Recent content by Lotus

Was required to take the test twice, at B-school and at a company off-site (13 years apart) and they came out the same ... INTJ. I felt vaguely uncomfortable that the test was being taken very seriously by the administrators. I recall being one of only two INTJs in maybe 100 attendees at the...

Another reminder why this forum is the best. Just watched three "elementary" Chemistry videos that fascinated me. Thank you, Ron, for the recommendation.

Thanks for the post, Nords. It made interesting reading and brought back some memories. My late dad, a college professor of Western Philosophy, was a fan (perhaps even a friend) of Bertrand Russell. He hung a portrait of Russell above the piano in our living room, and was ridiculously pleased...

Been buying since the S&P hit 900, but have moved only half of what I planned so far. Don't like putting in a big amount on any one day, and the market has been dropping so fast! Will dribble in the rest over the next month.

Welcome, Dave! It looks like you have a well thought out plan. I plan to retire to Northern Virginia in a couple of years (at 50), probably to Alexandria. I have lived in the DC area in the past, and being single, like the idea of being near a big city to counter the risk of isolation in...

Many excellent posts in this thread. I am also "forcing" some balance on myself by scheduling vacation and doing some fun things on the side. This is to help make the time until ER not ALL about work, and help the transition to full ER. For example, though I am allocated a lot of vacation...

EagleEye, as someone in a not dissimilar position, I have gone back and forth on what advice to offer you. On one hand, since your job is not terrible or abusive and pays well, I'd advise you to stay. 46 or 47 is really not that late to retire, if you look at the life expectancy of the...

Hello, jrh13, and welcome to the forum. Your post caught my attention as I am also 47 and work in financial services. You look to be in very good financial shape; at any rate, with plenty saved to take some time off and review where you want to go. It seems sensible to stay in the NYC area...

Possible reasons for the generous ER clause are that 1) options are not widely awarded at my firm (probably < 10% of employees), 2) the qualifications for ER are not easy to meet, 3) the definition of "competitor" is fairly broad. If you have substantial options, the generous ER clause...

FIREDreamer, my stock options have a similar clause about "exercise or forfeit" if I leave the company. However, if I formally take early retirement (must meet certain tenure/age conditions ... I qualify) and don't go to work for a competitor, I retain the original 2010-2017 expiration...

Maurice, thanks for the welcome. I manage a book on a prop trading desk, mostly fixed income, a little equity. No exposure to CDOs directly, but what hurts the firm, also hurts me come bonus time ... you know what I mean! Anyone who had a front row seat for the CDO turmoil has my respect (and...

Thanks, everyone, for the welcome. FIREDreamer, my stock options aren't worth exercising at present (strike price above current stock price). However, they only expire in stages between 2010-2017, so I'll just hope for the best. I conservatively value them at $0; anything more will be great...

Hello, everyone! I’ve lurked for a while, but decided to introduce myself after reading GusLevy’s introduction on 5/15/08. Mine is similar story, though with significantly less dollars! I’m an immigrant who came to the US for school. Worked for several years after graduation, went back to...