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    Personal Finance Weekday Help and Victory Thread for the week of February 07, 2022

    Personal Finance Weekday Help and Victory Thread for the week of February 07, 2022


    Weekday Help and Victory Thread for the week of February 07, 2022

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 03:00 AM PST

    If you need help, please check the PF Wiki to see if your question might be answered there.

    This thread is for personal finance questions, discussions, and sharing your success stories:

    1. Please make a top-level comment if you want to ask a question! Also, please don't downvote "moronic" questions! If you have not received your answer within 24 hours, please feel free to start a discussion.

    2. Make a top-level comment if you want to share something positive regarding your personal finances!

    A big thank you to the many PFers who take time to answer other people's questions!

    submitted by /u/IndexBot
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    Just found out my apartment building is advertising an extremely similar apartment to the one I’m in for $600 less than what I pay. Can I do anything about it?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 05:02 PM PST

    My lease is about to expire and I was going to sign a new one. My rent increased a bit this year but not enough to be a huge deal.

    However on my building's website there is an almost identical apartment for 600 dollars cheaper than what I am currently paying. Can I do anything about this? I didn't sign my new lease yet but I don't want to if there's a chance I could be paying significantly less per month.

    Edit: damn this blew up I wish I had a mixtape

    submitted by /u/CKyle22
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    The Retirement Gamble, wish I had seen it sooner

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:31 AM PST

    I just watched The Retirement Gamble frontline documentary(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkOQNPIsO-Q) and was blown away about the high fees a lot of Americans are paying in their retirement accounts and completely unaware of. I checked my index funds and am thankfully in a good place but my fiance discovered he is paying way too much and will be transferring to something better ASAP. I cannot believe it is still legal for indexes to have such crazy fees. Are there any other hidden ways people could be taken advantage of that I should check?

    submitted by /u/randomv3
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    Note / warning about HELOC as part of your emergency fund

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:40 AM PST

    The debate about the value of an emergency funds seems to happen on this sub on about a weekly basis. I am not trying to re-litigate this debate or advocate one way or another.

    I just wanted to point one small snag out. On those weekly debates, there are usually a number of people who advocate for a HELOC for all or part of their emergency fund.

    I just checked the docs for my HELOC because I was curious. It says on page 155 of a 218 page document:

    The Bank may suspend the use of my Account and temporarily prohibit future Advances during the Draw Period, or the Bank may reduce my credit limit, for any reason permitted by applicable law, including without limitation, (a) if the annualized Daily Periodic Rate equal or exceeds the Lifetime Rate cap stated herein, (b) there is any material change in my financial circumstances that the Bank reasonably believes will make me unable to fulfill my repayment obligations under this Agreement, (c) the value of the Property declines significantly below its original appraised value, as determined by the Bank...

    So as is usually stated on this topic, the reason for an accessible emergency fund is because these bad events tend to be correlated. Meaning that you lose your job around the same time as the value of your mutual funds decline. So if you were planning on using your HELOC to ride out the crash, the bank could just as easily cancel your loan in those same circumstances.

    Everybody's tolerance for risk and uncertainty is different, maybe this is critical or maybe it's not. Maybe your loan doesn't have this provision. Maybe you have skills that are marketable even in the apocalypse. Just be aware and stay safe out there.

    submitted by /u/jongleurse
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    I bought a car a few months ago but now I realized I shouldn’t have.

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 03:50 PM PST

    So about six months ago when I really shouldn't have. It's honestly my biggest regret. It's a pretty expensive car for me and while I can afford it, I can't afford it comfortably. I really want to sell it but I still owe a lot of money on it. Is there any way I could sell it without being in too much debt? Edit: it's a 2019 Hyundai Veloster turbo and I owe about 30k Edit: I'm for sure going to end up selling it pretty soon. But here's some more details. I got the car with 17,000 miles on it. I put $0 down, and the contract was for seven year (I know I shouldn't have done it) I have a meeting with someone at Kelley blue book this weekend so they can look at the car and give me an offer which will be higher than the offer they gave on their website. I'm going to be upside down no matter what. Im worried too much about transportation because I have a 1990 Miata that I daily drove for almost 2 years before I got the Veloster. I've learned my lesson and im going to just drive my Miata till the debt is paid and then look for another vehicle that's cheaper.

    submitted by /u/bigppmanwithsmallpp
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    I spend too much money on groceries and dining out... how do i fix this?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 01:21 AM PST

    I've never learnt how to properly manage my food expenses :(

    20%-30% of my income goes to food.. what a waste.

