• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Retirement

OK, a KNOWN 3rd party! Still, loading the login details for my funds and financial future
strikes me as taking a HUGE risk ... I'll pass.
If I am in the office of a paid broker who I have a signed contractual relationship with,
I at least have leverage if something goes badly - but with a free utility its just electrons in the æther.

But I can type in the numbers without granting them access to everything ...
Thanks!

I know, its just me - but there is a reason to be paranoid with retirement funds you've worked your whole life to accrue ... ...
 
Before I "retired" (was merged out of my job unexpectedly) I hadn't spent money on my stereo gear for about 10 years. Now that I have time to listen, but no money to spend, I've become an addict scanning eBay for deals on equipment, searching for the old music I didn't buy when it was current and new music that opens my horizons of appreciation, and learning from these forums. I thought I'd be fishing but I am in my man cave with my PC and my stereo and casually looking for a job at 63. Ha! Spent a lot of dough I shouldn't have. But I got really great deal, I think. Light years ahead of my old gear upstairs, which had degenerated due to decorating priorities to Bose "speakers" and a crappy turntable.

I have an interview Tuesday and I'm already thinking of what present I'll give myself if I score. Maybe a Rogue Sphinx. What the hell! Make it a Prima Luna. Then I'll need a tube phono pre...
 
What cartridge would you folks recommend for an Oracle Alexandria with a Sumiko MMT for about $1,000? Should I get a new arm, too? :D
 
Heather I can understand your mistrust. I've worked 30 years at one of S&Ps 20 largest companies, which publishes an annual "bible" on network security. I'm pretty familiar with best practices. Personal Capital is doing it better than my bank. You can't log in from a new device without a code sent to your registered phone. Many other best practices followed. They don't have access to your logins, that's all handled by the same highly secure aggregator (Yodlee) used by companies like Intuit (TurboTax), Fidelity, Vanguard, etc.

It's great to see your net worth, cash flow, allocations, income, spending, retirement plan, etc on an iPad at a glance.

I don't trust financial advisors, myself. Pretty simple to invest following Bogleheads advice. It has put me in the top 10%, without having to pay someone whose first priority isn't me. Hope yours isn't named Bernie, lol.
 
No - I am just cautious - I have no financial advisor, Bernie or otherwise ... so far its just been me.
We had no real assets before we bought our house in 2000, and with a lot of blessings and tight budgets,
we have managed to pay down most of the house and put something aside.
I hope to retire at 66 in 2020, & hopefully, my wife will too about 4 or 5 years later ...

I don't want to sound greedy or anything like that, but we have to watch what we have ...

And I DO appreciate you sharing the planning tool.
 
If your 401K is at Fidelity, their Retirement Income Planner tool is very good. It won't track daily expenses or many of the other features of PC, but you can bring in outside investments (they also use Yodlee or a competitor to aggregate). If at Vanguard, you should have free access to Financial Engines, another pretty good tool.

If you want to remain completely anonymous, Firecalc or Firesim are probably the best you will find.

Good luck! We are apparently the same age.
 
I've basically been self-employed most of my life, and I still like most of what I do. So retirement for me is shaping up as doing the same thing, but less, and picking my jobs very carefully. College and big debt is in the rear view mirror, and I got to sock money away during the greatest bull market in history. So I don't see a bright line retirement date, just a gradual scaling back and restructuring.
 
It depends where you live and your hobbies...

A retired person doesn't have to stay in one place, there are many places where real estate is cheap down south so being a snow bird is possible. There are so many flea markets, swap meets and farmers markets to find what is needed and so many new things to learn. It's how we define ourselves and what we think others expect from us. At an older age it's best to live and do things that suit us as we have been there for everyone, now it's time for everyone to leave us be. There are so many things to do and places to go.....
 
Have travelled pretty much everywhere in the US, and much of Europe. "Down South" to me isn't very appealing, I equate it with hot and sticky. No thanks! Will retire somewhere on the West coast. A relatively small college town, with plenty of performing arts and learning opportunities would be great. Volunteering would be fulfilling, for a good cause. Travelling, especially back to Europe, once they get security figured out, is definitely in the cards.
 
At almost 66 years old, my biggest change will be moving. I've lived within 25 miles of here since I was born, with the exception of my college years which were a mere 60 miles away. Opened my own business in 1981, raised two children and put them through college, and started winding down the business when our daughter graduated two years ago. Both kids stayed on the central coast when they graduated, so we'll make the 250 mile move to be closer to them.

I saved enough hardware, goodies, and gizmos from the days of government surplus sales to keep me busy on ebay for 5-6 years, so I won't go stir crazy. I'll take that with me when we move, and sell off all of the big stuff just to get rid of it.
 
A nice retirement tool that asks you nothing personal is at Vanguard:

https://retirementplans.vanguard.com/VGApp/pe/pubeducation/calculators/RetirementNestEggCalc.jsf

I had to retire at 61 because I could not take the pain anymore. This is my year for repairs. I've done one knee replacement and the other will happen around October. I'm doing outpatient therapy for knees and back. It got to the point that going to a WalMart superstore was a frightening thing to do. I used to love to walk and go to the flea markets in the area. It is going to be a year or more until I can truly get back on my feet and I really look forward to it. Arthritis is my arch enemy and I seem to have to plan things around the pain issue. Picking up my SX-1280 recently to send it to mattsd was really rough. I am starting to appreciate my Sansui Model Eights more, due to their smaller size and, of course, wonderful sound.
 
Buy some small hand weights , start out light,I started with 5 lbs, don't laugh, some exercises you do ,they will feel like 30 lbs.
Get to moving and do some exercise or you will end up not able to move and have joints that hurt like crazy.
I have a small weight bench and lift max 80 lbs, walk about a 11/2 everyday and do my own stretching routine in the mornings listening to my stereo's, takes about 90 minutes out of my life everyday.
I promise you ,if you don't get moving you will end up miserable, I tell people ,I may die tomorrow, but I will never regret getting off my butt.
I watched one brother die at 60 and the other last month at 65, all from not taking care of themselves, while worshipping the tv and fast food.
I'm 60 now and I can tell you at 56 ,I thought I was 75, all the aches and pains not able to bend over without my head turning beet red.
Forget tying both shoes at the same time, had to come up for a break before the second one.
I have a history of unexplained a fib about every two years, no a fib since I started taking care of myself and my little guy below decided to start working four days a week, imagine that.
You don't have to be a gym rat ,in fact the more you do at home, the more likely you will stick with it.
Sure beats the nursing home, or buying larger clothes.
You are all smart people already, the best education you can get, along with feeling good about the day is, strike up a conversation with a total stranger, even people having a bad day will smile start talking about anything.
Just leave religion ,politics and race out of the conversation,I talk to everyone, always have ,I can count on one hand the people that did not want to talk.
No offense , but sitting in a class room seems like an extension of what you probably been doing all your life.
I have some strong conservative ideas and opinions, but that does not come into play when I'm talking to strangers, my mom always said, I'm talking with people, like my mom said, treat people how you would like to be treated.
Just my two cents
 
Sunray,
You speak the truth. Altho I'm not retired I've seen many go and not make it a year past their retirement. Some didn't even collect their first paycheck. :oops: I'm in a VERY stressful job and once my coworkers restore something inside seems to unwind. True many are unfit and not healthy that's why I advocate doing what you can in the scope of your physical boundaries. Walk in the early cool mornings robustly. Volunteer. Do estate sales. Do something, just get up and keep going.
To end on a good note...I wish all you luck on a well deserved & earned retirement. Stay strong!
 
Been retired for almost 7 years , wife found out she had breast cancer the year I retired, she passed away 4 months ago,think of her every day . Its been along 7 years.
 
One thing you can do to prepare to while away the time is to hone your DIY skills. I like to do for myself and, owning a home, have a constant flow of stuff that needs fixing.

Hobbies are nice too ... refurbishing your own audio equipment is just a start. I also restore mechanical clocks ... I even got a good beat on a Seth Thomas 124 after re-bushing as needed just the other day!

(Anybody who works clocks will understand) <G>
 
Maybe I'll move it all to Wells Fargo, lol. Was such a trustworthy old bank, been around since the Gold Rush days. WTH happened?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom