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aerischan

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Posts posted by aerischan

  1. I'm in my late 40s, invested conservatively in index funds the entire time, and have done better than 8% over that time.

    Market returns vary. Someone who started investing in 1965 with a 30-year period will have different returns compared to someone who invested the same amount at the same intervals for the same period but started in 1966.

     

    Here's FIRECalc backtesting based on historical returns for someone starting with $0 balance putting in $10K per year inflation-adjusted and investing in a 75/25 portfolio. Note, at the end of 30 years the ending balance varies from $300K to $1M with average (not median) of around $800K. That's not even accounting for black swans we have yet to encounter.

     

    FIRECalc

  2. According to the calculator, the money I put in to the S&P 500 from 1998 - 2001 had a negative overall rate of return by the time I left my old job in May 2004, even with things picking up in 2002 - 2004.

     

    I guess it makes me have less blind faith in the market... basically the first $30-$40K I put into the market got hammered big time. losing that early has a profound negative impact on your lifetime retirement..you lose A LOT of compounding. not as bad as investing in turok 1s, true. kind of like spending $100 on a nice New Mutants 87 back in 1993...

    I'm confused, did you cash it all out in 2004 and take it out of the market? If you left it invested, then every $$ you put in from 1998 - 2004 is worth more today than when you put it in. For example, your contributions in 1998 have earned 6.5% annually for the last 18 years. (shrug)

     

    No, I just left it in. my job let me do that. It has roughly doubled since then, almost 13 years. The old "rule of thumb" was to expect a doubling every 10 years though. I know that doesn't "seem" like a lot, but over the course of 35 years that means I "lose a doubling." pretty big deal going into age 60whatever with $500K banked ionstead of $1 million. obviously, this is very unscientific and all. believe me, there have been articles written about this. the beating i (and others my age for whom these were our earliest investments) took on those 1998-2001 investments is going to cost us for years because that's a lot of lost compounding. the losses in 2009-2010 are less of a big deal. anyway, i know i'm being whiney and don't have the computational ability to figure it all out. a lot of GenXers like me have NOTHING saved, so I should be happy.

    Not really. Stock market being down when you're just starting to invest is a good thing. That means you're buying stocks on sale and there are plenty of years to recover. It's also a chance to test your risk tolerance.

     

    It's when you're close to retirement and market swings make more of a dent in your portfolio than contributions that a downturn can be really painful.

  3. This is not how you publish comics.

     

    So the writer / publisher of the comic is the person selling these "error" editions.

     

    Cerebus has a niche market and this publisher is alienating himself.

    Maybe it's just me but I fail to see why. It's a $1 starting bid so it's not like the seller set the price. (shrug)

     

    Someone intentionally leaked the bad issues and they were marketed as a collectible, more or less. The comic is not out yet, so it's not like someone found them on the shelves.

    Still not seeing it...

     

    Aren't ratio variants, convention and retailer exclusives pretty much marketed as collectibles, too?

    Those are intentional and known. These are unintentional and are typically discarded.

    What's to stop publishers from intentionally making "errors"?

    Then maybe reserve the pitchforks for when it happens again. :eyeroll:

     

    Uh, it just did. That's the whole point.

    Gotcha. Didn't know about the first time. (shrug)

  4. OK, I guess I have made almost 8% since 2004, but not including fees for the funds/401K, which are not included in that calculator. I tend to pick low fee funds, but compounded that probably knocks me down to 7%.

     

    OK, I guess not so bad.

     

    But it's actually a chunk less because the money I put in there in 1998-2000 ultimately got obliterated -- my rate of return from 1998 - 2004 was terrible -- you have to look at each year's investments to really know...far too complicated for me to figure out.

    I hear ya. Fund options on most 401k plans suck.

     

    Very lucky we have access to low cost Vanguard funds on ours. I just have retirement savings mostly in Vanguard TR2040 (VFORX) so it's on autopilot. Also have a smattering (5% or thereabouts) for speculation in Vanguard Health Care Index ETF (VHT) bought via limit orders at $118-120.

