Thursday, July 24, 2014

The most minor retirement fund milestone ever

I just got the confirmation statement that my employer set up my new 403(b) account -- there's no actual money in it yet (and sadly no employer match) but at least it looks like things will be good to go for my next paycheck.

Actually the whole thing is doing reasonably well. It's still super tiny, but I've added another $500 to my Roth IRA this month (all side hustle income) and the whole thing has collectively grown about $170 since I started it. It's good to watch that, although I'm not really looking forward to my first sustained market downturn, whenever that shows up.

Anyway, all basically good, and July should be a respectable if not spectacular month on most fronts.

8 comments:

  1. Congrats! Have fun watching it grow!

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    1. Thanks! These are like the only concrete steps I've taken towards real adulthood even though I am thirty-freaking-five years old, how did that happen, so I'm trying to be serious about them. :)

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  2. Don't turn into me and become a crazy account watcher... :) I check that retirement account far too frequently because it's still new and shiny, and I'm so impressed I have one!

    Great growth on the Roth already!

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    1. LOL, I check it every single day, for exactly the same reason. But I am a daily checker overall -- I weigh myself about every other day, sometimes every day. It makes me feel better. I think it's ok because I understand, both with the stock market and with the scale, that day to day fluctuations are basically meaningless. I just like to keep an eye on things; I don't freak out if the daily result isn't what I'd like. I think it's only dangerous if you panic based on day to day ups and downs.

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  3. I second Alicia... I admit I check the accounts at least 1 per day, and then I try to avoid it like the plague. It's unnerving at times. Just drop it and let it do its thing. $500 on the Roth is great! I started mine with the minimum amount ($1k), and only add a very sad $35 per check every two weeks. Sad, but it's as much as I can do. It still grows!

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    1. Yeah, I think it's ok because I don't really find it unnerving -- I just kind of like to know what's happening, but I'm aware that it's meaningless. :) And growing it at all is the important thing -- not how much!

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  4. Congrats on getting the account setup! You may call it minor, but if you don't setup an account anywhere it is very difficult to you know, save.

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