2023 FIRE cohort

[RWTL]

Joining.

June 2023 and hopefully out, will be 41.

Portfolio goal $3M.
Current allocations
401k: $65k
IRA:  $1.2M
Roth IRA: $900k
HSA: $70k
Taxable: $300k

I'm an idiot with taxes and optimizing withdrawal strategies so probably need to start studying and asking questions.

Goal is to spend more time doing things that make me happy.

Welcome to the group.  I added you to the list.

[TomTX]

Hey, 2023! What's shaking?

We're 1 year and ~6 weeks from 2023.

How's it going? On track? Jumping to 2022 or OMY to 2024?

IDK if I'm going to last past September 2022-ish. Inflection point in the pension value makes it far less financially beneficial to continue where I am beyond that. Unless I have a significant surprise promotion, of course.

But I am doing good, at least up to the national level. That helps.

Can you explain this a little bit please? What is the national level referred to?

I am having a positive influence on the capability of the United States.

[grantmeaname]

Welp, I think I'm OMYing myself. I get a bonus in February each year that's pretty substantial so late 2023 never really made sense. Feb '24 is looking much more likely than Feb '23. I would love to hang out and creep on all of you guys as you come to the end of your retirement journey!

[Huffduf41]

Joining.

June 2023 and hopefully out, will be 41.

Portfolio goal $3M.
Current allocations
401k: $65k
IRA:  $1.2M
Roth IRA: $900k
HSA: $70k
Taxable: $300k

I'm an idiot with taxes and optimizing withdrawal strategies so probably need to start studying and asking questions.

Goal is to spend more time doing things that make me happy.

Given my situation should the recent news on congress wanting to kill backdoor roth concern me?  I've been over the roth income limit for awhile so have been only maxing the traditional IRA.  Thanks!!!

[friedmmj]

I am looking forward to the new year!  I've been flirting with around a lean FI number even now, and I'm hopeful to continue pushing up my portfolio with additional investments throughout 2022 to set myself up for a strong position by the end of that year.  I'm still well on track for a 2023 "finish" target before my 40th birthday, and it more and more looks like a worst case scenario.   

I don't have nearly as much in my current portfolio as many on this forum, but I also seem to have not many spending desires too (not to mention no kids/pets) so it all balances out haha!

My goal going into 2022 is to check where my portfolio is at on January 1st and try to spend no more in 2022 than what my current withdrawal strategy says I could start taking if I were to try to lean fire on that date.  I will consider this "practice" for when I am actually potentially not earning active income and need to rely on my withdrawal strategy.  In the meantime, I'll still be working to build up investments though.

I like the marathon and football analogies of your FIRE progress in your tag line.  I’ve been using the analogy of a 40 hour work week representing my entire 33 year working life.  Well, it’s now almost a quarter to five on Friday and the weekend is calling baby!

[friedmmj]

Joining.

June 2023 and hopefully out, will be 41.

Portfolio goal $3M.
Current allocations
401k: $65k
IRA:  $1.2M
Roth IRA: $900k
HSA: $70k
Taxable: $300k

I'm an idiot with taxes and optimizing withdrawal strategies so probably need to start studying and asking questions.

Goal is to spend more time doing things that make me happy.

Given my situation should the recent news on congress wanting to kill backdoor roth concern me?  I've been over the roth income limit for awhile so have been only maxing the traditional IRA.  Thanks!!!

I can’t imagine that you will have significant challenges with money either way with the asset level you’re at.  But yes, it looks like back door is probably on borrowed time.

[Dicey]

Greetings! I'm here to enroll DH in this cohort. He's OMYing from the 2022 group. At the recent Moab Meet up he was knighted "Mr. Dicey", which tickles me, so let's call him that here. He became eligible to retire with a full Defined Benefit Pension (stable, with COLA) in May of 2021, but there is something  at work he wants to see through. He likes what he does (he's a SWAMI) and only works four days/week, but supply chain issues and corporate fuckery are ratcheting up the pressure. Well, that and the fancy new-to-us RV sitting in the driveway, ready to go. He's aiming for May, with the option of vacationing out beginning in March. I like the sound of 2/22/22 (which also happens to be a Tuesday). He needs foot surgery, which is going to take 8-10 weeks of recovery. It looks like that's going to be scheduled for Mid-March, which could be the tipping point. I've been FIRE since 2012. I'm ready for him to finally join me.

For a placeholder, let's use May 7, which is his actual work birthday. Fingers crossed for earlier.

[TomTX]

Wait a sec - Mr. Dicey went to the meetup but doesn't have their own account?!

