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NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ: Overdue Thank You to this incredible resource.
11-10-2021, 07:58 AM
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#1
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 60
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NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ: Overdue Thank You to this incredible resource.
I hope newer members take a moment to read this. I am now 75, retired and enjoying a comfortable, not extravagant by any means, life style. Briefly, I found this board about 20 years ago or thereabouts. It was after seeing it recommended, I believe, on Motley Fool. I was a social worker who knew nothing about investing but fortunately had a nice TIAA-CREF plan at work that I pretty much ignored until then. Because, and ONLY because of the lessons learned here, I took 10 years to move everything to CREF, retired early at 62, and immediately moved everything to Vanguard. I used Firecalc (and donated every time).Folks may disagree, but I at 62, I put 45 in Wellesley, 40% in Wellington, and 15% cash, and never touched the allocation…BOOOORING!!!
I have fudged a bit and done 5%, plus 12K officiating high school and college, plus SS for 2. For you new folks, NOT A PROMISE BUT I HAVE 200K more now in my Vanguard than I did at age 62, and I did not start anywhere near a million.
My point…This board, these I incredibly smart people taught me the simple, “You can do this yourself”, ignore all the ads, and become a BORING investor model.
..and it has worked out just as they said. (Yes, it has been an unbelievable market, but the fundamentals have proven absolutely solid.)
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Ted in Iowa…now buying new dryer sheets!
__________________
Ted
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Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
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11-10-2021, 08:04 AM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,829
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Great post. Thank you
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11-10-2021, 08:09 AM
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#3
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,706
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Congratulations!
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11-10-2021, 08:14 AM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 5,858
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Well Done!
And, yes, the forum here is wonderful. The amount of knowledge shared is so appreciated.
__________________
Give a Man a fish, he will eat for a day.
Teach a Man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.
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11-10-2021, 08:15 AM
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#5
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 60
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Thanks Michael, but congratulations go to you and the incredible difference this board has made in my life…without this board, I could very well be collecting an Annuity that is nowhere near what I can count on today. Peace.
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Ted
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11-10-2021, 08:18 AM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,514
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You summed it up well. ER is an incredible helpful site, being top notch managed and with outstanding people.
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11-10-2021, 08:24 AM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Fair Lawn
Posts: 2,959
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OP: Congrats to you! This website is beyond-great on many levels. I joined a few years before my ER, and this site was invaluable to me then, and remains a great source of help and info. And it's not just the sage financial advice - many great examples of assistance here have nothing to do with finances.
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11-10-2021, 09:07 AM
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#8
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Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,124
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Great post Ted, congratulations.
I joined a couple of months after you and have had a very similar experience. Great advice from the folks here helped me and my wife to retire at age 55.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
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11-10-2021, 09:38 AM
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#9
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 259
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Thanks Ted. Great post! Not just the new members but young dreamers like me take inspiration from these proof points. You proved one more time that time, patience and a boring portfolio are the key to success. I’ll jump on your bandwagon to thank the incredible members of this ER Community.
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11-10-2021, 09:45 AM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,518
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Your post made me go look at my join date - 15 years ago!
I would not have had the confidence to retire when I did without the knowledge I gained from this board and the success stories of other ERs here.
I'll join you in saying a big Thank You to the board members.
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11-10-2021, 10:12 AM
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#11
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 400
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Great post! I also am very happy I found this forum.
It was one of the sources I used to plan and execute our FIRE.
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11-10-2021, 10:42 AM
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#12
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Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 23,036
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Quote:
Originally Posted by walkinwood
Your post made me go look at my join date - 15 years ago!
I would not have had the confidence to retire when I did without the knowledge I gained from this board and the success stories of other ERs here.
I'll join you in saying a big Thank You to the board members.
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In my 15+ years as a member (and a few years prior as a lurker), I have learned the answers to questions I didn't even know I should ask. I'm still learning today, thanks to all of you.
__________________
Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
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11-10-2021, 03:24 PM
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#13
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,657
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Good points all. It sounds like you (OP) are closer to what I once called "shoestring retirement" than to the "Blow That Dough" crowd.
Hopefully your words are an inspiration to others to follow this path, and not feel they're not wealthy enough to join the club.
59 posts in 16+ years? Wow. Nobody's ever been able to keep me that quiet!
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11-10-2021, 03:56 PM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Seattle
Posts: 452
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Chiming in, with many thanks to the skilled and generous moderators and the many thoughtful regular posters. It's wonderful to have the anonymity to post personal financial thoughts, and have feedback from smart and familiar regulars.
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Retired 2015 at age 55...50/45/5 AA
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11-10-2021, 04:37 PM
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#15
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,115
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Definitely grateful for all I’ve learned financially from this site over the years. I haven’t found any place better.
__________________
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” John Muir
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11-10-2021, 04:45 PM
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#16
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,593
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Thanks for the great post Ted! I know I couldn't have retired as comfortably as I have without the help of the folks here.
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11-10-2021, 04:52 PM
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#17
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: North
Posts: 4,043
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Congrats! I used to think investing was "scary"...something "smart people" did, and "super complicated"...man was I ignorant. Once I found this forum, real people, with real results started identifying my ignorance with helpful tips, encouragement and good ideas.
It only takes one thing to retire early...
Trying.
You don't actually need to try hard. And its simple, not hard. Not only that, regular, normal people do it everyday as evidence with this forum.
Inspiring. You can do it!
__________________
Time > $$$ ~ 100% equities ~ FIRE @2031
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11-10-2021, 05:59 PM
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#18
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 270
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Thanks for saying what I've been thinking: that I learn so much from the forum members on finances, taxes, and FIRE issues in general.
What I learned here gave DH and I the confidence to enjoy retirement.
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11-11-2021, 08:44 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 5,316
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I am also thankful for this Board--not so much for investing advice because I already had a pretty good handle on that before I joined-- but for a bunch of other issues for which I have received help from this board. Off the top of my head I had received good advice on this Board regarding: Social security, Medicare, several health issues, covid issues, being a caretaker, grocery shopping, travel, automobiles, RVs, golf, books, movies, TV series and many other things I cannot think of right now.
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11-11-2021, 09:16 AM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,048
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I have to express my thanks as well. A separate thanks to the Mod's who do a great job keeping it civil. I joined the board after my wife "retiring" to SAHM/home school teacher nine years ago. It spurred me into looking at early retirement and finding this board.
This board has helped me pave the way to ER. At this point we've just reached FI, but don't want to risk it just yet. Another five years and I'll be FIRE, three years sooner than originally anticipated, with more resources than I think we'd ever have. I've learned numerous things and tricks like how move extra money into Roth accounts by doing after-tax 401k contributions and Roth conversions and recharacterizations. Currently following several threads around how to optimize withdrawals and conversions in retirement.
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