    For groceries.. i try not to impulse buy but sometimes i can't help it. And since I'm living on my own, It's hard to buy just little bit of stuffs.. (I live in Canada so groceries is pretty expensive in general)

    Like if i cook... i spend like $50 at least just to cook food that will last me 2 meals.

    I also dine out a lot with friends for night out..

    How can I change my habit and manage my food expense better? Please help...... 😞 Thanks

    Edit: I didn't know my post would blew up like this! Thanks for replying everyone. I was just really frustrated yesterday before i went to bed. Thought i would add some more details. I never plan what to buy for groceries, and I do groceries whenever I am craving something, or when I feel like I don't have nothing to eat at home(Funny cuz I spend so much money but I always feel like there's nothing to eat in my fridge). Meal prep idea sounds promising, but is the idea to cook everything on the weekend and freeze them all? Is there any good Tupperware that you guys would recommend for freezing meal preps? Thanks again! I haven't been able to check all the comments yet 🙏

    submitted by /u/chillipeppercone
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    Should I move with my wife and toddler into my parent's house with a baby on the way? We're trying to save for a house.

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 05:11 AM PST

    EDIT 3: Didnt realize how important of info this would be, but my parents love helping people out. They took in people at the start of the pandemic when jobs were lost, frequently bring in refugees and help them find housing, and have helped my siblings in similar ways. The strained relationship with my mom was because my wife and I were EXTREMELY cautious through COVID and we were the only ones not to come over on Sundays to hang out. My mom just missed us and we felt pressure. Now we're around more and things are better. My mom does not suck. Additionally, my wife and I discuss everything. We've discussed this before. If she doesn't want to, we're not doing it. I'm just looking for additional perspective and input.

    My wife and I rent a townhome just north of Denver for $2200/month. We were looking at buying a house but we didn't want to drain our savings/retirement just to get in. Our lease is about to renew for another year but I anticipate our rent increasing to roughly $2600/month. With another baby due in September I want to make sure my family is prepared and comfortable.

    I just got a promotion and make ~$130K with an $80K/$50K salary/commission split. With commission varying month to month, I budget for 75% of that $50K. My wife works 1 day a week and brings in roughly $500/month. I have $100K in retirement and $30K in the bank total.

    My parents live 10 minutes away and have 3 empty bedrooms, backyard, tons of space, etc. If we were to move in, we could save anywhere from $3000 to $4300+ a month while we look for a house. We could quickly save up a downpayment compared to the $400/month we put into savings (besides retirement) regularly.

    The main downside is that my parents have 2 big dogs and 3 cats, so lots of animals running around. We also have a cat that doesn't do well with other animals. My main concern is having a safe, peaceful environment for a newborn. I do get 3 months of parental leave, my dad works from home, and my mom doesn't work so there would be a lot of help if needed.

    I keep getting told to withdraw $50K from my retirement for the downpayment, but I don't know if that's a better idea than saving for 6 months (or more) by living with my parents. We're looking at houses in the $450 - $500 range and if prices go up by 10% in the next year, it feels like it'll wash out the money that we saved by living with them. Even if we move 45 minutes in any direction, housing is essentially the same price.

    I've brought up this idea with my wife, but I need to be more confident before I sell it to her 100%. So what's the better idea: saving for 6 months or more at my parent's, draining my retirement, or continuing to rent while saving even less money?

