GCC Asset Allocation 2024
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
2w ago
We have been living off our portfolio since late 2012 (~12 years.) In that time the market has gone up and down (mostly up.) Our spending has also gone up and down (mostly up.) Throughout it all the portfolio has remained much the same… heavy on equities, heavy on US based assets, and heavy on simplicity. Here are some charts that explain it all. GCC Asset Allocation 2024 As of mid-March 2024, our portfolio looks like this (chart from Empower.) Assets and Allocation The portfolio continues to be heavy on equities and light on bonds and cash. Here is the breakdown: US Stocks:  76% -> ..read more
Visit website
How I Track Expenses (RIP Mint.com)
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
3w ago
Since I was dissatisfied with our 2023 profligate spending I am going to spend a few minutes each week reviewing our total outlay. Many people asked what process or tools I used to track expenses. For many years I used Mint.com, but if you aren’t aware… Mint.com will cease operation on March 23, 2024. Intuit, who bought the website in 2009 and ran it into the ground, recommends moving your data to Credit Karma with reduced functionality – which seems to be all the stuff I hated about mint with none of the stuff I liked. (Screen shots and shade included in post.) So I am going a different ..read more
Visit website
Reflections of 2023 – Life in the Burbs
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
1M ago
Big Tree on Big Island (That’s me under the tree!) 2023 was our 11th full year of wild and free livin’ domesticated living. Life in the burbs is interesting… life largely revolves around kids and their activities. Every once in awhile when we are feeling a little wild, we might bake a pie or mow the lawn. And as the school calendar allows we mix in a bit of travel (Spring break in Vegas, early summer on the Big Island, Thanksgiving in Tahoe, and Christmas in Taiwan.) It took some getting used to but we have now become fully acclimated to this relaxed, family-friendly, predictable environment ..read more
Visit website
Why Early Social Security Provides the Greatest Spousal Benefit
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
2M ago
Social Security includes a spousal benefit, in which the lower earner is able to take the greater of their own SS income or up to 50% of their spouses’. Upon death of the higher earner, the lower earner assumes the higher earner’s benefit (replacing their own.) A survivor benefit. Because of these spousal and survivor benefits many choose to delay collecting Social Security until age 70 in order to secure the largest monthly income, which will help to provide their younger / greater longevity spouse financial security throughout their twilight years. I will do the opposite, and my wife will b ..read more
Visit website
Why I Plan to Collect Social Security as Early as Possible
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
2M ago
There is no shortage of reading material if you wish to determine “The best time to collect social security.” The vast majority conclude that it is best to wait as long as possible because the monthly income will be higher. Delayed social security income is larger than early social security income, and More is MORE! I plan to do the opposite. Why I Plan to Collect Social Security as Early as Possible The arguments for delay are actually compelling. The increase in monthly payments by delaying from age 62 to 70 is a whopping 76%. The Social Security Administration offers a great benefit calcul ..read more
Visit website
Playing the Spread with 0% credit card offers
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
2M ago
Borrow money at 0%. Invest at 5%+ guaranteed. Profit. Playing the Spread with 0% credit card offers Paying off credit cards each and every month is important and smart. Unless of course the spread between the risk-free investment rate and the credit card borrowing rate is large, as it is presently. This summer our physical mail box was inundated with 0% credit card offers. I dropped most of them in the shredder, but the corporate sales teams were annoyingly relentless. This was especially the case with Discover. So come August I decided to reward their persistence by allowing them to giv ..read more
Visit website
Investing our Mortgage – 2 year update
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
3M ago
A couple years ago we bought a house, paid in full with cash. Then I got a small mortgage as an inflation hedge and to invest for fun and profit. We used a chunk of the mortgage to fund moving expenses and to acquire all of the typical home accoutrements, put solar on our roof, and pay the medium-sized tax bill that comes with selling enough stock to pay cash for a house. The remainder I put back into the market as a lump sum. It has now been two years out of thirty. Let’s check in on how this investment is doing. Investing our Mortgage Whether to have a mortgage or not is ..read more
Visit website
Getting Lucky
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
8M ago
Luck. What is it exactly? Per the Oxford Languages Dictionary, luck is “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.” It was recently suggested that we may have been the beneficiaries of luck, which is why we are able to enjoy the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed. And given that this is the product of chance, it is irresponsible or misleading to suggest that others could do the same if only they made similar choices. Is that an accurate statement? Let’s explore. Getting Lucky With games of chance we know the exact probability of specific o ..read more
Visit website
GCC Asset Allocation 2023
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
9M ago
We have been living off our portfolio since late 2012 (~11 years.) Life has evolved substantially in that time – we started as 2 carefree kids exploring the globe. Now we have 2 carefree kids and live in the suburbs. Our core portfolio, on the other hand, has remained largely consistent… with the exception of adding a significant real-estate component (our house.) I’ve updated some charts and created some new ones so we can all see what happened. GCC Asset Allocation As of late June 2023, our portfolio looks like this (chart from Empower.) Assets and Allocation The portfolio continues to be ..read more
Visit website
Big Spending, Little Income
Go Curry Cracker
by Go Curry Cracker
10M ago
When you work for a living it is important to live within your means. Every budget and finance tool available will scream at you if spending exceeds income. In retirement, it is also important to live within your means. But your means is no longer tied to income. In fact, there is zero relationship between income and spending when you are living off assets. Big Spending, Little Income When I shared our recent annual spending and 2022 tax return there was a common theme in the comments and emails. Our spending is BIG. Our income is little. Yet we still manage to make large contributions to ret ..read more
Visit website

Follow Go Curry Cracker on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR