Samm
102
But that’s not what happened. The accruing value of your IRA is the norm. You were not better off a year ago, the value was simply following the expected path. So it doesn’t matter if the stock market plunged and the price of gas soared two years ago or last month, the difference between two years ago and today is the same.
Bad faith argument.
If we are cherry picking which data points to assign within a given time period, then why not just do last week ? As you know, market had a bit of a rally last week, guess we must be doing ok after all 
Samm
104
All I’m saying is that just because your IRA has a higher value now than it did two years ago does not mean you are doing better. Your IRA is supposed to be better each and every year over the previous year. My IRA, by the way, because I am forced to take disbursements from it, is worth less than it did two years ago.
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That’s true. But I’d still say I’m doing better overall considering average expected accrual rate. We had some pretty steep growth between 2020 and 2021 especially in tech. This year has obviously been bad.
Samm
106
Your IRA isn’t everything …
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zantax
107
So I am not allowed to include this unnecessary inflation cost over the rest of my lifetime? Because generally speaking, most of the price increases are likely to be permanent.
Samm
108
How on earth did you draw that conclusion from my post?
zantax
109
Sorry, going too fast, retracted.
Correct. Generally i’m better off. Make more money, etc.
Samm
111
Making more money isn’t everything either …
absolutely no one thinks biden has been a great president, hes done a good job.
Allan
How do you think Senior Citizens living primarily on Social Security are doing in Biden’s economy?
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Also true.
Actually I’d even say overall it’s not a huge part of the entire picture.
People have personal lives, mental and physical health, career paths although that usually coincides with money. Keeping oneself in good physical shape through diet and exercise is super important, IMO.
Some people must. Big country, quite a few weirdos.
Hmm, not good with inflation.
Samm
117
One year is less than two, Alan. Being less well off than last year is also less well off than two years ago as far as your IRA is concerned even if your balance today is more than it was two years ago because it means you are losing ground, not gaining, it as is required to have a good retirement income when the time comes.
Samm
118
Yes, and between COVID, the Biden economy, and the winds of war in Europe, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who is better off today than two years ago, unless they were personally experiencing a really bad time in their lives two years ago. All of the general factors are worse today than they were then.
You have neither gained nor lost money in the market until you sell the asset. Until that time it’s just numbers on a computer and not money in your pocket.
For example, I have a neighbor that recently retired from teaching and received nearly $100,000 from the Florida Drop system. The money was then invested into equities and has since lost (on paper) around 20% of it’s value. If the market trend continues down, it’s going to get much worse for everyone.
Also, Lib’s seem hyper focused on the market and completely ignore the cost of gas, food, heating and cooling expense, airfare, and just over all inflation.
Ask the next guy you see filling up at the gas station if he’s better off and see what he tells you.
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ss will be adjusted for inflation, unsure when
Allan
I don’t really agree. But if someone insists they are worse off, I’m not going to question them. They know their life and I know mine.
