Post your Financial Milestone Announcements Here

[Toons]

To quote Bob Brinker,
My spouse and I are in the ,
"Land Of Critical Mass",and have been so for quite a while.
Keeping debt to a bare minimum,investing frequently(reinvesting)got us there.
Count Our Blessings Every Day.

If you will. . . what is the "Land of Critical Mass"?
Never heard that before. . .

mahalo,
j

"A state of freedom from worry and anxiety about money due to the accumulation of assets which make it possible to live your life as you choose without working if you prefer not to work or just working because you enjoy your but don't need the income. Plainly stated, the Land of Critical Mass is a place in which individuals enjoy their own personal financial nirvana. Differentiation between earned income and assets is a fundamental lesson to learn when thinking in terms of critical mass. Earned income does not produce critical mass......critical mass is strictly a function of assets."

[sschullo]

Hi Alex,
Not sure if this counts as a milestone here, but it sure does with me. 2017 is the first time that I grossed over $200,000 combined income (since the tech bubble over $400,000 in 1999 which is worthless cause I lost it all) counting portfolio returns, pension, SS, and VA compensation incomes.

But this time around, I am not going to lose all of the gains because my portfolio is properly diversified with a stock-bond split appropriate for my age. It's a very boring portfolio, not at all like the crazy and stupid 90% tech stock portfolio I had in 1999.
Steve

[Snowjob]

A milestone of sorts...

Now two full years into retirement, and have had the good fortune of strong market tailwinds since then. Stepping out of the accumulation phase, with the comfort and security of a monthly paycheck, and into the distribution phase, with the shuddering realization that the seed corn is being eaten, is an emotional and cognitive challenge. No matter how the numbers look on paper, there’s still a “stepping off the high diving board” feel to stopping work and beginning retirement.

Congrats -- That shift to withdrawals will be painful for me no doubt down the road. All in the head for sure, but it certainly makes the idea of a pension sound even more appealing than it already is -- to bad they don't exist anymore! Did you purchase an annuity to help with this transition, it may not make as much financial sense but sometimes I wonder if behavior wise its worth it...

It has just occurred to me that part of the discomfort of "the seed corn is being eaten" is that it is an acknowledgement that no, you are not going to live forever. (I, too, have joined the ranks of decumulators.)

Perhaps another reason to add more annuity / annuity like sources of income, it keeps one from thinking this way!

[Meg77]

To be honest I haven't even told my husband yet, and I'm sure we won't do anything special to celebrate. I feel a bit selfish/guilty even being excited about this milestone.

# 1 Go celebrate. We don't celebrate enough. You can certainly afford it.
# 2 Don't feel guilty about having the opportunity, only about what you do with the opportunity. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required. It's a weighty responsibility to be wealthy. But there is no reason to feel guilty about working hard, earning money, saving money, investing well etc. So long as you didn't cheat someone to get your wealth, it isn't "filthy." But you're still responsible for what you do with it. Spend a little, save a little, give a little.

Great advice. Thank you!

[corgimom11]

Not as exciting as some of the prior announcements, but I have a couple that I am hitting today that I am pretty proud of.

We have officially reached net worth of $500K+ including home equity. We should land around $525K after 401K contribution hits after the large bonus I received. I am 29 years old (my husband is 32) and hitting $500K was a stretch goal for me before turning 30. We have hit this goal 9 months early!

I received my largest single bonus at work I have ever received, equivalent to 68% of my yearly salary.

At the end of 2017, I hit an income milestone - where I earned $254K last year. My husband had a good year as well, so we had total household income of $313K. This achievement has made us even more motivated to save as much as possible.

[Tycoon]

First child finished college. Total cost = 0.00

[dwickenh]

First child finished college. Total cost = 0.00

Wow, Now that's amazing. Congrats!!

[sambb]

reached a major milestone this year - and thanks to those who encouraged emerging markets a year ago - made a huge boost for us. If returns are low, we should still be ok for retirement by age 55. Thanks to this board for the help.

[khangaroo]

I just passed the $100k mark in my 401k this morning! I started with my company in July 2012 and this was the first year I was able to max the contribution limit. I didn't contribute anything in 2015 while I was on my debt-free journey but once I got down I was able to set my contribution at 25% income (company max) for 2016 & 2017.

It's really awesome to see the growth and how my 401k is maturing into a beautiful financial asset. I always had a hard time believing those examples about the person who starts investing early and has a huge value at the end from growth but I am witnessing it first hand now. It's an incredible and extremely encouraging thing. Preaching to the choir here, but invest early if you can and encourage your kids to too!

