What’s the 1 financial home run you hit?

[rodi]

I had fortuitous timing in one year...

I met and married DH - a LBYM type guy. I felt guilty that I had consumer debt (credit cards and a car loan) vs him with no debt (even a house debt free.). Fortunately for me my company was acquired and all of my stock options vested immediately. And the market liked the acquisition of the company so the stock price went through the roof. I cashed out the stock options, coincidentally, within $2 of the peak price of the stock... it then went on to split... then crash. It never ever recovered. I used the money to pay off all my debt except my mortage, pay for a travel sabbatical with my new husband, and seriously pad my emergency funds.

So - my homerun was meeting my husband, feeling guilty about the debt, and cashing out my stock to retire the debt.

Been debt free (except for mortgage) till very recently. Retired the mortgage 3 years ago... but currently have an zero interest car loan... who would turn down free money?

 

[bw5972]

Maybe you have many but I’m guessing to be Fired you had to have hit at least 1 homer

In 2005 I was 45 and tracking at megacorp for an aged 62 retirement. Maxing out my 401k and estimating SS. I had long dabbled in a taxable brokerage and rode the ups ands downs of many stocks with ok results but nothing that could impact the age 62 target.

Then in early summer 2005 after hearing Apple was switching over to Intel for their Macs, I took a look at the company (had never any of their products), and jumped in.

I mean my brokerage account that normally held 8-12 stocks was converted-liquidated to 3 stocks with AAPL the focus (over 75% of my capital going in at just over $7 a share). The rest as they say is history.

Held tight, adding occasionally, trading small lots in and out as opportunities arose but never losing the focus. Finally diversified in 2016 as FIRE was now possible by year end. Now I am 58 with my AAPL profits funding the gap until SS and 401k kick in to take me home.

 

[Midpack]

Mostly I’ve plodded along like others, but I had a quick 4-bagger with OC following the 1987 crash and a “15-bagger” with CSCO after that and something like a 10-bagger on MSFT and INTC. I was all funds by 2001.

Extra credit if you know who used the term “X-bagger.”

 

[thumbs]

Still swinging at the good pitches that come my way

 

[calmloki]

Was always able to adjust consumption to fit income, hated paying interest but had big real estate dreams. Met the gal and after a bit she discovered a program called Zilch:
Zilch Standard - Easy to use debt reduction software | ZilchWorks
Zilch seemed pretty obvious and a given to me - pay the highest interest debt off first, then roll the retired debt payments into the next highest interest debt, etc. - for her though it was a revelation. An angelic chorus sang, light filled the room and she was filled with that light. Zilch + her hard work ethic sent us around the bases.

 

[bobandsherry]

No home run here, but just a lot of singles with a round of balls and strike outs along the way; dot-com bust, housing bust, financial crisis and seeing company stock drop from 60 to 16. Just stayed with the game for 35 years and guess like a hitter in the majors even hitting .333 is enough to be considered a win.

 

[Elbata]

I did hit a home-run. I wish I had a long term job that I stuck with, but I never made a good employee. Looking back, it's easy to see that being a teacher, police officer etc. can set one on a secure financial retirement.

For many a year, I plodded along, just keeping my head above water.

In the early 2000s, I bought and sold a few properties before the melt down. Would have bought more at the time, but couldn't get my hands on cheap money.

Those few properties set me for life. Have always been a LBYMs guy.

 

[aja8888]

No home runs, or even extra base hits. After my 1990 California divorce, i was almost bankrupt with no job and big alimony and child support payments. I just put my nose to the grindstone and kept swinging.

Actually, I'm not even sure how I got to the two comma club and also own two houses free and clear.

 

[Car-Guy]

Went to work for Mega Corp 1. That was a double.
Didn't marry several of my GF's. Great games but I won them all by a home run in the final inning.
Married the DW. That was a Grand Slam.
Invested the max amounts in 401k matching program for 25+ years. Another home run or two.
Invested in the market for years. Lots of foul balls, strike outs, a few singles a double here and there but no home runs.
Went to work for Mega Corp 2. That was a four game series sweep with lot's of home runs.

 

[HadEnuff]

No home runs for me. Solid singles, LBYM, and 40 years of working.

 

[Senator]

Extra credit if you know who used the term “X-bagger.”

Peter Lynch?

 

[USGrant1962]

Anything that might be considered a "home run" I would say was just being born in the right year. After a brief few years of working at a relatively low wage job I dumped almost every nickle I had into mutual funds in 1984. History did the rest.

This. Same for anyone currently in their 50s who invested in the stock market.

The early 80s began one of the greatest bull markets ever - in my mind it has been a continuous bull, just interrupted by corrections in '87, '00, and '08.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/w...est-bull-market-since-world-war-ii-2017-09-20

I was also fortunate that my peak megacorp earnings years started right around 2009.

Lucky but I'll take it.

 

[marko]

I had an employment contract that specified a (ahem) quite hefty payout should I not be hired by an acquiring company.

We were acquired. They paid. I retired.

 

[razztazz]

I had an employment contract that specified a (ahem) quite hefty payout should I not be hired by an acquiring company.

We were acquired. They paid. I retired.

The Johnnie Cochrane method:

If they acquire but do not hire...... you must retire

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Started an IRA at age 24 and contributed the max every year. Started saving to a 401(k) as soon as one was available to me. Not sure when I started maxing that out, but it was early. First thing I did after the honeymoon was get DW to max hers out, too.

 

[timo2]

home run: married my spouse, who is LBYM person, and the rest is history.

 

[harley]

Extra credit if you know who used the term “X-bagger.”

Peter Lynch?

I was thinking Harry Carey.

 

[LuckyDog]

We plodded along by LBYM and saving a lot. But the break that made me a LuckyDog was pulling out of stocks in January of 2000 and getting back in in March 2003 - I think that the dates are correct. We made 6% in a stable value fund when many lost a lot and then we got back into stocks in time to ride the rocket up.

 

[FIREd]

DW and I were both facing staid careers with limited earning potentials. Our home run was DW having the opportunity to go into management for an up-and-coming biotech company. Our earnings grew far beyond what we had ever anticipated. Since we resisted the siren song of lifestyle inflation, we were able to sock away a lot of money very quickly.

 

[Souschef]

Rolled over my 401K into a fund that has given me 18% return per annum.
started with $X amount in 2009, now worth $4X

 

[griffithee]

Married a beautiful military DW who was able to retire from the military after I did, both of us debt free.

 

[Ronstar]

Bought 15% of our company office building with $150 down and received $1000 per month in rents. Sold the building 12 years later for 2 times what we paid. Home run that turned into a bunt single after we 1031'd the proceeds and later sold at 75% of the 1031'd proceeds.

 

[Backpacker]

Seemed like an error at the time, but divorce from my "practice wife" was really a solid base hit. She was on track to live above our means. Marrying my current wife was a triple, she actually has a job and a LBYM mentality. She and I were both single income parents/ households, so marrying and selling one house, combining income, etc seemed like we hit the lotto, but we never changed our frugal lifestyle.

 

[Legally_dead]

At age 33, still a lot of at bats left. But so far, my home runs are same house, same spouse, same car.

 

[gayl]

My xH had no idea that charge card bills had to be paid.

Took all debts in divorce to make sure they were paid. Then took all raises:

1/3 mortgage
1/3 retirement
1/3 debt then enhance lifestyle & savings