Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Looking to FIRE in 2018/2019
Old 12-20-2017, 12:42 PM   #1
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 71
Looking to FIRE in 2018/2019

Would love to get some feedback on our retirement plans as they begin to take shape.

Current ages: me 53, DW 53
Target retirement ages: me 54, DW 54
Life expectancy used for planning: me 95, DW 95

Anticipated Retirement Spending:
-$110,000 per year (we’ve been living off this ballpark amount last 2 years)
-Rough breakdown = $70k non-discretionary/$40k non-discretionary

Includes
-$20k healthcare (COBRA, then ACA)
-$18k food/restaurants
-$18k travel/fun/hobbies
-$16k property tax/HOA (coastal California)
-$8k utilities
-$6k automotive/gas/fees
-$6k sinking fund for car replacements, capital improvements
-$4k taxes
-$4k clothing
-$4k home maintenance
-$3k insurance
-$3k other

We will be moving to coastal California within 1 year and expect to spend ~$800k cash on a 2BR home/condo.

Income in Retirement:
Pensions
-DW pension1: $22,500 (age 65, no COLA, 50% survivor benefit)
-DW pension2: $4,150 (age 65, no COLA, 50% survivor benefit)

Social Security
-me: $32,000 (conservative estimate, age 70)
-DW: $6,000 (takes into account GPO/WEP impact, age 70)

Net Worth ~$3.3M

Retirement Portfolio = current assets ~$2.2M
-60/40 asset allocation (12% international)
-primarily 3-fund portfolio

Taxable ($504k)
-$360k CD ladder/cash
-$144k Vanguard Total Stock Market

Tax Deferred ($795k)
-$329k S&P 500 fund
-$227k Fidelity US Bond Index Fund
-$141k Vanguard Total Bond Market
-$79k Vanguard Total Bond Market
-$19k Target Date Fund

Tax-Free (Roths, HSA) ($858k)
-$467k Vanguard Total Stock Market
-$338k mostly Vanguard Total International Stock Index
-$53k Vanguard Total Stock Market

Additional assets ($1,145k)
-$665k primary home net proceeds (conservative; will be sold in 2018)
-$400k rental property net proceeds (conservative; will be sold in 2018)
-$80k cash set aside for new car & home/rental renovations

Possible inheritance (not used for planning purposes)
-$1-3M in 10-15 years

FIRECalc says if we don’t save another dime and then start drawing down our nest egg ($2.6M = $2.2M portfolio + $0.4M from rental property) beginning in 2019, we can sustain $110,000 per year with a success rate of 100%. This assumes we pay cash for a new $800k home with no mortgage.

I’ve also been experimenting with i-ORP to determine optimal Roth conversions up to the 15% tax bracket. The Roth conversions seem to get complex when you also attempt to stay below income thresholds to qualify for ACA subsidies. I need to investigate more in this area, but conceptually would like to convert as much as possible of our tax deferred $s to Roths to avoid RMDs later in retirement.

MegaCorp demands have been extraordinary this year - it’s been very stressful for us both. We’re hoping we can down-shift our employment situations somewhat in 2018 to ease our way into a vibrant, active retirement.

Any insights you might be able to provide would be appreciated, including if you think we are on track. Thank you!
Downtown is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 12-20-2017, 01:52 PM   #2
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Weatherford Texas
Posts: 456
No insights to provide, but congratulations!
__________________

Retired June 1, 2018

RE AA 65/35
Ed B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2017, 01:56 PM   #3
Moderator
MBAustin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,925
Congratulations, and thanks for moving to CA to make room for all the folks coming this way
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
----------------------------------
ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
MBAustin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2017, 06:09 PM   #4
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 102
Downtown,
Congrats! Nicely done.

Based on the excellent level of detail you provided, there's enough similarities at a high level between gross assets, income sources after retirement, and spending rate to our situation (after factoring out kiddo college savings/expenses on our end) that it is nice to see someone else come to the same conclusion we have about being FI.

