Woo-Hoo!!!

[NW-Bound]

I had been buying until I got to 60% equity a few months ago. The AA is now 71% equities, and I have not sold a thing. If I were still working and did not have to keep so many years of living expenses in liquid forms, I would have bought more.

Bragging rights: my total stock positions went up near 2% at market close. Same with the total of my MFs. Both beat the S&P. There's nothing as good as high-beta stocks in a rising market. I am not selling yet.

I wish I could say I have reclaimed my personal Oct 07 high like Unclemick did. As RV is my current interest, the difference from where I am now to that past high-water mark is about the cost of an spanking new class A diesel pusher (typical mid-range, not a Prevost!). Not that the frugal me would want to buy a new RV like that, but it would be nice to know if I could just write a check.

I like to count my money (in a spreadsheet) a lot more than sinking it into assets that become liabilities, like "stuff" that I already own.

NW-Scrooge-Bound

[freebird5825]

Nice! Wonderful! Glorious!

I have a few year end consolidation of mutual funds moves planned, but I'm going to wait a bit...patience...patience...

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikerdude I'm still selling to maintain my new equity asset allocation. Now, what do I do with all this cash.

The Freebird Foundation is still open for business.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclemick Hey - if we beat the Giant's and Mr Market takes a 30% tumble, I'll still be happy. As long the Norwegian widow gets her 3% SEC yield what's a little market fluctuation among friends - right? 16 yrs of ER - I'd like to see the Saint's get all the way into the big show - I've seen these minor market up's and downs before. heh heh heh - Balanced index full auto plus a few stocks on the side - for the hormones you know. . I just checked - back within 1% or so of 2007 peak - after taking out my retirement money and paying taxes. False courage .

Unless you loaded up like Lakedog did, I don't see how that's possible if you just sat on everything. The DOW is still down 28.5% from it's all time high. But hey, what ever you did I'm happy for you.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Unless you loaded up like Lakedog did, I don't see how that's possible if you just sat on everything. The DOW is still down 28.5% from it's all time high. But hey, what ever you did I'm happy for you.

I am thinking that his "testosterone" picks in 2008 might have done pretty well. But who knows? Between the pension, SS, and dividends maybe he had more money to invest.

My portfolio has recovered and more, but then I am still in accumulation phase. Plus, I have not been spending dividends at all. The fund values are still lower than they were. But overall, I have exceeded the retirement day portfolio value that I projected for myself back in July, 2008. That is a huge relief to know, on the brink of retirement.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 ... I'm going to wait a bit...patience...patience...

Patience? Patience?

Weren't you logged in when I screamed BUY, BUY, BUY for nearly a year?




OK, OK! It was more like a whimpy Buy, buy, buy , but I did whisper so. Records of past post do not lie...

[freebird5825]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Patience? Patience? Weren't you logged in when I screamed BUY, BUY, BUY for nearly a year? OK, OK! It was more like a whimpy Buy, buy, buy , but I did whisper so. Records of past post do not lie...

Oh, never fear, I've been BUYING. Not a lot at once, but I've been DCAing to equities to beat the band. I am smiling !
The "Patience" part for me is to wait a little bit longer to exchange some much older holdings (mutual funds) whose expense ratio (0.65% worst case) needs to go away.

[Bimmerbill]

I've been considering moving a lot of my equities into the G fund (bonds). I guess I should see how much $ I think I'll need and see if its possible to save that much in the G fund between now and retirement.

[NW-Bound]

Yesterday, I beat the S&P500 that went up 1.75%. Today, the S&P closed up 0.42%, while I am up a mere $10 for the entire portfolio. My material and energy stock gains exactly cancel out my nerdy (tech) stock losses.

Oh well...

[Notmuchlonger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Yesterday, I beat the S&P500 that went up 1.75%. Today, the S&P closed up 0.42%, while I am up a mere $10 for the entire portfolio. My material and energy stock gains exactly cancel out my nerdy (tech) stock losses. Oh well...

Porky bellies my friend. Lets keep that between us.

[Bikerdude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825 The Freebird Foundation is still open for business.

Tax deductible I assume.

[Finance Dave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire this is sure better than 6500 in my book.

Amen to that.

Back in Nov/Dec 2008 (when I thought the market had hit a low ) I told my wife...

"Well, it's not good that it's down so much...but if it's going to be down, I'd like it to STAY down for a little while so we can buy cheap stocks )". We save about $60k/year (if you include both of our 401k plans at $15.5k each, employer contributions to our RSP of $11k, employer match on 401k of $4,500, $6k HSA savings that are invested in stock funds, and about $7k in after-tax savings plans), so the 6-8 month period in '09 that the market was down considerably has allowed us to get $30k in the market that has since turned into $45k...for a $15k profit. Overall we're still way down...but I'm trying to be an optimist.

Think of it this way...if you had two choices, which would net the more money?

1) Start working, deposit $x/year in a 401k which increased 4-fold in 30 years, then cash out.

2) Start working, deposit $x/year in a 401k which stayed flat for 29 years, increased 4-fold in the 30th year (yes, all in one year), then cash out.

#2 WINS !!!

