Slow Saturday

Boy, my internet is being slow this morning. It's taking 2-3 seconds just to open pages. Maybe a reset will help. I'll do that when I go downstairs to get breakfast. Sitting here, glancing out the window every so often, for the expected snow. It's cold enough to snow, now.

I see from my mail informed delivery that my mom's last social security check is in the mail. Now I can check that off my list.

I just checked my internet speed - supposed to be at like 21 mbps and it's at 1mpbs! Time to try the reset. I'll be back.............well, that did not help at all. Wonder what the issue is. This will make for a very grumbly dh when he gets up and sits down at his computer this morning.

Retirement talk:

In addition to our social security, we will also have retirement savings to draw from. I got an HSA account 3 years ago and started maxing it out with contributions 2 years ago and plan to keep doing that until I retire. All but $2000, that I have to keep in the main account, is invested and earning. When dh goes on medicare at age 65, I will only be able to max it out for me, as my understanding is if you are on medicare you can't contribute to an HSA.

I did a bit more research into Medicare Plan G costs. This was from the medicare.gov site, where I could put in age and zip code and it would give plans and costs for each plan. I just put in 65 as the age. The cost can vary quite a bit, (from $100-$392) depending on the insurance company chosen. For a regular plan G, through BlueCross (who I am familiar with using) it is $125, so close to the $100 per person I put in my budget. For a high-deductible Plan G, with a $2800 deductible, the cost is $75. With my HSA account funded and available, if needed, I would likely go with the high deductible plan.

For the Medicare Part D I am seeing the cost range (again, depending on company used) from .50 a month to $104.00 per month. At first this was a bit confusing for me. I was first in the Medicare gap plans page (for the above paragraph) and then looked at "Plan D" - well that isn't the same thing as "Part D". I went back to the main page and then was able to find the "Part D" plans and costs for my zip code.

I will also have my 401k from work and whatever is left in my inherited IRA after paying off the mortgage. I am anticipating to have extra from that. Even though I will have to withdraw it all by 10 years, so that I am taxed on it, I certainly don't have to spend what is left after the mortgage payoff. I can reinvest it and am hoping that will be what I can do, provided we can live off of social security income.

I know the % changes, but the consensus seems to be if you withdraw around 4% a year from your retirement fund, it's supposed to last. Once I would have to start taking that, at 75, it will likely be about half our SS income.