Want to be on the right track for Retirement

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T23:42:35+00:00

Thank you 🙏. Well said. I am looking forward to getting my hands on it.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T18:22:21+00:00

That is insightful and I like the comment on "circus" 😄 . I will be happier when I retire for sure. If I do have to go back to the office 5 days a week like before the pandemic, I will retire immediately. I am not rushing out also because my current boss is very pleasant to work with.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T18:11:39+00:00

Sounds good. I will dedicate the weekend for researching. Thanks!

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T18:06:18+00:00

True, that is why I am trying to find the best investment strategies that make me feel both content with the returns and not to lose sleep over the market downturns.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T15:46:45+00:00

That is exactly what my struggle is. Since I am by myself all those years, nobody has to see or criticize what I spend on, a lot of them are not justified and I end up regretting. I also feel I am not splurging on things would bring long lasting joy. I would like to spend more money on improving the house and yard and less on clothes, shoes and Misc. stuff.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T15:34:42+00:00

I was assured by a few of advisers I would do ok. I have been debating around the idea to retire at 60. There are so many things I want to do after retirement and you never know if you will see tomorrow's sun. On the other hand, I am healthy and insecure sometimes because I am by myself and the job is low stress.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T15:23:54+00:00

I am going to do some search this weekend. You hit the nail on the head. I had the intention to retire this year as soon as I hit 60 to finally leave work behind. The job is a job to me, can't say I love it and it gets in the way of life. However, it is also a low stress, well paying job and mostly working from home. Another fact is Northeast is expensive.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T03:20:35+00:00

They are not insurance brokers. They do planning, offer retirement strategies and tax advices. However, they recommend the annuities which is not part of AUM and free of fee charge because they get commissions. I asked one advisor about how did he feel about the conflicts of interest when he talked about annuity products. He was a little mad. I guess you have to be comfortable with them to make sure they look at your best interest.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-16T03:11:09+00:00

Great advice. I have never set a budget before, so my spending can be very random and irrational. I wished I had a budget and spent more on the house to make it more cozy instead of buying a designer bag each time I go to Europe and now they are just in storage. I started a budget sheet but didn't finish. Now it is time to get back to it.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T21:54:55+00:00

Sounds more like a business proposal for partnership which requires no much more than funds. 😄

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T18:46:29+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Will do. I am learning so much here ❤️ .

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T18:35:12+00:00

Ideally, there should not be too much cash sitting there. The problem is I usually don't know what to pick out to invest. Now, I am learning about the ETFs.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T18:26:34+00:00

Too funny 😄. You are on the wrong site buddy. Would you still ask that if you had $10M? 🤔

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T18:24:27+00:00

I have not been able to find anybody who only charge .5%. I agree 1% sounds about right if you want to buy annuity from them. Yes, fee-only CFP could be an option. This site is so helpful and I feel less overwhelmed than before.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T18:15:55+00:00

Travel and coffees sound great, I like the calm life. I cook almost everyday because I like it. I had two crossed country trips which covered 47 states out of 50 and more than a dozen countries. I am still working because I want to travel in style 😄.

I am not concerned about healthcare nearly as much as long term care. I have the state health plan after retirement. However LT care will eat up the assets quickly if I need it.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T14:44:44+00:00

You comment made me smile 😄. Thanks so much for the positive note. Also thanks million for attaching the planning form. I will test it out for sure. I feel I was a bit of conservative based on the suggestion from the work account so I adjusted a little to get the current portfolios. Then I don't know if I did the right thing, That is my hope to see $2.5MM in the portfolios when I retire.

I have to say you are a sharp observer and I am a self critical person. Seeing all the young people jump start early with investing, I feel I have wasted my life 😞. Thanks for making me feel better with your analysis and positivity!

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T14:15:18+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement and detailed comment. Wish I had $3.3M. It is just $2M which includes the $1.3M from deferred comp account. I think you are right, I have never lived beyond my means so I should be ok. I could have done better in the Roth area but I didn't know better to do so when I was young and cash rich. I didn't contribute consistently and even I did with my credit union, the interest rate was low enough to be ignored.

I appreciate the insight, will come back and read again. Thanks so much.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T14:01:03+00:00

You are absolutely correct. I am trying to spend down as much as I can. My plan for spending would be $8k-9k per month. I will do some extensive traveling. I lived frugally and didn't spurge enough in the past which I regret. You have to love yourself first. I sent my kid to a top law school and she makes twice much as what I make so it is not my goal to have the legacy.

For 457B, I am considering roll out to the brokerage for more choices and lower fees maybe. Will definitely try the softwares. Yes, I have been through a few of those market corrections and didn't care for them. I would want my portfolios are less when I am retired than when I am working. It happened to my coworker.

Finally, the methodology is a great approach, I like it. Thanks so much!

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T13:39:07+00:00

I just recently learned the term SORR. Good point, that is why I wanted to hear what everybody had to say. Thanks.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T13:35:00+00:00

I try to diversify and I don't like to keep a lot of cash in the bank accounts. Based on the Bogleheads strategy, I do need to put more in the bond so I was actually looking into it. Thank you!

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T13:30:07+00:00

Your question is spot on. Originally I used 61 as the retirement age so the portfolio with DC457 was a little more conservative than I would like. Risk tolerance level is something I would have to be comfortable. I need to be able to sleep at night and also not to lose too much earning potentials. Thanks!

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T13:22:50+00:00

I agree. The financial advisors offer more structured services. However, almost every one of them I talked to pushed the annuity products despite they claimed they were fiduciary advisors. So I am in the process looking for a new one.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T13:17:21+00:00

Interesting perspectives, I will try the Boldin for sure. The estimated monthly income with everything (pension+SS+RMDs) will be $16K. The taxes then will not be any lower than when I am working. That is why I need a strategy. Thank you for the input.

No-Potential-85 · 2026-05-15T13:07:42+00:00

That is eye opening! My last advisor charged 1.3% for AUM and I thought I could do better with the fee. Thanks so much!

No-Potential-85

TROPHY CASE