I don’t know how complicated your portfolio is, but my guess is you can do enough research to get close enough. You don’t have to optimize perfectly. I don’t think EJ will optimize perfectly. I assume with little research, you’ll beat them, post fees.

In terms of spending down, yes the conventional wisdom is 3-4%. This basically keeps your principal value the same. But you can also go crazy and why not try to optimize by dying with zero. What would have been the point of your dad dying with 6m vs 1m? I’m not saying that’s right for you, that could have just been the decision he made

You’re ahead of most of your peers. If your goal is to retire early try to work towards maxing out your 401k.

thank you!! I'll check these out after work :)

I would never go to Edward jones and pay their one plus percent managing fee and other fees and commissions they may have when all I’m doing is investing in a few funds that don’t require people do much besides rebalance once in an while and that takes twenty minutes or so.

And in a down market I’m definitely not rebalancing anything and selling for a loss unless I’m talking selling single stocks and that is going to be a small portion of my portfolio

I have tried to get my girlfriend to do a little research and manage her own stuff but she likes paying a lot of money to Edward jones

Can you try setting up different accounts for different budget categories? Fund them as you have money and then your husband can check those accounts to see if there's anything to spend.

Agree with the withdrawing 3-4%. But from which accounts and how taxes play into that decision is what boggles me.

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While it may be worth a look, you really can't put a price tag on that kind of flexibility, especially when your kids are young. It sounds like at least one of them has special needs as well, making the flexibility even more necessary and valuable. I would probably wait until they are in full-day school to consider a job that doesn't promise the same schedule. Remind your husband that he CAN do the higher paying, less flexible job because you are there to handle the kids' needs.

I always thought it would be wiser when you have that much money, to live off of the interest rather than just spending all of your cash.

You’re making a quarter million a year or so it sounds like so I don’t see what the problem is other than possibly a lack of budgeting

You can look at different jobs and openings currently it won't hurt anything. But as it seems you know the grass isn't always greener on the other side. There you may take an increase in pay but what else will you get with a different company that y don't know about yet? I considered taking a different job with a 40% raise. But after interviews and talking with different people there I decided it's not worth going to a more restrictive company. As you said your boss is very flexible. I think you'll have a hard time finding that again.

I agree but I’d consider adding bonds to trad 401k/IRA or other tax deferred accounts.

I take the same approach and have 100% of my Roth IRA in VTWAX. Figured I want the highest growth potential, all stock allocation for tax-free future withdrawals.

Yea, I think that is sort of what i’m thinking too.

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Have you checked out whitecoatinvestor.com? It’s speaking to you!

Put money into cash generating investments. Regardless of the market, you're good.

This. My starting salary as a process engineer (BS in chemical engineering) in 2012 was $70K in Southern California. Now I’m 32 and my salary has doubled to $150K, which is quite low compared to my high tech friends who started at $100K+.

I've heard honeydue is a really good one for couples, its supposed to have tools for situations like this.

However, like others have stated, of hubby doesn't care, you won't fix it with an app

You would probably be better served by booking a couple of sessions with a fee only financial planner. Go over what you've been doing what your future goals are and they can help you lay out a plan to get there.

In any given decade of the market, there’s bound to be 2-3 “bad years” for investing. But we are not fortune tellers. Nobody in the world knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, next year, or next decade. You just keep investing and in the long run… you’ll come out on top. If you read Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle (founder of Vanguard and index funds), you’ll learn and understand that is an absolute fact.

It sounds like your dad knew all the right answers and made his own choices. I can't really comment on his situation because he may have mismanaged his money, he may have followed his plan to the letter, he may have made less than you believed and this is just the reality.

It sounds like you also have the knowledge to make and follow a plan. I would not be looking at turning it over to Ed Jones. They can give you a plan (just like you have today and just like your dad had) and what you do with it is up to you. <pay us for the service please>.

Call them, they might waive it

Don't know until you try.

Set him up with his own account that gets funded $X per week or month. This account sits apart from your overall accounts that pay bills and savings.

You have been warned before on prominently stating financial credentials which goes against rule 2. Also in there is a prohibition on asking for DMs. If it is something you should answer, it is something everyone on the sub should see to allow for a review and prevent scammers.

Tax rules for nonresident aliens in USA

That page also has links to information for resident aliens.