I was looking for a board about ideas on how to retire early. I went to one board - can't recall - FIRE?? It was a bunch of old Republicans grumping about everyone who wasn't old, male and white. With lots of politics.

So I came here - it seems to be PA-lite. With grumpy Republicans.

What exactly is this board about? I mean, when it is on-topic.

Is it ever on-topic?

Ideas for how to save money on taxes or invest tax-free?? Financial planners??

Is any board at TMF ever on-topic???

Confused..and wannt retire....earlier rather than later...
8)

ask your questions here and the CampFIre board...and it will get answered..

in between 'on topic' questions....we beat up on libs and socialists here. We show how they are and will increasingly bankrupt the country with the 'entitlement' programs that are unaffordable.



t.

I was looking for a board about ideas on how to retire early. I went to one board - can't recall - FIRE?? It was a bunch of old Republicans grumping about everyone who wasn't old, male and white. With lots of politics.

So I came here - it seems to be PA-lite. With grumpy Republicans.

What exactly is this board about? I mean, when it is on-topic.

Is it ever on-topic?



bizarre isn't it
(though ,imo, "grumpy repubs" is rather charitable)

what seems to have happened...

"retire early" is a rather limited topic ..only so much you can say and not much left for day-to-day
so ..like lots of other boards, the original (other) RE board evolved into a more social board ... just that it somehow attracted the most rabid and delusional reactionaries at TMF (makes the Conservatives look almost liberal)

so ..... someone (i forget who) felt that a newbie looking at that board for RE info, who was to the left of GlenBeck, would see it as a 'hostile environment' and created this board for 'liberals'

but ... several of the original RE wackos (NTTAWWT!!) felt the need to come here .. god only knows why /what they think they're accomplishing

in a rational Universe, they'd be ignored as 'trolls' .. but that's not the Universe we live in.

so ..as you say, the other RE has become a further right Con Fools and this a PA-lite .. 5 days out of seven, utterly worthless.


==

<<So I came here - it seems to be PA-lite. With grumpy Republicans.>>



Republicans are here to provide diversity.



Seattle Pioneer

What exactly is this board about?

Pretty much anything someone want to talk about. Retirement planning, tax issues, investment strategies are all allowed if you want to bring up a topic. Actually, there is quite a bit of expertise and experience among the posters. It's just that we've talked about all of that stuff so we only wander back to those topics if someone reads an interesting article or a law changes that impacts our strategies, or ...

Is it ever on-topic?

Sometimes. (see above)

Ideas for how to save money on taxes or invest tax-free?? Financial planners??

Sure. Introduce yourself. Tell us where you are in the process or ask a question or tell us something you think is important that we might not know.

Is any board at TMF ever on-topic???

I've visited and participated in a lot of retirement planning sites and investment sites over the years. It seems to me that after awhile, they all turn into social discourse sites. 8 or 10 or a dozen or so posters who agree on enough fundamental issues tend to become the primary posters. They establish the environment. Once they have all discussed investment strategies, tax strategies, mortgage strategies, health care strategies, etc. several times, the site tends to become a social thing. Then one day, Congress passes a new tax code or approves a new tax-deferred investment rule, or someone finds an article that explains a new study on asset allocation, or ... And then everyone digs into it and figures it out. Sometimes someone will do some analysis or develop a simulation and share the results. Then it's back to social discussions until the next time someone brings up retirement/financial issues.

This site certainly falls into that category except that we also share the space with a couple of right wing trolls. They are mostly a minor annoyance once you figure out what the situation is.

I was looking for a board about ideas on how to retire early. I went to one board - can't recall - FIRE?? It was a bunch of old Republicans grumping about everyone who wasn't old, male and white. With lots of politics.

So I came here - it seems to be PA-lite. With grumpy Republicans.

On the retirement topics got hashed out years ago. Best thing to do is ask a question.

The retirement investing board is pretty good:

http://boards.fool.com/retirement-investing-100154.aspx?mid=...

I was looking for a board about ideas on how to retire early.

For starters, stay out of debt, live beneath your means, and sock away as much as you possibly can.

A whole lot is going to depend on your details and your goals. Other boards could be useful for more targeted questions, for example, Tax Strategies and Retirement Investing.

