Camas Lilly
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2007
- Messages
- 318
Lots of background information to convey, but I hope someone has time to read the whole thing and advise.
I am 60.5, still working, have a great job, but hoping to retire in 2 years, max 3. Health care is the issue, but may be able to get Cobra for great price 18 months and to best estimates are we will have to initially draw around $1100/month from retirement accounts to cover expenses until age 65. Trying to retire sooner rather than later due to husband’s age and physical condition. I am also not apposed to working part time; we just have to buy, get moved and sell. Once I hit 65, we could possibly live on his SS and Pension without depending on retirement accounts, but what is the point then.
I plan on waiting to take SS to get the full amount since hubby shorted his and I am in pretty good health. My thinking is the full amount will pay quite a bit more than his if he is not around. I will also get is full pension. I have never had any medical issues whatsoever other than now a mildly elevated blood pressure. I expect to live well into 80’s.
Hubby is 67, retired early at 63.5. He took SS early but also has a pension. He is in fair health, while no critical health issues, he is moderately overweight (but not fat), smokes a cigar, high blood pressure, elevated glucose readings, moderate bone, joint and back aches and pains, so not the perfect picture of health. Hoping he makes 85.
We are both fairly frugal, come from lower income backgrounds, married 21 years ago and generally like to stay around the house. Best way to describe us is we re-use foil and baggies, love to shop Wal-Mart clearance isle, all the thrift stores and don’t go out much unless we have a coupon LOL. That being said, neither one of us, due to previous lives, had much of any money but in that 21 years, have managed to go from nothing to nice large house, 4 acres, cars, trucks, trailers, tractors, vacation mobile home and roughly $360,000 in retirement accounts. All will be paid off except around $50,000 on mortgage due to recent truck purchase.
We will sell all and downsize out of state to small farm of 3 acres next door to vacation home. Sale of current home should cover price of farmhouse, any remodeling needs and a shop. Other than the move and maybe $10,000 repairs to current home, I am hoping that should cover all anticipated expenses. The first Taxable account is backup money.
Travel in retirement will consist of one or two trips in the 5th wheel 600 miles or less. Don’t see that we will spend that much as long as we trim down the vehicles, insurance and taxes. Also the current vacation mobile home (next door) has the potential to provide $400+ month in rent income if we choose to rent it out.
Now to investments and why I am here asking the good folks of this blog. I started investing in 1999. I have gone through what, two market crashes? 2000 and 2008? 2000 was pretty scary, but have always stuck with growth and barely even noticed 2008 crash. I do remember buying some, but had no cash at the time. I do have a high tolerance for risk as our investments have always been in the background somewhere. While I have learned a lot, I am now facing some critical choices and I am beginning to feel some urgency that I need some input on. We’ve been 100% growth large and small cap, really – no bonds, until recently. I am now re-balancing our accounts. I am really struggling backing out of the growth world, but am smart enough to know I need something to hold the fort down (recently adding Wellesley and Wellington) and some cash for either retirement draw and/or scooping up buys on the next downturn while at the same time I do still want my foot in the ring on growth. I quite possibly may be retiring into a bear market. Even as I say that, I struggle to get below a 70/30 mix, but trying my best.
I am struggling with some questions: Of course opinion on new allocations, but also should I change current dividend reinvestments to deposit to cash account? Should I now roll some investments to cash? Where should I put that money? Money Market, Intermed Corp Treasury, Hi Yield Corp Fund? Or would a balanced fund such as Wellesley be a good compromise between safety and growth?
Next question is where is my retirement draw going to come from and what money should I use to load up the truck next crash? I was looking at VHDYX High Yield Div (3%), VDAIX Div Apprec (1.8%) and VEIPX Equity Income (2.8%), but then compare to VWELX Wellington (2.62%) and VWINX Wellesley (3.17%) and wonder do I need any of those? Should I use the funds in previous paragraph? I am also thinking I should have some REIT in there somewhere. I am really not a fan of foreign funds.
Previously I was entering all our investments in Morningstar and analyzing as a whole, but am changing over to each portfolio balanced individually. It’s just easier for me to do it that way.
