2017 Million $ Year

[Texas Proud]

You have to have a good amount to get to $1 mill increase in a year... I am not even close....


The big question will be... how is your Jan It is shaping up to be either #1 or #2 best in the last 10 years..

OK.... sorry I wrote it

 

[tbilltubbs]

OK.... sorry I wrote it

Oh so it's YOUR fault!

 

[hesperus]

In the last 30 days alone, ours is up around $500K, and in 2017, right around $1M.
Correction coming now that that's out there...

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

OP, congratulations on the million dollar year! While I am in the six figure and not the seven figure gain category, I know that 2017 was the highest $ gain for me ever, and my portfolio gain far outpaced $ from my current j*b plus my pension.

Just remember that everyone here needs to be prepared to see numbers the opposite direction, and that it is usually "escalator up" and "elevator down".

 

[mistershankly]

DW and I are still in the accumulation phase and saw some great returns in 2017 but not even close to $1mil. For those who hit that number in a year or close to it, what was your asset allocation to achieve these returns? Were you largely invested in stocks?

We have an 80/20 allocation, but I think if (hopefully, WHEN) we experience such robust returns, I'd be tempted to take some winnings off of the table and hedge against a correction with an increasing share of bonds, maybe 70/30. In 2008, I was a decade younger (and less risk averse) and doubled down on my monthly investments rather than hold back, and it's certainly paid off. A decade has made me more conservative but I wonder if I'm (at the age of 47) thinking a bit too conservatively.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I went up almost a million in 2017, but a good chunk of that was an inheritance. Since I never counted on that inheritance in my retirement planning, I'm feeling pretty good these days.

 

[firewhen]

Found this old thread I started about 2017. Somehow we still have not seen a prolonged correction and 2019 was an even better year! Any success stories out there?

 

[street]

OP >> Congratulations to adding a million a year, that is outstanding. In 2017 I had just been retired less then a year but did look to see what my $ gain was at the end of the year. It was ~ $625,000..
I do have well over one million more since 2016 when I retired. Not sure if that is anything to write home about, or even a success story, but way more then my expectations. That is after living from my investments, so far so good.

I was told it was a bad time to retire in early 2016. The markets were iffy and unsettled. Well, I think now it was a great time to get out and take my money from pension plan in a lump and invested it in the market. As a retirement plan it wasn't benefiting me in that plan so retiring I could put that money to work has been huge for me. I did better on my own verses it in a plan not benefiting from the healthy markets since then.

 

[cooch96]

2019 was Mostly great for me. DW got sacked from her megacorps, but I was still able to save a significant part of my salary. I accomplished this by canceling a planned furlough and all vacation travel for the year. I refused a project In August that would’ve required a 6-hour daily commute and, instead of also getting sacked, I was put on a different project near home.

My net worth increased by a 1/4 million in ‘19. Not much compared to some here. But 2019 was the year I surpassed subsistence-FIRE and stated banking my way to lean-FIRE.

 

[scrabbler1]

I basically recovered my 2018 losses so that looking at the 2 years (2018, 2019) together I averaged a little more than $100k per year.

 

[street]

This is the Money & Retirement Forum. It seems perfectly fine for people to celebrate their financial successes here. Personally, I enjoy reading about the success of others, whether on a smaller scale or a larger scale.

I agree. If I were in a non financial website and we discussed numbers that would be NO good. I don't feel any bragging about offering numbers here and there is a lot of folks here, with more of a portfolio then I got. We should all be very thankful where we are all at in life, regardless of a number that is higher or lower then ours.

 

[Perryinva]

Well, 2019 was belly belly good to me. I retired over a year earlier than planned thanks to a generous ERP, which enabled higher savings during a great year of returns. Over a $350k gain, but much was added contributions. I think just based on returns, closer to $225k. My Roth gor pumped to over $300k, significantly more than my predictions showed a few years back & since I’m double dipping for 6 more months (pension plus full salary) plan to sock away more after tax, before I start blowing that dough (by delaying filing SS and doing Roth conversions). Done with any IRA contributions.

 

[JoeWras]

2018 stunk. It took a stiff upper lip to retire just as the market took a swoon.

But 2019 was almost too good. I gained more than 2017, without any w*rking income earned. Not a million dollars, but much more than our expenses. Woo hoo.

 

[pb4uski]

I agree. If I were in a non financial website and we discussed numbers that would be NO good. I don't feel any bragging about offering numbers here and there is a lot of folks here, with more of a portfolio then I got. We should all be very thankful where we are all at in life, regardless of a number that is higher or lower then ours.