     

    Five years is a pretty short time frame so I'd probably do something like 35/65 to 65/35 stocks/bonds depending on risk tolerance. Maybe something like VG Balanced Index VBIAX (50/50) so I wouldn't have to bother with rebalancing.

     

    Personally, I find it best if I don't check my account frequently (maybe just every quarter or once a year) and just have contributions/investments on auto.

  5. This is not how you publish comics.

     

    So the writer / publisher of the comic is the person selling these "error" editions.

     

    Cerebus has a niche market and this publisher is alienating himself.

    Maybe it's just me but I fail to see why. It's a $1 starting bid so it's not like the seller set the price. (shrug)

     

    Someone intentionally leaked the bad issues and they were marketed as a collectible, more or less. The comic is not out yet, so it's not like someone found them on the shelves.

    Still not seeing it...

     

    Aren't ratio variants, convention and retailer exclusives pretty much marketed as collectibles, too?

    Those are intentional and known. These are unintentional and are typically discarded.

    What's to stop publishers from intentionally making "errors"?

    Then maybe reserve the pitchforks for when it happens again. :eyeroll:

  6. This is not how you publish comics.

     

    So the writer / publisher of the comic is the person selling these "error" editions.

     

    Cerebus has a niche market and this publisher is alienating himself.

    Maybe it's just me but I fail to see why. It's a $1 starting bid so it's not like the seller set the price. (shrug)

     

    Someone intentionally leaked the bad issues and they were marketed as a collectible, more or less. The comic is not out yet, so it's not like someone found them on the shelves.

    Still not seeing it...

     

    Aren't ratio variants, convention and retailer exclusives pretty much marketed as collectibles, too?

  7. The $9.99 cover price is what would make me outraged :mad: Now instead of $1500, you're looking at $5000, and that's if any shop would even order enough. So, yes you're assumption of people being mad because they are going to want it, would be spot on. (at least for me if I was collecting this series)

    It's 88 pages. Also, probably not gonna retail for $5000 unless you're buying all the regular covers yourself in order to qualify.

     

    DCBS and Midtown will likely qualify for a few copies with their normal orders and even the DK III: Master Race 1:500 Jim Lee variants sell in the $500 range. The actual book only costs DCBS and Midtown something like $4 anyway.

     

    Then again, I have a budget ceiling for comics and it's far more important for me to stick to that budget instead of going with a Pokemon mentality of needing to collect them all. People can rant and rave all they want but if they continue paying crazy prices for high ratio variants, what message is that sending to Marvel? If people want to see change, then hit Marvel where it hurts - their wallets/bottom line. (shrug)

  8. You should also consider an UGMA or UTMA as an alternative to a 529 account. There are pros and cons depending on your situation. http://ctainvest.org/home/saving-and-spending/saving-for-college/Are-There-Better-Options-Than-a-529-Plan.aspx

     

    Personally, I would view any "investment" in comics as high risk, and many would call it gambling. Therefore I would only put a small percentage of your daughter's college money into such a vehicle. Also, 5 years is a relatively short time frame for college savings, so you probably want to limit your exposure to high risk assets.

     

    And, most importantly, you should be talking to a financial adviser. I'm sure you can get free consultation with many banks and brokers.

    This although the problem with banks and brokers are they have vested interests, too. Maybe get a Certified Financial Planner who follows fiduciary standards.

     

    Here's some pretty interesting reading.

    https://www.amazon.com/Where-Are-Customers-Yachts-Street/dp/0471770892

  9. I would vist Ohio.gov and review the 529 program. Additionally, part of the inheritance received can be applied to a Roth IRA for additional savings (it isn't that difficult a financial maneuver), and under the Ohio plan, matching funds from other sources (grants/scholarships/etc.) does nor dilute the benefit. Additionally, when used for in State tuition, it is not treated in the same manner as other States when other grants/scholarships are received. This is a no brainer. The thing you may have to do (assuming the 10K is not in a 529 now and is just sitting in a savings/checking account) is run some actuary tables on the timing/amount of contributing....put it all in now... or a portion over the next 4-5 years, taking into account the IRA contribution. Don't forget to factor in the advantages of the first 2 years at a CC. It may also be of benefit to set up a loan program between the beneficiary (your child) and you.

