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I would have quit trying to time the market based on real or imagined fears for the future.
Other than the normal 20-20 hindsight stuff, eg starting earlier, never cashing out retirement accounts, not running up credit card debt, etc. I would have taken the $5000 in cash I earned as an exotic dancer on the Alaskan Pipeline in 1976 and made a downpayment on the W. 94th St apartment I could have purchased for $10K.
I would have taken better care of my teeth especially in my teenage years. I have huge expenses now resulting from replacing old dental work I had done in my 20’s and 30’s that could have been avoided. It is by far my largest expense today and limits other things I would much prefer to spend my retirement savings on. I live in an area with high medical/dental costs and dental insurance replaces only up to $2000 a year even with the best policies. That is a drop in the bucket for me.
I would really work harder to try and score a flying scholarship, and I would have pressed myself to really go out and start my flying career sooner rather than what I did, and actually relax my savings rate a little for a more sustainable journey
I would start much, much earlier.
I would invest 100% of my savings in stocks.
Keep minimum cash and no bonds or other investments.
I would do:
* 85% in diversified ETFs under a “buy and hold” (never sell) approach.
* 15% in diversified ETFs under a “market timing” approach.
Follow my indicators and buy and sell for mid-term (4 to 12 months) market moves.
The 85% “buy and hold” ETFs would be a mixture of:
* High dividend ETFs like VYM, SDY, DGRO, TDIC, etc. (60% of the 85%).
Dividends would be re-invested into the ETF.
* Broad market ETFs like SPY (S&P 500) and QQQ (Nasdaq) (40% of the 85%).
The 15% “market timing” ETFs would be leveraged ETFs like QLD (2X the NASDAQ) and SSO (2X the S&P 500).
* Use stop losses to limit trading losses.
* Learn and improve over time.
Rent my house in California and not sell it.
Rent in a neighborhood that I wanted to live in before I could afford to buy there, rather than buy in a lesser neighborhood just to own a home (whose value when I sold it ended up being about the same as just renting it).
I made all the classic mistakes, and also didn’t have access to after tax 401k/IRA. If I did it over again:
I would have invested in low-cost index funds, instead of purchasing GE stock through employer. I would have paid taxes on contributions to 401K. I would fully maximize 401k Roth opportunities! I would have been a little more aggressive in stock allocation versus bonds.
When I was a younger worker just learning about investing, I bought stocks instead of index funds. I would have also paid greater attention to asset location between my pre-tax and taxable accounts.
I would have taken my own advice and not traded my accounts as much
I would confront my now ex-wife about the dramatic change in her spending habits and lack of discipline.
Listened to my gut more when I was in my mid to late twenties. I finally began to make a good living and rather than live frugally I bought a house and a new car. If I had lived like a student for even 5 years while I was still single I could have made some more substantial investments.
Never carry credit card debt. Haven’t in many years, but didn’t figure this out early enough.
Instead of starting drawing social security at age 62, I would have waited until I turned 70.
If you live long enough you be about the same as if you waited.
I am a conservative investor but I do wish that in my younger years that my portfolio was more heavily weighted towards stocks.
I would have been a bit more aggressive with investments. And I would have used Roth accounts as soon as they were available.
I would save more and learn about stock market investing earlier. We spent too much on mutual fund fees and taxes when we could have been buying stocks.