"What year did you ER?" poll

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau Maybe we should poll when was the last time we dreamed about our old j*b!

Can't do that in units of years. I can barely do it in days...

[Koolau]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords Can't do that in units of years. I can barely do it in days...

Yeah, I should have realized that most in the military are gonna have plenty to dream about. Funny, though, I never dreamed about the half dozen close calls I had at w*rk (one near-explosion sent the entire plant running for their lives - I got passed by a much younger secretary with her skirt up around her waste so she could run. I didn't even think anything about it until later in the day when I quit shaking.)

No, I always dreamed about the 98% drudgery and not the 2% stark terror. Go figure.

[RonBoyd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koolau secretary with her skirt up around her waste

That does sound like it was a scary incident. I hate when that happens.

[W2R]

Looking at the poll - - - it looks like the peak retirement year was 2007. 2007? My gosh, what's wrong with you guys? Didn't you know the market was about to crash?

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg I think most of us who retired in 2007 and could have foreseen the future would have stayed working for awhile . It was really scary to see your portfolio melt before your eyes !

I think that statement holds true for any of us who retired in the 2-3 years leading up to 2007. I retired in 2005 and spent most of 2008 wondering if I was the red line in Dory's FIRECalc example chart ...

[Moemg]

It was so scary . I really considered going back to work or downsizing ! No one who did not retire at that time can appreciate the panic a lot of us felt . A lot of our posters did return to work after their portfolio melted and some may never retire .

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Looking at the poll - - - it looks like the peak retirement year was 2007. 2007? My gosh, what's wrong with you guys? Didn't you know the market was about to crash?

"Those who fail to plan, plan to fail".

That's why I have a 3-5 cash bucket for income in retirement. Put some in (like in 2007 and 2009) when things are up and just draw on it when things are down (like 2008).

Sort of like a farmer. In good years, the excess goes to the silo; in bad years, the silo gets tapped to feed the animals. It's actually quite simple.

Didn't sell one share during the downturn. And hey, I have no pension nor SS income

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rescueme "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail". That's why I have a 3-5 cash bucket for income in retirement. Put some in (like in 2007 and 2009) when things are up and just draw on it when things are down (like 2008). Sort of like a farmer. In good years, the excess goes to the silo; in bad years, the silo gets tapped to feed the animals. It's actually quite simple. Didn't sell one share during the downturn. And hey, I have no pension nor SS income

I'm unable to compose a response that will pass the scrutiny of the moderation team.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rescueme It's actually quite simple.

"So simple even a wahoo could do it!"

I don't think any of the posters were referring to your Vulcan-logical approach to financial management. It's appropriate to give the emotional side a little credit.

[easysurfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I can fix that. - done.

Thanks for the fix. My last day was Jan 31, 2008. It was a very short w*rk year. I had a few carry over vacation days from the previous year so was off at home in early Jan. Then I came down with a mean fever as was w*rking from home until about Jan 10th. Then the megacorp decided to outsource several (myself included) from the department and gave us a choice to take the outsource by Jan 31st. I declinded and did a Johnny Paycheck move I remember a few days after I started my retirement, there was a big snowfall and I said to myself, this is pretty cool...I avoid all the traveling in the snow.

[haha]

I retired in 1984. Looking back, the key thing is to have the wind at your back. I would be broke 10 times over if I had done the same thing, but in 2000 or 2007.

Ha

[Danny]

July 1 2001 - Before and for a while after felt like I was creeping out on to a swinging tightrope over Niagra Falls...it was exhilarating when I first knew that it was going to work, that I didn't need big momma corporation to take care of me.... should have cut the cord earlier.

[rescueme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo I'm unable to compose a response that will pass the scrutiny of the moderation team.

Then send me a PM and explain yourself.

Seriously, a lot of folks talk about the market vs. the year you retire. My contention is that just because you retire and the market happens to go down, it does not mean a failure of your entire plan for the next 30 years....

[ksr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Looking at the poll - - - it looks like the peak retirement year was 2007. 2007? My gosh, what's wrong with you guys? Didn't you know the market was about to crash?

I'm one of the 2007 votes. I RE at the end of Sept. 2007. For about a month or so things were looking rosy, then after that, not so much. It was quite a ride!

Funny thing is that prior to ER I used to worry and fret about the impact of a big unexpected expense like a house repair. I like to think that now I will put it into a better perspective if I get hit with a big repair bill or other large unexpected expense. Hopefully it will pale in comparison to what happened to my portfolio in 2008 and early 2009.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ksr I'm one of the 2007 votes. I RE at the end of Sept. 2007. For about a month or so things were looking rosy, then after that, not so much. It was quite a ride! Funny thing is that prior to ER I used to worry and fret about the impact of a big unexpected expense like a house repair. I like to think that now I will put it into a better perspective if I get hit with a big repair bill or other large unexpected expense. Hopefully it will pale in comparison to what happened to my portfolio in 2008 and early 2009.

I didn't retire until last November, because I wasn't eligible until then. Even so the 2008-2009 market crash scared me to death. Afterwards, the crash left me feeling like a scarred war veteran as far as investing goes (I imagine myself recounting war stories to youngsters: "Lemme tell you 'bout the market war of '08-'09, sonny boy..." ).

I can hardly imagine what new retirees were going through at the time, what their thoughts and fears were while watching the events of 2008-2009.

[Meadbh]

Of course it's a small sample. But it's interesting that the numbers for 2009 and 2010 are about the same, and we are only 1/3 of the way through 2010. I expect that some people who were planning to ER in 2008 delayed it and that there will be a rebound.

I'm not there yet, but the crash has caused me to delay my planned ER date by two years.

[Alan]

I could have ER'ed in 2007 (delayed taking the pension and have an SWR of 4.5% for the first 9 years - FIRECalc was good for that) but instead I chickened out and decided I needed the extra security of retiree health insurance for which I had to wait until 2010.

In my case, "Fortune favors the timid" as I would not have liked to have RE'ed immediately before the market crash.

[Moemg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Looking at the poll - - - it looks like the peak retirement year was 2007. 2007? My gosh, what's wrong with you guys? Didn't you know the market was about to crash?

I fail to see the humor in this post !

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Quote: Originally Posted by W2R Looking at the poll - - - it looks like the peak retirement year was 2007. 2007? My gosh, what's wrong with you guys? Didn't you know the market was about to crash? I fail to see the humor in this post !

Hmm. Don't know what to say in response to your complaint. You can always report posts that you find objectionable to the entire Moderation Team, using the white and red "!" icon at the lower left of each post.

[Dawg52]

Another 2007 alum here. Survived the crash with the help of some good med's and now within shouting distance of being even again. So some bumping roads along the way, but no complaints at the moment.