    Note, Roth IRA needs to be in mom or dad's name unless the daughter has earned income greater than or equal to the Roth IRA contribution.

     

    Just remember, while you avoid paying 10% early distribution penalty, you still need to pay ordinary income tax on the earnings portion of the Roth IRA withdrawal used to pay for higher education unless you're 59.5 and you've had a Roth IRA for at least 5 years.

  10. A question for many of you variant hunters... I know you're out there... what sort of signals are you really trying to send to Marvel by participating in your normal variant purchasing and collecting habits? That you want rare variants? But not too rare?

     

    I personally hate the very (business) concept of any variant that can't be ordered like a normal cover, but in this day and age of comics, I feel like one of the only people in that boat. From the outside looking in, this just seems like a... natural... progression to the game of the artificially rare modern issue. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a thread praising this book some time after release, so...

     

    1:100 = good, 1:1000 = bad. I wouldn't exactly call such a reaction arbitrary of course, but I do hope that those of you that this inquiry may apply to can see my confusion as a legitimate question and not an attempt to cause an argument.

    I usually don't go after ratio variants (thankfully, most Skottie Young Baby are open to order). At most, I'd get a 1:25 at $15 or less if I really like the cover.

     

    However, I'm guessing for those who buy variants for speculation: With 1:200 and higher ratios, buy-in starts being too high and retailers suck all the money so risk is greater and potential upside is lower. (shrug)

  11. Thanks! (thumbs u

     

    Would you mind updating the first post with pics of the various covers and where to get them, please? Thanks! :)

     

    DC Cover A - Regular by Jorge Jimenez

    aMO1bhel.jpg

     

    DC Cover B - Variant by Dustin Nguyen

    EkaZkbpl.jpg

     

    Here's the retailer exclusive variant by Simone Bianchi. For some reason, Robin and Superboy are making me think zombies here.

    https://frankiescomics.com/products/super-sons-1-simone-bianchi-variant-cover-dc-rebirth

    16117656_1379836488745764_1546213424_n_1024x1024.jpg

  12. Several of the publishers realize how silly the limited variants are and see the potential in offering variants as just another copy to order. Not limiting them at all, but instead solicit them alongside the standard cover. I applaud this effort and hopefully Marvel will see this is a better way of gouging their fans.

    :roflmao:

     

    Personally, this change is bad for my wallet. It's a lot easier for me to ignore Marvel's crazy overpriced incentive variants than it is variants that are priced the same as regular cover. lol

    Ergo Marvel would be better off gouging the fans with variant covers that are distributed the same as the regular cover. Put out 5 - 10 variant covers that way and watch the sales increase.

     

    It is easy to see the variant covers have an impact on sales. I've been following the Star Wars sales and have written about them on my blog. Issues with more variants sell better than issues without them. Make them easier for everyone to get and watch sales increase.

    lol, I know. I was laughing at myself because of how true that statement is for me. Dunno about better but certainly more effective. lol

  13. Several of the publishers realize how silly the limited variants are and see the potential in offering variants as just another copy to order. Not limiting them at all, but instead solicit them alongside the standard cover. I applaud this effort and hopefully Marvel will see this is a better way of gouging their fans.

    :roflmao:

     

    Personally, this change is bad for my wallet. It's a lot easier for me to ignore Marvel's crazy overpriced incentive variants than it is variants that are priced the same as regular cover. lol

  14. Anyone else getting on board with these?

    I ordered the Francesco Mattina cover myself

    I'm in two minds about the Mattina variant. Art is beautiful to be sure but it seems out of place for what is likely supposed to be a fun and lighthearted title.

     

    I'm getting both regular and variant cover from DC. Thus far, I think the regular Cover A is probably my favorite among all the ones I've seen.

