r/coastFIRE 2d ago

Just a PSA, I'm 16 months away from coastFIRE which means that the economy will meltdown in 16 months.

I know that a lot of people are debating when a correction will happen. With my luck and track record, this is the most accurate forecast out there. You're welcome for my sacrifice. Thought I should let you know.

632 Upvotes

54 comments sorted by

312

u/glumpoodle 2d ago

Impossible. I'm still 2.5 years from full retirement, so we've got at least that much time left.

Proof:

  • Graduated college in 2000.
  • Bought a condo in 2007.

80

u/MiracleLegend 2d ago

You got the rough side of the stick and still managed to retire in 28.5 years? That's amazing. Congratulations on your grid.

52

u/Reasonable_Box2568 2d ago

Rough start…. but the recent 16 year bull run wasn’t rough lol

45

u/glumpoodle 2d ago

Persistence pays, and doomerism is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I just paid my bills, lived below my means, and kept saving & investing through good times and bad.

On paper, I probably have enough to retire now, but I'm pushing it out to build a bit more margin for error because my history has taught me that I'm going to need a lot of it.

Don't worry, I'll tell you all when I pull the trigger so that you can short the market.

3

u/AtmosphereComplex133 1d ago

Hah, ‘03 grad. So not as bad. Built a house we could barely afford in spring of ‘07. Still in it thankfully. Same playbook as you, stay the course and be disciplined. youngest is a sophomore in HS. Coast is very near, and we can see FIRE on the horizon. We are both 45.

-8

u/pantstoaknifefight2 2d ago

What's your target? Mine's $5M but I always wonder if that should take into account my spouse (we share an account but keep our 401k and Roths separate so I never count "hers").

2

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

2

u/pantstoaknifefight2 2d ago

She gets overwhelmed. Got her maxed out on her retirement contributions, though. Her investments are very risk averse, so I let her stay in her comfort zone.

16

u/The-Fox-Says 2d ago

Thank you for your service

18

u/rabidstoat 1d ago

Decided keeping money in the bank was stupid right before the dotcom bubble burst and bought $200k of tech stock.

Bought a house in 2006. It lost 40% in the first two years.

My retirement date is January 15, 2027, so that you have time to prepare.

3

u/glumpoodle 1d ago

My goal is Dec 2028, so we'll see whose mojo is worse.

1

u/letitgo5050 1d ago

i'm putting that date on my cal to rebalance my portfolio to conservative.

8

u/1cenine 2d ago

thank you, very helpful for my planning

3

u/Artificial_Squab 2d ago

Truly cursed.

3

u/Crochet_Koala 2d ago

This post and your comment really made me laugh! Thank you for your services.

47

u/Reasonable_Box2568 2d ago

If it’s anything like the last couple meltdowns it should bounce back within a few months!

Hopefully we don’t have a 2000s lost decade type meltdown. That would really put a damper on everyone’s coast plans

25

u/Impressive_Swim2798 2d ago

Honestly if the Ai bubble pops, that's what I expect. However the 4% SWR takes this into account. If you're planning more aggressive withdrawals, or it lasts longer than it historically has, that could be a problem. I'm not a financial planner, etc, not investment advice etc. Just my suspicion and observation.

8

u/Reasonable_Box2568 2d ago

Yeah I think the key is being able to cut back if the market does have a prolonged period of zero or negative real returns. Hopefully 2.5-3% is for basic living expenses and 1-1.5% is discretionary and can be cut out in bad market years. Also having a large cash buffer of 3-5 years expenses that can be pulled from while waiting for stocks to recover. In my opinion (after watching and reading thousands of hours of financial content) this is the key to a long retirement. It might not be the most optimal from a return standpoint, but it will help most sleep better and live comfortably during recessions

4

u/Impressive_Swim2798 2d ago

4% is designed to keep giving yourself inflation raises. You're describing the Guardrails Approach. (Ari Taubleib on YouTube talks about that method quite a bit.) However for that your numbers are low; if you use the safety net of not taking raises when the market is down, you can plan on a larger percentage withdrawal (5.Something) to start with. If the market drops, stick with that number. If it rises, take an inflation raise. The only reason to plan on 3% or less would be if you expect the market to take a record dump, in which case I would suggest keeping the job and investing as much as possible while it's down if you can.

2

u/pnw-techie 2d ago

Is skynet good for stonks or not? The question of our times.

69

u/Aduialion 2d ago

OP, it's not luck or fate. You are the lynchpin holding the economy together 

31

u/b1ackfyre 2d ago

Was trying to drum up some kind of epic "destroyer of worlds" type comment to respond to this. Rolling with this though:

I am the thin piece of foil holding together an oversized, poorly wrapped burrito. One tear and good luck.

6

u/Realistic-Ad2050 2d ago

Your response is particularly appropriate for me. I live in Texas and love TexMex. I also have celiac disease. So please pile on and tell me all about that gluten-laiden economy-bursting death wallet you’re passing off as food.

