It’s Father’s Day 2021, the first morning of our family beach vacation on Cape Cod. Waking up next to the Ocean with the picturesque views and the sounds of our children brings so much joy. The first cup of coffee with the sun warming my face on the deck ties it all together.
Coffee I need or trouble you fill find
YODA COFFEE MUG
This is part of my vision for an ideal retirement, and a chance to recharge from the grind of work. We are still working remotely, but the World is transitioning back to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic. As sweet as it would be, we would deplete our nest egg pretty quickly renting ocean front beach houses.
A vacation is a special treat, but also looking forward to other pastimes to indulge during (an early) retirement that are less expensive:
- Learning French on Duolingo (933 day streak and counting)
- Riding my mountain bikes and Ebikes
- Working on a blog built on AWS Lightsail 😉
Another interest is following the financial markets, so I spend time every day reading articles and chatting on message boards to compare notes. Our portfolio has expanded from an S&P 500 index fund to over 100 positions in individual stocks, REITS, ETFs, CEFs, MLPs, Preferred Stocks, and bonds. Our focus has evolved from growth, to dividend growth investing (DGI), to income and capital preservation. I subscribe to High Dividend Opportunities (HDO) on the Seeking Alpha platform and the guidance and knowledge is invaluable at this phase of our financial journey.
This past week the markets fell as the Fed made statements that inflation could be coming sooner than expected. Our accounts were down a couple percent, which is not ideal, but we focus on the income generated which is steady. Still, we always need to monitor and evaluate our positions and make adjustments as needed, which will continue once we achieve (an early) retirement.
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| Disclaimer: I am not a financial planner and content on this site is meant to provide food for thought, not professional advice. I share my experiences to show what worked so far and what didn’t, YMMV. Please consult your financial advisor or tax professional as needed. |