[RWTL]

Moved grantmeaname to OMY, and added "Mr. Dicey". @Dicey - Do you want to declare Mr. Dicey's age?

01/2023 RWTL (51)
02/2023 MaybeBabyMustache(46)
02/2023 Thriftyc (49)
03/2023 Retiring gaijin
04/2023 PhrugalPhan (60)
04/03/2023 AccidentalMiser (55)
04/2023 SEAK
04/2023 FIREupDOOON
05/07/2023 "Mr. Dicey"
05/2023 Wanttobehome (55)
05/2023 dougules (44) - could vary a lot
05/2023 paideuma
05/2023 Locksmith (46)
05/2023 drumstache (53)
05/2023 Ardrum (39)
05/2023 lutorm (52)
05/2023 watchmaker (40)
05/31/2023 mistymoney (55)
06/2023 marblejane
06/2023 fuzzy math (41)
06/2023 HuffDuf41 (41)
06/2023 Present Muse
06/1/2023 2Birds1Stone
07/2023 pdxvandal (48)
08/2023 Erutio (43)
10/2023 Phryne
10/2023 Mathew675
11/2023 frugal rph
11/2023 garyjames8
12/2023 Bateaux
12/2023 beer-man
12/2023 CindyBS
12/2023 FI Curious
12/2023 Landlady
12/2023 NESailor
12/2023 PVkcin
12/2023 RedHotLama
12/2023 rpr
12/2023 SpeedReader
12/2023 Spiffsome
12/2023 Stache-O-Lantern (48)
12/2023 stupidiot8
12/2023 wannabe-stache
12/2023 bottlerocks
12/2023 lauren_knows (42)
12/2023 TomTx (50)
12/25/2023 moof (46)
12/31/2023 StarBright (41)
12/31/2023 Peony2019
12/31/2023 BFGirl (56)


OLY:

12/2019 I'm Fred
??/2020 Mmm_Donuts
12/2021 Arbitrage
02/22/2022 friedmmj
?  Le Dérisoire
11/10/2022  Slow road to freedom
2022 Blissful Biker

OMY:

02/2024 grantmeaname
12/2024 OurTown
12/2027 FireryFIRE

[TomTX]

Moved grantmeaname to OMY, and added "Mr. Dicey". Do you want to declare Mr. Dicey's age?

I declare eleventyone for Mr. Dicey!

...at least until Dicey overrules me :D

[ardrum]

I am looking forward to the new year!  I've been flirting with around a lean FI number even now, and I'm hopeful to continue pushing up my portfolio with additional investments throughout 2022 to set myself up for a strong position by the end of that year.  I'm still well on track for a 2023 "finish" target before my 40th birthday, and it more and more looks like a worst case scenario.   

I don't have nearly as much in my current portfolio as many on this forum, but I also seem to have not many spending desires too (not to mention no kids/pets) so it all balances out haha!

My goal going into 2022 is to check where my portfolio is at on January 1st and try to spend no more in 2022 than what my current withdrawal strategy says I could start taking if I were to try to lean fire on that date.  I will consider this "practice" for when I am actually potentially not earning active income and need to rely on my withdrawal strategy.  In the meantime, I'll still be working to build up investments though.

I like the marathon and football analogies of your FIRE progress in your tag line.  I’ve been using the analogy of a 40 hour work week representing my entire 33 year working life.  Well, it’s now almost a quarter to five on Friday and the weekend is calling baby!

That's a great way to mentally conceptualize your progress as well!  By that measure, I'm about an hour into Friday!

[RWTL]

I am looking forward to the new year!  I've been flirting with around a lean FI number even now, and I'm hopeful to continue pushing up my portfolio with additional investments throughout 2022 to set myself up for a strong position by the end of that year.  I'm still well on track for a 2023 "finish" target before my 40th birthday, and it more and more looks like a worst case scenario.   

I don't have nearly as much in my current portfolio as many on this forum, but I also seem to have not many spending desires too (not to mention no kids/pets) so it all balances out haha!

My goal going into 2022 is to check where my portfolio is at on January 1st and try to spend no more in 2022 than what my current withdrawal strategy says I could start taking if I were to try to lean fire on that date.  I will consider this "practice" for when I am actually potentially not earning active income and need to rely on my withdrawal strategy.  In the meantime, I'll still be working to build up investments though.

I like the marathon and football analogies of your FIRE progress in your tag line.  I’ve been using the analogy of a 40 hour work week representing my entire 33 year working life.  Well, it’s now almost a quarter to five on Friday and the weekend is calling baby!

That's a great way to mentally conceptualize your progress as well!  By that measure, I'm about an hour into Friday!

