My only daily scheduled routine is early a.m. walk with my walking partners. The rest of my schedule varies. I noticed that 'mytimetotravel' was the only one that mentioned organized volunteering, which is what I do that varies throughout the week or month. Anyone else out there that does something like that besides watching the grandkids or picking them up or helping the neighbors or friends.
I'm located in the inland Northwest.I probably should have been more specific. As municipal worker I had a 457B as deferred compensation account along with a pension. The 457B was optional. Our employer gave us a match to our first $140 each month.
PS. RDQ I quite enjoy reading your columns also. They spur a lot of different perspectives, but you also bring a lot of different perspectives. I think we all will miss you after your final day here (at least I will) for what you've brought to Humble Dollar
I was let go from a job that I thought I would retire from, doing it for 25 plus years. During that time my wife and I had saved through her defer compensation account and she also was working toward a pension. After I was let go I ended up working for an municipality for 8 and 1/2 years and ended up earning a small pension. I figured out that what I put toward my pension I was paid back in four and a half years. I'll be retired now for 9 years in 2 months. I also opened up a deferred compensation account while why being employed with the municipality. I started it day one of my employment with them and now have a nice amount invested and not touched since I've been retired. I don't know if I strike it up as luck and timing or Divine Providence. Things worked out better than I thought they would after being let go from a job that I truly enjoyed.
I found Fidelity Charitable DAF quite easy to use. The minimum grant you have to make is $50. They have many options to"invest" your funds while you wait to make a grant.There is a small fee involved.Vanguard is I believe $500 minimum for a grant.
About any LONG TERM periods in the stock market.For some though, they're up in their years, they're taking sequence of risk return into consideration. They might not have the long-term that you have to recover from the way the markets have been recently. I recently went from 65/35 to 20/80. I held tight in '08-09 and during the pandemic. This time around to me is much more challenging, so being in my ladder 60s, you want to sleep well at night. Try to remember what Bill Bernstein says. When you've won the game, why keep playing. I have enough.
I can quite empathize with your last sentence. I come from a large family and remember having a conversation with my father about savings. He had mentioned to me that before one critiques another about their savings, walk in their shoes. It wasn't that they wouldn't want to have savings, it was first providing for their families the essentials. I know many people say that savings are essential, yet when you're trying to keep a roof over your family's head and shoes on their feet and something in their stomach, savings are the last thing on the list sometimes.
I tried that insurance price angle before and the medical provider always tells me that that was a negotiated price for a certain group. So how do I get that insurance rate Dick
Rick, I have a traditional pension with no COLA's.I mentioned recently I had reached FRA and was considering suspending my social security and using funds to bridge my social security to age 70. It guarantees
8% a year plus COLA's which would mean an additional 24% and additional COLA's to increase my social security. From what I've read, most retail investors can't get a guaranteed 8% a year. I'm about to pull the trigger and do it, knowing that this will help mitigate the inflation that has eaten into my non-COLA pension in the last few years.
Trying to follow your last paragraph about not using investments or cash to cover social security while you suspend social security.I've reached FRA recently and am considering suspending social security and using cash to cover the suspended social security benefit. Here's my reasoning, it's like buying a deferred annuity now and recouping it starting in 3 years. I will obtain an additional 24% plus COLA's added to the 24% starting in 3 years and this will continue for the rest of my life. That's guaranteed income, not a potential income from investing in the market. Read numerous pieces were typical retailer investor has a hard time making a guaranteed 8% a year. Would recoup the funds spent in approximately 8 years. Family has a long history of living. If I'm missing something I'd more than happy to hear you out.
Comments
My only daily scheduled routine is early a.m. walk with my walking partners. The rest of my schedule varies. I noticed that 'mytimetotravel' was the only one that mentioned organized volunteering, which is what I do that varies throughout the week or month. Anyone else out there that does something like that besides watching the grandkids or picking them up or helping the neighbors or friends.
Post: What does your daily schedule look like?
