Recent content by sarahsays

Keeping the same aa and contributions. Hoping to put some extra money into funds in October. (3 paycheck month!) I'm still very far away from FIRE (I'm only 24, almost 25!), so I figure that whatever I buy now will perform even better for me in the long run.

You've gotten off to a great start. I think, before you invest your money anywhere, you need to learn the basics of investing. Read Four Pillars and The Coffeehouse Investor for general overviews.

I wish I could be there, but best friend wants to go out of town for her 25th birthday. Hope you all have fun!

I think putting some into a Roth is a great idea. However, if you want to use some of that money as a down payment, you probably should keep it in the savings account (or in CDs) since you have a short time (3+ years) before buying something.

At the ripe old age of 24 :) , I say, if you can talk her into it, have her max out a Roth IRA this year. That'll leave her with $5000 to put into a bond fund. She will be able to get at the Roth money if she absolutely really needs it, but you can show her the amount of growth that money will...

I find it difficult to save. I have no debt and yes, I have set aside a good-size chunk for retirement considering my age, but most of my friends want to eat out, go to concerts, go on vacation. And I worry that I'll regret saying no to those things (because I do want to go) just so I could save...

Congratulations. Everyone who's not there yet is very jealous!

Congrats on starting early. If you think you'll be tempted to spend any amount of the money, I suggest selling some of your stock position and taking a little ($500-1000) out to spend on yourself. That way you can buy something you really want and put the rest away for the long haul!

I agree that no one necessarily needs $1 million and that is not a magical number. I do think it's dangerous to suggest that people can retire and live on 65% of their working salary when most people already spend more than they make.

Is $1 Million Enough to Retire On? This article asks 3 "experts" whether $1 Million is enough to retire on. The third answer makes me very nervous. It seems like a terrible idea for those who don't know much about budgeting and investing to plan on saving only enough to generate 20% of what...

In some plans (if not all) you can't make contributions to the 401k until you have repaid the loan. So, depending on how much he takes out from his 401k, it could be years before he has repaid the loan and can make further contributions.

Appropriate that it's his last column. If he really encourages Joe Schmoe to put all his money into "the next big thing" and not diversify, he shouldn't be writing an investment advice column! I just thought the board would get a kick out of his ideas.

The latest (and last) Sophisticated Investor column from MarketWatch lists the five money management tips we can learn from the wealthy. Number 2 is especially interesting.

At my old job, I took home/worked late on 3 occasions in 3 years. Now I make overtime (in addition to my salary), so I stay when needed or leave at 5. :)

As others have said, you might be able to do it based on your own calculations. I would definitely strongly consider working part time if your job does disappear. It'll give you an added cushion and put-off drawing down your assets.