Search results

We think alike rodi! ;)

I'm afraid this poll is going to end up with many apples and oranges. Depending upon what balance sheet assets are included as "My Number", I can identify three different ranges by using: 1. investments only, or 2. investments + home equity, or 3. investments + home equity + the present...

I agree with you. In my case, before I retired I was debt free for several years, and later incurred debt on a new, larger home, then retired. I carry that debt today at 4.115%. I would not increase my leverage to arbitrage a spread...too risky

I'm speaking point forward, not past. All of my investments are tax deferred

So they can say they are debt free and "feel safe", while giving up a leveraged return and other qualitative benefits. I could argue this point all day long, but the real kicker is I would have to liquidate tax deferred investments which I am unwilling to do for reasons stated above.

Yes, and I do so knowing that I earned an annuallized 2.7% return on each payment I make! You can't say that! ;D

Ten years ago I was debt free for about 4 years. It really wasn't that much more fun ;). Now I have a bigger, better house by a pond that is more fun!

Refuse to Payoff To pay off my home mortgage, I would have to liquidate tax deferred investments, causing a taxable distribution and corresponding tax bill at an incremental State and Federal tax rate of 39 cents on the last dollar. :frown: I'm unwilling to reduce my investments by the amount...

Romney pays more than I do! My experience is: Fed Tax/AGI: - 2009 = 9.6% - 2010 =11.0% - 2011 =10.8% (est) I do itemize taxes, mortgage, & contributions which gets the rate down, otherwise use of the standard deduction would give me a rate of about 13.2%

I used many retirement calulators including my own model to help me make the decision of whether I had enough to retire. After nearly two years into retirement, my investment account has exceeded the expectations of the calculators...which of course makes me very happy on one hand, however, on...

But you didn't mention the no seeums which are worse than mosquitoes in Florida. I just hate them! :frown:

I own oil company stocks. Generally, as prices at the pump go up, so does the stock price. Its like a natural hedge. I have made more money on the oil stocks than what I have spent at the pump, so it really doesnt matter to me.;D

I used 92 for myself and 94 for DW as recommended in the Fidelity Income planner. Our parents died at 81, 85, 84, 84. With the advances in medicine, I think our estimate is ball park safe. If we outlive the money...not sure we care

I had a great job and was compensated well, but I was just tired of working. I chose 1,2,9, with a big emphasis on 9...I love my quiet, tranquil, reflective life now! Suites me just fine.

I've used Fidelitys RIP too and still use it even after retirement for changes. I find it accurate and supportive of my spreadsheet model.:)

I used the various retirement calculators on line to verify my own, homegrown, spreadsheet projection model. I felt reassured when they supported my spreadsheet projections. Now, I'm into my 2nd year of retirement and the projections were valid...in fact...I'm better off than the projections. :)

I'm also with W2R. I was happy to have my job, even though I didn't like the stress of it at times. It paid well, and would be hard to replace...heck it was hard to just obtain it through the dang interview process. Glad I never had to do that again.

Very surprising that the government and the gurus do not discuss the impact of portfolio return on the breakeven age. It seems misleading. You got to be careful of what you hear and read. ;)

Ha, My analysis did not make the assumption that I would save the money to buy an annuity at age 70. Rather, it simply took the cashflow stream at age 70 forward vs. the cashflow stream at age 62 forward and inflated each stream with an assumed annual inflation rate, tax effected each streams...

I applied yesterday Thinker, I applied for SS yesterday. I turn 62 next month. Several months ago I ran an aftertax, discounted cashflow analysis that indicated I was better off taking it at 62 rather than waiting until 70. I used a conservative aftertax portfolio rate as the discount rate in...

Here's a previous posting that I had made to another thread concerning the same hestitancy which I had at the time I was retiring. I hope this helps you understand your situation. I wrote this 19 months ago. Since then, everything has been just fine. In fact, my portfolio is worth more now than...

I agree with you Dex 100%. Brandy was unfairly turned away tonight. She was a much better dancer than Bristol. I had figured it would be a shootout between Jennifer Gray and Brandy in the finals. Allowing Bristol to go the finals instead of Brandy is just plain wrong and underserved. I'm...

I had a paper route as a kid and learned to buy my own clothes, bikes, etc. My parents didn't have a large income. So, some LBYM was instilled when I was a kid. But it really didn't happen until I got married and my wife and her father beat me up into being really frugal. They encouraged me to...

W2R, Congratulations, You are going to love this as you are probably starting to see. One of the really cool things that happened shortly after I retired, I went into a department store and realized, the crowds were at work and I was free to shop around at my leisure. It felt so liberating. I...

I have to admit to you, it was a pretty feeble mental list. The great thing about a mental list is "POOF" and it can be gone! I really don't work very hard at it, honest! :laugh: