(Updated 12/31/17 for final Tax Reform provisions) Tax Reform has been all over the news in the last week and when the Senate passed their bill on Friday night, I was excited at the prospect of seeing a solid windfall based on what the politicians were saying about it. The Republicans promised big savings for everyone across the board – they were even concerned it … Continue reading GOP Tax Reform – Not So Big Savings in MN
The stock market has been having a great year (+17% S&P500), but that hasn’t stopped me from fretting over the price of MegaCorp stock (-8%), as I continue to sit on significant stock options as part of our early retirement portfolio. While many retirees may be celebrating the record market closes this week and ongoing ‘Trump Bump’, our portfolio is sitting FLAT for the … Continue reading Too Many Eggs In One Basket?
We used the extra time we had this weekend when our son was home from college to put up our Christmas tree. We go all out when it comes to our Christmas tree and have a big collection of colorful, mercury glass ornaments. Our ceilings are 12 foot high, so it takes a big tree to ‘fit’ the room and hold all the ornaments. We … Continue reading Christmas Trees By The Numbers
My first year of working out of college came with a lesson in corporate culture. It was the day before Thanksgiving 1989 and our Division VP told everyone to head out early that Wednesday at 3:00pm to beat rush hour and get an early start on the holiday. This was before the days of flextime, job-sharing, and any discussions of ‘work/home balance’. Work was still … Continue reading Thanksgiving Freedom From MegaCorp Nonsense
We had a great time this past weekend, going out to a movie, attending a black-tie gala, and seeing the hometown Minnesota Vikings win at their new stadium. It is always fun to get out and be entertained, but I am amazed at out how expensive things have become. Going through some old ticket stubs recently, I came across a stub from a Madonna concert … Continue reading The Price Of Entertainment Keeps Rocking Higher
When I resigned from MegaCorp early last year, I brought a bottle of fine Scotch Whisky into my boss’s office to toast my farewell. We didn’t crack it open because he wasn’t feeling well that day and he told me it would have been a violation of company policy. I suppose that makes sense on some level, but believe it or not, it came as … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun – Drinking On The Job
Are your kids involved in activities that are expensive? I signed up with a tennis club last week so I can continue to play during the winter months. I got 39 matches in this summer (playing outside) and it is hard for me to now pay for something I could do for free under the summer sun. I figure it will cost me about $750 … Continue reading The Cost Of Sports – Not Child’s Play
For the last 6 years I worked at the MegaCorp I officially early retired from, I was a Corporate Officer and had the benefit of getting Executive Health benefits. Since we live in Minnesota, that meant I could go to the Mayo Clinic or a similar program (I usually went to one closer to the office) and be put through a full-day physical once per … Continue reading Work Stress & Health – By The Numbers
On Reddit recently, there was a post in the Financial Independence thread that asked Redditors what retirement “hobbies scream rich people?” That is, what activities signal that someone has a surplus of both time and money? I thought it was an interesting question and relevant to share because I noticed that a lot of the hobbies can be enjoyed by many people at a variety … Continue reading 15 Retirement Hobbies That Scream ‘Rich People’
The stock market has been on an amazing 8.5 year upward trend that is called the second-longest Bull Market run in Wall Street history. Starting after the precipitous drop in 2008 and bottoming out in March of 2009, the current Bull Market run has posted average annual returns of +13% and total growth of almost 200%. The tech-heavy NASDAQ has done even better – up … Continue reading Second Longest Bull Market In History
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