I also am curious about several things. Age entering retirement and size of the portfolio, and what % the fiduciary advisor receives annually. I can’t see why a fiduciary would suggest that a retiree invest in anything illiquid that would tie up capital for 5 to 10 years.
Are part-time jobs an option during this retirement phase? This plan worked well for us, providing a modest extra income to supplement Social Security so we could continue to leave our retirement savings to grow. The key was control over the work schedules. My spouse worked a flexible, seasonal job helping to run a family entertainment center at a beach resort. I transitioned to occasional freelance work with complete control over my scheduling. We bought a used “class B” RV diesel engine van and made long trips (one to two months away at a time) around the US and Canada for about 8 years. The van served as a second car when we were at home. Those were great years.
We retired early (50s) and our three homes during the next 20 years all had elements we sought of “universal design,” such as single level, wide doorways, walk-in showers, open floor plans. It turned out that we remained nimble - the real beneficiaries were our elderly parents & siblings (we are both the youngest in our families), and my nephew who has has lived in a motorized wheelchair following an accident at age 20. For him, we installed a ramp from the garage into one house which had about 5 steps up from ground level. Of course, the physical plant is one thing, but a big element of aging in place is how to maintain necessary services. By our mid-70s, we researched CCRCs and found one we’ve loved ever since we moved in three years ago. Maintenance, housekeeping, menu planning, cooking, etc are very well managed. Extras such as a library, salon for haircuts and a fitness center with an array of classes are 5 minutes away. The beauty of a well-run CCRC isn’t just that someone will come to our home to fix something - it’s that pre-screening is done by someone else, their faces are familiar, we know their names, they’ve likely worked here for years, and they fix problems quickly. For me, the best part of our CCRC has been the opportunity for friendship and volunteerism. We all read the articles that stress the importance of social contacts, and this setting is like a congenial village.
Without debt to service (no more mortgage, car, or credit card interest payments) we were liberated. We retired early, left our retirement accounts untouched to grow for years, and were enabled to make choices based on fulfilling dreams. Those choices led to lasting friendships and some priceless experiences. So I’m a believer in saving for retirement starting in your 30s, keeping cars a long time, paying cash to replace them, paying the balance every month on a credit card, and paying off a mortgage before retiring. Not always easy but, even with bumps in the road, that plan worked for us.
We used to have a binder labeled “Emergency” with the basics updated before each trip for our nephew/executor to easily find. (We have no children.) Last year, I bought an all-in-one-place organizing system called the NOK (Next of Kin) Box when it was on sale. I’ve gradually had to take over our financial tasks as my husband has become unable to manage. This has slowly revealed the minutiae he took care of, and can no longer easily remember. Some info/paperwork has been simple to add such as our wills, powers of attorney, CCRC contract, etc. Other additions are less obvious such as insurance renewals, auto-payments, medical info, keys, etc. I continue to work on filling these folders, backed up by digital records on an external hard drive. I know from serving as a personal representative (executor) that a person taking over needs to be able to answer many, many questions quickly without hours of tedious searching. The NOK Box people provide an actual box filled with dividers and folders, or people can use their own boxes or filing cabinets.
This made me think back to 1969 and my first full-time job out of college as a secretary earning $400 a month, $4800 a year. I was oblivious to the value of my employer-provided free parking in downtown Atlanta and health insurance. I had a college loan of $500 to pay off. My dad found a solid used Plymouth Valiant and loaned me the money to buy it. I found a 2-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood for $100 a month. Those were the days.
A perfect normal day for me starts with awakening at 5, after 7 hours of good sleep, greeting my spouse who has already made the coffee, reading the local newspaper. Do a few puzzles on the NYT website, check headlines and read some articles. Same for the Washington Post (my home town paper). Local TV news for weather info. Around 7, I have fruit & yoghurt for breakfast and watch the sun come up over the Gulf of Mexico outside my 11th floor windows.
