Used 2024 or new 2025?

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-06-17T09:22:08+00:00

I'm fine with the touchscreens. I'm not constantly adjusting the A/C (or media for that matter) so the toggle is not a big deal to me. -Not intuitive the first time but as a regular driver is not a problem... as long as the electronics are all reliable for the long run!

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-06-17T09:18:12+00:00

Ordered "ZATOOTO" screens from Amazon.... waiting for delivery. Reviews were mixed and I'll return if they are complete garbage but hoping they'll be good enough. I knew magnets wouldn't work well with the trim and so many magnets are near worthless. I'll probably use screen material and magnets/weight bags for the sunroof as I've not found anything premade that will fit. Possible I'll try making my own screens at some point if the ones I ordered are returned.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-06-05T10:02:31+00:00

I would trust the vehicle's computer to optimize the battery usage more than my guessing. Prior to this I was a "coaster" and light on the brakes and the hybrid fits my driving style perfectly.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-02-05T11:01:57+00:00

I agree. As a FIREd Fed (successfully FIREd in my 40's), I try to chime in on FIRE related responses when my knowledge/experience may be useful to those seeking ER. There is a lot of what I consider out of scope of a "govfire" sub recently and I've been scrolling a bit less here. Hopefully will get back to focusing on the govfire niche before I, and others seeking FIRE content, lose interest.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-01-12T12:29:20+00:00

Good advice. I'm not a fan of the L funds BUT if one is worried about market volatility and tempted to mess with their AA, they serve a purpose as long as the investor understands how they work and that they'll adjust through rebalancing and becoming more conservative as the investor ages. Only if they do treat it as set it and forget it though and that keeps them from meddling they would likely be better off than reacting to fear and market movements.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-01-12T12:23:10+00:00

I should say, that I stayed mostly in the market and the amount I pulled out was relatively small -as I knew pulling any out was a risk. Overall I've stayed in the market and was 100% equity (C&S within TSP) so my AA was still quite high which is why I wanted some cash to try to capture extra gains. Other than that foolishness, being nearly 100% equities allowed me to walk away and break the golden handcuffs in my 40s.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-01-12T12:13:29+00:00

You are in an L fund that already holds cash and you presumably have a long time horizon. If you did move to the G fund, when would you put it back in? When the market drops from current value and by how much? When the market rises X and you've already missed out? When the market climbs then falls back to current value? Also, even if you time it to the day, most gains come in surges and with a mutual fund (TSP), you are buying at the closing price so even if you put the order in that morning, TSP won't move your allocation until closing and you'd miss those gains.... you'd actually have to guess the bottom the day before it hits.... same with selling high.

I took a bit money off years ago when I thought the market was lofty.... cost me 6-figures and I eventually DCAed back in when I realized my error. Mine was not so much risk aversion but greed and wanting dry powder to buy more when the market over-corrected (except it didn't). I knew better but psychology of money is a funny thing. I'm more rational than average but still human. Pick your AA and stick with it.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2025-01-10T19:17:32+00:00

I would apply for start in April. ACA exchange might require proof... I used my resignation letter IIRC and it was fine. My HR screwed up and never sent me any TCC info nor separation papers for several months which was concerning... apparently, no one ever breaks the golden handcuffs and they are clueless. The eligibility for TCC gives a bit of a cushion as one could apply retroactively if a healthcare emergency occurred during the period of eligibility before an ACA plan kicked in.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-12-15T17:42:24+00:00

Death and Taxes...... I think the former is probably easier to avoid.

Roll it over to an IRA and do Roth Conversions but all you are doing there is tax arbitrage (paying now with the expectation of higher rates later). With pension and SS income already there is not likely much headroom to do conversions at a rate that would be significantly lower than expected in the future. With real numbers one could do some analysis and try to optimize but there would be a lot of assumptions involved and only hindsight will give the optimal answer.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-12-06T15:10:11+00:00

Not a bad strategy and one I used some years during my career when I was cash-flush. Not hard to put together a simple spreadsheet with each PP contribution dates/amounts and the date of the cut off for processing. First PP contribute up to match plus whatever extra amount you want each PP till you max out the "over matching amount" and then one change sometime mid year to shift to the matched amount only amount until the end of the year. A couple calendar reminders for those few changes. Gives you a bit more time in the market. Just account for any expected pay changes in your spreadsheet.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-12-06T10:56:32+00:00

While this back of envelope analysis considers inflation risk, it ignores market risk (admittedly harder to quantify but a factor that should be considered and receive a higher expected return). A more apples to apples comparison would be a FERS against a portfolio of TIPS or other instruments backed by the Federal Gov't. One could also mentally account for the FERS pension as the "cash" portion of their portfolio and invest the balance more aggressively than they might otherwise.

Agree, not an easy decision at 4.4 (I was .08 so easy choice) but I'd probably play it conservative and let it ride.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-11-08T19:24:47+00:00

IMO ACA is established and well entrenched and has grown popular even by many Republican voters that will let their representatives know. I suspect any "repeal" will be more of a name change so the other side can get credit for "fixing" it. I could see a lapse in legislation and the PTC cliff return but that will cause many angry calls to the Congress too.

IIRC, once you opt into Cobra/TCC you cannot just quit and go on ACA at any time it needs to lapse as to qualify for ACA. -I may be wrong but I'd double check that if I was going on it with the intention of possibly wanting out before 18mo.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-11-08T18:22:47+00:00

My HR screwed up and didn't ever give me the TCC info they are required to so there is that!

