Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned

   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #791  
The bottom line is with low interest rates the younger generation can buy a better place with lower equivalent adjusted for inflation mortgage payments. Work hard, live well below your means, invest all you can. Remember...the IRA didn't start until mid 70s and didn't become popular until early 80s.
No.

My path was about the same as yours with about the same outcome. But the present generation is not facing the same reality we experienced.

For one example corporations are buying up all the rental property around here (and bidding up what they pay for them) so housing costs are far higher for someone starting out. So there's no opportunity for massive savings like you and I were able to do. And no way could someone pay off any house in three years on a starter salary, that's simply impossible. Its a different reality now.

A good union job with a pension constituted the middle class 50 years ago. No such thing today.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #792  
You don't understand my point so I'll try explaining it in a different way. This time using snippets of what you said:

"In Economics, there is a law that says interest rates and asset prices move in opposite directions."

I understand the see-saw effect analogous to stocks & bonds.

"Now my generation will never have that same opportunity to build generational wealth, simply because of low interest rates."

You must understand in 1980 I was 28 years old. I demonstrated to you I would love to be 28 now in 2021. I showed you the comparison of what kind of home I could buy NOW vs what I bought THEN. Simply pure common sense logic...apples to apples.

"Those baby boomers were then able to refinance to a lower interest rate and most reinvested the equity against the principle. This lead them to pay off their low priced house very quickly. Then they found themselves with a paid off house and a lot of earning years left. So they bought 2nd homes, condos, timeshares, or upgraded to a bigger house."

Not me!!!! I've lived in the same house for 41 years! You can't make that blanket statement about baby boomers! (Come on, man!). None of that applies to me! I never refinanced but simply paid it off in 3 years instead of 30. Actually...it was easy. Here's how: After a year I stopped by my bank to pay my monthly mortgage payment. I asked the banker what this dollar amount was in my passbook. That's what you owe he replied. I almost fainted. A year and I had only paid about $400 off of the original loan!
I had an extra $300. What if I pay this? That was then deducted from the loan. Hmmmm.
So each week I paid whatever I could extra, doing that for a year...as well as saving every dollar I could besides. Year three the balance was way down, so I paid that off. The point is work harder...a second job...whatever it takes to make that weight go away!
Now instead of mortgage payments I was able to invest that in mutual funds. Of course it waxed and waned over the years...but as with Vanguard's motto..."Stay the course".

"Now my generation will never have that same opportunity to build generational wealth, simply because of low interest rates. Every asset is super high and with low interest rates, they will never be able to refinance to a lower rate and reinvest the equity."

I've never thought of my home, property, cars, stamps, furniture...anything as equity. I know it is, but I could care less. I can't buy groceries with a sofa. We have to have a place to live, what it's worth I don't care. When young we drove old ratty cars, bought cheap furniture, cheap clothes, etc. We could care less about trying to impress anyone.

"I know this sucks for current retirees', but you had you turn at the trough."

The last raised my hackles . That's derogatory towards retirees, we're not pigs at a trough.

The bottom line is with low interest rates the younger generation can buy a better place with lower equivalent adjusted for inflation mortgage payments. Work hard, live well below your means, invest all you can. Remember...the IRA didn't start until mid 70s and didn't become popular until early 80s.

You're trying to make all things relevant to each other by some inflation metric.

There is a reason relativity is not a topic in economics...
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #793  
..... So there's no opportunity for massive savings like you and I were able to do. And no way could someone pay off any house in three years on a starter salary, that's simply impossible....
Not so either case. That is like saying, 'just give up young peeps. You are doomed to poorness.' There is ALWAYS opportunity. As for housing, it depends GREATLY on where one lives. Houses in my area can be had real resonable. I just sold one myself.

Saying something is impossible tells me a lot.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #794  
The US really can't afford to have 5% interest or yield on a 10 year t bill.

