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Jill Schlesinger
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Jill Schlesinger
Welcome to the Jill on Money Show. It's Tuesday, July 8th, and we are here trying to help you make better, more informed, more considered financial decisions. You know, there isn't one way to get where you want to go. There are so many different routes and there are a lot of different upsides and downsides to each route that you choose. That's why we encourage you to get in touch with us so that you can consider all the options and you can see which one kind of feels right to you. This is about you. This is about what your needs are. So I know that we're all voyeurs. I get it. I'm a voyeur. That's why I love the show. The thing is, as you listen to the stories that someone tells, you put into your own mind, like, what would I do? But your situation is different. So if you want to run your situation, your question by us, Mark and I are both certified financial planners. We'd love to chat with you. All you need to do is go to our website, jillonmoney.com, click the contact us button. It's in the upper right hand corner. And when that form pops up, that's an email that we'll receive. It's great. Give us A lot of detail. If you. If you want to join us on the show live, you check the box and Mark does everything else. He arranges to get you on the air live with us. Don't forget that while you're on the website, you can sign up for the free weekly newsletter, and you can check out our subscription service called Jill on Money Live. That is where you have access to quarterly live webinars, the entire back catalog, bonus audio and video content, all for 45 bucks for the next 12 months. So you can check that out. All right. Today we're joined by Jerry and Tom, also known as Tom and Jerry from New Jersey. Guess what? It's not their real names. I know. It's shocking. All right. Hi, guys. How are you?
Jerry
Great. How are you?
Jill Schlesinger
We are doing well. What's going on for you?
Jerry
Well, first off, I just want to say thank you so much for having us on. We had asked last year and were invited and couldn't be on, and actually, our son turned you on. Turned you on, turned us on to your show. And we have been like total active, obsessed listeners. So anyway, learning so much, and I feel like I need the Jill and Mark seal of approval before I make this major life decision of retiring.
Jill Schlesinger
I love that. And first of all, thank your son for turning me on. I mean, thanks for your son for turning you on to us. I joke. Okay. So what's going on, Jerry? You're working full time still?
Jerry
Yes, I am. I'm a. A nurse, actually.
Jill Schlesinger
Oh.
Jerry
I've been working a long, long time. And we had planned that I would work another year and a half, but now I'm feeling like I gotta get out.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay.
Jerry
So it's a little earlier than planned, so. A whole year earlier. But I'm thinking, can it be done?
Jill Schlesinger
How old are you?
Jerry
I am currently 58. I will be 59 the end of the year.
Jill Schlesinger
And, Tom, are you still working full time?
Tom
Yes, I am.
Jill Schlesinger
And how old are you?
Tom
I am 62.
Jill Schlesinger
Would it be your intention, Tom, to say to Jerry there is like, I am not quitting. Or do. You're like, I'm not letting you have the fun without me. Would you also think about retiring in another year or 18 months?
Tom
Absolutely. As soon as Jerry goes, I go.
Jill Schlesinger
That's it. We're a team. I know it. I've watched the cartoon many times. I see that you work well together. Okay, so let's talk about the situation that you find yourself in in terms of your savings. Because, you know, obviously you're making up money. You're doing your job. But we have heard a lot from people in the medical profession, all different stripes, that Covid fried them. And that many people just kind of stuck it out. And I think there is a little bit of a hangover from that whole experience. So I want to understand how much money you've saved so that we can try to make this happen for you. Sure.
Jerry
And just so it's clear, like we were thinking another year and a half, but now we'd like to do at the end of this year.
Jill Schlesinger
I'm with you. I got. I got my. I see the six months. The six month clock is ticking.
Jerry
Okay, great. Okay, so where do you want to start? I have my notes.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay. First things first. Will either of you be entitled to a pension?
Jerry
Yes, I will.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, what is that? Pension amount. Okay, we're going to pretend. You give your notice, you're done. It's the end of this year, the beginning of next year, when. What is. What is the pension amount?
Jerry
It would be 65,000, 161.
Jill Schlesinger
All right, I'm going to just say 65,000. Okay. Tom, no pension for you?
Tom
No.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, so that's great. A huge base. Amazing. What have you guys saved in retirement?
Jerry
Assets combined for both of us is pre tax 1.556.
