Poll:What is the LEAST assets anyone has retired early with?

[Automatika]

Just curious as to what the LEAST amount of assets anyone has been able to retire early with? After reading on this forum for a while I have come to realize that not everyone likes to travel and adventure as much as I do... some people may just want to whittle on the front porch or stay at home. Some people are also a lot more frugal than others.

 

[dex]

That is a difficult question to get a handle on - some people have pensions and social security. Then you will need to adjust any replies for inflation - US$500,000 15 years ago isn't the same as today.
I'll be interested in the answers also.

 

[Nords]

For those of you wondering who the heck did it under $100K, I donated my vote in absentia for JG.

UncleMick and Jacob can put in their own votes...

 

[REWahoo]

For those of you wondering who the heck did it under $100K, I donated my vote in absentia for JG.

You failed to mention his wife kept working until he was eligible for SS, they divorced a short time later and that he was last reported living in his parent's basement.

Then again, the question didn't have a 'successful' qualifier...

 

[haha]

You failed to mention his wife kept working until he was eligible for SS, they divorced a short time later and that he was last reported living in his parent's basement.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, right? I wonder if ol'John is finding any "big water" for his boat?

It is really too bad that he left, he was such a sitting duck. Also, it was amazing how many acolytes he attracted. Long live my guru, Big Water John!

Ha

 

[HFWR]

Ah, yes, JG. Actually had lunch with him up near Lake Texoma. Definitely some dissonance between the real and the online persona...

As for the least amount, I'll vote in a few years.

 

[wanaberetiree]

I have not ER yet, but thinking will do it on 1.5-2 M
I also think that $2,000,000 - $5,000,000 is too big of gap.
I'd ask -
$2,000,000 - $2,500,000
$2,500,000 - $3,000,000

 

[Nords]

I also think that $2,000,000 - $5,000,000 is too big of gap.
I'd ask -
$2,000,000 - $2,500,000
$2,500,000 - $3,000,000

After the first million, those are just rounding errors...

 

[unclemick]

Jan 1, 1993, age 49, was long ago and far far away so I hesitate to resurrect ancient numbers.

Also - toss in no health insurance(not recommended), 1 yr temp work, rental duplex, small pension at 55, she worked one yr longer before ER, and I was a - drum roll please:

A really, really Cheap SOB - no kidding. .

heh heh heh -

And Mr Market was a wonderful fella until about 2000 or so.

Tossing in the duplex sale price - ?290K? total assets in 1993 $.

 

[akck]

Not retired yet, but according to plan, $250,000+ should do it. Plan includes pensions, Social Security and medical benefits at age 60. The $250,000 should last for 35 years with a 2% return, after which pensions and SS will have to do.

 

[youbet]

With an adequate cola'd pension, SS and free healthcare, I'd be willing to try retirement with $37.97 in assets......... In fact, if the cola'd pension was big enough, I might be convinced to do it with negative assets (liabilities) I had to pay off every month.

Dex is right again. The survey is pretty meaningless without some way of leveling the playing field for retirement income sources other than your own portfolio of assets.

 

[haha]

With an adequate cola'd pension, SS and free healthcare, I'd be willing to try retirement with $37.97 in assets......... In fact, if the cola'd pension was big enough, I might be convinced to do it with negative assets (liabilities) I had to pay off every month.

Most of the government workers that I have known keep the spending pedal to the metal all through their work lives, and hardly have to slack off at all upon retirement. Assets would be strictly for a higher living standard over and above one that is usually quite high already, or to leave bequests.

Ha

 

[MasterBlaster]

What amount of assets did you retire with?

I ER'd at age 29 with $59, a case of lentils, a taste for buzzard jerky, and a plan to use the system to my advantage.

I keep my livin' expenses low so that I don't have to work for the man. I'm not gonna let some corporation take my life away. Nosiree ! Between welfare and food stamps I git what they owe me.

Workin' is for suckers !

Stop workin' and start livin now ! The good life awaits you !

 

[FANOFJESUS]

If I had a pension of 3k a month I could retire with 0 in the bank. With no pension it would take about 1 million so it just depends.

 

[Automatika]

Big Gap

I also think that $2,000,000 - $5,000,000 is too big of gap.
I'd ask -
$2,000,000 - $2,500,000
$2,500,000 - $3,000,000

I guess I figured anybody over 2M would have no problems retiring, I'm really interested in the low end. I'm trying to home in on what age/asset value I'll be able to comfortably retire based on peoples experiences in addition to the calculators.

 

[Spanky]

The survey is pretty meaningless without some way of leveling the playing field for retirement income sources other than your own portfolio of assets.

It's not meaningless since most people do hot have the luxury of receiving fat pension checks from uncle Sam or Mega Corp. However, you can always calculate the value of an annuity using either Present value of an annuity for n payment periods or Present value of a growing annuity. This value is part of your overall assets.

 

[Spanky]

Workin' is for suckers !

Stop workin' and start livin now ! The good life awaits you !

I hear you. However, work can also be fun and stimulating once in a while.

 

[wanaberetiree]

The key part is "once in a while"

 

[SecondCor521]

At the moment, my spreadsheet claims that I can be FI on $494,367.71 on 10/16/2015.

2Cor521

 

[haha]

At the moment, my spreadsheet claims that I can be FI on $494,367.71 on 10/16/2015.

2Cor521

You might benefit from viewing #1 of Krzysztof Kieslowski's Dekalog. OTOH, you might well not.

Ha

 

[Onward]

Just curious as to what the LEAST amount of assets anyone has been able to retire early with?

The champ has to be ... the No Money Man.

Video: The No Money Man | Environment | guardian.co.uk

 

[obgyn65]

Sorry akck but I am not sure I am following your maths. When you say "The $250,000 should last for 35 years with a 2% return, after which pensions and SS will have to do", are you saying you will live on $5,000 / year (e.g. 250,000 x 0,02) for 35 years, after which SS and medical benefits will kick in ?

Not retired yet, but according to plan, $250,000+ should do it. Plan includes pensions, Social Security and medical benefits at age 60. The $250,000 should last for 35 years with a 2% return, after which pensions and SS will have to do.

 

[obgyn65]

Although I haven't retired yet, I voted $2,000,000-$5,000,000.

 

[kumquat]

Although I haven't retired yet, I voted $2,000,000-$5,000,000.

If that's what you got, that's what you got.

If that's what you want, you may have a problem.

 

[RonBoyd]

I am unsure what is meant by "assets," I guess. Why would you deduct pensions, SS, and such? Unless, of course, they will play no role in your retirement plans -- meaning that you would never draw on those funds. Not to mention that there are those who suddenly retire through no fault of their own (although I don't believe there are any of those folks lurking around here).

I guess I am also unsure what the point (or purpose) of this Poll is.