Current Investments are:
Taxable Account $31,000 (recently added Wellington and Wellesley), roughly 69S/31B mix:
20% NAESX Small Cap Growth
20% VIGRX Large Cap Growth
5% VITRX Intnl Value
33% VWELX Wellington (65/35)
30% VWINX Wellesley (35/65)
My IRA $43,000 (recently rebalanced added Wellington), roughly 73S/17B mix:
32% VIGAX Growth Index
26% VTSAX Total Mkt Index
26% VWELX Wellington (this is new)
17% VWIGX Intnl Growth
My 401K $55,000 (limited choices, recently added bonds)
35% RMCBA SSGA S&P 500 Index
25% VSGAX Vanguard Small Cap Growth Index
20% RADMA Retirement Advocate Mod Aggressive (70/30?)
20% RMCBA Global Trust IRM Core Bonds
Hubby 401K $52,000 (old)
49% VSMAX Small Cap Index
13% VIMSX Mid Cap Index
16 % VBIIX Intermed Term Bond
21% VBTLX Total Bond Index
Hubby 401K $52,000 (proposed changes)(70S/20B/10C)
25% VIGAX Lg Cap Growth Index
20% VSMAX Small Cap Index
25% VWELX Wellington
20% VWINX Wellesley
10% Cash or?
Hubby 401k $155,000 (old-limited choices), roughly 96% stocks
30% VINIX Market Index
27% VWNAX Windsor II
21% VIMAX Mid Cap
21% VSMAX Small Cap
Hubby 401k $155,000 (proposed changes) roughly (66S/22B/11C)
33% VBIAX Balanced Index
23% US Growth Index
26% VSMAX Small Cap Index
8% VBTLX Total Bond Mkt
10% Cash or?
Taxable Account – Folio Investing $27,000, not part of the whole picture. Was intended to be my play money, and still is, but has grown and not to be ignored. Mix of VDE, VDI and 3 folios of stocks: growth, dividend, and the old 2000 group, which did recover nicely thank you. I make 3 small purchases per month with my “allowance”, now focusing on out of favor dividend payers.
Well if you made it here, thank you so much for taking the time to read the whole way through.
I am 60.5, still working, have a great job, but hoping to retire in 2 years, max 3. Health care is the issue, but may be able to get Cobra for great price 18 months and to best estimates are we will have to initially draw around $1100/month from retirement accounts to cover expenses until age 65. Trying to retire sooner rather than later due to husband’s age and physical condition. I am also not apposed to working part time; we just have to buy, get moved and sell. Once I hit 65, we could possibly live on his SS and Pension without depending on retirement accounts, but what is the point then.
I plan on waiting to take SS to get the full amount since hubby shorted his and I am in pretty good health. My thinking is the full amount will pay quite a bit more than his if he is not around. I will also get is full pension. I have never had any medical issues whatsoever other than now a mildly elevated blood pressure. I expect to live well into 80’s.
Hubby is 67, retired early at 63.5. He took SS early but also has a pension. He is in fair health, while no critical health issues, he is moderately overweight (but not fat), smokes a cigar, high blood pressure, elevated glucose readings, moderate bone, joint and back aches and pains, so not the perfect picture of health. Hoping he makes 85.
We are both fairly frugal, come from lower income backgrounds, married 21 years ago and generally like to stay around the house. Best way to describe us is we re-use foil and baggies, love to shop Wal-Mart clearance isle, all the thrift stores and don’t go out much unless we have a coupon LOL. That being said, neither one of us, due to previous lives, had much of any money but in that 21 years, have managed to go from nothing to nice large house, 4 acres, cars, trucks, trailers, tractors, vacation mobile home and roughly $360,000 in retirement accounts. All will be paid off except around $50,000 on mortgage due to recent truck purchase.
We will sell all and downsize out of state to small farm of 3 acres next door to vacation home. Sale of current home should cover price of farmhouse, any remodeling needs and a shop. Other than the move and maybe $10,000 repairs to current home, I am hoping that should cover all anticipated expenses. The first Taxable account is backup money.
