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I have not really found a good post about this on this sub or others, so I am posting it. Sorry for the long message in advance!
**Work Accounts:**
State Work Pension: $50,000 ($5200 with a $5200 match yearly)
401K: $23,500 $231 per month *(Increasing each year with raises)*
Roth IRA: $1250 (Just started) $231 per month *(Increasing each year with raises)*
**Personal Account:**
Brokerage: $10,000 between VTI (65%), VXUS (20%), and SCHD (15%) $70 weekly *(Increasing each year with raises)*
**Background Thought:**
I consulted with ChatGPT, Reddit posts, Google, some friends, my wife, and my brother about my goal of using my brokerage account to fund a vacation life style in my 30s and 40s with the intent of transitioning it to pay for insurance needs when I get closer to retirement in my later years. Each one provided some kind of answer, but I still looking for more views on the subject before making a transition. I know I will sacrifice some growth in my taxable account, but I think time in life is more valuable to enjoy while we're able bodied and younger. From the research I have gathered, it was suggested I should consider a hybrid approach where I still use VTI and VXUS in my portfolio: 40% VTI, 20% VXUS to keep a traditional growth position, but then allocate 40% to SCHD for the dividend growth.
**Goal:**
Have a vacation funded portfolio (Approximately \~$110,000+ by age 37 - 40 with the ability to provide roughly $5000 in yearly dividend income) where I will be able to take my family on a trip(s) without feeling the financial strain on my own bank account. I realize that this can change at any moment due to rate cuts, dividend cuts, down markets, etc. With that in mind, a vacation is not mandatory to go on or can be supplemented by my own income. I am newly married, wife will be a stay at home mother while we have a baby, so I still want to provide life experience for us and for my future children. My parents did the same for me but at the strain of their own bank account which caused them a load of financial stress after returning home from trips.
**Question:**
My question is how many of you use a brokerage for this style of investing and what did you consider when doing this? Also, how has your experience been with this method, any regrets? What dividend payers would you recommend?