How are your investments doing?

[California]

And a word to the kids about RMDs - I wish now I had done some Roth conversions when that became available. But I was already retired so I didn't qualify.

Now several years into the (growing, taxable) RMDs, the RMDs are pushing taxable income, and the resulting income tax, higher. Due to inflation, taxable income is a higher number than when I funded the IRAs long ago. Looking back, it might have been optimum to pay the tax and make Roth conversions.

The RMD charts are brutal. They expect you to die soon so every year they require even greater RMDs. To exhaust your IRA quickly. In my case Mom, and her father, lived to 98. Mom's older sister, to 107. I don't want my IRA balance to decline as fast as those charts.

Today, it may be better for some to use only Roth for retirement savings. (Unless you have an employer match). Or, make a major Roth conversion in a low-income year.

 

[RayIN]

California; I have my RMD's electronically sent to a savings acct. From there I invest the money in short-term bonds, which is working out OK.

My big mistake was about 20 years ago . A friend had retired from the USAF and had always dabbled with stocks. He called me one day and invited me to join him in buying Tesla stock, which at that time, to the best of my memory, about $17/share.
I declined, choosing to remain with mutual funds.
Here we are now, my funds have performed well IMO, but he is now a millionaire several times over, now lives in Denver in a new house for which he and his wife paid cash. They just last year bought a 2nd Tesla plaid, again paid cash.
Last year I bought this tractor, paid cash, the funds have recovered the purchase price.
That's what I get for being conservative.

 

[CalG]

All three of my kids, spouses and their children are arriving at our home tomorrow!
My wife and I are excited! Family, fun, and food.....

Our investments have returned yields beyond our wildest expectations!

 

[California]

....That's what I get for being conservative.

Yeah but its blind luck, per Warren Buffet and Jack Bogle. Trying to beat the market you have to bet against every investor and stock analyst in the world. To exceed what they, on average, are accomplishing.

For IRAs and Roth, wife and I each chose our own strategy. Similar income and investable opportunities. She reads widely, over the years she invested in a lot of quality funds and a few stocks, based mostly on reading Kiplinger magazine etc. She has done well but I have done very slightly better with a simpleminded strategy, pure S&P500 fund at Fidelity and don't think about it. Based on research that this strategy will exceed the returns of 85% of retail investors.

However: A few years ago wife insisted we should put joint non-retirement funds into buying the New Best Thing. Nvidia stock. I refused, I haven't followed it and didn't care to learn. Big mistake, it has since exploded like your friend's early Tesla stock. Or her old work buddy's early Apple stock. His experience is like CalG's above, he takes the whole extended family to Hawaii occasionally etc.

Oh well ... I was able to retire at 54.

 

[goeduck]

And a word to the kids about RMDs - I wish now I had done some Roth conversions when that became available. But I was already retired so I didn't qualify.

Is that true, I have not heard that you cannot convert after retirement.