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OP here..appreciate the replies.. I guess this all boils down to a question of why any of us invest - or why we continue to invest. If one reaches a point where it is not necessary to invest any longer, why incur risk that you don't "need" to take? Is it bragging rights? Wanting to always...

As I understand it (no means an expert), your TIPS bought at $X is worth $X + the cumulative inflation increase determined by CPI-W each year. You can sell that TIPS at any time, though you may get more of less than face value depending on where interest rates/yields are at if you do. If you...

While CD rates have indeed dropped, MYGAs could be an option as there are still 5+% 5-year (& 7-year) MYGAs available. At least at StanTheAnnuityMan. So I assume Blueprint and others have similar/the same. Here's a good place to search to see options. Many A, A+ and even a couple A++ rated...

I'm in the same boat as you. Don't really "need" lots of growth - but I do want / need capital preservation through end of life. I'm very conservative by nature also, have a fairly pessimistic view of what likely lies ahead in the next 10 years or so in markets and want to have "enough" vs...

Ah, OK. But wouldn't allocating some of that to buy LTC insurance if that's a concern be worth doing?

I don't follow. If you have what you started with AND can safely withdraw 4% a year to pay the bills, what's the issue? To me, that's the absolute ideal scenario. You've paid the bills AND preserved principal (vs risking it all on the roulette wheel we call "The Market"). Albeit, the...

I'm genuinely curious what one would be looking to achieve by being 90-95% equity at age 70?

BTW, I find the different goals and comfort levels expressed when these types of discussions come up somewhat fascinating. Maybe because we don't have kids to leave our assets to, I don't care about maximizing the size of the piggy bank just to have "more" when we pass. But it sure seems like...

Well, I ran Firecalc with 0% stocks and it tells me we have a 100% chance of successful retirement, so all is good :) Reading more about TIPS..might think of picking some of those up. Should have also mentioned I have a pretty hefty allocation to fixed income (MYGAs, CDs, Bond Funds)...

Thanks..was more curious what others have done and couldn't think of what to search for to see previous comments but will try "won the game". TIPS are probably a solution for us, but I honestly don't even pretend to understand how they work. Something to look into more for sure.

We're both in our 60s (me - early, wife - mid) and are getting increasingly uncomfortably holding equities - even at our current ~22% of portfolio. Largely because of current excessively stretched valuations and what I see happening in the economy - and also because an even 25% let alone 50%...

Would seem to be a less than optimal time to sell any bond-heavy fund like Wellesley, as yields are more likely to drop than rise at this point, which of course will (perhaps quite significantly) raise NAV of bond-heavy funds like Wellesley. Markets are now "pricing in" 3 rate cuts this year...

There's a (perhaps obvious) downside to converting to non-Admiral shares, though, with those standard version funds have a higher ER than Admiral. AFAIK, Admiral are "only" available through VG. That was one of the lock-in tricks VG pulled a while back.

Yep! Named Beneficiaries on TOD/POD accounts over-ride all else - wills, trusts, family squabbles, disagreements, hurt feelings etc. If there's a TOD/POD beneficiary on an account, that person receives their designated percentage of those assets, period. Nothing else matters. At least that's...

When I pressed them on the reason why, they claimed it's because there are a lot of legal potholes for them when joint owners die "at the same time". They claim that's rare..one person may die a minute or two after the other, etc. And the state laws about this vary so significantly across...

Because those funds are not available at the other brokerages where we have accounts (Schwab & FIDO). Or, for those funds that are available, high trading fees (e.g. $75 @ FIDO) that make holding those funds outside of Vanguard unattractive. We're still debating the whole Trust vs. POD/TOD...

All other Vanguard issues (no 24x7 phone center, long hold times, unknowledgeable CSRs) aside, this (unable to have TOD Beneficiaries on a Joint Account) is perhaps the most egregious. We'd ideally like to just have everything on TOD/POD and avoid a Trust. But it seems the only way to have...

If your Taxable Income is less than the top end of the 2nd lowest bracket (roughly $94K MFJ for 2024 IIRC), both Qualified Dividends and LT Cap Gains are not taxed at the Federal Level. They'll still impact MAGI, though, so you'll potentially pay State Income Tax on those distributions...

I don't follow..if i can "guaranteed" get 8%, or get some random percentage (quite possibly less at current sky-high valuations - Vanguard, for example is forecasting something 4.2 - 6.2% nominal for this decade in their recent 2024 forecast), I'm gonna take the guaranteed 8% every single time...

Isn't the increase in SS benefits 8% every year you wait beyond FRA? I'll take a 8% guaranteed (plus COLA increases) over market risk every single time. To that point, it's too often said that the market "returns 8% a year, on average". Possibly true, if you go way back to 1900'ish and...

Yep. I used the # I have stored in my phone to talk with him. And I know his voice from previous conversations. I suspect someone at Nationwide may have been attempting to get our account information. Or, someone at the broker. I am NOT accusing anyone as I don't have any hard facts to make...

Yeah..but as noted, most MYGA apps require a complete financial profile (things like..what are your total assets, # of other Annuities owned, etc). It's all really quite intrusive and overly detailed. So, they already had all this information to determine "suitability". In fact, I even think...

Of course. But I'm trying to determine if anyone else has been asked to provide a bank statement as part of applying for a MYGA, as the staff's claim of "75% of all carriers are requiring this starting about 3 years ago" seems like total BS to me..having opened ~6 MYGAS myself in that time...

Both. Initial request was by email. I pushed back (hard) and told them no freaking way I'm sending a statement as there was no justifiable business reason for it. Then, the person who emailed me's manager called me directly and we talked. I know the owner of the firm having done business...

Yes..I'm confident we're dealing with real, legit people at the broker's firm. I've spoken with the owner directly (including just yesterday about all this - he agrees Nationwide's request is totally unnecessary), and have a prior existing relationship with him from successfully opening two...