Cammer Michael

Comments:

• This is a great tool to get started, but it isn't granular enough for some situations. One of the results scared us, that we need to save a lot more more to be able to retire, but what it misses is that we spend only about 2/3 of our take home income after health insurance, taxes, and fully funding 403(b) accounts. Also, it assumed that our housing costs were over $13k/mo, but they're in fact closer to $4k/mo.

  Post: Two-Minute Checkup

  Link to comment from September 9, 2024

• Because this is a finance site, this is why I concluded my defense of the initial lockdowns with lessons we learned about remote work. Some jobs have to be on site, such a manufacturing or, in my case, in research laboratories, but a lot can be done off site and this is a huge improvement in quality of life for many. For many it has also caused a shift to fewer hours per week, and this has not harmed productivity and personal earnings. It took a crisis to create this new culture of work. At least so far, this has not harmed the greater economy. And during this period, the stock market has boomed.

  Post: The Greater Good

  Link to comment from August 31, 2024

• Lockdowns showed us that a lot of work does not require going in to offices every day and persisting with long commutes. This is an improvement in quality of life. Also, my retirement accounts broke the million mark due to the bull market following the initial lockdown dip. In my life, the lockdowns proved beneficial. Hard data demonstrate this.

  Post: The Greater Good

  Link to comment from August 31, 2024

• In New Rochelle, NY, an entire neighborhood was removed when I95 was built. Many families and businesses were stripped of their financial security. Retirement and the possibility of passing on family wealth to later generations was obviated. There are discussions how to right these wrongs. I'm not optimistic we can except to recognize these wrongs and to provide fair opportunities for all going forwards.

  Post: The Greater Good

  Link to comment from August 31, 2024

• I firmly believe the lockdowns initially were important. I work in a large medical center and heard personally from doctors what was going on. When I went back to work in May 2020, I walked along the refrigerator trucks full of bodies. However, reopening took far too long. Especially with new treatments and the vaccine plus the vociferous choice by many that the risks of covid were acceptable, extending lockdowns through 2021 was excessive. And the lockdowns were inconsistent and divided us politically. So I see this as yes, we needed lockdowns, they were overused, and we learned that remote work can be effective, efficient, and allow for far better work/life balance.

  Post: The Greater Good

  Link to comment from August 31, 2024

• How is this different QYLD which you recommended in 2022? https://humbledollar.com/2022/07/calling-for-yield

  Post: A Foolish Option

  Link to comment from August 26, 2024

• I like to always have at least $100 to 200 in my wallet. Last year public transportation out of Manhattan was shut down due to a flood and the Uber driver didin't want to take us north when he realized where we really wanted to go, but when we offered him cash, he canceled the Uber call and was happy to drive us off the books. In addition, I carry one dollar bills for beggars and buying snacks at street fruit stands. (Also occasional lottery tickets; how can I resist when I see the jackpot displayed at $1B?) I keep them in the side pocket of my work bag so I can get to them fast without pulling out my wallet. To facilitate this, every once in a while I get a pack of 100 ones at a teller window. And when traveling or parking in commercial lots, for tips. We don't get food delivered often, but I prefer to tip in cash after the delivery. Two aspects to this: tip after the service has been performed and make sure the person really gets the tip.

  Post: Cash On Hand

  Link to comment from August 10, 2024

• What about whole communities in love with crypto? And think X and Threads are bad? Check out Reddit. Also, consider that what you see on Threads and X is likely to serve you more bad stuff, converging on more disinformation, as you search for and read disinformation, especially if youu click the little red hearts.

  Post: Quinn is fascinated – and a bit frightened- by the misinformation, irresponsibility, envy, and selfishness expressed by many people – is it real?

  Link to comment from August 10, 2024

• Thete is an aweful lot of misinformation and misunderstanding. But I take issue with one of your examples. The stock market is legalized gambling. It's other misconceptions about the stock market which are problematic. The stock market is legalized gambling, but this does not mean that there aren't aspects we can use to our advantage. Such as index funds. We always do better than half of the gamblers.

  Post: Quinn is fascinated – and a bit frightened- by the misinformation, irresponsibility, envy, and selfishness expressed by many people – is it real?

  Link to comment from August 10, 2024

• Flexibility is why I have a car. I take public transportation to work, but my wife and I each have our own car. On weekends and occasional evenings, it's convenient to have my own car. We never fight about who can have the car when, we don't have to ask each other for rides, and I don't have to deal with Uber. I know we could save money without it, but this is what having $ is for.

  Post: Turning on a Dime

  Link to comment from August 10, 2024