Interest on this 3.5 trillion new bill at 5% is 175 billion per year. LOL

The market will crater.
The cheesiest way to get out of our national debt hole is to destroy the dollar. 90% inflation (8% per year for a decade) would remove 90% of the national debt. We might have a lot of trouble paying for imports, but we would survive. Most of us.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #795  
The best financial advice I've seen is the simplest: Buy a S&P 500 index fund and your returns over time will exceed 85% of all retail investors.
Probably not good advice right now, when your short term losses could exceed 50%. Buy the index fund after the crash, not before.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #796  
First...I'll say I like everyone here and I still learn new things every day which gives me a reason to enjoy every day (as well as being with my sweetie 1/2 century ).
I can see both sides clearer now, so thanks everyone.
NOW! I do have to say THIS!...
Since we're talking homes & equity. My in-laws passed a few years ago (r.i.p). Their home they bought new in 1932. 1.5 story, 1200ft, oak floors throughout, new vinyl siding. A functional albeit dated livable home in a decent part of city near a college. Wife & I discussed options, her home so her decision was to sell. It was on the market for months...$89K, $79K, etc. It sold last year for (drum roll) $50,000. ($Fifty K).
Again, no roof leaks, steam/radiator heat, no ac, upgraded electric, basement was dirt, half concrete. Guess what. Young people bought it. Husband had construction skills and a few months later we got a walk through. They made it nice, all new windows, HVAC, improved basement, new shingles.
They soon resold it for $186,000.
Again...opportunities are out there.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #797  
You don't understand my point so I'll try explaining it in a different way. This time using snippets of what you said:

"In Economics, there is a law that says interest rates and asset prices move in opposite directions."

I understand the see-saw effect analogous to stocks & bonds.

"Now my generation will never have that same opportunity to build generational wealth, simply because of low interest rates."

You must understand in 1980 I was 28 years old. I demonstrated to you I would love to be 28 now in 2021. I showed you the comparison of what kind of home I could buy NOW vs what I bought THEN. Simply pure common sense logic...apples to apples.

"Those baby boomers were then able to refinance to a lower interest rate and most reinvested the equity against the principle. This lead them to pay off their low priced house very quickly. Then they found themselves with a paid off house and a lot of earning years left. So they bought 2nd homes, condos, timeshares, or upgraded to a bigger house."

Not me!!!! I've lived in the same house for 41 years! You can't make that blanket statement about baby boomers! (Come on, man!). None of that applies to me! I never refinanced but simply paid it off in 3 years instead of 30. Actually...it was easy. Here's how: After a year I stopped by my bank to pay my monthly mortgage payment. I asked the banker what this dollar amount was in my passbook. That's what you owe he replied. I almost fainted. A year and I had only paid about $400 off of the original loan!
I had an extra $300. What if I pay this? That was then deducted from the loan. Hmmmm.
So each week I paid whatever I could extra, doing that for a year...as well as saving every dollar I could besides. Year three the balance was way down, so I paid that off. The point is work harder...a second job...whatever it takes to make that weight go away!
Now instead of mortgage payments I was able to invest that in mutual funds. Of course it waxed and waned over the years...but as with Vanguard's motto..."Stay the course".

"Now my generation will never have that same opportunity to build generational wealth, simply because of low interest rates. Every asset is super high and with low interest rates, they will never be able to refinance to a lower rate and reinvest the equity."

I've never thought of my home, property, cars, stamps, furniture...anything as equity. I know it is, but I could care less. I can't buy groceries with a sofa. We have to have a place to live, what it's worth I don't care. When young we drove old ratty cars, bought cheap furniture, cheap clothes, etc. We could care less about trying to impress anyone.

"I know this sucks for current retirees', but you had you turn at the trough."

The last raised my hackles . That's derogatory towards retirees, we're not pigs at a trough.

The bottom line is with low interest rates the younger generation can buy a better place with lower equivalent adjusted for inflation mortgage payments. Work hard, live well below your means, invest all you can. Remember...the IRA didn't start until mid 70s and didn't become popular until early 80s.
I was similar. I've never had a 30 year mortgage. Two of mine have been 10 year, one 15 year that I refinanced twice to take advantage of declining interest rates. I kept right on making the larger mortgage payments, since the point was to save money, not buy toys. When the mortgage was retired, we went right on making the payments into our retirement accounts.

The thing young people don't realize is that garnering wealth takes decades unless you hit some sort of jackpot.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #798  
No.

My path was about the same as yours with about the same outcome. But the present generation is not facing the same reality we experienced.

For one example corporations are buying up all the rental property around here (and bidding up what they pay for them) so housing costs are far higher for someone starting out. So there's no opportunity for massive savings like you and I were able to do. And no way could someone pay off any house in three years on a starter salary, that's simply impossible. Its a different reality now.

A good union job with a pension constituted the middle class 50 years ago. No such thing today.
Corporations are all run by bean counters nowadays. As soon as rental income minus management costs is less than bond yields, they will dump the properties back on the market. Those corporations are highly leveraged, because the bean counters think that is the way to make money. There are still a lot of people who think real estate prices always go up. We have seen that proven false twice in the last 40 years.
 
   / Retirement Planning - Lessons Learned #800  
Corporations are all run by bean counters nowadays......
They always have been. Read books about Ford during Hank the deuce's reign, for one example
 
 
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