Money Mag: Can this Retirement Be Saved?

[clifp]

I got interviewed by SmartMoney in 2000 on a segment about Early Retirement. The full archive of the article has mercifully disappeared. I was a bit unhappy because it had both my full name and my net worth in the same article.

The funny (although not total surprising) thing was the article focused on the downside of early retirement. Basically I said that investment for me had turned into more of a job than fun hobby, since I took ER. Although, if that is the worse thing about ERing , I don't think it would turn off a lot of people.

Thank God my budget was not discussed, although no way I would ever look as foolish as this couple.

[mathjak107]

we did both money mag and fidelity mag last year. it was interesting to do, and as i said before we had no reservations about the financial info.... no one really cared other than for the reading.....

no question the photo shoots are the best part, makeup and hair people and all the attention. its like being a star for a day

[2B]

I could not imagine having all of my financial and personal information plastered into a highly circulated mag and then having it available on the internet for a year or more. That in itself would probably drive me to retire to Panama.

I do find it interesting to read these. Nothing like being a financial "peeper." Although, if they open the blinds and undress in front of you is it really peeping?

It's interesting to compare different approaches and methods. It's been awhile since I read the Money mag article on mathjak. I thought mathjak was a little overboard on real estate but I'm a high liquidity kinda guy. I was also surprised by the % of net worth that came from inheritance. I'd be much better off if I'd done a better job picking my parents or, at least, educating them on how to invest and LBYM.

[unclemick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mathjak107 we did both money mag and fidelity mag last year. no question the photo shoots are the best part, makeup and hair people and all the attention. its like being a star for a day

The temptation would be too severe - as a lefthanded INTJ ER - a new tin foil hat, show them my new sheet metal vacation spot under the overpass and maybe a few creative tears in my bib overalls for effect - park the pickup out front with rusty/primer fender toward the camera.

Hmmm - possibly I have a different mag in mind.



You know an ordinary small tract house in the suburbs/vehicle(Oh my God - it's Kansas!) - paid for via boring as paint dollar cost averaging your 401k into index funds - won't make the news of any kind anywhere - because it's just well you know soooo boring.

[mathjak107]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2B I could not imagine having all of my financial and personal information plastered into a highly circulated mag and then having it available on the internet for a year or more. That in itself would probably drive me to retire to Panama. I do find it interesting to read these. Nothing like being a financial "peeper." Although, if they open the blinds and undress in front of you is it really peeping? It's interesting to compare different approaches and methods. It's been awhile since I read the Money mag article on mathjak. I thought mathjak was a little overboard on real estate but I'm a high liquidity kinda guy. I was also surprised by the % of net worth that came from inheritance. I'd be much better off if I'd done a better job picking my parents or, at least, educating them on how to invest and LBYM.

well the real estate was actually an inheireted business which my wife got an unexpected partnership in from her deceased husbands family. . the business consisted of 9 co-op apartments in a very prestigious building overlooking central park in nyc. .her father inlaw had been a builder and partner with bernie spitzer and at one point he owned 35 apartments but those were sold off before we had anything to do with them. . actually you can see the building by typing a google search on 200 central park south. it really is nice. we managed to buy out the leases from 5 of the rent stabilized tenents and sell those off. man talk about hitting the lottery.

we still have 4 left but these tenents arent moving so quick. it could be never before we see any more sales.

[Celany]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Sounds like this problem will end with a Darwin-Award solution.

you can only get a darwin award if you lose your life *before* you procreate, I believe...

[Milkman]

I read the article last week when my magazine came in the mail. The woman's comment about the "emotional attachment" to the NC home and not wanting to make any more fast decisions, struck me as being extremely selfish. However, the most revealing comment was "We're in this beautiful area and see our neighbors doing fun things like cruises, golfing, and going to the country club, and we can't enjoy any of it." She is blinded by status symbols and materialism, andconsiders them to be her entitlement. If they both share those feelings, I don't think they have an ice cube's chance in Hades of surviving this trainwreck.

I think their only hope is if the article's author emails them the link to this thread. If they see the opinions of people who have accomplished what they are trying to acheive, maybe they can get beyond their anger and selfishness, they might begin to see the light.

Or not...

Milkman