Race from $2M to $4M...and Beyond!

[ysette9]

I haven’t posted on this thread for a while and had to skip a bunch because I was so behind. Congrats to @MaybeBabyMustache on your new net worth milestone.

On our end our house is about to close so we will have an infusion of cash coming our way.
That means another money date so we can figure out exactly how to allocate it. With our current 60/40 asset allocation (reverse equity glide path-ing it per Big ERN) we have plenty of bonds in taxable and are looking to add even more. So for the first time I am looking at adding a muni bond fund to the mix. All said and done we should be around the $3.5M invested which seems pretty healthy. Certainly so considering two years ago I was running simulations to decide if I was comfortable going from a $2.6M to a $2.3M FIRE number. Compound interest really is magical.

Congratulations - are you leaving the Bay Area then?

We are currently in Seattle and are selling our Bay Area house. We haven’t decided whether seattle is permanent or not. We could return to the Bay Area but I think it is less likely that we would than that we would be elsewhere. In any case if we returned we would need a bigger house so where we would land would be totally up in the air. At this point my family has all uprooted and moved to England so the Bay Area doesn’t hold as much for me as it used to. I am lobbying for a few years in England to get my kids permanent resident status so they have options in life. We shall see.

[ysette9]

That is great Ysette!  I've not managed to get much into bonds yet (I have my "non-equity" portion nearly entirely in cash - having locked in rates of around 2% a couple of years ago which seemed terrible at the time but not bad now, and a little bit of inflation-linked bonds that the government used to issue here).    I guess if I could get comfortable that I could find some bond products that were actively negatively correlated to equities that would definitely be worth considering ... but it certainly doesn't seem to be the case that you can assume that all bond funds have that particular characteristic!

I'm aiming for a Big-ERN style reverse equity glide path too, except that I was so heavily in cash leading up to retirement (just due to ignorance/lack of time/energy/risk aversion) that it has ended up being an upward glide path on the way into retirement too ... which is in nobody's textbook description of "how to do it"!  I'm currently at about 65:35, and I guess I will likely stay around there until I fully RE (currently just dropped to part time) and then gradually increase my equity exposure from there. 

I have a lot of reading/thinking to do about the details of what makes up that 35% as my savings products roll-off though!

When you say “cash” do you mean CDs?

[LightTripper]

I have to admit I'm never sure what CDs are!

I just mean fixed-term savings accounts at banks (so e.g. I have a few with terms between 2 and 5 years, all giving between about 2% and 2.5%).  They're often described as "savings bonds" here.  They are kind of bond like in that they return a defined coupon over a defined period.  But there is no capital risk: they're not tradable so there is no "price" to decline or appreciate.  You just get your capital back at the end.  In some of them you can get your capital back earlier if you sacrifice some interest. Others are properly locked in for the duration.

I think from a Google search that's probably the same as a CD?

[secondcor521]

I have to admit I'm never sure what CDs are!

I just mean fixed-term savings accounts at banks (so e.g. I have a few with terms between 2 and 5 years, all giving between about 2% and 2.5%).  They're often described as "savings bonds" here.  They are kind of bond like in that they return a defined coupon over a defined period.  But there is no capital risk: they're not tradable so there is no "price" to decline or appreciate.  You just get your capital back at the end.  In some of them you can get your capital back earlier if you sacrifice some interest. Others are properly locked in for the duration.

I think from a Google search that's probably the same as a CD?

In America, a CD is a certificate of deposit.  You purchase them at a bank or credit union, and they guarantee you a rate of interest for the duration of the CD.  The rate of interest is typically higher than a regular savings account in exchange for you agreeing to, or being restricted from, or being penalized for, making withdrawals.

On this side of the pond, a bond is a different thing.  A bond is essentially a loan to either a corporation (like Ford or Starbucks) or a government entity (like the state of California or the US federal government).  Like a CD, it pays interest and lasts a certain duration.  Unlike a CD, they're bought and sold all the time on the bond market, and the price varies based on the features of the bond.

The term "savings bond" here I think refers to certain US government bonds which have some features which make them useful for saving purposes.  They're usually considered low- to zero-risk because the US government can both (a) print more money and/or (b) raise taxes and/or (c) borrow from someone else to pay you back.  There are some tax benefits as well depending on the circumstances - most US bonds are not taxable at the state level, and the proceeds (and interest?) of some bonds may be tax-free if used for certain approved purposes (like EE bonds and education).

