Walking 2000 miles

 Background I signed up for this card hours after it was released(~Aug 2016). I actually signed up, while on a business flight, as it was such a great deal at the time, for someone in my situation that happened to travel a lot for business. The current situation with remote work, gave me a a pause to re-evaluate my needs for a card with a $550 annual fee, which I can't take full advantage off.  I planned to cancel in 2020, but the benefit of the TSA-pre renewal put me at a break even for the year.  Who can benefit from this card If you are doing even a few trips a year, use the card regularly and have built up a point balance, and intend travelling, the Chase portal rewards for travel is a really great way to spend the points to reduce the cost of travel. I have used the points for multiple international flights in the past few years and have no complaints. Never used it for first class or business rewards as they are not worth the premium to me.  Eval...

 Fundrise has published results and an analysis on Q3 2021. The results are impressive and it appears that they have exited a few deals that may have gone full cycle. Keep in mind that this partly due to the depressed 2020 covid year and low interest rates. There was a recent change in the redemption policy. The penalty has dropped from 3% to 1% for investments held for less than 5 years. Keep in mind you investment period, specifically, if you choose to invest monthly.  The core portfolio still issues a 1099-DIV, but beware of switching to core plus(seems to be renamed to  Long-Term Growth Plus),  as this may require additional cost for tax filing in multiple states.  The reports are currently publicly accessible, using the links below. Fundrise Q3 2021 report Upcoming changes to eREIT and eFund redemption policy Earlier Fundrise review          Source : Fundrise Dashboard 10/6/2021 Core Plus/Long-Term Growth Plus     ...

 Final results on EquityMultiple - First test investment Interim results were posted here . Since then, this investment has run full cycle and paid out. The following is my analysis of the investment performance. I use XIRR to measure and compare against other non-real estate investments. I find the XIRR number useful when an investment is longer than 12 months.  On the surface it appears that the investment returned 16% on the initial capital (not shown below - use example of 100 invested returned 116) , however that was over a 26 month period and there were fluctuations over the months for the reasons mentioned in the earlier post. The simple  calculation  is dividends/capital invested * 100 = ~16%. However, this is not the complete picture as the results were over a period of 26 months. While the monthly returns look great in isolation, the XIRR and even a simple Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)  over the period is less impressive, when compared t...

 Background I have listened to Rick's show for the past 17 years. From the days of iPod downloads to recent podcasts. His advice has always been solid and on point for the general listening audience. It is challenging to provide general advice on a radio or podcast, with a diverse audience.  I would not personally use a financial advisor, as their fees are a significant drag on performance and they are not doing anything different, that a do-it-yourself investor can do for themselves. However, everyone is different, and sometimes it helps us sleep better. We just have to realize that it comes at a cost.  I do have a small portfolio with  Edelman Financial Engines , when they started the online robo advisor service. The portfolio has performed on par with my diy portfolio Recent history In 2018 Financial Engines and Edelman Financial Services merged . I have used their services before and after the merger and did not notice a significant difference in service and...

 What is OhmConnect ? How it works: OhmHours and AutoOhms 101 What’s an OhmHour, you might be wondering? ‍ In short: The OhmHour is where the magic happens. ‍ An OhmHour or an AutoOhm is a brief window of time (usually on weeknight evenings) when demand on the energy grid is so high that utility companies would rather pay their customers to reduce our collective usage than the alternative - firing up a dirty, expensive “peaker” plant. ‍ It works like this: Get notified : The utility lets us know that a time of intense demand is coming up and we notify you about it via an email or SMS Reduce : OhmConnect community members reduce our energy usage by turning off lights, giving our thermostats a break and not using electronics. (The easiest way to do this is by having your thermostat connected and smart plugs attached to your home’s biggest energy hogs. More on that later.) Get rewarded : If you’ve used less energy than you were forecasted to, you get rewarded with Watts, the currency ...

Comcast (now Xfinity), like many internet providers offers promotional offers. Consumers willingly buy in to these promotions and often, at the end of the period, realize that our bill has increased, often significantly.  With auto bill payments and a busy life, we often don't notice the steady creep in cost. It is up to us to be diligent and take action.  Recently, I noticed a sudden increase in my bill and asked Xfinity Customer service about it.  They had the standard excuse that a promotion had ended and I could get a new service at a price that was above my allocated budget. While waiting to get "service", I had time to review the new customer pricing and the competition. In addition, I had time to review my bill breakdown and realized that ~$30 was allocated to broadcast and sport fees - none of which I use or watch. Ok, I do some time, but is it worth $30 a month ? With Netflix, Amazon Prime and more recently the major networks providing content only through stream...