Comments on: An Engineer’s View of Retirement http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:31:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: The Financial Blogger | Financial Ramblings http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-4495 The Financial Blogger | Financial Ramblings Sat, 29 Mar 2008 10:25:59 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-4495 [...] An Engineer’s View of Retirement by Canadian [...] [...] An Engineer’s View of Retirement by Canadian [...]

]]> By: Carnival of Personal Finance # 145: Baby Education Edition | Million Dollar Journey http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-4402 Carnival of Personal Finance # 145: Baby Education Edition | Million Dollar Journey Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:11:38 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-4402 [...] from Canadian Dream: Free at 45 presents An Engineer’s View of Retirement, and says, "Problem solving with an engineer's [...] [...] from Canadian Dream: Free at 45 presents An Engineer’s View of Retirement, and says, "Problem solving with an engineer's [...]

]]> By: Canadian Dream http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-4014 Canadian Dream Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:34:44 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-4014 Syd, True. I could break 100, but at that point I would have likely sold the house and moved into a care home. So 90 is a good enough of a number. White Eagle, Engineers aren't lazy. We are efficient. *grin* Wooly, I've met many people who would make good engineers but are not. All in all it seems to be a good group of people as long as you understand their limits (ie: not the greatest social lights, but can carry a conversation). Jordan, Wow! That's a lot of questions. I won't try to cover them all here, I'll need a post to do that, but here is a good start. Frankly I don't know if I've been making the 5.5% real return or not. I likely have the data to confirm it, but I've yet to follow my rate of return all that closely. Why? Well because when you are starting out the amount of the return isn't all that important. +/-2% on $10,000 is hardly important compared to adding $20,000 to my net worth yearly. Granted now I'm likely to the point of I should be following it more closely. So thanks for all the questions. I'll write a post on them sometime later this month. Tim Syd,

True. I could break 100, but at that point I would have likely sold the house and moved into a care home. So 90 is a good enough of a number.

White Eagle,

Engineers aren’t lazy. We are efficient. *grin*

Wooly,

I’ve met many people who would make good engineers but are not. All in all it seems to be a good group of people as long as you understand their limits (ie: not the greatest social lights, but can carry a conversation).

Jordan,

Wow! That’s a lot of questions. I won’t try to cover them all here, I’ll need a post to do that, but here is a good start.

Frankly I don’t know if I’ve been making the 5.5% real return or not. I likely have the data to confirm it, but I’ve yet to follow my rate of return all that closely. Why? Well because when you are starting out the amount of the return isn’t all that important. +/-2% on $10,000 is hardly important compared to adding $20,000 to my net worth yearly. Granted now I’m likely to the point of I should be following it more closely. So thanks for all the questions. I’ll write a post on them sometime later this month.

Tim

]]> By: Wooly Woman http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-4006 Wooly Woman Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:48:17 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-4006 My grandfather was an engineer, planned out his retirement step by step, lived to 90. His mistake though was that when he did he planning he didn't expect to live until 90! So all his calculations were off, and they had to scramble a bit in later years. On the plus side he also miscalculated property value, which increased dramatically around the time he turned 90 (engineers can't see the future right? just guess at it), the result of which now allows my grandmother, his wife, to live on comfortably after his death. I am sure I inherited some of those "engineer" traits, even though I chose a different profession :) My grandfather was an engineer, planned out his retirement step by step, lived to 90. His mistake though was that when he did he planning he didn’t expect to live until 90! So all his calculations were off, and they had to scramble a bit in later years. On the plus side he also miscalculated property value, which increased dramatically around the time he turned 90 (engineers can’t see the future right? just guess at it), the result of which now allows my grandmother, his wife, to live on comfortably after his death. I am sure I inherited some of those “engineer” traits, even though I chose a different profession :)

]]> By: Jordan Clark http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-3991 Jordan Clark Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:16:20 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-3991 Hey Tim, so far have you so been successful at hitting your 7/5.5% rate of return on investments? From what I recall you're taking a passive investing approach based on index funds as well as a more active portfolio? Have they performed equally or been hit different with the market correction this year? Could you post more on what your investment strategy is? Do you use indexed mutual funds or ETFs? How much do you allocate to different indexes in your portfolio? What factors do you use to identify that a stock is a good buy? Are you open to sharing what holdings you have? Even if not, the way you track everything I bet you could give some really good detail on the rate of your return over the length of your investments? Cheers, Jordan Hey Tim, so far have you so been successful at hitting your 7/5.5% rate of return on investments?

From what I recall you’re taking a passive investing approach based on index funds as well as a more active portfolio? Have they performed equally or been hit different with the market correction this year?

Could you post more on what your investment strategy is? Do you use indexed mutual funds or ETFs? How much do you allocate to different indexes in your portfolio? What factors do you use to identify that a stock is a good buy? Are you open to sharing what holdings you have?

Even if not, the way you track everything I bet you could give some really good detail on the rate of your return over the length of your investments?

Cheers, Jordan

]]> By: White Eagle http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-3976 White Eagle Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:17:17 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-3976 From one engineer to another, I totally agree. Like they say, "A Good Engineer is a Lazy Engineer!" From one engineer to another, I totally agree.

Like they say, “A Good Engineer is a Lazy Engineer!”

]]> By: Retired Syd http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-3974 Retired Syd Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:13:14 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-3974 Tim: Loved this post, and I'm not even an engineer! Sounds like you come from healthy stock, though, you better assume 95 instead of 90! (Or take up smoking now). Tim:

Loved this post, and I’m not even an engineer! Sounds like you come from healthy stock, though, you better assume 95 instead of 90! (Or take up smoking now).

]]> By: Canadian Dream http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-3973 Canadian Dream Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:05:30 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-3973 Jordan, In my previous calculations I used a 8% rate of return, but then I deduct 1% as a margin of safety and then 1.5% for inflation to get 5.5% real rate of return. Tim Jordan,

In my previous calculations I used a 8% rate of return, but then I deduct 1% as a margin of safety and then 1.5% for inflation to get 5.5% real rate of return.

Tim

]]> By: Jordan Clark http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-3972 Jordan Clark Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:50:47 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-3972 What SWAG rate of return are you using for your investments? What SWAG rate of return are you using for your investments?

]]> By: Amanda @ Me vs Debt http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2008/03/07/an-engineers-view-of-retirement/comment-page-1/#comment-3969 Amanda @ Me vs Debt Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:16:20 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=377#comment-3969 Another engineer here, great post. Come on, Jonathan, do you really need to box an answer? Whats wrong with a relying on a little estimation and intuition. Funny thing about finances... doesn't work quite like physics. Where there is a will, there is a way! Another engineer here, great post. Come on, Jonathan, do you really need to box an answer? Whats wrong with a relying on a little estimation and intuition. Funny thing about finances… doesn’t work quite like physics. Where there is a will, there is a way!

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