Beyond those two, there are a lot of other choices people have for the fixed income portion of their portfolios.  I don't have much interest or knowledge of this portion of the investing universe, so I just throw my small percentage into VTBLX and forget about it.

[ysette9]

I have to admit I'm never sure what CDs are!

I just mean fixed-term savings accounts at banks (so e.g. I have a few with terms between 2 and 5 years, all giving between about 2% and 2.5%).  They're often described as "savings bonds" here.  They are kind of bond like in that they return a defined coupon over a defined period.  But there is no capital risk: they're not tradable so there is no "price" to decline or appreciate.  You just get your capital back at the end.  In some of them you can get your capital back earlier if you sacrifice some interest. Others are properly locked in for the duration.

I think from a Google search that's probably the same as a CD?

That sounds a lot like a CD to me. I only know about them theoretically as I have never had one myself.

[LightTripper]

Yes it sounds like it is the same thing!

[soccerluvof4]

This thread has really died down of late. Anyhow i hope everyone is doing well. My/our NW hasnt really changed much as I have been putting a lot of $ into the house which adds value there since paid off but I don't count it in our NW. But where doing fine and spring is definitely in the air!

[Exflyboy]

Not bad on this end.

Even though yesterday was an all time high on the S&P500 I am down $16k from the previous high due to the bond fund part of my portfolio.

Still a pretty trivial amount compared to almost $4M networth.

[SwordGuy]

Not much to write about really.   We're FIRED and living a good life whilst our net worth varied by half a million dollars up or down over the year.  But our income didn't really change and we didn't draw down our stash so it was all pretty much a meh from our (financial) point of view.

We're up to $2.875M, so if we stay steady for the rest of this year and thru the next we'll top $3M.

[2sk22]

This thread has really died down of late. Anyhow i hope everyone is doing well. My/our NW hasnt really changed much as I have been putting a lot of $ into the house which adds value there since paid off but I don't count it in our NW. But where doing fine and spring is definitely in the air!

Things have been going well around here - my wife got a good annual bonus so we barely miss my salary :-)

[PhrugalPhan]

This thread has really died down of late. Anyhow i hope everyone is doing well. My/our NW hasnt really changed much as I have been putting a lot of $ into the house which adds value there since paid off but I don't count it in our NW. But where doing fine and spring is definitely in the air!

Financially everything is going well.  My investments are over $1.4M (a new high as of today) & vested COLA'd pension of $39.5k/year (worth $900k-ish??).  Only 1.75 years until the pension comes online <insert impatient face here>.  The GF's TSP is over $1.5M as well and is getting her pension of $33k/year (and doing tax prep work for the fun of it - don't ask, I don't get it either).

And yay, no one is sick and Spring is arriving.

[Fomerly known as something]

This thread has really died down of late. Anyhow i hope everyone is doing well. My/our NW hasnt really changed much as I have been putting a lot of $ into the house which adds value there since paid off but I don't count it in our NW. But where doing fine and spring is definitely in the air!

Financially everything is going well.  My investments are over $1.4M (a new high as of today) & vested COLA'd pension of $39.5k/year (worth $900k-ish??).  Only 1.75 years until the pension comes online <insert impatient face here>.  The GF's TSP is over $1.5M as well and is getting her pension of $33k/year (and doing tax prep work for the fun of it - don't ask, I don't get it either).

And yay, no one is sick and Spring is arriving.

My mom taught math for 30 plus years, her taxes are one big “fun” story problem.

[pecunia]

This thread has really died down of late. Anyhow i hope everyone is doing well. My/our NW hasn't really changed much as I have been putting a lot of $ into the house which adds value there since paid off but I don't count it in our NW. But where doing fine and spring is definitely in the air!

You know once you have enough and you ain't greedy, you don't pay as much attention to the money thing.  Maybe, I'll move to the UP and just fish.

[rmorris50]

Our NW just flew past 2.8m with Friday’s up market. The OMY syndrome is real.

Yesterday we were buying an “inexpensive” patio bistro set and seat cushions ($330 after tax) for our new house and the cashier asked if I wanted to open a Lowe’s credit card and save 20 percent. I said no at first (don’t need another credit card and we don’t carry a balance) but she looked at me like I had three heads and this shamed me into signing up. After the hassle of signing up and getting approved she asked if I would like to instead select the no interest for six months option and that was a hard no, give me my 20 percent! I was approved on the spot but only for 9k, I just had to laugh. BUT then I remembered Lowe’s is one of the stocks in my IRA so I should support Lowe’s. So please shop at Lowe’s and not Home Depot, haha!


