Things you have learned on the forum

[Lsbcal]

I learned that there are some fine smart folks out there. Thought I was the only one

 

[Teacher Terry]

I learned that I shouldn’t participate in threads where people view wildlife as pests and want to kill them as I tend to say unpleasant things to them. People on this forum have been very helpful in helping me make decisions and are also very supportive which I appreciate.

 

[RetireEarly50s]

I have learned there are many smart people on this forum that have done really well and are a small minority of the population so try to learn as much as possible, some takeaways so far:
Don’t need to pay an advisor and can manage your own money
When to take SS
How to blow the dough after being in the saving mentality for so long

 

[Out of Steam]

I learned about my (or my wife's) potential exposure to IRMAA rates on Medicare Part B as a survivor, and the potential to mitigate that with Roth conversions.

Also saw reference to Michael Kitces and his Rising Glide Path concept for the first time, where you reduce stock allocations in retirement accounts right at retirement and raise them later. This is to mitigate the outsized effect a stock market would have on someone retired, but still having a full retirement ahead of them.

Based on this, I lowered our stock allocation before retiring in 2019--probably minimizing the selloff we did due to nerves after the fall in prices due to the pandemic in 2020.

Current stock target is 40%.

 

[hotwired]

Just thinking the same today

I Bonds jumped to my mind quickly as well. They were being discussed on this forum light years ahead of most other places, especially the media.

Roth IRAs and all of the conversion/withdrawal aspects. We were never eligible to have Roth IRAs until after I retired, so the bulk of my practical education on them and conversions has come from this forum.

Withdrawing taxes owed from one's 401K at the end of the year, since it is treated as ongoing withholding, was a technique I learned here that has served me well.

I was just thinking about how I often find things out ahead of the curve, and iBonds came to mind. I think I discovered them via this forum, and learned about MYGA's at the same time (Like...NOBODY knows about those things except you guys, haha!). I got into iBonds at 3.4% thinking they were the best risk adusted return...and they were...but now...whoa!

I go into Bitcoin in 2014 but I don't think I learned about that here...maybe??!!

 

[4legsgood]

I learned that doing some Roth conversions was a good idea for me. Also learned they can be over done.

I learned there's no one answer for when to take Social Security and learned about different personal circumstances that can lead to a good answer.

I'm grateful to all the people on this forum.