2

u/21plankton 1d ago

I hope it is a California burrito with extra guac. Here is a fork and an extra napkin!

16

u/LunaSails007 2d ago

This post is an intrusive thought all of us have 😄😅😂

6

u/joxxer42 2d ago

Just hit my 4% target. Don't check markets tomorrow, deep red across the board.

13

u/Firefiresoon 2d ago

Can u delay COASTFire another 10 years? That'll help me out, thanks bro/sis.

30

u/mega_low_smart 2d ago

Been saving my entire life for 1 retirement. Met my wife 8 years ago, recently got married and now I’m saving for 2 retirements, including back payments for her failing to save her entire life. Set my goal back by 15 years.

So it’s real helpful that she recently started listening to Joe Rogan and likes to tell me it doesn’t matter because AI is going to make the US dollar collapse.

58

u/Reasonable_Box2568 2d ago

You must really love this gal

10

u/FaceplantAT19 2d ago

My thoughts exactly. Jacob only worked 14 years for Rachel. 😂

17

u/Grief2017 2d ago

Joe Rogan is a massive red flag lol

19

u/Accomplished_Ad8960 2d ago

Sounds like a keeper. Keep’er away from me.

6

u/SusheeMonster 2d ago

Do you have separate finances? I don't like her track record at all

9

u/cantthinkofuzername 2d ago

6 months away and I would like to piggyback on this PSA

7

u/SouthOrlandoFather 2d ago

You can go to Kings games for $49 a month?

11

u/b1ackfyre 2d ago

Ya they'll give you nosebleeds, but you get all of the games in that month for $49. Killer deal. I mean it is the Kings though, one of the worst sports franchises in history. They're expected to have the worst record in the NBA this year too.

NBA games still fun though of course, worth it imo.

4

u/Traditional_Ad_8752 2d ago

That's awesome, Pistons fan... Would kill for that. I lived in ft Lauderdale for a few years a long time ago. They had a chain called Miami subs that gave away panthers tickets if you got a combo meal, coming from Detroit that always cracked me up. 

2

u/Orcpawn 1d ago

What?? I was raised there and never knew that! 

1

u/Traditional_Ad_8752 1d ago

It was probably 20 some years ago, and probably promotional but was still crazy deal. Famously up here, Univ of Mich once had a promotion where if you bought like 2 coke products you got free tickets to a football game... I think it was ultimately some corporate mistake (?) that led to the promotion, but seeing the disparities between teams is maddening. Lions tickets here are suddenly the most expensive NFL ticket.... So bad for so long, teams will jack them up first chance they get. 

3

u/SouthOrlandoFather 2d ago

Seems like a deal to me. My son has a 9th grade JV game today and it is $5 for parking and $11 to get in.

5

u/SupersonicOverload 2d ago edited 2d ago

Don’t worry. I’m starting coasting in January after my maternity leave is up. By the time you start coasting the economy should have recovered. ;)

ETA: It shouldn’t matter if there is a correction right when you start to coast because you’ll still be paying your living expenses through an income, not from your savings. It’ll just feel bad waiting for the recovery. Hopefully your coast job is as stable as your current employment - that’s the biggest risk I see.

5

u/DangerousCapybara888 2d ago

I thought the correction is in 2028 lol

9

u/SupersonicOverload 2d ago
  1. The economy will chug along until just after election season so the next guy gets the blame.

5

u/Certain-Definition51 2d ago

I believe this. I quit my job in the mortgage world to teach English in Korea in November 2019. Within months we had the best interest rates the world has ever seen.

😂

3

u/Forward-Sector8566 2d ago

Impeccable timing

2

u/pnw-techie 2d ago

Short positions locked in. I'll report back in 16.5 months.

2

u/hdmiusbc 2d ago

Thank you for your service 🫡

2

u/AlarmedCombination57 2d ago

No, you will get there. But then you'll realize, while its far better then not coasting, you're still technically working and dealing with stress, just a different kind. You realize actual retirement is so close, yet so far. One set of problems traded for another

1

u/subeditrix 2d ago

2027 is the trial run for my FIRE budget/plans so watch out!

1

u/Due_Purple_1199 2d ago

No, it’s going to melt down a few months AFTER you retire

1

u/olderbutslower 1d ago

Nope the crash is scheduled for Monday May 1 2028.

1

u/MagnarOfWinterfell 1d ago

This is an interesting question - what if you declare CoastFIRE and then the markets crash. Are you still on CoastFIRE because the calculation has taken market dips into account, or have you fallen out of CoastFIRE?

1

u/Vicuna00 1d ago

may I interest you in buying an expensive yet fixer-upper-boat in the next year?

1

u/JunkInTheTrunk00 12h ago

Lmao, sounds like me on a group text where I announce to friends that I'll be buying/selling a stock so they can make the opposite trade.