Poking the Troll

Schroeder's picture

For the past few weeks, I've been "Poking the Troll" by pointing out 3 things that are hard for hocus to reconcile.

1) Hocus was featured in a Liz Pulliam Weston article. Hocus is attributed to saying that a 4% withdrawal rate is perfectly reasonable for early retirees. Hocus does not want to engage in honest and informed posting on that topic. LINK

2) In an interview, Robert Shiller revealed that he owns 60% stocks. LINK Hocus was totally flummoxed by that.

3) In another article, Robert Shiller advised investors to "diversify completely and not try to beat the market." LINK

Hocus made a heroic attempt to engage in thoughtful dialog on the last two items. However, that didn't last very long before hocus returned to his old ways. LINK

Poking the troll

I have decided to take most of my troll-poking mostly out of the public eye and use PM, to limit the public spectacle and ongoing notoriety he seeks. Here is a recent example to illustrate the point:

[via PM to Hocus:]

Subject: Self-delusion & public fraud?
« Date: Today at 05:06:59 »
#1) IF you take your medicines when the good doctor says to, you will be able to get some rest:

Quote:
Re: Thanks Hocus, %#$%^& Homewrecker. Reply #107 - Today at 03:23:41



#2) Your strawman is looking a little barren. You go into your usual rote-hysterics:

Quote:

Hocus: We shouldn't be telling people that the SWR always remains the same... Some people are threatened by straight talk on this question. I feel strongly that it needs to be discussed in plain and clear and even blunt terms... So it's important. I didn't wreck the house over something that doesn't matter. ... I never imagined that such damage could be done to our boards by my act ...


And yet, this from just yesterday did not get nary a negative word, much less a beat-down. Could it be you are a fraud, sir? I think you know the answer.:

Quote:

DRiP Guy: One of the things I love the most is the wealth of info, opinions, and past discussion to be found on the topic of SWR. In that vein, I will be watching closely to see opinions, dialog, and thoughts on the new Vanguard Managed Payout Funds Funds designed to generate a regular, predictable income stream in retirement. I don't know if they are 'too good to be true', or if they really, once analyzed, even bring anything new to the table at all, outside of marketing hype... I am agnostic, myself, at this point.

It might be bad taste to bring another board into this, but just as an example, almost exactly a year ago I posted my very first post to the raddr board (post #20624), in the "Hypothetical Y2K Retiree" thread, asking about SWR relating to valuations fluctuating in the early years of FI/RE. I think I got some good dialog, but it certainly did not run to page after page after page, and I think the same topics have been discussed here with at least as much openness to reply and share. I'm just glad that there are multiple places, including here, to talk about investing styles, news, effect of valuations, SWRs, etc.
http://raddr-pages.com/forums/....0624#20624

Without the advice and clarity I have gotten here, M*, raddr, etc, I would not have reached a major milestone myself recently, seven digit plus current NW, and a much better understanding of a PRUDENT approach to possible FI/RE.

Thanks to ALL!


#3) If you are supposedly wanting to be an author someday, for God's sakes, man, learn to properly quote, provide attribution, and separate OTHER'S statements from your OWN. I have mentioned this to you several times. Failing to take needed correction, regardless of whether you like the source, is a sign of a very weak mind.

DRiP Guy