Taking money out of retirement funds to purchase cards

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If only we could know when things were ridiculously undervalued, we'd all be fabulously wealthy.

Like this?

In mid-April 2020 the price of a barrel of West Texas crude went below $0 as sellers had to pay get rid of it.

2.5 years later a barrel of WTI currently sits at $87.78

[carlsonjok]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Like this?

In mid-April 2020 the price of a barrel of West Texas crude went below $0 as sellers had to pay get rid of it.

2.5 years later a barrel of WTI currently sits at $87.78

Not the slam dunk you think it is. The reason WTI went negative was because such futures contracts had to settle physically at Cushing and, at the time, Cushing was almost completely full. So, sure, you could have had someone pay you to take that contract off their hands, but you would have also had to take delivery of actual crude oil and find somewhere to store it for 2 1/2 years so that you could sell it today for $87.78

As to the opening question, I would never borrow against my retirement even with the lure of higher returns. I have made financial choices in my life that ended up costing me in the long run (I am looking at you, QCOM), but when I sit with my financial planner and he tells me that his Monte Carlo simulation says I have a 98% probability of maintaining my current lifestyle in retirement, I have no regrets. FOMO holds no truck with me. My collection is my hobby only and represents around 2% of my net worth.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by carlsonjok

Not the slam dunk you think it is. The reason WTI went negative was because such futures contracts had to settle physically at Cushing and, at the time, Cushing was almost completely full. So, sure, you could have had someone pay you to take that contract off their hands, but you would have also had to take delivery of actual crude oil and find somewhere to store it for 2 1/2 years so that you could sell it today for $87.78

As to the opening question, I would never borrow against my retirement even with the lure of higher returns. I have made financial choices in my life that ended up costing me in the long run (I am looking at you, QCOM), but when I sit with my financial planner and he tells me that his Monte Carlo simulation says I have a 98% probability of maintaining my current lifestyle in retirement, I have no regrets. FOMO holds no truck with me. My collection is my hobby only and represents around 2% of my net worth.

Nothing as complicated as futures for me Jeff, just a recalibration. When you read a headline like "oil below zero" it's a shout from the mountaintop to sell the runners that got crazy because at the time people thought they'd spend the rest of their lives inside pedaling Pelatons, shopping with Shopify, and clicking through on their Roku TV's. Sell Zoom buy ConocoPhillips was the clear play, of course one would have to separate emotion from the trade, I just wish I could have separated more and gone all in.