What to do...

Helen said:
Why shouldn't Cindy know what the asset allocation is within the fund? The more she understands the more comfortable she will be with her investments.

Why not more than 3%? The SWR is 4%, did I miss something unusual about Cindy's situation?
Click to expand...
She should it was 50/50 last I found. Target date funds are great for one stop shopping and ease. They readjust the asset allocation every year until some predefined AA.

The market watch page below lists the AA as of February. I got there by searching the fund name.

https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/vtwnx/holdings

I'm assuming 3% is some personal rule, not related to Cindy's situation. Seems like i remember she has SS to claim in the future.
 
Last edited:
MRG said:
She should it was 50/50 last I found. Target date funds are great for one stop shopping and ease. They readjust the asset allocation every year until some predefined AA.

The market watch page below lists the AA as of February. I got there by searching the fund name.

https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/fund/vtwnx/holdings

I'm assuming 3% is some personal rule, not related to Cindy's situation. Seems like i remember she has SS to claim in the future.
Click to expand...

Yep, I do have Soc Sec, which I will take next March at FRA (see my post above.)
I tried to find the AA of this fund on the Vanguard website, but couldn't find it. I will go and try again. Thank you for the above link - I'll go read it right away!
 
vipertom1970 said:
here goes

https://investor.vanguard.com/mutual-funds/profile/portfolio/vtwnx
Click to expand...

Wow, I've been looking for a long time and I couldn't find this! I just don't know what language to use to look it up :)blush:

This confirms what MRG found in her link, and what I found on Vanguard (but not where you did, vipertom)

"As of September 30, 2019, the Fund’s asset allocation among the underlying funds was as follows:
• Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund 30.9%
• Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund 29.2%
• Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund 20.6%
• Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund 12.8%
• Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund 6.5%"

So...basically, I think I've learned that I'm about even up in stocks and bonds. That, according to what I've read here, is conservative, and as a good place to be right now as any, and I just need to hold on and stop looking at my portfolio for awhile :)

(Did I get it right?)
 
OldShooter said:
Yup. We look at ours seriously about once a year.
Click to expand...
I thought about updating my Quicken data with quarterly statements from Vanguard. Then I didn't. I am not planning on doing anything so more trouble than it is worth. I will feel more like looking at it when the markets are looking better.
 
CindyBlue said:
So...basically, I think I've learned that I'm about even up in stocks and bonds. That, according to what I've read here, is conservative, and as a good place to be right now as any, and I just need to hold on and stop looking at my portfolio for awhile :)

(Did I get it right?)
Click to expand...

Cindy, I think 50/50 is an excellent AA for you. Not too risky and not too conservative.

I went back through your posts, are these statements correct:

You are 65
You currently draw a pension that pays about 1/2 of your expenses
You will start SS next year which should cover the other 1/2 of expenses
You have 3 years of expenses in cash
You will not start drawing from your investments for 7 years when you are 72.5

The only question I have is if your medical insurance is covered. You easily have enough money to supplement Medicare with a gap policy.

You are golden. You did a fantastic job. Really, the last thing you should worry about is your finances. Relax and enjoy your retirement. You won the game.

I, after saving as much as I could, was very wary of spending when I first retired. As time went on I grew into spending more. I'm so glad I did, we have travelled a lot in the last 6 years and now we can not - at least in the short term. I will never regret blowing that dough. As time goes on, you may grow more comfortable and opportunities to do things will open up. Don't forget it's not just about money it's also about the number of healthy years we have left to enjoy life. Don't waste your time worrying if you have enough $$, you do.
 
Last edited:
I try not to think about my self directed retirement funds when it's doing well, and I ignore it when it's doing bad. When I monitor the account periodically for asset allocation, I'm usually right where I want to be.

And after buying a new home and putting a pool in last week, I'm still good until the guvment makes me take RMD's in a couple of years. I really don't have anything to do with the required withdrawals anyway. But I do try to keep sufficient cash around.
 
Helen, thank you for the encouragement!

I sure hope I have enough. The pension is not COLA'd, so its value decreases every year. And it's not a lot - we live very simply. We've worked so hard and so long to save what we have so we could retire - watching that two year's worth of money disappear from the 403b (which is not up to the amount of money the "experts" say we need to retire!) in less than two months was very, very scary!

Edited to add: I do have Medicare now, and I pay a small additional fee for Medicare Advantage.

I know there are no guarantees when you invest in the market, but it always seemed a sure thing that the money we saved and invested in our 403bs would be there when we retired - we opened up 403bs because it's just what one does, and because it started up at work, and because it was suggested as the best way to save and maybe grow our money.

I just have to have some faith. And not look at my portfolio for awhile (very big grin!)

But I feel much better after reading the posts here. Thank you so much, everyone!!!!!
 
Last edited:
CindyBlue said:
Yep, I do have Soc Sec, which I will take next March at FRA (see my post above.)
Click to expand...

As a retired teacher in California, you may find that your Social Security amount will be decreased by the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP. I haven’t seen you mention this.

I don’t want to alarm you, but a few of my teacher friends were taken by surprise when their SS checks came out lower than expected.

I was also whacked by WEP, but I knew it was coming.
 
Accidental Retiree said:
As a retired teacher in California, you may find that your Social Security amount will be decreased by the Windfall Elimination Provision, or WEP. I haven’t seen you mention this.

I don’t want to alarm you, but a few of my teacher friends were taken by surprise when their SS checks came out lower than expected.

I was also whacked by WEP, but I knew it was coming.
Click to expand...

"Whacked by WEP" - love this phrase (grin!)

Nope, WEP isn't an issue for me - I spent 40 years teaching at a Catholic school.
 
Accidental Retiree said:
Excellent!
Click to expand...
Yep, I agree.
I know I'm very lucky to have a pension, even if it is small. I remember though, feeing very envious of the public school teachers with their larger salaries and state pension and health plan entitlements. I almost left my school about ten years ago to take a job in the public schools, mostly to access their retirement and benefits, and would certainly have been "WEPped" if I had. Not sure now if it would have been a better financial move or not...but that's water under the bridge!:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
How to pay IRA transfer fee?
Replies
16
Views
572
SJhawkins
S
V
IRA rollover to RothIRA question
Replies
5
Views
636
voidstar
V
O
Retirement and 401K to IRA
2
Replies
44
Views
4K
Al18
A
A
Now what
Replies
19
Views
3K
engineernerd
E
C
Preservation with CD’s
2
Replies
37
Views
3K
Rianne
Rianne

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom