel him with me to this day as I realize my giving plans.
Post: Time to share our financial info with children?
Link to comment from June 9, 2026
I agree with you, RDQ, in not taxing unrealized gains. I wonder, however, could changes to the US capital gains tax laws result in more taxes collected overall? Billionaires, as I understand, borrow against appreciated assets rather than selling them, to avoid taxes. Imagine if they sold the assets instead, they would be paying the government and not the banks and perhaps in the process easing some of the country’s budget woes. I made the “mistake” decades ago to buy and hold tech stocks. This has led to concentrated positions in my taxable account that I would prefer to liquidate were it not for tax considerations. I would begin selling immediately, to lowers risks, if capital gains on equities were, for example, taxed like qualified dividends and not as income. Given the current tax code, and assuming I continue to hold, the government will never collect on my gains because of the stepped-up basis upon death.
Post: Billionaires, taxes and you
Link to comment from May 27, 2026
To me, the "defense dividend" (aka reductions in military spending), Budget Enforcement Act, and rising income tax rates of the 1990s all factored large in reducing US government debt. I would be reluctant to attribute the budget surplus at the turn of the millennium solely to increased productivity and the stock market. The concept that a new economic paradigm had taken hold then turned out not to be the case. And now we have increased military spending, have little to no budget enforcement, and declining tax rates.
Post: Inflation and Innovation
Link to comment from May 23, 2026
Thank you, Andrew, for this reflection. I'm curious -- do you think your father wanted the essay to be found?
Post: My Father: The Peace He Never Found
Link to comment from May 21, 2026