I chose original Medicare plus Medigap & Part D. No regrets. The Medigap plan increases in price every year but it is worth it to me to have freedom to choose any doctor and quickly get an appointment.
What are your experiences with fees (Fidelity vs Vanguard)? I took on the management of our finances in recent years as my spouse was no longer able. I moved IRAs & Roths from Wells Fargo to Vanguard for a significant drop from high WF fees and because the Vanguard advisor would serve as a fiduciary.
At the time, research suggested that Fidelity fees were somewhere in the middle between the two.
A neighbor likes meeting with her Fidelity advisor about a 90 minute drive away. We meet with the Vanguard guy online a few times a year (although we are on our 3rd Vanguard advisor in a few years).
My brother's wife put him in an assisted living building with memory care when he could no longer stay in their home. It was owned by a for-profit corporation which sold the place to another similar company. Turnover in management and staff. It was quite expensive and she was often unhappy with the care he received. She was about to move him when he died.
We made the move two+ years ago and feel that it was one of our best decisions ever. Late 70s, no children, three primary relatives with Alzheimer's Disease. No debts, sold the house for cash before RE prices declined - used proceeds for the entry fee with plenty left over. We spent one summer visiting the choices in our area and could see variations in the "culture," though that's hard to define. There were a couple of other highly-regarded CCRCs nearby that were more expensive. We were on the waitlist at the most welcoming, friendly of the places for three years before we accepted an apartment with a terrific view. Buy in was $375,000 (plenty of apts in the building with lesser view would be cheaper), monthly fee $5000 for two. We chose a nonprofit CCRC - It is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary and over the years has added an assisted living section, a fourth skilled nursing wing, and recently, a memory care building. The endowment is more than $13 million, and its income is available to pay fees for residents who outlive their assets through no fault of their own. The whole place was completely renovated during the pandemic years and is gorgous. The building is a fortress and constructed of steel and concrete, so we are the only retirement community in our area that, with the blessings of the county, does not evacuate during hurricanes. Most important are the things we have observed: excellent communication, mutual respect, and appreciation between management and residents.
I had a dream of becoming a travel writer and found great satisfaction in eventually succeeding (in a modest way), freelancing full time for the last 20 years of my career. Looking back now, decades later, I’m realizing it helped in unrelated jobs, and life in general, to be a “team player”, volunteering to do things such as interview people for a new employee newsletter (the start of a clip file), or taking time to share detailed information to help somebody when requested (which led to an offer to co-author an award-winning guidebook published by a university press).
It also helped to get out of the house, do things, see people, pay attention and speak up when opportunities randomly came along.
Comments
I chose original Medicare plus Medigap & Part D. No regrets. The Medigap plan increases in price every year but it is worth it to me to have freedom to choose any doctor and quickly get an appointment.
Post: Don’t make the wrong Medicare decision
Link to comment from October 25, 2025
What are your experiences with fees (Fidelity vs Vanguard)? I took on the management of our finances in recent years as my spouse was no longer able. I moved IRAs & Roths from Wells Fargo to Vanguard for a significant drop from high WF fees and because the Vanguard advisor would serve as a fiduciary. At the time, research suggested that Fidelity fees were somewhere in the middle between the two. A neighbor likes meeting with her Fidelity advisor about a 90 minute drive away. We meet with the Vanguard guy online a few times a year (although we are on our 3rd Vanguard advisor in a few years).
Post: Disappointed (and annoyed) with Vanguard.
Link to comment from October 25, 2025
My brother's wife put him in an assisted living building with memory care when he could no longer stay in their home. It was owned by a for-profit corporation which sold the place to another similar company. Turnover in management and staff. It was quite expensive and she was often unhappy with the care he received. She was about to move him when he died.
Post: CCRC – continuing care retirement community
Link to comment from March 1, 2025
We made the move two+ years ago and feel that it was one of our best decisions ever. Late 70s, no children, three primary relatives with Alzheimer's Disease. No debts, sold the house for cash before RE prices declined - used proceeds for the entry fee with plenty left over. We spent one summer visiting the choices in our area and could see variations in the "culture," though that's hard to define. There were a couple of other highly-regarded CCRCs nearby that were more expensive. We were on the waitlist at the most welcoming, friendly of the places for three years before we accepted an apartment with a terrific view. Buy in was $375,000 (plenty of apts in the building with lesser view would be cheaper), monthly fee $5000 for two. We chose a nonprofit CCRC - It is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary and over the years has added an assisted living section, a fourth skilled nursing wing, and recently, a memory care building. The endowment is more than $13 million, and its income is available to pay fees for residents who outlive their assets through no fault of their own. The whole place was completely renovated during the pandemic years and is gorgous. The building is a fortress and constructed of steel and concrete, so we are the only retirement community in our area that, with the blessings of the county, does not evacuate during hurricanes. Most important are the things we have observed: excellent communication, mutual respect, and appreciation between management and residents.
Post: CCRC – continuing care retirement community
Link to comment from March 1, 2025
I had a dream of becoming a travel writer and found great satisfaction in eventually succeeding (in a modest way), freelancing full time for the last 20 years of my career. Looking back now, decades later, I’m realizing it helped in unrelated jobs, and life in general, to be a “team player”, volunteering to do things such as interview people for a new employee newsletter (the start of a clip file), or taking time to share detailed information to help somebody when requested (which led to an offer to co-author an award-winning guidebook published by a university press). It also helped to get out of the house, do things, see people, pay attention and speak up when opportunities randomly came along.
Post: Spotlight on Success
Link to comment from February 22, 2025