+1 I like having rich friends.

Rich real friends are a bit better because they'll pick up the dinner tab every once in a while, but you rich cyber friends are a-ok too.

 

[Bigdawg]

+1 I like having rich friends.

Rich real friends are a bit better because they'll pick up the dinner tab every once in a while, but you rich cyber friends are a-ok too.

Rich cyber friends? Hmmm, maybe an ER.org meet up so those cyber friends can by you dinner?

 

[Dtail]

Rich cyber friends? Hmmm, maybe an ER.org meet up so those cyber friends can by you dinner?

We are meeting up in SW FLA in 2 weeks, but unfortunately for PB, I am not one of the rich ER ORG folk.

 

[tdv2]

Ended up with investment returns (additions not counted) of -$220k in 2018 and +900k in 2019.
Getting real close to having the first digit be a 6.

Spending was just under $100k in 2019....Having trouble convincing DW that we need to start blowing more dough....saver mentality runs real deep in both of us.

 

[luckydude]

Our portfolio (a mix of real estate and equities) went up $2.05 million in 2019. Of that, $250k was from contribution (thank you, DW).

Lucky Dude

 

[Andre1969]

While it was nowhere near a Million $ year, 2017 was still my best year ever, dollar-wise, up to that point. My investible assets rose $236K, which was about 19%. Percentage-wise, I've had better years, but I was still pretty damn happy

2008 still stands as my worst single year, both in dollar loss, and percent. I lost about $175K that year, for a loss of around 41%. However, 2008 is softened a bit, because in December I saw a ~23% jump. If I measure peak-to-trough (October 2007-November 2008 for me), I lost about 52%!

2019 ended up topping 2017 for profitability. I was up around $416K. First time I ever topped $400K. Heck, I was even looking forward to it being the first time I topped $300K!

As for January 2020, it was good for a couple of weeks. I briefly topped the $2M threshold. As of January 17, I was up around $62K for the month, but finished up around $4400.

Dunno if I'll ever have a year where I make $1M plus. Unless we're talking years down the road, when $1M isn't so great any more, thanks to inflation. Although, who knows? If I had started 2019 with around $3.8M, and saw the same rate of return, I would've seen a rise of $1M+. So, I guess it's not *too* far fetched.

 

[SumDay]

2018 stunk. It took a stiff upper lip to retire just as the market took a swoon.

But 2019 was almost too good. I gained more than 2017, without any w*rking income earned. Not a million dollars, but much more than our expenses. Woo hoo.

What JoeWras said. Not only did we retire on the same day, but we had the same portfolio return experience. 17 months in, and I'm much more comfortable (mentally & $$) than I was the day I retired.

 

[Eastbayboy]

Our 2017 was $402000. In 2019 it was $436000. Both times we were a couple of percentage points under the S&P with a 60/40 spread. In 2018, we were down $147000. Not running with the bulls here but not peeing with the pups either.

It not always what you make but what you keep. However you $1mil winners are my inspiration!

 

[CCBoard]

After our year end stock valuation finished, I realized that my accounts grew by just over $1 million in 2019. It came as something of a surprise - I had mentally prepared myself that it would take a couple more years to reach that milestone.

Hoping for a repeat in 2020 and possible retirement soon thereafter.

 

[karen1972]

There is some amazing returns in this thread, It reminds me of bonus time at work where people would ask if the bonus was vacation size, car size or house size. Typically we only meant a decent down payment, ie 5/15/40k.

And then in 2019, my return just happened to be the exact same amount as what I owed on the new construction mortgage.. so I literally could buy a house, not just the down payment.

 

[firewhen]

Here we go in the opposite direction

Obviously not year end but if we move sideways from here, who is looking at a million dollar loss. We were due for a fall, but this coronavirus certainly has not helped. Even today's up day will be followed by who knows what.

 

[luckydude]

Obviously not year end but if we move sideways from here, who is looking at a million dollar loss. We were due for a fall, but this coronavirus certainly has not helped. Even today's up day will be followed by who knows what.

Funny, I was thinking of reviving this thread for million $ loss, but you beat me to it

DW went all cash with her retirement accounts 2 weeks ago so she escaped the bloodbath. I didn't and took it on the chin (and the stomach and lower...). Low six figures loss so far for my retirement accounts.

Lucky Dude