Any Young Dreamers willing to be interviewed by SmartMoney?

ESRBob · 07-05-2007, 05:14 PM

Dow Jones SmartMoney magazine is doing a feature on early and semi-retirement, and Billy & Akaisha, Nords and I (and possibly others?) have all spoken with Dyan Machan, the senior correspondent on this project. Very credible and friendly to the whole FIRE gestalt.

Now she's looking to interview someone in the early stages of planning for ER. Anyone interested/willing to talk to her? Let us know here or PM and we'll put you in touch. I think her deadline is in the next day or two.

thefed · 07-07-2007, 05:57 PM

i may be interested...im real early in planning...im 24 yrs old

Peaceful_Warrior · 07-07-2007, 06:22 PM

I'm game.

xmanz3 · 07-07-2007, 06:55 PM

I am interested if age 33 is considered early enough.

mathjak107 · 07-09-2007, 03:06 AM

we are 55 and 57 and trying to pull the plug early

ESRBob · 07-10-2007, 01:31 AM

Thanks all for the replies and those who PM'd with emails. She wrote today to say she thinks she has her profilees now and is covered. If that changes and she still needs people I will let you know here and via PM.

Off for 2 weeks of sculpture workshops in Monterey -- just had my first stroll through Carmel tonight -- strolling through town was low-budget. Buying anything there would have been another story...

Htown Harry · 09-16-2007, 12:05 AM

I see that the article has now been published. It's the cover story of the October issue:

Cash Out and Live Off Your Investments (SmartMoney Magazine Cover Story) | SmartMoney.com

Nords · 09-16-2007, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Htown Harry

I see that the article has now been published.

Does anyone here get the actual hardcopy printed version of SmartMoney? I'm wondering if the online & hardcopy versions are different and whether the hardcopy article includes photos...

twaddle · 09-16-2007, 12:20 AM

Dean Fikar, a Fort Worth, Texas, radiologist who retired in 2001 at age 46, is more typical: While small-cap stocks are his main holding, he also owns REITs, a Pimco bond fund and a gold fund. Fikar says his net worth has doubled since he stopped working.

Is that raddr?

**bssc** · 09-16-2007, 01:31 AM

I subscribe but it hasn't made it out here yet.

Htown Harry · 09-16-2007, 02:23 AM

My copy arrived today.

The web site is just a teaser...the article runs about 10 pages, with photos of most of the subjects.

All of them have very big smiles, of course.

HFWR · 09-16-2007, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twaddle

Dean Fikar, a Fort Worth, Texas, radiologist who retired in 2001 at age 46, is more typical: While small-cap stocks are his main holding, he also owns REITs, a Pimco bond fund and a gold fund. Fikar says his net worth has doubled since he stopped working.

Is that raddr?

Hmmm...

Nords · 09-16-2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR

Hmmm...

Yep. You'll have to post on his board; I don't know how often he checks in here.

Fireup2025 · 09-17-2007, 09:58 AM

Did you notice how negative the comments at the end of the article were? No faith. No proper planning. Stinks for them!

Nords · 09-17-2007, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fireup2025

Did you notice how negative the comments at the end of the article were? No faith. No proper planning. Stinks for them!

The authors appear to have a lot of experience but the whole project seems to have been throttled down. It was initally advertised to be much bigger than the online version seems to be (that's why I'll check the hardcopy). It's also difficult to recognize the people we know, especially the Kaderlis. If a reader wanted to follow up on the article or its contents, there's not much to work with.

In general the financial magazines do a crappy job of explaining the ER process & lifestyle, but even among its "peers" this one seems to fall below the usual low standards. IMO a journalist's job is to find out things and explain them to the blissfully ignorant, but this seems to be one huge case study in "not getting it".

I can only imagine how they'd present FIRECalc or ER discussion boards. If SmartMoney wanted to follow up, I'd pass.

ESRBob · 09-17-2007, 07:27 PM

I have to believe there will be a lot more in the articles and sidebars in the actual article. There really is nothing here in the online version except a few mangled profiles. I don't know how I became a 'venture capitalist' again, for instance. Haven't done that stuff for years!

DangerMouse · 09-17-2007, 07:39 PM

I have the hard copy and can't say that there was anything too enlightening in the article. I was expecting them to profile some younger couples ie. 20s, 30s who were looking to go down the path of FIRE. Maybe I am jaded, but nothing in the article got me excited.

unclemick · 09-17-2007, 08:35 PM

I don't think a written article can capture the shear joy of (with no basic change in material circumstance) of going from :

a cost cutting unemployed cheap bastard to - work sucks -to hey I don't need to work anymore - and the ultimate frosting on the cake: FIRE

a frugal high class ER.

