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I’ll retire with a military pension and want to move to a bicycle-friendly, beer-loving place — so where should I go?
Marketwatch ^ | Sept. 16, 2020 | Silvia Ascarelli

Posted on 09/16/2020 9:31:20 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Dear MarketWatch,

I have five years until I retire. I have a nest egg of $1 million and will also have a monthly military pension of approximately $6,000, and Social Security on top of that.

I like cycling 60 miles a day and want to retire in a place that is known for good, safe cycling. I hate hot humid weather and don’t want a lot of snow. I love craft beer. And I would prefer a place with limited or no income tax on a military pension.

Where should I retire? Fort Collins, Colorado, and Asheville, N.C., seem like good places, but the cost of living in Fort Collins seems above average, and I am told Asheville has a lack of housing.

What other places should I consider and how do they compare with the two locations already mentioned? My wife likes the sound of “the Hill County in Texas,” but she knows the heat is bad.

Dear Charles,

The Fort Collins and Asheville areas sound lovely. And popular places tend to be more expensive — that’s just the reality of supply and demand. If that’s where you want to be, the trade-off might be as simple as a smaller house/condo/rental.

You also could seek cheaper housing a bit further from these two cities — Greeley, Colo. (don’t believe everything about the smell), or Hendersonville, N.C. (recommended here), for example. Or what about Raleigh-Durham, with the American Tobacco Trail as the trail network’s spine? You’d have to accept more humidity with that one, however.

I started my search by looking at the League of American Bicyclists’ bicycle-friendly communities. Five, including Fort Collins, are platinum. Housing in only one is cheaper than Fort Collins, but I don’t think you’ll appreciate the snow in Madison, Wis. I ruled out Davis, Calif.,

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Military/Veterans
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To: McGruff

“South Dakota has caught my eye recently. Any Freepers live there?”

A few of us.

That said I am a USAF Officer retiree, and whoever this is has to be a very senior General bringing in that kind of retirement income. I’d say O-8 or higher based on this chart: https://militarybenefits.info/2020-military-pay-charts/

As previously stated on the thread, they aren’t usually the ones asking qestions, they are more used to giving orders and having them obeyed.

So back to McGruff. Why did SD catch your eye? I am not a native son but have lived here for over forty years.


101 posted on 09/17/2020 3:06:36 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Professional

“I’ve worked with retired military for nearly 30 years as an Advisor. The retirement income is pretty stout”

It really depends on your rank, personally I think officers are overpaid, especially Junior officers who probably shouldn’t be paid much more than an E-5.

I know retired E7s who basically make about 25% less the house payment as a retirement, and because they moved around their entire career from Base to Base or Station to Station they often times are in the middle of a mortgage or they’d never had a mortgage. So all that hard work and effort equals a paycheck that doesn’t quite equal a house payment not to mention taxes, utilities, excetera... And because you moved around so much you haven’t established a residence or what you could have been paying on for years. And because you lived around so much chances are your spouse hasn’t been able to find anything much more than minimum wage work. Unless they are college grads.


102 posted on 09/17/2020 3:08:12 AM PDT by Clutch Martin (The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.)
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To: Falconspeed

For sure. Portland is rated most bicycle friendly state ever year by Bicycle Magazine.

``
Very innovative with bikes there: they now have local conversion kit especially for protestors to turn a bike into a cop and fed bashing weapon


103 posted on 09/17/2020 3:21:39 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: nickcarraway

The guy seems to favor Democrat run cities


104 posted on 09/17/2020 3:22:41 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: BiteYourSelf

Hmmm? An SD Freeper I am not familiar with. What part of the State are you Lurking in?


105 posted on 09/17/2020 3:23:47 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Jonty30
If you’re into racing bicycles, I recommend Detroit

7 months of bad weather is not bicycle friendly

106 posted on 09/17/2020 3:30:46 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
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To: Hot Tabasco

If you go into the right neighbourhoods, you will learn how to ride really fast, regardless of the weather.


107 posted on 09/17/2020 3:34:12 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is thp at they are both death cults.)
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To: Jonty30

OK, I get it now....


108 posted on 09/17/2020 3:36:19 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
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To: Don W

General BS depending on where you chose to live in the State. You have been reading too many Tourist brochures from States competing with Wyoming.

That said, Aberdeen, SD probably has a reputation for some of the worst SD weather, in winter at least.


109 posted on 09/17/2020 3:44:43 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Don W

I see the Prairie boy reference, but according to your states visited map, You ain’t even set foot in SD.


110 posted on 09/17/2020 3:51:24 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Night Hides Not

Chief or Lt Col are in that range, easy.


111 posted on 09/17/2020 3:52:15 AM PDT by Fido969 (In)
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To: Oshkalaboomboom

In the case of Le Tour, it is a much better view on TV than in person. On TV you have professional cyclists providing commentary from local stuff to team tactics. You get the big overall picture.

As you observed in person, On flat stages, you get to see the Peleton blow by at forty miles an hour for maybe what thirty seconds if that. Then you go home to the TV to find out the rest of the story.


112 posted on 09/17/2020 4:01:14 AM PDT by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Clutch Martin

Retired here - enlisted, take home $2800 a month.


113 posted on 09/17/2020 4:12:05 AM PDT by dakine
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To: Cowgirl
While I don't have 6K in monthly military benefits, I can relate to this situation. Anyone who had the foresight to put away $40 a week into an IRA beginning in the 80s should have have a similar size nest egg. In fact, if you have also been participating in a 401K since the 80s, you should have much more than $1 million in your nest egg but I digress.

I am 5 years from collecting full SS. I live in a deep blue state. I do not want to live my retirement years in a deep blue state. My advice is to find a college town in a red state. While the town itself may be blue, the surrounding area most likely are deep red. My goal is to live in the deep red part. Do your own research but areas that are at the top of my list are : Bloomington IN, Auburn AL and Johnson City TN

114 posted on 09/17/2020 4:15:28 AM PDT by Sir_Humphrey (Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people -Socrates)
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To: Night Hides Not
Here’s a link showing how military retirement compensation is calculated. https://www.militarypaychart2020.com/retirement/ If this guy retired as an E-9 his retirement pay would be about $3,600 maybe a little more depending on time in service. To pull in $6,000 this guy would probably have to be a bird colonel with about thirty years or there abouts, I think this post is click-bait. And, guess we fell for it 😏....
115 posted on 09/17/2020 4:18:04 AM PDT by snoringbear (,W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp,)
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To: Professional

Utah and Craft beer don’t mix


116 posted on 09/17/2020 4:26:30 AM PDT by frogjerk (We are conservatives. Not libertarians, not "fiscal conservatives", not moderates)
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To: ocrp1982

Michoacan, Mexico. Very beautful scenes. Lakes, hills, some waterfalls trees. Near Uruapan. Absolutely amazing.


117 posted on 09/17/2020 4:33:50 AM PDT by KDF48 (Redeemed by Christ.)
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To: ConservativeMind

It is. Federal tax.


118 posted on 09/17/2020 4:35:04 AM PDT by Afterguard (Deplorable me!)
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To: nickcarraway

“I’ll retire with a military pension and want to move to a bicycle-friendly, beer-loving place — so where should I go?”

Haiti?


119 posted on 09/17/2020 4:38:11 AM PDT by chuckee
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To: ConservativeMind

Nope. It is taxable, I can assure you as someone who gets only a third of that.


120 posted on 09/17/2020 4:41:10 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (The only thing worse than COVID-19 is Biden-20!)
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