Retirement question

Jul 5, 2020
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I got defensive one year ago because I hated all of this market chop from AI and the admin juicing the market with the tariff BS. I positioned equally in UHC (bingo), PM and UPS for the dividends. I figured that since they are all decent recession plays, I'd be okay. Combined with VIG, it's performed steadily for me at about 18% YTD even though I could have made more with more tech exposure.

The UHC play was shrewd but I didn't expect it to do as well as it has in one year. Always a reminder to buy well-performing companies when there's a discount opportunity.
 

johnson86-1

All-American
Aug 22, 2012
14,894
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Besides all that, medical expenses are the determining value for like 99% of people with that question. And we dont know what they will be. Nursing home care is redonk expensive. If you dont mind moving your assets and taking Medicaid facilities for that if needed, you can offload your biggest question mark.

If it comes down to having to go in a NH, hit the self checkout line. Many are horrible places.

5 year look back for Medicaid so if you are transferring assets and you go into a facility within 5 years of the transfer you will get penalized.
There may be some nursing home facilities that take medicaid that are decent, but I would not worry about protecting assets from nursing homes unless you have so little that they're going to be exhausted and you're going to end up in a medicaid home regardless.

Most nursing home patients are out in 5 months. The average is under 14 months. So you are very likely to be done with a nursing home stay for under $150k, even if you stay longer than average. Granted the ones that stay alive in nursing homes for a long time most people can't save enough assets for. Going to need at least $2.5M to fund it indefinitely even in low cost areas, although there are products that are basically reverse life insurance products where you pay a large amount up front and then if you end up being one of the lucky (or unlucky?) ones that live a long time after entering a nursing home, they continue to pay. Not sure what those cost.

All that to say, I'd just roll the dice before just conceding thath you will be in a medicaid home when the time comes. If you blow through a $300k would be inheritance, then that sucks, but I think I'd rather a parent spend two or three years in a decent nursing home than have them in a ******** for 3 years (although they'll probably die sooner in a medicaid home just from despair) to get that $300k, especially if it's going to be split among siblings. I guess if you're at that $1M or 1.5M range, I can definitely see a parent wanting to be in a **** hole at the end of life so that their kids can get the benefit of their life savings.
 

JackReacherDawg

Sophomore
Apr 7, 2026
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There may be some nursing home facilities that take medicaid that are decent, but I would not worry about protecting assets from nursing homes unless you have so little that they're going to be exhausted and you're going to end up in a medicaid home regardless.

Most nursing home patients are out in 5 months. The average is under 14 months. So you are very likely to be done with a nursing home stay for under $150k, even if you stay longer than average. Granted the ones that stay alive in nursing homes for a long time most people can't save enough assets for. Going to need at least $2.5M to fund it indefinitely even in low cost areas, although there are products that are basically reverse life insurance products where you pay a large amount up front and then if you end up being one of the lucky (or unlucky?) ones that live a long time after entering a nursing home, they continue to pay. Not sure what those cost.

All that to say, I'd just roll the dice before just conceding thath you will be in a medicaid home when the time comes. If you blow through a $300k would be inheritance, then that sucks, but I think I'd rather a parent spend two or three years in a decent nursing home than have them in a ******** for 3 years (although they'll probably die sooner in a medicaid home just from despair) to get that $300k, especially if it's going to be split among siblings. I guess if you're at that $1M or 1.5M range, I can definitely see a parent wanting to be in a **** hole at the end of life so that their kids can get the benefit of their life savings.
To quibble, thats not the best use of averages. That average number keeps going up. So the average senior entering a home today will be there longer than the current average. Maybe far longer. Add in memory care, and the cost goes up way more.

But anyway, the point is to have the option if you need it. You dont want to be a couple years into having an elder needing that care, realizing theres likely many more years needed, and not have the funding nor the Medicaid option. But yeah, this probably applies to a niche group. At higher levels it doesnt make sense to move money out of tax advantaged accounts. The biggest key is to not comingle accounts. You dont want a low asset elder denied Medicaid because they have technical connection to assets that are the child's.

Plus, it applies to at home assistance too.
 
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Maroon Eagle

All-American
May 24, 2006
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I’m a state retiree working for a private employer, so I’ve not taken any money out yet but plan to next year when I can do so without penalty— small amounts from an another annuity where I put my deferred comp — mostly to pay for home improvement projects during the next few years.

I’ve thought about retiring at my designated retirement age, but am considering doing so when I’m 65 because too many friends have passed away before or shortly after they retired… I’ll pay off my house then so I won’t have a house note

By that time, I’ll have hopefully built up my retirement fund via my current employer to an okay level now that they’ve started to match what I put in it. Maybe my PERS benefits will be compounded to a decent amount and the real life Social Insecurity will be at an alright figure too…

17 it
Move to the beach…spend that ****. Have a big time..

Or y’all can continue to fret over .25 percent over the next pitiful years of your lives

we earned this ****

Considering that I’m single, in my late 50s, have no children, and the future for me consists of genetic time bombs, my self-prescribed retirement activities will be fun-filled

No beaches though. I 17ing dislike lower Alabama sand. Too 17ing hot.

Other places could be possibilities though…
 

Cousin Jeffrey

Redshirt
Feb 20, 2011
762
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I’m hoping I’m getting somewhat close but I wanted to ask the Pack a question. For those that have retired, or are getting close, how did the 4% withdrawal formula work for you guys? Dave Ramsey says take 8% but that seems way too aggressive, but the 4% certainly seems low. I want to leave family some money but I don’t want to pass on with a boatload of money while not enjoying my hard earned cash. Thanks in advance..
Ramsey's logic is terribly flawed. He is assuming a uniform 12% rate of return. So if inflation is a uniform 4%, you can take out 8% without ever touching the principal. 12% is an awfully high return assumption to make for planning purposes. And assuming anything is uniform is just dumb. He's completely ignoring sequence of returns risk. And to advise people in this way is irresponsible.
 
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patdog

Heisman
May 28, 2007
59,152
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Ramsey's logic is terribly flawed. He is assuming a uniform 12% rate of return. So if inflation is a uniform 4%, you can take out 8% without ever touching the principal. 12% is an awfully high return assumption to make for planning purposes. And assuming anything is uniform is just dumb. He's completely ignoring sequence of returns risk. And to advise people in this way is irresponsible.
Shocking that Ramsey would oversimplify and completely misrepresent something he presents as facts. I hope no one listens to his advice on this. 12% return in retirement is laughable. You should be shooting for an 8% return, and that's high.