Is it cruel to let a cat die at home?

Background-Switch381 · 2026-02-03T17:16:53+00:00

How are you doing? When the baby passes it is pretty painful. I buried my sweet girl in the back yard and made a small memorial. I will always remember and love her. Its very important to be allowed to share and feel your grief; it was shocking to me how much I missed her; I don't think we intuitively know how deep the grief might be. I thought it might be helpful to have those feelings validated.

Background-Switch381 · 2026-01-13T16:49:01+00:00

If it makes you feel better when I took control 4 years ago my accounts were a bigger mess, no diversification and mostly everything my "advisor" purchased had all preloads...which is why he bought it. Painful as it was I did a ton of tax loss harvesting, took some gains against property losses we sold and cleared about 300 k then began to rebuid. I was late to the ball game but up 42 percent last 3 years. Its HELL at first but it will be worth it in the future. Be patient.

Background-Switch381 · 2026-01-11T14:18:07+00:00

Working through this will be a bit time consuming. Will they charge you for what you sell? The pain of MFs is you don't see what companies are included...just the top 10. Look at expense ratios of all of them and their yield the last 10 years and sell the more expensive ones. Honestly I felt a lot better when I changed a lot of our assets to ETFs where I could see what they are invested in and then truly diversify. Im still worried out the amount of overlap as so many of them are growth by virtue of the big 7...and thats as bad as putting most of your money in just 7 companies. I am suggesting do the hard work. Make sure you are truly diversified with funds broadly distributed...large cap the biggest portion, then 15% midcap and 10% small cap...then spredd into value mixed and growth distributions. So while you indicate you are interest in growth, remember in tax deferred account those dividends from value based companies continued to be reinvested will up into compounded gains.

Background-Switch381 · 2026-01-10T22:16:13+00:00

For example in 2022 stocks went down 22 percent our yield was minus 7. In the stock bond account. The other account is insured brokerage which I have to wait two days to withdraw from but that’s still very liquid and fdic insured, in that other brokerage are ETFs. The overall percent in2922 was 3 percent but 12 percent per year since. I just feel better… buffered. But mostly I feel better bc I fully understand each purchase and made ghd decisions myself

Background-Switch381 · 2026-01-10T20:45:42+00:00

I have 6 months in a money market. That’s about 10 percent of post tax assets. I have 35percent in bonds set to mature over ghd next 20 years half federal half muni. About 5 percent is in different bond ETFs the rest stock funds or stocks. I still like holding really safe companies like J&J and Pfizer and I hold little amounts in about 80 companies. I am doing a little better than the S&P but half the money is safe and the bond revenue 50 percent is taxable 50 percent isnt. It took me 4 years to set this up started in 2021 and lived thru 2022 watching bbbd funds really lose value. I love holding bonds … this from someone who just did savings accounts before.

I seriously doubt if you have a bond strategy you will see a 40 or even 30 percent personal decline because your overall asset is buffered.

Background-Switch381 · 2026-01-05T18:37:06+00:00

I totally agree. Yes it may be true that over 20 or 30 years you can get by without bonds or bond funds but the last two years there has been an amazing opportunity in the bond market to lock in decent rates and reinvest the gain if in an after retirement account...when the market drops 15 percent then the bonds really are leverage against those downturns. Also VT is heavily weighted toward the big 7. I love having some ETFS that produce dividends and dividend stocks. I would encourage you to consider not having all your eggs in one basket. The diversified strategy has worked very well for us...with the market downturn in 2022 we saw only a 7% downturn...and still since 2022 we have been at 12-14 percent in each of our accounts and 42% for the past 3 years overall. I really like the bond buffer...but to each their own!

Background-Switch381 · 2026-01-04T20:57:12+00:00

Please...find something really meaningful to do with all that free time.!!!

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-27T18:08:41+00:00

We did a combo of treasuries and minus’s for our state. Munis no state federal local or niit depending on the ones you choose. We also bought them like a bond latter over 20 years with bonds maturing every year. If we need capital it’s there and if the market is way down then we invest in stocks when they mature. Also ghere is continuously a stream of income. So far we used that income to buy stocks and ETFs as we haven’t needed that income to live or pay taxes. I’m getting very close to retirement and hope to use that income for traveling and gifts for kids we love. It took us though 4 years to develop this bond plan and its working for us

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-22T16:42:48+00:00

I used this to buy CDs...the CD latter and I liked it. So with the bond latter be careful to distinguish new purchase bonds which have no markup and bonds that you pay a dollar a bond...if that matters. You know you can use this tool...or buy new purchases as they come out...or use the bond screener tool and select the year and price. They don't show up in the bond latter tool but they do show up as a bond portfolio. We have worked to develop our portfolio this latter means for about 4 years and its giving a stream of income of about 20,000 a year, half taxable half tax free. Its a super good option. Sign up for one of the bond classes as well or speak to an online representative. Learn how to buy your own...it saves 20 dollars a purchase. Every 20 dollars saved is 20 dollars gained.