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[Much Fishing to Do]

About the only thing I'm closely watching in the market right now is interest rates.  As rates rise/bonds fall I'm (very) gradually moving some of my large cash holdings toward bonds given I have so little right now.  I'll be REing by next spring at the latest (when exactly is purely based on some non-financial goals). I think I am at a NW/LNW high right now so no complaints....

[jeroly]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

Starting to get excited about future travel. Headed to nyc to see family and friends in late April (scored a $4.50 round trip bus trip by booking a few months ago), and I’m also thinking about a domestic road trip. For the latter I was thinking about buying a three year old lowish mileage Honda Fit as you can apparently fold down a seat and have enough room to sleep in it, and then giving it to my gf after the trip - her sixteen year old Subaru Forrester is on its last legs and she was thinking about buying a Fit anyway.  As far as international travel goes, well... I think I’ll wait until most tourist attractions are open, curfews are gone, and restaurants are serving indoors, which may be a while for most places I’m interested to visit.

As far as the markets go...we’ll they’re just insane. Despite a 50/50 allocation and spending way more than I should, my accounts have already gone up more than my anticipated spending for 2021.  I’m very curious what inflation will be looking like in 3-5 years. In any event, I’m operating under the thesis that the total market will climb another 20% this year and 25% next year before a crash, and if I’m right about the first part I’ll start moving out of stocks slowly and regularly starting 1/22 through 12/22,  but still thinking through the best plan for the latter phase.

[SwordGuy]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

[jeroly]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

That’s why I put it in quotes.
I will of course continue to mask, social distance, etc.

[SwordGuy]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

That’s why I put it in quotes.
I will of course continue to mask, social distance, etc.

I was hoping that's what you meant!   But a lot of folks don't seem to understand that, so even if you did, it was worth saying anyway!

[flyingaway]

Our NW just flew past 2.8m with Friday’s up market. The OMY syndrome is real.

Yesterday we were buying an “inexpensive” patio bistro set and seat cushions ($330 after tax) for our new house and the cashier asked if I wanted to open a Lowe’s credit card and save 20 percent. I said no at first (don’t need another credit card and we don’t carry a balance) but she looked at me like I had three heads and this shamed me into signing up. After the hassle of signing up and getting approved she asked if I would like to instead select the no interest for six months option and that was a hard no, give me my 20 percent! I was approved on the spot but only for 9k, I just had to laugh. BUT then I remembered Lowe’s is one of the stocks in my IRA so I should support Lowe’s. So please shop at Lowe’s and not Home Depot, haha!


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In my local stores, Lowe's is (mostly slightly) more expensive than Home Depot. Walmart beats them both if they have similar items.

Last week, I bought one apple tree from Home Depot, one apple tree (different variety) and one pear tree from Walmart. Home Depot price was $24.99 and Walmart price is $24.95 before taxes.

[Car Jack]

This thread has really died down of late. Anyhow i hope everyone is doing well. My/our NW hasnt really changed much as I have been putting a lot of $ into the house which adds value there since paid off but I don't count it in our NW. But where doing fine and spring is definitely in the air!

Things have been going well around here - my wife got a good annual bonus so we barely miss my salary :-)

Ah, and my wife just received her one year (full time) review, raise and bonus.  Before that, she spent 5 years working per-diem mainly to get her time working clinical hours.  Before that, 14 years bringing up the kids, which killed her earning potential.  Anyways, her income has mainly been a way to double our 401k contributions and that's gone really well.  We're both now looking at whenever Covid is done and gone, which we're hoping will be a year from now, then both quit and do things like tour Nova Scotia (and I visit Oak Island....one of my favorite mindless shows to watch) and maybe even visit exotic, far away places like England and Australia.  (I barely speak English, so thinking of getting along in France, Spain or Germany brings some anxiety).  We have talked about me ordering a European delivery Porsche, where we'd pick it up and then tour Europe for 2 weeks.  Still not out of the question.

I've been watching my balance go up and down.  Enough to make me sea sick.  Next target is $3.3M and I'm only a few grand away.  We splurged this week and bought a new dishwasher when the old one made really bad noises and on first check, I couldn't figure it out.  As it turns out, the new one cleans about a million percent better, so it's a good buy for us.  The old one?  Well, I scrap electronics and metals, so it's all taken apart and separated into steel, wire, circuit boards, aluminum with the stainless tub and door thrown on my scrap steel trailer.

