Posts by blueridge32

crimsonseal13 said:I’d have to agree with your bolded point. An investment-linked policy is a good (just good) product, but the only downside is those fees—especially during the first three years, where they're massive. You lose about 50-60% of your annual premium to insurance costs, and after that, it's around 5% of the total premium every year. Also, these policies offer zero flexibility when it comes to choosing funds; you're stuck with whatever the insurance company has contracts with. There are probably 150 different funds out there in the US, but here you're limited. For example, Mercury uses Vanguard funds, Prudential uses BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase uses Erste, MetLife uses Fidelity Investments, Bank of America uses Allianz, and so on... Plus, the risk coverage within these policies is pretty expensive. Because of that, I'd rather avoid those insurance fees and just buy funds directly alongside a separate term life policy. Let's be real, you don't need to be a genius to handle funds—you just fill out the purchase request and the check—whereas stocks are a whole different ballgame...

I know plenty of salespeople and some failed "independent" advisors used to pitch these investment policies using one main selling point (alongside those projected 15% annual returns they'd calculate for you): the tax refund benefit. But that benefit could very soon become... well, it won't just change, it might vanish entirely.🙂

The only policy that makes sense to me is from Prudential because it has one specific advantage that makes me willing to pay those insurance costs: their GEICO Guarantee, which guarantees 90-100% of the principal depending on the term. However, you're still limited to just one fund where you can exclusively buy shares through that specific product.

I'm not trying to advertise, just giving an example, but if the admin thinks this isn't the place for that, feel free to delete that part.🙂

Well, it doesn't really work like that here in the States 😉

Plus, these investment policies don't give you any real flexibility when it comes to picking your funds.

They totally do, but man, I really don't feel like getting into a whole debate about it right now. Maybe one day I'll write a massive post explaining everything.

The only policy that makes sense to me is from Allianz Life. It has this specific perk that makes the insurance costs worth it for me: the Allianz Life Profit plan. It guarantees 90-100% of your principal depending on the term, though you're stuck with just one fund where you can buy shares through that product.

But wait, where's this "100% guarantee" exactly? 😉

@ bilokoje, I'll shoot you a DM sometime soon 😉

shadowpilot8 said:blueridge32, do you have any specifics? I mean, actual details.
Speak up.

Look, I know my stuff,😁 I just haven't had the energy to write out anything useful lately.😁 In my book, an investment life insurance policy is a killer product—way better than basic term life. The only catch is they're a nightmare to sell, so agents don't push them much. Doing the math on the fly is tough, and most folks aren't educated enough to feel confident selling it. Honestly? I'd take it over standard life insurance any day. It’s just way better.🤷

Charles Ramos7 said:I don't see how that relates to life in general. 😕

You could just go about it directly without all that extra layer.

If something happens and you can't keep up with payments, it's a lifesaver—especially if you hit some snag during the year. Plus, the investment portfolio is totally different. I said "different," not necessarily "better."😉 I think you could see something like a 28% return over 4 years,🤔 but hey, that's just me shooting from the hip.

Personally, that's a sweet return. But look, if you actually know how to handle mutual funds and stocks yourself, you're better off doing it solo and just getting a cheap term policy.

Look, you aren't betting the whole farm, just a slice of it. You can make some serious bank with that small amount, so why on earth would you need a guarantee that you won't lose money?

placidfalcon4 said:Why? Look, setting aside what might have happened if they kept messing around, this specific jersey is just hideous. The checkerboard isn't too much, yet it still stands out. It’s a great kit.🙏

Back then, we were all like idiots rushing to buy it—everyone wanted Boban or Šuker, but I actually grabbed Bilić. 😁 Probably the only one who did. I can't bring myself to wear it anymore, but if you've got the cash, there it is in my closet with the number 6 on it.😍

Man, I actually have the Jurčić jersey 🤦 Forget Boban, what a joke. Jurčić, man! 🤣

rapidstag2 said:Then there is the matter of all those little badges representing the trophies they've won—and I suspect they'll probably include international club championships too. 🤣

The Kinez crowd is going to have a collective meltdown of pure ecstasy. 😍

Honestly, they should just slap two or three more sponsors on there so they look like Formula 1 drivers, for real. 🤣

As for our side, that '98 jersey is killer, but I think that's just pure nostalgia talking. I've got a Jurčić jersey at home 🤦 and let's be real—I probably wouldn't even like it if it wasn't tied to that '98 magic. 😁

This is how they should’ve done it, period. I can't find the photos right now, but Cambiasso was rocking that jersey when they won the Champions League. What is this nonsense with a vibrating kit and freaking snakes? 🙄

Investing in funds and stocks instead of bonds—just grab the riskiest fund out there and call it a day. Honestly, I don't think anything beats it right now. 🤷 You can't exactly smoke what you put in, but the returns? Way bigger.

