Poll: FIRE funds to cover monthly costs come from?

[meleana]

No pension. Not taking SS yet. Using cash from savings accounts, minimum RMD from inherited IRA. Did take some money out of traditional IRA to create more income on paper to satisfy ACA criteria last year but I’m only 64 so not an RMD.

 

[Splash]

100% Securities

 

[ERD50]

Not sure if you are referring to OP's original intention in starting the poll, but, to me, it doesn't look like an attempt to gather a sample that could be applied to the general population by inference. I looked at it as an attempt to learn something about the members of this forum. And it does that despite the fact that, as you say, the participants are self-selected.

Actually, polls on the FIRE forum are indeed meant to start a conversation and they generally do.

It is interesting to note that a significant percentage of members (from this poll and from my general observations over the years) have pensions despite the fact that FireCalc is all about SWR's for folks retiring early "before pensions and SS!" When a member who I know has a significant pension/SS combo comments on withdrawal or investing issues I take that into consideration as I do for members who I know are living 100% off of their FIRE portfolios.

Edit: Re-reading your post and if I assume by the word "here" you mean the FIRE Forum, we're probably saying about the same thing.

I'm not sure of the OP's intent, and yes, starting a conversation is fine.

I was more pointing to comments like this:

Originally Posted by Montecfo View Post
interesting that on a site for "early"retirement 75 percent (current poll) draw pensions.

Not picking on Montecfo, just pointing out that that post comes across as accepting that 75% of the people on this site draw pensions, when what we should be saying is that 75% of the people who responded to this poll said they were drawing pensions.

It could be the same thing, maybe the self-selected poll is representative of the whole, but we really don't know and should not assume. That's all.

-ERD50

 

[swabby01]

Monthly costs

100 % pension + wife’s job. We are saving most of wife’s income. I will draw SS at FRA to replace her income when she retires next year along with her SS

 

[tmm99]

While I'm not currently taking pension/SS, I will in the future. So I decided not to vote, as it would seem misleading. So we don't know how many others did this as well.



-ERD50

I didn't vote either, for the same reason as you.