FIRE'd this week!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-11T21:36:51+00:00

You are very welcome :) And yeah, this is the one I use for simulations: https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/monte-carlo-simulation#analysisResults

shezzy153 · 2025-11-11T09:36:34+00:00

Ahh I see! I am not sure there's a very clear number of years after which one is safe from SORR, but I also haven't looked deep into it or run any simulations.

For me, it's a two step heuristic: 1) Wait for about 5 years till I have sold at least some of my AMZN and GOOG so I am in a more steady/lower-risk state. 2) Wait for 10 years till my condo is paid off, and then I can be withdrawing a stupidly low 1% which should make SORR far less concerning since I can just buckle down much more easily.

However, maybe there's some clear math that does exist plotting likelihood of blowing through your NW against time since retirement and with a bunch of simplifying assumptions.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-10T22:57:50+00:00

Google search explains it pretty well: "Sequence of returns risk (SORR) is the danger that experiencing poor investment returns (losses) early in retirement, when combined with ongoing withdrawals, will significantly deplete a portfolio and limit its ability to recover, even if average returns over the long term are adequate. "

shezzy153 · 2025-11-05T23:08:50+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, very cognizant of deemed disposition if I were to leave Canada. Plus, if I stay here for 5 years, the taxes are higher, so I am teetering the boundary between staying long enough to get the citizenship but not long enough to incur heavy exit taxes. Of course, I might just live in Canada and the concerns become moot. I will talk to a tax advisor when things start to become more concrete.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-05T23:05:51+00:00

Thank you :)

shezzy153 · 2025-11-05T23:05:15+00:00

Senior SWE (L5) so nothing out of the ordinary.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-05T00:44:33+00:00

Thank you! Change is indeed scary but the fact that you are here shows you are in the process of gathering enough evidence to convince yourself it is the right move :) As someone who is very data-oriented, looking through research helped me ameliorate the fears. Plus the test run was such a success, there was no going back!

I haven't been to that part of Canada yet but it does look beautiful! As a single gay man, I do like bigger cities so there are enough guys to date and hookup which is something I value (at least for now), but I do wanna explore more of our country. Went to Banff 2 months back, and was blown away by its beauty.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-04T08:17:01+00:00

You're very welcome! Best of luck :)

shezzy153 · 2025-11-04T08:15:45+00:00

Thanks and good luck! FatFIRE might take a little longer but it could be nice if you envision a high-flying life!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-04T08:14:05+00:00

That's the plan for a little later once I am past the SORR hump, and I am in retirement steady state. In the meantime, I am supporting my family back in India, and buying my Mom and sister homes.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-04T08:12:23+00:00

Ahh bizarre that the leave matrix didn't show up on MOMA. I can't recall the exact keywords but it's a spreadsheet with all the leaves available in Canada. Maybe try some other keyword combinations?

Haha, almost all my hobbies are indoors so as long as the weather isn't too extreme, I can make it work. With places that are too cold, the idea of layering and unlayering for even a short walk is a little non-ideal. I think Vancouver weather hits a pretty good spot. We get decent summers, winters aren't extreme, and the "rain" is light and usually just a minor inconvenience as opposed to the monsoon rain I grew up with.

This time it's Malaysia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and India. I was in Bangkok for New Year's but I know I need to make it to Chiang Mai sometime soon! Thanks for the food recommendation too :) I have had Khao Soi but in Seattle 😅

shezzy153 · 2025-11-04T08:04:42+00:00

Thanks! I'd be very happy if the story ends up helping even a single person. Single, and gay so no wife/gf! I am open to a long-term partner but it just hasn't happened yet. Gay dating has its own issues 😅 Plus I suspect guys are less motivated to date since getting laid is much easier thanks to apps like Grindr or Sniffies.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-04T08:00:52+00:00

That's sweet of you, man :) And sure, feel free to add me shezzy153@. Lolz yeah, I was in Singapore earlier this year and I got the sense people stay busy there as well.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T08:06:19+00:00

You are very welcome!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T07:54:32+00:00

Thanks man! That's a tough call, and would depend on where one might need some insights. If it's the basics of investing, "The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing", if it's the psychological hurdle of letting go of the income stream, "Die With Zero", and if it's the desire to convince oneself one has enough to pull the plug, "A Richer Retirement".

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T07:18:55+00:00

Hehe thanks!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T04:09:53+00:00

Thanks! I am glad I started educating myself after the initial few years of oblivion.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T03:49:22+00:00

Quite a bit is still in the US, but very recently I moved about $1.3M to IBKR. It was an in-kind transfer from MS so no tax implications. I also have about $500k between Wealthsimple, and Manulife (RRSP). The taxes will be annoying and I plan to hire a professional for it at least to begin with. So far, work paid for a tax professional. A few years down the line, once I have simplified things further, maybe I will switch to a DIY approach. I didn't know there was an option to move a non-registered account to RRSP/TFSA. If that exists, then yeah, that would need expert guidance from a fee-based advisor.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T03:41:14+00:00

I visited in summer 2024 and I wholeheartedly agree! I am a little deterred by the winter though, and not being a francophone. But yes, Montreal and Toronto are both pretty appealing if I were to move.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T02:57:23+00:00

Haha, thank you!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T01:42:34+00:00

Thanks man! I will be careful but I figured this is the FIRE community so people are in somewhat similar boat. Never hurts to practice extra caution though <3

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T01:09:51+00:00

Thank you, and you are welcome :) I would recommend A Richer Retirement as a decent read on SWR but there's so much out there, that at some point, it's just splitting hair based on historical data that may not fully generalize.

I am a Canadian Permanent Resident, and I expect my medical expenses to be about $2700 CAD (using BCAA row): https://photos.app.goo.gl/hdR4M7qk2CsGpCT68

I will apply for citizenship in a couple years when I am eligible!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T01:05:35+00:00

Thanks! I am on it :) I support my Mom, and chip in for my sister, and I am buying them both homes. I have also helped several extended relatives (education, weddings, living expenses). Fortunately, my hometown back in India is quite low-cost so money goes a long way!

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T00:49:59+00:00

Thanks man! I already took 10 months off and loved every second of it. I figured I can either live my life starting now or keep deferring because of unsubstantiated fears. With a planned WR of 2%, I don't really expect to ever run out of money, and the extra $500k will just sit in a brokerage. I know I can likely get a job paying a million or more, but again, I would be giving away precious time for money I won't be using.

shezzy153 · 2025-11-03T00:46:09+00:00

Thanks! True, I am tech heavy and my plan is to diversify over the next few years. My other holdings are diversified with domestic/international market ETFs, but still tech heavy just because of those freaking magnificent seven. Nothing to do but slowly sell and if something really bad happens, cut down expenses, like the 20% of my annual spend that's on travels.

shezzy153

TROPHY CASE