AUTHOR: achnk53 on 11/27/2025 FIRST: baldscreen on 11/28/2025 | RECENT: Linda Grady on 11/28/2025
Comments
I met & married my sweetheart in the 70s and we have been walking together ever since. We started out just 30 minutes 3 times a day, into now about 4-6 miles at least 5-6 days a week. We are both in early 70s. We are also doing some weight bearing training now as well.
The point is you must find what you like to do and make it a habit earlier on before your body would "said" no-go. We understand the important not only to live long, but to live long well. Health span is more important than life span.
The bigger problem has to be the silence killer, inflation. Especially when you are planning for self-funded long term care with the surviving spouse with single filling tax status. Market crushes will recover, but not inflation.
I am into my last third, but I am still DCA into our brokerage account to save up for long term care for both of us. Not much but a bit at a time, and now it is a 7 figure.
There is no price tag(s) when it comes to family experiences and enjoyment with each other. I have also floated the idea with our family of 9 for an overseas trip maybe during Christmas. The memories you will have and shared are simply priceless. GO FOR IT as a gift of love and not a loan. If they want to repay that will be fine.
I don't have much time to sit & read, but I do read a lot of blogs & the one that is most helpful for me to put together an end of life "binder" or letter this year is from a blog writer named Fritz Gilbert. His site is called The Retirement Manifesto. He wrote a post titled Why I Write A “Love Letter” Every Year (and you should, too).
https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/why-i-write-a-love-letter-every-year-and-you-should-too/It helped me complete my task, and it is very instructive for any one who has never done one.
Knowing what I have known and seeing what I have seen from my late banker, dad, who retired just before the take-over of Hong Kong. I saw first hand how he slowly & methodically moved his whole stocks portfolio into bonds and cash before the China take-over. Almost, if not all mega companies in China are state run and controlled. Perfect recent example of how this run, you can look no further back but during the COVID pandemic years.
An emerging market international fund or ETF with a small % in China is wise, because their government won't allow them to fail, and will hold them up. Investors beware.
I learnt of this approach and implemented this plan according to this article from the following link here. https://humbledollar.com/2024/09/laying-down-a-floor/ There was also another interesting article about this topic here. https://humbledollar.com/forum/the-only-other-spending-rule-article-you-will-ever-need/
My situation is somewhat unique, I guess that's why it is called PERSONAL finance. Our 2 big concerns are inflation and taxation. Please allow me to explain. Due to my spouse's family & her own medical history; and my family longevity, (my mom is still alive at 101 this August). We may most likely be a single taxpayer sooner rather later. I am 73 this year & she will be 73 next year. Our 2 SS & other income sources are more than enough to cover all our expenses,so that we will not need to touch our investment for years to come. In order to address our taxation & inflation problems, we invested our bond portion with 30 yrs Tips ladder to the amount equal or up to the lesser SS benefits to cover the loss of one's spouse. The bond ladder is about 10% of our total allocation and it is within our Roth to avoid any taxation. We have allocated 76% domestic stocks/ETFs & 10% Foreign ETF;.& about 4% ST as in cash. Since we are not going to touch our Roth for legacy purposes, we will have converted all of our t-IRA into Roth by this year. We will not have any RMD worries. Because our Roth will be about 58% of our total asset, that means we have a much larger (about 42%) are in taxable growth stocks ETFs, of which 1/3 is earmarked for long term care, & the rest are not touch if necessary so that they can be step up on their basis when they pass on to our heirs. I know this may be SO different from some traditional thinking but it is the best problem to have when you have the biggest bowl you could have to weather any storm.
Comments
I met & married my sweetheart in the 70s and we have been walking together ever since. We started out just 30 minutes 3 times a day, into now about 4-6 miles at least 5-6 days a week. We are both in early 70s. We are also doing some weight bearing training now as well. The point is you must find what you like to do and make it a habit earlier on before your body would "said" no-go. We understand the important not only to live long, but to live long well. Health span is more important than life span.
