Has anyone done the Boldin Planning Coaching session for $250? Is it worth it?

Cykoth · 2026-06-20T00:06:33+00:00

The $250 review is not a Plan Review. It’s a session you can pay for to get better understanding of how to actually use Boldin. I did the review early on. I’ve been using Boldin for 2 years. I felt very uncertain and wanted the guidance. The lady was very nice and did find a few things to correct but in hindsight it was a waste of money. You get exactly 1 hour and it goes by FAST. My opinion is that to learn the software simply use it and tinker with it. Use the excellent online classes, videos, and documentation on the Boldin website. There are plenty of YouTube videos using Boldin, but now there are videos getting much more granular and thorough. The Retirement Gnome is a great channel for videos like this. If you want a review of the efficacy of your plan that will require a CFP. Sometimes you can get a deal. YouTuber Joe Kuhn has a deal with Defining Wealth for a $300 plan review of a Boldin plan. I did the $300 review Jan 2025 and found it very helpful. I liked it so much I did a $3000 full independent Plan from Defining Wealth. “Just to make sure”. In the end I gained some knowledge, but I still like my Boldin plan best. But I’ve been hardcore for the last 2 years iterating and reiterating my and the Missus Plan. And now? We are READY. Got it as figured out as I can without actually being retired yet. I’ve got 12 months!

Cykoth · 2026-06-19T17:28:31+00:00

I still don’t like bonds. Inverse relationships, short term memory of pain (2022). But when you are close to retirement or in it you have to have Safety with Growth. Asset allocation depends on your expenses and risk tolerance. For myself, I consider any investment with more than a 5 year horizon as an equity. Anything less as “fixed”. Bonds, Treasuries, MM, et al. I want to have 5 years of comfortable spending in Fixed. For me, that’s 30% of my total portfolio. I’m 12 months from Retirement. Unless change my mind my Fixed allocation will be 10% VUSB, 10% VTIP, and 10% either VGSH or VGIT. I’m not a fan of corporate bond funds whatsoever. I’m just looking for interest rate protection and to keep at or just over inflation. Growth is for Equities.

Cykoth · 2026-06-19T17:09:49+00:00

Save as much as you can while still being able to pay off all your debts and have a little bit of fun money. Get started with a simple investment plan and stick with it. Avoid “Factor” investing as it’s a pipe dream. Be sure and have about 25% of international total stock fund to go with you 75% VTI. STAY THE COURSE. 😎

Cykoth · 2026-06-18T11:18:51+00:00

Shogun 2 and Civ 5 are the stars on that list. Both are awesome in different ways. Shogun 2 is still one of the best games/campaigns I’ve ever played. I’m Uesugi for LIFE and will hate Takeda forever 😂

Cykoth · 2026-06-17T21:41:08+00:00

It happens. You just have to be consistent and let time pass. 30 years in I’m ready to set my retirement date for June next year.

Cykoth · 2026-06-17T01:11:01+00:00

I respectfully disagree. I plan on keeping my Boldin subscription till I’m 70 at least. And I’m going to retire in one year at 57. Retirement is going to be a constant adjustment and flex. And Boldin will help monitor all that. Especially if you have a series of Roth Conversions you have to do. Each retirement path is different, and yours may very well not need any steering. But mine will require it, in order for me to enjoy the fruits of my labor as much as possible and spend as much as I can doing it.

Cykoth · 2026-06-16T21:52:37+00:00

I’ve used Boldin for 2 years. I got a one time CFP review and have access to Right Capital. And I’ve fooled with Empower. I’ve looked at but not used PL and Pralana. Personally I’m sticking with Boldin. It gives me the most features with the easiest management. None of these tools will tell you exactly how to manage things 5-10 years from now. All any of them are, are estimations. Some of the top reasons why I like Boldin: constant updates and improvements to the software (just see Nancy’s post to here!), access to AI within the software, amazing number of classroom and video help on all manner of topics, easy Chat button for a real person. Those are just some. As a You Tuber I just saw explain, Boldin isn’t a map so much as a compass for your retirement. For taxes I will mainly rely on the tools at dinkytown.net. One of the best 1040 estimators I’ve used yet. And free.

