Search found 231 matches

by ben
Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:52 am
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Fool.com REHP membership and comps
Replies: 8
Views: 15151

Fool.com REHP membership and comps

Wauw looks like the other FIRE board at fool.com suddenly losened the purse strings and gave out comps left and right! :shock: I can imagine the panic meetings in management when they realized what would happen should they not comp. I have not renewed - and no comp... :cry:- ah, am actually ok with ...
by ben
Fri Feb 11, 2005 11:21 am
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Vacation from FIRE? Man you live a rough life! 8)
by ben
Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:04 pm
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Not being THAT secret - sure we can handle it via some PMs. Cheers, ben
by ben
Tue Feb 08, 2005 2:11 pm
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Most already covered by JWR and Hocus (thanks!). If you do a search on posts by me you will find quite a few from me babbling about not knowing what will go up next and therefore I buy the lot. Current holdings: vti+ijj/brsix/efa+vtrix/eem/vnq+pcl/pcrix/vgpmx/tip/pfuix/pebix 10% in each (where "...
by ben
Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:11 pm
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Might have to change that avatar into some fat slob so I can actually understand the postings! 8) And yes plan to deal some cards at the casino tonight. Sofar up $570 against the casino here (yes, I keep a spreadsheet for that too) - will see whether my Bond luck will last. My last posting in Asia h...
by ben
Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:52 am
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Hi Hocus :D , "cogitate" - now where is my dictionary when I need it!? Guessing it is when 2 farm animals create new life? :lol: I agree that your plan has the flexibility needed to do you just fine. Also; you are open to jump into stocks which many community members keep misunderstanding....
by ben
Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:21 am
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Thank you for the input. Good comments (and fairly few intercst rants! I am impressed ;) ). Wish you all the best with getting to the "plus one" status. :D I think a budget of 38k/year for a resonably frugal family seems quite resonable - certainly not extravagant but with space enough for...
by ben
Tue Feb 08, 2005 5:18 am
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Hocus your FIRE status?
Replies: 32
Views: 101470

Hocus your FIRE status?

Hi Hocus :D , Now that you have reached ultimate fame with your own Hoco-mania board and everything, I am sure that there are may interested in your FIRE status based on your current plan. One big confusion point I believe is how you manage on an income from $400k only (family of 4 - maybe one more)...
by ben
Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:58 pm
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Getting to Enough
Replies: 8
Views: 15220

Fully agree. I also already now have pushed the "how much is enough" number once, and foresee that I could do it again...and again...and... If I do this posting for 4 years I should, depending on a lot of "if's" reach the magic $2M(Incl. real estate). Even in my wildest imaginati...
by ben
Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:21 am
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Getting to Enough
Replies: 8
Views: 15220

Good post Karma (again). I started thinking about reaching FI 6 years ago working in Africa an an expat. Being a natural LBYM I was surprised to see how much of my (mid manager level) salary I could actually put aside when I did not get caught up in the expat-spending-trap (I can write a complete po...
by ben
Sun Feb 06, 2005 3:38 pm
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Goals in Retirement
Replies: 24
Views: 37885

Karma I think you have a great point though. My mom who did the more traditional retirement (besides some part time work for fun) says that she does not have enough hours in the day to see how she ever had time for work. I think I will feel the same way in FIRE - just too many things I want to do to...
by ben
Sun Feb 06, 2005 2:21 pm
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Goals in Retirement
Replies: 24
Views: 37885

Work! I would stop work! 8)

I believe I would have time for all the other things as long as work was cleared.

Cheers, Ben
by ben
Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:54 pm
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Valuation-driven, contrarian investing
Replies: 30
Views: 44331

No worries Petey; no grudge here! :D Only about 2% of my base portfolio is in large cap growth (via VTI being 70% SP500 of which about 60% is large growth) so I also seriously under weight that specific asset class, being the main one we find overvalued, myself. Hocus: Ok, so I had it right - 20% in...
by ben
Sun Feb 06, 2005 8:20 am
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Valuation-driven, contrarian investing
Replies: 30
Views: 44331

Guess my tone just got a bit sharper after being called (directly or indirectly) devoid of logic, idiotic and have a bad case of denial and ignorance on threads here recently. All based on my "no asset class left behind" attitude. Might be over sensitive these days. :lol: I agree that EM e...
by ben
Sun Feb 06, 2005 6:55 am
Forum: SWR Research Group
Topic: Valuation-driven, contrarian investing
Replies: 30
Views: 44331

Delawaredave; you hit the head on the nail. While I enjoy peteys and hocus's discussions I see the problem you mention. Money where your mouth is: petey is not in market at all yet and as he mentions still talking small money available for that, and hocus about $400k in TIPs and CDs (besides a paid ...
by ben
Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:49 pm
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Goals in Retirement
Replies: 24
Views: 37885

bookm: Heck I don't need to draw a tree to determine my goals in retirement. Jus gimme enuff money to buy a lazyboy with a built-in fridge to keep my non-stop supply of beer cold, my remote and sit back for 20 years. Bookm; you just mapped out my entire tree! :lol::lol::lol:
by ben
Thu Feb 03, 2005 4:19 pm
Forum: Town Center
Topic: Site Administration Issues
Replies: 7
Views: 13805

ES; I know that pal. Hocus; I believe those rules are followed quite well at both this and the raddr board. Even fool.com follow it most of the time but a lot of noise there though. I did not renew my fool membership, not in protest, but simply have plenty of other boards to attend and too little ti...
by ben
Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:22 pm
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: Payouts during ER
Replies: 6
Views: 11876

Well I have almost my entire nest egg offshore (am an expat) with free access and no taxes as such depending on what country I base myself in of course. For my company pension I can only touch at age 60 and will probably pull as much out as I can then - it is ALSO kept offshore. Some of it is forced...
by ben
Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:00 pm
Forum: Town Center
Topic: Site Administration Issues
Replies: 7
Views: 13805

Great post ES on writing on a message board! I think you know my stand is exactly the same as yours! (but I include foreign index funds :wink:). Cheers, Ben
by ben
Tue Feb 01, 2005 2:09 pm
Forum: FIRE Board
Topic: How I spend my post-FIRE time
Replies: 70
Views: 72809

A goal oriented objective? Flying certificate, dive instructor, financial advisor degree, language studies, fittness instructor education are already on my list (and yes I already do a bit of dipping into most of these to check if my interest is still there). Travel: I will travel to meet my friends...