Well that's a fun exercise.  I'm at 4:41 pm on Friday.  When you think of it that way, I'm just cleaning up and will hit the rest room before I leave.  Where is my coat?

[friedmmj]

I am looking forward to the new year!  I've been flirting with around a lean FI number even now, and I'm hopeful to continue pushing up my portfolio with additional investments throughout 2022 to set myself up for a strong position by the end of that year.  I'm still well on track for a 2023 "finish" target before my 40th birthday, and it more and more looks like a worst case scenario.   

I don't have nearly as much in my current portfolio as many on this forum, but I also seem to have not many spending desires too (not to mention no kids/pets) so it all balances out haha!

My goal going into 2022 is to check where my portfolio is at on January 1st and try to spend no more in 2022 than what my current withdrawal strategy says I could start taking if I were to try to lean fire on that date.  I will consider this "practice" for when I am actually potentially not earning active income and need to rely on my withdrawal strategy.  In the meantime, I'll still be working to build up investments though.

I like the marathon and football analogies of your FIRE progress in your tag line.  I’ve been using the analogy of a 40 hour work week representing my entire 33 year working life.  Well, it’s now almost a quarter to five on Friday and the weekend is calling baby!

That's a great way to mentally conceptualize your progress as well!  By that measure, I'm about an hour into Friday!

Well that's a fun exercise.  I'm at 4:41 pm on Friday.  When you think of it that way, I'm just cleaning up and will hit the rest room before I leave.  Where is my coat?

Haha!  This whole year feels like 4 pm on a Friday!

[Bateaux]

One more full year left.  One  more birthday while working.  One more Memorial Day weekend.  One more 4th of July.  One more Labor Day.  One more Halloween.  One more Thanksgiving.  Soon to be one more Christmas.   Only one more time to plan those around a work schedule.  516 days to go.

[PhrugalPhan]

One more full year left.  One  more birthday while working.  One more Memorial Day weekend.  One more 4th of July.  One more Labor Day.  One more Halloween.  One more Thanksgiving.  Soon to be one more Christmas.   Only one more time to plan those around a work schedule.  516 days to go.

Oh man... tell me about it.  Currently the first day I can retire with full pension is one year from this coming Saturday.  One more performance review.  One more Christmas party with retirees I never want to see again showing up.  Only four more quarterly I.T. meetings.  Only XX more days commuting in to the office (probably around 80).  The feeling of my life force draining away will soon stop. (Planning on taking 70 annual leave days next year - gawd that is really going to help).

[pdxvandal]

I'll tentatively join this group for 7/2023 ... I'll be 48. Met with an employer-provided financial advisor yesterday and they think it's realistic. I'm meeting with an employer-provided CFP later this month to come up with a more detailed plan to minimize taxes and risk as well as start to develop a withdrawal strategy. As of now, I'm pretty stock-heavy, but it's been advised to move it to more of a 75-25 stock/bond-cash split. I might lean toward 80-20 in the first half of next year.

[RWTL]

I'll tentatively join this group for 7/2023 ... I'll be 48. Met with an employer-provided financial advisor yesterday and they think it's realistic. I'm meeting with an employer-provided CFP later this month to come up with a more detailed plan to minimize taxes and risk as well as start to develop a withdrawal strategy. As of now, I'm pretty stock-heavy, but it's been advised to move it to more of a 75-25 stock/bond-cash split. I might lean toward 80-20 in the first half of next year.

Welcome to the team.  I added you.

I'm at 45% stocks and 55% bonds....and I don't know what to do.  Rising interest rates vs overvalued stocks - what's the bigger risk......

[RWTL]

Take a long term view. Look at where the investments will be in 30 years. That's what matters. The stock portion of your portfolio WILL be up significantly in 30 years.  Your bonds could in fact lose value over the next 20-30 years and never recover.  The last period in history like we are in now was 1952, interest rates started to march upward, and bonds lost 50% of their value after inflation over the following 20 years!  Imagine the drag on your portfolio!

Buffett calls bonds a "return free risk".  My portfolio is in the 7 figures and I'm currently at 95% stock indexes - globally diversified.

I like your confidence.   Only time will tell.

[friedmmj]

I'll tentatively join this group for 7/2023 ... I'll be 48. Met with an employer-provided financial advisor yesterday and they think it's realistic. I'm meeting with an employer-provided CFP later this month to come up with a more detailed plan to minimize taxes and risk as well as start to develop a withdrawal strategy. As of now, I'm pretty stock-heavy, but it's been advised to move it to more of a 75-25 stock/bond-cash split. I might lean toward 80-20 in the first half of next year.