    Edit: I will add that my other siblings have done similar, so leaving with my parents isn't some sort of nightmare. Not ideal compared to living alone, but doable

    Edit 2: Baby isn't due until September so there is time to save money and potentially move before the due date. It would be tough but not entirely impossible

    submitted by /u/nonnynonnynon
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    Meal Prepping Advice

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 01:52 PM PST

    So there's another post on the front page from someone who needed advice on how to cut down on their food budget. They spend a lot of money trying to cook at home and the consensus in the comments was that OP may be buying a lot of ingredients for a meal but not reusing those ingredients so they're going to waste. I don't know if that's true in this particular case but I know it was true for me and I think it's a problem for a lot of people. So I wanted to share how I plan meals for the month, not just for the week.

    I spent $424.95 on groceries in January, although that included things like cleaning products, toilet paper, kitty litter, etc. Actual food was less than $350 for a family of 3.

    Here's some of the things we ate during that month with examples of how we reused ingredients. Notice how meals got cheaper and cheaper. The example was for a single person but each meal is 6 servings so whether that's you eating it 6 times or a family of 6 or - like my family, eating 3 at dinner and the other 3 will be someone's lunches at some point - that will change your math.

    ALSO there will always be regional differences in food prices.

    ​

    1. Lentil Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes ($27 total if you buy every single ingredient but enough to feed yourself 6 times and you'll still have leftover potatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil, milk, shallot, soy sauce, thyme, lentils, tomato paste, parsley and parmesan cheese)
    2. Easy One Pot Chili Mac ($18 if you buy every ingredient new but enough to feed yourself 6 times and you'll still have leftover broth, heavy cream, cheddar cheese, chili powder, garlic and ketchup)
    3. Butter Chickpeas ($15 ... and you'll have leftover peanut butter, rice, curry powder, onion, paprika and cilantro - you got to use your tomato paste, soy sauce, milk from meal #1, garlic from meal #2)
    4. Thai Lettuce Wraps (Larb Gai) ($15 ... and you'll have leftover flour, worchestershire, brown sugar, ginger, peanuts, red pepper flakes and lettuce
    5. Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bake ($12 ... and you'll have leftover basil, and oregano - you got to use some of your parmesan from meal #1)
    6. Chorizo with Eggs ($9.50 ... and you'll have leftover eggs, sour cream and jalepenos - you got to use some of your cheese from meal #1 and #2)
    7. Mushroom Stroganoff ($7 ... and you'll have leftover butter, dijon mustard - you got to use thyme, salt, pepper, shallot, soy sauce from meal #1 and broth, cream, and garlic from meal #2 and paprika from meal #4)
    8. One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Spinach ($7 ... and you'll have leftover Italian seasoning - you got to use olive oil, pepper, parmesan from meal #1, cream, garlic, broth from meal #2, onion from meal #3, red pepper from meal #4
    9. Nacho Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream ($6 ... and you'll have leftover tortilla chips, salsa - you got to use the potatoes from meal #1, cheese from meal #2, and sour cream from meal #4, and onion from meal #4)
    10. Fried Rice ($2.50 ... and you'll have leftover carrots - you got to use the onion, soy sauce, salt and pepper from meal #1, garlic from meal #2, rice from meal #3, onion and eggs from meal #6, butter from meal #7

    That's 60 servings of food (so dinner and lunch for 30 days) for less than $125.

    submitted by /u/askheidi
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    My brother died and I'm not sure where to start

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 02:58 PM PST

    Well as the title says, my brother died around January 5th in Southern California. He was found in the middle of nowhere burned in his SUV. He was in his late 30's and only a couple years older than me, we have talked to the investigator and they are working his case but they haven't been a ton of help on how we figure out a lot of things.

    He stopped talking to everyone a few months ago and went off the grid. He had a really good job a couple years ago but quit it/got fired, we aren't sure. We don't know where he was living the last few months. The apartment he was living in prior to him leaving he just left cash on the counter for past rent and left with all of his things. He didn't have that much stuff but he had around a dozen guns, clothing, and some other things. They only found the slide of one gun in the car which makes us believe that he was living somewhere and not just out of his car and hotels.

