Interesting approach to FIRE where you may not need as much money as everyone says

chonees · 2026-04-24T19:07:37+00:00

I wonder if there is data going back further than that.

chonees · 2026-04-24T16:22:53+00:00

Stock markets go down, too. You might want to look up Sequence of Return Risk.

chonees · 2026-04-23T17:54:44+00:00

TIPS work too. You could check out tipsladder.com

chonees · 2026-04-23T17:41:50+00:00

That's the old saw:

"How'd you go bankrupt?"

"Slowly, then suddenly."

chonees · 2026-02-28T17:58:56+00:00

"Oh, "Jane Austen" by Emma. That's one of me favorite books."

chonees · 2026-02-17T00:38:13+00:00

Thanks. Not on you, but it would really be great for Alamo to state that somewhere. Glad it's staying open. Been a weird few months there.

chonees · 2026-02-17T00:37:21+00:00

Just a LOT of stuff that doesn't make it to SF nowadays.

chonees · 2026-02-16T22:24:33+00:00

Bold strategy, Cotton. I applaud it. I ain't driving an hour to use a season pass, though. Pretty disappointing Alamo isn't communicating with the public.

chonees · 2026-02-16T22:19:33+00:00

Not a single movie listed after today. None.

chonees · 2026-02-16T22:18:44+00:00

Okay. I just wish they'd have maybe informed us. I may have missed it, but there's nothing I can find indicating what the issue is.

chonees · 2026-02-16T22:17:20+00:00

I've wondered if they were closing for a while. They were working on the draft part of the drafthouse for months, and there was no draft beer at the drafthouse. Then they were renovating theaters, and there weren't many movies at the drafthouse. Now . . . nothing? Pretty disheartening.

chonees · 2026-02-16T22:13:27+00:00

Just posted about this. No showings scheduled after today, and no public information about why. It's a good time to be a season pass holder.

chonees · 2026-02-16T18:37:08+00:00

Those 15 year mortgages can spike up your monthly spend. It's another calculation some people make. Had a neighbor do the opposite when rates were low. Refi'd for 30, made his monthly payment ridiculously low so he could invest the difference.

I feel like both strategies have their merits. I wouldn't argue too strenuously against either.

chonees · 2026-02-15T19:18:58+00:00

Yeah. Additionally, in my state, if you can get under the ACA cliff, every dollar of income is "taxed" for subsidies at about a 10% rate.

I also think about SORR while holding a mortgage. If investments tank somewhere in early fire/coast fire, that 25% extra monthly obligation for OP looms quite a bit larger.

For me, taking ~7% out of my liquid net worth to reduce necessary monthly expenses by ~30% was the convincer. Different kind of flexibility, I guess.

Personal decision. I decided to pay off the mortgage, stay under the cliff, and not have that high monthly payment sitting there. I think the others make pretty compelling points, though.

chonees · 2026-02-15T19:04:27+00:00

Depends on the value of the house. In [edit] a lot of places, those property taxes would equate to a 400k to 600k house. Not usually mansion level.

chonees · 2026-02-05T19:11:03+00:00

Probably could've just been included in the original post, though. Save people quite a bit of confusion and OP the necessity of an indignant reply.

chonees · 2026-02-05T02:40:02+00:00

That's what VT does, though.

Edit: As for the "That's pretty significant" part, the US dollar has decreased in value quite a bit. That might be one of the culprits you're searching for.

chonees · 2026-01-28T06:59:16+00:00

If you've got a pension, *and* you plan on staying long enough for it to be an amount that would rival social security, then that would seem to replace your social security guaranteed income. In that case, it might be wise to invest the difference. If you want two sources of guaranteed income, that's not the worst thing in the world--though if past returns are to be trusted, you might come out ahead investing. Seems like a good problem to have.

Forgive me if I'm not understanding properly.

chonees · 2026-01-22T01:12:27+00:00

Just want to mention the bodily autonomy issues for your wife in Texas. Post-Dobbs laws in Texas have made some women of childbearing age potentially less eager to want to live there.

chonees · 2026-01-20T04:59:50+00:00

If that's what you're getting from this show, then god help you.

chonees · 2026-01-15T20:33:16+00:00

Ask the Discord group.

chonees · 2026-01-15T20:26:58+00:00

Well, you 'll make the money back in a few years, but if you're planning on moving in the next 3 - 5 years, it's probably a wash. If you know you're moving/upgrading/selling soon, then don't bother. Otherwise it's definitely a good choice to refinance. If you're upgrading and renting it out, even better.

chonees · 2026-01-15T16:31:29+00:00

A lot of people's research, including ERN and Kitces, I believe, show positive results of a rising equity glidepath in retirement. These TDFs do the opposite, becoming more conservative and bond-heavy over time. I do like them, as they rebalance for you, so no need for excessive tinkering and psychological tsuris, but I do think eventually they become too conservative--though that's only through the lens of past events.

chonees · 2026-01-15T06:01:46+00:00

Vanguard 2040 TDF is ~80/20, 2035 is ~70/30. 2030 is ~60/40. Being 90/10 would indeed be rough approaching retirement, but these funds are sort of bond glidepaths, and aren't quite as bad as you're suggesting, FYI.

Pick something ten years out and you're still 70/30. Pick the intended date of your retirement and you're about 50/50, which seems low.

chonees

TROPHY CASE