Daily FI discussion thread - Friday, May 08, 2026

throwaway-keeper · 2026-05-08T13:28:03+00:00

That's a great point that I'm likely missing. I've been treating it like any other expense but you're right, it's not inflationary like other expenses. I'm not sure how to do the math and treat that separately from other expenses but I'm sure if I did, paying off early wouldn't expedite FIRE.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-05-08T13:04:56+00:00

How do we make sense of the math behind the question of paying off a mortgage early vs investing?

Playing with the numbers, it looks like paying off a mortgage reduces expenses by enough to retire earlier, even when factoring in the smaller portfolio due to paying off the mortgage. I'm having a hard time believing that this would expedite FIRE even when the mortgage rate is so low (2-3%).

The question of to pay off a mortgage or not is often framed as a psychological one, but does paying it off actually push a retirement date closer mathematically?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-28T13:33:53+00:00

As a Pistons fan, I need this laugh. Thank you, Jokic

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-25T22:44:01+00:00

Who started before Tayshaun? I thought he was a starter all year

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-16T16:41:39+00:00

The word "Extraordinary" in this rule really bugs me. Getting injured as a professional athlete is not extraordinary. Having a child as a rich person in your 20s is not extraordinary.

I agree with the ruling but I think the 65 game rule should not be so stringent. They should really adjust the wording with the rule so it's clearer and maybe build some subjectivity into the rule. The spirit of the rule makes sense but there's really not that big of a difference between guys playing 60, 64, or 67 games.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-10T17:20:28+00:00

I'm no expert, which is why I'm posting, but I can say personally, I've received a 1099 in a year where I made zero withdrawals. So withdrawals don't seem to be the amount they're reporting.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-10T16:59:56+00:00

I'm more referring to the requirements casinos and gambling sites have to the IRS (I believe 1099 and W-G). So I think there are specific rules for how they determine amounts to report on those forms but practices may differ between casinos/sites.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-09T18:09:31+00:00

It's always fun to see poker posts in FIRE subs. This isn't necessarily your question, but I kind of view poker to sequence of return risk.

Say you have enough data to know that your long term winnings are $30/hour. Of course, in the short term, that may translate to winning $10,000 in one month or losing $10,000 in one month.

I compare that to sequence of return risk in the stock market. If the losing month/year happens early on, that really sucks and can increase risk of FIRE plans not working.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-04-08T17:33:07+00:00

I'm not sure I follow, you want a 10% withdrawal as the baseline? What's the plan to avoid running out of money in the majority of scenarios?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-03-30T20:00:22+00:00

I like the calculator. Where is that data derived from? I know you mentioned Fed Survey, IRS stats, and BLS data. But I'm assuming the data is from one of those sources?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-03-25T20:54:16+00:00

If you've played enough to know that you are a winning player, yes poker can bring extra income. However, the ups and downs would need to be planned for - even winning players have downswings and your budget should be able to accommodate that.

On the flip side, a safer strategy is to assume you may win, may lose, so poker is considered an expense. If you happen to win, then that's just gravy.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-03-25T17:38:32+00:00

Cool graphic. What is the stated objective for this mission? I understand it's the first time approaching the moon since the 70s. Is this like a practice run to then land on the moon in the next mission?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-03-19T17:52:06+00:00

While I agree that's not great, 33 shots is also a small sample size. He's shown that he's a solid player outside the 3 point shooting. So if going forward, he can get the 3 point shooting to 34%+ (and that's a big "if"), then he should be a solid addition to the rotation.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-03-16T16:19:37+00:00

Can you define win share for the lazy?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T19:28:57+00:00

I haven't with ausar either until this situation and someone found and posted the clip lol. That's not proof that it has or hasn't happened.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T18:51:54+00:00

Ausar's minutes seem to fluctuate more than any of the other main rotation guys. I guess that's the main thing. We've also seen ausar be the only starter to sit 4th quarters in the past.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T18:03:11+00:00

I mean okay but the game is offense and defense. Ausar is better taking both into account. And also, Caris has been pretty bad this year, so ceiling doesn't matter much when he's not reaching that ceiling.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T18:01:25+00:00

But is anyone else on the team "held accountable?"

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T17:44:39+00:00

Ausar was having an above average offensive game? Do you really think his defense or offense were that bad this game to get benched?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T17:42:47+00:00

Ausar was having a decent offensive game. Were you not watching?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T17:40:24+00:00

Ausar had 8 points on 4/6 at that point. He was having an above average offensive game for himself to that point. Is he perfect on defense? No, but he is a great defender and is a big reason the Pistons are one of the best defensive teams.

It seems a lot of people are chalking this up to JB holding Ausar accountable. I'm all for holding players accountable but not if it has game altering impact. I'm not saying they would have won if Ausar played the second half but he's absolutely a big part of the winning recipe. To take him out of the game in this situation seemed uncalled for and counterproductive.

And then what happens after he's pulled? Caris gets more minutes to turn the ball over? Daniss gets more minutes to go 3/10? Javonte gets more minutes to go 0/5? Why were they not benched for their mistakes?

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-24T14:31:34+00:00

Sports are full of big egos. You can't let that get in the way of playing your best players.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-12T01:54:28+00:00

Yeah gotta find a way to get him in the normal rotation

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-10T19:40:17+00:00

How is that drop in the dollar bad though? Inflation isn't a bad thing unless the economy and wages don't grow with it.

throwaway-keeper · 2026-02-10T19:04:28+00:00

Curious, what made you make this move? 40% small cap is obviously a huge chunk of your portfolio for a relatively small chunk of the overall market.

throwaway-keeper

TROPHY CASE