Although from your post, you are both a few years from Social Security, I have to agree with looking at it as
fixed income in an overall portfolio. If I felt the need to add bonds, individual is the only way I would go. As
long as you don't have to cash early, you know what you have.
I was pretty cautious when I retired at 54. When it came to money I felt sure we would need, I bit the bullet
and went with CDs, while keeping a high balance in a credit union savings account where the wife continued
to have money automatically payroll deposited until she retired. I knew when she retired that for the first time
ever, money would be flowing out for a few years, instead of accounts constantly rising. A bond fund or bond
CEF wouldn't have been the same to me.
I bring that up because you haven't mentioned if your income when you retire will cover expenses without
tapping accounts right away. I "retired" the first time at 49, only to find that I worried about money. I can tell you,
that isn't retirement. Luckily, the two people who tried to replace me couldn't stand the pressure, and I
got a mulligan at the same pay. I made sure where we stood before the second time, with plenty of cushion.
Can't say I didn't think about money, but that's a big difference from worrying about it.
I'm guessing you have already answered two of the biggest questions of the average retiree, how much do
we need and where is it coming from, and healthcare costs. |