Jill Schlesinger
All right, 1.5 million. One point. I'll even say 1.6. Okay. And that has not been taxed, so that's all tradition. Okay, great. What about money? That is maybe Roth assets.
Jerry
So total, combined 1.316.
Jill Schlesinger
All right. Okay, so that's Roth. Great. What about beyond that? Do you have a brokerage account?
Jerry
We do. It's 73.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, great. What other assets do you have? Is there CDs or bonds or anything like that floating around?
Jerry
None of those things. No savings account, but like use it.
Jill Schlesinger
So how much in savings, checking, savings?
Jerry
21K.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, how about your home in New Jersey? How much is that worth?
Jerry
You know, we'd safely say 900, but it could be more. It's gone berserk here.
Jill Schlesinger
Do you still have a mortgage on the property?
Jerry
No.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, do you own any rental property, vacation home, second home, anything out there?
Jerry
So second home? We do.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay. How much is that worth?
Jerry
You know, right now? I would say after we did some work, $1,700,000 to $1,900,000.
Jill Schlesinger
Wow, that's a lot.
Jerry
It's in a expensive area.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay. And do you have a mortgage on that property?
Jerry
We do. We actually took it out to do this work.
Jill Schlesinger
How much did you take out of a mortgage.
Jerry
So the balance is $322,000.
Jill Schlesinger
And what's the interest rate on that?
Jerry
It is 2.625.
Jill Schlesinger
Oh my gosh. Jerry and Tom banging out that low mortgage interest rate so you don't have to pay that off. That's pretty good.
Jerry
Yeah, it's a 15 year, it'll be done in about 11.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, fantastic. That's great though. I mean, terrific that you have a nice locked in interest rate. No need to worry about it. Do you guys have grown kids?
Jerry
We do, we have two.
Jill Schlesinger
How old are they?
Jerry
31 and 27.
Jill Schlesinger
Are they launched or do you help them in some way?
Jerry
Well, we don't help them, but one of them may need some help getting a place.
Jill Schlesinger
Buying a home, you mean?
Jerry
Yeah, yeah. Or apartment, that kind of thing.
Jill Schlesinger
Uh huh. Is that something that you would want to do regardless of the impact on you? I guess. I mean, I'm trying to. I know a lot of people, I'm about your age, so. So you're my cohort. A lot of my friends are in the very similar situation where they look at where they are and they'll say, I'd like to be able to help my kids. My biggest concern is that it doesn't derail your own retirement plans. So I need to know how much of a priority you think that is going to be for you guys.
Jerry
I mean, you know, I'm making it sound like he needs complete assistance. That's not true. It's just we'd like to help get him launched.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay.
Jerry
But I wouldn't want it to affect. And he would never want that to happen. But I mean, if, you know, if this discussion tells us, oh, I should work another year and it would be easier to help, I, you know, and again, I'm not buying a whole house.
Jill Schlesinger
Like a little help, A little like I want to help you with a down payment. When you think about that help, what does that amount to for. For you guys? In other words, are we. I'm going to make it up. Since you're from New Jersey, I'm just going to make it like, do you want to say like, you know, we want to help this gu. This young man buy an apartment. If you want to buy a studio apartment where he wants to live, it's going to be a million dollars. We want to make sure he has $200,000 down payment. Is that something that we're talking about or more than that?
Jerry
I mean, I think that sounds around. Right. Except I was thinking more like because of his profession, it's very variable income. I was thinking more like can we gift every year or something like that to like assist with the ongoing payments because he's. He squirrels away a ton of money to have a down payment. Yeah. So it's more like it's that help along the way to make him feel like he can. Okay, make clear.
Jill Schlesinger
No, that's great. That's amazing. Okay, so now when we look at the, you know, we got all the assets, we got the money that you're earned that you would like to give away. Now for the kicker, what do you think you need to live on? What do you think your expenses look like?
Jerry
So right now when we run our numbers, but like we feel we are going to change our lifestyle a bit, moving away from this primary home and to the other home. So we think we spend about ten grand a month now. Okay, but we are kind of hoping you can spend more.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, but just so we're clear, you would sell the primary residence that $900,000, you would sell the house and then you would move to the second home and live there full time. Is that correct?
