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Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
21 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/27/2026
FIRST: DavidHLancaster on 7/27 | RECENT: R Quinn on 7/28
FIFA Financials
48 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/19/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 7/19 | RECENT: bbbobbins on 7/28
A discussion on health insurance, premiums, profits and such- a 50 year perspective most people don’t want to accept
24 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/15/2026
FIRST: DavidHLancaster on 7/15 | RECENT: V Saraf on 7/23
Many of us seniors think we paid for our Social Security benefits based in the FICA taxes we paid. Let’s dispel that myth- we didn’t
56 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/15/2026
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 6/15 | RECENT: Marilyn Lavin on 7/19
About that inflation in retirement
52 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/11/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 7/11 | RECENT: Marilyn Lavin on 7/15
Frittering away Frugality
77 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/8/2026
FIRST: DrLefty on 7/8 | RECENT: SCao on 7/14
A taxing situation, but is it reality?
28 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/10/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 7/10 | RECENT: tooqk4u22 on 7/13
Automatic Income stream? How important to you?
59 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/26/2026
FIRST: Dave Melick on 6/26 | RECENT: Dan Sturgis on 7/5
Exercising true frugality
45 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 7/1/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 7/1 | RECENT: R Quinn on 7/5
Thinking about downsizing? Think seriously
31 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/21/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 6/21 | RECENT: Catherine on 7/3
Why can’t more people plan for the retirement future?
31 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/27/2026
FIRST: Edmund Marsh on 6/27 | RECENT: R Quinn on 6/29
Remember the shopping cart fiasco Last November? Regular HD readers do I’m sure.
3 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/24/2026
FIRST: Mike Gaynes on 6/25 | RECENT: Linda Grady on 6/26
How financially illiterate are Americans?
26 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/19/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 6/19 | RECENT: Dan Smith on 6/21
How well off are Americans compared to the rest of the world? Fun facts.
12 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/16/2026
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 6/16 | RECENT: R Quinn on 6/20
Fixing Social Security is not that hard, here's how
24 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/13/2026
FIRST: Dan Malone on 6/14 | RECENT: Mark Gardner on 6/19
Just the fact about Social Security
44 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/12/2026
FIRST: August West on 6/12 | RECENT: Joe D'Alessandro on 6/16
Time to share our financial info with children?
41 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/6/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 6/6 | RECENT: afwAZ on 6/13
What do we Americans want? We want “free” healthcare
14 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/11/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 6/11 | RECENT: Howard Rohleder on 6/13
Peter Cancro from age 14 to 69 covered in oil and vinegar
20 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/31/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 6/1 | RECENT: R Quinn on 6/9
Billionaires, taxes and you
55 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/26/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 5/26 | RECENT: Andy Morrison on 6/5
Shopping carts again…but not what you think
24 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 6/2/2026
FIRST: baldscreen on 6/2 | RECENT: John Katz on 6/4
Time to scrap IRAs, 401k, 403b and all the rest
29 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/21/2026
FIRST: Dan Smith on 5/21 | RECENT: R Quinn on 5/25
The reality of Social Security and Medicare- My real life experience.
38 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/4/2026
FIRST: Nick Politakis on 5/4 | RECENT: Concerned on 5/23
Dickie and his magic beans
54 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/6/2026
FIRST: DrLefty on 5/6 | RECENT: mllange on 5/15
The never ending payday
28 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 5/9/2026
FIRST: baldscreen on 5/9 | RECENT: R Quinn on 5/10
Is saving really that hard? Nope, not for the great majority of Americans.
33 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/28/2026
FIRST: DAN SMITH on 4/28 | RECENT: R Quinn on 5/5
Shopping around - you versus the grocery store
19 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/30/2026
FIRST: DrLefty on 4/30 | RECENT: Linda Grady on 5/3
The great COLA debate-maybe not the expected solution.
8 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/26/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 4/26 | RECENT: Dave Melick on 4/29
Enough complaining already. Live your life and stop worrying about “they” “ them” or things
8 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/24/2026
FIRST: R Quinn on 4/24 | RECENT: John Verlautz on 4/24
Do retirees really struggle financially? Why and what to do?