My big concern is how will you survive in CA without Franklin BBQ or Rudy's nearby!?!?!
DrBrisket is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2017, 06:18 PM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Ready's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 3,995
You look like you're ready to go whenever you're ready. Nice job!

What part of Coastal California are you looking at?
Ready is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2017, 07:04 PM   #6
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 71
@EdB - Thanks!

@MBAustin - We are reluctantly leaving Austin...it's complicated!

@DrBrisket - Love your user name. We will suffer in the BBQ domain after leaving. We enjoy Rudy's about 1x per month, but go easy on it before we get our cholesterol checked.

@Ready - Definitely San Diego County, but we are unsure where exactly. We may rent a place initially so we can get our bearings in a somewhat unfamiliar geography. La Jolla, Little Italy, and Point Loma all look like very nice, walkable communities, but pricey.
Downtown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2017, 08:08 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
38Chevy454's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 4,353
Downtown, it appears you are set. I think you have it figured out and also good plan for the future. My only comment is move that retirement up date as soon as you can.
__________________
The problem isn't artificial intelligence, it's natural stupidity.

You can't spend yourself to prosperity.

Semi-Retired 7/1/16: working part-time (60%) for now [4/24/17 changed to 80%]
Retired Aug 2, 2017; age 53
38Chevy454 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2017, 08:28 PM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Ready's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 3,995
Quote:
Originally Posted by Downtown View Post
@EdB - Thanks!

Definitely San Diego County, but we are unsure where exactly. We may rent a place initially so we can get our bearings in a somewhat unfamiliar geography. La Jolla, Little Italy, and Point Loma all look like very nice, walkable communities, but pricey.
Any place in San Diego is about as nice a place as you're going to find. I'm in Orange County, but I never met a beach community in Southern California that I didn't like.
Ready is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 05:47 AM   #9
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Red Badger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Hog Mountian
Posts: 2,077
Quote:
Originally Posted by 38Chevy454 View Post
Downtown, it appears you are set. I think you have it figured out and also good plan for the future. My only comment is move that retirement up date as soon as you can.
+1.

Pull the rip cord!
__________________
Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
W. Rogers
Red Badger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 06:06 AM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,181
Downtown - Your numbers are similar to mine and I'm also looking to RE in 2019. My primary residence and rental property are worth less, but I have more in stocks and bonds utilizing many of the same funds as you. Glad to see we came to the same conclusion with similar numbers.
freedomatlast is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 07:02 AM   #11
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 71
Quote:
Originally Posted by Downtown View Post

-Rough breakdown = $70k non-discretionary/$40k non-discretionary
I just noticed this typo - the $40k is actually discretionary. I'm usually good with technology, but I couldn't figure out how to edit my original post.
Downtown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 07:05 AM   #12
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
Quote:
Originally Posted by Downtown View Post
I'm usually good with technology, but I couldn't figure out how to edit my original post.
Posts can only be edited within a six hour window of posting.
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 07:12 AM   #13
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 71
@38Chevy454 - I wish I could work a 60% schedule like you did before you retired. That would be ideal (but not possible for me, unfortunately)!

@RedBadger - Thanks for your encouragement. Don't temp me....

@freedomatlast - An $800k home represents 24% of our current net worth. I'd love to get that % smaller (like your situation), but that will be difficult to accomplish with high California RE prices. It also would require continuing to work for MegaCorp for an unacceptable period of time!
Downtown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 07:37 AM   #14
Recycles dryer sheets
Cayman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 442
Woot! The clock's ticking, get out there and have yourselves some FUN
Cayman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 11:36 AM   #15
Recycles dryer sheets
knucklehead 61's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 169
why would you want to pay cash for the new condo with interest rates as low as they are (and tax deductible!)
history shows over the last 100 years that you should make approx. double the % rate of return on money invested.
i would rater pay 3.5% mortgage interest & keep a larger amount in the market to potentially (although historically proven) get a 7-8% return.
__________________
Early Retired on 12/18/15 at 49.
very comfortably living off of my rental income while my ira collects dust...& compounding interest!
The rentals are now paying me over double the $$$ that I made when I had a job!
knucklehead 61 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 02:40 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
pb4uski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,264
Congratulations. My cousin live in Carlsbad and loves it there. They have a nice 4 bedroom condo within a short walk of the beach and you should be able to be similarly situated in your $800k budget I would think.

