Search found 3685 matches

by Leif
Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:48 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Stashing cash in retirement: saving accts vs MMAs vs CDs etc
Replies: 7
Views: 830

Re: Stashing cash in retirement: saving accts vs MMAs vs CDs etc

gunny2 wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:24 pm
gotoparks wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 4:01 pm Make sure you are not looking at callable CDs.
Good point...I think most common CDs these days aren't, but definitely want to read the fine print. I wonder how common it is for CDs to be "called in" - ?
If you go to a bank they will not be callable. If you buy from a brokerage then the highest paying CDs will be callable. I go for the ones that have the highest rates, for the term I'm looking at, that are not callable.
by Leif
Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:04 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Stashing cash in retirement: saving accts vs MMAs vs CDs etc
Replies: 7
Views: 830

Re: Stashing cash in retirement: saving accts vs MMAs vs CDs etc

Some people on this forum keep little cash available. As needed they sell from their portfolio. It requires close monitoring and interaction, unless they have income that matches expenses.

I want my cash/portfolio to be able to run on autopilot for an extended period. So in my taxable account I keep cash in a Treasury MM to pay ongoing expenses. The next level are T-Bills 3/6 months. They refresh my MM with the rest rolled over. CDs can be placed in your tIRA if you nearing/in RMDs and will need to make withdrawals.
by Leif
Sun Mar 10, 2024 1:27 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 5-8 years to early retirement. Portfolio review and how to prepare.
Replies: 14
Views: 3085

Re: 5-8 years to early retirement. Portfolio review and how to prepare.

… I have 100% equities in my Roth and 100% bonds in my tIRA. But, I'm still doing some Roth conversions, so I'll be moving some bond funds to my Roth. That is my short term plan. Longer term is when equities next goes into decline I can adjust my AA via the Roth. I agree that sometimes it’s inevitable that Roth or HSA accounts have to hold bonds to maintain the desired asset allocation. I am already seeing how difficult it can be to rebalance within a Taxable account given large unrealized gains. Hopefully you have some realized losses banked to lessen the blow. But, I'm in the same boat. Since retirement I've not been reinvesting dividends and cap gains in taxable. That money is being used to support my retirement cash flow. So, my cost b...
by Leif
Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:35 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 5-8 years to early retirement. Portfolio review and how to prepare.
Replies: 14
Views: 3085

Re: 5-8 years to early retirement. Portfolio review and how to prepare.

Other Comments: Have you considered simplifying by moving your Vanguard accounts to Fidelity? Your desired asset allocation is reasonable. You may have to increase your international equity as it looks to be below your target. With a $2 million portfolio, do you still want/need to carve out a separate Emergency Fund (EF)? For simplicity and perhaps higher yields, consider moving your EF into your Taxable account’s money market fund (MMF). You are using VMFXX in your Vanguard Taxable account. VUSXX has a higher tax-effective yield due to your state income tax. You are holding 7% bonds in your Roth IRA. Consider holding 100% equity in your Vanguard Roth IRA for highest expected tax-free growth. Offset this by increasing bonds held in your 40...
by Leif
Sat Mar 09, 2024 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Have any BH's seen the Roman exhibit at the British Museum?
Replies: 12
Views: 1229

Re: Have any BH's seen the Roman exhibit at the British Museum?

I don't recall the Roman exhibit. I was very impressed with the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum. Much better then the Egyptian exhibit at the Cairo Museum.
by Leif
Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:31 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retirement Allocation Advice
Replies: 5
Views: 699

Re: Retirement Allocation Advice

At your age I was contributing to an IRA and 401k. Unfortunately, Roths were not available in my early career. However, after retirement I started Roth conversions. I'm still do that now to avoid popping into a higher tax bracket with RMDs.

In your 20s and 30s, and perhaps even 40s, I suggest, in most cases, put as much as possible in a Roth. After that switch over to a traditional. If you're planning an early retirement then maybe a bit sooner.

Congratulations on having a relatively high Roth balance.
by Leif
Sat Mar 02, 2024 7:41 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Market Timing = Always Bad?
Replies: 35
Views: 4102

Re: Market Timing = Always Bad?

MoneyIsTime wrote: Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:33 am I’m looking to learn here, let me know your ideas. I’m a newbie at this withdrawing part and frankly it feels really scary since I’ve been only saving my whole life. How do you current retirees do the withdrawing?
When I was still working I did active rebalance using bands (5/25 per Larry).

Now that I'm retired I do passive rebalancing. If I need money from my portfolio I withdraw from the asset class that is over my AA.
by Leif
Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:58 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What good is tax deferred?
Replies: 122
Views: 15315

Re: What good is tax deferred?

If you can buy another similar but not identical fund, this can be accomplished more simply (less trades) all in a taxable acct. Maybe years ago when one really wanted to stick with Vanguard funds for a huge cost advantage, this might have mattered, but today with so much competition in fees, one can just swap to a similar fund, sometimes in the same fund manager, but most certainly at a competitor. Why do another set of trades 31 days later ? I typically am only selling a part of a fund for TLH in taxable. I'm not interested in collecting more funds as leftovers from TLH. So, using my IRA I can clean up the trade after the 30 days without tax consequence. As I repurchase in taxable market movements in that month is balanced out, assuming ...
by Leif
Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:42 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What good is tax deferred?
Replies: 122
Views: 15315

Re: What good is tax deferred?

whodidntante wrote: Thu Feb 29, 2024 6:14 pm Substantially identical is an undefined term, so you could sell one s&p 500 fund and buy a different one, if you like. There is no credible report of a brokerage reporting that as a wash sale, and no credible report of the IRS deciding that it was a wash sale. What is credible is that buying the same fund would trigger the wash sale rule, so whodidntante defines substantially identical as "the same" until proven otherwise.
I expected a post like this. I will still be a bit more cautious, particularly when providing investment advice. In addition, I don't want to be the one that is "proven otherwise".
by Leif
Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:41 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What good is tax deferred?
Replies: 122
Views: 15315

Re: What good is tax deferred?

With tax deferred you can buy/sell within the account without tax consequences. So, if you want to do some tax loss harvesting (TLH), but you also want to maintain your asset allocation, you can sell equities, at a loss, in your taxable account and buy an equal amount of different equities in your tax deferred account. After the 31 days have passed you can reverse the process. That gives to a tax loss that can be used to offset $3,000 of income and/or offset capital gains you have, now and in the future. I keep my tax deferred account all in fixed income unless I doing TLH. Thanks for the advice. I didn't know you could do that. :sharebeer Just keep in mind that the stock/fund/ETF pairs can not be "substantially identical", other...
by Leif
Thu Feb 29, 2024 1:22 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What good is tax deferred?
Replies: 122
Views: 15315

Re: What good is tax deferred?

With tax deferred you can buy/sell within the account without tax consequences. So, if you want to do some tax loss harvesting (TLH), but you also want to maintain your asset allocation, you can sell equities, at a loss, in your taxable account and buy an equal amount of different equities in your tax deferred account. After the 31 days have passed you can reverse the process. That gives to a tax loss that can be used to offset $3,000 of income and/or offset capital gains you have, now and in the future.

I keep my tax deferred account all in fixed income unless I doing TLH.
by Leif
Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:18 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cashing in EE bonds
Replies: 8
Views: 769

Re: Cashing in EE bonds

beyou wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:14 pm These E bonds are best kept 20 years and immediately sold after they double. If yours have already doubled, then i agree sell if you are ok realizing the income now. I waited for retirement to be in a lower bracket, now selling E bonds that I could hold longer but at below market rates.
Since they were purchased in 1997 it should have doubled in 2014 (17 years for that time period). 30 years (2027) is when the bond stops earning any interest at all.
by Leif
Thu Feb 15, 2024 6:11 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Cashing in EE bonds
Replies: 8
Views: 769

Re: Cashing in EE bonds

You could spread out the redemption over several years if the will save you from going into a higher tax bracket. But that will probably not be necessary based on your holdings.