Every day, I am glad we waitlisted at our CCRC for 3 years to get an apartment with a view - we are grateful for that and many reasons to live here. We’ve been here for 3 years and like it better every day. Around 8, we walk around the 15 acre property, checking on the ducks and other birds in the pond, and admiring new blooms in the volunteer-managed orchid garden. There are the usual medical appointments to keep, and challenges to meet in the years ahead, but we are blessed with fairly few health problems at this point (approaching 80s). There are financial accounts to monitor and occasional meetings with advisor. Saving for retirement starting in our 30s was a good idea. I check in with friends & family by email and seek to regularly make plans together. Also I send or answer emails about volunteer committee meetings and activities. I belong to the Health & Wellness Committee here and serve as my floor’s representative to the Resident Council. I work a two-hour shift one day each week in our library - my favorite volunteer job. It's a great place to meet new people and catch up on news of other residents. Not to mention first crack at the latest books. We eat a hearty lunch in the dining room most days and take home leftovers - so luxurious to not have to plan, shop for, and prepare meals. We get together for early dinners on Sundays with a dozen friends here in one of the private dining rooms. There are lectures, concerts, classes, etc to round things out. It’s a wonderful life and I am grateful for it. And I know that life can change in the blink of an eye.
I have our emergency fund in Fidelity’s money market. I had been keeping a big chunk in CDs, but as the rates dropped to 4%, I moved the proceeds into the MM pot.
I’ve also got a nice chunk of my retirement money in TIAA-CREF, a 403(b) investment vehicle for nonprofits, as opposed to a 401(k). My employer had a good match which helped build it in my working years. I’ve not yet taken the annuity option, and it has grown very well, even as I have taken the RMD each year. Eventually I’ll convert it to an annuity.
Comments
I also am curious about several things. Age entering retirement and size of the portfolio, and what % the fiduciary advisor receives annually. I can’t see why a fiduciary would suggest that a retiree invest in anything illiquid that would tie up capital for 5 to 10 years.
Post: Keep it Simpler
Link to comment from February 16, 2026
Are part-time jobs an option during this retirement phase? This plan worked well for us, providing a modest extra income to supplement Social Security so we could continue to leave our retirement savings to grow. The key was control over the work schedules. My spouse worked a flexible, seasonal job helping to run a family entertainment center at a beach resort. I transitioned to occasional freelance work with complete control over my scheduling. We bought a used “class B” RV diesel engine van and made long trips (one to two months away at a time) around the US and Canada for about 8 years. The van served as a second car when we were at home. Those were great years.
Post: Laid Off
Link to comment from February 6, 2026
Definitely fraud, I reported it, too. Last year, it was multiple billings for Covid test kits.
Post: Less Paper, More Fraud
Link to comment from February 3, 2026
We retired early (50s) and our three homes during the next 20 years all had elements we sought of “universal design,” such as single level, wide doorways, walk-in showers, open floor plans. It turned out that we remained nimble - the real beneficiaries were our elderly parents & siblings (we are both the youngest in our families), and my nephew who has has lived in a motorized wheelchair following an accident at age 20. For him, we installed a ramp from the garage into one house which had about 5 steps up from ground level. Of course, the physical plant is one thing, but a big element of aging in place is how to maintain necessary services. By our mid-70s, we researched CCRCs and found one we’ve loved ever since we moved in three years ago. Maintenance, housekeeping, menu planning, cooking, etc are very well managed. Extras such as a library, salon for haircuts and a fitness center with an array of classes are 5 minutes away. The beauty of a well-run CCRC isn’t just that someone will come to our home to fix something - it’s that pre-screening is done by someone else, their faces are familiar, we know their names, they’ve likely worked here for years, and they fix problems quickly. For me, the best part of our CCRC has been the opportunity for friendship and volunteerism. We all read the articles that stress the importance of social contacts, and this setting is like a congenial village.
Post: “Too Much House” vs “Not Enough House”—But Through the Lens of Aging in Place
Link to comment from January 22, 2026
Without debt to service (no more mortgage, car, or credit card interest payments) we were liberated. We retired early, left our retirement accounts untouched to grow for years, and were enabled to make choices based on fulfilling dreams. Those choices led to lasting friendships and some priceless experiences. So I’m a believer in saving for retirement starting in your 30s, keeping cars a long time, paying cash to replace them, paying the balance every month on a credit card, and paying off a mortgage before retiring. Not always easy but, even with bumps in the road, that plan worked for us.
