Such an inspiring post! Finding purpose is so important. It's not in a six figure job or the largest house on the block; it's that twinkle in their eye you described. Thanks for sharing
None of this is worth an altercation. I have no idea what's on his kind, if he won't be friendly, give him space and keep it moving. When I'm walking in our community I try to greet other walkers and I have never paid attention to which side I'm walking on. What irritates me is when I try to make eye contact or say hello and they are just looking at the ground or refuse eye contact. I cannot judge so I accept.
I agree with most if not all of what you write. I cannot see giving up three years of cash in exchange for a higher payment which only breaks even after x number of years. The larger check in the future is just not as valuable to me and when I pass on SS payments stop. The funds I used while waiting for the opportunity to earn the larger check cannot be left to pass on. yes, there is risk, markets could tank, but I am ok for now with that.
HI Jonathan, I am humbled that you read and even commented on my post, thank you! Some of the post was written tongue in cheek and I hope it came across as such. I do believe claiming early is not as bad a strategy as many make it out to be. This is easy to say when you're 54 and still working, I leave myself open to changing my mind in the future though :-) . I have considered the opportunity cost of leaving that money with SS vs the larger payout and getting to the break even point as a non starter. I want to leave assets to my heirs even if they won't need it. Leaving my Roth accounts grow larger while using SS $ for day to day expenses helps me do that. Finally, for a theoretical payout of say $2200 taking it early vs $3100, 6 years later, I prefer the $2200 now when I am younger and can get more 'benefit and enjoyment; from those dollars. it is just worth less to me as I get older. I reserve the right to change my mind.
At the ripe young age of 54—and nowhere near making a final decision about Social Security or buying an annuity—my mantra is simple: different strokes for different folks. Sure, annuities offer income security and freedom from market volatility, which many find comforting. But me? I fire up my financial calculator and feel empowered to scream: Not for me! It’s not even the fees or surrender charges that bother me—it’s the consistently lackluster returns that fail to keep pace with the markets.
Yes, I know annuity advocates will roll their eyes, convinced I don’t understand. But here's the rub: those who can afford a good annuity probably don't need one—they’re already positioned to weather market storms (even if it takes a bottle of antacids). Meanwhile, those who truly need income guarantees lose a lot of flexibility once they commit their funds. Sure, they get a paycheck—but face challenges when a big, unexpected expense (like a roof replacement) hits.
And then there’s the middle ground—people like many of us—where small personal circumstances tip the scale one way or the other. It's not a one-size-fits-all decision, and it shouldn't be.
As for Social Security, I might delay a bit—but not for the usual reasons. I’m thinking more about tax optimization than maximizing my check. No way am I waiting until 70. And I probably won’t claim at 62 either, especially if I’m still working (even in a reduced role). I’m not chasing a bigger check in my 70s—I want to enjoy those dollars while I can still climb castle stairs in Europe or survive a 30-day cruise without needing a nap between buffets.
I mostly use Zelle or CashApp to pay local vendors and rely on my bank’s bill pay service for everything else. I rarely write checks, and that works perfectly for me. If I do need to send a check, I don’t stress about it—I'm always keeping an eye on my bank account, so if anything seems off, I catch it right away. I also avoid using my debit card for this reason and put everything on my credit card. If something gets skimmed (which has happened before), I let the bank handle the mess.
Honestly, some of today’s scammers probably don’t even know what a check is or how to forge one. They're much more adept at scamming you electronically. But that’s just my two cents..
This post is timely for me and my overall investment strategy. As me and dear wife start the retirement planning journey in earnest, dividends and the role they play are beginning to take on a more important role. In the past when investing I focused only on the company's potential to grow which was probably the right approach in my 30s and 40s. Now that we are approaching mid-fifties, I am taking a harder look at the portfolio and starting to scrutinize which holdings pay a dividend and how much of that I want to play a part in the portfolio going forward. Ideally, Id love to have SS and the dividend Income from the portfolio cover our day to day expenses when we fully take the retirement plunge. This was not on my radar a few years ago, now it is under evaluation. Thanks for such a timely topic.
It is bit misleading to say part of the country is in an uproar about checking for waste and fraud. I take it you are referring to DOGE and the news it has created. I think most are OK with the concept of DOGE. I would argue that the execution has been poor and the claims of saving two trillion were fantasies. I am in an uproar about a lot of things, but cutting waste and fraud is not one of them. I still don't have a clue what the savings from DOGE are YTD. We may never know.
Bill, I have RSU's and ESPP sales and the whatnot, turbo tax never has gotten these right for me. I have to manually enter the cost basis that Fidelity provides on a supplemental form. Are you saying that yours is always correct? I am wondering what the heck am I doing wrong?
Comments
Such an inspiring post! Finding purpose is so important. It's not in a six figure job or the largest house on the block; it's that twinkle in their eye you described. Thanks for sharing
Post: Staying Alive
Link to comment from May 11, 2025
None of this is worth an altercation. I have no idea what's on his kind, if he won't be friendly, give him space and keep it moving. When I'm walking in our community I try to greet other walkers and I have never paid attention to which side I'm walking on. What irritates me is when I try to make eye contact or say hello and they are just looking at the ground or refuse eye contact. I cannot judge so I accept.
