I was golfing with a friend recently and he asked me how our “One More Year Fund” is doing. It’s been a while since I gave an update so I thought I’d put together some thoughts on where we are at. First, as background, I worked “One More Year” at MegaCorp compared with my original plans. In that year, we set aside the money I … Continue reading One More Year Fund – Update
Last year, we went on a Viking River Cruise of the Danube. We really enjoyed it. I wrote about buying into the “drinks package” on the first day of the cruise – and how I was up late on the final night “getting my money’s worth”. My wife didn’t drink enough to cover her investment in the drinks package, so overall they MADE money on … Continue reading Cheers to Junk Mail
As Batman learned in the Dark Knight, “You either die the Hero, or you live long enough to become the Villain.” I think that famous movie line now has some relevance to those of us who played by the rules, worked smart, saved prodigiously, and invested effectively. At first, one’s journey to FIRE (Financial Independence & Retired Early) is hailed by society as successful & … Continue reading Hero or Villain?
How long did you plan on living when you put together your retirement plan? We put in age 90. That seemed like a good input at the time, even though most people don’t make it that far. Research shows that about 25% of American men and 33% of women aged 65 live to 90 years old, but a majority fall short. Of course, as they … Continue reading Stretching Into Overtime
It’s been about three years since we started playing the “Savings Rate Game” (LINK) with Bank CDs and Treasury Bonds. That is, having to manage the savings rate of our cash holdings closely. The 3-Year Treasury rate is now at about 3.5%, down -0.6 pts from one year ago today. When Biden took office in 2021, the 3-Year Treasury was just 0.3%. We didn’t even … Continue reading Savings Rate Game Revisited
I recently joined an online forum of relatively wealthy investors who discuss portfolios, spending, and travel. One question that someone put a poll up around was “what is your current daily driver”? About 320 people answered – a decent sample size. I answered BMW, since I drive our BMWs more than my Jeep or my wife’s Audi. I wasn’t surprised to see that brand high … Continue reading What Do Wealthy Investors Drive
I took Monday “off” this week from posting. I’ve kept a pretty tight schedule of posting on Mondays & Fridays for years, but I figured I’d just post once this week. The reason is that we were simply enjoying early retirement. There’s something about the winter in Florida that makes retirement feel more real and enjoyable. If retirement is like “permanent vacation”, it feels especially … Continue reading No Responsibility January
When we’re at our vacation place in Florida, it’s hard not to think about what the weather is like back home in Minnesota. Our son is there, our families are there, and our friends are there. Right now, the weather in MN is brutal. This morning will be -22° F. The afternoon high will be -10° F. Saturday will be only a little bit better. … Continue reading Snowbird ROI
We’re thinking of taking a couple of overseas trips in the next 12-14 months. We’ve wanted to get to Ireland for a few years and might go this Autumn. We also want to take the big flight to the Southern Hemisphere and experience Australia & New Zealand, which would likely be in early-2027, given the difference in seasons. We wouldn’t typically plan two big overseas … Continue reading Time To Get Going?
Since we’ve been chatting about 2025 investment returns, I thought I’d share this article about Dave Ramsey advocating an 8% “safe withdrawal rate” (SWR) for retirees. I generally think Ramsey is a pretty sensible guy – encouraging people to get out of debt, invest in index funds, and build generational wealth. Still, the idea of an 8% SWR seems more than a bit wild to … Continue reading How High Can You Spend?
MrFireStation 