"Typical" ER forum member profile

[W2R]

1-4 and 6...

Also an introvert, don't know or care about the Joneses, and debt-free 'cept for the mortgage.

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+1

#5 doesn't apply for me, since I couldn't retire until eligible for retirement medical at age 61.5 . But all the rest do.

I'd suggest this addition...

As previous polls here have shown, we're almost all introverts. I've come to believe that makes a huge difference. The extroverts I know dread the idea of ER.

I don't know. The polls *say* we're almost all introverts, but for a bunch of introverts we sure have a lot of threads about negative things others said or may say when we tell them we are retiring and ain't it awful, blah blah. Or, other fears about what people will think.

The hard core introverts among us might say, frankly...

Another thing we might add to the list, is that (at least in my perception?) most of us worked like dogs for very long hours for years instead of just cruising through life. I feel like I fit in with the profile in that regard too, if that is one of our shared characteristics.

 

[steelyman]

frayne's original list fits me. I suppose I was an LBYM prior to retiring, but I am probably LWYM ("within") now.

 

[pb4uski]

I would agree to 5 of the 6 items as well as pb4uski's addition as long as I could make a few small adjustments to some of the items.


1. Financial DIYer and more than a bit skeptical about the role/benefit of paid FAs.....

One small quibble.... I would suggest that you replace "paid" with "AUM based" as I don't think many of us would expect an FA to work for free and many of us are ok with FAs that charge a fixed fee or by the hour but we are skeptical of those who charge a percentage of AUM.

 

[Alan]

The orignal 6 points all apply to me, plus I am, and always have been, an extrovert. (taken the MB test many times over the years, always comes out ESTJ)

 

[nash031]

What would you say are typical ER forum member profile/attributes ?

I'll start by adding a few of my own thoughts;

1. Financial DIYer and more than a bit skeptical about the role/benefit of FAs.

2. Uses index funds for the majority of his/her investments.

3. Somewhere between the ages of 50-70 and debt free.

4. Dislikes annuities for various and sundry reasons.

5. Retired in their 50s.

6. Have analytical type personalities.

How far am I off and what else might you add ?

I think the two highlighted ones might be less true. There are a lot of folks on here who retired (or plan to) in their 40s. A lot of under 50 folks here too.

 

[Lsbcal]

I would add less likely to be worried about "keeping up with the Joneses" then the average person. Also, fairly self-confident and not as worried about what other people think of you.

Probably because we are the Jones's.

 

[Meadbh]

I'm not typical. I have investment debt and I do use wealth management services. But I am an introvert who retired in my 50s.

 

[Lsbcal]

I have enjoyed this thread but I do not think we should go too far in forcing a "typical" profile. Who wants to be just typical?

We should enjoy our differences. Maybe that's a typical trait here? Would like to think so.

 

[freebird5825]

A trait I have picked up on is being the proverbial square peg (independent thinkers) in the round hole (traditional environment of the w*rkplace).

We are collectively very bright in intellect and very willing to swim against the raging current when the situation calls for it.

 

[Lsbcal]

A trait I have picked up on is being the proverbial square peg (independent thinkers) in the round hole (traditional environment of the w*rkplace).

We are collectively very bright in intellect and very willing to swim against the raging current when the situation calls for it.

Very bright in intellect ... that's must be me!

 

[freebird5825]

Very bright in intellect ... that's must be me!

I'll save ya a seat on the bench next to me.

Seriously, this forum blows me away with the wealth of knowledge and the discussions. I'm no dummy but sometimes I feel very uneducated, at least in financial matters. All I ever took in college, as a Physics major, was Business 100.
So I hunker down on a snowy day (ad infinitum) and educate myself by reading the links.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Not 1, not 2, not 3.
But yeah, introverted and debt free.



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[steelyman]

"Typical" ER forum member profile

Not 1, not 2, not 3.
But yeah, introverted and debt free.



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Well, 1 & 2 a person can do something about if (big if) they chose.

It occurs to me that 3 is actually two different traits.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Good point, Steely!
I'm 44, so not in the 50+ club.
And considering that my paychecks every other week come from an RIA firm, I'm a bit more on the side of real financial advising. And ditto on leaning more to active instead of passive investing.



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[6miths]

I'd be 6 for 6. 7 for 7 if adding LBYM. Sadly, probably 8 for 8 if we add the online too much. Would not make the 'attention to what I eat' category. Definitely a 'yes' on the 'not keeping up with the Jones'' and definitely not 'the Jones'. I am a little surprised that there is such a large Boglehead overlap.

 

[Free To Canoe]

What about bacon?

 

[unno2002]

Adding to the list:

Reads a lot, on a wide variety of topics.

Ignores “fads”.

Looks for the “behind the scenes” motivation for events and “news” items.

 

[steelyman]

Most threads seem to have a limited lifespan, so maybe what you (frayne) could do would be to see what suggestions come up for a few days or a week (or whatever), consider it like a primary election and then create a real poll for voting. The graphical results are a compact summary.

 

[6miths]

I was thinking the same thing. I would be an interesting poll.

 

[Fred123]

A trait I have picked up on is being the proverbial square peg (independent thinkers) in the round hole (traditional environment of the w*rkplace).

We are collectively very bright in intellect and very willing to swim against the raging current when the situation calls for it.

And don't forget that we are all unusually modest.

 

[steelyman]

I was thinking the same thing. I would be an interesting poll.

It would have to be done in a way to hopefully minimize less-than-honest answers...

 

[samclem]

Another trait for consideration: I think a lot of people here are quite generous in sharing their time, their experience, and their opinions (esp opinions). It takes some time and effort to do a bit of research, include some links, explain a point, and then follow-up when people chime in. The many useful things I've learned here on a WIDE variety of topics has been due solely to the kindness of strangers (and especially the goodwill and efforts of the moderators).
It's not a trait commonly found in the world at large or even other online discussion boards.

 

[unclemick]

What would you say are typical ER forum member profile/attributes ?

I'll start by adding a few of my own thoughts;

1. Financial DIYer and more than a bit skeptical about the role/benefit of FAs.

2. Uses index funds for the majority of his/her investments.

3. Somewhere between the ages of 50-70 and debt free.

4. Dislikes annuities for various and sundry reasons.

5. Retired in their 50s.

6. Have analytical type personalities.

How far am I off and what else might you add ?

heh heh heh - some of us a left handed.

 

[Lsbcal]

It would have to be done in a way to hopefully minimize less-than-honest answers...

I know for a fact that everyone here is scrupulously honest and no one here ever exagerates.

 

[NW-Bound]

Another trait for consideration: I think a lot of people here are quite generous in sharing their time...

I wonder if it is simply because time is something ER's have in abundance.