[lostdog]

All,

We just arrived at $500k in liquid assets in our retirement accounts and taxable accounts. This does not include our home at roughly ~$200k.

This is our second milestone. I never thought I would arrive here. Thanks to all of the Bogleheads that provided advice and support over the years. On to the next milestone.

I am 42 and my wife is 39.

[GoldenFinch]

First child finished college. Total cost = 0.00

[Will do good]

I just passed the $100k mark in my 401k this morning! I started with my company in July 2012 and this was the first year I was able to max the contribution limit. I didn't contribute anything in 2015 while I was on my debt-free journey but once I got down I was able to set my contribution at 25% income (company max) for 2016 & 2017.

It's really awesome to see the growth and how my 401k is maturing into a beautiful financial asset. I always had a hard time believing those examples about the person who starts investing early and has a huge value at the end from growth but I am witnessing it first hand now. It's an incredible and extremely encouraging thing. Preaching to the choir here, but invest early if you can and encourage your kids to too!

Compounding is amazing, congrats.

[flyingaway]

Ha ha, good timing as we just did our annual net worth update. We hit our "number" this year. Yay us. But our most significant milestone for 2017 and the one we're most proud of was giving away more than we spent. I hope that will continue for many years.

And since I'm putting up the second post in this thread, I just wanted to say congratulations in advance to all who reached a big milestone. Celebrate them. They really are noteworthy accomplishments. I'm proud of you.

Are you serious? I though you hit(ted) your number some years ago.

[flyingaway]

Folks,

2017 will be the first year that my portfolio growth matched my gross income. All I need is 2 more years like this.

KlangFool

I sincerely congratulate you for your success, and thank you for your contributions to this forum.

[mmcmonster]

Congrats, everyone!

My most recent milestone was $2M in October 2017. With minimal outstanding loans (just my car loan at present), I'm ecstatic about my financial future.

I'm taking a few months off of heavy savings in order to afford solar panels. After that continue my march towards $5M! (Got to keep moving the bar! )

[cherijoh]

Not as exciting as some of the prior announcements, but I have a couple that I am hitting today that I am pretty proud of.

We have officially reached net worth of $500K+ including home equity. We should land around $525K after 401K contribution hits after the large bonus I received. I am 29 years old (my husband is 32) and hitting $500K was a stretch goal for me before turning 30. We have hit this goal 9 months early!

I received my largest single bonus at work I have ever received, equivalent to 68% of my yearly salary.

At the end of 2017, I hit an income milestone - where I earned $254K last year. My husband had a good year as well, so we had total household income of $313K. This achievement has made us even more motivated to save as much as possible.

You have to keep in mind that this group covers all ages and all salary ranges. $500K before the age of 30 is fantastic! And I'm double your age and have never come anywhere close to earning a 68% bonus or $250K/yr in total compensation.

[cherijoh]

I just passed the $100k mark in my 401k this morning! I started with my company in July 2012 and this was the first year I was able to max the contribution limit. I didn't contribute anything in 2015 while I was on my debt-free journey but once I got down I was able to set my contribution at 25% income (company max) for 2016 & 2017.

It's really awesome to see the growth and how my 401k is maturing into a beautiful financial asset. I always had a hard time believing those examples about the person who starts investing early and has a huge value at the end from growth but I am witnessing it first hand now. It's an incredible and extremely encouraging thing. Preaching to the choir here, but invest early if you can and encourage your kids to too!

It is great to have % of income investing goals - since that is what is within your control. Mr. Market can be fickle, so when the inevitable correction comes these goals are helpful to keep you on track. Getting debt free and maxing out your 401k in such a short period of time are definitely goals to be proud of!

[staythecourse]

Kudos to all who have and continue to reach their financial milestones. It is interesting as we (wife and I) hit each one in our lives I am disappointed I am not more excited. I remember the first one getting revved up for a couple weeks before in anticipation and thinking about it for weeks later. Now, I barely think about it.

I sort of wish I was still impressed when I hit the milestones, but just feels a bit unfilled. Think, I have realized financial milestones don't really impact my life happiness.

Must be an outlier and great to see it means so much to others.

Good luck.

[ZeroWealth]

So many wonderful milestones to celebrate here, congrats to everyone!

2017 was the first year we were able to max both Roth IRAs and my 401k, and this year we're hoping to max those again plus our newly available HSA. We're both in our 30s and have some catching up to do (I didn't start retirement investing until 30), but we're confident our newly aggressive savings goals will allow us to retire at 60 (my personal retirement goal).