Travel in retirement will consist of one or two trips in the 5th wheel 600 miles or less. Don’t see that we will spend that much as long as we trim down the vehicles, insurance and taxes. Also the current vacation mobile home (next door) has the potential to provide $400+ month in rent income if we choose to rent it out.
Now to investments and why I am here asking the good folks of this blog. I started investing in 1999. I have gone through what, two market crashes? 2000 and 2008? 2000 was pretty scary, but have always stuck with growth and barely even noticed 2008 crash. I do remember buying some, but had no cash at the time. I do have a high tolerance for risk as our investments have always been in the background somewhere. While I have learned a lot, I am now facing some critical choices and I am beginning to feel some urgency that I need some input on. We’ve been 100% growth large and small cap, really – no bonds, until recently. I am now re-balancing our accounts. I am really struggling backing out of the growth world, but am smart enough to know I need something to hold the fort down (recently adding Wellesley and Wellington) and some cash for either retirement draw and/or scooping up buys on the next downturn while at the same time I do still want my foot in the ring on growth. I quite possibly may be retiring into a bear market. Even as I say that, I struggle to get below a 70/30 mix, but trying my best.
I am struggling with some questions: Of course opinion on new allocations, but also should I change current dividend reinvestments to deposit to cash account? Should I now roll some investments to cash? Where should I put that money? Money Market, Intermed Corp Treasury, Hi Yield Corp Fund? Or would a balanced fund such as Wellesley be a good compromise between safety and growth?
Next question is where is my retirement draw going to come from and what money should I use to load up the truck next crash? I was looking at VHDYX High Yield Div (3%), VDAIX Div Apprec (1.8%) and VEIPX Equity Income (2.8%), but then compare to VWELX Wellington (2.62%) and VWINX Wellesley (3.17%) and wonder do I need any of those? Should I use the funds in previous paragraph? I am also thinking I should have some REIT in there somewhere. I am really not a fan of foreign funds.
Previously I was entering all our investments in Morningstar and analyzing as a whole, but am changing over to each portfolio balanced individually. It’s just easier for me to do it that way.
Current Investments are:
Taxable Account $31,000 (recently added Wellington and Wellesley), roughly 69S/31B mix:
20% NAESX Small Cap Growth
20% VIGRX Large Cap Growth
5% VITRX Intnl Value
33% VWELX Wellington (65/35)
30% VWINX Wellesley (35/65)
My IRA $43,000 (recently rebalanced added Wellington), roughly 73S/17B mix:
32% VIGAX Growth Index
26% VTSAX Total Mkt Index
26% VWELX Wellington (this is new)
17% VWIGX Intnl Growth
My 401K $55,000 (limited choices, recently added bonds)
35% RMCBA SSGA S&P 500 Index
25% VSGAX Vanguard Small Cap Growth Index
20% RADMA Retirement Advocate Mod Aggressive (70/30?)
20% RMCBA Global Trust IRM Core Bonds
Hubby 401K $52,000 (old)
49% VSMAX Small Cap Index
13% VIMSX Mid Cap Index
16 % VBIIX Intermed Term Bond
21% VBTLX Total Bond Index
Hubby 401K $52,000 (proposed changes)(70S/20B/10C)
25% VIGAX Lg Cap Growth Index
20% VSMAX Small Cap Index
25% VWELX Wellington
20% VWINX Wellesley
10% Cash or?
Hubby 401k $155,000 (old-limited choices), roughly 96% stocks
30% VINIX Market Index
27% VWNAX Windsor II
21% VIMAX Mid Cap
21% VSMAX Small Cap
Hubby 401k $155,000 (proposed changes) roughly (66S/22B/11C)
33% VBIAX Balanced Index
23% US Growth Index
26% VSMAX Small Cap Index
8% VBTLX Total Bond Mkt
10% Cash or?
Taxable Account – Folio Investing $27,000, not part of the whole picture. Was intended to be my play money, and still is, but has grown and not to be ignored. Mix of VDE, VDI and 3 folios of stocks: growth, dividend, and the old 2000 group, which did recover nicely thank you. I make 3 small purchases per month with my “allowance”, now focusing on out of favor dividend payers.
Well if you made it here, thank you so much for taking the time to read the whole way through.