We tend to measure ourselves against our immediate neighbors. If everyone you know is well-off, being well-off is considered normal. For US retirees, the 1% club consists of those with over $15 million. Yeah, those people are really rich, I'm just a regular middle-class guy.
No, I am only drawing .75% from my investments. I have been retired for 10 years.
I have a lot of flexibility, if I need to spend more. There's nothing like not having to worry about money.
Of course, there's nothing bad about having millions of dollars, if you can manage it. Many prudent retirees have ended up with more money than they ever thought possible. Every dollar you put into the stock market 30 years ago might now be $20, $30, or $50.
I was in the sub-basement of 1 Chase Plaza, watching on CNN with my buddy Bill. We didn’t think the towers would actually collapse, but then one did. We went up the escalator to the sub-plaza level, and the air was so dense with dust we couldn’t see. People were pouring in through the revolving doors to escape, bringing dust into the building. After about 15 minutes, the dust settled and we went out the back way onto Maiden Lane, walking towards the Brooklyn Bridge. We put handkerchiefs over our nose and mouth. Bill went over the Brooklyn Bridge to get to Long Island, and I walked up Water Street. The thing that I remember the most that everything seemed completely normal when I got to Chinatown. The sky was blue, the air was clear, and Chinese groceries were selling fish and vegetables from stalls. I, and many other people, were covered with dust from head to foot, and looked like a migration of ghosts. I went into a Chinese deli and bought a big diet Cherry Pepsi. The counterman didn’t bat an eye - serving ghostly customers was apparently nothing new to him.
It your income is over $500K for a single, or $750K for a married couple, you're really paying high premiums, over $500 a month per person extra. However, at least you don't have to worry about long term care - you can just pay out of your income.
It depends entirely on how your finances are structured. Yes, if you are relying solely on SS plus withdrawing from a traditional retirement account, there is a risk. But there are many other types of retirement income you might have.
I have been retired for ten years, and I have been living on SS plus dividends and interest from a taxable brokerage account, so I'm not really at risk. Other retirees might have a pension, an annuity, or income from rentals.
If you are an investor, you want to look at whether the company is allocating capital wisely or foolishly. If you need dividend income, you should buy companies where paying a dividend is the most sensible thing to do.
You should be looking at what role dividends play in corporate capital allocation. If a company has extra money, it can pay dividends, buy back stock, pay down debt, make capitol expenditures, or just put the money in the bank. Which course is likely to be most profitable in the long term? It obviously depends on the company and the industry. One size does not fit all.
If you are a regular, it benefits you as well. When my Friday group walks into a restaurant, we are greeted effusively and shown to our usual table immediately. They remember.
Comments
We tend to measure ourselves against our immediate neighbors. If everyone you know is well-off, being well-off is considered normal. For US retirees, the 1% club consists of those with over $15 million. Yeah, those people are really rich, I'm just a regular middle-class guy.
Post: The 1% Club: Our Unnoticed Wealth
Link to comment from September 27, 2025
No, I am only drawing .75% from my investments. I have been retired for 10 years. I have a lot of flexibility, if I need to spend more. There's nothing like not having to worry about money.
Post: Are you actually using the 4% rule?
Link to comment from September 21, 2025
Of course, there's nothing bad about having millions of dollars, if you can manage it. Many prudent retirees have ended up with more money than they ever thought possible. Every dollar you put into the stock market 30 years ago might now be $20, $30, or $50.
Post: There is no magic number – and it sure isn’t $1 million
Link to comment from September 11, 2025
I was in the sub-basement of 1 Chase Plaza, watching on CNN with my buddy Bill. We didn’t think the towers would actually collapse, but then one did. We went up the escalator to the sub-plaza level, and the air was so dense with dust we couldn’t see. People were pouring in through the revolving doors to escape, bringing dust into the building. After about 15 minutes, the dust settled and we went out the back way onto Maiden Lane, walking towards the Brooklyn Bridge. We put handkerchiefs over our nose and mouth. Bill went over the Brooklyn Bridge to get to Long Island, and I walked up Water Street. The thing that I remember the most that everything seemed completely normal when I got to Chinatown. The sky was blue, the air was clear, and Chinese groceries were selling fish and vegetables from stalls. I, and many other people, were covered with dust from head to foot, and looked like a migration of ghosts. I went into a Chinese deli and bought a big diet Cherry Pepsi. The counterman didn’t bat an eye - serving ghostly customers was apparently nothing new to him.
Post: Remembering 9/11
Link to comment from September 11, 2025
It your income is over $500K for a single, or $750K for a married couple, you're really paying high premiums, over $500 a month per person extra. However, at least you don't have to worry about long term care - you can just pay out of your income.
Post: Healthcare spending and premiums during a post age-65 retirement- facts and ideas.
Link to comment from September 8, 2025
It depends entirely on how your finances are structured. Yes, if you are relying solely on SS plus withdrawing from a traditional retirement account, there is a risk. But there are many other types of retirement income you might have. I have been retired for ten years, and I have been living on SS plus dividends and interest from a taxable brokerage account, so I'm not really at risk. Other retirees might have a pension, an annuity, or income from rentals.
Post: Sequence of Return Risk
Link to comment from August 28, 2025
If you are an investor, you want to look at whether the company is allocating capital wisely or foolishly. If you need dividend income, you should buy companies where paying a dividend is the most sensible thing to do.
Post: Dividends Part II – At least
Link to comment from August 25, 2025
Congress will make changes, all right - about 8 hours before Social Security doesn't have enough money to send out the monthly payments.
Post: 2024 Update to the OASDI Beneficiaries by State and County
Link to comment from August 25, 2025
You should be looking at what role dividends play in corporate capital allocation. If a company has extra money, it can pay dividends, buy back stock, pay down debt, make capitol expenditures, or just put the money in the bank. Which course is likely to be most profitable in the long term? It obviously depends on the company and the industry. One size does not fit all.
Post: Dividends Part II – At least
Link to comment from August 24, 2025
If you are a regular, it benefits you as well. When my Friday group walks into a restaurant, we are greeted effusively and shown to our usual table immediately. They remember.
Post: Frugality for fun and profit… but please, not necessity
Link to comment from August 20, 2025