In other fun news, I've been very slowly going through coins and bills I inherited a decade ago when my dad passed away.  My eScrap yard also does coins, and their prices rival what I can get selling to craigslist people, which is 20% more than the coin and bullion dealer.  Anyways, I opened a few more envelopes and found a couple Transamerica Insurance 1 Oz silver rounds.  Dad ran an insurance agency since starting to work for my grandfather when he was in high school.  Anyways, dropped them off for fifty bucks coming home from visiting my mom at her financial advisor.  Don't get scared, we're not buying things, she's looking forward to when she'll go into an independent retirement place and need more monthly income.

So those are my random thoughts.

[couponvan]

We just paid our bills for the end of the month and updated our net worth. $2.54 million.  That number was our FIRE amount when we started this whole journey, as well as having all our kids' college paid for. We haven't funded the college yet. We also decided that a paid off house should be part of the FIRE amount, so we added another $500K to the goal line. My husband will likely end up working until 55 so that he won't be leaving unvested stock shares on the table with his company (about $250K worth). 

The great news is we COULD afford to be unemployed if he gets fired or laid off! 

I'm sure we're going to be poking along for the long next while with me not working and having 2 kids in college for the next few years. Even poking along our numbers grow due to earnings and compounding. Thank you former couponvan....

[2sk22]

We just paid our bills for the end of the month and updated our net worth. $2.54 million.  That number was our FIRE amount when we started this whole journey, as well as having all our kids' college paid for. We haven't funded the college yet. We also decided that a paid off house should be part of the FIRE amount, so we added another $500K to the goal line. My husband will likely end up working until 55 so that he won't be leaving unvested stock shares on the table with his company (about $250K worth). 

The great news is we COULD afford to be unemployed if he gets fired or laid off! 

I'm sure we're going to be poking along for the long next while with me not working and having 2 kids in college for the next few years. Even poking along our numbers grow due to earnings and compounding. Thank you former couponvan....

I agree with your approach: funded college and a paid-off house greatly add to peace of mind when you're retired. Paying a low interest mortgage has no financial advantage but it certainly helps psychologically.

[Bateaux]

Not much to report.  Been in Florida since last Monday.  Friends daughter got married down in Fort Lauderdale.  We drove down there and spent the weekend for the wedding.  Spring Break was in full swing.  We didn't do much beach time with the crowds.  Back at our Florida house now and have been doing some yard work and small projects.   Driving back to Louisiana Thursday and work Friday night.  Going to be hard to leave, we love it here so much.  A little over 800 days now till I retire at 55.  Money is solid.  Liquid were hanging at 2.75M.  Our youngest son gets married in October and we'll be busy with that for a while.  The end of April we'll be headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a week.  We'll drop down here to the Florida house for a few days afterwards on our way back to Louisiana.  I got my one shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine two weeks ago and have had zero side effects.  Hope you all are well.

[JoJoP]

I'm so glad to hear that everyone is doing well.  I was in a bit of funk over the holidays, with many people I knew getting sick from Covid.  I felt like a cloud was over us, but it has lifted quite a bit now. We are feeling optimistic-- finally-- about the world recovering from this terrible pandemic.   My family members are nearly all vaccinated, and that is a relief.  We are fully vaccinated and slowly, carefully,  adding modestly social activities to the calendar.    I had guests over for dinner last week! 

Financially, things are amazing.   Property values are absolutely skyrocketing.  Since we're 90% in Real Estate, NW is soaring along with it.   The comps are showing a value increase in our rental portfolio that has topped 50K a month all year long.   We are stable, so no need to liquidate any assets at the moment or in the foreseeable future.   We will continue to offer well kept, affordable housing to our long term tenants with no change in plans for now.   

[Much Fishing to Do]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

That’s why I put it in quotes.
I will of course continue to mask, social distance, etc.

I was hoping that's what you meant!   But a lot of folks don't seem to understand that, so even if you did, it was worth saying anyway!

I disagree.  I'm a "follow the science" person, so if you're vaccinated the only reason to wear a mask is because its a rule in a place or to prevent catching something other than covid (I think wearing a mask during flu season is a good idea anyway). The number of people that question/ignore the CDC in the US has been incredibly annoying and I'm not gonna start now.

[jeroly]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

That’s why I put it in quotes.
I will of course continue to mask, social distance, etc.