[Midpack]

I have a now 61 year old co-worker who had "enough to retire" two years ago (just reached $1M he proudly told me back then). But he could not sell his primary residence (already bought mortgaged his retirement home in AZ 4-5 years ago), so he did not retire. Now he's nowhere close to his "number" so he "can't retire" now (and the house still hasn't sold).

Nowadays he often laments to me and others, "I should have retired 2 years ago when I had the money..."

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack I have a now 61 year old co-worker who had "enough to retire" two years ago (just reached $1M he proudly told me back then). But he could not sell his primary residence (already bought mortgaged his retirement home in AZ 4-5 years ago), so he did not retire. Now he's nowhere close to his "number" so he "can't retire" now (and the house still hasn't sold). Nowadays he often laments to me and others, "I should have retired 2 years ago when I had the money..."

That is so sad!! This is one reason why I just can't see buying one's ER home early if it is going to endanger one's ER. I think that was the "fatal mistake" on his part.

Frank and I want to move north and buy cheaper homes, but if push comes to shove (and if we can't sell our present homes) we can always stay here until the housing market improves. It is just torture to study the real estate websites for our planned ER location, since the prices are so low and so many lovely homes are for sale by desperate sellers. But so far, we have resisted.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire ... It is just torture to study the real estate websites for our planned ER location, since the prices are so low and so many lovely homes are for sale by desperate sellers. But so far, we have resisted.

I have the same situation with RVs. As narrated in recent posts, I am slowly converting myself, AND my wife too, into RV wannabes. We went out to take a look at used ones, and were surprised at what decent motor homes one can buy for less money than for a new car. But because my wife has to take turns with her siblings to watch after her 90-yr old father, we cannot leave for my dreamed-about extended trip next spring.

Why not buy one if the price is right, I asked myself. The problem is these RVs require storage space, and if I leave it up in my high-country place (without chopping down any tree, I already have room for a class A and perhaps 2 or 3 class Cs), I will have to worry about snow and water damage to it. Yes, these things require maintenance and I have learned that delamination is a dirty word feared by RV'ers.

It might just be well that my part-time work is starting back up, and takes away the time that I spend looking at RVs that I cannot buy. This work now has the potential to escalate and turn into a longer-term project. How can a LBYM'er like me refuse money? And the work promises to be fun too, as they are getting more and more receptive to my earlier proposal and I may get to do things my way. It will not be as fun as RV travel in the US, Canada, and then Europe, but by delaying the gratification I can travel more later. Decision, decision...

[toofrugalformycat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire It is just torture to study the real estate websites for our planned ER location, since the prices are so low and so many lovely homes are for sale by desperate sellers. But so far, we have resisted.

Same situation except already ERed. We'll see if I get up the gumption to move before prices go up again or stocks collapse. I'm so glad I didn't buy a couple of years ago. I wish I could DCA into a house.

[unclemick]

Just double checked - more like minus 4.8%. Do not know how I got my first 1% number. And yes I did use a calculator instead of a no. 2 pencil.

heh heh heh - .

Saint's did win? Right?

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclemick Just double checked - more like minus 4.8%.

Unclemick, I believe you. I have been monitoring Wellesley and found that if one reinvested all dividends, he would be down only around 1% relative to the fund's high in Oct 07. Since you are such a "big" spender and still have some testosterone to buy during the dip, your performance is achievable.

I wish I could say the same about my portfolio, still down 13% from my previous high. However, that "loss" includes money I withdrew to live on and to pay my kids' college tuitions, which hurt like the Dickens.

I knew that I beat the S&P and Wellesley from 2003 until 2007, but looking ahead who knows? At some point, I may just park my money in Wellesley and drive an RV through Europe. But hormone is hard to resist, though it manifests in different persons in different ways. Heh heh heh ...

[ejman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Unclemick, I believe you. I have been monitoring Wellesley and found that if one reinvested all dividends, he would be down only around 1% relative to the fund's high in Oct 07. Since you are such a "big" spender and still have some testosterone to buy during the deep, your performance is achievable. I wish I could say the same about my portfolio, still down 13% from my previous high. However, that "loss" includes money I withdrew to live on and to pay my kids' college tuitions, which hurt like the Dickens. I knew that I beat the S&P and Wellesley from 2003 until 2007, but looking ahead who knows? At some point, I may just park my money in Wellesley and drive an RV through Europe. But hormone is hard to resist, though it manifests in different persons in different ways. Heh heh heh ...

Yes, occasionally I wonder, why don't I just do a mix of Wellesley/Wellington and be done? I have another 14 funds as part of my AA (a little of this, a little of that) But what the hell do I really gain by that?

[Jay_Gatsby]

I've been DCA'ing into various mutual funds over the past few weeks, and put a chunk in on Friday after the pullback. I knew that 10,000 wasn't sustainable without some sort of pullback, but a significant correction (i.e. 10% or more) isn't likely to happen. We will be trading in a range until the markets digest earnings reports.

I'm within 1% of my pre-crash totals in my taxable account, and 7% in my retirement accounts (over which I have little control of the somewhat crappy funds my employer offers).