Jerry
That's correct.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay, so the 900,000, you pay some tax on it because I'm sure you bought it cheap when you were younger, but you'll clear some bunch of money. I don't know.
Jerry
I'm just going to say I actually inherited this. My father passed away and so I.
Jill Schlesinger
Get that stepped up basis, step up in cost basis. I see. And when did you inherit the house? Do you remember?
Jerry
2013.
Jill Schlesinger
All right, so it's not as. So in fact, you're. Do you think you guys have. I don't know what the fair value was in 2013, but yeah. Is it more than a half a million dollars of gain? I doubt it. Right.
Jerry
No, probably not. I mean, unless it goes for like over 1.2 million.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay. So I mean, which would be a good problem to have, I guess. So let's be honest. All right, so the 900, it's just about clearing that and you know, paying commissions and stuff. Right. So we could potentially have. Just so I make sure we have this, we're all on the same page that what we're looking at is $1,600,000 in traditional $1,300,000 in Roth, the brokerage account, which is worth $70,000. Ish. You would be able to put in probably another $800,000 in there from the proceeds of the house. Right. And then you move to the second home and you would want to be able to have 10 or $12,000 a month of living expenses. So this seems very reasonable because two things. One, you got the pension. You have that 65 grand. So that's number one. Number two, you will eventually have Social Security, right?
Jerry
Yes. Yes.
Jill Schlesinger
And do you have those Social Security numbers available?
Jerry
I do, yeah.
Jill Schlesinger
What do you.
Jerry
We were thinking that Tom would wait until age 70 and his would be 4345.
Jill Schlesinger
Mm.
Jerry
And I would probably take it at age 67 and it would be about 3200.
Jill Schlesinger
I mean, there's no problems here because this is really a huge amount of a base. Right. You really essentially have this period, like, okay, in six months, you're done. Now you've got this period, you know, when you're 59ish, you'll start to take some of the money out of the traditional account, because you really would. This, to me, is like where you're going to get the money to augment the pension. You're going to take the money that's out that has not yet been taxed. Obviously, Tom's already over the age of 59 and a half. We can take money from his first. How much do you guys earn together right now?
Jerry
Like 188.
Jill Schlesinger
So, I mean, even if we just kept you in the 22% tax bracket, if you pulled out the amount of money that would keep you in the 22% bracket first from Tom's account just to get that money out. Great. Cause it hasn't been taxed yet, and you keep doing that every year, then you will be in the situation where, my goodness, you'll have plenty of money coming in. By the time you claim Social Security, you're in great shape. And yeah, I think you absolutely can gift to the kids. I have no hesitation. So I don't know how much you want to gift also. So let me just start with that right now. Under today's law, which, you know, so things can change, that you can give $19,000 to anybody you want as a gift. Okay. Now, because you're a couple, that means you could give $38,000 a year to each of your kids if you wanted to. Now, the thing is, I'm not sure I want to do that, but maybe you would. Maybe that. Maybe you say, like, we're going to sell this house. Let's do 38 this year to each of them. Let's do 38 next year. Let's push some money to the kids, let them do what they want to do, each of them, and then we'll reassess In a year from that, you don't give it to them saying, we're giving this to you every single year. We say, this is what we're giving right now and we're going to see how things go. This, to me is a no brainer. You can afford it. What's very likely to occur is that all the money that you have already saved is going to accumulate faster than you can even pull it out of that traditional. It may even be that you pull money out up to the 24% tax bracket, that you pay a little bit more in taxes just to get that money out so that you don't have that big explosive tax bomb as, as Ed Slott likes to call it, the ticking tax bomb that comes to, you know, at your feet at age 75.
Jerry
So we have that. Is that like what we have? Like, is that something to be very concerned about?
Jill Schlesinger
I don't want to go crazy. You know, I think that you have the ability to control this a little bit more.
Jerry
So how about can we spend more money? Because we, we do have a financial planner with our, you know, where our money is kept.
Jill Schlesinger
Yeah.
Jerry
And we've kind of thrown out the idea of us spending like 15amonth.
Jill Schlesinger
You can't even spend. You couldn't spend 15 if you tried. I know it. I think that you're probably. Are pretty. You should be able to do that. I wouldn't do it out of the gate. I would try. Let me just, let me just do a quick thing with your. I just want to look at your Social Security for one second. Does your pension have a cost of living adjustment or not?
