Recent content by hotwired

We use the "Chase Universe". We had stacked up 750,000 points just before the pandemic. Our high end Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 fee per year), was giving 50% bonus on points when used for travel through their portal. Because travel stopped, they applied that bonus toward groceries and dining...

Hey that's me, haha! I've learned a bit since that post, but still digging in...

I did exactly the same thing. Unfortunate and that I have three LLCs so including my wife I have five accounts that I can fund. I've got about half of mine in 1.3% and half and 9% healing 5.27 and 4.27% I believe right now respectively. I'm considering slowly trading the nines for 1.3's over the...

Correct me if I'm wrong and I very well could be, but I believe with mygas you can also do a tax deferred roll over to another annuity MYGA or other, via a 1035 exchange?

I've got a ton of iBonds via myself, wife and 3 LLCs, plus some gift box purchases 120k with 70 at 5.27 (1.3 30 year inflation lock), and 50k at 4.27 (.9 inflation lock). That's our emergency stash. I very well may cash in the 50k .9 batch and use for MYGA

Right. But that's the same for nominal bonds except you actually "get" the interest in hand. I don't see the disadvantage necessarily.

I'm an experienced investor but a COMPLETE newbie with MYGAs. Picture someone who's been vacationing in hotels suddenly deciding to get a timeshare...that level of "stuff to learn". I'm realizing that MYGA's are offering superior rates further out, like 5 years plus. I've never bought one...

Thanks everyone. That was the missing piece. Shoot, there's some great rates out there. I'm just realizing what a great tool MYGA's CAN be as long as you don't need funds before 59.5. I'm 58.5 now. My friend just scored a 7 year 5.65% MYGA.

Strange but I cannot find an answer this question via Google. Are MYGA's subject to a 10% tax penalty if you have one that matures before you're 59.5 and you take the money out? I mean my understanding is that they're basically insurance company's versions of CDs (with a couple of policy...

Same thought It's funny you say that, in addition to creating a 12 to 13-year ladder, I decided to plunk about 100K way out on the Spectrum 25 to 30 years out, figuring best case I get a nice capital gains pop if rates go down, worst case which isn't so bad, I get about 5% on 100 grand for the...

If I'm building a bond ladder with both nominal and TIPs, is there any reason I wouldn't put 100% of my nominal portion into STRIPs? It strikes me as the simplest way to go because it eliminates reinvestment risk and makes fewer moving parts. (I don't consider the phantom income thing a...

Aca / hsa DW and I (58) opt for the HSA plan. We have had it for years, and it's like having cake and eating it too. 9,300 deduction, then we've scanned and categorized receipts since we opened it, so we'll get tax free withdrawals "paying ourselves back"

We're 58 and became "able" to retire at 53. Now to be fair, we live in central Maine, which is fairly low cost. Our personal budget is 52K, not inc. travel which is funded by 2 small apartment buildings we still own. But, I have a small web design & hosting business which brings in about 6K net...

Another layer Ditto for my answer: You add last year's CPI or other chosen number. (And I understand you're not necessarily using the rule, just curious). And given that, I'd like to add a perspective to the inflation adjustment rule. I've noticed that in general, I don't necessarily spend 3%...

Good Day Everyone With bond rates having increased, and at the same time having sold a couple of multi unit apartment buildings, I've been assembling a bond ladder of sorts. (I say of sorts because it's set up to fund SOME of our needs, and I've also put a small amount into far dated zero's and...