7 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/17/2026
FIRST: Jack Hannam on 4/17 | RECENT: baldscreen on 4/18
It’s all so relative, where you leave and what $$$ you may
9 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 4/1/2026
FIRST: Mark Gardner on 4/1 | RECENT: Mike Gaynes on 4/2
Coping with inflation in retirement, what’s the plan?
8 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 3/30/2026
FIRST: Kenneth DeLuca on 3/30 | RECENT: Michael1 on 3/30
Keeping up with the Jonses— at least it looks that way.
5 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 3/29/2026
FIRST: Mark Crothers on 3/29 | RECENT: R Quinn on 3/30
Focus on the real healthcare financial risk in post age 65 retirement
13 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 3/23/2026
FIRST: William Perry on 3/23 | RECENT: R Quinn on 3/24
Retirement in America is not a pretty picture…and not getting better.
38 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 3/17/2026
FIRST: Ormode on 3/17 | RECENT: R Quinn on 3/23
Is there any point in life when a child needs financial assistance that you feel comfortable/justified simply saying “not my problem?”
26 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 3/14/2026
FIRST: David Lancaster on 3/14 | RECENT: David Mulligan on 3/17
No, it is not a scam
33 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 3/10/2026
FIRST: Dave Melick on 3/10 | RECENT: Raghu on 3/14
Question for writers
6 replies
AUTHOR: R Quinn on 2/21/2026
FIRST: Bogdan Sheremeta on 2/22 | RECENT: Michael1 on 3/1
Comments
I am the same way, I too have this thing about seeing net worth decline no matter how illogical it is. These past few weeks have not helped has investments have tumbled and taken me from my happy place. My son in law is a managing direct at a Wall Street firm and warned me about this summer, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.
Post: What I Retired To
Link to comment from July 30, 2026
Applies to all drugs that are on your plans formulary.
Post: 2025 and Medicare Rx
Link to comment from July 29, 2026
Sixteen years in retirement and I can still relate to what yoù write. But I still have not been able to break the habit of waking up at 5:00-5:30 AM We are well beyond the halfway point, traveling is over, but I did and still find enjoyment writing every day, returning to my art and playing golf. We have made new friends after moving to the next town. No desire for warmer weather, other than sometime in Florida in the winter. Being near children and grandchildren is the top priority. I don’t worry about money, but if it were not for my pension I’m not sure I could cope living off investments alone. As I have said and learned in practice, once you retire, don’t delay anything you really want to do.
Post: What I Retired To
Link to comment from July 29, 2026
Not early, but when I claimed I was still working and collecting a pension. Otherwise it would be unlikely we could have saved it all, but that stopped several years ago. My point was if a person can delay until age 70 presumably they don’t need SS until then so collect sooner and invest it until you do need it. Of course the tradeoff is a lower SS benefit for life vs accumulated assets that may or may not provide income to offset the lower SS benefit. The gamble also depends on how long the person lives past age 70. On the other hand, the invested funds are always available to someone. I’m not selling the idea, just something I am happy with the result.
Post: Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
Link to comment from July 28, 2026
We stopped investing SS years ago.
Post: Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
Link to comment from July 28, 2026
The $500k comes after 17 years of growth and reinvestment. The interest we now earn is twice as much as if my current gross SS monthly benefit was 24% higher than it is. I guess a big factor is how much SS represents of total income. Between pension survivor options, life insurance and accumulated investments, the extra SS survivor benefit possible is not significant, plus Connie is 4-1/2.years older than I am.
Post: Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
Link to comment from July 28, 2026
The risk in my view is not living to seventy or only a short period after age 70.
Post: Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
Link to comment from July 28, 2026
I’m thinking that many of the 80,000 in MetLife stadium for the final game were not in the “if one can afford it.” group.
Post: FIFA Financials
Link to comment from July 27, 2026
I know we have been over this many times before. But hypothetically which do you think would benefit a surviving spouse more assuming both spouses live past age 70? A monthly benefit 24% higher or a lump sum of $500,000 + to do anything desired with including generating monthly income and a legacy?
Post: Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
Link to comment from July 27, 2026
But what happened to funds between FRA and age 70? Did you have to use more?
Post: Inflation, prices, COLAs, retirement and the last 16 years
Link to comment from July 27, 2026