"It is possible, of course, to accumulate a decent portfolio of you deprive yourself, live on very little money, and just do the stupid thing like put your money in an index fund. Then you can do the 4% thing. If you have $1 million, you get to live on $40,000. Not my idea of a good life."

Yeah, Joel, you're right.

It would be much better to be an old man glued to a computer every day trying to time the market, while telling everyone how great you are doing and putting down what younger, wealthier folks have done because it disagrees with your method, lol.

"maybe the people on this board are just too stupid or, by now, too senile"

My guess is that you are a good 20 years older than most of the millionaires on this board. Yeah, we're the ones that are senile...

jb