Jim Wood

Comments:

• If I was limited to only one fund, my choice would be a balanced fund like VWELX (60-40)or VWINX(30-70) . Do your research.

  Post: One Is Not Enough

  Link to comment from July 24, 2024

• When I posted a year ago, my cable bill was $150. Today my cable and internet bill is $218. When will I do something about it? 🥴

  Post: What do you do that’s financially foolish—but you do it anyway?

  Link to comment from December 10, 2023

• If we are seeking simplicity as most of us espouse, I would suggest using VGWAX, the Global Wellington fund at Vanguard with an expense ratio of .37% for your entire long-term portfolio. Then your children and spouses would have a simple portfolio that needs no rebalancing. Do your research. Jim

  Post: No Right Way

  Link to comment from July 8, 2023

• Vanguard Capital opportunity fund. VHCAX. The fund is closed now but periodically reopens if the market drops precipitously. Although morning Star rates this as a large cap growth fund, Vanguard listed as a mid cap growth fund. When you look more deeply, you will see that it is somewhere in between mid cap and large cap and consequently does not rate very highly as a large cap growth fund. However, I decided to invest in this fund many years ago because it is heavily weighted toward health care and technology which are two Fields I believe have great growth potential but they are changing so fast that I cannot keep up with them. The majority of my money is in the index funds but I have 4% of my money in this fund.

  Post: What’s your favorite actively managed fund—if any?

  Link to comment from February 18, 2023

• Agreed. I am 74 and living on RMDs and socsec. When my checking account goes over $10,000, I buy another share of Berkshire Hathaway as a tax efficient market proxy. Otherwise, all of my retirement is in 403b, IRA, and Roth IRA. No pension.

  Post: The Long Game

  Link to comment from February 4, 2023

• I am very content living on monthly RMD payments from my 403b. I am 74, retired for 8 years, have no pension but waited until 70 to draw socsec.

  Post: Given a choice, should you take regular monthly pension payments or a lump sum?

  Link to comment from January 15, 2023

• I wish I knew that my wife did not want me to solve her problems. She just wanted me to listen and care about them. That knowledge would have changed many, many life decisions. Still we had a wonderful marriage for 44 years until she passed in 2019.

  Post: What do you wish your younger self knew?

  Link to comment from October 15, 2022

• I believe that your answer is too simplistic to a complicated problem. It ignores my desire to leave and inheritance and it also ignores inflation. It does not seem to be an adequate solution for me. Thank you for your response.

  Post: More Isn’t the Answer

  Link to comment from May 1, 2022

• I am 73 and widowed. My question is how much is enough for me so that I can begin giving the excess away to family and friends. I have 1.45 million in a 403b and I draw $2200 month from social security. My very lean budget is $4000 a month and does not account for inflation. My portfolio earns 3-4% a year which is less than my RMDs each month. It sounds like I am rich but I know my wealth would only translate into a $7500 per month annuity/pension payment. However, I would like to leave an inheritance so an annuity is not enticing even if it would make planning easier. Also, I am a child of the 70's and I am terrified of inflation. How much is enough when planning for a drawdown of 20-30 years?

  Post: More Isn’t the Answer

  Link to comment from May 1, 2022

• Do Life Care companies ever fail?are there state guarantees in case one fails, the others must chip in?

  Post: Lifecare Compared

  Link to comment from April 4, 2022