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  1. J

    Budget spreadsheets/Apps??

    I have long used spreadsheets to track both monthly expenses and investments. I started on a desktop using Excel, migrated to a laptop but for the last decade it has been my iPad. I have used both the free Numbers app and Google Sheets. Both can access stock and fund values.
  2. J

    Another Cataract Surgery Thread

    Be very careful - the PA for ophthalmologist told me that no reputable ophthalmologist will even attempt to replace an implant. It is not removable in the same manner as your original lens. I would get a couple of opinions first.
  3. J

    Medicare Premiums over Time

    > 2014 $70 (Plan F high-deductible) > 2022 $105 That is a 50% increase, less than Part B. If I include premiums for Parts B & D, it is a 59% increase. That means premiums have increased 3.5 times more than Social Security payments. > nine years > Premera - WA State Premiums here are...
  4. J

    Advising teenage daughter

    Another vote for a Roth and a total stock index fund. Perhaps a 10 or 20% Bond index so she can see how they perform during market swings. In addition to automatic investments, perhaps you can show her the value of employer matches before she gets a 401k qualified job. If you can afford it...
  5. J

    Does anyone like smart TV operating systems or do you use a streaming device?

    My experience & opinion weighs against Smart TV apps. - they tend to be slower since TVs use the cheapest CPU they can - update cycles are slow and few - the apps tend to be pretty crappy compared to streaming device apps I don't even connect my TVs to the internet - don't need them spying on...
  6. J

    How much is Medicare and all that goes with it?

    When I started at age 65 104.50 Part B 12.60 Part D (bare bones - no serious med needs) 70.00 MediGap F (high deductible) -------------- 187.10 monthly At age 72 148.50 Part B 17.60 Part D 96.00 MediGap F (high deductible) -------------- 262.10 montly 40% increase while SS has...
  7. J

    Will You Share What Funds You're In?

    Another 3 fund devotee here. After 20 years with a major-firm advisor/broker who took care of my old IRA, I dropped him and went 3-fund. Did that eight years ago when he proposed a portfolio combined with my larger 401k. The 1% fee for that would have equaled 25% of my SWR! After 12 years of...
  8. J

    Car Fanatics

    I guess I am not a Detroit Iron kinda guy...Here are two of my fairly obscure cars.
  9. J

    Share Your FIRE Milestones - 2021

    3M in investible assets after starting retirement eleven years ago with 1M.
  10. J

    Overfunded Retirement Strategies

    Never really thought about being overfunded but at 72 with 27x spending, perhaps we are. Spending is not lavish and I expect to leave the step-kids a bunch. Current 50/50 AA seems odd since I stayed at 95/5 well into retirement. Over the last few years I have been moving profits into a 3.25%...
  11. J

    Do you still have maid coming in?

    This gave us pause... https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/11/7/free-fall/
  12. J

    Medicare Part D 2021 price increases

    I too take only two generic meds and never hit the deductible. My experience with Humana has shown the following annual increases in the monthly premium - 12.60, 15.70, 18.40, 17.00, 20.40, 26.60 and finally last year, to 53.60. I finally paid attention and found that I had been upgraded to a...
  13. J

    Health Care Expense as a Percentage of Annual Expenses

    We have been on Medicare For six years. It costs us $250/month each for Medicare + a high deductible MediGap F + the cheapest Part D Drug plan. No copays, deductible (never reached) for MediGap & Part D is ~ $2600. Generics drugs & a couple of annual office visits are not tracked. So, the...
  14. J

    Corona Virus Limericks Anyone ?

    Regarding research into antibodies in llamas... There once was a gaucho named Bruno Who said screwing is something I do know A women is fine A sheep is divine but A llama is numero uno
  15. J

    What to do...

    Staying the course worked for me. I retired a month after the market bottomed in March 2009 - 95% stocks. I lived of cash & taxable savings and I did nothing with my 403b for the first 5 years. Over the next 5 years I moved it to 50% stocks. Now, even after two years of RMDs from the 403b it...
  16. J

    Building a house, how small is too small?

    I recommend reading the "The Not So Big House" books.
  17. J

    Hard for a single to live on 40K + SS?

    IME, Yes. For the past few years, DW & I have been spending about $40k on food, housing, cars and medical. SS is our personal 'fun' money. (HCOL area, own home & cars)
  18. J

    What percentage of your wealth is in a safe fund such as bonds or cash?

    50% stock index funds (15% of that Intl) 10% bond index 15% TIAA Real Estate 25% TIAA Traditional (stable value returning 3.25%) I consider the last two as 'non-market' and they would cover 12-14 years of RMDs. No debt.
  19. J

    The old Social Security break even dilemma

    I took SS at 63, to avoid drawing down tax-advantaged accounts. Last year, at 70 I ran the numbers based on real returns (CAGR of 9.3%). Because of lower balance, my RMD at age 70 would have decreased by ~$8K annually. My SS would have increased by ~$14k...
  20. J

    Who changed it to 20%

    I started 20% when I realized two things 1 - European servers are paid something that approaches a living wage. 2 - US minimum wage for servers is not even close to that, and dropping in real terms.
  21. J

    What is your Asset Allocation if you have no pension?

    It's complicated. No pension. Retired in early 2009 at 60 with an allocation of 95/5 - maintained that until 64 1/2. Since then I have been moving money out of the market into TIAA Traditional and Real Estate. That bucket is now ~40% of my investments and I am spending it down with RMDs...
  22. J

    Young Adult Children & Money

    I don't know what sorts of investment accounts are available in Aus, but in the US, I would open a Roth IRA for each of them and encourage them to contribute by matching their contributions. Start at a high match, say 10:1 the first year and step it down to 1:1 over som appropriate period. -...
  23. J

    While we are discussing toenails....

    I had success with this. For many months (9, I think) I kept the affected toe covered in Vicks by using finger bandages. Replacing after every shower. For the last couple of months I added ProClearz - Tolnaftate (1%) and let it dry before wrapping with Vicks & bandage. No fungus for nearly...
  24. J

    Hair today gone tomorrow

    In a similar vein, I have heard that at a certain age, a man can simultaneously be 'Too Tall for His Hair' and 'Too Short for His Weight'...
  25. J

    What's with the moving to Florida thing??

    After a two years of pre-WWI Ag college, my grandfather's best friend moved to Pasco county and became a timber baron. After my grandparents tired of dairy & potato farming, they retired there. My parents and several aunts and uncles followed. So, from the age of 10, I visited almost every...
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