Congratulations!!!

Congrats my man. That is the goal.

I don't have any great advice, other than take care of yourself. That's a holistic statement. Mentally, physically, emotionally, financially.

Both of my grandpas worried about money shitload after they retired because they both said after a certain point they can't go earn any more.

Both of them ended up in the rest home and needed a fair bit to sustain them.

Interestingly, my paternal grandpa was in and died in 08 (pre-Obamacare) and the cost was like 2500 a month. My maternal grandpa is in now and it's 10K a month. NO financial professional expected that back in 08. So make sure you are prepared for some unexpected shit. If you're 65 (ish) now there is a pretty good probability either you or your wife has 30 years yet, so it is important to have quite a bit more than you need right now.

My advice is to educate yourself. I have no problem seeking the advice of a professional, but double check everything and look up as much information as possible.

I'd also recommend not putting off any procedures any longer than necessary. My dad has had several procedures (mostly orthopedic related) and I've noticed he doesn't bounce back as quick as he used to. Life comes at you fast.

Enjoy it. Your position now is why I do what I do.

**** your stupid face. I'd retire today if I could ensure financial security. I'd pay real money to take a step away from the grindstone.

Also for those who don’t know, Medicare A&B is usually free. But there are a lot of holes in it. You’ll need to buy a “g” or “n” plan.

Do not under any circumstances get what’s called a Medicare advantage plan. They are usually free and have 0 co-pays. Sounds good right?

Think HMO’s in 90’s. All they do is deny you care. Testing etc. and if you select those crappy plans when you have had enough of the shitty care, you have to be approved to change to the good plans. You have anything that’s expensive to cover, they can deny you.

If you get a “g” plan you can always go to the advantage plans in the future. There’s a reason that 80% of all people select the “g” plan.

Nah, you want Medicare My parents (self employed) got on as soon as they were old enough even though they weren't getting social security and paying the monthly premium because it is good. Still have to buy the supplemental insurance, but yeah, it's what you need.

I’ve been telling everyone that if you are 65 and paying more than $175 a month for insurance through your work, you are overpaying. Almost every doctor takes Medicare and the “g” plans these days.

I paid in for 49 years, but it's not really all that much when compared the payouts I'm getting from the rest of my portfolio, so I like to think of it as "beer money"/"a dive trip a month" slush fund when I decide to take it. As long as it can pay the price of a good liveaboard each month, and it should, I'm happy.

And I'm with you, we have very few bills so retirement is looking good, and SS is going to make it even more fun.

The only downside to Medicare is that if you tend to get booted from the hospital quicker than if you have company paid insurance.

But yes....like you I was surprised about how good it is.

But I will say that once a person decides to retire and switch to Medicare, start the process 6 months ahead.

Trust me...you will be glad you did.

This × A billion....all those advantage plans you see advertised are useless for most people.

My wife and I were lucky that there was a guy at church who helped retirees like us to pick the best plan based on our health needs.

I just learned that the lookback period for Medicare income-based surcharges goes back two years, so you should start planning two years ahead of time. I had no idea of that.

I did a notable Roth conversion this year, and it's going to end up costing me a Medicare surcharge, which really stinks. I ran the numbers and I'm still ahead of the game to do the conversion, but the surcharge bites into my advantage.

Without going into greater detail I am comfortable in saying that I do not have 30 years left...if I live to 80 I will consider it a great victory.

But I have planned for my wife for beyond my passing.

You are correct...planning for the surcharges should be 2 years....

I was talking about the actual process of applying...because if you are working and have company insurance, there is a form you have to turn in with your application that shows you had coverage from your employer the prior year....and even when you do turn in your paperwork you can still run into snags...

I wasn’t thinking of getting Medicare any time soon. So no planning. Now, I guess they are going to whack me for two years.

How did his retirement get turned into a Medicaid discussion?

They kinda go hand in hand ,when you turn 65 perhaps you will understand.

100%

Along with many conversations, consultations, and research, all of these topics and points are things that people need to think about along their life journey. It gets more real with each passing year, especially topics like Medicare and other such topics, but many of the items need to be occasionally brought to the frontal lobe even in your 20s.