Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
10 Years!
Old 05-01-2018, 09:37 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
walkinwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,499
10 Years!

Today is the 10th anniversary of the start of our ER journey.

At times, it seems like the years have just flown by, but on closer reflection, a LOT has happened. We are financially secure, healthy, happy together & individually, and ever grateful for this opportunity.

Financially, our portfolio and net worth are a bit higher than when we started (in real terms). We'll probably spend well below the 4% of our Jan 1 2018 portfolio value (that's our SWR methodology) and still feel like we're living the good life.

As always, I am grateful to all the members on this wonderful forum. Thanks for your wisdom, support and encouragement.

I've written pretty regularly about our ER journey, especially in the early days. I've added the links below because I like to go through them about once a year to review where we've been. It may also be of interest to those about to embark on this journey.

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-by-81774.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ars-71848.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-66463.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-63105.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-57367.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-55986.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ate-50469.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...old-47618.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-44084.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-35372.html
walkinwood is offline   Reply With Quote
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!

Old 05-01-2018, 09:49 AM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Midpack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,148
Congrats and thanks to you too. I’m coming up on 7 years and the time has flown by!
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57

Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
Midpack is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 09:54 AM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
ExFlyBoy5's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
Congrats! Thanks for the links...I will have to peruse them this afternoon.

I'm working on year 4, and it's crazy to me how fast time seems to be going by!
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
ExFlyBoy5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 12:12 PM   #4
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,679
I'm exactly 6 months shy of 10 years, and the time has surely flown by. Congrats to you, walkinwood.
__________________
Retired in late 2008 at age 45. Cashed in company stock, bought a lot of shares in a big bond fund and am living nicely off its dividends. IRA, SS, and a pension await me at age 60 and later. No kids, no debts.

"I want my money working for me instead of me working for my money!"
scrabbler1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 12:35 PM   #5
Recycles dryer sheets
mistermike40's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 326
Ten years... congratulations!
__________________
“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” - Hugh Laurie
mistermike40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 03:11 PM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tampa
Posts: 11,197
Quote:
Originally Posted by walkinwood View Post
Today is the 10th anniversary of the start of our ER journey.

At times, it seems like the years have just flown by, but on closer reflection, a LOT has happened. We are financially secure, healthy, happy together & individually, and ever grateful for this opportunity.

Financially, our portfolio and net worth are a bit higher than when we started (in real terms). We'll probably spend well below the 4% of our Jan 1 2018 portfolio value (that's our SWR methodology) and still feel like we're living the good life.

As always, I am grateful to all the members on this wonderful forum. Thanks for your wisdom, support and encouragement.

I've written pretty regularly about our ER journey, especially in the early days. I've added the links below because I like to go through them about once a year to review where we've been. It may also be of interest to those about to embark on this journey.

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-by-81774.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ars-71848.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-66463.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-63105.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-57367.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-55986.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ate-50469.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...old-47618.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-44084.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-35372.html
Congrats walkinwood
IIRC you had used or spoken about using the Clyatt 4/95 WR strategy.
I see in this post you are using 4% of remaining portfolio strategy.
Does this include the "95" downside protection aspect or just the straight 4%?

I ask as I am considering the Clyatt strategy for next year (retired middle of last year) and would love to know how that strategy held up over time.
__________________
TGIM
Dtail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 03:56 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Midwest
Posts: 1,787
5 years in the fall for us (although I cheat a little since I have a hobby job).
brucethebroker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 04:11 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
MRG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,078
Thank you and congratulations!

Today is actually the 5th anniversary of my RE! I couldn't have written a better post than you did!

A wild ride life gave us, I'm grateful I was RE'd for. I was very fortunate to find you all as I was announcing my retirement. You all have kept me sane(debatable I know) for five years.
MRG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 06:20 PM   #9
Gone but not forgotten
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
It is also ten years for me so I loved rereading the one year post . Congratulations on the ten year mark !
Moemg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 06:42 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
walkinwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,499
Thank you all!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dtail View Post
Congrats walkinwood
IIRC you had used or spoken about using the Clyatt 4/95 WR strategy.
I see in this post you are using 4% of remaining portfolio strategy.
Does this include the "95" downside protection aspect or just the straight 4%?