I was hoping that's what you meant!   But a lot of folks don't seem to understand that, so even if you did, it was worth saying anyway!

I disagree.  I'm a "follow the science" person, so if you're vaccinated the only reason to wear a mask is because its a rule in a place or to prevent catching something other than covid (I think wearing a mask during flu season is a good idea anyway). The number of people that question/ignore the CDC in the US has been incredibly annoying and I'm not gonna start now.

If you truly did 'follow the science' you would know that the primary reason for wearing masks never had to do with preventing your catching Covid-19, but rather to prevent your transmitting it to someone else.  The evidence is not there yet to prove or disprove whether vaccinated people can transmit to unvaccinated individuals, and it's only within the last 24 hours that evidence has emerged that the vaccine is providing lasting (> 6 months) immunity.  So while I think it's a good bet that the vaccinated can't transmit, we still don't know for sure, and I sure as hell don't want to kill somebody who hasn't been able to get their shot(s) yet.

[Exflyboy]

Well yesterday's record high also translated into a record high for us at an invested $2.6M.

With future pensions its starting to look like silly money, let alone the rent we get.

[rmorris50]

We recently flew by 2.8m NW, 2.65 is invested and rest home equity. This time last year we were at 1.9m. Very crazy.


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[ysette9]

Our house sale came through so once we get our pile-o-cash invested we will be around $3.6m. Holy crap.

[Much Fishing to Do]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

That’s why I put it in quotes.
I will of course continue to mask, social distance, etc.

I was hoping that's what you meant!   But a lot of folks don't seem to understand that, so even if you did, it was worth saying anyway!

I disagree.  I'm a "follow the science" person, so if you're vaccinated the only reason to wear a mask is because its a rule in a place or to prevent catching something other than covid (I think wearing a mask during flu season is a good idea anyway). The number of people that question/ignore the CDC in the US has been incredibly annoying and I'm not gonna start now.

If you truly did 'follow the science' you would know that the primary reason for wearing masks never had to do with preventing your catching Covid-19, but rather to prevent your transmitting it to someone else.  The evidence is not there yet to prove or disprove whether vaccinated people can transmit to unvaccinated individuals, and it's only within the last 24 hours that evidence has emerged that the vaccine is providing lasting (> 6 months) immunity.  So while I think it's a good bet that the vaccinated can't transmit, we still don't know for sure, and I sure as hell don't want to kill somebody who hasn't been able to get their shot(s) yet.

I'm not sure what you are talking about.  I did follow it and I did know that.  Just like I knew we were not supposed to wear masks at one point so they were more available to healthcare workers, at some point there was enough we were to wear masks b/c there was enough for everyone.  I continue to follow it and now "the science" says the vaccinated do not transmit the virus. 

Of course I am saying "follow the science" a little tongue and cheek b/c we all know everyone picks whatever they want to consider to be "the science"....but I choose to go by the CDC and they said a vaccinated person does not transmit the virus:

"Our data from the CDC today suggests that vaccinated people do not carry the virus, don't get sick, and that it's not just in the clinical trials but it's also in real-world data," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Rachel Maddow on Monday, March 29. Walensky was describing the results of a new CDC study of vaccinated Americans, which found that they not only had very high resistance to COVID-19, but also to asymptomatic infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – and, by extension, are very unlikely to spread it to other people.

And for anyone that wants to blanket they 'aren't will to kill anyone' then I have a problem with the decades they walked around during flu season without the masks on while the elderly drop like flies.  We balance risks based on what we know. 

If this year has confirmed anything for me its that I never join a political party.  I have no doubt 10 years from now democrats will still be wearing masks and republicans will not even if we get hit by the deadliest plague ever, and they'll both be calling each other ignorant along the way from their high horses.

[dividendman]

I'm not sure what you are talking about.  I did follow it and I did know that.  Just like I knew we were not supposed to wear masks at one point so they were more available to healthcare workers, at some point there was enough we were to wear masks b/c there was enough for everyone.  I continue to follow it and now "the science" says the vaccinated do not transmit the virus. 

Of course I am saying "follow the science" a little tongue and cheek b/c we all know everyone picks whatever they want to consider to be "the science"....but I choose to go by the CDC and they said a vaccinated person does not transmit the virus:

"Our data from the CDC today suggests that vaccinated people do not carry the virus, don't get sick, and that it's not just in the clinical trials but it's also in real-world data," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Rachel Maddow on Monday, March 29. Walensky was describing the results of a new CDC study of vaccinated Americans, which found that they not only had very high resistance to COVID-19, but also to asymptomatic infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – and, by extension, are very unlikely to spread it to other people.