One thing to think through is penalty-free access from ER at 54 to 59 1/2 but between your taxable accounts and Roths I think you are in good shape.

You might want to invest some of the cash in your taxable account in stock and make corresponding changes in tax deferred for tax efficiency purposes (qualified dividends and LTCG in taxable accounts are tax-free if your taxable income is in the 15% tax bracket or lower (12% under the new tax law).
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.

Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
pb4uski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 03:21 PM   #17
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: TX
Posts: 102
Quote:
Originally Posted by knucklehead 61 View Post
why would you want to pay cash for the new condo with interest rates as low as they are (and tax deductible!)
history shows over the last 100 years that you should make approx. double the % rate of return on money invested.
i would rater pay 3.5% mortgage interest & keep a larger amount in the market to potentially (although historically proven) get a 7-8% return.
The "pay cash" versus "take a mortgage" decision is complicated by sequence of returns risk evaluated in light of a person's appetite for exposure to tail risk (i.e., running out of money in retirement).

See Why we will not have a mortgage in early retirement for some in-depth analysis.

For those not into reading 2000+ words of fairly dense analysis, the linked post concludes with:
Quote:
The decision whether or not to keep a mortgage in retirement is not trivial. The comparison “expected equity return > mortgage rate” is just too simplistic. The median/average retiree will clearly benefit from the leverage but also remember that the median retiree never runs out of money either. For us, not having a mortgage might hurt us in the long-run but only in the scenarios where we’d become fabulously rich anyway. Who cares if we end up with $6 million instead of $7 million when we’re in our 80s? We are willing to pay that cost for the hedge against Sequence of Return Risk, i.e., the very unpleasant tail risk of running out of money after 30 or 40 years due to poor portfolio returns in the first few years after retirement.
DrBrisket is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2017, 07:31 PM   #18
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: San Diego
Posts: 71
@REWahoo - Thanks. Glad to know I'm not becoming a Luddite after all!

@Cayman - You're right, we're looking to inject more FUN in our lives very soon.

@knucklehead 61 - I'll look into the possibility of carrying a mortgage into retirement, but I have to admit we've enjoyed not having those payments even if it's not 100% fiscally prudent.

@pb4uski - $329k of the tax deferred sits in a 457 plan that's accessible anytime after my wife's employment ends, so we should be covered before 59 1/2 between 457, taxable, and Roths. I'll have to investigate your tax efficiency suggestions - thanks. Also, Carlsbad looks like a nice spot - thanks for the recommendation.

P.S. I've often wondered what your user name means - I've thought you must really like Peanut Butter or Pabst Blueribbon, or something. JK - I've really learned a lot from your posts over the years!

@DrBrisket - I really like ERN's in-depth analysis. Digesting his blog posts require a good amount of caffeine, however.
Downtown is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Class of 2019 Gunny Life after FIRE 427 05-06-2021 06:04 AM
Total Eclipse Chile/Argentina in 2019 jetpack Travel Information 13 08-26-2017 08:00 PM
FIRE 2016 - 2019 maybe. Pecan518 Hi, I am... 3 08-02-2015 11:16 PM
2019 is the Goal Snoopy Hi, I am... 5 06-14-2012 07:31 PM
Military family looking to FIRE in Hawaii by 2019 PrayforSurf Hi, I am... 9 02-11-2012 12:32 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:38 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.