Bogleheads.org

GerryL

I have a brokerage account with vanguard that has a couple of mutual funds in it. This is taxabale meaning if I was to sell and use the money I would be taxed on it. Keep in mind, that in a taxable account, what you (legally) do with the money you make from an investment is of no concern to the IRS...

GerryL

I created a spreadsheet to help figure out what my RMDs might look like over the next decade or so. I have columns for two different growth estimates: 5% and 8%. I also have columns for the actuals, which I update each year. My AA is 60/40, but my IRA is heavier on the bond side since my Roth is all...

GerryL

Oregon. Solo. Paid off mortgage. When I retired at 66 in 2014, I started with an estimated a budget of $36k, not including income tax. Then I upped it to $40k to give myself more discretionary spending and because SS and other income would cover the initial estimate. After I had my plan evaluated by...

GerryL

Soon2BXProgrammer wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 6:49 pm I bought relationships with people, including a boss. I was loyal to them. No the company. Even with being loyal to the people, each of us have chosen to move on at different times.

My boss at Megacorp used to advise us: "Don't be more loyal to the company than the company is to you."

GerryL

Regarding auto-reinvest in your taxable account. You might want to consider turning off auto-reinvest now. Use the use the dividends/cap gains if needed or reinvest as appropriate. Make the choice each quarter. When you look forward and decide you want to start building up a new stash of cash, just ...

GerryL

The garbage pickups are going to use large containers lifted and dumped with a mechanical arm, ultimately using fewer employees. Probably two employees per truck instead of three. I've seen these work - half the garbage goes in the truck and the other half in the street. Hmm. Our service uses this ...

GerryL

Here in Portland (OR) suburb, I pay ~$48 every other month for one small trash bin picked up weekly and one recycle bin and one yard debris bin picked up every other week. Years ago when I was unemployed, I stopped regular pickup and just paid for on-call trash pickup every few months. When the coun...

GerryL

I lived up at the Presidio from Feb to Oct in 1975 when I was in the USAF attending the Defense Language Institute. Loved the area. Have visited a few times since. I especially like Pacific Grove. Two observations: 1) I could practically set my watch by the fog coming in at about 4PM each day 2) I w...

GerryL

I execute QCDs early in the year and take the rest of my RMD late in the year, with taxes withheld to meet safe harbor amount. I do the QCDs early so I can apply for a match from my former employer before dollars run out. (Limits used to be set by quarter, and the window for applying for a match was...

GerryL

MAGI at age 63 affects IRRMA at age 65. How exactly does the timing work? Medicare, and IRMAA, starts the month you turn 65 and IRMAA is based on the year you turned 63? So if someone's birthday is December 1, and they turned 63 on Dec. 1, 2020, then, come Dec. 2022, whether they pay IRMAA will be ...

GerryL

I am sure you will get plenty of advice here for doing Roth conversions. But I will just give you two unrelated tips: 1) Prepare your budget -- and yourself mentally -- for higher Medicare premiums due to the IRMAA rules. 2) Plan to use QCDs (Qualified Charitable Distributions) once you reach age 72...

GerryL

Am I missing something? Didn't see anything about an emergency fund.

GerryL

Tip: Be sure to read up on IRMAA so your Medicare premiums don't come as a surprise.

GerryL

Ever? I don't know. But within recent memory (2-3 years) I'd say the low-end Roku device I got for under $30 has been very useful.

I tend to keep things for a very long time and I would guess that the things that have served me well and longest probably cost under $100.

GerryL

The 3-fund portfolio is the most appropriate for beginners: - On fund for U.S. stocks (e.g. VTSAX) - One fund for International stocks (e.g. VTIAX) - One bond fund (e.g. VBTLX) And it is also a fine portfolio for folks who are longer in the tooth. OP, You wrote that you intended to keep the money i...

GerryL

I had access to two tiny pensions when I retired at ~66. I'd planned to postpone both so they could grow. But as I did the paperwork to retire, my company informed me that their in-house rules were that if I was already 65 when I retired, the pension stopped growing. So the decision was made for me,...

