Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

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Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Its gone up a lot
62
62%
Its gone up a little
30
30%
Its basically the same
4
4%
Its gone down a little
2
2%
Its gone down a lot
2
2%
 
Total votes: 100

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EternalOptimist
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Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by EternalOptimist »

How has the value of your portfolio changed since you retired?
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cheese_breath
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by cheese_breath »

Gone up a lot. Except for a new truck in 2000 and new car in 2009 my pensions and SS have pretty well covered my expenses.

edit: I also had savings put away to help cover expenses from age 56 to 60 when my 2nd pension kicked. I didn't count these as part of my portfolio, but even if I had my answer would be the same. Gone up a lot.
Last edited by cheese_breath on Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Info_Hound
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Info_Hound »

I have more today in my retirement accounts than when I retired 18 months ago, I've not touched the original prinicpal in either account. I am withdrawing from an IRA about 2% yearly but also have 3 pensions and SS income as well. The assets (IRA 3 fund and TSP) earn more than I withdraw.

The 2% is really money spent on doing things I wanted to do but couldn't while I was working.
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BigFoot48
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by BigFoot48 »

A problem with this poll is that it ignores pensions. Someone with a $100k pension can be expected to likely have an increasing portfolio balance, while someone without a pension perhaps less likely. That said, I took my pension as a lump sum at retirement in 1998 and my total portfolio is still up significantly since then.
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2beachcombers
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by 2beachcombers »

retired in 2000--portfolio is 3x larger--half from equity growth and half from sale of vacation home(invested in mkt in 2007)(mkt timing=luck)

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ruralavalon
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by ruralavalon »

Retired 2011. No pension. Modest inheritance 2012. "Up a lot" (about 10%) even without the inheritance.
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Cut-Throat
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Cut-Throat »

If mine's not going down, I'm not spending enough.
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by 2beachcombers »

Cut-Throat wrote:If mine's not going down, I'm not spending enough.
+1 I have been giving it away, doubled my vacation $, filled the gchildren's 529's, charity----and now in competition with wife to see who can spend the most. :happy

Problem is we have been so frugal our entire lives--can't seem to buy something we don't need. :annoyed

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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by RadAudit »

Aren't we in the middle of a run up in stock prices since March 2008 / 2009?

Which way should the account balance of a portfolio invested to some extent in stocks be going over that time?
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cheese_breath
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by cheese_breath »

Cut-Throat wrote:If mine's not going down, I'm not spending enough.
Depends on your life expectancy and how far along you are to checking out. Mine is still going up but should peak in a few years. Then it will start declining. The goal is to not have it decline to zero before I do.
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Sheepdog
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Sheepdog »

No pension. Have lived off of SS and savings for 15 years. After taking out an average of 4.6% per year, we have 9% more than when we started.
We are trying to spend more this year (new car, 11 day cruise, 2 week train trip, and giving away more), but still we nest egg is up again this year. :shock:
Last edited by Sheepdog on Thu Nov 28, 2013 10:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Minot
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Minot »

Retired age 59 in '96.

Mine's gone up quite a bit, but that includes two (somewhat unexpected) inheritances whose combined value increased my net worth by about 60%.
Last edited by Minot on Fri Nov 29, 2013 3:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dandy
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Dandy »

Even with a conservative allocation or about 45% equities and lots of short term bond funds and CDs I am up quite a lot. An S&P that is up about 30% can make anyone holding equities feel good. The real test is when equities drop and so do bond funds - how will my portfolio do and will I be satisfied.
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plannerman
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by plannerman »

Retired in 1999, our retirement portfolio, on nominal basis, has more than doubled. On a real basis, it's up about 50%. On a tax adjusted basis, (we spent our after-tax money first, so the federal and state governments own about 1/3 of our current portfolio) it is up about 17%.

