Recent content by almost_there

I recently retired (end of 2019). I have as a core holding Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund (VTWNX). This represents about 30% of my (approx 1.7M) portfolio. Most of the portfolio is tax deferred (Vanguard and Fidelity traditional IRAs). This fund has basically been on autopilot. It pays...

Thinking about getting a CD. Since I already have a savings account with Capital One, I looked at their offerings first. The below link has the CD rates for Capital One. What seems unusual to me is that their best rate is for a 1 year CD. Why would a 1 year CD have a rate better than their...

I am going to use some of it. I would like to reinvest most of it though (more than half). My thinking is that I will reinvest in a shorter-term less risky investment. The original mutual fund that was sold was an expensive mid-cap growth fund (LTFAX) that I have been thinking about unloading...

I do have the option of continuing the work for the company I retired from on a part-time basis. I have not yet really decided if I want to do that though. If I did I suppose that I could work enough hours to earn the maximum Roth IRA contribution amount ($7k) and continue to defer social...

Thank you Helen - I already have a small Roth IRA that I would love to add to. The research I have done so far though says that you are only eligible to make a Roth contribution if you have earned income.

----------------------------- The main reason I sold the mutual fund (one of several in the IRA) WAS to pay the taxes in 2020 when I will have little or no earned income. I plan to do this again during 2020. The "problem" that I have is that while I feel I have sufficient assets ( approx $1.8M...

OK, I understand that my question was pretty open ended. My excuse is that it was my first time and I was feeling a little giddy. I actually do have a plan and this was a step in the execution. A lot of my assets are in tax deferred accounts. I have not yet started to draw social security. My...

I retired at the end of last year and am heading into a brave new world in 2020 (no more paycheck!!). I just sold a mutual fund in my IRA and withdrew the proceeds. Had them withhold 20%. After all the years of putting in this is the first time I have ever taken out. I got a nice big check and...

This is going to be a long post so if you are reading this and have better things to do feel free to stop now. I won't be offended and honestly this is as much for my own cathartic benefit as anything else. First of all I will admit that I am no longer an early retiree. That ship has sailed. My...

I have been following the "Roth Conversions make sense?" thread with some interest. It has me asking some questions but I don't want to hijack that thread so I thought I would ask the questions in a new thread. Note I am > 59.5 and will be retiring the end of this year. Most of my assets are in...

Yep. that was me. Thought about going 5 years ago but I am basically a chicken. Kept finding excuses: Let me pay off the house first - check Let me build up liquid assets to > 1.5M - check Let me get the last couple of bonuses - check Let me build up one year of expenses in saving account -...

I really like this forum and am looking for some opinions from the really smart people who frequent it. My situation: Will be retiring and the end of this year. Most of my retirement assets are in 2 accounts: Fidelity 401k - 700k Vanguard IRA - 600k While working being in the 401k was a no...

Ah, had not considered the home equity. Only have 19k left on the mortgage but I did take out a 60k HELOC a while back that was to be an emergency fund. I have never used it. I also have about another 75k between a ROTH and some after tax savings. Taken together this just might be the ticket to...

.....You say you plan to start SS right away, so that means that will be taxable... I apologize if my original post was unclear. I will not take SS right away. I was planning to take it at FRA.

I am 63 and am planning to retire before FRA at 66. At that point I will begin collecting social security. I have most of my assets (approx 1.5M) in tax deferred accounts (a 401K and 2 IRAs). My plan was to use the intervening year ( or possibly 2) to withdraw some assets from the tax advantaged...