I ask as I am considering the Clyatt strategy for next year (retired middle of last year) and would love to know how that strategy held up over time.
Our plan is based on the 4/95 plan that Bob Clyatt put forth, but it would have been triggered in our very first year. Bob (yes, he is/was on this forum) advised against using the 95% backstop in the early years. In any case, we found out that we had enough headroom to absorb the lower withdrawal and still have a standard of living that worked for us.

Here's Bob in his own words
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...tml#post781617

Since 2009, we haven't needed that 95% backstop. At this point, ten years in, if we run into another 08-09 scenario, we'll go to 95% of our previous year budget.

Good luck to you.
walkinwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 07:08 PM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tampa
Posts: 11,197
Quote:
Originally Posted by walkinwood View Post
Thank you all!



Our plan is based on the 4/95 plan that Bob Clyatt put forth, but it would have been triggered in our very first year. Bob (yes, he is/was on this forum) advised against using the 95% backstop in the early years. In any case, we found out that we had enough headroom to absorb the lower withdrawal and still have a standard of living that worked for us.

Here's Bob in his own words
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...tml#post781617

Since 2009, we haven't needed that 95% backstop. At this point, ten years in, if we run into another 08-09 scenario, we'll go to 95% of our previous year budget.

Good luck to you.
Thanks so much for your response walkinwood. After my original question, I reread your other attached posts.

My way around the "early in retirement 2008 scenario" is to reduce the 4/95 to 3/95 at least until Medicare (7 years) to reduce SORR plus the risk of no ACA subsidies.
Additionally, thinking about having a ceiling of no more than 4.3% built into the 95% downside scenario, as that was the upper % limit with great results in Bob's book.

Looking forward to additional updates from you.
__________________
TGIM
Dtail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 07:22 PM   #12
Full time employment: Posting here.
mamadogmamacat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 751
Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 View Post
Congrats! Thanks for the links...I will have to peruse them this afternoon.

I'm working on year 4, and it's crazy to me how fast time seems to be going by!

+1000 yes very fast, and very happy too.
working on year 3 myself, and it seems like just a few months have gone by, which makes me so glad i went out at just about the earliest possible time, with only a couple months of dithering
mamadogmamacat is offline   Reply With Quote
Thanks for Sharing
Old 05-01-2018, 07:58 PM   #13
Dryer sheet aficionado
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 39
Thanks for Sharing

I love reading your story-thanks so much for posting the links and providing updates.
ReadySetGo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 08:45 PM   #14
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Souschef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Santa Paula
Posts: 4,067
I am in the 10th year also. Boy, has it flown by! I met DW after we had both been widowed, and while we were eating lunch at a Chinese restaurant, her fortune cookie said,"You will set foot on many lands". She sort of snorted at the idea, as she did not even have a passport!
Fast forward 10 years, we were married in Santorini Greece. She has now been to 42 countries during 49 trips and been on 16 cruises.
Life is good!
P.S. she keeps that fortune in he new passport cover
__________________
Retired Jan 2009 Have not looked back.
AA 60/35/5 considering SS and pensions a SP annuity
WR 2% with 2SS & 2 Pensions
Souschef is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 09:17 PM   #15
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 105
Quote:
Originally Posted by walkinwood View Post
Today is the 10th anniversary of the start of our ER journey.

At times, it seems like the years have just flown by, but on closer reflection, a LOT has happened. We are financially secure, healthy, happy together & individually, and ever grateful for this opportunity.

Financially, our portfolio and net worth are a bit higher than when we started (in real terms). We'll probably spend well below the 4% of our Jan 1 2018 portfolio value (that's our SWR methodology) and still feel like we're living the good life.