GerryL

Hey guys, I need to sell a few thousand dollars of VTIAX that I own. My highest cost basis shares are from 2011 and are non-covered. They are intermingled with a bunch of other non-covered VTIAX shares bought on different days. I've also sold non-covered VTIAX shares in the past (years and years ag...

GerryL

Do you have the option of rolling it into an IRA once you retire (or leave the company)? My company had what they called a SERP that was actually a profit-sharing plan. (They eventually changed the name to Profit-Sharing Plan.) It was ALL company contributions based on salary and how well the compan...

GerryL

I am very light sensitive, so long ago I asked my eye doc about Transition lenses. He warned that the thicker your lenses are the slower they are to darken. I have a very strong prescription (can't really function outside without glasses) and the lenses were rather thick, and he told me that the dar...

GerryL

I wonder: is there a Boglehead consensus on whether or not to get Medigap coverage? There is a recent thread on that topic here: https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=331347 So I'll call this the Insurance company's: "get Medigap early or we'll try to screw you later" g...

GerryL

Hi There, Does anyone have any experience with the Tesla Solar Shingles? I need to redo my roof and I am exploring doing solar in the process, so curious to get people's thoughts if they have experience. My biggest hang up is how terrible Tesla customer service & repair is known to be should I ...

GerryL

OP, Book recommendation: How to Make Your Money Last by Jane Bryant Quinn. (Author is now retired and living by her own guidance!) This book outlines a variety of strategies for different circumstances. And I will second the advice about being aware of how withdrawing money from different kinds of a...

GerryL

So far, I've stayed with Traditional Medicare (A+B) plus a Part D drug plan. I don't have any Medigap yet. From what I've read above, I think I'll wait another year or more before jumping on the Medigap ride. If you signed up for Medicare Part B at age 65, that starts a 6 month Open Enrollment peri...

GerryL

I believe that the rates are per year. They ranges from over $2,000 to over $4,000 for plans F and G. The total premium cost for B+D+supplement may easily go over $10,000 for a couple. This must vary by zip code. In 92210, the cheapest G is State Farm which is $1400ish per year. In round numbers, a...

GerryL

I remember growing up outside of Detroit in the 60's and 70's when we had the three major network channels, PBS and a few independents plus one Canadian channel...and always complaining there was nothing to watch on TV. In some aspects, even with hundred's of channels, there is still nothing to wat...

GerryL

I pay only $8.99 (one device at a time and no HD) and that plan did not go up. Still, I am debating how much longer I will stick with it once I go through a few more programs. Too many options available to fill my evening tv viewing time, and not as much being added that I want to watch. I may decid...

GerryL

I researched medigap plans earlier this year. I kept getting told that the plans offered by different providers are the same, only the premiums are different. But that's not really true. Can you share some examples of differences that you found (between the same letter plans but different insurance...

GerryL

I funded my DAF (for two years) early in the year. Lucky I did, because the share price of the company stock I use to fund it was unusually high and has since gone down quite a bit.

I'm bundling my deductions into even-numbered years.

GerryL

I just switched to SiverScript SmartRx for 2021. My premium will be $6.30, less than half of the cheap program I've been on for the past 2-3 years. $0 for my generic meds. CVS is the online pharmacy. The company I was with, Envision, just changed their name to Elixir. They appear to have ... um ......

GerryL

I just switched to SiverScript SmartRx for 2021. My premium will be $6.30, less than half of the cheap program I've been on for the past 2-3 years. $0 for my generic meds. CVS is the online pharmacy. The company I was with, Envision, just changed their name to Elixir. They appear to have ... um ... ...

GerryL

I don't really worry about rebalancing that much. The only time I take any action is early in the year when I move $$ in my IRA into the settlement account to cover that year's RMD. I just move the $$ to nudge the AA back into line.

Maybe my tip is: Think of it as an unenjoyable task.

GerryL

I pay for my basic treatment a year in advance. My long-time dentist offers this option as a loyalty plan, because he hates dealing with insurance companies. I've been paying a flat fee each year for all of my cleanings, x-rays and exams. The fee has not changed since we started at least 3 years ago...

GerryL

Thanks Everyone for this discussion. An update. Ms No-Show has made no contact. As far as I'm concerned, that door has closed. Yesterday I heard back from one of the PF businesses I recently contacted, and after a brief discussion set up a face-to-face meeting for when I return from an upcoming tri...