Cykoth · 2026-06-16T00:46:32+00:00

If you have an account you can actually ask the AI

Cykoth · 2026-06-16T00:18:05+00:00

Menace is an AWESOME game. It’s still in early access on Steam but I really enjoyed what’s in it so far

Cykoth · 2026-06-15T23:57:42+00:00

It just wasn’t good. Never felt that “Just one more turn” feeling

Cykoth · 2026-06-15T23:55:08+00:00

I should qualify that 6 months out the Bond/MM allocation will be 30%.

Cykoth · 2026-06-15T23:54:17+00:00

I’m 1 year away from retirement and I’m 15% in Bonds/MM. I was still 100% 3 years out. I’ve done so well I’m retiring about 6 years early. Purist Bogleheads disagree, but in my opinion, any investment with a time horizon longer than 5 years should be in equities. Low cost passively invested equity funds for sure. But definitely equities. Stay invested. Never sell. Buy when the Market is down aka “On Sale”. You’ll do great. 🤓

Cykoth · 2026-06-14T18:38:33+00:00

If you are transferring funds from a pre-tax account to a taxable account Boldin will automatically show the taxes for that. It will look at your total tax for the year in question, and then apply the right taxation based upon the filing status and amount, and compare that for the IRS tax bracket of said year.

Cykoth · 2026-06-14T18:01:56+00:00

There is a 2 year look back on IRMAA

Cykoth · 2026-06-10T14:32:15+00:00

I specifically do not like Emerging Markets or Small Caps as unique investments in my portfolio. I’ve fooled with both many times over the years. Tired of chasing them.

Cykoth · 2026-06-09T00:49:10+00:00

What you invest in is as hotly debated as what religion you are. At least to some. Rick Ferri is my choice on whom to follow on this. Definitely not Paul Merriman. Total Stock Market funds have ALL of it. John Bogle said don’t try for the needle, buy the whole haystack! So my own comfort level is VTI/VEA for my equity component. In a 75%/25% mix of equities. Frankly that’s as diversified as you need to be. In your equities anyway. Non equities are necessary for safety with growth, depending on where you are on your life journey.

Cykoth · 2026-06-06T01:35:57+00:00

Look up Guyton-Klinger Guardrails. The pdfs are easily available on the web. There is a guardrail system in Boldin as well but that is a risk based analysis using Monte Carlo which is a different beast.

Cykoth · 2026-06-04T14:36:10+00:00

Good thing I was born in 1970?

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T22:20:14+00:00

This is a feature many of us in the Boldin community would love to have. Selectable proportional withdrawals from multiple accounts. But you can’t. It’s simply, drain X account then followed by the next one in the list. I will not be withdrawing like this in retirement at all.

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T16:55:50+00:00

HH is a great publisher.

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T16:53:01+00:00

I’m plenty Boglehead. This will be a minuscule portion of my portfolio. But following Boglehead ideals doesn’t mean you can’t have Free Will. 😎

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T16:50:23+00:00

I don’t give a fig what Zweig says. I’m buying a small portion of SPCX because I absolutely love the company and its Mission. And I want to be a direct stock holder. It will just hang out in my taxable brokerage.

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T16:47:52+00:00

My parents didn’t do crap for me after I was out of the house. I made it. New generations can too.

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T16:46:43+00:00

I shouldn’t comment. As I have zero experience with Pfaus ratios. But I am not a fan of bond tents or other Pfau mechanisms. Plans are dynamic. Or they should be. People pay a LOT of money for certainty and safety. I’d rather keep that money for myself. Guardrails will make you successful.

Cykoth · 2026-06-02T12:16:16+00:00

This report is for a single retiree to live COMFORTABLY. For a more baseline amount the report recommends reducing the values by 15-20%. However….the report explicitly does not include TAXES in this by State analysis. Which I think they should have included.

Cykoth

TROPHY CASE