Onward and upward!

[David Jay]

My end-of-the-year Net Worth accounting shows that we joined the two comma club for the first time. That is total net worth, our retirement accounts are about $750,000, remainder is home equity.

Age 61, never had a year with family income above 5 digits, so you can be financially independent on a moderate income. Expect to retire early (62) within about 15 months.

[KlangFool]

Folks,

2017 will be the first year that my portfolio growth matched my gross income. All I need is 2 more years like this.

KlangFool

I sincerely congratulate you for your success, and thank you for your contributions to this forum.

Thanks.

KlangFool

[cfs]

Wow, congratulations to everyone reaching a milestone! I am beginning to like this omnibus thread! Keep all those reports coming, I will continue to read ALL of them. Good luck with your investments, and thanks for reading ~cfs~

[BogleMelon]

A humble BH here who needs some encouragement. I just hit $100,000 in net worth today! Not that much, but it was all done in less than 6 years (including periods of financial education). Started all the way from a near $0 net worth.

[Sandtrap]

Kudos to all who have and continue to reach their financial milestones. It is interesting as we (wife and I) hit each one in our lives I am disappointed I am not more excited. I remember the first one getting revved up for a couple weeks before in anticipation and thinking about it for weeks later. Now, I barely think about it.

I sort of wish I was still impressed when I hit the milestones, but just feels a bit unfilled. Think, I have realized financial milestones don't really impact my life happiness.

Must be an outlier and great to see it means so much to others.

Good luck.

You're not alone.
Sold another "thing". Put the proceeds in a short term cd, to give me time to think. CD matured yesterday. Didn't buy another R/E "thing". The Bogle path is great.

Put the funds in VWIUX, Intermediate Term Tax Exempt for rebalancing. "As per Bogle advice. . .

DW and have always been frugal and live simply. Things that bring us happiness and peace don't cost much. A peaceful and secure retirement is more than enough.

True?

But I do get an extraordinary vicarious thrill out of seeing everyone else reach their milestones!!!!
Mahalo,
j "fellow outlier".

PS: milestone is that my portfolio rounded up a "digit".

[Sandtrap]

A humble BH here who needs some encouragement. I just hit $100,000 in net worth today! Not that much, but it was all done in less than 6 years (including periods of financial education). Started all the way from a near $0 net worth.

6 years is quick to accumulate that much in today's high cost world.
It ain't easy.
Congratulations.

[BogleMelon]

A humble BH here who needs some encouragement. I just hit $100,000 in net worth today! Not that much, but it was all done in less than 6 years (including periods of financial education). Started all the way from a near $0 net worth.

6 years is quick to accumulate that much in today's high cost world.
It ain't easy.
Congratulations.

Thank you!

[Sandtrap]

My end-of-the-year Net Worth accounting shows that we joined the two comma club for the first time. That is total net worth, our retirement accounts are about $750,000, remainder is home equity.

Age 61, never had a year with family income above 5 digits, so you can be financially independent on a moderate income. Expect to retire early (62) within about 15 months.

2 comma's ain't easy. Also did it on a somewhat low income the majority of years. Took forever and ever and ever.
Congratulations!

And thanks for the expert advice.
mahalo,
j

[Sandtrap]

This will be a very fun thread.....congrats to all.

We hit $2 million in assets last week for the first time. Subtract out the mortgage and a very low-rate student loan that I have no intention of paying off early, and our net worth hit $1.75 million for the first time. Financially secure, although not financially independent yet (at ages 42/39).

You've come a long way very quickly.
Congratulations!

[market timer]

I wonder what Market Timer is up to these days. He and I were experimenting with (dying from??) leverage on the way down in 2008 and are near the same age as far as I can tell. Interesting to see his change in philosophy over time when it comes to money, work, spending the portfolio etc.

Sounds like you benefited from the post-crash recovery, but had slow career growth. My path was basically the opposite. The crash wiped me out, but my career has gone pretty well.

DW and I are essentially financially independent now. I'm more concerned with preservation of long term buying power than investment growth, so have a fairly high allocation to crude oil, gold, and TIPS. At one point I'd planned to retire early, but am now more interested in having a good work/life balance. If I could get 8 weeks of vacation a year and spend some time working in a few different countries, I'd probably be fine working until normal retirement age.

No major financial milestones this year. However, I had a daughter and my son started preschool. Life is good.

