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Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. Wanted to share this story because I’ve seen a pattern along this theme from posts on this site and others. Went into work today to find out one of my coworkers retired 67-year-old father in-law unexpectedly died and he all of a sudden had a new...

Hello, Haven’t started a post in some time but I wanted to let everyone know what I was doing. 44 YO and 7 years from FI. Lately I have considered changing my basic slice and dice index retirement portfolio with value, small cap, and REIT tilts into a simplified 50% TSM / 30 % Total bond / 20%...

Ran across this paper by John Norstad. It is a great sumation of the investment strategy so many of us follow. A number of other papers which are more mathmatically oriented are alo available on his web site. If others have arlrady point this site out sorry for the repetition...

Folks, I need the benefit of some of your collective wisdom and experience. I've been contemplating an IRA to Roth IRA conversion. Will likely retire at 50 - 55 in 10 - 15 years, will likely take a 72t distribution on my traditonal IRA if not converted, and currently at the 25 - 28% tax...

With all the noise about oil prices, inflation, SS fuding....sometimes I just need to calm down. I usually go back to basics and concentrate my thoughts on what I actually have control over such as savings rate, asset allocation, low cost funds, lower fees, etc. What do some of you do to get...

A couple of nights ago I was watching O'reily Factor with Ben Stein. He actually proposed increasing federal tax on gasoline to pay for the shortfall ahead in SS. His reasoning was that increased revenue must be raised for SS and by raising it with an increased gasoline tax it would force us to...

In a taxable account should you reinvest cap gains and dividends or distribute then to a mmf or savings account? What makes it easier at tax time? Elroy

Seems a slow day so I'm going to ask a newbe question. If infaltion is usually 3 - 4% and portfolio returns are 8 - 10% for 60% stock / 40% bond allocation this leaves us with a real return of 4% - 7%. Using the rule of 72 this means an average lump-sum balance portfolio will take as much as 18...

Ok. I see a lot of negative comments on boards, blogs, and by finacial collumists about advisors. Maybe because I have never used one I'm a bit more open to there usefulness. Does anyone think a lot of this negativity comes for 50 somthings who have done nothing to save for retiement going to an...

Need some help staying on track. I'm 43 and about 25% of the way to ER ~300K in investment assets (not inc house). I go through these periods where it seems like I'll never reach my goals short or long. This site helps sometimes and just makes me more uneasy sometimes. Guess I just need...

Ok. I'm a little uncomfortable but think I made a decision between good investmet choice and a good investment choice. I just opened a Roth IRA with Vanguard and contributed $4000 for 2005 and $1000 for 2006. It came down to TR2025 or STAR funds. I picked STAR. Guess I was going for as much...

Hi, I'm not new to this board just shy. This is my first post. Wanted to finally thank all of you for your excellent advise and encouragement. I have recently been purchasing I-bonds (last three months) with Treasury Direct. These funds are part of long term savings. I like the security and...