There were some flat years and a couple of terrible years

RAFI is not expecting negative returns, just low returns. That one extra terrible year would be the difference maker between good and meh/terrible. Both 2003 and 2009 were huge up years. The other way to mitigate an ugly decade is to increase savings rates.
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Alysha:
Was he being emotionally abusive?
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
I don't want to meet his friends after he told me this.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
He said he told his friends what we argued about and they think I'm crazy.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
It sounded like he was afraid I was thinking of leaving the relationship.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
He said he didn't want me to change my mind about him.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
Afterwards he told me he didn't want to see me less often when I said he could.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
He said he'd talk to me when he wanted to.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
He said he wanted to backtrack with us and see me a couple times a week.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
He said my stuff that I kept at his place would be in the trash can for me to pick up.
(26 November 2016)

Alysha:
My boyfriend and I got into an argument.
(26 November 2016)