If you have some serious time to devote to it in the next 30 days, or when you do, take advatage of the free trial of the Fool's Rule Your Retirement premium subscription service. There's tons of stuff there drawn from all over the place.

Phil
Rule Your Retirement Home Fool

half the folks on this board and CAMPFire boards are already happily retired early.

t.

Other boards could be useful for more targeted questions, for example, Tax Strategies and Retirement Investing.

Well...that's low, don't you think. What are you doing. Just passing through here seeing if you can scavenge new posters to the boards you normally post at?

"so ..... someone (i forget who) felt that a newbie looking at that board for RE info, who was to the left of GlenBeck, would see it as a 'hostile environment' and created this board for 'liberals'"

I believe it was intercst who started this board after the other board he started turned sour.

-drip

StockGodess,

I expect most Boards are seldom on topic if it's invaded by "grumpy Republicans"<g>.

That said, I'd suggest posting a question, or two (or more). It would be a real treat to get off the PA-lite treadmill.

As to financial planners, we use a fee-only planner. This is partly because we've had to deal w/ aging parent's finances and partly to keep the peace between MDH & I, who have very different approaches to investing. Then there was the transition from investing while working to investing for income and capital preservation.

Anyway, a fee-only planner doesn't sell investment "products" to clients to up the planner's income. Do interview several before settling on "the one". Some are of the opinion that, "I'm the planner. Once I get your risk profile, this is how I'll do it." Others are more willing to work with you and take note of your changing circumstances, as well as the market's.

Most have a method they use. If you're not comfortable with their method, look for others.

I didn't set out to find someone to max my investments to allow me to retire early. I ended up retiring a bit early (a bit over 60) because I was part of a company RIF. I kind of volunteered for it, because I'd hit 60 and had the resources to do it. As a result the company paid a rather nice "retirement bonus" that I hadn't expected. It wasn't enough to allow retirement, in and of itself, but it was a nice boost to the retirement funds.

One bit of advice is to game the system. I knew people in the late '90's that kept track of workforce reductions and planned for them. They usually had a new job lined up before the axe fell and let TPTB know they'd be willing to be cut. They took the severance package and moved on to a new job.

Track how your company reduces their workforce and what compensation is offered. In my case, each successive "package" was smaller than the preceding wave. It was time to exit.

Good luck!
PM

I'm fairly new and what I've noticed is that there are a couple of nuts who hang out on many of the boards and spout a bunch of nonsense. You can't get rid of the crazy...just ignore them.

As far as advice about retiring early, these boards are the best. But you have to ask a question to get advice. Or post an article about finance, etc., and see what people say. I just post whatever I think is interesting and hope someone here does, too. Besides, my brother, ariechert, has been a poster here for at least 10 years and I kinda know what he might be interested in...almost anything but politics I think!

"Besides, my brother, ariechert, has been a poster here for at least 10 years and I kinda know what he might be interested in...almost anything but politics I think! "


Food...food...food...bacon....food..... small cars that cost under $12,000 and get 60 mpg like those little European models....food.....cooking food..making big sandwiches....food again....

getting food...preparing food.....squirrels......dog.....more food....

Art is easy to please...


t.

I was looking for a board about ideas on how to retire early. I went to one board - can't recall - FIRE?? It was a bunch of old Republicans grumping about everyone who wasn't old, male and white. With lots of politics. - stockgoddess


The first 100,000 posts or so on that board are all on topic. Then we got bored with talking about the same old stuff over and over and somehow or other politics got added to the mix and it took over.

And for the record I agree with you. Politics sux. Boring. But the problem is if they didn't talk about politics there'd only be two posts a day on that board.

Artie

Hey, Art was just posting today--or was it yesterday--about his early retirement income streams. There's much more to Art than bacon.

And lately I'm posting about grandmotherhood, coz that's my new phase, and boy has it wreaked havoc with my retirement! We had plenty to retire in SC, but now I'm living in NYC to babysit. So a bit of life-tweaking is happening. Like planning to sell the house we thought we were retiring in, in favor of a NY apartment. So lots of stuff to get rid of (need anything?!). My point (I actually have one-) is that no matter how much you plan, things can change.Even you can change.