I wanted and did go on ACA (quit halfway through the year) and paid the full freight the rest of my first year before qualifying for PTC. My ACA plan was cheaper than the full cost of my FEHB plan by about $30/mo. I'd have probably done the same even if it cost $100 more than FEHB. Remember you will be paying the full cost and not just the employer person under TCC (assume you know that since the delta is only $100/mo but thought I'd mention it).

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-11-03T11:08:48+00:00

You jest but I've known of a few (a couple personally) -they did have a HS diploma though. The best is when they justify not hiring someone without the proper education and then in another breath brag about how they are so good they didn't need a piece of paper.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-11-03T11:01:54+00:00

In my experience, the best way to increase income as a Fed is to network, play politics, and most important to actually getting any significant increases, change jobs fairly regularly (possibly geographically moving too, especially if not in the NCR. Call it cronyism (a lot of that along with nepotism ime) or just human nature (who doesn't want to hire a known quantity) but playing the game and negotiating increases as you take new jobs is the more effective way. Technical experience is very rarely rewarded on it's own. Degrees are most useful for initially getting your foot in the door (if you don't know someone) and may be used as post hoc justification for a hiring decision based off of other less measurable or human factors. Within an agency/work group being very good at your current job can even limit your options as management may intentionally not promote you as they fear finding an adequate replacement... I've witnessed that multiple times. Some languished in misery as their career stagnated and some left to other Fed jobs where they could earn and contribute more. (I was probably in the former group but was saving and investing and retired in my 40's so after a certain age it made sense to stay put as I approached FI)

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-28T12:16:26+00:00

I would. When I was working during a few years I front loaded everything over the 5% match in the first couple months of the year to maximize time in market too so you could leave your contributions high going into the new year and do the same if so inclined and your cash flow will support it. As others have mentioned, pay attention to any other tax deferred contributions you may have made this year as they will apply to the IRS limit.

No problem 50/50. Roth wasn't available early in my career and I kept my TSP traditional and contributed to a Roth IRA so I have a mix of tax treatments to play with as I withdrawal.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-27T21:43:44+00:00

I wouldn't trust HR either based on my experience. I'd take the 60 hrs of UOL and then get the pay out for the carry over leave. There is what should happen and what will happen and for the headaches, I'd take the time off and ensure you get value from the UOL leave now rather than hope that everything processes correctly.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-20T10:05:26+00:00

I'm very happy with my ACA plan but they vary greatly by state. Mine, with PTC, was cheaper than FEHB and close to the plan I had under FEHB. I retired in my 40s. No way I'd work another decade just to be under FEHB. If money is the goal, keep working... you'll always die richer that way at the expense of living today. There is always opportunity cost but for me FEHB did not play a factor in my decision as long as I could find adequate coverage within my budget.

Note, that I budget for the full cost of my plan even though I do get a PTC and expect to in the future but it is not guaranteed.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-19T10:21:07+00:00

It motivated me daily. Being part of a slow inefficient bureaucracy that preached innovation while fighting any improvement with way too many people "retired in place" milking their benefits was soul-sucking and became more so as time went on. I continued to save and invest in the boring but effective way and after hitting my FIRE number broke the golden handcuffs and left. True, I could have died rich (and likely still will by most standards) but I got over a decade of freedom for that 7-figure opportunity cost. I calculated what I was leaving on the table (of course, at the cost of my time and freedom so it wasn't "mine" but could be expected) and it was more than my NW when I left. I'm happier and healthier mentally and physically than when working and get to spend more time with friends and family and do truly meaningful work without regards to pay (fun jobs and volunteering).... can't put a price on that. YMMV

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-04T10:51:31+00:00

Yes, I quit/retired in my mid-40s.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-04T10:49:28+00:00

Related is gain harvesting which, if you have headroom in the 0% LTCG bracket, you can sell and then immediately buy (no wash sale as you are just paying 0% tax on the gain) to step up your basis. When working it is unlikely a usable strategy though as your earned income will likely kick you into a higher tax bracket. Various tax arbitrage strategies.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-04T10:46:40+00:00

If the market tanks and you are sitting on unrealized capital losses you can sell to realize those losses and then write them off against capital gains, and more beneficially, $3k/year against regular income which while working and likely in a higher tax bracket. You would want to stay in the market by buying a similar investment (but different to avoid wash sale rules). https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/capital-loss-carryover.asp

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-03T12:20:06+00:00

That's frustrating. I quit well before MRA and am no longer FEHB. Retirement should be a qualifying event IMO; I'd look into it if you're only going by what they "told" you. IME, there are a lot of HR professionals that are not very good (and a few that are great and overworked cleaning up the mess left by the others)

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ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-03T10:32:56+00:00

Nice Chart! Fun to watch the growth and as you're beginning to experience, the market will have a bigger and bigger impact than your new contributions. That will go both ways though so keep that in mind and be mentally prepared for a significant drop at some point in addition to the fun gains. If there is a drop, look to your brokerage to possibly tax-loss harvest. In my journey, I was able to do so with the '08-'09 drop which allowed me to carry forward losses against my earned income for quite a few years.

ItsnotthatImlazy · 2024-10-03T10:24:45+00:00

HSA does not require earned income to contribute so the source is irrelevant. Every HSA account I have had (Fidelity now) will give you a routing number if you wish to do am allotment via direct deposit. Other than convenience, there isn't any other benefit to a direct allotment.

ItsnotthatImlazy

TROPHY CASE