I Retired! Here’s My Portfolio Update December 2024 & YouTube Earnings!

You won't believe what happened to my portfolio this month. But before I spill the tea, grab your coffee or whatever gets you through these money talks and let's dive into my December retirement update. Let me tell you, December was quite the month. You know how they say the holidays are full of surprises? Well, my portfolio definitely got that memo. First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful start to the new year. Drop a comment below with your favorite holiday moment. Was it the family chaos? That perfectly peaceful morning coffee? Or maybe that midnight champagne toast? Welcome back to the channel. For those just joining me, I'm Trina. And welcome to my cozy corner of YouTube where we talk real numbers, real retirement, and real life on a moderate income. No fancy financial advisor speak. Just honest conversations about making our money work for us. Let's start with the everyday stuff. My savings account, my faithful friend for those just because target runs and just in case moments. Despite all the holiday magic and spending happening all around, I kept it pretty steady. I started December at $14,326 and wrapped up at $12,350. Not too bad for a month when everything sparkles and basically begs you to buy it, right? Now let's take a peek at what I like to call my money making money account. Though this month they were more like money taking a holiday break. My after-tax brokerage account barely moved from $20,311 to $20,302. Feels kind of like those holiday pounds that just won't budge, right? The Roth IRA, similar story, $12,227 to $12,223. It's basically saying new year, same me. My health savings account dipped a bit from $5,364 to $4,919. And yes, for my newcomers, I am rocking the marketplace insurance plan with those sweet, sweet subsidies keeping my premiums low. Now the big one, my pre-tax IRA. It went from $448,571 to $425,510. Not exactly the Christmas present I was hoping for. Adding it all up and rounding up, I went from $500,800 to $475,304, about a 5% dip. But here's the thing. Since retiring in July with about $513,000, I'm down to $475,000. And you know what? I am still smiling. Why? Because I made some intentional big ticket purchases that won't be recurring on a regular basis. And the market is like that relative who borrows money. Sometimes they take a while, but they usually pay you back with interest. And now for the big plot twist. Remember those REITs everyone kept asking about in the comments? Well, drum roll please. I sold them all. They hit my target price. It then took a little dip, but since selling them was always part of my retirement game plan, I went for it. Combined with some maturing CDs, and we've got quite the reinvestment opportunity coming up. So stay tuned for January's update to see where all that money lands. Time to rebalance to keep my bucket strategy flowing. My asset allocation pre-REIT sale was 24% in stock mutual funds, 34% in CDs, and 42% in REITs. But not anymore. For those of you curious about my REITs, and many of you thought they were a really bad idea, here's how I did with them overall. I started investing in these REITs back in 2021 with $114,450. The December sale resulted in a $78,850 increase over those four years. That's almost a 70% overall rate of return, or a 14% annualized return. And I'll take that any day, every day. Looking ahead, Social Security will add about $2,300 monthly when I start at 62. So if my portfolio keeps me comfortable, I might just let that simmer a bit longer. The YouTube front brought some much needed holiday magic. December's payout was $1,855. Thank you all for making this channel grow. Your comments and engagement are better than finding forgotten Christmas cash in a coat pocket. So thank you so much. I am so very grateful. Now that wraps up my December journey. Between my planned purchases and the market giving me some coal for Christmas, it's been an interesting month. But you know what? That's real retirement. Sometimes you need to invest in your quality of life. Sometimes the market takes a winter nap, and that's okay. It's all about planning for these moments and staying flexible. How did your December treat you? Any exciting purchases or investments that you want to share? Between holiday spending and year-end planning, did your wallet make it through unscathed? Share your stories in the comments, financial victories or learning experiences. I want to hear them all. Until next time, keep planning, stay intentional, and may your 2025 be filled with growing portfolios and shrinking worries.