mytimetotravel

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• That is part of my plan too, but as Dana points out, we may be unable to implement it. A massive stroke, for instance. As back up I have both a Do Not Resuscitate order and a MOST (Medical Order for Scope of Treatment, POST in some states), plus a friend with my Healthcare Power of Attorney who is very good at saying no. Even with a dementia diagnosis timing will be an issue.

  Post: How do you prepare for the long term care cost as retiree?

  Link to comment from June 25, 2026

• First, part of the entry fee is considered pre-payment of medical expenses. In my case (Type B CCRC), the cost of Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing is below market rates because of this (but above Independent Living). Second, a non-profit CCRC is required to spend at least 5% of revenue on charity care to maintain that status. Support for residents who run out of money counts towards the 5%. We also have a charitable foundation dedicated to the same thing. Note the qualification at mine of "through no fault of their own". I imagine that if you are found to be maintaining a stable of Ferraris or to have been gambling on prediction markets there might be an issue. I have seen more dubious qualifiers - read the agreement carefully. I am in North Carolina. My CCRC's wait list was over 1,200 households last I heard. You need to get on a list or lists well ahead of time - deposits are typically small and refundable.

  Post: How do you prepare for the long term care cost as retiree?

  Link to comment from June 22, 2026

• Ditto, although less dramatically. My house was three bedrooms, two and a half baths and 1,530 sq. ft. My CCRC apartment has two bedrooms, two baths, a den and balcony and 1,660 sq. ft. I also bought some new furniture. While I made quite a few donations I'm not acquisitive and didn't have a whole lot of "stuff" to get rid of.

  Post: Thinking about downsizing? Think seriously

  Link to comment from June 22, 2026

• Way back, when I was in my 40s, the megacorp offered employees Option 1. I figured I would likely be paying premiums for over forty years for something I might never use, and passed. Since then companies have abandoned the business, and premiums for remaining policies have risen. I do not regret that decision. Instead, I have implemented David's suggestion. In my mid-70s I moved to a non-profit CCRC that promises to keep me if I run out of money. It has been in operation for over 30 years and has an extensive wait list. Of course, this plan might be derailed by some black swan event, but that is true of any plan.

  Post: How do you prepare for the long term care cost as retiree?

  Link to comment from June 21, 2026

• I agree that 600 sq. ft. Is small. My Independent Living apartment is 1,700 sq. ft., really bigger than I need. But I don't see what is wrong with exercise classes, crafts and board games. I very much appreciate having a gym at the end of the corridor. At one time I took tai chi, now I'm taking dance classes. I don't play them myself, but bridge, mahjong and billiards are very popular here.

  Post: Close to Everything I Need

  Link to comment from June 21, 2026

• As I've posted before, I think moving to a CCRC was one of my best ever decisions. You mention "maximum independence". I am in "Independent Living", and I still have a lot of independence: if I'm missing some I haven't regretted it. I still drive and I go where I want, when I want. On the other hand, I do no cleaning and no maintenance, and a lot less cooking. I have new friends and enjoy new activities. I stayed in the same town, but moved much closer to the center. I do think that waiting until you need Assisted Living can be a mistake. If I have to move there it will be on the same campus - likely the same building. If you wait you may have little choice, and downsizing will be much harder.

  Post: Close to Everything I Need

  Link to comment from June 20, 2026

• I seem to remember reading, and I could certainly be wrong, that going door to door was part of their "training".

  Post: He Said I Wasn’t Very Nice

  Link to comment from June 20, 2026

• When I still lived in a house I mostly stopped answering the door. Although there was the time it was an Edward Jones salesman and I enjoyed telling him what I thought of his company. This irritant stopped when I moved to an apartment complex with interior access and now that I am in a CCRC.

  Post: He Said I Wasn’t Very Nice

  Link to comment from June 19, 2026

• But, following KISS, my portfolio is not complicated. I know my asset allocation and location. I might like to sell out a couple of long-held items in my brokerage account, but I would incur significant capital gains and the income would likely push me further up the IRMAA ladder. Plus, privacy.

  Post: How to Use AI With Your Portfolio

  Link to comment from June 10, 2026

• Since I believe strongly in both the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and the value of benign neglect, and also have no interest in providing personal data to big companies, I will not pursue this. Aside from one current account, all my finances are consolidated at Vanguard, and it provides my asset allocation on the home page, with additional detail available if required. It also reports my total fees as a percentage.

  Post: How to Use AI With Your Portfolio

  Link to comment from June 9, 2026