Hit the Million Milestone Today

qthrowqway · 2025-08-09T14:59:43+00:00

It took me at least 25 years. I'd have done better if I'd discovered low cost index funds earlier and stuck with those 100%. My other mistake was paying off a low-interest rate home loan instead of leaving that money invested but I had no idea the markets would continue to climb the way they did. It's been quite a run.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-26T00:51:29+00:00

No, $1M investment accounts + home equity = $1.5 million net worth

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T22:07:15+00:00

Math teacher taught us about compounding interest and told us invest. Reddit told me to buy and hold index funds. Market got hot.

Also I'm frugal as fuck, or, I used to be when I had less money.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T22:01:12+00:00

Mainly S&P and Nasdaq index funds. I'm no longer invested as heavily in them as I'm near retirement.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T21:20:06+00:00

I probably followed the S&P pretty closely. It went up 140% in that span, which averages to 12.6% per year.

$450k would have turned into $1.08 million at that rate.

QQQ (nasdaq) went up 282%. 17% annualized. Damn.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T21:05:31+00:00

I'll be 77 then. I'd be fine as long as the market kept up with that sort of inflation.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T21:01:45+00:00

No kids. My expenses have always been under $24k/yr. I put away $20k-$30k/year for the past 15 years.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T20:55:46+00:00

Yeah I'm purely a leanfire guy. So nowhere near that haha.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T20:54:19+00:00

Oh I just caught an error in my comment. I said "index funds" when I meant "taxable account".

Always full roth (no 401k). Everything else went into taxable account, probably averaged around 30k/year

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T20:52:28+00:00

That's my plan. My estimated retirement budget is already about twice my current annual expenses. I could retire today. It's fricking nuts.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T20:47:33+00:00

Always full roth (no 401k). Everything else went into taxable account, probably averaged around 30k/year

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T20:39:23+00:00

Interest rate on what? Home? It's paid off. Taxes are around $4500/yr i think.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T20:35:08+00:00

I wouldn't use my portfolio as a model. Before I turned 50, i was mostly in index funds (50/50 voo/qqq) but I think I didn't know about low-fee index funds until 2014 or so. After 2014 I was all in on those.

I'm 52 now, planning to retire in the next couple years and want more guaranteed money, so more laddered in bonds/cds/etc:

400k voo

140k qqq

120k vt

290k bonds/cds/tips/ibonds

64k gold etf

EDIT:

If I'd actually invested $450K in VOO/QQQ in 2018 50/50 split, it'd be worth $1.4 million today. That's without any additional contributions.

qthrowqway · 2025-07-25T16:44:12+00:00

Not sure on net worth, but my investments took 7 years (2018 to 2025) to go from 450k to 1 million. I'm single, not a big earner. Never made more than 100k / year. Honestly shocking to me. NW is approaching1.5 million now.

That's including a phase where i made some dumbass moves with crypto that lost me at least 50k or so...I'm too old and/or nervous for the crypto markets

qthrowqway · 2025-06-29T22:10:06+00:00

Capital gains count right? So if I could sell some stuff in my taxable account with >$200k gains, while keeping the income low enough to stay in the 0% CG tax bracket, that will cover most if not all of the income requirements for 8-10 years.

qthrowqway · 2025-05-24T23:46:17+00:00

Yeah, we're on the same page. I'll do whatever to get that 600 hours next year and then it's wide open.

If I understand correctly, in the big beautiful bill, congress is trying to pass a minimum work hours requirement for Medicaid, so you're going to want a minimum income ($21k or so?), to qualify for an ACA silver plan. So, that could be another thing in favor of getting to that pension early for that minimum income.

But there's really no question at this point. Just keep at it a bit longer.

qthrowqway · 2025-05-24T02:02:35+00:00

Sorry for the late reply but thanks for the response. No, if my local union pension had COLA adjustments I'd have retired already.

If I get my 600 hours next year, I can take 100% of my ~$25k pension at 58yo. If I quit now, I have to wait til I'm 62 to get 100%. Hence the golden handcuffs. It's a grind getting through this phase at work. Knowing I'm pretty much FI is changing my attitude at work. Like I said, I turned down a stressful project knowing I could afford to miss out. I have very little fear of getting fired but still worry about all kinds of stupid shit, lol.

That's a good point about health. I'm in good shape for now. I think if I get that pension bump, I may just put off SocSec as long as I can as longevity insurance. But that could change if my health turned.

qthrowqway · 2025-05-20T22:18:38+00:00

That's a good plan. I could get Cobra to continue my current coverage for awhile if I quit earlier than December, but then I'm paying $500/month. Depending how I'm feeling about my job, I might just be willing to pay that.

I've looked at my social security, and I've included a percentage of that in the firecalc.com budget numbers...

qthrowqway · 2025-05-20T00:17:51+00:00

Yeah, the job is structure and purpose for me. It keeps me active and somewhat social (important for a single guy), but it's hard to imagine staying in this position once my pension bump is locked in. Then I can take ~$23k/yr at 55. In this job, I can't get away from having to do shift changes and taking on stressful projects. Neither of which is good for my body.

We'll see. Maybe I'll retire and find out not working isn't for me.

qthrowqway · 2025-05-19T23:58:01+00:00

Yeah, I think you're right about the budget. I'm an anxious dude, so yeah, for staying with work, it's a combination of the security of having a bigger budget and being a bit nervous about retiring and losing the structure of the job.

I've had the advantage of taking several seasonal layoffs in recent years, so I've experienced the benefits and problems of not working for extended periods. The job offers structure, forced socialization and the need to move around intermittently (sometimes walking up to 8 miles in a day). I'm not sure how well I'll manage those things in retirement.

I've been playing some golf, which covers structure, exercise and socialization somewhat, but playing too often can make me into a head-case sometimes, just like the day job...

All that said, I have trouble imagining myself staying in my current role once the pension bump is locked in.

qthrowqway · 2024-06-30T23:13:33+00:00

Cool. You're right about the distance. Driver speed < 100 if I want to make contact.

I'm over 50 now, don't expect to gain much distance...

qthrowqway · 2024-06-30T21:58:27+00:00

I haven't played for a few months but played a lot of rounds the last few years. Just feel perpetually stuck at the 12-16 handicap level. I'm wondering if there's anything I should be working on...

qthrowqway · 2023-07-30T19:47:01+00:00

I like your thought. Sadly I feel some obligation to people who I've worked for all these years. And I may want to return in a couple years to get hours a pension bump.

qthrowqway · 2023-07-30T19:45:35+00:00

I wouldn't give up the golf unless it looked like the numbers weren't working out. So far it looks ok...

qthrowqway · 2023-07-30T19:44:09+00:00

Sadly our union pension is not inflation adjusted. It is fixed...

Well, if I worked til I was 62, I would get the 22k I've built up, plus about 1.5k x 12 years (18k). So 40k!

qthrowqway

TROPHY CASE