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I am a retired IT executive with 44 years of experience in IT. I am originally from Virginia and have lived in North Carolina the past 60 years. I am a widower who was married for 57 years to my late wife, Judy. We have 2 children and 3 grandchildren. I volunteer with my church and serve on the board of 2 retiree associations, one of which has more than 50,000 members. I still enjoy golf, travel and taking care of our home and 2 acres of land.
Comments
Thanks for sharing. I would argue the employer contribution should count too. If the system was setup so that it was mandatory, the employer would have to contribute and not touch the employee's fund.
Post: Many seniors think we paid for our Social Security benefits based on the FICA taxes we paid. Let’s dispel that myth- we didn’t
Link to comment from June 17, 2026
Very sad but is a reality in far too many families. Thank you for sharing Andrew.
Post: What Addiction Couldn’t Take: My Sister’s Story
Link to comment from June 17, 2026
Have you done an analysis of what the money you and your employer paid into SS would have earned invested in Vanguard's SP500 index? Over a long work career that would be far more than the actual amount paid in.
Post: Many seniors think we paid for our Social Security benefits based on the FICA taxes we paid. Let’s dispel that myth- we didn’t
Link to comment from June 16, 2026
I like your approach Sanjib and I am doing a similar thing. I try to buy intermediate TIPS and have created somewhat of a ladder of these. I still have one set of CDs with a CU. It would be prohibitively expensive to redeem these now so I will wait for their maturity next year. All my TIPS are in my brokerage account. I used to have several CD accounts at different CUs but simplified things for me and my heirs. I have enough cash to handle any foreseeable need.
Post: Beyond Bank Accounts
Link to comment from June 13, 2026
I took the senior deduction and still paid a bunch. I have done a lot of Roth conversions in recent years which will benefit my children and grandchildren because I live off of a pension and SS. I have no complaints but was amazed they paid so little. It must have been their tax adviser.
Post: …..taxes and you
Link to comment from June 13, 2026
#1 and #2 should pay more taxes. I filed MFJ in 2025 and paid 12% of my AGI. I did a large Roth conversion which caused a much higher tax liability. My wife passed away last year. In 2026, I estimate an AGI of $126k and a federal tax of $17k, or 13% of AGI. They must know something I do not know.
Post: …..taxes and you
Link to comment from June 12, 2026
I think too many of us focus on asset accumulation, returns and spending in retirement. These are very important, but other areas are also very important such as healthcare, estate planning, tax strategy, where to live in retirement and others. These are all important and need to be considered in a good retirement plan.
Post: Defining Enough
Link to comment from June 11, 2026
The goal of financial planning should be to provide holistic financial planning guidance and advice to its customers. This would include asset allocation, investment performance, tax strategy, estate planning, retirement healthcare, and other areas that impact the well being of their clients. They may not provide all of those services but can make sure their clients are aware of the need for all of these services and can recommend professionals who can provide those services. I have always been DIY in investing. I am also more conservative than many with an asset allocation of 55/45 now at 81 years of age. When working it was more like 70/30 or 60/40 near retirement. I would rank myself as average in performance. However, I have done a good job with tax planning and other non investment aspects of financial planning.
Post: Reflections on a Quiet Failure
Link to comment from June 8, 2026
I have used AI a lot in the past year doing various research on medical, financial and other topics. It is an extremely useful tool. One issue I have noted is that it tends to take what you give it and not ask questions, at least not many. When I see its result and follow up with clarifying data, it modifies it results accordingly. A few months ago, I strained my lower back hitting golf balls. AI gave me a good assessment quickly, but my Ortho PT examined me thoroughly to rule out some things and then reached a similar conclusion. I felt much better by her diagnosis because I knew that she pinpointed my problem with a thorough examination. AI is a great tool if you give it all the information, but good luck if you fail to give it all the information. Oh, and AI does like to acknowledge my brilliance in our dialogues. Lol
Post: ChatGPT’s Portfolio Advice
Link to comment from June 7, 2026
Your wife is like mine. She wants to help and feels fulfilled in doing so. It frustrated my wife that I was so independent and wanted to do everything myself.
Post: The Humbling Side of Aging
Link to comment from May 30, 2026