    Does anyone know how we might go about tracking down where he might have been living, his banking info, his car insurer, his life insurance provider. We are waiting on the death certificate now. So far we have a funeral home picking up his remains but that's about how far we have gotten.

    Thanks so much in advance.

    submitted by /u/awayfrommymind
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    Need to make a separate bank account so my mom cannot withdraw from my balance

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 06:27 PM PST

    I'm a college student (20) who's worked and saved a lot of money for college. I've had my checking and savings account since I was born (my dad opened it for me). My dad is about to divorce my mom and I can't relinquish her as a partial owner of the account without her written permission. My mom is not a good person and my dad is urging me to open an account with a different credit union. I just need recommendations or advice as to what to do so my funds will be fine. I also preferably would like to bank with a place that is easy to setup and access on my phone.

    submitted by /u/manihatetakingthebus
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    Tax return 7k. Car 7k, credit card debt 2k. Pay off the car first or credit card debt?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:11 AM PST

    I've been wanting to pay off the car early for a long while now but it's been a bit tough since I'm now paying for my community college tuition out of pocket. Paying off the car will bring an additional $201 a month. I was thinking I pay off the car and use that money plus an additional 200-300 to pay off the credit card within half a year.

    My wife and I bring about 5000 a month. Interest rates: Car 2.99% CC 20%

    submitted by /u/BeejBeachBall
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    How to spend $750 car allowance?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 07:00 PM PST

    So I'm about to get a new job that offers a $750 per month car allowance. I believe it will be taxable so the net will be closer to $500.

    I've got a 2018 F150 lariat with 45k miles on it right now with about $10k left on the loan.

    My wife has a 2019 Volvo XC90 with 20k miles and $20k left on the loan.

    The monthly loan amount total for the two vehicles is about $700. I know we're dumb for having $30k in auto loans but my job right now is very secure and neither of us drive much.

    I'm thinking I could sell my truck for about $35k and pay off both loans and have $5k to put back into savings. And then use the $500 per month allowance to get another vehicle and no longer have any auto loans / debt, I'd probably use the entire $500 on the auto loan and just pay for the insurance out of pocket as it's a sales role and need to maintain a nicer vehicle to take people out in if need be.

    I'm not sure how gas / mileage will be viewed. I know some companies choose a structure where gas can be claimed on taxes, and others not. So I'm sure that will play into the decision a bit.

    I'm figuring I'll drive 12k - 15k miles a year.

    I'll be living in Phoenix.

    Am I right in this thinking? What are your guys thoughts? Thanks!

    submitted by /u/Ok_Cryptographer_835
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    Turbotax says I put too much money in my Roth

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 11:26 AM PST

    Hello!

    So here's my situation. I've filed my taxes like I have every year, and I've been putting money in a Roth IRA since 2019. This year, for some reason, I got a notification at the end of filling in my Roth IRA info saying "Your adjusted gross income is $32,136, putting you over the current Roth limit of $10,000. That means the $1393 you put into a Roth is considered an excess contribution."

    I don't understand this at all. I've contributed $1393 this year and have only contributed a total of $2726 in the last 3 years that I've had the account. Am I filing incorrectly or am I really putting in too much money somehow?

    Feel free to ask for any clarifying info as well, I'm not sure what else is pertinent.

    submitted by /u/tt117ghu
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    Seeking advice. Can I afford $900-$1000 a month rent by making around $3,080 a month take home?

    Posted: 08 Feb 2022 12:23 AM PST

    I don't have too many expensive debts or anything, all my main bills and regular spending come out to $1,550 (not including rent), which includes saving about $100 a week/$400 a month into a savings account and spending money on fun stuff. Car is already paid off but I'm thinking of financing a new one soon.

