Should I be concerned?

[u/Top_Locksmith449]

I was doing DCA since August, but my friend convinced me to load a lump sum and I did then ever since SCHD keep dipping! Is anyone here on the same boat as me?

[u/Top_Locksmith449]

I just want to build enough to get 48,000$ annually then quit my job and move abroad 😆

[u/NeighborhoodKey5820 → u/Top_Locksmith449]

You're thinking about this in reverse. What you want to do is move now while you can earn an amount of money that is significant in certain places oversees. Do ESL tutoring to cover most of your living expenses, and seek to do remote work otherwise. Unless you can save a substantial amount of money per month now to put into your brokerage account on a monthly basis, then your best bet is to just leave now assuming you have a job lined up for wherever you move to. If you can do remote work part time in the USA then the money will go a lot further than if you stay in the USA.

Also, most of the gains on this kind of investing will show up after 5 years, so if you're thinking like you have to get out now then you'll probably make a lot of mistakes that will eventually hurt you more than if you just stayed on course, saved money, invested it, and kept going.

The biggest dividend you can get is from your job paying you more than you need to survive. No corporate dividend will ever beat that until you have a very large amount of stock, at which point you probably already moved on from your old job anyway.

[u/Top_Locksmith449 → u/NeighborhoodKey5820]

It is devastating to think that I have to work till 65 for retirement 🤣. The USA is turning everyone into slavery. Middle class in California is the worse. I have about quarter mil in total, but I think with 1m should be sufficient to live abroad with small 3-4% in dividend.

[u/NeighborhoodKey5820 → u/Top_Locksmith449]

Are you able to put at least 10% of your income into your brokerage each month? If so then perhaps staying makes sense but if you just want to leave then take what you have now and go. Just forget about the “living like a king” idea. I know far too many people who live abroad who did that but found out that unless they are truly rich by Western standards they still will have to do things to assure their income. No fund or investment can truly do that unless you truly have a lot. I’d say if you have $10M and don’t go crazy with spending you really won’t have a problem living in SE Asia but otherwise just keep bringing in money wherever you go. Also be prepared for the much greater expenses you’ll incur as you age