Thursday, July 27, 2023
Coffee with MarkZ 07/27/2023
"Playing with F.I.R.E. Without Getting Burned" BY TAMMY TRENTA , 27 JULY
By Tammy Trenta, MBA, CFP, CTC, CEXP; Founder and CEO - Family Financial
We live in a world marked by immediacy. Technology fills our days with instant gratification where even the most obscure requests can be met on demand. Convenience is the new ideal; it should be easy to get the ‘boring stuff’ out of the way quickly to do the things we truly want to do.
The F.I.R.E. movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is an example of this new mindset; some are banking their futures on the peaceful coexistence of immediacy and practicality. F.I.R.E. throws the old standard - working a nine-to-five job through age 65 - out the window. It states that with enough discipline, people can and should retire as young as they choose - even in their 30s.
But achieving any ambitious goal requires sacrifice - which is rarely convenient. To avoid being burned by F.I.R.E., you’ll need to find the right balance of sacrifice and practicality.
Knowing how much to save
The first step is to figure out how much you’ll actually need during your retirement years. Think about what you want your life to look like and what is likely to change over time (Family status? Location? Inheritance?). And don’t forget about inflation!
Once you identify the amount you’ll need and when, consider what you need to live on now and your capacity for saving. Will you make it? If the answer is no, your options are to spend less, earn more, or a timeline adjustment. Each option requires a hard reality check.
Spending less
What are you (really) willing to give up today for an independent tomorrow? If you’re just starting out, drastic adjustments are easier to implement. But if you’ve already achieved a comfortable lifestyle, are you realistically going to go backwards to save money?
I speak from experience. Prior to the pandemic, our family was comfortable, but overwhelmed by the accumulation of stuff. The minimalist lifestyle was appealing, so we downsized. But when COVID hit and my son was home from school for a year, we were overwhelmed in the opposite direction - we quickly learned that staring at each other in our 800-square-foot apartment was enough to drive us all mad.
Sacrifice is a very individual concept and will look differently for everyone. Housing (often your largest expense) is a great example. Teaming up with roommates or living with parents to save money can be appealing for some, but is a dealbreaker for others. In major cities, we are seeing a big push for “pods” - inexpensive spaces just large enough to sleep in, with communal areas to eat and shower. While this doesn’t appeal to me, it works for many.
Earning more
If you are ambitious enough to try to retire before 40, chances are, you’re also ambitious enough to shoot for a job that pays very well. When it comes to your (short) career path, a good rule of thumb is to aim to double your income every 5 years.
Gone are the days of corporate loyalty when people would work at the same job for decades. Now, trading up for more money is all but expected. And today’s gig economy offers plenty of flexible options for those looking for an income boost. However you go about it, remember, doubling your income means doubling your savings - a big incentive if you’re a F.I.R.E. adherent.
And be sure to give higher education the scrutiny it deserves. We’re well beyond the days when college automatically equaled better income potential. If you’re into F.I.R.E., you may be savvy enough to learn the skills you need without the hefty tuition bill.
Controlling the Burn
If F.I.R.E. feels a bit too hot for your lifestyle, there are F.I.R.E.-lite alternatives. Retiring at 50 instead of 40 could give you some freedom while giving your pocketbook additional power. Extended breaks here and there could allow you to explore while keeping your earning potential intact. And part-time gigs are a way to give your daily life breathing room.
So before you jump into the F.I.R.E., let's sprinkle in a dash of reality. Life, with its beautiful unpredictability, may throw a curveball or two. If you're blessed with a long, vibrant life expectancy, remember: plans sometimes dance to their own tune. And should you grace the world with your presence longer than expected, make sure your treasure chest is bountiful. No crystal ball here, just some heart-to-heart advice: tread with care and ensure the adventure is truly golden.
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/playing-with-fire-without-getting-burned
"BANK OWNERS & CITIZENS PROTEST DETERIORATION OF IQD", 27 JULY
Depreciation of Iraqi Dinar sparks Protests
Dozens of people have reportedly protested in front of the offices of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) in Baghdad following a fall in value of the Iraqi Dinar (IQD) against the US dollar. Over the previous two days, the dollar is said to have risen from 1,470 dinars to 1,570 dinars.
According to Associated Press, bank owners called for "official action" to prop up the dinar.
Last week the US banned 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions.
https://www.iraq-businessnews.com/2023/07/27/depreciation-of-iraqi-dinar-sparks-protests/
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Bank owners and citizens protest deterioration of the Iraqi dinar following US ban on Iraqi banks
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Dozens of people protested in front of the Central Bank of Iraq in Baghdad and bank owners called for official action to stem a sharp increase in the dollar exchange rate Wednesday, after the United States blacklisted 14 Iraqi banks.
Over the past two days, the market rate of the dollar jumped from 1,470 dinar per dollar to 1,570 dinar per dollar. The jump came after the U.S. listed 14 private Iraqi banks among banks that are banned from dealing with U.S. dollars due to suspicions of money laundering and funneling funds to Iran.
The ban was imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on July 19.
“The listing of almost one third of the private banks as banned from dealing with the U.S. dollar will have negative consequences from many perspectives,” Haidar al Shamaa, owner of a private bank in Baghdad said at a news conference Wednesday.
He called on “the brothers at the Iraqi government to work ... to undo the damage which occurred to us specifically, and to the Iraqi banking section in general.”
The 14 banks facing the ban issued a joint statement urging the Iraqi government to address the issue and warning that banning a third of Iraq’s private banks from dollar trading would not only impact the dollar price but hinder foreign investment.
Protesters organized by a group calling itself Thuwar Tishreen (October Revolutionaries), which is connected to a movement that started mass protests in Iraq in 2021, also demanded that the government take action to halt inflation.
Also on Wednesday, central bank chief Ali al-Allaq told the state-run Iraqi News Agency that his institution continues to provide dollars at the official rate of 1,320 dinar to the dollar for “all legitimate transactions” including “remittances and credits for various imports.”
He blamed the current rise in the street price of the dollar on the “reluctance of certain merchants” who “do not practice legitimate activities and operations” to use the official electronic platform used for currency requests.
On Sunday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani met with al-Allaq and discussed measures to stabilize the dinar price against the dollar.
A similar dive in the value of the dinar took place earlier this year after measures taken by the United States late last year to stamp out money laundering and the channeling of dollars to Iran and Syria from Iraq severely restricted Iraq’s access to hard currency.
"THE GOVERNMENT IS PROCEEDING WITH ITS MEASURES TO BYPASS US FEDERAL CONSPIRACY", 27 JULY
Al-Sudani confirms that the government is proceeding with its measures to bypass the US federal conspiracy
EXCERPTS FROM MARKZ, 27 NOV
EXCERPTS FROM MARKZ Member: Ariel posted the HCL is done MZ: It’s not been officially announced but there are some solid clues that it coul...
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Frank26 [Bank story] This time we didn't go down, we just called [the bank]... We said we want to see if we can exchange some cu...
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Bank appointment for Currency EXCHANGE Instructions/Checklist Bank Name_________________________________________ Bank 800#____________...
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Walkingstick All these meetings that the CBI had with all these agencies that were helping them with their monetary reform are done. Al...