Post: The Wrong-Sided Man by Dennis Friedman
Link to comment from May 9, 2025
I agree with most if not all of what you write. I cannot see giving up three years of cash in exchange for a higher payment which only breaks even after x number of years. The larger check in the future is just not as valuable to me and when I pass on SS payments stop. The funds I used while waiting for the opportunity to earn the larger check cannot be left to pass on. yes, there is risk, markets could tank, but I am ok for now with that.
Post: Buying an Annuity from the SSA
Link to comment from April 30, 2025
HI Jonathan, I am humbled that you read and even commented on my post, thank you! Some of the post was written tongue in cheek and I hope it came across as such. I do believe claiming early is not as bad a strategy as many make it out to be. This is easy to say when you're 54 and still working, I leave myself open to changing my mind in the future though :-) . I have considered the opportunity cost of leaving that money with SS vs the larger payout and getting to the break even point as a non starter. I want to leave assets to my heirs even if they won't need it. Leaving my Roth accounts grow larger while using SS $ for day to day expenses helps me do that. Finally, for a theoretical payout of say $2200 taking it early vs $3100, 6 years later, I prefer the $2200 now when I am younger and can get more 'benefit and enjoyment; from those dollars. it is just worth less to me as I get older. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Post: Buying an Annuity from the SSA
Link to comment from April 30, 2025
At the ripe young age of 54—and nowhere near making a final decision about Social Security or buying an annuity—my mantra is simple: different strokes for different folks. Sure, annuities offer income security and freedom from market volatility, which many find comforting. But me? I fire up my financial calculator and feel empowered to scream: Not for me! It’s not even the fees or surrender charges that bother me—it’s the consistently lackluster returns that fail to keep pace with the markets. Yes, I know annuity advocates will roll their eyes, convinced I don’t understand. But here's the rub: those who can afford a good annuity probably don't need one—they’re already positioned to weather market storms (even if it takes a bottle of antacids). Meanwhile, those who truly need income guarantees lose a lot of flexibility once they commit their funds. Sure, they get a paycheck—but face challenges when a big, unexpected expense (like a roof replacement) hits. And then there’s the middle ground—people like many of us—where small personal circumstances tip the scale one way or the other. It's not a one-size-fits-all decision, and it shouldn't be. As for Social Security, I might delay a bit—but not for the usual reasons. I’m thinking more about tax optimization than maximizing my check. No way am I waiting until 70. And I probably won’t claim at 62 either, especially if I’m still working (even in a reduced role). I’m not chasing a bigger check in my 70s—I want to enjoy those dollars while I can still climb castle stairs in Europe or survive a 30-day cruise without needing a nap between buffets.
Post: Buying an Annuity from the SSA
Link to comment from April 30, 2025
I mostly use Zelle or CashApp to pay local vendors and rely on my bank’s bill pay service for everything else. I rarely write checks, and that works perfectly for me. If I do need to send a check, I don’t stress about it—I'm always keeping an eye on my bank account, so if anything seems off, I catch it right away. I also avoid using my debit card for this reason and put everything on my credit card. If something gets skimmed (which has happened before), I let the bank handle the mess. Honestly, some of today’s scammers probably don’t even know what a check is or how to forge one. They're much more adept at scamming you electronically. But that’s just my two cents..
Post: It’s 2025. Do you send checks by mail?
Link to comment from April 27, 2025
This post is timely for me and my overall investment strategy. As me and dear wife start the retirement planning journey in earnest, dividends and the role they play are beginning to take on a more important role. In the past when investing I focused only on the company's potential to grow which was probably the right approach in my 30s and 40s. Now that we are approaching mid-fifties, I am taking a harder look at the portfolio and starting to scrutinize which holdings pay a dividend and how much of that I want to play a part in the portfolio going forward. Ideally, Id love to have SS and the dividend Income from the portfolio cover our day to day expenses when we fully take the retirement plunge. This was not on my radar a few years ago, now it is under evaluation. Thanks for such a timely topic.
Post: You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby by Marjorie Kondrack
Link to comment from April 27, 2025
It is bit misleading to say part of the country is in an uproar about checking for waste and fraud. I take it you are referring to DOGE and the news it has created. I think most are OK with the concept of DOGE. I would argue that the execution has been poor and the claims of saving two trillion were fantasies. I am in an uproar about a lot of things, but cutting waste and fraud is not one of them. I still don't have a clue what the savings from DOGE are YTD. We may never know.
Post: The great uninformed and misinformed population worries Quinn
Link to comment from April 20, 2025
Bill, I have RSU's and ESPP sales and the whatnot, turbo tax never has gotten these right for me. I have to manually enter the cost basis that Fidelity provides on a supplemental form. Are you saying that yours is always correct? I am wondering what the heck am I doing wrong?
Post: Now it’s over, taxes are filed, but I have a question. How did prepare your your taxes?
Link to comment from April 17, 2025
Yes! It doesn't capture the correct cost basis for stock sales, that is quite frustrating.
Post: Now it’s over, taxes are filed, but I have a question. How did prepare your your taxes?
Link to comment from April 17, 2025