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05-09-2008, 07:29 PM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 47,495
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I'm so relieved...
__________________
Numbers is hard
Retired in 2005 at age 58, no pension
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05-09-2008, 09:08 PM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 8,656
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__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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05-09-2008, 09:42 PM
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 44,390
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Same here - - I'm happy with my portfolio's increase during the past three months. I don't use enough gas for the price increase to affect me very much, and I got a 2.99% cost of living increase that helps to soften the increases in food prices.
The predictions of doom were really scaring me more than what was actually happening. They could still turn out to be true, but things have been looking pretty good for the past week or two.
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05-09-2008, 10:48 PM
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#4
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Tucson
Posts: 118
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Robert Schiller, of the Home Price Index fame, recently suggested that if you're a consumer of energy, you are implicitly short the price of oil and other fuels from an investing perspective, and therefore it's prudent for all investors to be long energy in their portfolios. An interesting and creative viewpoint.
Tom
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05-09-2008, 11:05 PM
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#5
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 433
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire
I got a 2.99% cost of living increase that helps to soften the increases in food prices.
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W2r, You work for the federal government, no?
Was this COL increase in addition to a regular salary increase? That would certainly make the recent inflation more palatable.
__________________
Consult with only myself as your adviser or representative. My thoughts should be construed as investment advice of the highest caliber. Past performance is but a pale shadow and guarantee of even greater results in the future.
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05-10-2008, 05:37 AM
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#6
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 44,390
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barbarus
W2r, You work for the federal government, no?
Was this COL increase in addition to a regular salary increase? That would certainly make the recent inflation more palatable.
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True!
I was referring to the yearly increase that all federal employees got, which I believe is not technically a COL increase but in reality functions as such. On a nationwide average we were given 3.5%, but here in New Orleans we only got 2.99% because New Orleans is in the "Rest of the U.S." category; people in places like D.C., S.F., and Houston got more because of "locality pay".
But, you are right - - I also got a step increase that not everyone would be getting, so overall my salary went up 6.2%, plus I got a substantial cash award for exceptional performance that raised my yearly compensation another percent or two on top of that. Then there is the economic stimulus payment I am expecting, too! Overall, I am doing even better than I indicated. 
Basically, I have been very fortunate. Other than some initial sticker shock I am not as seriously impacted by increasing oil and food prices as some people may be.
OH - - and another thing. Yesterday at the grocery store I got the brown rice that I like, that my store was out of last time.  So, the rice shortage is not affecting me either. I only got one box, to be a good citizen and not hoard.
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05-10-2008, 08:05 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 4,396
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Quote:
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On a nationwide average we were given 3.5% ... I also got a step increase.
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That's nice.
__________________
May we live in peace and harmony and be free from all human sufferings.
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05-10-2008, 09:24 PM
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#8
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 44,390
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Sure is!  It was great to get the additional step increase and cash performance award this year. The step increase will be my last before ER. It's getting closer!
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05-11-2008, 08:49 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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I got my best raise in eight years in 2006; was canned in 2007... 
__________________
Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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05-11-2008, 11:34 AM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,049
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"But there's one problem: There's little evidence that we're in either a bear market or a recession, defined, respectively, as a 20% drop in the major stock market averages and two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product growth."
Who defines a "recession" this way?
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05-11-2008, 11:38 AM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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Economists?
__________________
Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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05-11-2008, 11:48 AM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,697
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I got my best paycheck ever in 2000 and ran away in 2001 of my own volition.
__________________
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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05-11-2008, 11:50 AM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,697
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eridanus
Who defines a "recession" this way?
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There actually are a bunch of definitions for both bear markets and for what amounts to a recession.
Thats the great part of all this stuff. You can choose your own reality.
Oh, and theres plenty of ways to measure GDP too!
I think that if Soros and Buffett both think we're in a recession...that we probably are...
__________________
Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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05-11-2008, 01:29 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
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Im hoping this thread goes on to discuss inflation and cpi. The various ways to measure inflation.
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