I've been doing some Roth conversions. But I do have some EE & I paper bonds. So I'm probably cash them now in to avoid higher rates when my RMDs start up. I'll just reduce the amount of Roth conversions this year. I'll probably put them in a T-Bill.
by Leif
Wed Feb 14, 2024 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Inheritance distribution. US & Foreign involved
Replies: 5
Views: 522

Re: Inheritance distribution. US & Foreign involved

The agreement is informal. Nothing in writing.
by Leif
Wed Feb 14, 2024 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Inheritance distribution. US & Foreign involved
Replies: 5
Views: 522

Re: Inheritance distribution. US & Foreign involved

I'll give it a final pass in the hopes that someone can help me. Thanks!
by Leif
Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:58 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What Category of Investment Did Well During the "Lost Decade" (2000s)
Replies: 51
Views: 5431

Re: What Category of Investment Did Well During the "Lost Decade" (2000s)

3-Funders call 2000s a lost decade. I call it overall a good decade. But I had SV, ISV, EM, REITs in addition to the standard 3 fund.
by Leif
Tue Feb 13, 2024 9:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Inheritance distribution. US & Foreign involved
Replies: 5
Views: 522

Inheritance distribution. US & Foreign involved

My question involves tax optimization for distribution of inherited money. Two parents, foreign citizens, sent money to one of their children (US citizen), let's say the executor, to manage for them. It was agreed that upon their death the money would be distributed equally among the 5 siblings. 3 are US citizens and 2 are foreign citizens. Both parents have now died. The investments are stocks & bond funds. Since they are in the name of the executor there is no step up in basis. The cost basis is around $75,000. Current value is around $260,000. 1. Executor. US citizen. Lives in no income tax state. Single. 2. Sibling. US citizen. Lives in a no income tax state. Married. 3. Sibling. US citizen. Lives in a high income tax state. Married...
by Leif
Thu Feb 08, 2024 11:34 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Fidelity free Turbotax 2023
Replies: 434
Views: 153834

Re: Fidelity free Turbotax 2023

This afternoon I saw an offer for a free download of Turbotax Premium on the Fidelity main page. This evening it is gone. I wonder what is happening?

P.S. Just talked with Fidelity. They could not explain why I saw the offer, but insist that they cannot offer me a free TurboTax download. I need 120 trades/year, they tell me.
by Leif
Thu Feb 08, 2024 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: What Does Flagship and Flagship Select Levels Get You These Days?
Replies: 49
Views: 6456

Re: What Does Flagship and Flagship Select Levels Get You These Days?

There is an old saying that goes like "that and a dime will get you a cup of coffee". Inflation adjust that and you get the idea. At least at Fidelity I can go to their investment center and get a free cup of coffee. As a previous Vanguard customer I think I avoided some bogus paperwork fee with my status.
by Leif
Tue Feb 06, 2024 2:49 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Collecting Social Security at 62 Leaves Me (and My Heirs) Better Off, Every Time
Replies: 143
Views: 14843

Re: Collecting Social Security at 62 Leaves Me (and My Heirs) Better Off, Every Time

SS@70 makes the most sense for me. I see SS as the best possible annuity that will cover me & my spouse. However, unlike an annuity it is fully CPI inflation adjusted. Also, it is fully to partial federal tax free depending on your AGI. Also, for many states, including my high tax rate state, it is tax free. Who would not want to maximize these great benefits by waiting until 70, and collecting delayed retirement credits at the same time? I guess if you were single, and thought you would have short life. But, maybe you will have a longer life than you expect. You are insuring more income if you live longer.
by Leif
Tue Feb 06, 2024 8:25 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Multiple Roth IRA accounts - Do I need them all
Replies: 4
Views: 696

Re: Multiple Roth IRA accounts - Do I need them all

It would make me nervous as well. I found once all my like type accounts were not only merged, but also consolidated at one brokerage, tracking and taxes were much easier.
by Leif
Fri Feb 02, 2024 1:16 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?
Replies: 54
Views: 4050

Re: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?