Link to comment from October 31, 2025
I'm located in the inland Northwest.I probably should have been more specific. As municipal worker I had a 457B as deferred compensation account along with a pension. The 457B was optional. Our employer gave us a match to our first $140 each month. PS. RDQ I quite enjoy reading your columns also. They spur a lot of different perspectives, but you also bring a lot of different perspectives. I think we all will miss you after your final day here (at least I will) for what you've brought to Humble Dollar
Post: Luck, Timing and Not Following the Rules
Link to comment from October 21, 2025
I was let go from a job that I thought I would retire from, doing it for 25 plus years. During that time my wife and I had saved through her defer compensation account and she also was working toward a pension. After I was let go I ended up working for an municipality for 8 and 1/2 years and ended up earning a small pension. I figured out that what I put toward my pension I was paid back in four and a half years. I'll be retired now for 9 years in 2 months. I also opened up a deferred compensation account while why being employed with the municipality. I started it day one of my employment with them and now have a nice amount invested and not touched since I've been retired. I don't know if I strike it up as luck and timing or Divine Providence. Things worked out better than I thought they would after being let go from a job that I truly enjoyed.
Post: Luck, Timing and Not Following the Rules
Link to comment from October 21, 2025
I found Fidelity Charitable DAF quite easy to use. The minimum grant you have to make is $50. They have many options to"invest" your funds while you wait to make a grant.There is a small fee involved.Vanguard is I believe $500 minimum for a grant.
Post: Easy DAF (e.g. Daffy.org) for Donation of Appreciated Stocks
Link to comment from October 18, 2025
About any LONG TERM periods in the stock market.For some though, they're up in their years, they're taking sequence of risk return into consideration. They might not have the long-term that you have to recover from the way the markets have been recently. I recently went from 65/35 to 20/80. I held tight in '08-09 and during the pandemic. This time around to me is much more challenging, so being in my ladder 60s, you want to sleep well at night. Try to remember what Bill Bernstein says. When you've won the game, why keep playing. I have enough.
Post: Ch-Ch-Changes?
Link to comment from May 6, 2025
Anyone want to consider starting a GoFundMe for the hot water tank for Elaine ? 😉
Post: Replacing the Replacement
Link to comment from March 6, 2025
I can quite empathize with your last sentence. I come from a large family and remember having a conversation with my father about savings. He had mentioned to me that before one critiques another about their savings, walk in their shoes. It wasn't that they wouldn't want to have savings, it was first providing for their families the essentials. I know many people say that savings are essential, yet when you're trying to keep a roof over your family's head and shoes on their feet and something in their stomach, savings are the last thing on the list sometimes.
Post: Why Don’t Folks Save?
Link to comment from February 16, 2025
I tried that insurance price angle before and the medical provider always tells me that that was a negotiated price for a certain group. So how do I get that insurance rate Dick
Post: Health care is always unaffordable – not really
Link to comment from February 12, 2025
Rick, I have a traditional pension with no COLA's.I mentioned recently I had reached FRA and was considering suspending my social security and using funds to bridge my social security to age 70. It guarantees 8% a year plus COLA's which would mean an additional 24% and additional COLA's to increase my social security. From what I've read, most retail investors can't get a guaranteed 8% a year. I'm about to pull the trigger and do it, knowing that this will help mitigate the inflation that has eaten into my non-COLA pension in the last few years.
Post: Missing That Paycheck
Link to comment from April 28, 2024
Trying to follow your last paragraph about not using investments or cash to cover social security while you suspend social security.I've reached FRA recently and am considering suspending social security and using cash to cover the suspended social security benefit. Here's my reasoning, it's like buying a deferred annuity now and recouping it starting in 3 years. I will obtain an additional 24% plus COLA's added to the 24% starting in 3 years and this will continue for the rest of my life. That's guaranteed income, not a potential income from investing in the market. Read numerous pieces were typical retailer investor has a hard time making a guaranteed 8% a year. Would recoup the funds spent in approximately 8 years. Family has a long history of living. If I'm missing something I'd more than happy to hear you out.
Post: Fully Committed
Link to comment from April 21, 2024