And for anyone that wants to blanket they 'aren't will to kill anyone' then I have a problem with the decades they walked around during flu season without the masks on while the elderly drop like flies.  We balance risks based on what we know. 

If this year has confirmed anything for me its that I never join a political party.  I have no doubt 10 years from now democrats will still be wearing masks and republicans will not even if we get hit by the deadliest plague ever, and they'll both be calling each other ignorant along the way from their high horses.

Yes, we balance risks based on what we know, but it's also what the tradeoff is.

Wearing a mask: no downside and a lot of potential upside for others so why not wear it? And yes, even in flu season. It's like seatbelts but it helps other people.

Note that in lots of places mask wearing was "normal" before COVID was a thing during flu season.

I do understand that America is more individualistic than these other places (i.e. the argument is that if you're the old/sick/worried one you should make changes, not me).

[SwordGuy]

S&P500 is up 7.06% for the year.   If it gets to 8% we'll go over the $3M mark.

[ysette9]

I wouldn’t be surprised if mask wearing stuck around for a while in some circles simply because we have all gotten used to it. I am at the point where I feel a bit naked if I go out without one. It can be annoying at times but there are some wise benefits. I am very pale and super sensitive to the sun. The mask protects my face at just the part that sometimes doesn’t get protected by my hat - winning. Currently I am recovering from a cold sore but I don’t feel self conscious about it because no one sees it hidden behind my mask. :)

[jeroly]

Counting the days (20) until I reach ‘full immunity’ - I get my second Pfizer shot on Saturday.

My understanding is that you won't be immune, you'll just be very unlikely to get Covid and unlikely to get a fatal case of it.

That doesn't mean you can't get it and then kill other folks who aren't vaccinated.

That’s why I put it in quotes.
I will of course continue to mask, social distance, etc.

I was hoping that's what you meant!   But a lot of folks don't seem to understand that, so even if you did, it was worth saying anyway!

I disagree.  I'm a "follow the science" person, so if you're vaccinated the only reason to wear a mask is because its a rule in a place or to prevent catching something other than covid (I think wearing a mask during flu season is a good idea anyway). The number of people that question/ignore the CDC in the US has been incredibly annoying and I'm not gonna start now.

If you truly did 'follow the science' you would know that the primary reason for wearing masks never had to do with preventing your catching Covid-19, but rather to prevent your transmitting it to someone else.  The evidence is not there yet to prove or disprove whether vaccinated people can transmit to unvaccinated individuals, and it's only within the last 24 hours that evidence has emerged that the vaccine is providing lasting (> 6 months) immunity.  So while I think it's a good bet that the vaccinated can't transmit, we still don't know for sure, and I sure as hell don't want to kill somebody who hasn't been able to get their shot(s) yet.

I'm not sure what you are talking about.  I did follow it and I did know that.  Just like I knew we were not supposed to wear masks at one point so they were more available to healthcare workers, at some point there was enough we were to wear masks b/c there was enough for everyone.  I continue to follow it and now "the science" says the vaccinated do not transmit the virus. 

Of course I am saying "follow the science" a little tongue and cheek b/c we all know everyone picks whatever they want to consider to be "the science"....but I choose to go by the CDC and they said a vaccinated person does not transmit the virus:

"Our data from the CDC today suggests that vaccinated people do not carry the virus, don't get sick, and that it's not just in the clinical trials but it's also in real-world data," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Rachel Maddow on Monday, March 29. Walensky was describing the results of a new CDC study of vaccinated Americans, which found that they not only had very high resistance to COVID-19, but also to asymptomatic infections of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – and, by extension, are very unlikely to spread it to other people.

And for anyone that wants to blanket they 'aren't will to kill anyone' then I have a problem with the decades they walked around during flu season without the masks on while the elderly drop like flies.  We balance risks based on what we know. 

If this year has confirmed anything for me its that I never join a political party.  I have no doubt 10 years from now democrats will still be wearing masks and republicans will not even if we get hit by the deadliest plague ever, and they'll both be calling each other ignorant along the way from their high horses.

