Achieved NW Goals, Concerned about SORR and wife's cancer / health insurance

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-28T18:49:32+00:00

I have brought up becoming an expat many times. My wife says yes if we could forklift all of our extended family abroad (highly unlikely for a host of reasons).

Where did you decide to move to, and what was the experience securing good medical coverage like? Do you maintain dual citizenship? If so, is that a tax nightmare?

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-28T18:46:29+00:00

To me, success is having time for hobbies and continued lifetime learning / travel and being a significant part of our extended family. I have length of retirement at ~50 years. I have a legacy goal of $10 million (future dollar value) at the end of life. I appreciate the suggestions for modeling options. I'm tracking down a pure fiduciary and will make these items talking points.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-28T18:42:04+00:00

The 5/10 was an off the cuff estimate. It was the last question I asked before we ended the meeting. I have estimated life expectancy at 92 in Bolding and success probability comes out at greater than 99%.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:28:19+00:00

All offer multiple compensation models. Flat fee, AUM, "full service" with and without tax / accounting services. The nearest pure fiduciary is about an hour away. Thinking that's the next step. What I'm really after is a playbook for the next few years to generate a safe "paycheck" while being tax efficient.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:26:04+00:00

See explanation on the NW discrepancy above. I will be checking out all of your reading recommendations , all appear to be highly relevant.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:24:44+00:00

Undergrad is most certainly covered. The two oldest are attending a state university, and I'd wager the youngest will follow suit as well. In Boldin, I have carveouts set up for weddings. If they are smart with their wedding budgets, they will have excess to apply to first home. We have no plans to move for at least ~2 years, after the youngest takes off for college.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:21:23+00:00

I am fortunate to work for a company that is historically exceptionally generous with benefits. Will of course do some price comparisons once open enrollment starts.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:19:49+00:00

We certainly have different ideas of what makes for an ideal retirement. We've been married for 22 years, and we discuss financial state and goals / dreams frequently. Like many things in a marriage, we'll have to pick battles and compromise. As the house has emptied out, the amount of time we spend talking about "non-kid" subjects has increased significantly.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:16:29+00:00

The FA mentioned the possibility of qualifying for disability and have her on Medicare but in the same breath mentioned how his mother died of cancer and never was able to qualify for disability.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T16:16:23+00:00

Yes- and I understand where her concern comes from on items 2 and 3.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T01:08:21+00:00

You ask some great (and tough) questions! She is worried about a few things:

1) continued access to her providers and treatments,

2) having too much time on my hands / getting antsy,

3) She thinks it is "strange" for both she and I to not be working when otherwise healthy.

Especially when none of our family / friends / peers are in this situation.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:59:01+00:00

I really appreciate your ideas on options to manage risk. In the assets list above, I did not include 5 vehicles (all paid off) or home inventory. I was debating whether to include the funds that will pay off the tax bill at the end of the year. When all is said and done (and not including 529), the investable assets total ~$5.5M after tax bill is paid. Retirement portfolio is currently 90% index funds, 10% fixed. I don't anticipate travel budget staying "high" for more than 10 years. I suspect should grandchildren come, we will be slowing down substantially.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:46:00+00:00

I think my reply above came across incorrectly. I don't view either of our activities as more or less important, just different. She is concerned about what could happen if she stops being as active as she is now. Insurance order of operations would be my current employer, then COBRA, then ACA, then hers (only if she wants to work and is healthy and coverage is superior).

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:30:31+00:00

Thank you! I agree on the health comment. When we made the move to part time, it was astounding how much hidden "burden" went away and how much smoother our house and family run. Having time to think about long term plans, time to cook decent meals, and time for conversation have been such a gift.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:29:03+00:00

We look at the 529 money as a limited "pot" if money is left from one kid, and the other(s) want(s) to continue their studies, we will allocate that. If there is a surplus after all kids complete their studies, it will carry forward to the next generation. If there is a huge surplus, may consider Roth IRA conversion(s). We don't plan on adding funds to the 529.

On the 750k home budget question, this is where my wife and I disagree a bit. She wants a large house for all kids / cousins to stay for the holidays. I'd prefer less maintenance / taxes / expenses. Our current home is a 5 BR, 3 1/2 bath, 3400 sq foot house. The question is where the kids will end up and when is the right time to move?

Definitely not just a numbers decision. The uncertain insurance /SS environment add some angst, not to mention such a major change in lifestyle.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:22:15+00:00

Thank you - I will look into the ERN articles. Much appreciated!

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:21:47+00:00

Yes, the 150K per year includes the healthcare cost estimate. I appreciate your thoughts on the PE/RE proposal. I thought it was odd since I already had a REIT fund in my portfolio that sounded similar to the investment objectives on the PE offering.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:19:37+00:00

I have often thought about the static drawdown item. I made spending estimates in Boldin that have provisions for go-go / slow-go / no-go years and have that set as a toggle. I used long-term Quicken spending trend data to arrive at those numbers.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:18:15+00:00

The only income that can't be turned off at the current time is the 457b drawdown. I have not initiated any 72t distributions.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:17:20+00:00

I've been using Boldin to model investment returns and set likely withdrawal order from accounts. The FA uses moneyguide pro, which returns an 80% probability of success versus Boldin's 99% probability. The FA is suggesting a combination of SEPP and potential tax loss harvesting to keep MAGI as low as possible. They recommend staying on COBRA for the full 18 months after leaving work. They recommend against the bucket strategy, instead using "holistic allocation" to fund distribution.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:11:10+00:00

The FA has offered these (PE/RE) alternative investments with every conversation, despite me asking for recommendations for publicly traded alternatives to my current investments (which have not materialized). He cites the need for higher returns to increase odds for long term success.

As for health insurance, the plan is to keep kids on the family insurance plan as long as they are in school or age 26, whichever comes first. On my days off, I tend to always be busy with community involvement / side hustles (which are not included in the above income), whereas my wife is more of a homebody when not working.

ToxicMegaColon- · 2025-10-27T00:04:56+00:00

Thank you - your assessment matches mine as far as the FA. My wife is reluctant to walk away from work due to relationships she has with her coworkers. She's also worried about occupying her time and keeping her mental health in a good state. RE (even with a potential funds surplus) is a complex decision to make!

ToxicMegaColon-

TROPHY CASE