When I want to feel good, I look at the nominal value. When I want to do serious planning, I look at the real, after-tax number.

plannerman
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Blues
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Blues »

It's been a very pleasant (and humbling) surprise to find that 10 years into retirement we are significantly above where we were when we embarked.
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runner26
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by runner26 »

I retired at the end of 2006, and it is up 73% since then.
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sperry8
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by sperry8 »

runner26 wrote:I retired at the end of 2006, and it is up 73% since then.
Wow, that's unreal! Would love to see your portfolio allocations. Just doesn't seem possible with 08/09 in there.

I retired in mid 2007 and my portfolio is up 14.5%. Even if I put back in all the money I pulled out to live on since I retired, I'd only be up 35%.
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runner26
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by runner26 »

sperry8 wrote:
runner26 wrote:I retired at the end of 2006, and it is up 73% since then.
Wow, that's unreal! Would love to see your portfolio allocations. Just doesn't seem possible with 08/09 in there.

I retired in mid 2007 and my portfolio is up 14.5%. Even if I put back in all the money I pulled out to live on since I retired, I'd only be up 35%.
To be fair, I should add that I have a pension and find i am only spending about half of it. I don't buy a lot of stuff, I create most of my meals at home, and grow a fair amount what I eat. I do plan to move and travel more, so that is when the portfolio hit will occur, but it won't be for stuff.
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midareff
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by midareff »

19 months retired drawing about 2.6%. Did a refi and pay down and still up about 10% overall THIS YEAR ALONE.
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EternalOptimist
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by EternalOptimist »

Overall, very encouraging reports. Thanks :wink:
"When nothing goes right....go left"
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SteveNet
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by SteveNet »

Retired 10 yrs ago, with modest spending for those 10 years from the portfolio it has increased itself by 70% in total value today. Current age 60 this upcoming March.
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by scotthal »

Retired (was laid off) March, '08 @ age 53; despite draw downs for living expenses, & a couple of intervening market hiccups, my portfolio is up ~40%. Have to love the five year returns tho' - with the front of the window falling off of the '08 cliff, Vanguard is reporting my annualized return as 14.6% for the interval. Gives me an illusion of fiscal competence.
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Dale_G
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by Dale_G »

Since retiring in October 2001 our net worth has increased by 68% in nominal terms. But during that time cumulative inflation has reduce buying power by 31.9%. In real terms our net worth is up a bit more than 27%. I used net worth because I sold one of our homes and added it to the portfolio.

Note the 31.9% reduction in buying power in the past 12 years. Great for borrowers (including a very large borrower), okay for workers, not so good for retirees. :?

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retiredjg
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by retiredjg »

EternalOptimist wrote:Overall, very encouraging reports. Thanks :wink:
Yes, but what does it mean? I have to admit I'm baffled by this poll. With so many variables, no conclusions can be drawn from the results so I'm curious why you asked the question. Guessing you were just curious? :wink:

Well, I suppose you could say that the "majority of people who responded (so far) report portfolio growth."

I must be one of the few exceptions. I retired a few months before last crash started. I spent from the portfolio, but less than 4% of the value on the day I retired. The market has now recovered, but my portfolio has not quite gotten there. I don't think my portfolio is "a loser" so I just don't understand some of the replies unless current portfolio value includes something other than growth of what was there at retirement.
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EternalOptimist
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by EternalOptimist »

retiredjg wrote:
EternalOptimist wrote:Overall, very encouraging reports. Thanks :wink:
Yes, but what does it mean? I have to admit I'm baffled by this poll. With so many variables, no conclusions can be drawn from the results so I'm curious why you asked the question. Guessing you were just curious? :wink:

Well, I suppose you could say that the "majority of people who responded (so far) report portfolio growth."

I must be one of the few exceptions. I retired a few months before last crash started. I spent from the portfolio, but less than 4% of the value on the day I retired. The market has now recovered, but my portfolio has not quite gotten there. I don't think my portfolio is "a loser" so I just don't understand some of the replies unless current portfolio value includes something other than growth of what was there at retirement.
I retired a couple of years ago and I was looking, from a broad perspective, how my fellow retires we're doing. I know at best this is not rocket science but nonetheless insightful.
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retiredjg
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by retiredjg »

EternalOptimist wrote: I know at best this is not rocket science but nonetheless insightful.
Ok. (BIG grin here.)