     

    SUPSO_Cv1_R1_5826154a55d9e8.74468693.jpg

  15. I miss the simpler times before the internet/email when people got crazy about which book was the first appearance.

     

    The fights I had with comic folks about Wolverine's first appearance, IH180 or 181, via the US Postal Service were the best.

     

    Granted I had to wait up to a weeks time to be screamed at in the wirtten form that IH180 is the true first appearance, but I cherish those hand written letters. :cloud9:

     

    :o LETTERS! You had LETTERS???

    We had to use Smoke Signals or Drums!!! :preach:

    divad beat you to the smoke signals. :D

  16. DC COMICS

     

    NOV160210 BATMAN #15 $2.99

    NOV160211 BATMAN #15 VAR ED $2.99

    NOV160181 JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 (JL SS) $2.99

    NOV160182 JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 VAR ED (JL SS) $2.99

    NOV160169 JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #5 (OF 6) $3.99

    NOV160170 JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #5 (OF 6) CONNER VAR ED $3.99

    NOV160171 JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #5 (OF 6) KUBERT VAR ED $3.99

    NOV160250 NIGHTWING #13 $2.99

    NOV160251 NIGHTWING #13 VAR ED $2.99

    NOV160303 RAVEN #5 (OF 6) $2.99

    NOV160258 SUPERMAN #15 $2.99

    NOV160259 SUPERMAN #15 VAR ED $2.99

    NOV160266 TRINITY #5 $2.99

    NOV160267 TRINITY #5 VAR ED $2.99

     

    OCT160292 FLASH TP VOL 01 LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE (REBIRTH) $17.99

     

     

    IMAGE COMICS

     

    NOV160538 CURSE WORDS #1 CVR B YOUNG (MR) $3.99

    NOV160562 KILL OR BE KILLED #5 (MR) $3.99

     

    NOV160670 KILL OR BE KILLED TP VOL 01 (MR) $9.99

     

     

    MARVEL COMICS

     

    NOV160898 BLACK WIDOW #10 $3.99

    NOV160913 GAMORA #2 $3.99

    NOV160759 MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 YOUNG VAR NOW $3.99

    NOV160745 MONSTERS UNLEASHED #1 (OF 5) $4.99

    NOV160747 MONSTERS UNLEASHED #1 (OF 5) FRANCAVILLA VAR $4.99

  17. Same I feel like the fist four came out quickly. It's been a while now since the last issue came out. The story is confusing enough, I don't want to wait that long to read the next one!

    Perhaps they're giving readers ample time to re-read and cross reference so they can actually follow what's going on. lol

     

    Incidentally, as I tend to play around with FIRECalc and cFIREsim, BMM provides a very entertaining backdrop/conspiracy theory for all those dips. :shy:

  18. Question, is there a schedule somewhere as to when the next issues will be released?

     

    Issues #1-4 were released monthly starting August and the TPB is scheduled for release next Wednesday but I can't find any info on issue #5. And yes, I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms. lol

  19. DC COMICS

     

    NOV160193 ACTION COMICS #972 $2.99

    NOV160202 BATMAN BEYOND #4 $2.99

    NOV160222 DETECTIVE COMICS #949 $2.99

    NOV160226 FLASH #15 $2.99

    NOV160189 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA KILLER FROST REBIRTH #1 $2.99

    NOV160172 JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 $3.99

    NOV160177 SUICIDE SQUAD #10 (JL SS) $2.99

    NOV160262 TEEN TITANS #4 $2.99

     

    OCT160296 NIGHTWING TP VOL 01 BETTER THAN BATMAN (REBIRTH) $16.99

     

     

    IMAGE COMICS

     

    NOV160640 SAGA #42 (MR) $2.99

     

     

    MARVEL COMICS

     

    NOV160755 AVENGERS #1.MU $4.99

    NOV160859 CAPTAIN AMERICA STEVE ROGERS #10 $3.99

    NOV160937 GUIDE TO MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE CAP AMERICIA CIVIL WAR $3.99

    NOV160753 SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #1.MU $4.99

    NOV160915 THANOS #3 $3.99

    NOV160897 THUNDERBOLTS #9 $3.99