A little late to the party?

[aja8888]

I've been reading and posting here for a while and love the Forums and the information presented. However, I am currently still working as an engineering consultant and staying busy full time. Health is very good, age 69. DW is retired for the last 5 years and just spending more time with the kids and grand-kids. Both of us on Medicare with Sup. Plan F.

Both of us are collecting SS and pretty much paying the day-to-day expenses off the SS with ~$15K added from current income. Most of current income after taxes from consulting is saved. Primary house is paid off. We have ½ equity interest in a rental house with one daughter. That house is paid off also. She keeps the rental income. That house is currently for sale and is worth ~$150K.

We currently have two years of annual living expenses in cash in taxable MM funds.

Current tax advantaged portfolio mix of mid-6 figure IRA (split between Schwab and Vanguard);

Equity funds (VTSAX, some individual dividend stocks) = 42%
VIPSX (Tip fund) = 12%
Intermediate Term Bond fund = 9%
GNMA fund = 3%
REIT fund – 4%
CASH = 30%

Questions I have are as follows:

1. Should I sell VIPSX (bought 4 years ago) and bank capital gain rather than face loss of NAV when rates go back up?

2. What to do with high cash value in the IRA? (CD ladder?, other funds?)

3. Any other suggestions welcome!

4. Why am I still working? (Actually plan to slow it down later this year and just work part time on a project by project basis)

Tony

[pb4uski]

Have you gone through a financial planning session with Vanguard? (Since your tickers are Vanguard tickers I presume that you have an account with them).

One thing to recognize is that carrying such a large cash balance subjects you to inflation risk - while your $x of cash is safe its buying power is continually eroded by inflation.

[aja8888]

Yes, the cash balance is high, and that is one thing I need to work on. But putting in in bonds or bond funds is not what I feel is prudent to do with interest rates so low and possibly poised to start inching up. At my age (~70), I don't need negative NAV risk and that is why I am considering selling the TIP fund.

Maybe I am best off just loading cash into a series of CD's. next year I am into the RMD requirement too.

No, I have not gone thru a financial planning session with VG.