Welcome to the team.  I added you.

I'm at 45% stocks and 55% bonds....and I don't know what to do.  Rising interest rates vs overvalued stocks - what's the bigger risk......

I'm similar to you currently around 52/48.

Here is how my fixed income is comprised in descending order of value:

1.  Short-term Investment Grade Bond Fund (SEC yield around 0.75%)
2.  Intermediate Term TIPS fund (this fund has a fair amount of interest rate risk but has made me some money this year with the inflation spike).
3.  Cash = HM Bradley FDIC savings account yielding 3.5% (will drop to 3.0% in Feb)
4.  Cash - Fidelity Money Market (in my taxable brokerage) yielding zero
5.  Cash - Marcus HYSA yielding 0.6% (with AARP 10 bps boost)
6.  I-Bonds (2022 will be year 3 of a $20k/yr continual buildout)

Overall, I am yielding around 2.2% nominal at the moment.   My IPS says to spend down the fixed income until I reach 60/40 and then maintain 60/40

[RWTL]

Yesterday I found out that I will be reporting to a new executive at work - someone I don't have a high degree of respect for.  My current boss is great - we get along well, he gives me a lot of space, and I really respect him.  The new guy I've worked with on and off in a professional capacity - he's very smart, but I don't trust him very much.

All this to say that I'm certainly glad I have FU money and could pull the trigger any time if this doesn't work out.  I only have 12 months to go, and really only about 8 months until I turn in my notice.  So, maybe the honeymoon period will last that long. 

[Bateaux]

Yesterday I found out that I will be reporting to a new executive at work - someone I don't have a high degree of respect for.  My current boss is great - we get along well, he gives me a lot of space, and I really respect him.  The new guy I've worked with on and off in a professional capacity - he's very smart, but I don't trust him very much.

All this to say that I'm certainly glad I have FU money and could pull the trigger any time if this doesn't work out.  I only have 12 months to go, and really only about 8 months until I turn in my notice.  So, maybe the honeymoon period will last that long.

Hope you can make it to your planned date without too much friction.  Good luck.

[lutorm]

I'll add myself to the '23 cohort!

We've decided to make the move from the US to Sweden, tentatively in May 2023, and then neither of us will need to get new jobs. I'm already working 50% and I'm happy with that so there's no compelling need to quit much before that even though we should be approaching fat-fire territory (depending on how you do the numbers.) I also don't have a super good handle on what expenses will look like in Sweden, so a bit more margin won't hurt.

[Present Muse]

Add me to the 2023 Cohort!  We're targeting for June of 2023 if the market cooperates and the Fates allow.

I discovered MMM in mid-2020 after working for decades.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda FIRE'd earlier, but I was too busy being an ignorant consumer.  Happy to be on track now!

[RWTL]

@Present Muse and @lutorm

I added you both!  Let me know if you want to declare your age at the time of your FIRE.

[lutorm]

@Present Muse and @lutorm

I added you both!  Let me know if you want to declare your age at the time of your FIRE.

Sure, I'll be 52.

[PhrugalPhan]

Ok guys (and gals)... its time to get our end of year reviews ready.  Were we successful, did we have set backs, anything crazy happen this year, what did we learn?  Are we getting anxious?   2023 is going to be less than a year away next week.

[TomTX]

Steady as she goes, though I am getting an itch to do something else. May come to a head in a few months when we're supposed to go back into the office.

[marblejane]

I haven't done my year-end numbers yet, but it is looking like I will finish 2021 with a net worth within $5k of my current FIRE projection. In other words, I am roughly on track to FIRE in June 2023 as planned.

I just got promoted at work, so may be able to accelerate my date by a few months, but more likely will just build a bigger cushion. On the flip side, eighteen more months of this feels like an eternity.

[marblejane]

Steady as she goes, though I am getting an itch to do something else. May come to a head in a few months when we're supposed to go back into the office.

I hear you Tom, I was fortunate to get my position classified as fully remote. I couldn't imagine going back to an office this close to FIRE.

[pdxvandal]

I feel ya re: "eternity." Plus my employer is also trying to promote me into other positions, but I'm not sure if it's worth the headache, extra Zoom meetings and responsibility for $8k-$10k extra if I'm pulling the plug in 18 months. When you have FU money, that extra cash doesn't mean as much. I met yesterday with an employer-provided CFP and they are coming up with a detailed plan for me next week, with my goal of quitting my FT job July 2023. It's nice to have this service.

I haven't done my year-end numbers yet, but it is looking like I will finish 2021 with a net worth within $5k of my current FIRE projection. In other words, I am roughly on track to FIRE in June 2023 as planned.

