tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post675265819943473954..comments2024-03-15T01:11:32.832-07:00Comments on Bardiac: RetirementBardiachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11846065504793800266noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-62456603936409028562007-01-03T05:48:00.000-08:002007-01-03T05:48:00.000-08:00Congrats on dealing with actual reality! I'm cons...Congrats on dealing with actual reality! I'm constantly amazed at how rarely academics do that.<br /><br />I'd vote for the 403(b) over the Roth. My logic is that your income is likely to be lower in retirement, so your tax bracket would be lower. Better to pay lower taxes later than higher taxes now. Add to that the miracle of compound interest, and the 403(b) is the winner.<br /><br />In terms of choosing funds, just look at expense ratios (fees) and go with the lowest. The rest is guesswork.<br /><br />The rule of thumb I've heard for asset allocation is that the percentage you have in stocks should be 100 minus your age. Strikes me as a decent ballpark.<br /><br />Prepaying the mortgage is probably a good idea. You can think of it as 'earning' the interest you would otherwise have paid. What's nice about it is that the 'return' is guaranteed. And artemis is right that it opens up options like reverse mortgages and home equity loans for emergencies.<br /><br />I definitely hear ya on the salary issue. There's a breathtaking double standard out there that says that certain industries are supposed to pay well and others aren't. We actually internalize the damn things, so we feel guilty about trying to make enough to live in safe neighborhoods. Very annoying.<br /><br />Good luck!Dean Dadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04956229655057842122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-13861703259762296362007-01-02T14:25:00.000-08:002007-01-02T14:25:00.000-08:00Talk about introspective and thought-provoking! L...Talk about introspective and thought-provoking! Lots of good questions for a financial planner -- and if you don't have one, time to find one. Regarding paying extra on your house -- some consider this a good thing, as you're able to build up equity, and when it comes time to sell, that's more cash for you. Even if you stay where you are forever, owning your house "free and clear" opens the way for reverse mortgages, another way to help finance retirement. <br />I think that too many of us working females are caught in the "how much is enough" bind -- and there really aren't a lot of great answers (even being married doesn't help, according to an article in the newspaper this morning, as women outlive men by an average of 7 years and need to make sure those years are funded!). Make that appointment!<br />A<br />PS That's my deleted comment -- stupid blogger....Artemishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15321501062140234923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17974015.post-65841963826072215292007-01-02T14:19:00.000-08:002007-01-02T14:19:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Artemishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15321501062140234923noreply@blogger.com