Our financial system is crumbling this week.

[Arthur Dent]

DC, huh? I wouldn't have guessed that. Wonder why people are moving there.

[KyCardinalFan]

DC, huh? I wouldn't have guessed that. Wonder why people are moving there.

No kidding. Don't they have a high cost of living? I thought I saw something last year where about 4-6 senators/congressmen were roomates to afford a place in D.C.

It'd been passed down somewhat, too. There were things there that they didn't know why or whose it was. It's just been there since they each started in Congress.

[KyCardinalFan]

BTW, heard back on our refinancing app today. We'll be saving about $200/month on our mortgage!

[Arthur Dent]

So it looks like we will all get an additional 10 days off in the first half of this year free of charge (and free of pay)! Any suggestions on what to do with this fun time?

[Arthur Dent]

So it looks like we will all get an additional 10 days off in the first half of this year free of charge (and free of pay)! Any suggestions on what to do with this fun time?

Sounds like the plan is to renew this in Q3&Q4, so lots of vacation this year! If this means no more layoffs, I'm alright with it. Looks like I can skip work and attend SXSW full time.

They also suspended the 401k match. I'm wondering if it wouldn't make sense to suspend my own contribution so as to have more available savings in the case I get canned. On the other hand, it seems likely that with the depressed market, it is a good time to put money in the account so as to profit off the eventual rebound. I don't know how much I should really value that increment in savings that I won't get to draw on for thirty years.

[Popeye_Card]

So it looks like we will all get an additional 10 days off in the first half of this year free of charge (and free of pay)! Any suggestions on what to do with this fun time?

Sounds like the plan is to renew this in Q3&Q4, so lots of vacation this year! If this means no more layoffs, I'm alright with it. Looks like I can skip work and attend SXSW full time.

They also suspended the 401k match. I'm wondering if it wouldn't make sense to suspend my own contribution so as to have more available savings in the case I get canned. On the other hand, it seems likely that with the depressed market, it is a good time to put money in the account so as to profit off the eventual rebound. I don't know how much I should really value that increment in savings that I won't get to draw on for thirty years.

I know what I'd do with the time off, and that's do a bunch of camping and/or work on my house. But that's neither here nor there.

As for your 401k, I guess it depends on how quickly you think you would be able to find a new job. If you don't think it would be long, you might as well invest it. If you think it could get rough, then it would be much better to have it liquid. Also depends on how much you have in liquid savings.

[Arthur Dent]

As for your 401k, I guess it depends on how quickly you think you would be able to find a new job.

I don't think anyone in the industry is hiring, and most companies are taking similar steps, so I think the answer is, "a long time". If I lose the job, I'm seriously considering waiting it out in some other country. I've got about 5 months salary in the bank, and I'd rather use it to do something more interesting than moping about.

[Popeye_Card]

As for your 401k, I guess it depends on how quickly you think you would be able to find a new job.

I don't think anyone in the industry is hiring, and most companies are taking similar steps, so I think the answer is, "a long time". If I lose the job, I'm seriously considering waiting it out in some other country. I've got about 5 months salary in the bank, and I'd rather use it to do something more interesting than moping about.

It would be a good excuse to travel. For me, it would be a great excuse to hike the Appalacian Trail.

As for finding a new job, you might have to switch industries (and possibly location), but I'm sure they're hiring EE's somewhere.

[planet planet]

I need to start boycotting the news. It's so depressing.

[dangerous]

http://seekingalpha.com/article/114833- ... ck-picture