[Lynette]

My milestone is that after one year of retirement, I realized that my pensions and SS (net of tax and IRMAA) will cover my needs with quite a bit of travel without touching my savings. I worked till 73 and was able to go overseas four to five times a year for 20 years as well as give a lot of money to a non-deductible charitable cause in my country of origin. My savings are for medical emergencies.

[katzmandu]

Passed the 1/2 way mark (500k) in total invested assets on the first of the year. Still a ways to go, but an agreeable market and application of all the good advice on this site (and others) paved the way. Hope the 2 comma club will come quickly on this side of the divide.

[Hopeful]

Just used $30,000 of appreciated stock to set up a Donor Advised Fund. While not much to some people, it feels good to be in a position to start giving back to others. Hopefully it is just a start to being able to do more for others.

[investingdad]

We hit 2.6 million (nice round number) as of market close yesterday, home equity is just a small bit at 145k or so.

Still mid 40s so not ready to retire yet.

Best part is knowing we have freedom to not sweat the expenses and small indulgences.

[White Coat Investor]

Ha ha, good timing as we just did our annual net worth update. We hit our "number" this year. Yay us. But our most significant milestone for 2017 and the one we're most proud of was giving away more than we spent. I hope that will continue for many years.

And since I'm putting up the second post in this thread, I just wanted to say congratulations in advance to all who reached a big milestone. Celebrate them. They really are noteworthy accomplishments. I'm proud of you.

Are you serious? I though you hit(ted) your number some years ago.

It's all a little squishy (our most valuable asset is not only extremely illiquid but also difficult to value), but certainly not prior to 2017. Not sure what you're referring to about us hitting our number years ago. We weren't even in the 7 figure club 5 years ago counting everything (home equity etc).

[dirtlaw]

Student loans paid off as of 1/10/18! Next, the HELOC.

[flyingaway]

Ha ha, good timing as we just did our annual net worth update. We hit our "number" this year. Yay us. But our most significant milestone for 2017 and the one we're most proud of was giving away more than we spent. I hope that will continue for many years.

And since I'm putting up the second post in this thread, I just wanted to say congratulations in advance to all who reached a big milestone. Celebrate them. They really are noteworthy accomplishments. I'm proud of you.

Are you serious? I though you hit(ted) your number some years ago.

It's all a little squishy (our most valuable asset is not only extremely illiquid but also difficult to value), but certainly not prior to 2017. Not sure what you're referring to about us hitting our number years ago. We weren't even in the 7 figure club 5 years ago counting everything (home equity etc).

I read your posts about MMM some time ago, I thought you just moved your bar higher.

[Snowjob]

I wonder what Market Timer is up to these days. He and I were experimenting with (dying from??) leverage on the way down in 2008 and are near the same age as far as I can tell. Interesting to see his change in philosophy over time when it comes to money, work, spending the portfolio etc.

Sounds like you benefited from the post-crash recovery, but had slow career growth. My path was basically the opposite. The crash wiped me out, but my career has gone pretty well.

DW and I are essentially financially independent now. I'm more concerned with preservation of long term buying power than investment growth, so have a fairly high allocation to crude oil, gold, and TIPS. At one point I'd planned to retire early, but am now more interested in having a good work/life balance. If I could get 8 weeks of vacation a year and spend some time working in a few different countries, I'd probably be fine working until normal retirement age.

No major financial milestones this year. However, I had a daughter and my son started preschool. Life is good.

That is a very fair assessment of our divergent paths -- Were I to have a substantially larger portfolio or income I'd probably have transitioned my philosophy to protecting purchasing power as you have. As it stands now, I'm still looking for more growth =) Optimizing work life balance has also been a priority for me the last few years. I've finally gotten a boost in regular vacation time and now have the option to buy a week. After my first 8 years at 2 weeks a year, I now sit at 5. I used to dream of early retirement simply because I felt I was missing out on so many experiences. With the extra vacation time and a willingness to pull allnighters its amazing how many trips you can squeeze into a year if you plan it right.

[Lyonsguy]

Paid off mortgage this year. Net worth just beat $700,000. Wife finishing masters degree in nursing this year (August). Age 38/36.

[buckstar]

Years ago, when our net worth was still negative, I set a goal of financial independence being $3.5M, or $140,000/yr at 4% withdrawal rate. Well we hit that number last week!

Unfortunately, what I didn't realize all those years ago is that the goal should have been $3.5M in investable assets, not NW. And that I wouldn't feel comfortable with a 4% withdrawal rate, but instead will focus on a reaching enough to support a 3.5% withdrawal rate.