I just got promoted at work, so may be able to accelerate my date by a few months, but more likely will just build a bigger cushion. On the flip side, eighteen more months of this feels like an eternity.

[Bateaux]

We the class of 2023 can finally say we are going to retire next year!  498 days to go.
Happy New Year!

[TomTX]

Steady as she goes, though I am getting an itch to do something else. May come to a head in a few months when we're supposed to go back into the office.

I hear you Tom, I was fortunate to get my position classified as fully remote. I couldn't imagine going back to an office this close to FIRE.

I did manage to get 80% remote longterm, but the commute to the new office will be absolutely miserable and it will be an idiotic "open office" with a "clean desk policy" - you cannot leave anything whatsoever onsite overnight.  I have several potential approaches:

1) Show up for a half day of "face time" a couple of times per month (avoiding rush hour), burn vacation/have medical appointments for the others. With a wheeled suitcase of personal items to blatantly set up and take down each time
2) Vacation/medical appointments for all of them
3) Ignore the requirement and just continue 100% WFH
4) Push for a "reasonable accommodation" to continue official 100% WFH.

I have quite a bit of leave time stockpiled and enough seniority to accrue more than 2 days per month. I could run any of these through the end of 2023

Happy New Year, everyone! Less than 2 years to go, even if you last til the end of 2023.

[RWTL]

Ok guys (and gals)... its time to get our end of year reviews ready.  Were we successful, did we have set backs, anything crazy happen this year, what did we learn?  Are we getting anxious?   2023 is going to be less than a year away next week.

Were we successful?

Yes - Went from 16.8 to 22x annual spending (+depreciation and contingency) in investments.  Great year overall for my portfolio.   In my job, I got a fantastic promotion and am at the top of my field.  I never would have dreamed that I would be in the position that I'm in now.

Did we have any setbacks/crazy things?

Three family members died within 30 days of each other in July and August.  It was one of the most difficult times in my life.  I'm generally a mentally healthy person who doesn't sweat too many things.  This really knocked me off balance and I was having sudden intense grief and anxiety.  Add on to that some decisions that I had to make with keeping a newly inherited house, and it was a stressful time.  I'm much better now and am almost back to my baseline.

2022 thoughts....

This is game time for me.  I'm still planning for a Jan 2023 retirement as long as nothing crazy happens this year.  There are a couple of variables that could change things for me. 

1. If Child #2 doesn't finish college as planned in December or doesn't have a job lined up, I may delay a few months to see what happens there.

2. If the stock market were to drop significantly (>30%) this year, I would likely work another 6 months or more.

3. If my Oct bonus doesn't pay out at least 50% of historical amounts, I may delay.  I'm planning on paying off my previously mentioned house with this bolus of cash.

Overall, I'm really happy with where things are at right now.  I'd say I'm still at 80% chance of retiring on-time.

[PhrugalPhan]

I did manage to get 80% remote longterm, but the commute to the new office will be absolutely miserable and it will be an idiotic "open office" with a "clean desk policy" - you cannot leave anything whatsoever onsite overnight.  I have several potential approaches:

1) Show up for a half day of "face time" a couple of times per month (avoiding rush hour), burn vacation/have medical appointments for the others. With a wheeled suitcase of personal items to blatantly set up and take down each time
2) Vacation/medical appointments for all of them
3) Ignore the requirement and just continue 100% WFH
4) Push for a "reasonable accommodation" to continue official 100% WFH.

I have quite a bit of leave time stockpiled and enough seniority to accrue more than 2 days per month. I could run any of these through the end of 2023

Happy New Year, everyone! Less than 2 years to go, even if you last til the end of 2023.

I wish we got 80% WFH here, instead it was 60%.  Given that I technically will have 100 commuting days for 2022 I don't have enough leave (only will have 73 vacation days) to use your option (2) for all of them.   Most days I have gone in no one even knows I am there.  My GF has been saying I should just work from home anyway.  Option (3) is tempting....

[PhrugalPhan]

Another year is in the books, and for many it was a holding pattern.  I certainly fit that description as I am just hanging on for the end right now.

==============
Investments
==============
Ok, this was another wild year, though not as crazy as 2020.  Not sure what spurred me on, but I decided to get even more hands on with my investments.  And that seemed to give me a boost I was hoping for but really wasn't expecting (details below).

My investments started the year at $1,305,000 and ended at $1,796,000.  As I put $52,000 into my accounts this year, that means the the growth was $439,000 (or a 33.64% growth).  With my yearly expenses near $30,000 that growth is just insane (though when I retire I expect expenses to grow to $50k).  All my contributions were Roth or taxable, no tax deferred as I have too much already.