    Another question is, how much should I have left over after all main expenses/regular spending and rent before it's not enough left in case I need it? If I did about $950 for rent, that'd leave me with $580 a month left, but I may want to get a new car for $200-$300 a month soon. Is that enough?

    submitted by /u/PiccoloLegal5202
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    When considering retirement contributions, is employer match considered a part of the "10-15%"?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 01:08 PM PST

    I've been seeing a lot of posts about how you should generally be contributing 10-15% of your salary to retirement, closer to 15% if possible. However, I'm not sure if this is counting the employer match amount as part of that 10-15%.

    My new employer is offering two retirement plans: IPERS and TIAA.

    IPERS is a 6.29% contribution and a 9.44% match, vested after 7 years. TIAA is a 5% contribution and a 10% match, vested immediately. I'm leaning towards TIAA as I'm unsure how long I'll remain with this employer.

    submitted by /u/Gintuim
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    HELP: lucky enough to get a pension, need help sorting through the options

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 07:16 PM PST

    I am finishing-up my Ph.D. and have accepted a job offer for a truly dream position at an acceptable salary (mid-$80,000s) with the state government where I live. I'm fortunate enough to receive a pension as part of my employee benefits, but I'm having trouble deciding between the two options. I'll be 29 by the time the position starts. I follow all the rules of saving and etc that the PF community values. I'm in a very solid place - no debt (just paid off my student loans!), solid emergency fund, max out Roth IRA, have money in a Vanguard index fund, etc. But the pension piece is a puzzle. Once I choose an option, I can't change.

    Option 1: "Plug and play" - Employer contributes 2% of my gross monthly salary. I contribute a fixed amount (set by legislature, right now ~7%). I am "invested" (meaning I lock-in benefits) after 5 years of employment. I can't access the fund until I retire. Final pension amount equation = 2% x years of service x average final salary

    Option 2: "The paradox of choice" - Employer contributes 1% of my gross monthly salary. I contribute a fixed amount that I choose (an amount between 5 - 15%). However, this amount that I contribute goes into a state-managed index fund (think vanguard index funds, I almost feel like they probably just use Vanguard). I can't access the employer pension fund until I retire but I can access the index fund contributions whenever. I am "invested" after 10 years of employment, but I have access to the index fund money whenever and regardless of my tenure. Final pension amount equation = 1% x years of service x average final salary.

    My intuition is telling me to choose Option 2. I know that the index funds they offer (things like Target Retirement Funds, ESG fund, Large Cap, etc) will likely have larger returns than the money I contribute to the Option 1 pension. Option 2 probably requires more management and thinking critically about my investment options, but I am OK with that work.

    My sense is that I will stay in this position for the next 5 years (have standardized and very clear path to advancement) and could definitely see myself staying at the agency for a long-term career situation. With my PhD and experience, I could easily move into leadership or upper-level roles within the state government and get closer to my ideal salary within 10-12 years (hoping for low-mid $100,000s).

    My (perhaps irrational) fear is about the state of the world in 25-30 years when I'd be looking to retire. Will the markets be a thing? Will climate change radically reorient politics and government in a way that we can't imagine? IDFK tbh. IOption 1 is safer and I would have a fine pension. But the thought of having somewhere in the 2-2.5x more money (or more?) through Option 2 is hard to ignore.

    Help a guy out?

    submitted by /u/GMG6969
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    Received collections notice for someone else with similar name

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:10 AM PST

    Hello,

    I received a letter from a debt collector from a hospital I had never visited. I called the hospital and they confirmed that the debt was for someone with the same birthdate and same first name. The hospital told me to call the debt collector and tell the debt collector to call the hospital to get the correct information. I did this. The debt collector told me they didn't understand and wanted my birthday and social security number. I would not give it to them. I told them they had the wrong person and the hospital would give them the right person, but they didn't seem to care.

    Do I need to do anything else to make sure this doesn't affect my credit score? I am going to be buying a house next month and I am quite worried about it.

    submitted by /u/Samanxa
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    Understanding why I owe ~$2,000 this year in taxes, while in the past I consistently received ~$3,000 back.

