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Investing is simpler than it looks

Start saving with your first paycheck.

Old age is right around the corner and baby, it ain't cheap to retire these days...

My in-laws were checking out some of the retirement communities. $5k+/month and I'm not sure if that included meals or not...
 
I am approaching retirement. I have a mix of IRA, TSP, 401K. I am heavily weighted toward stocks - Index Funds plus stock chosen for dividends. I want to move some funds from stock to bonds or other "safer" investment.

I have started looking at Fixed Index Annuities for some of my investments - would love some feedback on these.
 
l don't mean to advise anyone on investments, but I would like to share some info. Land prices have gone up from the mid 1930's to 2008-2010 time frame with the only drop in that time frame of up to 65% in North Ga but probably not in Cobb county. You could buy land in Cobb for $600 per acre in 1964 and it is well over $100,000 per acre now! Land was selling for $100 to $200 per acre in Gilmer county in 1969 and went to $12k to 20k in some places and now you can find it for $4k to 5K per acre.

If I were a young or middle age man now I would find the smallest barely livable run down house, buy it work to make it livable and borrow all I could and buy land and live as frugal as I could till I could see daylight.

If I were just getting into the stock market would subscribe to a stock letter,by Bill Spetrino, The Dividend Machine, and slowly get into it. He started 20 or so years ago with MO and PM which are great buys today paying 6 to 7 per cent dividends. His portfolio contains about 18% in APPL!. I traded APPL over last couple of years , 80%, of my investment and now at 85 pulled 50% of cash out of regular account and only holding 4 or 5 stocks like MO and PM which are up 30% or so in last couple of months along with large cash positions.

You ask what is the market going to do. Look at where Warren Buffett is. I think I read he is sitting on 12 (?) billion in cash. No one knows when it will correct, but it will, just be ready, patience always wins.
 
Start saving with your first paycheck.

Old age is right around the corner and baby, it ain't cheap to retire these days...

My in-laws were checking out some of the retirement communities. $5k+/month and I'm not sure if that included meals or not...

We are a step away and at those prices wondering if it would not be better to stay put and hire a maid/cook.
 
I took early retirement from first employer after 30 years, regular retirement from 2nd at 65 then part time consulting just 3 months short of my 77th birthday when Obama got rid of a lot of government contractors. Don't quit at 65 unless you are physically impaired or very, very well off. Hit a milestone this year - been drawing retirement from that first employer for over 30 years. God is great!!
 
I am approaching retirement. I have a mix of IRA, TSP, 401K. I am heavily weighted toward stocks - Index Funds plus stock chosen for dividends. I want to move some funds from stock to bonds or other "safer" investment.

I have started looking at Fixed Index Annuities for some of my investments - would love some feedback on these.

There is one thing to consider about annuities. The returns are taxed as ordinary income (Form 1040 Line 7 or 8).

If you stay out of annuities, you have the ability to use the Qualified Dividend and Cap Gain rate which is always lower. You can also pick the cap gain in the year that you want to do it. It includes going to the worksheet on Cap Gains and Dividend income. You check the space on line 11a with WS and 11a as D.

The amounts in an IRA, a 401K, and some TSP can be merged into one IRA. It is what I did. It allows you more flexible decisions.

There is no safe investment except short term U.S. bonds and FDIC insured money.

I think we are looking forward to low interest rates for a long time.

I run this myself, but you can buy the tax software online.
 
We are a step away and at those prices wondering if it would not be better to stay put and hire a maid/cook.

I am 63 and wife is 62... Both in very good health... (today!).... I have been thinking about hiring some to live at my home rather than going to an assisted living.... Even importing help from SE Asia... Low cost and they are very caring for the elderly over there..
 
I am 63 and wife is 62... Both in very good health... (today!).... I have been thinking about hiring some to live at my home rather than going to an assisted living.... Even importing help from SE Asia... Low cost and they are very caring for the elderly over there..

Good to hear some others have similar thoughts. I am 85 and have procrastinated so long still in a split level house. But could live in the 1 bedroom addition I built about 24 years ago for her Mother which connects to ground level of two story part of the main house. I am still getting around fairly well now. But who knows about tomorrow.
 
My dad is 95 and was living alone in Savannah - mom passed at 92. I am only child and brought him to live with us in NW GA. He has memory issues now - memory care assisted living is about $6000 per month. Like most of his generation (WW2 vet!) he was frugal and saved but that is pulling his savings down. Certainly an issue to consider as I plan my retirement in the future.
 
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