Retired early with a seven-figure investment portfolio | $VTI is the foundation of my retirement | $SBUX guzzler | Believer in multiple income streams.
Several years ago a close friend of mine was having financial difficulties and asked for a loan so he could buy his kids some Christmas gifts.
I loaned him $500 and considered it a gift.
He promised to pay me back, but three years later, I havenβt seen a penny.
Thatβs why
Iβm old enough to to have lived through the Dot-com crash.
One thing it taught me: everyone thinks they can stomach a major drop in the market, but when it actually happens, many find that their stomachs are not as strong as they thought.
Jumping into $SCHD and $VOO weekly challenges starting January 1st.
$25.00 into $SCHD
$25.00 into $VOO
Also adding to growth stocks in a weekly challenge.
$10.00 into $AMZN
$10.00 into $AAPL
$10.00 into $GOOGL
$10.00 into $MSFT
While I am a big believer in dividend stocks and invest in them heavily, I am retired.
If you are in your our 20s and 30s, I would concentrate on growth.
Take advantage of your biggest asset: time.
Thought Iβd share the Cactus bio:
π΅60 years old
π΅Retired at 56
π΅Married
π΅Invest in Dividend Stocks/Index Funds/Real Estate
π΅Financial Independence Blogger
π΅College basketball and football fan
Iβm not a finance professional. There are plenty of smart pros on this
15M impressions down to 5M impressions to monetize?
Peachy. This account has gone from:
Itβll never happen to
Extremely unlikely, almost certainly no chance of happening.
Retiring early is cool and all, but you still need something to fill your days.
I know many dream of chucking their 9-5, but sleeping in gets old after a while.
If youβre still working, think about what your passion will be in retirement.
ACCOUNT UPDATE:
On January 1st, I will rebrand my account. New year and a new look.
Content will remain the same. Passive income ramblings of a retired dude trying to navigate life after reaching the career finish line.
The change in logo and name will simply reflect more
@SavingsCaptain
You only get one chance to invest in your 20s and 30s. You donβt want to miss out on important compounding years.
I think there is room for both, unless you are talking about high interest credit card debt.
ACCOUNT UPDATE
The Dividend Cactus has rebranded. With the new year comes a new name and identity.
The Cactus is now the Dividend Income Broadcaster.
The change reflects more of who I am/was professionally.
A refresher:
β‘οΈ60 years old
β‘οΈRetired in my mid-50s
β‘οΈ30 years in
Four years ago today, I retired at the age of 56.
Career burnout and health issues made the decision easier.
What I learned:
β‘οΈIt took me the better part of a year to learn how to go from 100 MPH to getting up without an alarm.
β‘οΈIt is much easier to develop positive habits
Lump sum or dollar cost average? The math says lump sum, but here is one advantage DCA has:
It builds a positive habit.
When you invest consistently at planned intervals, you are building a habit that will improve your future.
@darrelltalksfi
Just literally did this last week.
They are close friends, so it was easy for us to justify.
I think it depends on the level of relationship.
Iβm convinced $SBUX could sell coffee for $10.00 a cup and the lines would still be out the door. Theyβve become a cult brand.
Other cult brands:
Apple
Harley Davidson
Krispe Kreme
Chick-fil-A
Any others?
Many parents fail to talk finance with their kids. For some reason it has been taboo.
Be different and educate your kids as they get older. Give them a head start when they finally leave the nest.
How often do you open your investing and banking apps each day?
Iβm constantly checking my balances even though I know nothing has changed.
I think I have a problem. π€¦ββοΈ
We opened 529 plans for both of our kids when they were born.
After college they each had over $7000 left in their accounts.
Starting next year we can begin to roll that money into their Roth IRAs thanks to a new rollover option.
The new rules have made 529 plans a better
A Vanguard study says that Gen Z (age 18-24) is investing at a higher rate than older colleagues did at the same age.
Further proof that the intersection of finance and technology has made it much easier to get started for younger generations.
Thatβs a good thing.
