Taking pension: What would you choose and why?
acey
16 years ago
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duluthinbloomz4
16 years agoduluthinbloomz4
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Why did you choose or not choose geothermal?
Comments (29)No idea david - that is just the way it worked out. The square footage I stated is wrong though. We have a large guest suite with bath and good sized closet in the basement which we are not completely finishing but we did heat and cool it (brought it to sheetrock). We probably have around 8000 square feet including that - maybe more. I don't really count it in square footage because it doesn't feel finished. We also have probably 350 feet of mechanical/storage down there. Upstairs is around 5500 square feet. Our basement is big (same size as the first floor) which is around 2800 square feet, so when you take out the mechanical we are close to 8000 square feet. We have one for the upstairs, one for the master bedroom and part of the basement, one for the downstairs and one for the rest of the basement....See MoreTiny pension - Taking lump sum or monthly annuity payment
Comments (15)I'd say that buying stock is like buying ownership of a company's booster club. Stocks go up and down based upon the changing human emotions of the investing public concerning the given company, not actual results. The shares of troubled companies can rise, and those of successful companies fall. The old cliche is that market prices are driven only by greed and fear. Dividend reinvestment plans are just like dollar cost averaging, they are non-strategy "strategies" created in the interest of financial advisers and brokers, not the investors themselves. Outside of a retirement plan, you need to come up with cash from other sources to pay tax on the dividend. How much sense does that make as a strategy? You do know that brokerage firms and advisers usually receive payments from fund advisers (or customers) based upon account balances. Why distribute a dividend to the customer, when you can retain the funds and have a bigger base for payments? Or, in the case of direct stock holdings, the dividend paying company can avoid paying out the dividend and just keep the cash. Issuing more shares is free. Oh, I have an idea, let's call doing that a Dividend Reinvestment Plan. Like it or not, that's where this "strategy" came from. Tech stocks are volatile, there's no take-away lesson to be learned from that fact. Do as you like, keep your eyes open. Good luck....See MoreIf you had to do it again-what counter material would you choose?
Comments (59)I've got SS for most of the perimeter counter-tops, marble for the coffee bar and island. Both are great, I would use either or both again. Pick what you like and don't worry about it. IMO granite is everywhere, doesn't mean it's not great just everywhere, I tend to buck trends but try and one up them. Doesn't always work out but I would never 'follow' just because the bus goes that way. It's the folks who step out a bit that tend to inspire the rest of us to look beyond the norm. I'm starting to think that conceptually the 'kitchen' itself is a bit played out. It's becoming more and more the focal point of the home but is still carrying a lot of dated ideas and norms. I'm waiting for the person to come along w/a whole new concept of the cooking/gathering environ and how it relates to the rest of the living space. I haven't completely wrapped my head around the possibilities but it's interesting thinking....See MoreWhich cabinets would you choose and why?
Comments (26)Don't want to upset anyone but, particleboard is not as strong or the same as plywood. It's that simple... Particleboard is basically sawdust loosely glued together covered by a thin coat of veneer pressed with heat and heavy weight to create a side wall or shelf... Plywood is larger wood fibers either sheeted or interwoven wood fibers glued and pressed gathering huge strength over particle board vertically and horizontally... the big reason people want plywood over particleboard is that is lasts longer and it holds up to stress better... one big issue is moisture... particleboard is like a sponge and water wicks very quickly through particleboard...It swells very quickly and starts to crumble the sidewalls and veneer coating bubbles and cracks...all integrity is lost on a particleboard cabinet with moisture contact overtime and pretty quickly... plywood worst case will warp slightly with excess moisture but integrity will remain... Sorry but if anyone believes particleboard is just as good as plywood that is not the case... if you believe that then why not cut some more corners and instead of plywood subfloor, plywood wall sheathing and plywood roof sheathing for your house structure be swapped out with particleboard... I hate particleboard if you can't tell... Every cabinet structure has its time and place construction methods are different but standards of the majority are the same or should I say corners are cut to maximize profits... The vast majority of buyers either take advice from a friend, family member or quote-un-quote trusted dealer or tradesman... the problem is this... family and friends are trying to help with what they believe is accurate information by using a bias or heuristic in their decision making process... now the trusted tradesman could be using a bias as well because all they know is how to install them and not necessarily build them... the dealer may or may not know one thing about true construction...they are what I call gentlemen/women dealers/contractors where they have never picked up a hammer or truly understand construction, materials, or methods of execution outside of a design program... then you have the people who only want to make a sale and they realize you will probably buy more items for something that looks like you want but may be lesser quality and less expensive materials but, they tell you what you want to hear that its just as good when in reality its not... The real deal is any dealer/contractor selling you semi-custom particleboard cabinets is making more money then if they sold you plywood... the reason you will spend more over the coarse of the transaction because you feel you are saving money and they have a higher markup on particleboard cabinets because they cost less to produce and they will keep the price close to a higher dollar cabinet to increase profits and so you believe they are just as good... a truly quality constructed cabinet will pay for itself overtime whether construction integrity or resell value... Oh yeah don't reface particleboard cabinets big mistake...just because you have a solid wood face frame just like all traditional frame cabinets do... doesn't mean you should waste your money refacing them... you can buy quality all wood cabinets cheaper if you know where to look and what to ask... European and traditional frame cabinets each have their place I like them both and depends on situation when they should or should not be used... The 1st poster on here I would be interested in seeing your cabinet list for those prices... as another poster provided you can get a lot of cabinets for that price...you can spend as much or as little as you want depending on your budget and what you want and what you need...and of course where you would like to cut corners... Oh and the center stile on the cabinet can be removed on the vast majority of cabinets if you ask right... (i.e) if you are quoted for a B24 it will have 1 door but ask for a B24 BUTT or B24B and it will have 2 doors...what about the stile? Right... a B36 will have 2 doors and a center stile however, a B36 BUTT or B36B will have 2 doors and no center stile... not all cabinets can have center stile removed "BUTT" most can... My 2 cents......See Morerandy427
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