Jerry
It does not.
Jill Schlesinger
Okay. Is it a, is there a survivor benefit to it?
Jerry
There's like a zillion different options. You can choose. So you could go that way, but you. We were thinking of not to be honest with you. I, you know, I know that may sound crazy, but can I just back up one second and ask? So, like, if I stayed another year, I just want to tell you what the difference is. The years of service add to it. It's. It's a $2,600 difference. This is why I'm thinking, like, if I can leave now, why not leave and start living?
Jill Schlesinger
I would have no compunction about the staying an extra year. I would. Not necessarily. I wouldn't make my decision based on that at all.
Jerry
Okay. That was my big decision.
Jill Schlesinger
No, I don't think so. I don't. If you work with a financial planner, what do the planners say? When you said you want to spend 15 grand a month.
Jerry
He said, fine. They actually figure it out. That was what I wrote in my questions. They do this running all those Monte Carlo.
Jill Schlesinger
Yeah. All that nonsense.
Jerry
Of course they tell you like, we're 99% success rate after, like all kinds of things happening.
Jill Schlesinger
Yeah.
Jerry
And so I, I kind of wanted to wrap my head around what that means. And he had it figured at 15k a month, plus an additional 25k of vacations into our 80s.
Jill Schlesinger
I mean, first of all, I think that the numbers all work. I think that if it's 15 grand a month and that's really what you're spending, that's what you should model. I think that if it's like we're spending 10 right now and there's no. And we're really only going to spend 15 with trips and all that, then that's fine. I just, I think it should be as realistic as possible also that, like, if you really want to help the kids, I wouldn't go like hog wild and spend 20 grand a month or something. Like, you have money but like, you know, 1.6 million hasn't been taxed yet. And if you do want to help the kids, I think you should keep bear that in mind. But doesn't seem to be a problem to me. And I certainly wouldn't stay an extra year to get that. To get that pension, I think that. Or to improve the pension. I would be interested in hearing what the other pension options are. Even though Tom is, you know, four years older than you and probably has a shorter life expectancy, is there some choice in the pension options? It might give him 50% of the pension, just in case, so that he has a little bit of base of income so that, you know, when he goes and finds his next wife that he'll. No, I'm just kidding. I'm not kidding. And yet I'm kidding. But I mean, I think that it's worth it to say to the financial planners, hey, we also have these pension options. Help us with that.
Jerry
Yeah, they, they actually are running all of that. And like the worst case scenario is if I, you know, died like, you know, next year.
Jill Schlesinger
Yeah, don't do that. Don't do that. Yeah. Then.
Jerry
Then his would go down to like 76% or something. But yeah, I mean, how do you make those decisions so hard?
Jill Schlesinger
Right.
Jerry
You don't have to die.
Jill Schlesinger
Yeah, I know if I knew when someone's gonna die, I can do a lot better job of planning for their retirement. I think you're in great shape. I Don't think you should wait around. I think that also, of course, you are in healthcare. You know that we. Weird things can happen. So let's take advantage of the fact that you've been really good accumulators, savers and that you have these. You've got this house that you're going to be moving into full time and there's a cheap mortgage and all this stuff. Like, just do it. Just do it. I mean, you already, I think you already know this because you work with somebody already. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to take control of this part of your life. And I encourage you guys to do so. And especially if you're sort of like, I'm done.
Jerry
Yeah, yeah. It's a strange feeling, like you said, to like actually intentionally make this choice yourself to not earn money. I don't know. It's strange to me.
Jill Schlesinger
It's a. This is a generational thing. We're going to learn how to do it and you guys go first and then let me know how it goes.
Jerry
Okay, well, thank you so much, very much. I feel like I know you guys personally. I've listened to you so much.
