Jeff Peck

Comments

• Clare - Send me an email at racelens@gmail.com and we can discuss my plans for the trust.

  Post: Your two best investing books—and do you also keep an End-of-Life “family binder”?

  Link to comment from January 5, 2026

• That's a great plan Dan.

  Post: Your two best investing books—and do you also keep an End-of-Life “family binder”?

  Link to comment from January 4, 2026

• Dana — happy 6-month retirement anniversary, and Happy New Year to you and all the HumbleDollar folks. I loved reading this: the relief you describe (more than “missing” the job) feels so real, and your days sound like a great blend of purpose, health, and margin. Also—how fun that retirement is proving contagious. October 1, 2026 will be here fast, and it sounds like your husband is making a thoughtful exit plan. I’m three years out from my own retirement, and posts like yours are exactly the kind of “this is what it can look like” encouragement I need. One more thought: I enjoy watching Real Retirees Uncut on YouTube, and you’d be a fantastic guest retiree on there—your mix of structure, meaning, and honesty would really resonate. Keep us posted on the spending plan and the next six months of simplifying and wrapping things up. Jeff

  Post: Six Months In! (from Dana/DrLefty)

  Link to comment from January 4, 2026

• AI can be a great “first pass” because it organizes facts and surfaces issues like RMDs and Roth conversions—but I wouldn’t treat it as the final authority. I also think multiple target-date funds can accidentally create an allocation you didn’t intentionally choose, since each one mixes stocks/bonds and shifts over time. With strong pension + future Social Security, you can afford more equity risk than many retirees, but a pension isn’t the same as bonds (you can’t rebalance it or tap it for a lump expense). If it were me (I'm not a Target Date fan), I’d simplify further and go with separate funds: pick a clear stock allocation for growth/legacy and a clear bond/cash allocation for stability—then rebalance once or twice a year. JMO Your move from 2025 → 2035 makes sense given you don’t need portfolio income now. Roth conversions could be smart too, but that’s a tax-bracket/IRMAA math problem worth running with real numbers. Jeff

  Post: New Year’s Resolutions, Target Date Funds, and My New Friend Gemini

  Link to comment from January 4, 2026

• You can copy these into your browser and get some valuable information. I can also email you a point paper I have created called: Medicare (Doesn't Equal) Long-Term Care (One-Page Family Guide). Just email me at racelens@gmail.com and all the links will be in the pdf file I'll send you. • Medicare: Long-term care coverage (what’s not covered) • Medicare: Skilled nursing facility care (SNF) overview • Medicare: Home health services (what Medicare doesn’t pay for) • Medicaid: Long-Term Services & Supports (LTSS) overview • Medicaid: Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) • PACE overview (Medicare/Medicaid program in some areas) • VA: Aid & Attendance / Housebound (adds to VA pension if eligible) • Eldercare Locator (find your local Area Agency on Aging) Prepared

  Post: Share This Message

  Link to comment from January 4, 2026

• Personally, I’m not in panic mode—but I have moved to a “built in buffer” mindset: send earlier, use online options when available, and when a postmark matters, get it done at the counter with documentation. Curious what you think this looks like 5–10 years from now.

  Post: The future of mail and how it affects finances

  Link to comment from January 3, 2026

• Where I land: Call it what it is: a means-tested premium surcharge (not a “tax”). Don’t pretend it’s oppression: if you’re paying IRMAA, you’re doing okay—this is a “nice problem.”

  Post: Is IRMAA a tax, a fee or a reduction in subsidy?

  Link to comment from December 28, 2025

• Here’s the truth: in investing, “average” isn’t weak—it’s disciplined. The market’s “average” happens when you own the whole field and stop screwing with it. “Above average” is usually the story we tell ourselves right before we do something expensive—chase a hot sector, sell in fear, or try to time the comeback. Most people don’t lose to the market… they lose to themselves.

  Post: Average vs. Humble Average

  Link to comment from December 28, 2025

• Glenna — thank you for sharing. That wasn’t “long”… it was real, and I think a lot of people needed to hear it. What I took from your story is simple: smart decisions and the ability to adapt. You didn’t wait for retirement to magically “work out”—you built it, adjusted it, and kept moving forward. And I love that first five years—solo travel on a lean budget using house swaps, Airbnb, and frugal choices. That’s not flashy, but it’s the kind of retirement that actually works. The arthritis piece… yeah, that’s a gut punch. But if your post proves anything, it’s this: you’re not someone who stops living just because the terrain changed. You’ll find the next version of “full life,” and it’ll still have your fingerprints all over it.

  Post: What Age Did You Retire—and What Made You Decide It Was Time?

  Link to comment from December 28, 2025

• Great question. Yes, that is something I have put into my plan. The mortgage will fall well within the income floor of each of us. I also have life insurance that could pay off the mortgage. I also have Survivor Benefit plans in place from my pensions to increase my wife's income floor if I pass before she does.

  Post: Mortgage in Retirement

  Link to comment from December 28, 2025