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the pool i am in now just…

the pool i am in now just starts at 1 point for a round and doubles each round. 

My all time favorite though, although I think it has to be done manually, is to do Round x Seed.  It tilts it massively to whoever can pick the correct upsets, and less about who picks the winner in the end

no you only get the 20% if…

no you only get the 20% if you donate; so i think for every $1 that you have paid / donate you are going to get a $0.20 discount.  

Plus tax deduction  yadda yadda; but its not something that you are floating them a loan; you are giving up the $505 in return for $110 off next year, is how I read it 

while I agree with your…

while I agree with your assessment; has anyone missed out on not getting tickets to something because they didn't have enough points?  I mean maybe I am not trying for enough events, or there hasn't been a worthy (bowl) event in a while, I just don't care about my point total now. 

I'll take my full refund 

while I agree with your…

while I agree with your sentiment; never rely solely on the TPG valuations, they are really for a very specific use case, and not every day value.

Also that site tends to push the card they get the highest kick-backs for and not necessarily the best cards. 

That being said, I do think the UR ecosystem is one of the best 

I mean there are really two…

I mean there are really two different questions in there - 

best reward program and best individual card 

As far as program either the UR ecosystem from Chase or the preferred rewards from BofA assuming you have the assets to get the 75% multiplier 

As far as individual cards, as long as you are are beating 2% net of fees / benefits; your doing fine. If you aren't beating 2% then just switch to the Citi DC as others have noted

 

I mean there are really two…

I mean there are really two different questions in there - 

best reward program and best individual card 

As far as program either the UR ecosystem from Chase or the preferred rewards from BofA assuming you have the assets to get the 75% multiplier 

As far as individual cards, as long as you are are beating 2% net of fees / benefits; your doing fine. If you aren't beating 2% then just switch to the Citi DC as others have noted

 

yeah totally - I kept mine…

yeah totally - I kept mine for another year because I got a similar offer; now they are only offering around 300 for retention. 

Using for flights is good, even redeeming at gift cards for 1 cent per MR isn't the worst.  There are better cash redemptions out there but you have to have one of the brokerage branded Plats

Do not get the platinum to…

Do not get the platinum to use points on amazon, colossal waste; just get the amazon card at that point. 

This and then in addition to…

This and then in addition to travel the Pay Yourself Back will be seemingly around for a while, or permanent, expanding the 1.5x multiplier out quite a bit

Yes the preferred rewards…

Yes the preferred rewards program is huge - also if you added another card you can bump that 1.75% up to a higher earner, but I think the card has a fee so could depend on your spend

BofA is probably one of the better ones if you have the assets to park in an IRA

this is correct - DO NOT…

this is correct - DO NOT count on the streaming / wireless credit to be permanent.  Amex has already started giving lower retention offers to card members so unless things turn south (which they could) Amex will probably trim these perks. 

Also using MR to pay for amazon is just a huge waste of points.  If that is your plan just get the amazon card. 

I agree - but am going to go…

I agree - but am going to go out on a limb and that you work in finance.  

I will say the movie does a decent job of taking a very complex thing and making it understandable so I get why people like the movie so much, especially compared to the book

a discussion has two parts;…

a discussion has two parts; talking which you are doing and listening which you lack.  I am sure there are many people on here who would welcome a discussion, your just shouting like a toddler with their fingers in their ears

the lack of blinking was…

the lack of blinking was also equally creepy

I mean the comical thing…

I mean the comical thing about all this (IMO) is that you point out "excessive rich dudes with an agenda" as if there aren't an equal number of excessively rich dudes on both side. So your "view" is equally tainted by the Kochs or some someone else similar; but please feel free to go on thinking you area a free thinker and are fighting against the "evil billionaires"

So I agree with everything…

So I agree with everything you said; except when everyone was shouting at Kap no one acknowledge that it was his constitutional right; the focus was how un-American he was, thats why I feel as though there is hypocrisy. 

 

lol that was the perfect…

lol that was the perfect response 

TBH - I find them both to be…

TBH - I find them both to be within their rights.  Is one a bit more extreme than the other?  Sure.   

But in the venn diagram of the world I am sure that these are the same people who were against the kneeling, despite it being within constitutional rights.  

