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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Personal Finance / Retirement Investing
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Author: Bluehorseshoe   😊 😞
Number: of 1281 
Subject: Re: Purchasing service credit at retirement age?
Date: 02/10/26 5:00 PM
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No. of Recommendations: 5
Purchasing 5 more years of service credit would cost an estimated $58,638 and would increase my monthly benefit by $334.
Thus, it would take 176 months to break even - around the age of 80.


I would consider that to be in immediate annuity of the $58k. You could run your details through an annuity calculator like the Schwab one linked below and I think you will find it is no better,and likely slightly worse, than what you could simply buy on the open market. If an annuity meets the needs of your personal situation then you may want to look elsewhere than buying the years.

schwab.wallst.com: Fixed Income Annuity Estimator

BUT - how do I apply the cost of that missing $58k lump sum (I have both IRAs, 457/401 and non-tax advantaged accounts to pull from if need be) to this calculation? Is there any ballpark rule-of-thumb to simplify this, just as a reality check?

This is highly dependent on an individual's situation and risk tolerance. Any "rule of thumb" may not apply to a persons unique circumstances and personal values. Some good discussion on annuities in the post linked below if you are interested.

Bluehorseshoe replies on Portfolio for a 90 year old

Jeff
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Members reply directly to Bluehorseshoe here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »
This community has written 1,207 posts about Retirement Investing. The article-length ones it recommended most:
The Case for Long-Term Buy and Hold Investing · 49 recs · 2025
Transferring assets to the next generation · 20 recs · 2025
Retirement Year 8 · 17 recs · 2025
(nearly) year one of retirement has been good · 11 recs · 2026
Buying Treasuries Via Vanguard · 10 recs · 2023
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