Post: Frugal Fitness
Link to comment from March 16, 2026
The bigger problem has to be the silence killer, inflation. Especially when you are planning for self-funded long term care with the surviving spouse with single filling tax status. Market crushes will recover, but not inflation.
Post: What, Me Worry?
Link to comment from March 15, 2026
I am into my last third, but I am still DCA into our brokerage account to save up for long term care for both of us. Not much but a bit at a time, and now it is a 7 figure.
Post: What, Me Worry?
Link to comment from March 15, 2026
There is no price tag(s) when it comes to family experiences and enjoyment with each other. I have also floated the idea with our family of 9 for an overseas trip maybe during Christmas. The memories you will have and shared are simply priceless. GO FOR IT as a gift of love and not a loan. If they want to repay that will be fine.
Post: Opinions Wanted: Please Reply Freely (I’m used to being called an idiot)
Link to comment from March 12, 2026
I don't have much time to sit & read, but I do read a lot of blogs & the one that is most helpful for me to put together an end of life "binder" or letter this year is from a blog writer named Fritz Gilbert. His site is called The Retirement Manifesto. He wrote a post titled Why I Write A “Love Letter” Every Year (and you should, too). https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/why-i-write-a-love-letter-every-year-and-you-should-too/It helped me complete my task, and it is very instructive for any one who has never done one.
Post: Your two best investing books—and do you also keep an End-of-Life “family binder”?
Link to comment from January 21, 2026
In fact, many of our family and friends had done the very same things before the take-over.
Post: China Market Risk
Link to comment from January 19, 2026
I missed his gold holdings as well besides cash. we didn't have crypto back then.
Post: China Market Risk
Link to comment from January 19, 2026
Knowing what I have known and seeing what I have seen from my late banker, dad, who retired just before the take-over of Hong Kong. I saw first hand how he slowly & methodically moved his whole stocks portfolio into bonds and cash before the China take-over. Almost, if not all mega companies in China are state run and controlled. Perfect recent example of how this run, you can look no further back but during the COVID pandemic years. An emerging market international fund or ETF with a small % in China is wise, because their government won't allow them to fail, and will hold them up. Investors beware.
Post: China Market Risk
Link to comment from January 19, 2026
I learnt of this approach and implemented this plan according to this article from the following link here. https://humbledollar.com/2024/09/laying-down-a-floor/ There was also another interesting article about this topic here. https://humbledollar.com/forum/the-only-other-spending-rule-article-you-will-ever-need/
Post: What Would You Do?
Link to comment from January 12, 2026
My situation is somewhat unique, I guess that's why it is called PERSONAL finance. Our 2 big concerns are inflation and taxation. Please allow me to explain. Due to my spouse's family & her own medical history; and my family longevity, (my mom is still alive at 101 this August). We may most likely be a single taxpayer sooner rather later. I am 73 this year & she will be 73 next year. Our 2 SS & other income sources are more than enough to cover all our expenses,so that we will not need to touch our investment for years to come. In order to address our taxation & inflation problems, we invested our bond portion with 30 yrs Tips ladder to the amount equal or up to the lesser SS benefits to cover the loss of one's spouse. The bond ladder is about 10% of our total allocation and it is within our Roth to avoid any taxation. We have allocated 76% domestic stocks/ETFs & 10% Foreign ETF;.& about 4% ST as in cash. Since we are not going to touch our Roth for legacy purposes, we will have converted all of our t-IRA into Roth by this year. We will not have any RMD worries. Because our Roth will be about 58% of our total asset, that means we have a much larger (about 42%) are in taxable growth stocks ETFs, of which 1/3 is earmarked for long term care, & the rest are not touch if necessary so that they can be step up on their basis when they pass on to our heirs. I know this may be SO different from some traditional thinking but it is the best problem to have when you have the biggest bowl you could have to weather any storm.
Post: What Would You Do?
Link to comment from January 11, 2026