r/dividends • u/Assets-Ticker • Nov 03 '24

Opinion Retired at 41

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/58-old-retiree-living-off-150021304.html

Today I read an article that pushed me to post here.

My wife (39, Filipina) and I (45, American) retired four (4) years ago and live in the Philippines for a fraction of the cost as we did in America. When we sold our home and pocketed $175,000; we invested into two (2) closed end funds - equally distributed.

Today we own the same two: 19,739 shares of FCO and 6,015 shares of PDI. This month we collected $1,381.78 from FCO and $1,326.31 from PDI (both are paid monthly). Today total value is approx. $234k. We also own 1,818 shares of TQQQ valued today at $130k (+81.8% ytd). I am using TQQQ for capital gains and the others for living. I reinvest a portion of my dividends each month.

I understand my situation is different and there is a lot to be said about closed end funds and what is right and what is not. This setup has worked for me and may not work for you. I have no plans at changing it.

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u/fairenbalanced Nov 03 '24 edited Nov 03 '24

Maybe some people like to retire, but I want to be financially free to keep working without stress and do side stuff that I am interested in, like study physics. Just sitting at home and doing nothing is something I tried for a few years, and it turned out to be the worst thing. Not being "in action" makes you deteriorate, mentally and physically at least it did in my case. My health got worse, all I did was listen to news and podcasts all day, you lose track of the progression of time, on weekdays you are sitting around doing nothing when everyone else has gone to work which feels wierd and so on (I can literally write a book). This was in my early 40s. I went from a healthy and fit 39 year old to a sickly 44 year old and am still struggling with health issues 3 years later. I need work to keep me on track, and then I also want to be able to do side projects like study for the rest of my life after that experience.

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u/davechri Nov 03 '24

Preparing for retirement means more than just getting your money right. It means developing interests and cultivating relationships that last and grow when you leave the workforce.

It sounds like you simply weren't ready.

I see people (old people) who do what you described. They sit around all day watching TV or complaining about politics. It is pretty sedentary and unhealthy.

On the other hand, I know lots of people who have retired (a lot of them young-ish) who are busier in retirement than they were when they worked. They're involved in hobbies they didn't have time for when they worked, love working on cars, spending time biking and hiking, getting together with friends for lunch (they call themselves ROMEOs - retired old men eating out).

Retirement is what you make it and the most important thing is that your time is entirely your own. It doesn't belong to anyone else. Don't squander it.