My pension is still in the haircut zone otherwise I would be leaving today.  I could leave today and get near $27,000/year even so.  If I make it to the end of 2022 my pension will jump to $44,000/year, and it will be paying me $65,000/year until I turn 67.  Given those huge jumps I want to stick it out until then.

===============
Everything Else
===============
As of mid-October my employer went from full work from home to 2 days in, and 3 days work at home.  Of course when we are in the office we are supposed to wear a mask 100% of the time and stay six feet away from others.  Yep, this sure makes a lot of sense.  *sigh*  I am carrying 47 days of vacation over to 2022 and I will get another 26 during the year.  As I don't care to carry over any into 2023 I plan on using the whole 73 days in 2022.  So 260 week days less 73 days less 12 holidays less another 15 or so sick days... so only 160 work days for 2022?

The returns in my investment buckets used to be similar, but this year the numbers are different.  I worked on putting higher growth stock into my Roth account and it worked giving me growth of 58.8% in my Roth account, whereas my taxable account grew 30.5% and 457 account grew 29.6%.  Also mid November my accounts were up over $525k, but ended the year up *only* $491k.  I need to remember how far I am up, not that I am down over $30k the last 6 weeks.

The GF & I went south for a three week vacation in Oct/Nov.  As I came into the year with three free timeshare weeks that was to be expected, but she chipped in with one week for the trip.  So I am carrying one week over to 2022 (I wasn't able to get any more free weeks this year) to add to the week I use from my mother and we will do at least two weeks this year, possibly three again.

I had been cleaning out clutter the past few years, and so this fall the garage was the next on my hit list.  It still has a lot in it, but it is so much better already.  Also cleaned up some of my DRIPs.  I got two of them transferred into my brokerage account.  I'm down to four DRIPs left, maybe I will move them to my brokerage this year?

I started working out in a local gym this year.  I think this has helped me get closer to my prior health before lockdown, but I still have a ways to go to get there.

The use of a Limited Flexible Spending Account worked out great this year.  It covered all but $150 of my vision and dental expenses, even including the invsi-braces I got this year. 

===================
Not so Random Item
===================
I've been trying to do "In Plan Roth Rollover"s in my 457b plan as I have too much tax deferred already.  This year I did $30,000 in rollovers/conversions.  However even with that (and no contributions) the taxable portion of my account grew over $200,000 (now almost $780,000).  Given this I need to change my strategy some this year.

1) I need to convert/rollover more.  Not sure how much more, but definitely more.  And...
2) I need to convert/rollover earlier in the year.  I'm not sure why I didn't do that this year.  My rollovers were in April and November.  Over a decade ago I started contributing as much as I was comfortable into my 457 at the beginning of each year as I figured that would help do better most years, and it did.  Well... the same should hold true with rollovers.  And yet I delayed the last two years.  Live and learn.  My only excuse is my 457b plan will only allow two rollovers per calendar year, so I tend to be cautious about doing one early.  This year I am doing one early, d@MN the consequences.

OK everyone - the end is arriving soon.  But it will lead to a new beginning.

[Wanttobehome]

 Happy New Year everyone
 I am retiring next year, what a great feeling to write that and I have a feeling the statement 'this time next year' will feature a lot.
I have holidays to 5 European countries planned between now and when I finish. Which will break up the final sixteen months.
My retirement funds are in order, this time next year I will be completing my pension paperwork ready to submit.
The plan for 2022 is to live off my retirement budget, continue investing and saving.
I am also installing a multifuel stove this year, and plan to spend many hours warming my toes decompressing from 38 years working in health care.
On the health front I will continue to ensure I  do everything to remain as healthy as possible.

This time next year!!!

[TomTX]

I did manage to get 80% remote longterm, but the commute to the new office will be absolutely miserable and it will be an idiotic "open office" with a "clean desk policy" - you cannot leave anything whatsoever onsite overnight.  I have several potential approaches:

1) Show up for a half day of "face time" a couple of times per month (avoiding rush hour), burn vacation/have medical appointments for the others. With a wheeled suitcase of personal items to blatantly set up and take down each time
2) Vacation/medical appointments for all of them
3) Ignore the requirement and just continue 100% WFH
4) Push for a "reasonable accommodation" to continue official 100% WFH.

I have quite a bit of leave time stockpiled and enough seniority to accrue more than 2 days per month. I could run any of these through the end of 2023

Happy New Year, everyone! Less than 2 years to go, even if you last til the end of 2023.