I grew up in a house that preached the importance of saving.
I also grew up in a house that never invested.
Saving alone is not enough. You have to invest to build wealth.
β‘οΈStocks
β‘οΈReal Estate
β‘οΈBusiness
Pick one or pick them all, but getting started early is the
I get that some donβt think college is a good investment with the cost of education today, but a lot of twitter makes blanket statements that college is a waste of time.
If you select a major that gives you a shot at a good income after graduation, college is a great choice for
Another reason $SBUX is one of my favorite long-term stocks.
The top mobile payment apps in the US:
1. Apple Pay
2. Starbucks
3. Google Pay
4. Samsung Pay
Read an article saying $MCD US profits are up 10% with digital ordering and delivery the major drivers.
Do you own $MCD? Itβs been on my watch list for a while.
I'm pretty sure I have a better chance of being obliterated by an asteroid that being monetized on X.
That said, I'm fine with it. Excluding the ultra-large accounts, I wonder what the average monetized account is making when you break it down per hour.
I recently sold my position in a company that was consistently providing me with terrible customer service.
I may have over reacted, but I donβt regret it.
Good morning.
I had my annual physical this week. My doctor said I need more fruit in my diet.
So Iβm going to have a piece of apple pie.
Happy Sunday.
Overall, only 35% of Americans worked with a financial advisor is 2022.
Seventy percent of millionaire households have used one.
At what level of assets do you think it is worthwhile, if any?
Bumpy start to my day.
On vacation and dropped my iPhone in the hotel parking lot. It fell down a storm drain.
Maintenance guy comes out in a rain storm and fishes it out.
Phone is soaking wet. I figured it had no chance of surviving.
Works like a champ.
I love $AAPL.
Good morning X gang-
Look Alive. π
Full day for me. Starting with a stop at $SBUX, then off to $COST and $KR and a pit stop at $HD.
Shop what you own.
One of the greatest developments in investing is the fractional share.
Fractional shares have opened the door for so many to invest.
It no longer matters how much money you have, even small amounts now allow you to purchase fractional shares.
Many brokers allow investing
Anyone else think the ease with which one can invest today can potentially be a disadvantage?
Itβs too easy to invest in companies because they have a cool logo or are the talk of Twitter (X).
The small barrier to entry has made it possible for so many more to invest, but you
How much do you think about investing on a daily basis?
The first thing I do every morning is to check my investing apps.
There are worse things to be addicted to.
Do you find yourself rehearsing your drink order in your head before you drive up to the window at Starbucks?
I do. And then I screw it up when itβs time to order.
In 30 years working in corporate America, I learned one really important lesson.
Loyalty is not a two-way street. Everyone is expendable. No one really wants to believe it, but if push comes to shove, your employer will usually do whatβs best for the company.
Cover your
Iβm loving all the βscamβ posts. It has become a new buzz word.
Calling a college education, a 401k, stock investing, real estate investing and crypto scams is short-sighted.
Just because it didnβt fit for you doesnβt make it a scam.
An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs.
-Mitch Hedberg
Sometimes you have to reinvent yourself. οΏΌ It doesnβt mean youβve failed.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit 7.23% this week, the highest since 2001.
Zillow is now offering mortgages with just a 1% down payment.
Neither of those is a good number.
The Dividend Cactus account will have a new name and look going forward.
Look for this logo soon to transition into the new Dividend Income Broadcaster account.
Same content, new look.
Happy New Year from the Dividend Income Broadcaster.
Marketβs up β‘οΈ dividends
Marketβs down β‘οΈ dividends
Regardless of the marketβs day to day gyrations, dividends remain consistent.
π΅π
In the past two years, the Southeast has added 2.2 million people and $100 billion in income.
The pandemic has made working remotely commonplace.
Where would you live and work if you could choose?
I often look back and ask why I didnβt start investing earlier in life.
Lack of education about the markets is a big reason, then I realized that making a trade cost $40.00 back then.
No excuses not to invest today.