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wow - there are some cheap houses out there.

my place is 1600sf, brand new, private rooftop deck, in chicago, and was more like in the mid $300,000's. Though with the current market place I'm probably down around $25-$50 thousand right now. Not to worried though, I'm just going to sit on it until it flips back up.

 

I have zero investments though, thats something I want to get into...

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haha

 

ok so in a city like chitown with a rooftop deck i am not surprised,

location location location.

i agree you will likely recoup most if not all of your loss.

the housing market was pretty wildly inflated for some places though, be glad you aren't in a house like that in vegas.

 

sheet manhattan anyone??

 

 

i too do not have enough investments going.

i'd like to get into T Rowe Price, they seemed to have endured the investment banking bubble well

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and also your mortgage payment may only be about $850 indeed, but i hope you didn't forget to include PMI, home insurance and taxes in that figure.

 

that's for everyone thinking about a house too.

 

The 850 is with taxes and insurance...

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  • 2 weeks later...

ok so i know nothing about investing and for the past year or so ive been doing research.

this is what i found. i have not yet invested so for those that think there is a problem in this approach let me know.

 

one book that I like was by Libertarian Harry Browne called Fail safe investing

 

create a permanent portfolio

whatever you are going to invest per year split into four groups

 

Cash aka money market funds (short term treasury securities)

short term securities are better because you dont have to evaluate credit risks

these are safer than bank accounts

if funds allow divide holdings between 2-3 funds for protection against the unthinkable

research funds and make sure that they are fully invested in treasury bills so that they dont

dilute their holdings

 

Metals aka Gold (bullion coins)

price represents the gold content rather than the rarity

they allow divisibility making it as for you you to re balance your portfolio with sales or small purchases if necessary

this is the best inflation hedge because its more reliable and powerful than anything else during inflation once it reaches 6%

3-5% bonus is a premium you pay for having the gold in a recognized package

you get the premium back when selling it since it needs no assaying

 

Stock Market aka Mutual funds

to profit when stocks are in a broad upward market your holdings must represent the entire market not just selected industries

split 25% investment in 3 mutual funds

choose funds that invest in broad cross section of stock and remain fully invested in stocks at all times

buy the funds directly from the funds themselves

5 standards are fully invested broadly invested across the whole market not commissions minimum investment reliability

dont replace a fund unless it loses its character and becomes unsuitable for the porfolion since chasing performance is a losing game

use atleast 3 different funds in case any fund fails to capitalize on the bull market

 

Bonds (us treasury bonds)

you dont want to monitor the credit risk so choose a us treasury bond

they can fall in price or lose purchasing power to inflation but there is virtually no credit risk as long as the US govt can tax the people.

choose a bond with the longest time, these series of bonds mature (meaning will be paid off)

at various dates over 30 years there may be times when the bonds will have to carry the entire portfolio so youll want a bond with the potential for big price movements

choose a 30 year bond then 10 years later replace it with another 30 year bond

purchase the bond through a commercial bank or stock broker

if you object in investing in govt securities use a long term corporate bond with AAA rating that have no call provision

(this allows the bond issuer to pay off the bond early which reduces the potential price rises that you want in a long term bond)

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if you actually read all that i will continue

 

say you take 25% of your yearly income and invest it in these 4 groups.

2 will most likely do poorly and 2 will do good

metals and stocks rise bonds can do poorly

stocks and bonds rise but metal can do poorly

at the end of the year sell a part of the groups that are doing good and buy more of the groups that are doing bad.

next year repeat.

the ones that are doing poorly will eventually bounce back and the ones that rose will plummet.

 

 

in times of prosperity

living standards are rising economy growing interest rates are falling and unemployment declining

this produces an upward market in stocks and as interest rates decline long term bonds go up in price

stocks take advantage of prosperity and cannot be undone by losses taken during inflation recession and deflation

bonds take advantage of prosperity

gold does poorly in times of prosperity cash is neutral

 

in times of inflation

consumer prices are rising, when US$ weakens everyone replaces their holding with gold,

stocks bonds and cash do poorly in inflation.

 

in times of recession

when money is tight this leaves people with less cash economics conditions are poor

rising interest rates which increases the returns on cash

the only attractive investment in a recession is cash

however a rescission can never be permanent like the other 3

stocks bonds and gold do poorly in recession

 

in times of deflation

consumer prices decline purchasing power of money grows which can lead to a depression

when the US$ strengthens interest rates fall dramatically

price of bonds then goes up as well as cash become more valubale as prices fall

stocks an gold do poorly in deflation.

 

So will the rises and gains then neutralize each other?

on a day to day basis, Yes.

Long term, No.

Winning investments add more value to the portfolio then the losing investment take away.

after year one the portfolio should grow to become worth 25% more

and one more will be worth less than 25%

if anyone of them becomes less than 15% or more than 35% you need to restore them to original 25%

by selling off the winning investments and buy back the losers

this locks in profits in the long term.

 

 

now any other money (not your investment money) that you have you can speculate with

so if you lose it all you still have your solid portfolio.

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I went thru a rough spot back in 2003/2004. I was late on 2 credit cards for a few months and on a student loan.

 

Things have picked up since then, paid off & closed the credit cards, consolidated my student loans, etc.