Jill Schlesinger
You do. It's just, it's just a little bit of a one way relationship. I just want to say that. We know, but we love that you love us and we love that you are in this position and we are grateful that you got in touch with us. So I think we can very generously say to you there does not seem to be a downside to your plan. You should go out and feel like you can execute it, you know, in the next six months. Think about the things that you really would like to do. I think one of the big issues for people who are retiring maybe a little bit before the time where they were ready to retire or thought about the retiring that I think the most successful ones are quite intentional. So I think you're going to move to a new place. There's going to be a lot of stuff that happens in the early days of this, but, you know, three months into the mission, you'll be settled in your second home and what are you going to do with your days and how you're going to fill those days. Think about it. And you know, you can try a lot of different things also. So don't lock yourself into any one thing, but just maybe just talk about it together and think about what really gets you jazzed. All right, you two, Tom and Jerry joining us from New Jersey onto their next adventure. Hey, gang. If you are thinking about retirement. If you think that you are are ready to make a change. If you're shifting a career, if you're looking at a home, if you're looking at inheritance and estate planning. Any of the things that are usually causing consternation among all of us. Get in touch with us. Go to jillandmoney.com Click the Contact Us button, write us a note, and if you'd like to join us live on the air, check the box. Mark will do everything else. You can subscribe to us on the Odyssey app or wherever you find yourself. Favorite podcast? You can also subscribe to our sister broadcast called Money Watch, which we drop on the weekends, so check that out. Hey, put your hands, metaphorically on someone's back. Change your work, Change your wealth, change your life. Thank you for listening and we'll talk to you tomorrow.
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Ben Stiller
Hey, I'm Ben Stiller.
Tom
And I'm Adam Scott and we host.
Ben Stiller
A podcast called the Severance Podcast where we used to break down every episode of the TV show Severance.
Tom
Severance isn't back just yet, but the podcast is.
Ben Stiller
Each week we'll discuss the movies, TV shows and ideas that influence the making of Severance.
Tom
We're going to talk to the incredible artists who inspire us to do what we do.
Ben Stiller
The Severance Podcast Record returns Thursday, June 26. Follow and listen everywhere you get your podcasts.
Detailed Summary of "Vacillating About Retirement" Episode
Podcast Information:
In the episode titled "Vacillating About Retirement," Jill Schlesinger, CFP®, delves into the intricate decisions surrounding retirement planning with her guests, Jerry and Tom, affectionately known as Tom and Jerry from New Jersey. The discussion centers on their desire to retire earlier than planned, exploring their financial readiness, potential obstacles, and strategic advice to ensure a smooth transition into retirement.
Jerry, aged 58 (approaching 59 by year-end), works full-time as a nurse. Tom, aged 62, is also employed full-time. The couple initially planned for Jerry to retire a year and a half later but now seeks to retire six months earlier than intended.
Notable Quote:
Jill begins by assessing the couple's financial standing to determine the feasibility of their early retirement.
Pensions:
Retirement Savings:
Real Estate Holdings:
Social Security:
Notable Quote:
The couple's primary goal is to retire six months earlier than initially planned, moving from their primary home to their second home. They aim to maintain a monthly budget of approximately $10,000, with hopes of increasing it to $15,000 for additional expenses like vacations.
Additional Considerations:
Notable Quote:
Jill provides a comprehensive analysis of the couple's financial readiness for retirement, addressing their assets, income sources, and potential strategies to optimize their funds.
Income Streams:
Asset Utilization:
Gifting Strategy:
Spending Plans:
Pension Options:
Notable Quotes:
Jerry and Tom express relief and confidence in Jill's assessment. They discuss the challenges of making such a significant life decision and the psychological aspect of stepping away from full-time employment. Jill reassures them, emphasizing their strong financial position and encouraging them to proceed with their retirement plans.
Notable Quotes:
Jill emphasizes the importance of intentionality in retirement planning, highlighting that successfully navigating early retirement requires careful consideration of financial assets, income streams, and personal goals. She encourages listeners contemplating similar decisions to evaluate their financial readiness comprehensively and seek professional advice to tailor strategies to their unique situations.
Key Takeaways:
Closing Remarks: Jill applauds Tom and Jerry for their proactive approach and assures them that their retirement plan is solid. She reiterates the importance of adaptability and intentional living in retirement, encouraging them to explore activities and interests that bring joy and purpose.
Notable Quote:
Conclusion
"Vacillating About Retirement" offers a candid and insightful exploration of the complexities involved in early retirement planning. Through the real-life scenario of Jerry and Tom, Jill Schlesinger provides valuable financial advice, highlighting the significance of thorough preparation, strategic asset management, and personal intentionality in achieving a secure and fulfilling retirement.