Bruce Fuller

Genesee PA till 3rd grade

Parents moved ~every year: fixed houses for income and enjoyed it

Had a weekly allowance

No real discussion of money

Only loan from parents was towards first car

Middle class growing up, no monetary issues but had low expectations when buying "new" things. Repurposed old cowboy boots by dying them.

Scio NY after PA and graduated from HS

First experience with money: allowance. "When it's gone, it's gone"

Helped you save: Rather than blowing on small, disposable things every week, save for something nicer bc of the fixed amount.

"If you don't have it to begin with, you don't miss it." Family didn't get a TV until ~'67

1st job: drafting at Preheater in Wellsville

Had tried to get one through college (grocery store, etc) but couldn't get hired as a student.

In high school played sports, didn't have time for work

Did help dad with cars before, one time completely dug out walls around a garage so caving wall could be pushed back out and supported

In 5 years: no big plans. When posed the 5 year question: keep quiet so no one would know.

Greatest accomplishment: being able to usually help people. Have 1 US patent

What else out of professional life: have nothing bad named after me: design flaw complications leading to disaster

Win lottery to be able to split up with loved ones

Be penny-less on the day I die, rather than handing large amounts off

Ideal quality of life: making twice what I'm making at the time. Salary double ~ every two years.

Improve quality every year

However, content with current house.

55: mostly like what I'm doing/have now

Greater salary

65: hoping to have come into large sum (lottery) and retire

75: still be alive and retired

Maybe go back to teaching - lower stress, only what you put on yourself

Really only go back if industry fails and is comfortable with lower salary bc teaching would be more stable

Once retired, may teach part-time, only to keep busy

Where to end up at retirement: if I could be near family and more south: S. PA, N Carolina, Virginia

In-land, don't need beach. More private, like current house: rural/country

Don't particularly want to stay in NY, but feel stuck. Over 50 and the hassle of moving and starting over

May be possible if offered a job that paid better

Ideal retirement won't ever happen: with S.S. how it's going and mailings that say "don't think of it as never working anymore, just less at a lower stress job"

If still working, going to keep working with decent salary as is, not as say a janitor

Will probably keep working until death

Personal goals: none really

There were never any huge plans that work prevented

Just comfortable retirement - but don't think it will happen

Only experience: lawyer to make wills many years ago. Looking into updating them.

Thinking of updating current one

No trust for kids bc of government involvement, and they can handle the money left over

Ideally, there will be no money left over after expenses of death. "Don't want someone to profit from my death, just as I don't want to profit from my parent's"

There won't be much to manage

"Never needed a financial adviser because I don't need someone to tell me to pay bills and use what's left for food"

Past Experience: Bad. Broker contact and push what they want to sell only for it to bottom out months later. Probably sold out the interests for their richer clients and sold off to me just for high commission.

No consistent professional advisors of any kind

No watching sports; used to play but not anymore

Hobbies: fix/tinker on house and cars. Cars especially but newer ones have become more of a pain

Wished did more: shooting, if there were target ranges around - more than just rod and gun club

Board games: because of family time and gets everyone together

Ideal vacation: winning Texas Hold 'Em tournament

Volunteer Fire Company: difficult to be actively involved bc of risks (fire, accidents when people driving by)

Wasn't in armed forces, this is how to give back

Fitness isn't important to the degree that time to go to a gym, but effort is made to eat well and get some exercise, enough to avoid health problems and being severely overweight.

As getting older, seem to be more resistant to change

When thinking of activities to do still, not a huge fan of risk

Already been to Hawaii, Vegas, many national parks, don't care about overseas

Don't care to visit any for a second time as they haven't changed much.

Family

More important than money: want to be able to help family (siblings, parents, children) if necessary

Defining moment: Brother was in an accident - hadn't started college yet

Parents up at Strong with him, he was in a coma but parents told me to keep going to classes in high school bc there was nothing for me to do there

Didn't necessarily learn a major lesson, just a traumatic experience

When people are together, but can be hard to find time

Who to care for? Me. Children are grown up.

Just want to provide for my expenses at death

Time most content with financial situation: only content when you don't know any better.

Happiest when first got a job with "lots" of money coming in when single, low expenses and living at home

When first out of work, didn't contribute to retirement plan offered bc didn't know how long I'd work there and figured I still had a long time to retire

View of money:

Level of comfort

Can have some choices, not stuck to a budget, can eat out occasionally if I want to, won't be restricted if I'm asked to golf with people from work

Biggest challenge

Graduate courses while workin full time

Figured suck it up; rather than feel guilty on nights when I didn't do homework (went out instead), devote to Sunday as homework day and did things during the week that I wanted.

Work

Better to get along with those at work than not to

Try to put an effort forth, some can be more difficult than others

Talk more with some: Lunch colleagues, golf and cards people through work

After retirement: won't see them as much. Maybe once or twice a year. But enjoy talking with

Family

Usually ok

Wife: Marett

Daughter Brittany 23

Daughter Caitlin 21

Daughter Alyssa 19

Sister Roberta (Married, 3 boys)

Brother (Married, 1 girl, 1 boy)

Parents: both retired and still working on houses they buy and sell

Others impacted by financial decisions:

Daughters: youngest is still in college

Dog: health issues and has significant medications: if funds decreased, daughters would have to chip in or he'd have to be put down.

Community

Fire Company: can trust them at fire scenes, can trust them with other things. Network to ask of with general questions as they all are in different professions

Schools

Appreciated them at the time, but don't have some large fortune to leave to them

Maybe if I were really wealthy and had disposable income to throw money at the school

Prefer email: hard copy and can reread

Meetings: talk in person

Confidentiality: phones never secure, anything extremely touchy in person

Regular/normal things are fine through email or phone

Wife is the only other person involved, together we manage different accounts

If advised by financial planner, I would implement the plan.

How often informed/meeting

Regualr "yearly" updates and maintenace meetings: "as little as possible"

Updating on investment progress: don't want to know that often. Quarterly or bi yearly at most. Unless assets are being moved, then inform and tell why

Wish: if I had a lot of money, I would play on world poker tour: $10,000 buy in

As is, couldn't waste that much money

If there were a 100% chance to win $80,000 vs. 80% chance of winning $100,000?

Would go with $80,000 bc there's not a large difference. If it was an 80% chance to win 1 mil, then would gamble.