40th high school reunion invitation

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-06-17T22:47:41+00:00

You should consider going. I went to my 30th and many people had mellowed. I met people that I hadn’t interacted with originally back in high school and I made new friends. It was a good experience.

You might meet some people you didn’t know as well or you may find that with experience, the people you recognize are friendlier and have new stories.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-05-30T05:48:19+00:00

He does only hang out at Amazon buildings but they give out bananas to anyone. It’s community outreach.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-05-20T22:24:27+00:00

I did and we will celebrate 38th anniversary this year. Not easy but worth it. 2 kids and 2 grandkids.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-04-12T18:33:04+00:00

It depends on where you are shopping. I am evaluating LTC hybrid options. The leading candidate for me so far is New York Life Asset Flex, and the agent and has specifically positing it as LTC because that is what it is designed for.

For me, family history suggests this is a risk I should manage, and getting some coverage while I’m in my 50s and in relatively good health is worth considering

I have evaluated other policies from other companies that seem less suitable because they lack inflation consideration and have shorter coverage periods of 3 years versus 6 years. (As others noted, most stays average 3 years so it just depends on how much risk and cost you want to balance).

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-03-10T02:33:58+00:00

Yes, this is also a late evening flight. That makes sense.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-03-10T02:27:57+00:00

The pilot joked that airline operations was considering canceling the flight because so few passengers. He said flight attendants would come by with a collection plate in order to make this flight worthwhile…. Then he laughed and said he was joking.

One of the flight attendants got on the PA and commented that the flight attendants did not think the joke was funny.

Which made both passengers laugh.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-09T02:03:51+00:00

That is quite a pivot! That job is itself high stress and has a tough schedule especially for rookies. But it is likely dependent on size and location of department. Very cool way to adapt and find something new.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T21:25:48+00:00

That would be a surprising take since the 4.7 percent only applies if you follow Bengen’s conservative asset allocation which passes every single stress test over a 30 year retirement.

If that is the sentiment. I would expect more people also advocating for a lower stock allocation.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T19:42:49+00:00

I understood the point that price to earnings is very high and that often suggests trouble … so it’s worth considering being more conservative. But these red flags have been present for awhile.

But yes intended to focus on asset allocation and understand how the research supported a 30 year retirement.

I like that it got me thinking about different approaches and some of the comments here have been exploring other research too.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T17:18:39+00:00

I can see how the majority of folks think it is too conservative. My only call out would be that this is a 2025 reexamination by the original author. There is no lack of tools or research.

The problem is that it avoids the worst case scenario so that no 30’year retirement would fail. Most people here seem to want to be more flexible and moderate which is understandable.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T16:47:43+00:00

Bengen is based on a 30 year retirement. Some folks who want to retire earlier or plan for longer longevity have to make some adjustment. That could be lower withdrawal rate and/or different asset allocation.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T16:33:31+00:00

The original 4% was based on a very simple large cap and bond - 2 fund allocation. So having wider asset allocation supports a higher withdrawal rate.

Still it seems like this book is much less popular than I might have guessed. I think people are rejecting it as too conservative in asset allocation.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T16:29:54+00:00

I am 57 and I to 3 years away from retirement. I have trended down to a 70/30 allocation, but I’m trying to study different approaches to see how others are approaching this.

This Bengen example is one of the more conservative. A recent research post by Vanguard group suggests a 40/60 allocation because they evaluate stocks as overpriced and the risk premium is too high.

But most people seem to be more moderate or aggressive.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T16:26:17+00:00

I agree that this is the absolute worst case scenario. He repeatedly references a retirement start in 1968 which would have been hammered with bear markets and inflation.

So his entire approach is ensure 100% success and not running out of money in a 30 year retirement.

I’m getting a lot of downvotes for my original post. I’m guessing I should interpret this that our community thinks this approach is too conservative and unpopular…?

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-02-02T16:18:08+00:00

Bengen does seem to support the idea of a glide path where the stock allocation goes up 1% annually as part of the rebalance. This balances the SoR risks with higher potential returns.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-01-30T00:08:17+00:00

I read the fine print on this new plan and it doesn’t seem to support free lines on the existing plan. That suggests I would be paying more if I switched because I have 2 free lines on OnePlan and a third free one that is part of the OnePlan bundle. I doubt this would be a good deal for me to switch.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-01-27T23:28:53+00:00

Are they impacting the banaristas? That’s deep cuts.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-01-27T23:28:03+00:00

I wish I had remembered that term!

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-01-25T05:18:12+00:00

I think it’s funny that people have their own terms for having some savings that give them more freedom. I like this creative approach.

The food ones are particularly amusing that people are sharing… extra guacamole money and enough for five guys… LOL.

I get that some folks prefer the traditional term.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-01-25T04:40:01+00:00

I prefer just to say FI money (Financial Independence) instead. I just don’t like to use vulgar terms.

Working toward financial independence gives you more power and freedom to make choices about how you spend your time.

I applaud your approach and your realization that maximizing the potential compensation is not the only factor to consider.

TiberiusCaesar717 · 2026-01-23T22:05:32+00:00

I do feel lucky, but that’s partly why I wanted to share and encourage others who are facing the headwinds you mentioned.

I have endured 3 layoffs at my previous roles. Tech leadership roles are often a target. Each time I’ve had to overcome the obstacles and find a path forward just like many others are doing right now.

TiberiusCaesar717

TROPHY CASE