I thought someone said that you would simply cancel the pending auto-roll order. No need to call Fidelity. True? Correct. No need to call Fidelity. Let's say your Autoroll is for 5 (aka $5000 at maturity). A few days before the current treasury matures, you'll see a "pending order" for its replacement. You can simply "cancel" that. If your want to invest less - or more - simply create a new order for the same treasury as you canceled for the amount you want (presumably with Autoroll enabled). Presumably they are "calling" to do this "earlier", instead of waiting for the "pending order" to be created. I'm OK waiting. In my experience the order does not appear until Monday (I'm talking about ...
by Leif
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:55 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?
Replies: 54
Views: 4050

Re: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?

Tom_T wrote: Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:42 am I thought someone said that you would simply cancel the pending auto-roll order. No need to call Fidelity. True?
Yes, you can cancel. Due to timing on funds being available, and the next auction, you are out of that market for 1 week, unless you call and arrange for the new T-Bill. But if most of the time you are withdrawing money what is the point?
by Leif
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:34 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?
Replies: 54
Views: 4050

Re: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?

I do the same as you are thinking, but I use 3 month T-Bills. Every month would be too much work for me . I live in a high tax state, so I really do like Treasuries. No work, you can select the "auto roll" option at Treasury Direct. So if you buy a one month T-bill for $1985 for example, at the end of the month if the T-bill rate drops to $1990 when it auto renews ... you get the difference of $5 deposited into your linked bank account. I don't even login to Treasury Direct, except every January when I max out the annual complement of $10k for me + spouse. Whether it is 4-week T-bill or the 3-month T-bill, the maximum auto-roll period is only 2 years. So you get 23 auto-rolls with 4-week bills, and 7 auto-rolls with the 3-month b...
by Leif
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:08 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?
Replies: 54
Views: 4050

Re: Does Anyone Buy One Month Treasuries?

I do the same as you are thinking, but I use 3 month T-Bills. Every month would be too much work for me. I live in a high tax state, so I really do like Treasuries. Particularly at current rates.
by Leif
Thu Feb 01, 2024 2:09 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Best setup for getting yield on checking account? Currently w/ Schwab and Etrade
Replies: 49
Views: 4459

Re: Best setup for getting yield on checking account? Currently w/ Schwab and Etrade

zero_coupon wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:22 am
Leif wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:28 pm [Fidelity's] credit card was recently changed to 0% FTF as well.
What's the application process like?
Very easy IIRC. I just applied on-line.
by Leif
Sun Jan 28, 2024 6:33 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Has anyone changed their asset allocations in retirement
Replies: 19
Views: 1562

Re: Has anyone changed their asset allocations in retirement

I changed from 50/50 to 60/40. So yes, some recency bias. But I did not do any buy/sells, just the strong market since retirement, plus spending from my fixed income. But looking at my fixed income to cover an extended period of a down market, 40% should be enough to cover that.
by Leif
Sat Jan 27, 2024 1:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Roth conversions in the 22 & 24% tax brackets.
Replies: 144
Views: 14402

Re: Roth conversions in the 22 & 24% tax brackets.

michaeljc70 wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2024 7:58 am I don't know if this has been mentioned in this thread, but if you don't spend all your money and your heirs are in a lower tax bracket it doesn't make sense to convert all your tIRA to a Roth.
I agree as long as you also include withdrawal from the inherited tIRA (over 10 years) in their income and bracket.

Also for reasons discussed, converting all to a Roth may not be a good idea in any case.
by Leif
Fri Jan 26, 2024 3:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IRA withdrawals for Long Term Care
Replies: 6
Views: 916

Re: IRA withdrawals for Long Term Care

I'm not sure, so maybe someone will comment, but the full LTC amount may not be deducible. It depends on how much is considered for medical purposes.

P.S.

Just found this on the IRS website.
Yes, in certain instances nursing home expenses are deductible medical expenses. If you, your spouse, or your dependent is in a nursing home primarily for medical care, then the entire nursing home cost (including meals and lodging) is deductible as a medical expense.
https://www.irs.gov/faqs/itemized-deduc ... 20expense.
by Leif
Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:07 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Roth conversions in the 22 & 24% tax brackets.
Replies: 144
Views: 14402

Re: Roth conversions in the 22 & 24% tax brackets.