You were perhaps listening to Trump's BS from the campaign when he was trying to blame Fauci for his fuckups, and not to what Fauci had actually said.  Fauci, the NIAID and the CDC never said not to wear a mask, but not to wear hospital-grade N95 masks so as to preserve their availability for those most in need.  They still haven't changed that guidance, by the way.

As far as the vaccinated spreading the virus, well... Walensky was more or less talking out of her ass.  The evidence isn't there to support her claims, and even the CDC went out of their way to walk back her dangerous claim. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/health/coronavirus-vaccine-walensky.html

“Dr. Walensky spoke broadly during this interview,” an agency spokesman told The Times. “It’s possible that some people who are fully vaccinated could get Covid-19. The evidence isn’t clear whether they can spread the virus to others. We are continuing to evaluate the evidence.”

The agency was responding in part to criticism from scientists who noted that current research was far from sufficient to claim that vaccinated people cannot spread the virus.

[pecunia]

I had both my shots.  We still need to eat.  I'm not allowed in the grocery store without a mask.  I'll wear the mask.  It's easy to put on and easy to take off.  You know - I have bigger things to worry about.

[SwordGuy]

S&P500 is up 7.06% for the year.   If it gets to 8% we'll go over the $3M mark.

That's what happens when I do public math late at night or early in the morning.  :)

We'll be at $2.9M, not $3.0M if the S&P500 gets to 8% up this year.

Which means if we have an average year for 2021 and 2022 we'll sail past that $3M number.

[Dancin'Dog]

S&P500 is up 7.06% for the year.   If it gets to 8% we'll go over the $3M mark.

That's what happens when I do public math late at night or early in the morning.  :)

We'll be at $2.9M, not $3.0M if the S&P500 gets to 8% up this year.

Which means if we have an average year for 2021 and 2022 we'll sail past that $3M number.

Math is one of the many things that I learned to avoid doing in public.  ;) 

[soccerluvof4]

Well were down in Florida and actually today is our last day here. Has been very nice and first Family Vacation in a long time. Pulled off a nice 80th Surprise Party for my Dad and 50th Anniversary surprise for my Dad and his wife. Last two days we have been running around seeing the sights on our own and soaking in the sun. As I mentioned a week or so ago this is an expensive time right now for us with all the remodeling were doing and this trip is not cheap to say the least but without the paid off house still above the 2.5M mark. Calling today for my monthly withdrawal. I have about 25k more to spend and I should be ok then. Fortunately we do have the other 2 kids that are still home college funds funded so I just realized 3 days ago was my 6th year being fire'd and were doing well. Sure dont miss my business and all the hassles that went with it and now that I am closer to 60 than 50 I am so thankful I was able to pull it off at 50. Watching my kids grow up and spending more time with them has been a blessing as well as moving into a lake house which also was about a 400k shave off our NW not including the remodeling were doing but its worth it. I still check financials daily but thats because I have my very small trading account that keeps me active in the markets which I enjoy early in the mornings and were closer now to 65/25/10 in cash. Be nice if the markets have some more lift in them but I am not sure at what cost in the long run. In either case I feel we should be prepared but there is always the thing you dont thing about you seem to need to power through. Anyhow its bustling in Florida for sure the traffic is a bit much for my liking but I do love the sunshine.

[Car Jack]

I can tell that at least in my head, retirement is closing in.  Today, I added to my investments spread sheet a section for withdrawal strategy.  Where to get the money, how much and why.  My generic goal is to go to the top of the 12% federal tax bracket each year and possibly earn income to be able to max Roths for both DW and me.

Part of this realization:  Clicked strongly over the $3.3MM point and changed my spread sheet target to "Amount to $3.4MM".  Of course, now that I said that, the market will dive 4%.

Another pre-retirement activity:  I drove a new Porsche Cayman.  I've thought about getting one as a fun car in retirement.  Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by it.  Better than a Tesla Model S I drove, but neither worth the money.  Sort of on my not very extravagant list at the moment are the Subaru BRZ when the new version comes out in the fall and a new WRX or STi.  DS has a new STi which I've driven a good amount.  I like it but it needs smaller wheels/bigger sidewall tires to calm the suspension a bit in my opinion.

[SwordGuy]

12/31/2017 $2,523,342    

12/31/2018 $2,553,037   Retired in May of 2018.

4/1/2021 $2,892,127       

And the S&P500 is up again this morning, so if that sticks we'll be over $2.9 million.  An average return for this year and the next will put us well over the $3 million threshold.

