Mark Gardner

Comments

• Thanks for checking this out! I accidentally linked to the wrong URL. Here’s (corrected my original post as well) what I read way back when and that’s why I posted. I apologize if it’s paywalled. If it is, a search produced this that is on arxiv on this topic.

  Post: The “Mean Girls”/Junior High Bullies at HumbleDollar

  Link to comment from January 13, 2026

• I hear you, but anonymous upvotes and downvotes aren’t equivalent. In online communities, An anonymous upvote is usually interpreted as “this was helpful or appreciated.” An anonymous downvote is ambiguous—it could mean disagreement, tone, irrelevance, or simple dislike of the person—and that makes it non-actionable as feedback, especially when attached to innocuous comments. There is quite a bit of research on this topic and there is a reason why it is rare in online communities.

  Post: The “Mean Girls”/Junior High Bullies at HumbleDollar

  Link to comment from January 12, 2026

• I’m not a fan of social-media-style commenting, and I think all opinions should be welcome as long as they’re respectful. Without editors, that’s admittedly difficult. Anonymous downvotes don’t communicate anything useful—they don’t explain what someone disagrees with or why. In online communities, much like loss aversion in investing, negative feedback has a stronger emotional impact than positive feedback and can discourage participation, especially thoughtful or minority viewpoints. If someone disagrees, a brief comment is far more constructive than a silent arrow. Downvotes should be removed.

  Post: The “Mean Girls”/Junior High Bullies at HumbleDollar

  Link to comment from January 9, 2026

• My former employer had a brokerage link option that allows me to invest in ETFs of my liking rather than the mutual funds offered in the plan. So, I plan to keep my 401K as-is for the strong ERISA protections for both me and my heirs. I actually rolled over my contributory IRA funds to my 401k to perform backdoor Roth conversions.

  Post: Consolidating 401(k)s in retirement

  Link to comment from January 5, 2026

• During my youth, cars and cigarettes were the mark of American freedom, as portrayed in the culture and advertising of the time. Recently, I visited an European city of similar size to my own and was blown away by the fact that I didn’t need a car to get from one place to another. I could walk to grocery stores and services, relax with neighbors and fellow residents in beautiful parks and museums, and enjoy a quality education and basic healthcare if I chose to stay there. Every generation has its quirks and follies!

  Post: The impossibility of defining needs. 

  Link to comment from January 5, 2026

• According to the WSJ, Open AI pays out over 45% of its revenues to its employees with an average annual total compensation of $1.5M. Heady times.

  Post: AI or Black Eye: Choose Your Weapons Steve Abramowitz

  Link to comment from December 30, 2025

• My employer decided for me at 59. But, I planned for it since I worked in tech.

  Post: What Age Did You Retire—and What Made You Decide It Was Time?

  Link to comment from December 27, 2025

• How exciting! Here are some things to think about as you mull over it:

  1. Imagine the market drops 30% and then stays flat for a decade. Can you manage your PITI + umaintenance? Also consider the inevitable feathering of the nest that comes with building a new home.
  2. Can you fund your living expenses with guaranteed income like social security or a pension or inflation adjusted assets?
  3. Do you have a clear financial plan manage a healthcare or spending shock during this decade?
  4. Is the new house a burden on your survivors if you unexpectedly pass away during this decade?
  5. Depending on the state you live in, plan for rising property taxes and home related expenses due to inflation or climate change related spending shocks.

  Post: Mortgage in Retirement

  Link to comment from December 27, 2025

• The point being?

  Post: Is the current stock market anything to be concerned about?

  Link to comment from December 24, 2025

• Yeah! It takes some time to understand the concept of time diversification. Just like asset allocation, lifecycle investing is age- and wealth-dependent rather than based on stock market valuation. It’s more natural for me to advise, “Use a target date fund and ignore the market!”

  Post: Modest Leverage for Young Investors

  Link to comment from December 20, 2025