The Moneyist
‘We are reluctant to pay a financial adviser 2% of assets — roughly $160,000 per year’
Updated
Dear Quentin,
I’m 84 and my wife is 77, and we are both fully retired. We have no significant financial obligations beyond routine monthly expenses such as food, utilities, taxes, insurance and so forth. Our largest expenses are required minimum distribution-related taxes and annual real-estate taxes, which together run about $7,000 per year.
Our combined net worth is approximately $8 million, most of which is held in separate traditional IRAs — two in my name and two in my wife’s name. Our annual income comes from Social Security, RMDs and monthly pensions from previous employers. Our pensions total about $2,200 per month.