Budgeting shouldn’t be a limiting exercise designed to tell you how to spend your money. At its best budgeting is a tool for organizing your financial resources toward your great life, both now and in the future.
Also Covered:
A Better Version of Budgeting
Opportunity Cost
Changing Costs
Changing Priorities
My answer: neither is the optimal strategy – but that the home loan is a less-bad strategy. Your financial planner is correct about it being worse to use your IRA money to pay the loans. When you take money out of the IRA you will have to pay the 10% penalty plus income taxes, which should be 22% based on your income. This means to pay off the $50,000 debt you would need to take out . . . .
Read MoreYour analysis is actually correct, in that cash flow and growth rates are constantly changing, and generally they are changing for the better. As a result, future cash flow increases at a faster rate than previously expected and the stock price is adjusted up due to these increasing cash flows. Because no one can predict the future, as new facts become apparent they changes the expectations of future cash flows. This, of course, assumes . . . .
Read MoreGood news, there is a way to accomplish your goal. Sort of bad news, using rule 72(t) won't help and yes, withdrawals from an IRA will impact ACA tax credit eligibility. Although the strategy you've outlined won't work, you can accomplish the same goal through converting a portion of the traditional IRA to a ROTH IRA. This is done by rolling over . . . .
Read MoreCongratulations on getting your son through college and on moving forward toward your retirement. You definitely need to hit the gas on your retirement savings and it seems like you are well poised to do this. Fortunately, the money which was dedicated toward your son's college can now be focused on your retirement.
At this stage you will want to invest . . . .
Read MoreFinding the right adviser is difficult but not impossible. You will want to research advisers and then set up appointments with at least three or four of them. An adviser should be a fiduciary, should not be a commissioned. . . .
Read More
