That suggests such a rosy and flattering image that I considered not saying anythingsundaymorningstaple wrote:Yeah, Squirrel, but remember, he's been a retired trailing spouse for quite a while after making his killing in the stock market after retiring @ a very young age.
But yeah, I don't think he's about to retire in Singers though.
I went from a career in B+F to putting just about every penny I made into property. When my itinerant career eventually and inevitably snuffed-out my energies went solely into property (self-employed). I did a couple of good deals and follow-on re-investments. That is where the asset base derives.
From xK miles away and years out of the insider's loop I'm too far from the action to do anything in property back home right now. And having a background in B+F gives me a bit of a leg-up in stock investing and creating an income stream. It's not been much of a year to celebrate given the uncertainties in the global economy right now. The income is good but at this stage I'm looking at shedding risk vs the capital... within say 2 years I want all leverage (margin) gone. The challenge then will be to find a place to put the funds, an 'investment trust' in the UK, aka a Mutual Fund in the US. Likely across a basket of 2-3, 4 to spread the risk. Park it somewhere safe and low-tax... We'll see...
The current work could be pretty passive, but it can fill as many hrs/day as interests you. What is changing this week that might impact the rate of Fed tightening? What is this weeks CHnese policy re: managing sagging growth, if any? In a way it gives you a reason to get up at say 7.30am on weekdays and get engaged, and keep abreast of world affairs. For a parallel reason I really understand why SMS has chosen not to retire when he could, 'a job' is soooo much more than putting bread on the table.
As I said before early-retirement is a double-edged sword. It might sound wonderful, but the reality is a little different. Like relo'ing as a trailing spouse, there is a gap created (social life, reason to get up, sense of self-worth, etc) that you have to go to great lengths to back-fill. It's no land of milk and honey IME, that's for sure. As preposterous as I know that might sound to some who imagine all day spent dozing in the virtual retirement hammock as enviable and entirely fulfilling!
p.s. I don't totally discount returning to SG, but that decision is complicated simply by having a choice as to whether we do, simply having the burden options(!). Owning a home there is $$, and owning a holiday home anywhere, incl SG, is ($$$/use thereof, i.e. the time spent there whilst having a primary home elsewhere). I don't really see SG as a full-time retirement spot, since the baseline costs, i.e. property, are so high. If you are looking at culture, security, climate there are other locations regionally that won't absorb a large slab of your retirement income. Plus the shifting tides of policy vs 'FTs', and how it can be politicised leaves me rather uncomfortable.
Anyway, the FTSE if off 53pts this morning, so back to the grind-stone... days like this and these last few weeks the prospect of this future nebulous 'Retirement Day!' seem to recede back almost beyond the horizon...