Have your FIRE plans changed due to recent stock market rally

[By the River]

I was listening to a conservative regional talk show host yesterday discussing some recent dustup between Trump and CNN about the stock market rise since November 8, 2016 (S&P from 2,131 on 11/8/16 to 2,477 on 8/2/17 and DOW from 18,332 to 22,016).

The host said basically …There are probably thousands out there that have been able to retire or give their notices a year or two early because of this stock market increase…

My opinion is that there would be some but not thousands as many average people look only at the calendar and not an actual SWR because they don’t know what they spend.  What is your experience?

[BTDretire]

I would have responded but you went political with your name calling.
No, info for you!

[RyanAtTanagra]

I didn't vote because there isn't a 'There's been a stock market rally?' option.  I try to pay as little attention as I can.  When I update my spreadsheet I notice my NW jump up and down but try not to put too much thought into it.

[Blonde Lawyer]

I would have responded but you went political with your name calling.
No, info for you!

I think he went both ways by balancing it out with "yay Trump!"

[GenXbiker]

Definitely, many thousands, from everything I gather.

[Maenad]

It's pulled in our projected FI date by a couple of months (14 months from now) and increased our projected stache for ER by a nice amount (ER 2 years 7 months from now). However, the market giveth, and the market could taketh away. A Bear Market could push us a back a year, even two.

*shrug* It is what it is, I try to focus on what I can control and don't get too emotional about the stock market. That was the hard lesson of 2008-2009.

[jlcnuke]

It's been nice to see an increase in my portfolio, but I wasn't within 10% of FIRE this time last year, so I'm still not there now. Still got ~7 years (current plan) to go and haven't adjusted that number just because there's been a recent good run. The next year could just as easily be a bad run as more of a good run.

[Lan Mandragoran]

Stocks need to go on sale team!

[Bateaux]

I reached FI my previous March 2018 FIRE goal of 1.5M liquid last year.  Decided to save another 500k due to the uncertainty of the future of the ACA.  Losing the ACA would significantly increase my FIRE expenses.  Resetting the goal for June 2019 and 2M liquid.  Yes the continued stock market rally has extended my FIRE goal.  The longer I'm invested without withdrawing the more rapid the growth.  Working another 1.25 years increases my stash by 25%.  Moves my FIRE 4% withdrawal amount from 60k to 80k annually.  Will I shoot for 2.5M and 100k annually @4% ?  Maybe?  We've never spent 100k in any year of our working life.  Might be neat  to know how that feels.  We could alternate years.  Spend 50k one year and 150k the next.  This is crazy talk.  Where the hell did all this money come from?

[BTDretire]

I would have responded but you went political with your name calling.
No, info for you!

I think he went both ways by balancing it out with "yay Trump!"

I totally missed that, Not quite balanced, but OK.
 No change, 1/1/2011 to 12/1/ 2017 were very good to us, we doubled our NW and made FI.
The Trump effect is a mighty fine dessert.
Economic data that came out this week and today, gives me additional confidence that the stock market can keep climbing.

[scottish]

The recent decline in the USD has actually reduced the value of our portfolio due to our relatively heavy weighting in US equities. 

Anyone else outside of the US notice this?

[RedmondStash]

The stock market rally has been nice, but it's all fairy gold until you sell it. And the market may not stay at this level; you just can't predict the future.

It's not like these gains are necessarily permanent. They might be, but we can't know that yet. Add to that the chaos and turmoil in the country, and unpredictability regarding future healthcare costs, and if anything, my FIRE date is pushed out, not pulled in.

[Joeko]

Rally has been nice, but I'm waiting to see what happens with Healthcare

[GenXbiker]

The stock market rally has been nice, but it's all fairy gold until you sell it. And the market may not stay at this level; you just can't predict the future.

It's not like these gains are necessarily permanent. They might be, but we can't know that yet.

The market will most certainly have a significant pull-back.  We're on one of the longer streaks without a significant correction.  We have a ways to go until we hit a record though, but it could happen anytime.  I've got a larger cash position than I would like, and I would be ready to push a lot of it into stocks with a heavy dip.  No worries.  My FIRE date will be unaffected by a correction / pull-back.  A bear market that lasts longer than a few months could do it, but I don't see that in the short term, and I have less than 2 years before I FIRE.

[ysette9]

As others have said, the healthcare situation is more important than what the balance is on my investment accounts right now. I expect the investments to go up and down and so plan for some wiggle room there. However if our only hope of being able to obtain healthcare coverage at any price, or even a somewhat reasonable price, is thrown out the window, then retiring in this country is also thrown out the window. Hopefully the conservatives in the UK don't f-up the NHS too much, because that is my backup option.

[FIREfly34]

There's been a stock market rally?

[Monkey Uncle]

I hit FI about a year ago, but have been waiting on resolution of the health care mess before I pull the plug.  Current target is roughly the end of this year.  We'll see.  In the meantime, the rally has given me a decent buffer on my projected basic spending level.  The hope is that when a bear market hits, the decline will just take me back down to basic FI.