Recent content by InTheBasement

I don't know yet. I have not really investigated the health insurance cost. I have been using $1500 per month as a guess at this point.

Thanks for the advice. I have been running a very solid accounting of our expenditures over the past few years so I have a good handle on what is needed, including lumpy expenses. Also, we maintain an accurate accounting of income that is specifically what we bring home. So I consider my income...

I will look into it. I was of the understanding that I would not be eligible. Thanks for the note.

I was kind of tongue-in-cheek saying the part about life being cheaper for her with me out of the picture. Yes she qualifies for SS on her own. The whole SS thing I guess is up in the air. All of my calculations are done not considering it so it's reasonable to think that I may wait until FRA...

The SS discussion is an interesting one and one that seems to be debated all the time. I look at it this way. I could get by without SS, but having it would make life quite easy. So taking it at 62 would improve my quality of life in the early stages of retirement. I would rather have that...

LOL. Well, we are rather simple life type people and auto replacement would certainly not be a 50K car. At the moment I drive a 14 year old Toyota RAV 4 that I hope to get another 6 years out of. We tend to buy cars that are the top of the low end. We just got the wife a Kona, but the top of...

We are completely debt free. SS, even at 62 will satisfy about half of our annual financial requirements.

About half is in 401K, the rest is split between Roth IRA, traditional IRA a couple small teachers retirement funds (not pension), and a bridge account consisting of a high interest savings account and a mutual fund. The savings account and mutual fund are enough to last me from 57 until 62...

Approximately half is in 401K. The rest is spread between Roth IRA, traditional IRA, a couple of small teachers retirement funds (not pension), and a bridge account consisting of a high interest savings account and a mutual fund. So I believe I have enough in the bridge to last until I am 62 at...

I have done a tremendous amount of calculating over the past 3 years. I am rather confident that my finances will suffice. My statement of "being scared" is sort of financial, but more importantly focused on the fact that I have been living my current lifestyle for so long that I don't even know...

Yes, I am a veteran but I was not deployed into combat, and I did not retire from the Army. I was only in for five years so I am not eligible for VA health benefits. I am lucky enough to qualify for some benefits such as property tax reduction and such. Welcomed of course, but not overly...

18K annual spend! Can you share how you were able to pull that off? That's an extremely low number, especially for where you live. I am in New York and I have no mortgage. My wife and I live a rather unimpressive and simple life and even at that our annual spend is near 50K. My property tax...

Thanks Major Tom. Not sure if it's appropriate to talk about portfolio values or not, but would you share what you started out with at 45? I am expecting at 57 to start out in the 1.5 million range and I am wondering if that is going to cut it. Have you taken on any kind of supplemental income...

Hello all, my name is Jon and I am brand new here and am VERY glad to see there is this active forum to help me get along. I have been working since 1983, constantly and in many different occupations. Starting at 16 years old as the cleanup kid in the local supermarket meat department, then 5...