I wish we got 80% WFH here, instead it was 60%.  Given that I technically will have 100 commuting days for 2022 I don't have enough leave (only will have 73 vacation days) to use your option (2) for all of them.   Most days I have gone in no one even knows I am there.  My GF has been saying I should just work from home anyway.  Option (3) is tempting....

Don't forget sick leave. I've got a nagging back issue I need to take to physical therapy when the pandemic is over. I want to start my retirement in top shape.

[Bateaux]

Happy New Year everyone
 I am retiring next year, what a great feeling to write that and I have a feeling the statement 'this time next year' will feature a lot.
I have holidays to 5 European countries planned between now and when I finish. Which will break up the final sixteen months.
My retirement funds are in order, this time next year I will be completing my pension paperwork ready to submit.
The plan for 2022 is to live off my retirement budget, continue investing and saving.
I am also installing a multifuel stove this year, and plan to spend many hours warming my toes decompressing from 38 years working in health care.
On the health front I will continue to ensure I  do everything to remain as healthy as possible.

This time next year!!!

Outstanding.  Well deserved.

[mistymoney]

Hey Everyone!

I'd like to join this cohort!

Currently at 1,150k, goal is 1,500k. 1,400 would work ok.

I want to look at maxing my 401k/HSA in 23, and having enough cash to finish 2023 (start that bucket of savings......now!), and then pull from current employers 401k till 59.5. Maxing the 401k could be anywhere from April to October. I want to make sure I am not pulling any other monies for day to day while maxing. I would be 55 - maybe 56. Not so very early, but early enough to say early I hope?

I currently have a side gig that I intend to keep if possible, so maybe more semi-retired? Side gig is sporadic, project-based, and completely remote.

will read this thread form the beginning to get to know you all and what you are working on to get ready for 23!

End of 2021 retrospective:

I am closing in on the 1,250k milestone, currently at 1,242.6k. Pretty excited to hit this milestone, and then just one more major milestone to go (goal is 1,500k.).

Will be tracking spending very closely in 2022. I am not very good at that part of things, but want to make sure I get a clearer annual picture before 2023.

[StarBright]

I'm still about two years out (will be giving notice in December of 2023) but have started training (more like transferring knowledge on the DL) the person I hope will replace me.

I have all sorts of feelings about it. I'm so proud of the work I've done, but I also know that I can't continue like I've been doing for the last decade. But I am CONFLICTED about letting go of my responsibilities.

My goal for 2021 was to take all of my PTO and that failed miserably, partially because of my own sense of responsibility. So I'm working towards just taking more PTO again so that I feel comfortable cutting the cord in two years.

Financially, I never expected to be where I am right now. I don't expect the markets to continue as they are, but if they did, I'd reach my goal by sometime in 2022.

oh and I'll be 41 when I RE - feel free to add my age to the list :)

[RWTL]

I have all sorts of feelings about it. I'm so proud of the work I've done, but I also know that I can't continue like I've been doing for the last decade. But I am CONFLICTED about letting go of my responsibilities.

I feel the same.  Hard to leave a profession behind, but the daily grind isn't good for my long term health.

Also, I added your age to the list :)

[Watchmaker]

I'm tentatively joining this thread for a 5/2023 retirement. I'll be 40.

[RWTL]

I'm tentatively joining this thread for a 5/2023 retirement. I'll be 40.

Welcome aboard.  Drinks are at the bar.

[paideuma]

Exciting to see everyone's progress!! Here's mine:

2021 Spending - $29,648
2021 After-tax income - $108,691
2021 Net Worth - $708,698 -> $876,397

For comparison:
2020 Spending - $27,633
2020 After-tax income - $88,724
2020 Net Worth - $510,301 -> $708,698

----

Reflecting on this Year
I made some big purchases this year - bought a house with my partner, and a new car. The house down payment/closing fees are excluded from the spending total, but my half was around $55k. We split the down payment, mortgage payments, etc 50/50 and the rest of our finances are still separate so the above numbers represent my NW alone. I am also not subtracting the mortgage debt from my total NW (nor adding the value of the house to it), but I have house payments worked into my spending projections.

I traded in the old car (for just as much as I paid for it 4 years ago) and took out a *gasp* car loan for the $15k difference. 1.5% interest. Felt like a no brainer to keep that money invested for now, based on my short term goals. I plan for this to be the car I keep for the next 20 years, but you know what they say about plans. Either way, wanted to get those two things out of the way before quitting work. They didn't have as big of an impact on my net worth as I thought they would.

Beat my net worth goal, which was to be at $791,430! Everything feels on autopilot by this point. High paying gig (no fun but have been trying to find the bright spots with less than 2 years left), funnel + invest that money into a place where I don't even look at it. Tally up the numbers at the end of the month and thankfully they keep growing.

Thinking about the Future
I've done a lot of thinking about what FIRE means to me this year, and my plan (for now) is for it to be a series of sabbaticals, and when I want (or need) to work, do something that I truly enjoy. Still targeting 2023 for the first of these breaks, and planning for at least 1 year. Either way I want to be set up decently in case I decide to never go back. Knowing how important performance is in the first few years of living off investments, I am nervous about "retiring" at my age (will be 32) based on the state of the market (can it really keep going up?). My plan is to remain flexible, but I really need a break from working. Hopefully Covid is more settled by 2023 as well.

My biggest goal is to get my taxable accounts to $483,944 by mid-2023 (stretch goal being an even $500k, because who doesn't like a big round number). Closed 2021 at $432,368, and plan to add $70k from my salary over the course of 2022, so as long as the market holds steady I should be set there!

2022 total net worth goal is $956,516, stretch goal to break 1 million. Will also be taking this year to do more planning for exactly what I want to do on my first career break. Let's get after it!

[Stache-O-Lantern]

Our investable assets are currently 41.5% of our target amount.

As of 1-Jan-18 our investable assets are exactly 50.0% of our target amount.

As of 1-Jan-19 our investable assets are 49.8% of our target amount.

As of 1-Jan-20 our investable assets are 64.1% of our target amount.

As of 1-Jan-21 our investable assets are 81.4% of our target amount.

As of 1-Jan-22 our investable assets are 92.1% of our target amount. (I changed target amounts based on increased spending last year, using the old target this would have been about 101%).

Things have slowed down for me a little bit at work, so that is nice.  And I'm trying to coast as much as possible, while still hitting my financial goals at work, but definitely trying not to take on too much.  It is possible I will move up to sometime mid-year 2022, after 401k is maxed, bonus is received, and I vest some more company shares in April. But for now, just trying to take it one week at a time, stick with the plan, not take on too much, and make it to another weekend.

[mistymoney]

To be honest with my cohort here, recent stock market moves have me a bit jittery.

Was thinking if things were to continue to go well, I might advance to the class of 22. If things continue to go sour on wall street, worried 23 may not be as doable as I'd hope.

Is anyone else's plans fragile enough to push back the date? Or at what point might you consider that?

[RWTL]

To be honest with my cohort here, recent stock market moves have me a bit jittery.

Was thinking if things were to continue to go well, I might advance to the class of 22. If things continue to go sour on wall street, worried 23 may not be as doable as I'd hope.

Is anyone else's plans fragile enough to push back the date? Or at what point might you consider that?

No change for me based on the market right now.  If the market declines more than 20%, I may re-think things.  I also might just push back 6 months, but still in 2023 to make sure my kids are settled.

[mtnrider]

Joining this cohort, moved up from 2022 due to realizing that I'm not yet prepared.

I'm aiming for 2/23 or 3/23, but I'll be out by the time the snowbanks melt back enough to where outdoor riding is safe again.

Wish everyone luck!

[mtnrider]

I have all sorts of feelings about it. I'm so proud of the work I've done, but I also know that I can't continue like I've been doing for the last decade. But I am CONFLICTED about letting go of my responsibilities.

Is it possible that you're conflating purpose and responsibility?

I feel this way about letting go too.  But I also realize that my workload (vs work) has been too high for a few years and also that my goals and megacorps goals aren't aligned well anymore.  My thought is to use the skills I've developed over the years to do things I personally find rewarding.  I'll still have purpose, but since I'd control it, I'd be able to scale responsibility and workload back to a manageable level.

My goal for 2021 was to take all of my PTO and that failed miserably, partially because of my own sense of responsibility. So I'm working towards just taking more PTO again so that I feel comfortable cutting the cord in two years.

I feel you.  I wanted to as well.  And failed.  It's complicated though.  I was reasoning though why I didn't take the PTO:

• I feel pride in the work and want to be there to guide it.
• The artificial business deadlines would still be there and I'd either have to work 25 to 50% longer for the weeks following a vacation, or have a draining conversation with management.  As in many megacorps, they reward visible heroics instead of sustainability, and I played into that.
• But it's also my responsibility to live sustainably.  Both for myself and as an example to colleagues.

With this in mind, I'm making it an explicit goal this year.  Even if balls get dropped.

[Bateaux]

I'm very happy this is happening now and not in January 2023.  We have a little time for it to cycle through.