This site certainly falls into that category except that we also share the space with a couple of right wing trolls. They are mostly a minor annoyance once you figure out what the situation is. - salaryguru


and you see those two little smiley faces to the right of the person's name in the upper left hand corner of the post? If you click on the "angry" smiley face it makes that person disappear forever. It's called the "ignored fool" button and it puts the person in a "time out" box and the only way they can get out of the box is if you choose to unignore them. You do that by either going to your edit profile page and finding the list of favorite and ignored fools and deleting them from your ignore box or you can find them in the list of posts and click on unignore poster.

One button makes them a favorite fool and the other one makes them disappear into your ignored fool box.

Artie

As far as advice about retiring early, these boards are the best. But you have to ask a question to get advice. Or post an article about finance, etc., and see what people say. I just post whatever I think is interesting and hope someone here does, too. Besides, my brother, ariechert, has been a poster here for at least 10 years and I kinda know what he might be interested in...almost anything but politics I think! - lindytoes


In the early years of the Retire Early CampFIRE board all we did was talk about early retirement and there are a plethora of posts and threads about early retirement but the problem for those of us who have been a member here from the begining we got talked out about retire early topics. Everything that needed to be said had been said. And for those of us who are retired early our strategies have been rehashed several times over.

So my point is if you want to learn about early retirement just read the early posts on the Campfire board. And ignore the nutters. There are certain keywords that if see them it's usually an immediate signal for me to hit the "next" button.

Artie

Food...food...food...bacon....food..... small cars that cost under $12,000 and get 60 mpg like those little European models....food.....cooking food..making big sandwiches....food again....

getting food...preparing food.....squirrels......dog.....more food....

Art is easy to please... tele
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Travel posts are nice. Especially if they are in a tropical location.
I'm also interested in fishing, diving, spearfishing, guns and hunting, animals, birds, snakes, bicycles, cheap living, saving money, quantum physics, the holographic nature of our universe - and yes it's a real thing, near death experiences, death bed visions, mystical experiences, precognitive dreams, love and sex, movies and TV, world music.

Artie

Hey, Art was just posting today--or was it yesterday--about his early retirement income streams. There's much more to Art than bacon. - alstromeria


You know what else I like? Archery. When I was a kid I was a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow. I had a small fiberglass bow and arrows and I'd walk up and down the railroad track in the old empty field full of tumbleweeds and bushes and rocks and look for stuff to shoot with my bow and arrow. I got pretty good with it.

I also like to fish. I've caught a lot of fish in my life. Lots of bluegill and bass and some ocean fish in Florida and the Keys.

Right now I'm re-reading "Near Death Experiences: A Holographic Explanation by Dr. Oswald Harding, PhD. The first time I read it I found it difficult to understand. It's like he took his PhD dissertation and just slapped a cover on it. I think I'm getting a whole lot more out of it the second time around - but I am still reading it at a slow pace trying to understand all the deeper concepts.

Artie

Archery. When I was a kid I was a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow.

I like archery, too. I was totally fascinated w/ Robin Hood. One day I decided I could shoot an arrow over our house from the alley. So I drew the bow back and let fly. The arrow arched upward - and landed in the kitchen window.

Dad had to replace the storm window. It never even dentedthe interior window. So much for using a kid's toy bow, however professional it looked<sigh>.

Never did get much grief for it, tho'<G>>.

PM

Another archery fan here. I was pretty good as a child. When my mother went back to work, we had to go to our school system's elementary age summer program (essentially day camp, but cheap). Archery was one of the activites, and my personal fave. I was the most accurate in every group in those summer sessions, at least that's how I remember it.

I am also a fan of Robin Hood and own the DVD of the Errol Flynn version. I watch it at least a couple of times a year. I also took a full year course in History of England, partly because of my Robin Hood obsession, back when I was a planning to be a history major. Perhaps it was archery that actually got me interested in anthropology, now that I think of it.

Like planning to sell the house we thought we were retiring in, in favor of a NY apartment. So lots of stuff to get rid of (need anything?!)
--alstro...
---------------

Hey after they go to SC to get your stuff they can come to my house to get my stuff....but I have a lot of junk. Not sure most of it is worth much. Perfect for a yard sale but I hate yard sales. <Sigh>

Artie: "Travel posts are nice. Especially if they are in a tropical location. "

Key West is likely the best place to get Art interested.