Alas I was 49 -50 then and it was the 90's. The mental shift took about a year. It was priceless.

Maybe if Dory could round up his favorite singer and they offered a CD with the article.

heh heh heh

07-05-2007, 05:14 PM	#1
ESRBob Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1,283	Any Young Dreamers willing to be interviewed by SmartMoney? Dow Jones SmartMoney magazine is doing a feature on early and semi-retirement, and Billy & Akaisha, Nords and I (and possibly others?) have all spoken with Dyan Machan, the senior correspondent on this project. Very credible and friendly to the whole FIRE gestalt. Now she's looking to interview someone in the early stages of planning for ER. Anyone interested/willing to talk to her? Let us know here or PM and we'll put you in touch. I think her deadline is in the next day or two.

09-16-2007, 12:20 AM	#9
twaddle Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 1,377	Dean Fikar, a Fort Worth, Texas, radiologist who retired in 2001 at age 46, is more typical: While small-cap stocks are his main holding, he also owns REITs, a Pimco bond fund and a gold fund. Fikar says his net worth has doubled since he stopped working. Is that raddr? __________________ Favorite ERF quote: "I'm not going to waste my time on someone who's more interested in being stubborn or obtuse or intolerant." -- Nords Favorite ERF error message: "Sorry Nords is a moderator/admin and you are not allowed to ignore him or her."

09-16-2007, 01:31 AM	#10
bssc Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,907	I subscribe but it hasn't made it out here yet. __________________ Angels danced on the day that you were born.

09-17-2007, 09:58 AM	#14
Fireup2025 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 649	Did you notice how negative the comments at the end of the article were? No faith. No proper planning. Stinks for them! __________________ Make no mistake, my friend, it takes more than money to make men rich. - A. P. Gouthey

09-17-2007, 07:39 PM	#17
DangerMouse Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 659	I have the hard copy and can't say that there was anything too enlightening in the article. I was expecting them to profile some younger couples ie. 20s, 30s who were looking to go down the path of FIRE. Maybe I am jaded, but nothing in the article got me excited. __________________ I be a girl, he's a boy. Semi-FIRED July 08. Mid 40s, no kidlets.

07-07-2007, 05:57 PM	#2
thefed Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 1,467	i may be interested...im real early in planning...im 24 yrs old

07-07-2007, 06:22 PM	#3
Peaceful_Warrior Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 509	I'm game.

07-07-2007, 06:55 PM	#4
xmanz3 Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 97	I am interested if age 33 is considered early enough.

07-09-2007, 03:06 AM	#5
mathjak107 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 2,442	we are 55 and 57 and trying to pull the plug early

07-10-2007, 01:31 AM	#6
ESRBob Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1,283	Thanks all for the replies and those who PM'd with emails. She wrote today to say she thinks she has her profilees now and is covered. If that changes and she still needs people I will let you know here and via PM. Off for 2 weeks of sculpture workshops in Monterey -- just had my first stroll through Carmel tonight -- strolling through town was low-budget. Buying anything there would have been another story...

09-16-2007, 12:05 AM	#7
Htown Harry Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 204	I see that the article has now been published. It's the cover story of the October issue: Cash Out and Live Off Your Investments (SmartMoney Magazine Cover Story) \| SmartMoney.com

09-16-2007, 02:23 AM	#11
Htown Harry Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 204	My copy arrived today. The web site is just a teaser...the article runs about 10 pages, with photos of most of the subjects. All of them have very big smiles, of course.

09-17-2007, 07:27 PM	#16
ESRBob Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1,283	I have to believe there will be a lot more in the articles and sidebars in the actual article. There really is nothing here in the online version except a few mangled profiles. I don't know how I became a 'venture capitalist' again, for instance. Haven't done that stuff for years!

09-17-2007, 08:35 PM	#18
unclemick Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: north of Kansas City Posts: 5,646	I don't think a written article can capture the shear joy of (with no basic change in material circumstance) of going from : a cost cutting unemployed cheap bastard to - work sucks -to hey I don't need to work anymore - and the ultimate frosting on the cake: FIRE a frugal high class ER. Alas I was 49 -50 then and it was the 90's. The mental shift took about a year. It was priceless. Maybe if Dory could round up his favorite singer and they offered a CD with the article. heh heh heh

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