Post: The $8,000 Cost of Peace of Mind
Link to comment from January 20, 2026
We used to have a binder labeled “Emergency” with the basics updated before each trip for our nephew/executor to easily find. (We have no children.) Last year, I bought an all-in-one-place organizing system called the NOK (Next of Kin) Box when it was on sale. I’ve gradually had to take over our financial tasks as my husband has become unable to manage. This has slowly revealed the minutiae he took care of, and can no longer easily remember. Some info/paperwork has been simple to add such as our wills, powers of attorney, CCRC contract, etc. Other additions are less obvious such as insurance renewals, auto-payments, medical info, keys, etc. I continue to work on filling these folders, backed up by digital records on an external hard drive. I know from serving as a personal representative (executor) that a person taking over needs to be able to answer many, many questions quickly without hours of tedious searching. The NOK Box people provide an actual box filled with dividers and folders, or people can use their own boxes or filing cabinets.
Post: Your two best investing books—and do you also keep an End-of-Life “family binder”?
Link to comment from January 5, 2026
This made me think back to 1969 and my first full-time job out of college as a secretary earning $400 a month, $4800 a year. I was oblivious to the value of my employer-provided free parking in downtown Atlanta and health insurance. I had a college loan of $500 to pay off. My dad found a solid used Plymouth Valiant and loaned me the money to buy it. I found a 2-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood for $100 a month. Those were the days.
Post: Fifty-seven years and counting and it’s snowing…again.
Link to comment from December 15, 2025
A perfect normal day for me starts with awakening at 5, after 7 hours of good sleep, greeting my spouse who has already made the coffee, reading the local newspaper. Do a few puzzles on the NYT website, check headlines and read some articles. Same for the Washington Post (my home town paper). Local TV news for weather info. Around 7, I have fruit & yoghurt for breakfast and watch the sun come up over the Gulf of Mexico outside my 11th floor windows. Every day, I am glad we waitlisted at our CCRC for 3 years to get an apartment with a view - we are grateful for that and many reasons to live here. We’ve been here for 3 years and like it better every day. Around 8, we walk around the 15 acre property, checking on the ducks and other birds in the pond, and admiring new blooms in the volunteer-managed orchid garden. There are the usual medical appointments to keep, and challenges to meet in the years ahead, but we are blessed with fairly few health problems at this point (approaching 80s). There are financial accounts to monitor and occasional meetings with advisor. Saving for retirement starting in our 30s was a good idea. I check in with friends & family by email and seek to regularly make plans together. Also I send or answer emails about volunteer committee meetings and activities. I belong to the Health & Wellness Committee here and serve as my floor’s representative to the Resident Council. I work a two-hour shift one day each week in our library - my favorite volunteer job. It's a great place to meet new people and catch up on news of other residents. Not to mention first crack at the latest books. We eat a hearty lunch in the dining room most days and take home leftovers - so luxurious to not have to plan, shop for, and prepare meals. We get together for early dinners on Sundays with a dozen friends here in one of the private dining rooms. There are lectures, concerts, classes, etc to round things out. It’s a wonderful life and I am grateful for it. And I know that life can change in the blink of an eye.
Post: What’s Your Perfect “Normal” Day?
Link to comment from December 12, 2025
I have our emergency fund in Fidelity’s money market. I had been keeping a big chunk in CDs, but as the rates dropped to 4%, I moved the proceeds into the MM pot.
Post: Where to Keep Cash
Link to comment from December 6, 2025
I’ve also got a nice chunk of my retirement money in TIAA-CREF, a 403(b) investment vehicle for nonprofits, as opposed to a 401(k). My employer had a good match which helped build it in my working years. I’ve not yet taken the annuity option, and it has grown very well, even as I have taken the RMD each year. Eventually I’ll convert it to an annuity.
Post: The annuities are coming, the annuities are coming‼️
Link to comment from December 5, 2025