 

My question is: how long does that derogatory info stay on the report and to what extent does it affect my credit score?

 

I'll be looking to purchase a house in the next 2-3 years, so I'm worried that my score & history, despite a healty downpayment, will negatively effect my chances at getting a mortgage with a decent interest rate.

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  • 1 month later...

My 457B aka govt. 401k finally was in the positive this quarter.

Not that i sweat it. Im not retiring for a couple decades. Plus I am able to buy more.

My credits in the upper 700's and i have like 1200 in cc debt. Probably pay it off in 2 months.

Looking to buy this year.

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A guy at my work was telling me to start a TSP.

Said since I'm a federal employee it's the beast thing todo.

 

He was talking about it for a while but has a thick philipino accent so I only understood some of it.

 

Can anyone in here help me out?

 

http://www.tsp.gov/

 

My dad does it. He really likes it. I can't tell you too much but wikipedia might help.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrift_Savings_Plan

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  • 7 months later...

^ hell yeah. Thanks MAR

 

 

So this year will be the first that I should be getting back a really nice tax return

instead of spending the money on something fun like a Vegas trip, I'm gonna save it

 

I'm thinkin of dumping maybe $500 in mutual funds.

maybe 1k in a Roth.

and dump the rest in a CD I already have goin.

 

these figures seem ok?

I'm obviously gonna do some research before going into the bank but I figured i would bounce it of you guys first. Any tips or input would be appreciated. And how do I go about finding a CD with a better interest rate? Do I need to go to different spots 1 by 1, or is there some easier way to do it? I know it's gonna be tough to find a good one right now.

 

 

Thanks in advance

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My mom just got a "good deal" on a nice vacation home in Las Vegas.

I'd think over investing in real estate in an area on the brink of a water crisis.

That regions economy is so fragile and dependent on cheap energy that it will be worthless in 20 years.

Oil's drying up, even the Saudis are drilling way off shore in the gulf right now spending 50 times more for drilling costs.

I'd invest in sound urban areas with public transit and watch it skyrocket, look at how NYC prices stayed stable.

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Thank ya kindly, people. Props given.

 

I got 3 cards nearly maxed making min payments, a phone in my name and a loan I pay on time everytime. So I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst, just like my pops taught me.

 

 

Good thread.

[/color]

 

Pay down the cards. DO NOT CLOSE them when paid off !!!!

One of the key elements to your score is available credit to debt ratio.

Being maxed out or close to it doesn't look good.

Having longer trade lines looks good too ... so if you have had the cards a while and they have a good ratio its helpful to keep them around. Even once you have paid them off.

 

 

Someone mentioned the debt consolidators, DO NOT US THEM unless you have to.

They look the same as bankruptcy on your credit report and hang around as a negative almost as long.

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I'd think over investing in real estate in an area on the brink of a water crisis.

That regions economy is so fragile and dependent on cheap energy that it will be worthless in 20 years.

 

 

no shit.

 

Parts of the West and Southwest may be dry as the dessert that it is by mid-century, as the Colorado River and the vast reservoirs it supports dry up.

 

That's the conclusion of a new study to be published in Water Resources Research, which concludes that -- under present management conditions and population growth projections -- climate change could result in a 50-50 chance of bone-dry reservoirs on any given year. Considering that those 12 reservoirs currently hold about four years' worth of water, that's a shocking fact, even in the midst of a decade-long drought.

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/colorado-river-47021303#ixzz0hnmmBU0L

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I'm pretty sure my credit is very good, but i have no money, so it really doesn't matter currently. Down the road whenever i buy a house or make another large purchase, i'll be in a good place though.

 

I've had a credit card since i was like 16 and just used it for gas and a couple bills for years to start building something. For awhile now, i've been charging pretty much everything that i know i'll be able to pay off when the bill comes. In all the years, i'm almost positive i've paid 100% of my payments on time and in full. I never really understood people running up gigantic credit card debts. If you don't have money to afford whatever purchase you're making, don't make it. I understand if it's a necessity purchase, like food or rent, but people love to buy dumb bullshit with credit cards that they clearly aren't going to be able to pay off for months/years.

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Funny this got bumped.

I got my wife and I's reports today.

Im 748 and my wife is 734. Not too shabby.

I currently have 900 in debt on my CC.

I have about 25000 in my money market savings account.

A couple hundred in another credit union account.

Savings Bonds program for when I die for the wife.

bi-weekly of about 200$ payments to my 457B plan.

Hopefully getting a house soon.

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people love to buy dumb bullshit with credit cards that they clearly aren't going to be able to pay off for months/years.

 

I know so many people in this boat.

I've never carried a balance over, can't understand why people do.

Why pay all way more because of interest trying to look like a baller.

All it does is make the person less of a baller IRL, and fucks the paper up.

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i charged a lot of my college education

it was dumb, but i have no regrets about it because i paid that shit off fast. i never racked it up for anything dumb like a stereo and clothes

these days i have great credit. i think mine is 738.

i've never had debt, my car is a piece of shit but it's paid for.. my house is so affordable, i'm a few months ahead on my mortgage.

i have savings to live on for about a year, and a retirement plan with TIAA-CREF

i need to start the IRA next.

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