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TexasTowelie

(126,557 posts)

37. I knew that I became a expendable commodity when the personnel office was renamed to

Sun Feb 16, 2014, 08:04 PM

Feb 2014

"Human Resources". Like most comodities, the people are there be used and disposed of after they are no longer useful.

I was fairly lucky about 10 years ago because the company I worked with matched half of the employee contribution up to the first 6% of salary on 401k plans. I also chose an aggressive mix of mutual funds that were invested in the Asian markets and tech.

I also kicked in to the ESOP plan when the stock price was near its lowest and the price tripled while I held. Overall, I drew a 120% return over four years, so I was pleased that I took the risk. I also was the beneficiary of some good timing since I sold all of the stock about three weeks before the market crashed in 2008.

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The Crushingly Expensive Mistake Killing Your Retirement [View all] xchrom Feb 2014 OP

Nationalize Retirement. Right now, it's just set up to line the pockets of the 1%. nt onehandle Feb 2014 #1

0.99^40 = 0.66897175857 Fumesucker Feb 2014 #2

Apparently not enough damage was done Skidmore Feb 2014 #3

We pay those fees to "very responsible" people... or at least people who dress up like they are. ;) reformist2 Feb 2014 #4

Stock market is a Ponzi Scheme PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #5

If you've been sitting at the poker table for an hour and don't know who the mark is.. Fumesucker Feb 2014 #6

We call em "fish" but yeah, pretty much tkmorris Feb 2014 #25

Dollar cost averaging and portfolio rebalancing exboyfil Feb 2014 #8

The owners do not keep you employed PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #9

Well, you aren't right on several levels. dawg Feb 2014 #11

blah blah blah PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #12

Apple pays 2.2% a year. dawg Feb 2014 #14

"But you can also use the market to beat them at their own game" PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #15

Do you really think they are that much smarter than us? They aren't. dawg Feb 2014 #16

This message was self-deleted by its author PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #17

Money begets Power begets more Money. And,... PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #18

Ummmm....... The earth ISN'T a closed system.... Adrahil Feb 2014 #30

This is true PowerToThePeople Feb 2014 #32

eternal? no... but with technology and proper environmental conservation.... Adrahil Feb 2014 #39

Perhaps. Igel Feb 2014 #21

401k's and savings accounts reddread Feb 2014 #7

I started an IRA back in 1984, for several years doc03 Feb 2014 #10

The early '80s were good for setting up IRAs. Igel Feb 2014 #23

What's the compound interest on zero? tridim Feb 2014 #13

Excellent point. I was lucky enough to doc03 Feb 2014 #20

The Crushingly Expensive Mistake Killing Your Retirement MattSh Feb 2014 #19

Defined BENEFIT pension plans are the ONLY guarantee of a decent retirement, stocks are a casino. Fred Sanders Feb 2014 #22

Alas, defined benefit pension plans really aren't a guarantee of a decent retirement. TexasTowelie Feb 2014 #26

My dad retired back in 1974 with a DB pension of almost $300 doc03 Feb 2014 #28

Many defined pension benefit plans have COLA clauses, full inflation or something like 2/3 of Fred Sanders Feb 2014 #40

I didn't know any had a COLA, without one if you live doc03 Feb 2014 #45

Also if a defined benefit pension goes under we can't depend on the PBGC doc03 Feb 2014 #29

Absolutely, because workers never get screwed out of their pensions, hughee99 Feb 2014 #34

Pension funds may be managed in defined benefit plans by an elected, independent board Fred Sanders Feb 2014 #41

Stocks are a casino, and real estate investments are also no guarantee. hughee99 Feb 2014 #43

Lots of good info here. ctsnowman Feb 2014 #24

(1 - 0.01)^40 ~ 1 - 40*0.01 ~ 0.60 to first order eppur_se_muova Feb 2014 #27

Rule of 72 is very helpful and simple enough for the less mathematically inclined to get Egalitarian Thug Feb 2014 #31

I think this artical is missing a more critical issue... madinmaryland Feb 2014 #33

The same here for myself TexasTowelie Feb 2014 #35

401k's are a cruel joke on the middle class by the 1 percenters. Given there is no madinmaryland Feb 2014 #36

I knew that I became a expendable commodity when the personnel office was renamed to TexasTowelie Feb 2014 #37

You make a really good point, in that it is "luck" that you made money off of your "retirement" plan madinmaryland Feb 2014 #38

Our supervisors' newest evaluation form Nevernose Feb 2014 #42

I remember telling my 20 year old co-workers 20 years ago Jenoch Feb 2014 #44