I'm sure he'd like to skin, gut, then eat some of those tropical animals and fish...


t.

"I'm sure he'd like to skin, gut, then eat some of those tropical animals and fish." - tele


Okay I admit it when I see stories about Alligators or those Burmese Pythons in South Florida I can't help wondering how tasty they might be? I know people commonly eat alligator but Burmese Pythons haven't caught on too much yet. They eat pythons in Asia so why not in South Florida? Might be pretty tasty?

I saw Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel eat buffalo gator "wings", the part that looks like a chicken wing and he said you can't hardly tell the difference. After all alligators are not that very distantly related to birds.

Artie

I'm sure he'd like to skin, gut, then eat some of those tropical animals and fish...

Folks gots ta eat--and it's awwwl good eatin'!

=alstro, channeling a hunky young David Strathairn as a Cajun in "Passion Fish," another movie I love...highly recommended if you like good acting by Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard as well as unusual and well-acted secondary characters, a bayou setting, unique subject matter, John Sayles, and zydeco

"alstro, channeling a hunky young David Strathairn as a Cajun in "Passion Fish," another movie I love...highly recommended if you like good acting by Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard as well as unusual and well-acted secondary characters, a bayou setting, unique subject matter, John Sayles, and zydeco"


Thanks for the heads up about Passion Fish. I went over to Netflix and added it to our queue. I'm a big Alfre Woodard fan anyway. I also like bayous and stuff like that. Sounds sort of interesting and I think my wife would especially like it since it sounds sort of like it has a sort of chick flick flavor to it.

Artie

<<I am also a fan of Robin Hood and own the DVD of the Errol Flynn version. I watch it at least a couple of times a year.>>



How about the television version of "Robin Hood"?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w7ALMIUy74&feature=relat...



Seattle Pioneer

<<Like planning to sell the house we thought we were retiring in, in favor of a NY apartment. So lots of stuff to get rid of (need anything?!)
--alstro...
---------------

Hey after they go to SC to get your stuff they can come to my house to get my stuff....but I have a lot of junk. Not sure most of it is worth much. Perfect for a yard sale but I hate yard sales. <Sigh>>>



For 5,000 years of human history, part of the struggle has been to acquire the "stuff of life."


Now the struggle is ----


getting rid of it!



Seattle Pioneer

For 5,000 years of human history, part of the struggle has been to acquire the "stuff of life."
Now the struggle is ----
getting rid of it!

The downside of a nice-sized home...furnishing it! "Small is beautiful" is new the national mantra, right? Also "repurpose."

My BFF asked for a list of what I want to sell. She's moving into a much bigger house in the Cincinnati (I'm finanly learning how to spell that city-) burbs of KY...paying about what I'll be paying for a small apartment in NYC! If I decide to buy, that is. Anyway, they need a lot more furniture as they got rid of inherited stuff & other stuff they didn't like with this move. She's probably buying everything in my family room (a kind of room I'm most unlikely to have!). And maybe one of my living room sofas. And maybe my beachy guest room stuff (white glazed...pretty...sniff!).

If we're lucky enough to get a 2BR, I'll use the office furniture and my new "city futon" (arrives Saturday) as my guest room. It looks like waiting room seating rather than a usual futon. If I go to the moderate-incomce housing (built for Navy Yard workers in WWII), I might be able to swing a 3BR, but then I'd probably want bunk beds for grandkids in the 3rd BR (too bad we sold the ones we used to have in my son's room! alas, I could not see the future).

My inherited stuff is my favorite. My parents got 40s-modern furniture when they got married. The 2 pieces that came to me remain prized possessions. My mother still has a matching end table that I helped my father tile & grout back when I was maybe 10 (my brothers had no interest in handyman stuff, but I did). Along with my husband's chippendale sofa that I reupholstered in 2000. And our comfy Ethan Allen recliners that don't appear to be recliners...in my favorite color, sunny yellow. And the Indian rug that ties the disparate colors & styles together.

=alstro, apparently still a material girl...but soon with much less material!

"Confused..and wannt retire....earlier rather than later...
8) "


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Unfortunately, most approaches that do not involve a whole lotta luck
involve budgets - worse yet, budgets involve figuring out what you
want to do and how frequently you want to do it and what things you
want to do more and what things you want to do less.
Then it gets even more exasperating - cause you have to figure out
a whole lotta "what-ifs" and how likely the "what-ifs" become
real "oh h#lls bells".