My point is the hypocrisy is…

My point is the hypocrisy is laughable.  These were the same group of people who said that kneeling aka peaceful protest was disrespecting the flag.  So you say that this is disrespecting the flag, and i'll say that yesterdays actions were treasonous.  Neither of us right, but that doesn't matter, what does matter is double standard of these "law abiding citizens" could not be more evident than with the actions yesterday.   

Now that being said, is Michigan's stay at home shodily implemented compared to that of NY?  Probably; but storming a capital building with guns is not the right 

Fine - i'll bite because why…

Fine - i'll bite because why the hell not.  If a group of people kneeling for the national anthem is "disrespecting the flag" how is a group of people entering a government building, making demands, while armed, not "treason"? 

when I click get assignment…

when I click get assignment the imagine isn't loading - any thoughts? 

nvm - figured it out

yeah fair enough!  

yeah fair enough!  

the only immediate thing I…

the only immediate thing I can think of, is then somehow helps small businesses and corporations who have large cash sums that are typically not insured?  

I don't know, just guessing 

if they did that the FDIC…

if they did that the FDIC could issue a PCA (prompt corrective action) and limit the rate they can pay. 

 

Also Ally tried to do this when they re-branded from GMAC and the FDIC politely asked them to lower rates 

your actually really close…

your actually really close so far, just a couple of missing weird bits.  Lets break down those bits

Board of Governors is nominated by press and confirmed by Senate

The government (Congress / President) write the laws (think Dodd Frank) that the Fed must interpret and enact 

Their budget is funded by the banks they oversee 

They are owned by member banks which put up cash and or equity to become members

this is incorrect.  

FDIC…

this is incorrect.  

FDIC only covers cash in specific accounts, typically savings and checking, occasionally other very specific designation.  It does NOT cover brokerage accounts, that would be SIPC.  This is where it gets nuanced, SIPC does insure some portion of cash, however it is meant to be your operational cash, i.e., cash you use for buying and selling, not all your life savings you park there.  Additionally, many brokerages, such as an etrade, will have a deposit sweep program where they will move your cash to a bank account is FDIC insured.

Back to the SIPC point, they don't protect the value of your account, they will only protect and deliver back to you like securities you owned.  In this case if it was treasuries they would deliver those to you which are backed by the US govt

Hopefully that clarifies

I don't think there are any…

I don't think there are any hypothetical powers that are pervading nature in play here, but I do think it seems odd

https://youtu.be/wtb1xRbTEtg…

https://youtu.be/wtb1xRbTEtg

Nissan commercial where pigeons try to dive bomb on a clean car (danger zone as the music)

or him asking for his…

or him asking for his supervisor

i'm assuming this is 100% /s…

i'm assuming this is 100% /s - but just in case its not, don't forget that airspace over a football field is FAA restricted.  So sure you may get the home team to forfeit but at a pretty hefty cost 

yeah thats fair, I do think…

yeah thats fair, I do think we are aligned.  As I noted in my other post this I think aligns them more with where Michigan is.  If you are in LS&A and are going for a BA in something that doesn't have a math background, your math requirements are super low and quite possibly could have people graduating without doing anything more than basic addition.... which yes I think points to educational system broken

I agree that it under pins…

I agree that it under pins all of those things, however to the average person who doesn't go into those things algebra as a building block is useless.

Teach real world math.  Teach personal finance, teach home improvement math, whatever it may be, teach people how they need to use math on an every day basis.

I say this as someone who took far to many math classes at UofM and does not use them in the least despite being in a numbers based industry.    

Michigan doesn't either so…

Michigan doesn't either so lets not stay on our high horse for too long.  They require you to take 2 QS (I think that is the right code) classes.  Some of those classes are a complete joke.   Not sure if it is still around but there is one that was Math 310 (I think it was that level) - The Math of Games.  ZERO numbers involved, just learning some of the very very basics of some simple math based games (tic tac toe, NIM, etc).  That counted. 

 

This times so many. …

This times so many.  Teaching kids (and adults for that matter) the basics of financial literacy is critical.  How to balance their bank account, how to understand their cash flow, budgeting, time value of money and simple compound interest.  

For the record, I rent and still have to write a monthly check to my landlord as well as for my water bill; but I agree checks are a dying breed.  

cool cool - umm the stock…

cool cool - umm the stock market would like a word with you of where the money from a secondary market transaction goes

also - those companies tend to pay decent dividends, so technically their money is no longer going to us, but semantics, right? 

