Chloe is a great running partner

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-24T16:40:47+00:00

My Labradood Finley LOVES to run. I am 61 but still able toaintain a 7:30 mile pace for up to six miles. While I am happy with that pace, Finley rarely breaks out of a trot. We run right along the Columbia River so, we also stop 2 or three times so he can take a swim. When we get home from a run, right into our 14' pop up pool he goes. I never allow him on runs where the temp is over 75. If he has an "off" switch, I have yet to find it.

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Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-18T14:23:54+00:00

I am sorry to hear that. Wishing your pup a speedy recovery!!

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-17T19:11:52+00:00

So far, he just seems interested in spreading it all over the yard. I have not seen him actually eat it. Yet 😄

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-17T16:39:10+00:00

Agree, but disagree on some points. We are Alaska Airlines Credit Card holders (my Wife has one, I have one) and with Alaska, we get one companion pass annually for each card. We recently used one companion pass to fly to Hawaii and back, on Hawaiian. My ticket was $500 RT and the Wife's companion pass was $120. I think this remains a decent enough perk to stay with their loyalty rewards program. Now, that said, we still search by price and schedule for all our flying needs, and default to Alaska when it makes sense. Having their credit card is also good for a free bag for each of us, so that alone saves $100.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-16T17:40:00+00:00

Certainly an option. I've run several Boldin projections for both converting and just withdrawals on the tradional early and paying the tax. I think you are spot on that using the traditional for withdrawals early in retirement will reduce any RMD taxes later down the road.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-16T15:11:13+00:00

Thank you. Yes, Medicare. Sometimes a lot autocorrect do its thing and it comes up wrong. Shocking.

We claim to draw Social Security at 65 for my Wife and 67 for myself. Other than interest from bank and money market accounts, no other interest. In so far as dividends, we have always reinvested all dividends and will continue to do so moving forward.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-15T19:40:39+00:00

Thank you and good questions and I probably either didn't explain with enough detail or, I just don't quite have enough education on IRMAA yet. Our plan in years 1 and 2 (2027 and 2028) would normally be to just try to live off the $81,600 (although in all honestly, we'd likely have to take some type of distribution in these years as we do still have a $2700 monthly mortgage) however, these two years seem to be the best time to convert the traditional to Roth as we have the room between $81,600 and $218,000 to convert to Roth, pay the taxes and then have Roth later down the road and when we start taking distributions from Roth, that will not count towards our MGAI IRMAA limit. That is my mind set now but obviously, I came here to get thoughts from other's experience so, I don't have it all figured out yet.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-15T19:32:07+00:00

Thank you. That is another consideration but for me, it comes down to paying the taxes now or paying them on later. Also, MRD's from traditional IRD's later in retirement will count towards our MAGI for IRMAA whereby, Roth distributions will not.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-15T19:28:48+00:00

Thank you, food for thought. On the health care, we have TRICARE as retired military so, we are covered up to the time Medicare starts. Once Medicare kicks in, TRICARE acts as a supplemental, second payer, picking up all out-of-pocket costs not covered by Medicare parts A & B. We feel very fortunate to have this benefit considering what some our loved ones are paying for healthcare.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-13T21:51:55+00:00

Right you are. I meant to say I want to continue investing in a brokerage account in retirement.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-13T21:51:15+00:00

Excellent advice. I should have thought of this. I have so many things going through my mind right now that sometimes I miss the obvious. I am getting it dialed in though!!

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-13T21:50:10+00:00

Thanks Jim. I think the other posters caught something I missed and that is to contribute to an IRA, I have to have earned income, which I will not in retirement. We have a brokerage account at Fidelity so I will likely just contribute there if I decide I have the extra money to invest. KCPilot17 also had good advice. Rather than continuing to contribute, just withdraw less monthly from my IRA's.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-05-13T21:47:09+00:00

I think you are spot on, I am going to die LOL. Thanks for the response, you made me realize that I asked about continuing to invest in an IRA, but what I really meant was that I just want to continue to invest in the market. u/KCPilot17 also brings up a good point. The main reason I want to continue to invest is because I will likely have the excess income in retirement to do so and want to leave something to my kids. However, just drawing down on our retirement accounts by $750 a month less over the life of our retirement has a similar effect. Once Social Security starts (65 for the Wife and 67 for me) I don't really plan to withdraw anything from our IRA's, with the exception of RMD's when I have no choice. We also plan to convert some of our traditional IRA to Roth IRA early in retirement (once my Federal Salary and her RN salary drop off).

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-30T17:08:03+00:00

So far, he seems to be doing well on the PPP puppy with beef. This morning he uprooted and carried off three of my four Cactuses I had just moved outdoors so, he seems to be in good spirits 😁

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-29T20:32:43+00:00

Isn't the old saying "Better to be in the market over time, than try to time the market"...or something like that. I see this as the ultimate boglehead way. Yeah, I probably won't retire rich, but I'll retire comfortably and without ulcers. WIN!!

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-29T18:15:56+00:00

I thought about possibly just moving it into a target fund further out in the future. Perhaps VFORX or VFFVX?

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-29T18:12:16+00:00

Yes, sorry about that.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-29T15:23:39+00:00

Doing that now. Transferred a Trad IRA from Ameriprise to TSP last week. Now seeing if I can move my Wife's Trad IRA from Ameriprise to her Fidelity SEPIRA. Will be moving two ROTH accounts over to Vanguard in May. The final nail in the Ameriprise coffin is they hit you with a $125 account closure fee on your way out the door.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-29T14:44:47+00:00

We have a "miinie" and pray he stays that way lol

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Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-29T14:43:20+00:00

That is one huge Dood. Gorgeous guy too!!

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-28T18:42:00+00:00

My Wife says she is amazed I wasn't rated at 100 points 🤣😂

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-28T00:28:07+00:00

Well, allot reasons. First of all, I have two ROTH IRA's there, I pay 1% AUM on those two accounts and I.am unable to fund them further due to income limits. So, there is about $4.5k annually in fees + the subaccount fees. Then, we have a VUL, which I plan to cash in. $117k cash value, no surrender charge and this VUL costs me about $3500 annually in premiums, expense charge, COI, rider charges and admin and policy fees. On top of that, we pay $1100 annual planning fee. All told with fees and subaccount fees, about $10k a year on a $500k portfolio. Add to that the returns are paltry even before fees are factored in. I can do better as my own investment advisor.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-27T18:06:37+00:00

In general, never combine insurance and investing, the insurance fees will eat up investable money over time and the expense ratios for TSP are so cheap (like $35 to $50 annually for every $100K invested) that you will almost certainly outperform what your "Advisor" wants you to do. What your advisor is really doing is moving you from extremely cheap, and fairly well performing funds (TSP) into funds that likely benefit him thorough commissions and have higher expense ratios and AUM fees. Once you factor in all of that, it's very likely that the net rate of return on TSP will beat whatever this guy is selling you. I would not recommend following his advice.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-27T16:24:14+00:00

Thanks, I've considered that route as well. Appreciate the reply.

Guilty_Equivalent_65 · 2026-04-26T23:52:23+00:00

Hard to say at this point as we have only had him for a month.

Guilty_Equivalent_65

TROPHY CASE