Super Saver? Super Investor? Or Both?

[DallasGuy]

Many of you have substantial portfolios...I'm just curious...How did you get to that point? By:
1) Being a Super Saver - able to save way more than the average person?
2) Being a Super Investor - able to create a much higher investment return than the average person?
3) Or both?


I'm a great saver but just an average investor. I wouldn't have gotten to the point I am today with my investment strategy alone...for me it really came down to saving a very high percentage of my income.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I suspect that most people on this forum are super savors and average investors.

However for some they are super investors. At least in their own minds.

 

[FIREd]

same here, super saver, average investor. Since I invest mostly in index funds, I am and always will be an average investor. Morningstar would give me 3*, average risk, average return...

 

[mn54]

Unless your name is Warren Buffet your not going to be a super investor. The secret to having a "substantial" portfolio is time. If you start to save when you are young, you will have a large porfolio when you are ready to retire. Wasn't it Einstein who said the greatest invention of mankind was compund interest? Always pay yourself first every month. Don't try to beat the market, just match the market. Keep your fees as low as possible. Thats the "secret".

 

[Alan]

Super saver, average investor. I just looked back over the few years on my budget worksheet where I track income each month against what goes into savings. last few years it was between 50-60% to savings.

ytd this year 75% of income to savings. The difference? the 2nd of our children graduated March 3rd.

We have also been fortunate to have had high incomes this past 10 years. We decided that we were doing so well that DW retired 3 years ago, so our household is semi-RE'd

 

[dessert]

Me too. Super saver, average investor. Since I started working at age 16 I have always saved by paying myself first. Then live on the rest.
Max out the 401K by DCA and try your best to hold the right mutual funds.
I have always had a nice home, nice vehicles, and a nice boat. So anyone wondering how to do it, there it is.
I still work with people who say "I can't afford to put into the 401K". I always tell them "I can't afford not to!"

 

[VaCollector]

...none of the above.....saved a good bit....crappy investor unless I just went along with my advisor....if I chose it, it went straight to poop

And then...as Tommy Smothers always use to say ~ "Mom always liked you best!"....and it seems that in my case, it was true....made my ER decision a NO BRAINER

Thanks Mom!

 

[GLM]

super savers assisted by time - sorry- no easy answers

 

[Moemg]

Super saver but also agressive investor ! My portfolio is 90 % stocks !

 

[figner]

Another "me too" post - good saver, average investor.

 

[Goonie]

Another "me too" post - good saver, average investor.

Same here!

 

[CyclingInvestor]

average saver (typically around 15-20% of income), above average investment results (about 18%
over the last 14 years).

 

[audreyh1]

4) Just damn lucky!

Audrey

 

[dmpi]

I rate myself as follows:
1. Super Saver
2. Good Household Income
3. Average Investor

 

[cletis]

I don't really have a huge amount but what I do have is because I worked way, way, way too many hours. My wife and I built two houses ourselves also. I would'nt say I'm burnt out now. I'd say I'm completely fried. Cletis

 

[RetireeRobert]

Super saver
Average investor
Started early
Was consistent on saving
Uitilized all tax-deferred savings vehicles available---maxed out on 457 plan at work, IRA's
Opted for max equity choice in employer pension plan for entire career except last 2 years, then switched all to fixed income.
Lived below our means


Early start put time on our side, consistency over longtime made average investment returns not matter so much and let us recover from occassional bad investment choice.

 

[heyyou]

Just kept saving in spite of my many investing mistakes. The market blessed me for the last 20 years, so I now appear as though I know something. All I know is how to buy many different index funds. From the start of my working years, it was obvious that I only needed to work until I could afford to not work. Retirement is the best time of my life, so far.

 

[brewer12345]

Mostly super saver, aided by a well above average income and starting to aggressively save at 25. Have been an aggressive investor with good returns. Not sure I would say "super investor" simply because it is so hard to measure risk-adjusted return.

 

[novaman]

Super saver but also agressive investor ! My portfolio is 90 % stocks !

Me too. But mine is 95% stocks.

 

[bots2019]

Saver = Super so far (50%+ of income)

As an investor = average - 0.2% (expense ratio)

 

[jblack]

I rate myself as follows:
1. Super Saver
2. Good Household Income
3. Average Investor

Ditto. I've focused my time & efforts on improving #2 and making sure I've got the basics covered on #3 (asset allocation, lost cost funds).

 

[kaudrey]

Same with me - super saver, average but agressive investor.

 

[kumquat]

4) Just damn lucky!

Audrey

That's me all the way.

 

[TeeRuh]

Pretty good saver.
Really, really poor investor (lets load up on that MegaTech company stock in 2000) who only found mutual funds in the past couple of years.
Above average income. (And MegaTech options and bonuses while the stock was tanking.)
Luck.

T.R.

 

[justin]

Super saver for sure. I'd say slightly above average investor because I invest in low cost index mutual funds and have an aggressive portfolio. Put my low costs up against the average investor, and they are paying tons more in expense ratios, loads, fees, management/wrap fees, and taxes. Squeezing out an extra percent or two each year from extremely low overhead costs and tax efficiency adds up over time.