Congrats! I promise, you will soon be making gains in 25k-50k-100k increments. The magic of compounding is going to make gains a lot easier from now on!
I have noticed that. Of course, this year was a stock market boom year. Can't expect that every year, and could easily dip below a million at any given moment. But the Vanguard accounts are averaging 11% since opened, and the other accounts are similar. If I figure 4% that's 40K added yearly compounding. The 403b claims >30% gain this year. Oddly, the 403b website makes it very difficult to find gains since inception, but it's been growing fast.
Plan is to work a few more years. Been taking a lot more days off recently, getting home stuff done. Working 2-3 days a week. Enjoying painting the house, gardening, managing my beehives.
I may back off work to a permanent 2 days a week soon. Have to talk with the spouse about that, see what she thinks. She's a lot more conservative with money than I am, and may (will) want more of a cushion. But she has her pension in a few years, and I'll have social security.