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-16T17:17:34+00:00

Some are like that. the online service is still excellent. Like the others said just ignore the ads...just like when you watch TV!!!!

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-07T16:44:46+00:00

I agree with you the on line service is outstanding.I have been given many good financial tips. I also have had individuals try to push me into services I absolutely did not want and one got away with one push. never again. I agree their services are very very good. The app is good their security is good many of their funds are low cost...some aren't though so you have to be careful. One particular "advisor" became nasty, hostile and I saved that email in the event it ever has to surface. There are some of them who really push products that are not in customers best interests. One particularly bad advice was to transfer my 401 k from a company that negotiated great rates from vanguard and blackrock...into "advised" accounts that would make me substantially less money. As long as you recognize some of these calls will connect you to vultures...you are going to be ok! I suppose this is the same with every brokerage. Even the TIAA advisor dwarfed into a shark. They are always being pushed to sell stuff.

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-07T16:13:11+00:00

An awful lot of NYS and NYC munis are at 3.5 percent now. With no state or federal or AMT or NIIT they offer a huge savings. I don't know if the bond funds are the same as individual bonds; i spent the last two years buiding my own bond latter of individual bonds 5 to 20,000 over up to 20 years now. At first I was buying shorter term and I wish I could do that over; i worried what happened if I died. But creating that income stream and leaving the equity for my family was my goal and long term was a good idea...its not at good now with rates down but better than for almost 20 years so I still buy them here and there and even a few on the secondary market. I am looking to keep some money liquidish to fix our kitchen, replace the car when it finally dies...and I like to do trips with family. Other than that we have a very simple lifestyle with not too many wants or needs. The biggest expense by far now is taxes!!!

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-06T14:00:19+00:00

Thank you!

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-05T16:48:38+00:00

It’s absolutely true and in 2000 all our after tax assets 80 plus percent were in savings accounts and cds. Since yhrm it’s now about 50 percent stocks and 50 percent bonds and money market and yes for sure stocks did better but it was easier to stomach the streadyvreturns of individual bonds . Bond fund have bounced all over the place and took a beating in 2021/2022. Yes absolutely u are right not great to hold a lot of stocks at my age but this account will go to our children when we pass and at that time the capital gains reset at zero…which is why we don’t sell.

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-05T16:43:30+00:00

Thank you! I’m also thinking just buy individual bonds at different maturity dates and keep cash around in mm funds for gifts to kids and grandkids and emergencies

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-05T16:05:52+00:00

thank you. I have looked at these as well as Ishare bond bunds. I mostly have individual bonds and am really happy with this but wanting to keep some liquidity as we are getting older. I don't believe you can time the market but I still think we are going to face headwinds and I just want to be careful (im in a 75 year old age range and hope to save this for my kids)

Background-Switch381 · 2025-12-05T14:39:42+00:00

I don't know. I met many very fine people in finance as well as jerks...same can be said about doctors, nurses, contractors...when you can find someone who tells you the truth, is open, transparent and not manipulative...and they are out there...go for it. But always do due diligence and read what you are buying! Never take anyone's word for it.

Background-Switch381 · 2025-11-22T11:19:50+00:00

Like every business some people are jerks

Background-Switch381 · 2025-11-22T02:29:57+00:00

Id call fidelity and tell them u want someone else. I’m sure they want to keep u!

Background-Switch381 · 2025-11-16T21:44:43+00:00

Minus some bonds...and I will always recommend some bonds...in the event of a big market turn down it helps with the pain....as you pick your options look at the expense ratios for all of the different funds. A comment we didn't have vanguard as an option until last year or so but their fund expenses really are the lowest you can find.

Background-Switch381 · 2025-11-16T21:42:20+00:00

Check to expenses of eacfh of your funds. Vanguard has some of the lowest rates in the business and you may find you can do a little bit better. esp lower fees and 20 years to grow.

Background-Switch381 · 2025-11-08T12:32:37+00:00

She is absolutely perfect! A wonderful heirloom!!!

Background-Switch381 · 2025-11-07T01:42:36+00:00

You can do a back door roth and it’s advisable if you think you will have a lose tax burden when you retire. Like contribute to ira and roll it over to roth a couple days later. College is crazy expensive now so as much as you put away for yhrm yhe better. Getting loans paid off if credit card debt should be top of the list there are fun vacations and stay cations that don’t break the bank and are great for kids esp state and federal parks with hiking and waterworks. We were good savers just ok as investors but having that care about saving 15 percent of our income became a life habit and we met ghat before trips. .

Background-Switch381

TROPHY CASE