I used to joke with my daughter that if she did not have a big wedding I would give her $10, 000 (I gather that isn't much in the current wedding scene...but it was 25 years ago). Anyway much to my surprise she got married with a justice of the peace at no charge. I have been putting money in a 529 for her kids. I feel better about subsidizing colleges rather than bridal shops.
Having successfully retired with a graduate degree, I recall when as a youth I was puzzling over what to do with my life and my grandmother, who had all of a sixth grade education, noted that I could do anything I wanted but I would do it with a college degree. She was dedicated to me getting an education just for the knowledge sake and for my personal improvement not necessarily the financial benefits. I might add when I got my degree, higher education was virtually free, now it is a mortgage payment.
I've been retired for 8 years and have not missed work at all. I like to have some involvement with professional things but where the time commitment is limited and I don't get trapped into a huge time commitment. I volunteer some and serve on a board of a local halfway house and help where I can. I have always like investing a spend some time each day looks for good investments. I mow the lawn and "putter" around the house. I have done a lot of work on genelogy trying to find my roots so I can leave some history to my kids. These are all little things but they still the "little monster" of wanting to be productive.
One of the smartest things I did upon retirement was to get an annuity. I worked for the state so I got a low cost annuity that covered 15 years. No inflation hedge. If I died my wife got it, if she died, my grown kids got it. This allowed me to invest my other assets much more aggressively (no question of whether I should withdraw 4% or 5% or how to balance my holdings) which has proved over the last 7 years a very good thing. I retired at 71 and figured that if I could not invest well enough to support myself after age 86 I had not learned anything. 86 was about my life expectancy anyway.
One strategy that I used when I retired (age 71) was to hold off getting Social Security until 70 and buy an employer sponsored annuity that lasts for 15 years. My wife still works some and with her social security and earnings we cover expenses. We have no debt, so I can invest more aggressively which over the last eight years since my retirement has been very good. Being trapped in a bond fund over that period of time has not be very helpful, but I have bought some muni bonds and funds to provide some ballast.
Some recent studies I have read suggest that we may face a serious population decline. Typically as populations become more urbanized and both members of a couple are employed, fewer children are born. Also advances in public health, medicine and technology in general tends to reduce early deaths (from childhood until 65). This, plus poor planning in China, leads to older populations that are not growing very much. It is hard to have a "dynamic" economy with a bunch of relatively rich 60 year olds and 30 year olds can't afford a house.
I think this man has found the secret to a successful retirement. Like Jerry, We live off of social security and an annuity I purchased with retirement funds. I try to invest in what I think are the best investments. I have never taken money out of the market.
One of the problems with DOGE is that it is not at all transparent. It has saved billions of dollars, but is it from contracts that were already cancelled or from laying off new hires which creates massive problems in a few years? Also, there is that catch phrase "waste, fraud, abuse". Which is it? Anyone prosecuted yet? DOGE should be a continuous process. Every administration should be evaluating all programs. Waste is in the eyes of the beholder. Is basic research waste because it does not produce a consumer product? Some of it turns out that way, but you never know.
I have quite a bit in money markets but have been buying municipal bonds on a dip (mostly 5 - 10 year). Everything is going to be volatile so long as policies are not consistent and rapidly changing. This is not a good market to invest in. Therefore mm and medium term municipals. I maintain investments in dividend paying and dividend increasing stocks. You might look at inflation adjusted bonds.
Comments
I read some place that you are still living if people remember you. It appears that Jonathan was fondly remembered.
Post: The Jonathan I Found: Through Others’ Eyes
Link to comment from September 19, 2026
I used to joke with my daughter that if she did not have a big wedding I would give her $10, 000 (I gather that isn't much in the current wedding scene...but it was 25 years ago). Anyway much to my surprise she got married with a justice of the peace at no charge. I have been putting money in a 529 for her kids. I feel better about subsidizing colleges rather than bridal shops.
Post: A Wedding Too Far
Link to comment from September 12, 2026
Having successfully retired with a graduate degree, I recall when as a youth I was puzzling over what to do with my life and my grandmother, who had all of a sixth grade education, noted that I could do anything I wanted but I would do it with a college degree. She was dedicated to me getting an education just for the knowledge sake and for my personal improvement not necessarily the financial benefits. I might add when I got my degree, higher education was virtually free, now it is a mortgage payment.
Post: Degrees of Doubt: When Higher Education Misses the Mark
Link to comment from July 26, 2026
I've been retired for 8 years and have not missed work at all. I like to have some involvement with professional things but where the time commitment is limited and I don't get trapped into a huge time commitment. I volunteer some and serve on a board of a local halfway house and help where I can. I have always like investing a spend some time each day looks for good investments. I mow the lawn and "putter" around the house. I have done a lot of work on genelogy trying to find my roots so I can leave some history to my kids. These are all little things but they still the "little monster" of wanting to be productive.
Post: Haunted Head
Link to comment from July 11, 2026
One of the smartest things I did upon retirement was to get an annuity. I worked for the state so I got a low cost annuity that covered 15 years. No inflation hedge. If I died my wife got it, if she died, my grown kids got it. This allowed me to invest my other assets much more aggressively (no question of whether I should withdraw 4% or 5% or how to balance my holdings) which has proved over the last 7 years a very good thing. I retired at 71 and figured that if I could not invest well enough to support myself after age 86 I had not learned anything. 86 was about my life expectancy anyway.
Post: Automatic Income stream? How important to you?
Link to comment from July 5, 2026
One strategy that I used when I retired (age 71) was to hold off getting Social Security until 70 and buy an employer sponsored annuity that lasts for 15 years. My wife still works some and with her social security and earnings we cover expenses. We have no debt, so I can invest more aggressively which over the last eight years since my retirement has been very good. Being trapped in a bond fund over that period of time has not be very helpful, but I have bought some muni bonds and funds to provide some ballast.
Post: Slow on the Draw
Link to comment from May 9, 2026
Some recent studies I have read suggest that we may face a serious population decline. Typically as populations become more urbanized and both members of a couple are employed, fewer children are born. Also advances in public health, medicine and technology in general tends to reduce early deaths (from childhood until 65). This, plus poor planning in China, leads to older populations that are not growing very much. It is hard to have a "dynamic" economy with a bunch of relatively rich 60 year olds and 30 year olds can't afford a house.
Post: Doubt the Forecast
Link to comment from March 28, 2026
I think this man has found the secret to a successful retirement. Like Jerry, We live off of social security and an annuity I purchased with retirement funds. I try to invest in what I think are the best investments. I have never taken money out of the market.
Post: Ask Me a Tough One
Link to comment from April 20, 2025
One of the problems with DOGE is that it is not at all transparent. It has saved billions of dollars, but is it from contracts that were already cancelled or from laying off new hires which creates massive problems in a few years? Also, there is that catch phrase "waste, fraud, abuse". Which is it? Anyone prosecuted yet? DOGE should be a continuous process. Every administration should be evaluating all programs. Waste is in the eyes of the beholder. Is basic research waste because it does not produce a consumer product? Some of it turns out that way, but you never know.
Post: The great uninformed and misinformed population worries Quinn
Link to comment from April 20, 2025
I have quite a bit in money markets but have been buying municipal bonds on a dip (mostly 5 - 10 year). Everything is going to be volatile so long as policies are not consistent and rapidly changing. This is not a good market to invest in. Therefore mm and medium term municipals. I maintain investments in dividend paying and dividend increasing stocks. You might look at inflation adjusted bonds.
Post: Buying Treasury Bond ETFs vs. MM Funds in this Moment
Link to comment from April 20, 2025