Especially with everything sitting at these "lows" lately. Basically, things are lower now than they'll ever be once we hit that new normal. 😁

Michelle Doyle61 said:It looks like they’ve got that greasy texture on the chest area that everyone used to have back in the day. What was that actually called? If I recall correctly, Arsenal always sported that look.

That was just the gel Italian players used back in the day when their hair got messed up—so they could fix it right on the pitch without needing a timeout and just keep playing.

rapidstag2 said:What exactly is the deal with this Bob Marley design?

gens

Cleats just hit different when you're playing in MLS 😉

Pretty sure we were mostly talking about Edge's cardboard here, right?

hollowtrucker77 said:just like how Southerners are lazy, Midwesterners are dumb, New Yorkers are bloodthirsty, folks from the South smell, and people from LA think they're better than everyone else...

Yeah, sure, but I haven't seen anyone actually get slapped with a 500-point penalty for that yet.🤷

EDIT:
Looks like boldhound8 just passed me up!

Did you see that Inter jersey with the cross? It’s at that Top Sport shop over on Bogov

That's just an inside scoop

Why isn't this emoji here yet?

Seriously though, everyone uses it, so why the skip? It would be awesome if you guys could just call it 🙂 when you finally drop it in.

There’s way too much useless junk in the emoji picker already, so this one definitely belongs. It’s not like people are gonna start eating or drinking it, right? 🤷

Thanks!

Jacob Foster11 said:But you’re totally missing the point of this whole thread. Taylor Swift wasn't even complaining about the card. She was calling out the rule.

I'm not missing it. That rule is such total nonsense I won't even dignify it with a comment. It's either one of the mods is on some corporate payroll or the site is just taking kickbacks from some provider.

I mean, seriously, it's like if I went to an NFL game and they banned me from trash-talking the stadium or the coaches... pick whatever.

It's like Jerry Jones walks in, buys up all the ad space on the forum, and suddenly I'm not allowed to criticize the executives? Give me a break. 🙄

Jacob Foster11 said:The only thing a mod can really do here is throw out a red card.

You could always just delete the post and send a PM warning, you know? If people can't handle this kind of nonsense, that would be actual moderation instead of just acting like a bunch of bots.

Whatever, doesn't matter... I'm over it.

Sam Green73 said:I noticed his message was way more vulgar than anything else in this thread.

He didn't even break any sub rules, so why'd he get a strike? ☕

The guy who screwed you over

coppernomad28 said:Look, cars and investing can only exist in the same sentence if you're talking about some ultra-rare collector's item that's currently being slept on by the market.

Everything else? It's just consumer junk designed to lose value the second you drive it off the lot—unless we're talking about high-end classics, which I'm assuming isn't really the point here.

When things go south and a recession hits, you might actually get a better deal because sellers start sweating and getting desperate to close a sale...

Or, you know, if the car is actually your livelihood.

Andrew Rogers15 said:God, if you could just get to me in person—what would you even do? You’d probably just skim my post and immediately start swinging at me so I wouldn't have the chance to defend myself. I mean, why bother arguing when you clearly think you're the smartest guy in the room? You know everything, don't you? Honestly, I don't know why this whole forum isn't just a collection of your own responses and comments since the rest of us are apparently so uneducated and dim-witted.
Just stay healthy and mind your own business for once. Let people decide what they want to accept on their own terms. You don't need to force every single point just to prove you're right... or maybe you really do feel that desperate need?

Nothing. Why on earth would I ever want to mess with you? 🤷

Oh, okay, so you're the genius now, right? You know everything. I don't get why they don't just make this whole forum your personal blog since the rest of us are clearly too uneducated to understand.

Nah, I'm no genius, and I never said anyone was stupid. 🤷If people want to learn, that's what a forum is for—asking questions and talking things out. I'm just laying out the facts and giving straight answers.

Just chill out and let people decide for themselves what they want to buy. Stop trying to force your opinion just to be "right," or... maybe you just have to?

People definitely need to decide for themselves, but isn't it way easier to make a choice when you actually have the right info instead of half-truths or confusing nonsense? Right?

Look, I've got nothing against you personally—we don't even know each other—but you come in swinging with misinformation and then change your mind two posts later. I was just correcting the record. It’s not about being "right" or "wrong," it’s about accuracy. Otherwise, you end up with people hearing "he said, she said" and everyone stays clueless. That happens because salespeople act like they know everything when they don't, and the customer gets burned. Don't take this personally, I'm not attacking you specifically; I'm talking about the principle. These are small details, sure, but on a $2000-a-year plan, a difference of $200-$83 matters. 😉 It won't break the bank when you split it over 12 months, but it's still there. Personally, I like my numbers exact so I don't run into issues later, but hey, do whatever works for you.