NIIT (Net Investment Income Tax) kicks in at $250K (MFJ, that number is NOT inflation adjusted). That potential 3.8% additional tax on investment income may be significant. Another "speed bump" to consider.
by Leif
Thu Jan 25, 2024 11:08 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone wished they had worked a few more years before retiring?
Replies: 89
Views: 14576

Re: Anyone wished they had worked a few more years before retiring?

I wish I worked a few less years. I could have done more Roth conversions when the time was ripe. Also get in more travel prior to Covid.
by Leif
Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:28 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Best setup for getting yield on checking account? Currently w/ Schwab and Etrade
Replies: 49
Views: 4459

Re: Best setup for getting yield on checking account? Currently w/ Schwab and Etrade

hiddenpower wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:22 pm Schwab a 0% foreign transaction fee on its debit card. Etrade and Fidelity have 1%.
Fidelity has a 0% foreign transaction fee on their debit for ATM withdrawals. Their credit card was recently changed to 0% FTF as well.
by Leif
Thu Jan 18, 2024 11:47 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: 5 or 10 year treasury for bucket 1
Replies: 6
Views: 982

Re: 5 or 10 year treasury for bucket 1

Bucket 1 is normally money market, very short term bonds (ie, VCSH), or ST CDs. For 1/2 - 1 year I use money market fund. I use T-bills, 3 mo. or 6 mo., and either roll them over or move the proceeds to my money market. 5 or 10 year Treasures are too long for a 1 to 4 1/2 years.

But you could use a 5 year Treasury if you accept the risk of loss of value if needed before the 5 years. A good idea? No one knows.
by Leif
Mon Jan 15, 2024 11:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How can Medicare Part D be this cheap?
Replies: 30
Views: 5275

Re: How can Medicare Part D be this cheap?

Mine is 0.40/month.

One thing I'm not excited about is it uses 2FA with every login. Also, to see mail order drugs you need to go to express scripts through a link. i would prefer just a direct login to express scripts or show the info in the Wellcare website. My last Part D had a big increase after the first year. That may happen with Wellcare as well.
by Leif
Sun Jan 14, 2024 11:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: RMD Tax Withholding
Replies: 50
Views: 4973

Re: RMD Tax Withholding

I'm retired, but not yet at RMD age. All my IRA withdrawals are for Roth conversions. Taxes generated by my conversion are paid from my taxable account as part of my estimate taxes. I'm also, currently, having taxes withheld from SS and pension. Yes, estimated taxes are a pain. But once I reach RMD age I will change my technique to get all my tax withholding from my RMD withdrawal, to safe harbor level, toward the end of the year.
by Leif
Fri Jan 12, 2024 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is anybody actually running out of money in retirement?
Replies: 201
Views: 46558

Re: Is anybody actually running out of money in retirement?

After adjusting for inflation I am running out of money. By that I mean I have less, after inflation, than I had at retirement. However, I believe I still have enough to see me though a long retirement.
by Leif
Wed Jan 10, 2024 11:23 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: When should I start changing my stock and bond ratios?
Replies: 40
Views: 6070

Re: When should I start changing my stock and bond ratios?

I went from 70% to 50% equities over a ten year period prior to retirement, so 2%/year. Sometimes I sold stock, other times the market made the change for me.
by Leif
Fri Jan 05, 2024 11:18 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Closing a CD at Synchrony Bank is painful
Replies: 7
Views: 1235

Re: Closing a CD at Synchrony Bank is painful

I also have a rant for Synchrony. For a short time my account balance dropped to zero, since I needed the funds elsewhere. Although they "say" they have no minimum balance they closed my account, and would not reopen it. Anyway, I've moved on.
by Leif
Fri Jan 05, 2024 12:03 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: To those of you who slice and dice your bond allocation, what do you like other than BND?
Replies: 55
Views: 15895

Re: To those of you who slice and dice your bond allocation, what do you like other than BND?

