The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: jom2025 on August 18, 2016, 08:53:04 PM
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Hi Mustachians
i contacted Vanguard, they are calling me back next week to discuss me possibly investing with them. If anyone could supply me with questions i may want to ask them.
We are in our early fifties and close to early retirement with a 401k plus pension cash out. I do not have enough investment knowledge to go it alone at this time, but intend to do so in the future.
We need to immediately withdraw on current investments when we retire as this would be our only income. Any and all help is appreciated.I am aware of the 72t .I have read up a little of this program.
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The biggest advantage (IMHO) of opening a brokerage account at Vanguard is the ability to purchase Vanguard ETF's with no-commission. Assets must be held in the account for 90+ days, but this shouldn't be a problem. Ask about this. Fidelity offers an identical program for purchasing Fidelity ETF's, and they likewise have funds that mirror those at Vanguard (ex: VTSAX=FXTVX, etc). Ask about dividend reinvestment vs taking dividends as cash in FIRE so you can at least get their take on which would be most beneficial. Ask about self-guiding investing - they may want to push you into a managed account, but be clear for yourself on whether you think you can do as well or better (hint: you can, and will) than managed accounts by simply investing in the low-cost ETF's. Ask what FREE resources you'll have available for periodic investment planning, and tax planning. And ask the same things of Fidelity.
Read JL Collin's Stock Series (http://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series). There is no need to be a 'savvy' investor - but simply invest, and as the Motley Fools used to say "invest in what you know". For myself, I've moved some assets from the 'total stock market' funds into REITS, as I think the potential for the housing market to continue on a positive trend (and give good dividends) is better than the market as a whole. I foresee a presidential-election-result-market-pull-back regardless of who wins in Nov, and I predict (based on housing costs in my area, and other HCOL areas) the dividends & growth in real-estate will overcome any short-term setbacks.