Our passive cash flow independent of our stock/bond portfolio is up $30k per year from what it was when we retired and our expenses are way less now that our home is paid off.   So we're actually in a better financial position moving forward.

It's still hard to believe.   



    

[Bateaux]

Love reading your reports on current life.  I pondered a lot this weekend working nights whether to call it quits.  I think I'm just tired after a hard three weeks of pushing pretty hard.  Two of those weeks were actually vacation.  Work may be where I'm actually resting.

[Exflyboy]

12/31/2017 $2,523,342    

12/31/2018 $2,553,037   Retired in May of 2018.

4/1/2021 $2,892,127       

And the S&P500 is up again this morning, so if that sticks we'll be over $2.9 million.  An average return for this year and the next will put us well over the $3 million threshold.

Our passive cash flow independent of our stock/bond portfolio is up $30k per year from what it was when we retired and our expenses are way less now that our home is paid off.   So we're actually in a better financial position moving forward.

It's still hard to believe.

I assume from your description these numbers are just your investments.. I.e total NW is bigger than this?

It is hard to believe, I was saying just this morning these numbers just don't seem real as numbers on a screen. Its just when I realise I could buy 4 pretty nice houses for cash that it hits me just how much money this actually is!

[SwordGuy]

12/31/2017 $2,523,342    

12/31/2018 $2,553,037   Retired in May of 2018.

4/1/2021 $2,892,127       

And the S&P500 is up again this morning, so if that sticks we'll be over $2.9 million.  An average return for this year and the next will put us well over the $3 million threshold.

Our passive cash flow independent of our stock/bond portfolio is up $30k per year from what it was when we retired and our expenses are way less now that our home is paid off.   So we're actually in a better financial position moving forward.

It's still hard to believe.

I assume from your description these numbers are just your investments.. I.e total NW is bigger than this?

It is hard to believe, I was saying just this morning these numbers just don't seem real as numbers on a screen. Its just when I realise I could buy 4 pretty nice houses for cash that it hits me just how much money this actually is!

No kidding!

About $1.55M  is in stocks and bonds, about $360k in our home, and the rest in rental homes and farmland and now a share of a trucking company.    So, all but about $375k is investments, just not all stocks and bonds.

[2sk22]

I assume from your description these numbers are just your investments.. I.e total NW is bigger than this?

It is hard to believe, I was saying just this morning these numbers just don't seem real as numbers on a screen. Its just when I realise I could buy 4 pretty nice houses for cash that it hits me just how much money this actually is!

Heh - I also daydream sometimes about what I could buy for cash :-)

[markbike528CBX]

I assume from your description these numbers are just your investments.. I.e total NW is bigger than this?

It is hard to believe, I was saying just this morning these numbers just don't seem real as numbers on a screen. Its just when I realise I could buy 4 pretty nice houses for cash that it hits me just how much money this actually is!

Heh - I also daydream sometimes about what I could buy for cash :-)

Don't sell everything, you'd cause a market panic :-)

[Taran Wanderer]

Ran the numbers yesterday. Passed $2.6 net, or $2.75 if you believe Zillow’s home valuations. I have a couple more years of work related commitments, so even with a flat market, we will pass $3.0 in those two years. It all seems a bit crazy, and while ER is out there to be grabbed, Covid and WFH couldn’t have been timed better. This past year has been a welcome change, and even when things are back to normal, it looks like I’ll still have the option to WFH 2-3 days a week. Now if I can just figure out how to only work 2-3 days a week at around half my current pay. That would be perfect.

[2sk22]

Don't sell everything, you'd cause a market panic :-)

In pre-covid times, I used to regularly meet a group of college friends for lunch in Manhattan. Most of them worked in hedge funds or investment banking (I think all have retired now). A couple of them were managing gigantic portfolios so they could have actually swung markets. It was fascinating to hear their war stories - a completely different world from big tech.

[Fomerly known as something]

I was looking at the financial analysis I had done in June of 2017 today and comparing it to where I are now.

NW change from $1.2 to 2.1 million
Distribution from about 50/50 real estate to investments to $1.9 million in investments and $200k in home equity.
This was while getting more conservative in my investment accounts 90/10 vs 70/30. 
Increase in net worth about $50k more a year than my salary.

Needless to say my mind was blown.

[Bateaux]

Made over 22k just today.  WTF!  Who the hell is this?  Is this me?   I was raised in a gotdammed strawberry patch.  It's working.  It's beautiful.  Gotta get the boat in the water.