So while we've still reached $3.5M in net worth, we're still some years off from financial independence

[Sandtrap]

Years ago, when our net worth was still negative, I set a goal of financial independence being $3.5M, or $140,000/yr at 4% withdrawal rate. Well we hit that number last week!

Unfortunately, what I didn't realize all those years ago is that the goal should have been $3.5M in investable assets, not NW. And that I wouldn't feel comfortable with a 4% withdrawal rate, but instead will focus on a reaching enough to support a 3.5% withdrawal rate.

So while we've still reached $3.5M in net worth, we're still some years off from financial independence

Great job.
$3.5 in any form is not "pocket change". And, coming from less than nothing ain't easy.
j

[StevieG72]

I am broke.

Thats my story, and I am sticking to it!

[Mel Lindauer]

I just passed the 20-years-in-retirement mark in Dec. and am still able to enjoy the good life (no dog food on the menu in the foreseeable future).

Busier now than when I ran my business. And the business I founded just celebrated its 50th birthday while also celebrating the 20-year mark under the leadership of my two sons, who took over after my early retirement.

Life is good!

[travellight]

Just hit the two comma club in my 401k, and by 25k! This has been a long slow road.

[HIinvestor]

Just looked at H’s Roth IRA statement recently and realized it had more than doubled since we put the funds in with no further funds from us — invested and held. It made me smile and will be a happy surprise for H as well.

[MrNewEngland]

Just hit the two comma club in my 401k, and by 25k! This has been a long slow road.

If you don’t mind me asking: how old are you? When did you start? Have you always been in a position to max it out?

I’ve been frustrate lately with my 401k... I’m finally now (at age 40) have the ability to max out but it’s the first time in my career I’ve been able to do so.

[SGM]

I had a milestone of sort, yesterday I held a family business meeting with adult children for the first time. We discussed assets, income, taxes, gifting, inheritances, careers, social aspects and preparing the younger generation for increased responsibility.

[billthecat]

I reached my minimum goal of $2.4M, roughly:

$1M in stocks, bonds, cash, alternative
$1M in net liquidated rental real estate equity
$400K in net liquidated home equity

Technically, I could stop now. After all, I’m only supporting myself. But it’s not allocated the way I want, and, yeah, I want a bit of a buffer.

I’ve lost a lot of money in various investments over the last 18 years (about $700K) but my one saving grace has been in investing in myself - my education, career, and drive. My drive has waned over the years, though, partly due to age and partly due to the realization that the original vision of a (loving, supportive, encouraging, devoted) wife, kids, and white picket fence is not going to happen (and so I need a lot less).

[White Coat Investor]

Ha ha, good timing as we just did our annual net worth update. We hit our "number" this year. Yay us. But our most significant milestone for 2017 and the one we're most proud of was giving away more than we spent. I hope that will continue for many years.

And since I'm putting up the second post in this thread, I just wanted to say congratulations in advance to all who reached a big milestone. Celebrate them. They really are noteworthy accomplishments. I'm proud of you.

Are you serious? I though you hit(ted) your number some years ago.

It's all a little squishy (our most valuable asset is not only extremely illiquid but also difficult to value), but certainly not prior to 2017. Not sure what you're referring to about us hitting our number years ago. We weren't even in the 7 figure club 5 years ago counting everything (home equity etc).

I read your posts about MMM some time ago, I thought you just moved your bar higher.

We did. And hit it. We think. It still comes down to that illiquid asset. But even valuing it at 1/2 what I've been offered for it gets us to our number, so we're there I guess. We've been living like we were there for a year or two already anyway.

[cfs]

All good comments, but I have no milestones to announce, I will let you know when I call it a day and move my nice collection of slow moving ETFs and fast moving Mutual Funds to the Target Retirement Income Fund, this fund is the final destination for all my accounts, this is the one I have listed in my letter of instruction to be executed at the expiration of my birth certificate. Good luck reaching your investment goals, and thanks for reading ~cfs~

[travellight]

Just hit the two comma club in my 401k, and by 25k! This has been a long slow road.

If you don’t mind me asking: how old are you? When did you start? Have you always been in a position to max it out?

I’ve been frustrate lately with my 401k... I’m finally now (at age 40) have the ability to max out but it’s the first time in my career I’ve been able to do so.

I think I started at the age of 30 when real work with real salary began. I spent my 20s studying and getting ahead. I think I maxed it out every year but seems to me it used to be only 2k back in those years so this has been so slow. I am 56 now and it feels incredible to pass that 2 comma mark in that category. I feel like I made money much faster in real estate. 40 seems so young and yet it also feels like yesterday. You will be there before you know it in a time warp way.