GerryL

I hold US and international stock index funds in my taxable account. When I was working I contributed on a regular basis with every paycheck, now that I'm retired, I take most of the dividends for monthly spending. Regards, I did the same with Balanced Index fund. Just kept growing it with regular ...

GerryL

I used to call myself Boglehead-lite because I was under the mistaken impression that in addition to simple index investing I was supposed to make "interesting moves" with my money. Then I read more and joined this forum. Now I'm just a plain Boglehead. Not a purist, though.

GerryL

Have you pointed out to her that her cash is losing value due to inflation? Can you show her a graph that illustrates how much her cash will lose to inflation over the next 10-20 years?

GerryL

I haven't seen anyone yet call out the Jane Bryant Quinn book How to Make Your Money Last.

GerryL

Do they use it on their lap or sitting at a desk or table? You could go with a large screen as someone else suggested if it normally sits at a table anyway - monitors have become so cheap. Then if they want to take it with them to the couch, etc. they can unplug and use the smaller screen. I would ...

GerryL

OP, To address your concern about starting "late": Although I was always frugal and avoided debt, I did not really get started investing for retirement until I was in my early 40s. Consistent, disciplined saving and Boglehead-like investing enabled me to comfortably retire at 66. Soo, it s...

GerryL

iamblessed wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 8:08 pm I did leave a small roth behind. I don't know if that will help because I transferred the taxable account.

You asked this question in the future tense and got some useful answers. But it sounds like you already closed the account. Maybe file this under question to ask BEFORE taking an action?

GerryL

That being said, a sous vide device meets my criteria for worthwhile kitchen appliance (small, not too expensive, easy to store, performs novel and useful function) and it allows you to bring proteins to temperature and hold for a bit before a quick finish when you're ready to eat. Seconded. I like...

GerryL

OP, I will emphasize here: the most important number for you to know is how much you spend (or plan to spend). Without that number, all the numbers around your investments will mean nothing. So look at your current expenses. Consider where you will increase or decrease once you are retired -- and ha...

GerryL

Before I retired my 401k and profit-sharing accounts were with Fidelity, My personal accounts were with Vanguard and Dodge & Cox. I started moving the funds in the 401k to Vanguard shortly before I retired and completed the move after retirement in order to consolidate. I never thought of moving...

GerryL

I'm a solo with limited counter space. I'm a big believer in multi-purpose items. For example, Corningware can be used on the stove, in the oven and in the fridge/freezer. Just about the only single-purpose item I have is a water kettle. Jut because. I do most of my cooking on the stove top and in t...

GerryL

I didn't notice that anyone has already pointed this out, but this does not have to be an either/or question: either claim at FRA or wait until 70. You may decide to delay and not claim SS at FRA, but then you can at any point after than opt to start claiming for a slightly higher benefit -- all the...

GerryL

Making major changes in mid-life? I spent the years up to mid-life bouncing around, from one part of the country to another and to different countries, often without a job in place before the move. Didn't really think of settling down until I was in my mid-30s. Of course, with no kids and no spouse,...

GerryL

Plan to retire in 2021 at age 62. Wife will be 59. Have done Roth conversions from IRA so we can manage taxible income to qualify for ACA subsidies to provide a Bronze plan at no cost to us. No chronic health issues Debt free Large equity line of credit on the house with $0 balance for quick cash i...

GerryL

Already many great suggestions. Thank you and look forward to learning more. To answer a few questions: Yes, we are aware of travel restrictions and our airline tickets are refundable. As I mentioned earlier, we will be flying into Paris and plan to travel south. Our interests are broad and run the...

GerryL

Above and beyond maxing out all available retirement accounts for my wife and I, I'm trying to figure out how to allocate additional funds. Without getting into tons of detail, I have a fair amount of cash left over each year, no debt other than mortgage on my primary residence, but no significant ...

GerryL

Suggest this search: http://www.google.com/search?q=OLT+free+file+site%3Airs.gov I've used OLT (OnLine Tax) for past several years and like it. It's free if you are below the free file limit, <$20 if over---me last year. Does what you want, better price than TT, and no funny bait and switch. Does n...

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