This is the latest version of the Hoco Timeline (revised 5/3/06). You may notice changes from time to time as I work in new dates from the responses on the thread. Thanks to all who PMed me with suggestions, especially arrete, ataloss and intercst. Feel free to suggest more dates or corrections and I can modify it. I know we have more sticky’s than some would like, but I’m going to sticky this while we work on it.

Hoco Timeline

1957* - born (B)
1977 - Bachelor of Arts from Temple University in Political Science
1979* - intern for Tax Notes while in law school (B)
1980 - Law degree from the Catholic University of America
1980 August - First full-time job ($18k/yr) (B)
1987-1989* - worked for Daily Tax Report as Lead Congressional Correspondent ($40k/yr) (B)
1989 August - Hired by Tax Notes ($60k/yr) (B)
1991 October 15 - Fired from Tax Notes (B)
1991 December – Married (B)
1999 May 14 – First Hocus post on TMF, TMF post 55
1999 Oct* - First son, Timothy, born
1999 Dec - Hocus claims to have founded the Financial Freedom Community this month LINK
2000 Jan 13 - First known example of bolding – TMF post 2167
2000 Feb 1 - First known posting of song lyrics – TMF post 2813
2000 March 10 - Hocus puts up his first poll – TMF post 5839
2000 May 31 - Handed in Resignation to Ernst & Young (but did not leave work yet)
2000 June - Hocus publishes Soapbox report “Secrets of Retiring Early” – makes $15,000
2000 August 1 - Resigned from Ernst & Young TMF post 75407
2000 Nov 9 – Source for Hocus book chapter on Chocokitty – TMF post 24353
2001 - Purchased house for $219,900 (B)
2001 Feb - Soapbox folds
2002 Feb* – Second son, Robert, born
2002 May 12/13th - Post Heard Round The World TMF post 66629
2002 May 15 – first mentions “statistical invalidity” of intercst’s study, TMF post 66792
2002 May 16 – first mention of the infamous 40 Binders, TMF post 66833
2002 May 20 – My Plan post at TMF TMF post 67025
2002 June 20 – plagerized Coin Toss post
2002 Sept* - alleged Galeno death threats
2002 November 23 - Asked for intercst’s removal from TMF TMF post 84004
2002 December* - Joined NFB
2003 May 20 – Banned from TMF
2003 June 18th – Signed up at TMF as "SamCooke1961"
2003 July 23 - First known use of The Wave (on NFB)
2003 July 23* - Creation of SWR board at NFB
2003 October 8 – Signed up & first posted at Dory’s board LINK
2003 November – 1st banned from NFB
2003 December 14th – signed up at TMF as “mcbeaned”
2003 December 15 – Book of Hook Rant
2004 February 2 – first post at TMF using the name “mcbeaned”
2004 Feb 20 – Hocus sends letter to Scott Burns about intercst
2004 April 11 – changed username from “mcbeaned to “robbennett” on TMF
2004 April 12 – last post on TMF as “robbennett” – likely banned
2004 April 12 – signed up again on TMF, this time as AbrahamLinkin
2004 June 10 – rejoined NFB as Hocus2004
2004 Sept 11 – changed TMF username from AbrahamLinkin to hocus2004
2004 Sept 30 – last post as hocus2004, TMF post 191165
2005 Feb 8 – Update to the “My Plan” post LINK
2005 Feb 21* - Hocus starts his webpage
2005 March – banned for last time from NFB
2005 March 12 – another letter to Scott Burns
2005 March* - Dory36 starts alternative SWR board for Hocus
2005 March 20 – banned from Dory’s board LINK
2005 March 23 – ES announces shut-down of NFB effective March 26(due to Hocus) LINK
2005 April* - NFB re-opens with Hocus pre-banned and SWR board gone
2005 April* - JWR1945 starts web site
2005 July – Hocus starts Blog
2005 July 22 - first post on Morningstar
2005 Oct 13 – threatened Dory’s grandchild and ES
2006 Feb 21- raddr posts on M* to say he doesn’t endorse anything hocus says
2006 March 31 – Mel Lindauer exposes Hocus as a fraud on M*

* = approximately
(B) = from the Passion Saving book

TMF= The Motley Fool
NFB = no fee boards
M* = Morningstar
Dory's board = early-retirement.org

This is a group effort and may be posted wherever Hocomania's garden grows.