Recent content by Austin704

Thanks COcheesehead. Time to exit, I reckon.

Thanks for the guidance, pb4uski. Obviously I learned the lesson of bond funds vs. bonds the hard way. I don’t want to compound my mistake by either dumping them too soon or holding on too long. Sounds like the smart move is to get out of funds and get on with a bond/CD ladder.

Just curious, would you sell today, even if it meant locking in a loss, to redirect those funds to a bond ladder? I ask because I've been wondering whether to sell the bond funds in my portfolio at a loss and move the $$ into either shorter-term bonds or CDs. I hate to sell at a loss, but I'm...

Thanks Gumby. That's helpful.

Trying to decipher the I bond math... I understand interest is paid semiannually but is it also compounded semiannually or monthly? In any case, perhaps someone could help me with the calculation. I bought a $10k I-Bond in November 2021. Six months of interest through April 2022 should be...

Anyone wake up and say "How did I accumulate so much?" I share your wish. When I think about the Buffett Indicator (Aggregate US Stock Values/GDP) standing at an historic all-time high at the end of 2021 I get nervous...

I don't think this is accurate. Partial redemptions (as little as $25) are allowed for electronic I-Bonds.

Glad to hear this--I was starting to believe I was the only one on this forum who is wearing "nice" clothes in retirement. More casual than business but clean and without holes. Around the house I can get a little shabby but when I appear in public I take it up a notch.

March 2020 was a great opportunity to jump into the market... I wonder how many fence-sitters actually did. Probably very few.

Perhaps consider setting aside some of this money to grow untapped for the future. Pensions are nice (I have one) but having sufficient investments / cash to fall back on as you grow older can help you sleep well at night. Since your pension is more than your current expenses, you could...

Great ideas. Thank you!

Thanks for this... It's a balancing act, for sure. I'm convinced that paying the taxes today and letting the Roth grow tax-free is the optimal financial move but sending the IRS those quarterly tax payments is painful. I like the idea of scaling it back a bit, maybe for a year or two...

Lots of interest in I-Bonds these days. But of course there are limits to how much one can hold ($10k per person per year + $5k in paper bonds with a tax refund). I bought a $10k I-bond this month. I-Bonds are illiquid for a year after purchase but afterwards can easily be liquidated for a...

That's an interesting perspective and one I had not considered. Thanks!

Grateful to all for the discussion. Helpful to get some varied perspectives.