Winless as underdog is not…

Misread that

If you have some free time…

If you have some free time try to chat up the hanlders.  Because they always travel with the cup they usually have some outrageous stories of the players when they each get their few days with it.  

pretty sure you could buy…

pretty sure you could buy that shirt for at least 40 years now.... 

A combination of I am proud…

A combination of I am proud of my University and the integrity that it has, and as an Alumnus I am extremely happy with the education and life changing experiences I had. 

On top of that as I have grown up and got married, had kids, lost love ones, etc, I realize its just a game beyond my control and ability to root for it. 

I would love to win it all, and I still yell at the TV non stop, but if we lose, I turn the game off and go back about my life

aside from your comment just…

aside from your comment just being rude and not helpful, it is also wrong, if you want to be technical: 

Alumni = Plurality of Alumnus (male), or a combination of Alumus and Almuna (female) and a group of Almuna only is Alumnae 

Excluding fees, it looks…

Excluding fees, it looks like they would earn 13% over 3 years (his contract is 3 years for 34mm and he is raising 30 off his whole contract).  So I mean at 4ish% for 3 years you are looking at something slightly better returning than a BBB bond (I see around 3.5%) and a BB (which I am seeing around 5%).

So I mean, I dunno?  Maybe thats the right risk profile? 

fair - thanks!  Been a fun /…

fair - thanks!  Been a fun / enlightening finance nerdy discussion.  I appreciate it! lol 

true - I mean I don't know…

true - I mean I don't know NBA contracts all that well; how guaranteed is that guarantee?  Does he get it inspite of injury, misconduct, etc?  Where would it fall on a bankruptcy hierarchy, with payroll or is it a retention bonus?  

If it was 100% gauranteed no matter what then sure, from an investor, giving out 30 to get 34 is an ok 3% return / year, which is better than other risk free returns over the same time horizon

Considering its not a…

Considering its not a company issuing this, and not something that is trading it, there isn't really a digital platform for this (like say the way there is to buy / sell a Treasury Bond), and to do this via paper would probably be a nightmare.

Doing it via a block chain type technology at least lets you keep track of who has what and helps facilitate payments. 

I am sure there is an mgobanker or mgofinancelawyer who will keep me honest on the above

lol I know.  Whatever though…

lol I know.  Whatever though, there are worse things (maybe) people who all of a sudden came into 30mm have spent their money on (probably?)

I know, all very fascinating…

I know, all very fascinating.  I am impressed you went to the SEC filings.  I didn't have it in me for a friday to pine through it, but meh.  

Agree, great for athlete, terrible for investor.

Although, I feel like for the Arian Foster one, wasn't there talk about it being all future earnings?  Now if you start to think of it like that then it gets interesting from an investor standpoint.  That would definitely be athletes as stocks.  

totally agreed.  time value…

totally agreed.  time value only comes into play because the lottery (i believe) uses a risk free rate to calculate and discount the payout so its an easy decision if you can eve be remotely good with money.

I totally agree with you that the average (or almost all) lottery winners should take the annuity

I mean that is typically the…

I mean that is typically the case no?  presumably there is a big discount to his total contract though, like he gets 80% up front (there are 5% fees using your other cited example) and the investors get the full 100% if he plays through his contract. 

If that is the way this is structured, thats a 20% return, or about 6+% a year, which is not bad.  Not the right return for the risk profile, but if you want a chance to say you own part of a contract of an NBA player.

However, if the discount is less than 20% then its an even bigger risk to the investor.  No clue who would buy this other than as a something "cool" thing that could earn a little on it. 

 

edit - holy smokes - just googled around, according to another article, looks like he is raising 30 of the 34 (so only 10% discount) and is looking to invest a good chunk in bitcoin.... yikes

ah yeah thats right, I knew…

ah yeah thats right, I knew it was a football player, but couldn't remember which. 

This is 100% an injury / quitting insurance and has nothing to do with investment spread, unless he has a can't miss start-up he needs capital for 

I would need to know more…

I would need to know more about this.  What portion gets paid out?  What is the interest rate?  What happens if he gets injured? 

I don't think he is the first to do this, I remember a football doing this a few years back and if I recall correctly it was more of an insurance contract; the player gets full contract guaranteed and the people take risk if he gets injured they get less than expected return. 

edit - I don't have access to the Athletic, but from the deadspin article they are taking it from the time value of money and an investment spread, but I don't think thats what this is trying to achieve (unless the interest rate on this is super low in the 2-4% range)