I was stumbling on the difference between "my portfolio is bigger because of growth" vs "my portfolio is bigger because I sold a house and/or got an inheritance". Or retiring 5 years ago vs 20 years ago. I guess you don't care about the "why", just the "what".

Please don't take these comments as a criticism. I was just curious. I'd still like to know how people who retired just before the crash now have much bigger portfolios!
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EternalOptimist
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by EternalOptimist »

retiredjg wrote:
EternalOptimist wrote: I know at best this is not rocket science but nonetheless insightful.
Ok. (BIG grin here.)

I was stumbling on the difference between "my portfolio is bigger because of growth" vs "my portfolio is bigger because I sold a house and/or got an inheritance". Or retiring 5 years ago vs 20 years ago. I guess you don't care about the "why", just the "what".

Please don't take these comments as a criticism. I was just curious. I'd still like to know how people who retired just before the crash now have much bigger portfolios!

No problem. I recognize that I am one of the least serious folks here. There is so much uncertainty in all of this, just trying to get a peak into the future for myself perhaps. Ciao :beer
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sperry8
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by sperry8 »

runner26 wrote:
sperry8 wrote:
runner26 wrote:I retired at the end of 2006, and it is up 73% since then.
Wow, that's unreal! Would love to see your portfolio allocations. Just doesn't seem possible with 08/09 in there.

I retired in mid 2007 and my portfolio is up 14.5%. Even if I put back in all the money I pulled out to live on since I retired, I'd only be up 35%.
To be fair, I should add that I have a pension and find i am only spending about half of it. I don't buy a lot of stuff, I create most of my meals at home, and grow a fair amount what I eat. I do plan to move and travel more, so that is when the portfolio hit will occur, but it won't be for stuff.
Love how you live, who needs more stuff anyway.

Still quite amazing. Even when I add back all my spending - I'm up 35% in 6+ years and you're up double that in 7+ years. My returns have matched the market (even though I've tried quite hard to find some alpha and beat it). But you've doubled market returns! Any chance you'd share how you did that? Or are you saying that your pension is what is contributing to the significant growth in your total portfolio? Sort of like - you're still working since you're collecting it - and that's what's adding so much?
BH Contests: 23 #89 of 607 | 22 #512 of 674 | 21 #66 of 636 |20 #253/664 |19 #233/645 |18 #150/493 |17 #516/647 |16 #121/610 |15 #18/552 |14 #225/503 |13 #383/433 |12 #366/410 |11 #113/369 |10 #53/282
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runner26
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Re: Retiree Poll: Change in Portfolio Value

Post by runner26 »

sperry8 wrote: Love how you live, who needs more stuff anyway.

Still quite amazing. Even when I add back all my spending - I'm up 35% in 6+ years and you're up double that in 7+ years. My returns have matched the market (even though I've tried quite hard to find some alpha and beat it). But you've doubled market returns! Any chance you'd share how you did that? Or are you saying that your pension is what is contributing to the significant growth in your total portfolio? Sort of like - you're still working since you're collecting it - and that's what's adding so much?
Sperry8, the pension of course was a lot of it. I was also was quite fortunate (lucky) on a number of fronts. I had a bought a lot of I-bonds in the early days, and had loaded up on 5-year cds at 6% interest before the crash, in addition to having a large GNMA allocation. My equity allocation before the crash would have been considered low by most here, again dumb luck, not planned. So my fixed income did quite well the when rates crashed. I also was able to take advantage of the crash to increase my equity allocation at bargin prices. My portfolio consists of indexes with a value and small cap tilt, and a sizeable alloction to the Vanguard Wellington fund, which I have always owned. My foreign allocation was also low before the crash, but I have since increased that to 20%.
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