2020 Year End Review
January 2nd, 2021 at 05:19 amWow, when you thought "life can't get any crazier", 2020 comes along and takes that statement as a challenge. With that stating the obvious, here is my year in review.
Well I sure didn't expect this. I had been expecting some type of pullback at the start of the year and March sure gave it to us. Yet like everyone else here I am with amazing growth by year end. I started the year with investments at $1,090,000 and ended with them at $1,305,000. I put $50,000 into my accounts which means they grew $165,000. That's way more than I gross in a year (and multiples of my yearly expenses). Hard to believe this amount doesn't even match the 2019 growth, though I discount that given the large drop at the end of 2018 inflating that number. As I mentioned last year, I was able to double contribute to my 457 account this year for a total of $39k. Of that I contributed as 95% Roth. I also upped my savings account (outside of the investments) by $5,000 which is nice to see too (its now over 1 year of expenses).
As part of my "investments" (though not included above) I am one year further along with my pension. I now have a vested yearly payout of $36k, though I need to hold on to the beginning of 2023 for that. The exciting thing for me is that I am now eligible for an immediate reduced pension. I could leave today and get $24k/year, but I think I can handle sticking around for two more years. I remember 2003 when I was unemployed and getting around $1,000/mo. unemployment, having very little savings and a mortgage. And thinking that unemployment would run out in a few months, and then what? My situation today is a world of difference.