Hello from retired Pacific North West (PNW) income investor

[mykes2025]

Hello All,

I am 60, retired at 57, live in the PNW. My AA is 80% equities, 20% cash. No bonds

Portfolio is primarily dividend growth equities, but I have a basket of CEFs and a basket of BDCs and a couple of ETFs. Joined a few days ago and have been poking around. Hope to contribute if I can.

I live off the dividends and interest, but dont use them all, so I still get to do some investing of any excess dividends. I have no pension, or other passive income and plan to take SS right at 62.

Wife is much younger, so still works, but plans to go part-time soon I am pretty sure.

Mortgage is our only debt and we got lucky and refinanced at 2.75% shortly after I retired. Paid off car for almost 16 years now, always tried to live below our means and yet to have nice stuff and travel.

 

[pdxgal]

Welcome! There's a bunch of us PNW folks here. It's a great forum, lots of good info and discussion.

 

[Closet_Gamer]

Welcome!

 

[mykes2025]

Thanks! I have noticed the PNW participation as I lurked so I threw that in there.

 

[skyking1]

Greetings and welcome.

 

[Koolau]

Welcome to the Forum. We're looking forward to getting to know you and learning from you.

 

[mykes2025]

Thank you, as I look forward to learning from you all as well.

 

[Flyfish1]

Welcome aboard - from the East Coast!

 

[VanWinkle]

Welcome here!! You might re-think that Social Security claiming age with a much younger wife. She will likely outlive you and an age 70 survivor benefit from you would be a great asset for her. Maybe something to think about.

 

[Exchme]

mykes2025:
Welcome aboard, it's a great forum and folks here have all kinds of different finance related thoughts as well as life experiences to share and we manage to do it without much squabbling. We'll be glad for your contributions.

Welcome here!! You might re-think that Social Security claiming age with a much younger wife. She will likely outlive you and an age 70 survivor benefit from you would be a great asset for her. Maybe something to think about.

+1
Deferring SS also makes room in low tax space for Roth Conversions if needed, or if OP needs ACA, it may allow a premium credit.

 

[pb4uski]

+2. Have you checked out opensocialsecurity.com?

One way to look at SS is as buying a COLA joint life annuity in installments. Assuming a PIA of 100 at an FRA of 67, you "pay" 70/mo for 72 months by forgoing SS from 62 to 70, and in exchange beginning at 70 you receive 54/mo more (124 at 70 vs 70 at 62) for the rest of your life. That's a 9.6% payout rare [(54*12)/(70*12*(70-62))].

 

[dickoncapecod]

Before Wall Street becond, I did my grad work at the University of Washington (Seattle) and my first finance job was at SeaFirst. God's country....

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Welcome aboard!

 

[pacergal]

Welcome to the forum, from another PNW person,
It is a great place to be, learn, share. Hope to hear more from you.

 

[Ozz]

Welcome, Oz from Fido Forum.

 

[ychuck46]

Hello All,

I am 60, retired at 57, live in the PNW. My AA is 80% equities, 20% cash. No bonds

Welcome to the club. Not sure the reason for 20% (dry powder, comfort, etc) but you might want to try parking it is something that is giving you short-term decent returns. It could be a particular money market account such as Vanguard or Schwab, or you might want to think about ST Treasury Bills at TreasuryDirect. Then again, you may already be receiving a decent return on your cash, and if so, ignore my message. Best of luck.

 

[mykes2025]

It's money from the sale of a rental in 2019. Currently earning 4.32% APY in MM, but for the past few years it was earning +5% at the same place. I have been with this bank for a while. I like the liquidity because I use some of it from time to time.

Personal Deposit Rates

4.15% APY 12-Month Term Certificate Of Deposit; 4.32% APY High Yield Money Market Account

www.cfg.bank

 

[Temsamany]

Hello All,

I am 60, retired at 57, live in the PNW. My AA is 80% equities, 20% cash. No bonds

Portfolio is primarily dividend growth equities, but I have a basket of CEFs and a basket of BDCs and a couple of ETFs. Joined a few days ago and have been poking around. Hope to contribute if I can.

I live off the dividends and interest, but dont use them all, so I still get to do some investing of any excess dividends. I have no pension, or other passive income and plan to take SS right at 62.

Wife is much younger, so still works, but plans to go part-time soon I am pretty sure.

Mortgage is our only debt and we got lucky and refinanced at 2.75% shortly after I retired. Paid off car for almost 16 years now, always tried to live below our means and yet to have nice stuff and travel.

Hi- I'm a retired California teacher living in Seattle. I have been retired for 21 years, with a good California State Teachers retirement. The Social Security just handed me a nice $300 monthly boost in my small non teaching Social Security. I play around with Closed in Bond Fund investing.. I landed on this forum due to Dickoncapecod. I have followed him for years first on the Morningstar and then th the Fidelity Investor For and now here.

 

[Happy30]

Welcome from the Midwest

 

[AudiDudi]

Welcome from the middle of nowhere Montana. We left the PNW (Seattle area) in 1999.

 

[mykes2025]

I am very South of SEA, but how do you like Montana? I have heard good things.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Greetings OP. I don't have any bonds either. I am almost 60 and will be taking SS at 62.

Keep in touch.

 

[Koolau]

I am very South of SEA, but how do you like Montana? I have heard good things.

I've heard that they have a real winter there. So there's that.

But some beautiful country as well (I'll visit in the summer time).

 

[maestro]

No bonds or bond funds?!? Lucky you.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

A belated welcome from a fellow retired dividend equities (and bondless) investor.
I visited Seattle for the first time in the late 1970s, just after a long backpacking trip in the Olympic mountains. Quite a different place then!

-BB