Living in Minnesota, I love the annual ‘Theater of Seasons’. We are really treated to some epic changes throughout the year, with the temperature hitting 100 degrees F in the summer and -25 degrees in the wintertime. We are home to 10,000 lakes & the headwaters of the Mississippi, but they are all frozen like a rock for at least 3 months of the year. … Continue reading Winter Is Over Already?
Last Saturday night I did something really silly – I attended the coldest NHL hockey game in league history. Our Minnesota Wild played outside at the Minnesota Twins ballpark on New Year’s Day and it was -8F at the puck drop. With wind chill, the temperature felt like a mind-numbing -24F. You might think I just got unlucky with the bad weather the day of … Continue reading Quirky Cold Night
I complained a lot about the economy in 2021. I didn’t like the trillions in debt-driven government spending and the ensuing inflation. Still, I acknowledged that the markets continued to rise – as the ‘Trump Bump’ became the ‘Biden Bump’. Yesterday, I tallied up how we finished the year with our portfolio. Our retirement savings were up an impressive +15%. Our gains were led by … Continue reading New Year’s Assessment
It was exactly 2 years ago yesterday that I had my ‘Widowmaker’ heart attack, playing tennis at my home club (above). I played there yesterday and am very appreciative of the full recovery I have been able to make. It was the 42nd match of the year for me. I play with a couple friends and two of my brothers. my total matches for the … Continue reading Closing Out The 2021 Season
Prices are going up. Consumer price inflation ballooned to 6.8% in November as massive increases in government debt and supply-chain issues over the last year were reflected. The Fed & Biden believe they can get back to a 2% annual average target, but clearly that’s going to take some doing. Retirement plans are especially susceptible to rising prices as fixed investments, pensions, bonds, and social … Continue reading What’s The Impact Of Inflation On Your Retirement?
We’re going to a Christmas open house & holiday gift exchange this afternoon. My wife’s friend hosts it almost every year. Holiday music, friends, games, and fun conversation in a beautifully decorated home makes for a wonderful afternoon. I always love holiday luncheons, even when they were just ‘scheduled festivity’ at the office. The big, secular MegaCorp Holiday Luncheon was OK, but many of the … Continue reading Holiday Parties – Then & Now
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying about time, energy, and money. When you’re young you have time & energy, but no money. You trade your time for money when you are an adult. In the end, you are left with time & money, but no energy to enjoy it when you are older. It’s truly the Devil’s Dilemma. Early retirement fights those trade offs. While … Continue reading Time. Energy. Money.
I waited a long time to get a look at my MegaCorp retiree health insurance benefits and they just arrived. It’s open enrollment time right now and I just booked my new insurance plan. As background, I worked at one MegaCorp for 24 years and a second for just 3. I’m an official retiree of the first one, where I went from temporary Administrative Assistant … Continue reading MegaCorp Retiree Health Coverage
If you’ve reached financial independence & retired early (FIRE), you have a lot to be thankful for. We are certainly thankful for all of the blessings that have come our way and that includes our family that we hosted for Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday. In the spirit of the holiday, my son passed this interesting chart from the Pew Research Center. It shows what things people … Continue reading So Many Things To Be Thankful For …
Our family – my three brothers, our wives, and kids – have all been helping my parents downsize over the last few months. They moved at the end of October. It hasn’t been an easy process at all, but much smoother as everyone pitched in to help. They moved from the traditional 2-story family house they’ve lived in for the last 31 years to a … Continue reading The Big Downsize
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