Well, guys it is official.

[George2615]

Congrats on your retirement.

 

[Parkanzky]

, and I'm going to be stuck in the ratrace for who knows how much longer, given the way my retirement money keeps disappearing into the falling stock market, etc....

Thomas

I see this sort of post on here all the time and they just baffle me.

We've had a couple rough days, but the market is still near historic highs. Over the past year, the Dow is up over 6%, the S&P is up over 10% and the Nasdaq is up over 12% despite the correction we're in the midst of. That's not counting any dividends, which add quite a bit!

A balanced portfolio that you've been making consistent contributions over the years should be doing extremely well. I know that ours are! Did you make some kind of timing mistake like sell everything off during a crash and then buy back in after the recovery, or do you not actually know what sort of returns you've gotten and you just feel like it hasn't gone well?

Your post touches a pet peeve of mine, because I think that one of the worst things you can tell a young person is that they shouldn't invest their money. Compounding returns is the only sure way that a middle-class schlub like I was 15 years ago becomes the upper-middle-class schlub that I am today.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I think I need to work till 60, although i want to retire now. My house and tractor gets paid off this year, but got kids starting college and another in a few yrs. I'm not quite in the "Take this job and shove it" category, but getting close.......

 

[TomSeller]

I see this sort of post on here all the time and they just baffle me.

We've had a couple rough days, but the market is still near historic highs. Over the past year, the Dow is up over 6%, the S&P is up over 10% and the Nasdaq is up over 12% despite the correction we're in the midst of. That's not counting any dividends, which add quite a bit!

A balanced portfolio that you've been making consistent contributions over the years should be doing extremely well. I know that ours are! Did you make some kind of timing mistake like sell everything off during a crash and then buy back in after the recovery, or do you not actually know what sort of returns you've gotten and you just feel like it hasn't gone well?

Your post touches a pet peeve of mine, because I think that one of the worst things you can tell a young person is that they shouldn't invest their money. Compounding returns is the only sure way that a middle-class schlub like I was 15 years ago becomes the upper-middle-class schlub that I am today.

Right, my savings are up $200k since I last totaled them which was not all that long ago. Gotta save early and it is never too late to start.

 

[Oaktree]

I do worry about some of the people I work with, though. Work seems to be their only focus, and they sure don't seem to get much joy from it. They are the ones who come back as contractors after a few months of retirement. They drive their wives crazy and got told to get out of the house and find something to do - and work is all they know how to do.

I dunno about that. I am far from anybody's idea of a workaholic, but after I retired a couple years ago I continued working part-time on a contract basis. Will I do it forever? No, but putzing around the house and generally being an old guy sounds like it would get kind of boring after a while. The extra income helps stretch my savings and gets me out of the house a day or two a week, not to mention giving me money for some toys. For the most part I can work on my own schedule. I also try to schedule work for the weekdays my wife has off work so she can have the house to herself for a few hours.

Your post touches a pet peeve of mine, because I think that one of the worst things you can tell a young person is that they shouldn't invest their money. Compounding returns is the only sure way that a middle-class schlub like I was 15 years ago becomes the upper-middle-class schlub that I am today.

Especially young people, but us boomers too. Unless you worked for the government, it's likely you don't have any sort of company pension so unless you want to scrape by on SS, you've gotta have some investment income too.
I don't think any company I ever worked for had any sort of pension (other than offering a 401K), moot point...almost none of them are in business today anyway.

 

[jimmyj]

Hey congratulations! Now your redneck training can really ramp up!!!

 

[Beltman60]

Congrats! :drink:
I'm jealous

 

[Redneck in training]

Hey congratulations! Now your redneck training can really ramp up!!!

It is going really well. You should see my bonfires.

 

[jimmyj]

It is going really well. You should see my bonfires.

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!! I can, all the way from Canada!

 

[imported_OWDouglas]

Lucky Dog!!!! Enjoy Life!!!