Overall, it is not surprising that folks of all political stripes
grouch and complain and blame everyone else for being the cause of
having to live on what you've made and earn and all.

So, you hafta ask a question every so often to get folks to
open up about what they did, are doing, and plan.


Howie52
Who is known to avoid "on-topic" comments unless there is absolutely
no other option.

I am also a fan of Robin Hood and own the DVD of the Errol Flynn version

I finally got to see the Errol Flynn Robin Hood at the Paramont Theater (restored from the 20's--beautiful!) It made the other Robin Hood movies make sense to me.

Vickifool

I know people commonly eat alligator but Burmese Pythons haven't caught on too much yet.

When we went to Australia, I ate crocodile. It was the best meat I ever tasted. I think that was because they have tne kind of muscles that can go from still to 60 mph in a second.

Vickifool

<<I am also a fan of Robin Hood and own the DVD of the Errol Flynn version

I finally got to see the Errol Flynn Robin Hood at the Paramont Theater (restored from the 20's--beautiful!) It made the other Robin Hood movies make sense to me.

Vickifool >>



Heh, heh!


"Somebody give me a nail. And a hammer."


"THUNK!"

Best moment in the new Robin Hood version.

Nobody can beat Errol Flynn, though. My favorite moment is the quarterstaff fight with Little John over the river.



Seattle Pioneer

so ..... someone (i forget who) felt that a newbie looking at that board for RE info, who was to the left of GlenBeck, would see it as a 'hostile environment' and created this board for 'liberals'

but ... several of the original RE wackos (NTTAWWT!!) felt the need to come here .. god only knows why /what they think they're accomplishing

Yes! I cam over here thinking something with the word liberal in the name might be a congenial environment for me, but half the board is greyed out with people I've p-boxed on other boards.

If there's a genuinely liberal board, please email me - don't say it out loud, the trolls will hear!


TIA
Reader99

so ..... someone (i forget who) felt that a newbie looking at that board for RE info, who was to the left of GlenBeck, would see it as a 'hostile environment' and created this board for 'liberals'

but ... several of the original RE wackos (NTTAWWT!!) felt the need to come here .. god only knows why /what they think they're accomplishing

Yes! I cam over here thinking something with the word liberal in the name might be a congenial environment for me, but half the board is greyed out with people I've p-boxed on other boards.

If there's a genuinely liberal board, please email me - don't say it out loud, the trolls will hear!


TIA
Reader99
-------------------

what???? I only have about 2 people ignored here....don't know how liberal you want...but I think there are a lot of normal people here....maybe more independent to liberal....then again, maybe you have me on ignored and won't see this!

what???? I only have about 2 people ignored here....



but there are days when those two are half the posts.


NTTAWWT!!!!!!!!


( if there's a genuinely liberal board --i don't know it )

NTTAWWT!!!!!!!!

What is this? Can it be spelled out or will it be flagged?

NTTAWWT!!!!!!!!

What is this? Can it be spelled out or will it be flagged?



wouldn't be flagged .. just a way to save tens of keystrokes.






.... one of many OLD and old TMF jokes....

.... one of many OLD and old TMF jokes....

Acronynm.com is your firend.

Count Uptoten

That acronym link wanted me to download and I just had a computer problem so I don't want to do that. I am getting hit by malware and viruses almost daily on my desktop. I am now on my laptop.

I just went to goggle, pasted the acronym and immediately came us with 'not that there is anything wrong with that'...attributed to Seinfeld (certainly for making it common usage).
--Linda

Acronynm.com is your firend. Count Uptoten


I went there and couldn't even figure out how to use it. I copied and pasted the letters Linda was asking about in the search engine at the bottom of the page and it sent me to some page asking me to join the Army or something?

If someone knows the answer why don't they just tell us what it is?

Artie

I just went to goggle, pasted the acronym and immediately came us with 'not that there is anything wrong with that'...attributed to Seinfeld (certainly for making it common usage).



ah yes ... i'd forgot it was from a Seinfeld.



(>,

Oops! Should be

http://www.acronymfinder.com/

Count Uptoten