There is no shortage of reading material if you wish to determine “The best time to collect social security.”
The vast majority conclude that it is best to wait as long as possible because the monthly income will be higher. Delayed social security income is larger than early social security income, and More is MORE!
I plan to do the opposite.
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Borrow money at 0%.
Invest at 5%+ guaranteed.
Profit.
A couple years ago we bought a house, paid in full with cash. Then I got a small mortgage as an inflation hedge and to invest for fun and profit.
We used a chunk of the mortgage to fund moving expenses and to acquire all of the typical home accoutrements, put solar on our roof, and pay the medium-sized tax bill that comes with selling enough stock to pay cash for a house. The remainder I put back into the market as a lump sum.
It has now been two years out of thirty. Let’s check in on how this investment is doing.
Luck.
What is it exactly? Per the Oxford Languages Dictionary, luck is “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.”
It was recently suggested that we may have been the beneficiaries of luck, which is why we are able to enjoy the lifestyle to which we have become accustomed. And given that this is the product of chance, it is irresponsible or misleading to suggest that others could do the same if only they made similar choices.
Is that an accurate statement? Let’s explore.
We have been living off our portfolio since late 2012 (~11 years.)
Life has evolved substantially in that time – we started as 2 carefree kids exploring the globe. Now we have 2 carefree kids and live in the suburbs.
Our core portfolio, on the other hand, has remained largely consistent… with the exception of adding a significant real-estate component (our house.)
I’ve updated some charts and created some new ones so we can all see what happened.
