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Let me choose Seeing as the government has done a great job of raiding the SS funds, I really like the idea of being given a choice to invest a % of my SS taxes in an account with my name on it. Unfortunately, this was killed for political reasons, and because there *is no money* unless they...

Enjoy the SS checks... Hopefully, at some point enough of the baby boomers will no longer be voting so we can straighten out this Social Security mess without the politicians being held over a barrel by AARP and scare tactics. </soapbox>

Congratulations to one 30-something from another! Nice going. Next stop, 200K. See you there. ;)

Hi all. Many moons ago, I posted a question asking for tips on saving for ER with two working parents and a new baby. After some serious number crunching (projecting out 5 and 10 years) and evaluation of our quality of life, we decided my wife would stay home to raise our new baby (and any...

Ok, all... Here's the situation. We have our first baby on the way, and have been planning and saving for ER for about 8 years. We have a pretty good nest egg at this point (for our age, compared to others, etc.) and own a multi-unit rental property which we live in to save money. I'm REALLY...

Good stuff. Too bad there aren't more articles like this about people who do it by LBYM. Too many times, people think they need to create the next "big thing" in order to retire before 65. Good stuff, though!

Wow... cheeseheads unite! :) Every year I dislike the cold more and more, but today is was actually quite pretty with the snow we had. There's something nice about the seasons, I think. Getting Christmas cards from family in Arizona with pictures of Christmas lights strung up on their house...

Hey DangerMouse... I am still working toward ER, but will offer my thoughts. First, you never know what retirement brings. If you leave on a good note, you not only go out with class, but you know that you gave it your all right up to the end. That's something to be proud of. Also, remember...

Maggie, My two pesos: I don't know your exact situation (obviously), but I would encourage you to show them the results and bottom line impact you've had. Just showing them your job description and comparing it to a list of what you actually do might not set the best "tone." Most people do...

No problems here, but I would encourage you to contact Vanguard with this issue. I am sure they would appreciate knowing about any issues and could maybe give you some more direct answers about why this might be happening. Good luck!

Congrats!!!! Great feeling, isn't it!? Next stop, $250K, right? :-) I have a feeling the first $100K is the hardest, but I'm sure others on the board have more thoughts on that. Nice work!

Hanno, Much like you, I became aware of the ER option around age 21 or so. Unfortunately, my initial income was horribly low and things were pretty tough for a while. Luckily, once the career got rolling, so did the ER saving. Ten years from now it will be great to know that you have managed...

Hi all. A few nights ago I spotted an article in a financial industry trade magazine that made the claim that dollar cost averaging (DCA) is a farce. They claim that lump sums outperform DCA the majority of the time. And, that many companies promote DCA to make more commissions. ::) I don't...

Congrats. I, for one, think you're doing the right thing. Except for being on the "brink" of ER, my scenario was almost identical to the one you described (this was a few years ago). I also opted for the job that's just a few miles away vs. 45 minutes away. Closer to home means more time with...

As someone on the other side of the table (trying to fill a few positions right now), I can tell you that I appreciate some honest insight on salary. I have virtually no salary range to play with... I essentially have "X" to offer to someone who's qualified. If both the candidate and I are...

Thanks, Nords. Oprah saves the day. There may be something to it, but I think all babies make virtually any sound at any given time. We'll see! So, I have to wait 14 years before I get a full night's sleep? Of course, by that point they're keeping you up at night for other reasons! Thanks.

Thank you, everyone! We're currently searching for daycares. For those of you keeping score at home, they're averaging around $200 per week. At that rate, I have to wonder how some folks justify sending both parents to work if there are 2 or more kids to put in daycare... it seems as if it would...

Great advice, thanks everyone! Anyone have insight on whether baby food in the stores is a ripoff? Are there alternatives (food processing your own?) Is it worth the bother? What about the top 5 biggest "wastes of money"? Things like diaper genies, etc... are they worth it? Thank you everyone!!!

Hi all. The good news is that my wife and I are expecting our first child in spring. I'm really interested in hearing from all the other young dreamers out there, and especially those who have managed to keep on track toward ER while raising a family. Suggestions? Tips? Inside secrets that...

Share your thoughts!

Hey Devo, There are a ton of financial calculators out there that include the famous "FIRE calc" linked at the bottom of almost every page on the site. Most calcs include basic assumptions (7% return, 4% inflation or something similar). IMO, you need to maintain a balance between enjoying life...

Wow... I have to wonder where that (in addition to the crazy health care cost increases) is going to leave those folks in the younger generations like myself. Scary stuff. Makes me want to hit my savings goal and flee to Mexico.

Um... these people were. http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/somehomeownersstruggletokeepupwithadjustablerates ???!!!!

Hi all. A brief question, but a big one: Is is better to have one spouse stay at home with a baby now while the other works and delay ER (potentially forcing both spouses to work full time for 5-10 years while child is still young) OR is it better to have both parents work (this means daycare)...

Wow... talk about threadjacked! If your son is interested in learning, I would consider starting him with a few books (Four Pillars is always a winner, among others) and let him make his own decisions from there. I would urge him to consider index funds or ETFs, but that's probably because it's...