Share your FIRE Milestones - 2013- 2020

[Pellice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davhin This is my first post and next to last day of work. I have been lurking around on many threads and have learned a ton. I am not really RE, I'm 62 but feel 24 and don't plan to start SS until 66 or maybe 70, if the market cooperates. I hit $1.1M IA this week and am ready for FREEDOM!

Davhin, what was your first day of freedom like? I too will be 62 when I retire and will wait for SS until 66. I am already planning that day!

[cathy63]

Paid off the mortgage today! Right on schedule, fifteen years after signing the loan docs, but it really feels great.

[Rdub]

Congrats cathy63!

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathy63 Paid off the mortgage today! Right on schedule, fifteen years after signing the loan docs, but it really feels great.

Congratulations!

[OHjosh]

I just reached one year of being FIREd (I'm now 62), taking monthly draws from nest egg. Not in two comma club but my net worth is more than it was last year. Still not feeling comfortable BEING retired, but it actually only just got started as I was major caregiver to mom. (She died in July at 95.) Feeling a bit disorganized in my bereavement. I am determined to sit still until January before making some "Here is what I am going to do with my life" sort of plans. The house and garden look a lot better tho!

[nvestysly]

OHjosh - that's certainly quite a bit of change in your life. Congratulations on one year of FIRE and best wishes on your bereavement process. Waiting a year before making big decisions is probably a smart move.

[RobLJ]

We hit the 2x 2 comma club today in invested assets and savings.
About 3 weeks ago I reached the two comma club in only my personal 403b invested assets, but today--including DW's 401k & IRAs and savings--we hit the 2x 2 comma, at least briefly.
20 years ago the goal was 1300k, which I figured would allow us to retire relatively comfortably at 66 with Social Security; we're 10 and 14 years ahead of schedule.

[Scout]

Congrats Rob. Does 2x2 mean u and ur wife both have invested a mill? Great job!

[RobLJ]

Yes; that's it. It'll be a long time before another milestone!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scout Congrats Rob. Does 2x2 mean u and ur wife both have invested a mill? Great job!

[B0bL0blaw]

Total investments (retirement accounts + taxable brokerage account) just passed $500k. Onward and upward!

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobLJ Yes; that's it. It'll be a long time before another milestone!

There's another milestone that you/DW might hit soon, given that you're in the 2x2 comma club.

It is:

1. NW => Total Lifetime SS (W2) Income.

2. An alternative (for those with substantial Pensions, annuities, etc.) is:
NPV of (All Investments + Guaranteed Income Sources) => Total Lifetime SS Income.

As an example, assume 'Total Lifetime SS Income' (which you can get from the SS website) = $3.0 MM

For method #1, take your current NW & compare to $3.0 MM
For method #2, take current NW + NPV of guaranteed income streams (you choose the discount rate) & compare to $3.0 MM

I can't claim credit for this "milestone"; I read it from another poster (can't remember who). But, I think it's very cool to have "accumulated more equivalent NW than the total income you've had over your lifetime" (in a manner of speaking). BTW, I know the 'time value of money' is not accounted for but, for this milestone, I'm OK with that.

Check it out and see if you're close.

[RobLJ]

Keep at it. The first 500k is the hardest. (12 years ago, for us.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by B0bL0blaw Total investments (retirement accounts + taxable brokerage account) just passed $500k. Onward and upward!

[Johanson]

My 40K finally hit a half mill Monday. That only took 28 years.

[nvestysly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johanson My 40K finally hit a half mill Monday. That only took 28 years.

That's sure to be a good feeling. I know it was for us. If history is any indicator the next 500 will not take nearly as long.

Fine Print: past performance is not an indicator of future results.

[Downtown]

Crossed $2 million in investments today. Along with some rental properties and a paid-off house, our ER plan is taking shape. Trying to stay motivated at my day job - some days are really difficult!

[kgtest]

Now have over 2mil under advisement with 7 clients. Unfortunately not all is mine, and managing others money isn't as gratifying as managing my own, but people trust me so I'm legitimized.

As odd as it is, I've found it most unifying to analogize money to a horse race, horses, the jockey's that ride them, the stable's they live in and the nurturing they get.

It's easy to compare Strong Horses, Large Horses, to Large Growth Stocks like AAPL for instance.

And that you wan't at least three horses in the race equally balanced, a small, med and large horse (SmallCap, LargeCap). And that these US horses are fairly stable and consistent etc.

Easy to explain trimming the fat, for the losers, and rebalancing the winners to keep the horses running the same race at a similar pace. So easy to compare rabalancing this way.

The first horse I advise they pick is from VUG, VB, VBK or VOOG. Once they understand the differences between those its easier to explain the rules of the horse race.

One observation that surprised me, Overwhelmingly new clients have the same mind-set. They finally start "trusting me" when the market is at all-time high's and has been running a fast paced race for a while. I tell them please, stop this way of thinking, I advise you to put more horses in the game when the pace of the race is slower and the market is on a down-turn, instead of thinking, gee valuations of these horses/stocks are at an all time high maybe NOW I should pay for some horses and get in the race. NO NO NO, get in the race when the horses are cheap man!

I always tell them golden rule of investing, put as much money as you can in, as often as you can, and keep it in there and protected for as long as you can. That's KG's Golden Rule to investing. A penny invested today is 7c in 30yrs lol

[W2R]

I have been retired for 8 years, but I still have FIRE milestones to share.

Last week, thanks to Mr. Market, my portfolio reached its highest ever!! This, despite the majority of my spending money coming from my portfolio, and despite buying my Dream Home in 2015. It's almost as though my Dream Home was free.

[aida2003]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgtest I always tell them golden rule of investing, put as much money as you can in, as often as you can, and keep it in there and protected for as long as you can. That's KG's Golden Rule to investing. A penny invested today is 7c in 30yrs lol

I like your rule except the *protected* word seems misleading unless I'm interpreting it incorrectly.

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I have been retired for 8 years, but I still have FIRE milestones to share. Last week, thanks to Mr. Market, my portfolio reached its highest ever!! This, despite the majority of my spending money coming from my portfolio, and despite buying my Dream Home in 2015. It's almost as though my Dream Home was free.

So awesome!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

[nvestysly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I have been retired for 8 years, but I still have FIRE milestones to share. Last week, thanks to Mr. Market, my portfolio reached its highest ever!! This, despite the majority of my spending money coming from my portfolio, and despite buying my Dream Home in 2015. It's almost as though my Dream Home was free.

We didn't buy a house but sure have benefitted from the bull market since 2008.

Been FIREd for six years, taking all our money for expenses from our investments in the form of dividends and gains, and our portfolio is worth substantially more now than when we pulled the plug. As you said... almost like living for free!

The bull market won't continue indefinitely so we've "rung the register" and trimmed several positions in anticipation of future events. Our withdrawal rate started at about 3.5% and we've given ouselves raises each year. Currently living on 2.5% withdrawal rate so we're comfortable when a correction occurs.