Budget after retirement (normal retirement age)

Uff the prices are extremely high.

Where I work, the network prices are 8.6 Rp/kWh incl. VAT (so 7.96 Rp./kWh excl. VAT), energy is at 13.09 Rp/kWh including VAT (so 12.11 Rp./kWh excl. VAT) for private users.

Basically that means Basel Land is really inefficient at building up/maintaining their grid (or we are super efficient :zany_face:). Also energy production or trade is pretty inefficient , about 13% higher in average (we mainly do trade since we do not only marginal production - I do not know about Primeo).

The Konzessionsabgabe is pretty much a hidden VAT (basically, the municipalities levy income by the grid is using public ground to make an added value).

What I am surprised is that primeo is still using a Hochtarif/Niedertarif (we do not do it anymore). In a time where basically we are looking to burn away energy in summer around midday it is kind of outdated to shift consumption into the night


As a private person, you can’t change your provider, you are bound to your local one. Even a company has to consume more than 100’000 kWh/a at a single measuring point to be able to change their provider. However, that is only for the energy part, not for the grid (you always pay the grid to your local provider - which kind of makes sense).

In future, we will see grid prices go up, there is no way around it. It could be that for private users, it will be replaced by a a flat price, which makes sense for all the photovoltaic producers (because you are happy that you still have a grid when there is too much sun/no sun and the size of the cable to your home won’t change if you have photovoltaic or not).
Energy prices on the other hand are falling hard (I see the contracts until 2028). Especially in summer, prices are getting negative regularly (too much energy production and no available storage or the inability to switch off certain systems.

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I would say a bit of both. Basel Land is around the median.
At 7.96 Rp./kWh for network use, you are among the top ones (after those in the South Western Graubunden at 0.46 Rp./kWh. or such :laughing:).

Edit: they also have low healthcare premiums and lowish taxes. I’m moving to Zwillis when I’m retireing. :money_mouth_face:)

I don’t know what is wrong with BL, but we have high energy costs, high health insurance, high wealth taxes, high income taxes
 Maybe it is something structural related to population or maybe it is just very badly managed.

It’s the Baaseldytsch dialect, I’m afraid.

Kind of astonished the kWH isn’t even higher priced given this metric 


I don’t know what is wrong with GE, but we have low energy costs, very high health insurance, very high wealth taxes, very high income taxes, very high rent. Maybe it is something structural related to population or maybe it is just very badly managed.

Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.

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So you made me create a solver*:

$ ./income_solver.py 120 4.3 3.6

Financial Goal

  • Desired Post-Tax Income: $120,000
  • Assumed Total Rate of Return: 4.30%
    • Taxable Portion (Dividends): 3.60%
    • Non-Taxable Portion (Capital Gains): 0.70%

Calculation Result

  • Required Asset Base: $4,153,105
  • This will generate a Total Pre-Tax Return of: $178,584
    • Comprising $149,512 in taxable income
    • and $29,072 in non-taxable capital gains

Verification Breakdown

  • Income Tax (on taxable portion): $36,930
  • Wealth Tax (on total assets): $21,654
  • Total Combined Taxes: $58,584

Applicable Tax Rates

  • Effective Income Tax Rate: 24.70%
  • Effective Wealth Tax Rate: 0.52%
  • Total Effective Tax Rate (on total return): 32.80%
  • Final Calculated Post-Tax Income: $120,000

*Which may or may not have assumptions tweaked to land at 60k in tax :wink:

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Indeed, the calculations are correct! The 3.6% dividends is making a big impact. My own calculation is based a 1.7% dividend, and assumes much of the current deductions such as health insurance, mortgage interests, etc. Of course now the mortgage interest deduction is going away.

Do you choose the heavier dividend approach for the peace of mind?

Actually not. I prefer to get return as capital gains for tax reasons, but a lot of the stocks I am invested in have dividends and so generate income.

I don’t exclude stocks just because they distribute dividends.

For example, my top 2 stocks are:

  • BTI 5.9% dividend yield
  • AMLP 8.5% dividend yield
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