As always, I am grateful to all the members on this wonderful forum. Thanks for your wisdom, support and encouragement.

I've written pretty regularly about our ER journey, especially in the early days. I've added the links below because I like to go through them about once a year to review where we've been. It may also be of interest to those about to embark on this journey.

http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-by-81774.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ars-71848.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-66463.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-63105.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-57367.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-55986.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...ate-50469.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...old-47618.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...-er-44084.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...day-35372.html
Congrats on the 10th year. I'm sure many on this site appreciate the updates on your early retirement, as well as the easy to read and well organized posts you provide.

Where in NJ did you move from? Just curious as I grew up in Oradell, NJ in Bergen County.

Last question, you said your portfolio/net worth are up slightly over the 10 year period. I know your withdrawing between 4% to 5%, but from 2008 to 2018, those are some big time market years where gains were great. Do you look back and wish you did something different to get more return?

Thanks
JakeinChina is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 09:29 PM   #16
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
walkinwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,499
Quote:
Originally Posted by Souschef View Post
I am in the 10th year also. Boy, has it flown by! I met DW after we had both been widowed, and while we were eating lunch at a Chinese restaurant, her fortune cookie said,"You will set foot on many lands". She sort of snorted at the idea, as she did not even have a passport!
Fast forward 10 years, we were married in Santorini Greece. She has now been to 42 countries during 49 trips and been on 16 cruises.
Life is good!
P.S. she keeps that fortune in he new passport cover
Wow! You guys sure travel a lot. Congratulations Souschef on your 10 years of ER and marriage.
walkinwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-2018, 09:36 PM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
walkinwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,499
Thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JakeinChina View Post

Where in NJ did you move from? Just curious as I grew up in Oradell, NJ in Bergen County.

Last question, you said your portfolio/net worth are up slightly over the 10 year period. I know your withdrawing between 4% to 5%, but from 2008 to 2018, those are some big time market years where gains were great. Do you look back and wish you did something different to get more return?

Thanks
We lived about a 30 minute train ride from NYC in Essex county. Loved it there, but love Denver more now.

We actually have been withdrawing less than 4% most years from our portfolio. It takes a lot of return to recover from a huge downturn in year 1 while still living off your portfolio.

Our portfolio, if allocated differently, would have done better than it has. But I have no regrets about it. I picked the allocation (large, small, international, Emerging, REIT, intermediate & short term bond funds) after reading a few articles and books. There is no way to know ahead of time which allocation will outperform, so I diversified and hoped for the best.
walkinwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2018, 11:47 AM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
GravitySucks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Syracuse
Posts: 3,501
Congrats!
__________________
“No, not rich. I am a poor man with money, which is not the same thing"
GravitySucks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2018, 05:44 PM   #19
Full time employment: Posting here.
Offgrid Organic Farmer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: An Un-Organized Township of Maine
Posts: 801
Congratulations.

I have been retired for, 17 years. Time can fly by us.
__________________
Retired at 42 and I have been enjoying retirement for 18 years [so far].
Offgrid Organic Farmer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2018, 11:42 AM   #20
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Live And Learn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 1,866
Love a happy story ! Congratulations and thank you for continuing to contribute to the forum !
__________________
"For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." ~
Hebrews 12:11

ER'd in June 2015 at age 52. Initial WR 3%. 50/40/10 (Equity/Bond/Short Term) AA.
Live And Learn is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
anniversary, early retirement


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
20 years old, shooting for ER in the next couple years jadd806 Hi, I am... 65 05-28-2014 02:12 PM
Couples retiring years apart(at least above 10 years) Moscyn Life after FIRE 22 06-28-2012 07:39 AM
Go Go Years vs. Slow Go and No Go Years Cruisinthru Other topics 23 12-16-2009 10:38 AM
2 full Years after ER 32 years to go dex Young Dreamers 10 07-28-2008 06:20 PM
52 years old; want to retire in 2-3 years Barb301 Hi, I am... 2 03-07-2008 08:02 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:06 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.