Most is in an intermediate term core bond mutual fund (BND equivalent). I also have EE & I bonds, intermediate term and short term TIPS funds, and CDs. Also T-BIlls to manage cash flow.
by Leif
Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:23 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Won the Game Question
Replies: 77
Views: 14878

Re: Won the Game Question

Maybe about 10 years prior to retirement. As to why I keep playing, it's for the next generation. Sufficient safe funds, I think, are set aside for me. I keep "playing" with the house money.
by Leif
Tue Jan 02, 2024 12:01 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]
Replies: 5249
Views: 899777

Re: What are you up YTD? [Year To Date]

ruralavalon wrote: Tue Jan 02, 2024 10:55 am Exactly 0.00%
Really? What a coincidence! I'm also 0% YTD.
by Leif
Mon Dec 25, 2023 5:03 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Reverse drawdown for retirees
Replies: 12
Views: 2301

Re: Reverse drawdown for retirees

Yes, I'm doing that. I went from 70/30 to 50/50 at retirement, over 10 years, to lessen my SORR and to build a bridge to SS@70. Now I'm around 60/40. In retirement I'm spending from fixed income in taxable. That, along with faster growth of equities, should mean a growing percentage in equities. As long as I'm comfortable with what I have in fixed income supporting me in retirement, I'll continue to draw from FI and forgo any reblancing.
by Leif
Sun Dec 24, 2023 5:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Samsung phone stuck in a boot loop
Replies: 23
Views: 2766

Re: Samsung phone stuck in a boot loop

I've seen this happen to a phone that was exposed to water.
by Leif
Thu Dec 21, 2023 9:16 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Retired & seeking alternatives to monthly budget? Swim naked?
Replies: 15
Views: 1525

Re: Retired & seeking alternatives to monthly budget? Swim naked?

I was thinking, perhaps I could just track annual transfers from my investment accounts to my checking account . There would only be a handful of transfers per year. As long as the total looks ok each December (under the VPW limit for the year), I'll be ok? Anyone doing this simple approach? Other ideas? I guess I could transfer 75% of the VPW figure each Jan and spend accordingly as well. That is exactly what I do. I'm not into budgets and the work involved in their tracking. My portfolio is tracked using a spreadsheet. It is almost too much work for me to update my share counts each month, but I do that anyway. I just record the transfers to/from investment/checking accounts. Recently I've starting using Fidelity's Performance tracking t...
by Leif
Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:40 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Hold 3/5 year "safe" $ in taxable account?
Replies: 19
Views: 2555

Re: Hold 3/5 year "safe" $ in taxable account?

About 10 years before retirement I started adjusting my AA downward from 70% stocks to 50% at retirement. Sometimes the market would adjust for me and sometimes I adjusted. The result was a CD ladder, in taxable, to take me from retirement to SS@70. So I started with 5+ years of cash/CDs which worked well for me. I would have a higher portfolio balance if I had kept more in stocks. But, you don't know the direction of the market, so I don't regret holding more short term assets as my SS bridge.
by Leif
Wed Dec 20, 2023 11:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How much Xmas gift money is appropriate for teachers?
Replies: 104
Views: 13728

Re: How much Xmas gift money is appropriate for teachers?

If you want to gift then some school supply items would be a nice gesture.
by Leif
Mon Dec 18, 2023 11:05 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Unsettling Claim by Fidelity re Stock Fund Dividends
Replies: 35
Views: 4709

Re: Unsettling Claim by Fidelity re Stock Fund Dividends

This happens every year. They don't know how much is qualified at this time, so they show 100% unqualified. Of course this is not the final disposition. Wait until the end of January, when you will get the finalized (settled :wink: ) tax details.
by Leif
Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: I Messed Up How Do I Get Back In
Replies: 97
Views: 20631

Re: I Messed Up How Do I Get Back In

I suggest lump sum back in to your desired AA. Consider your market timing as a lesson.
by Leif
Fri Dec 15, 2023 3:13 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: "Open Social Security" calculator: feature requests, bug reports, etc.
Replies: 641
Views: 88270

Re: "Open Social Security" calculator: feature requests, bug reports, etc.

Thanks for your reply.

My thinking was I would move from spousal to my own benefit at 70. Then my spouse would get 1/2 of my age 70 retirement benefit, moving from her benefit to spousal. Looks like I was wrong. Based on PIA, so it does not include delayed retirement credits.