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farfromhome · 05-28-2004, 12:38 AM

My 2 cents.
All the advice I've seen here is sound. But the most important analysis just isn't discussed much.Ten years ago I thought I had the world by the balls.I had been working for the same people since I was 18. Through SEPs,401ks and a company pension I thought things were looking great.I contributed a lot.Not the maximum,but a good amount.I had what I thought was a good marriage.I had a humble (but cheap) home in the country.Two beautiful children.It was about this time that I shifted most of my money into the tech secter.Trying to heed the advice of professionals I held on as the money went away.Then my wife left me.She moved 2,500 miles away.I bear my share of blame for letting this happen.I trusted her and I should not have.But...
I need to be a father.Thats all I ever really wanted to be.I didn't see that earlier in my life.
I had to quit my good paying union job after 24 years.It was financial suicide.I knew that.(As an aside...Oregon is not leading the country in unemployment for the first time in quite a while.whopee!).
Its amazing how quickly you can burn through your saving.I was days away from heading back home when I finally found a job here. I'm making almost exactly half of what of what I made in NY.As a consequence I had to pull money out of my IRAs. I had no choice.
I'm sorry for rambling. Heres my point: Financial advisers will give their advice based on what you tell them. But nothing is more important than the circumstances of your life.I look at my own experiences and wish I had been more conservative.

05-28-2004, 12:38 AM	#27
farfromhome Management Consultant Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Portland,OR/Conesus,NY Posts: 166	My 2 cents. All the advice I've seen here is sound. But the most important analysis just isn't discussed much.Ten years ago I thought I had the world by the balls.I had been working for the same people since I was 18. Through SEPs,401ks and a company pension I thought things were looking great.I contributed a lot.Not the maximum,but a good amount.I had what I thought was a good marriage.I had a humble (but cheap) home in the country.Two beautiful children.It was about this time that I shifted most of my money into the tech secter.Trying to heed the advice of professionals I held on as the money went away.Then my wife left me.She moved 2,500 miles away.I bear my share of blame for letting this happen.I trusted her and I should not have.But... I need to be a father.Thats all I ever really wanted to be.I didn't see that earlier in my life. I had to quit my good paying union job after 24 years.It was financial suicide.I knew that.(As an aside...Oregon is not leading the country in unemployment for the first time in quite a while.whopee!). Its amazing how quickly you can burn through your saving.I was days away from heading back home when I finally found a job here. I'm making almost exactly half of what of what I made in NY.As a consequence I had to pull money out of my IRAs. I had no choice. I'm sorry for rambling. Heres my point: Financial advisers will give their advice based on what you tell them. But nothing is more important than the circumstances of your life.I look at my own experiences and wish I had been more conservative. __________________ When you ain't got nothing-you ain't got nothing to lose.