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 09:47 PM PST

    Hello all, please redirect me if this is the wrong sub. This year I did my taxes on TurboTax, like I usually do. And was taken aback by owing taxes this year, and a hefty amount too. A $5,000 difference seems off to me, and I need help understanding please.

    The info

    2020 2021
    Total Income - $106,459 Total Income - $126,229
    Taxes withheld - $12,716 Taxes withheld - $10,893
    Federal deductions - $25,572 Federal deductions - $25,100

    I can see that less taxes were withheld, but I never changed anything on any form. I also see that I made more last year as well. But I am so ignorant to taxes and tax brackets that I have no idea where to begin to understand why I owe this year.

    Should I take this to H&R Block, or somewhere similar? Should I retry entering my information? Thank you all

    submitted by /u/wetSoxSuc
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    About to come into inheritance money, advice needed how to use

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 07:49 PM PST

    As title says, I'll be soon inheriting about $120k as part of the sale of a deceased family member home sale. I'm looking for advice on how to optimize the money. I have a moderate risk threshold and we do not live paycheck to paycheck.

    Emergency fund: I have about $15k liquidity for emergency funds; representing 3 months living expenses. I have a HELOC with $150k to draw from.

    Retirement: I'm contributing 11% towards my 401k and my wife is contributing 20% because she is playing catchup. I've been fortunate enough that my employer also provides a pension.

    Debt: Wife has $200k in public and private student debt between 5-7%. I have $10k remaining in student loan debt near 2%. We have a mortgage of $400k with $700k in equity. We have about $80k in vehicle loans at 4% interest. We have no revolving credit as we pay credit cards in full each month. We are currently paying about 10% extra on vehicle and home loans.

    My wife would like to pay down debt and use the snowball method for all debt. I want to recognize the psychological effect this has for her. I think we may be able to earn more in interest by putting the money to work vs interest avoidance via payoff. I'm recommending we delay paying down student debt in the hope the feds begin some form of student debt forgiveness.

    submitted by /u/lurker_bear
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    Is maxing out 401k really that important?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:25 PM PST

    Hello, I'm new to this subreddit and I'm trying to understand why maxing out the $20,500 401k annual contribution is considered to be such a universal good here. I'm in my late 20s currently making $92,500 not including a roughly 10% bonus and contributing 8% to my 401k along with a 7% company match. On top of that, I try to put an additional $1,000 per paycheck into separate investment accounts. I do this because I want to save up for retirement, but also want to have the flexibility to buy a house within the next two years. I invest in ETFs which closely match my 401k investment choices in terms of risk profile. Based on pretty conservative assumptions, I am on track to hit retirement goals with just my 401k, not even including the separate investment accounts.

    My question is this: I understand 401ks have tax advantages because you can contribute pre-tax and avoid taxes later in life when withdrawing or you can contribute post tax and take the taxes later on, but how is this significantly different than just investing in long term ETFs and having the flexibility to use that money whenever you need it? I'm not too concerned because I am putting money away above and beyond what would be considered typically maxing out the 401k, but I don't want to be missing out on some tax advantage I'm not aware of while also not sacrificing flexibility.

    Edit: thank you all for the responses everyone. It sounds like I have been reassured based on my current situation and goals. For now, I think the plan is to stop investing into the investment account for now while building up savings that aren't subject to market swings (while still investing what I have already). Then, after buying the new house and getting that situated, I'll work on maxing out the 401k since I won't have anymore big purchases planned in the foreseeable future.

    submitted by /u/SomewhereAggressive8
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    New jobs earning 5x what we are previously used to and need some advice!

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 04:38 PM PST

    First post and need some mega advice!!!

    My wife and I are in our mid 30s, and have worked paycheck to paycheck most of our lives. In the last year our financial situation has changed dramatically, and we are making almost 100K salaries each which is almost 5x what we are used to. We purchased a home at the end of 2020 and our current bills are sitting around 35% of our take home pay. Additionally, we have our emergency savings at a comfortable level and are putting money into Roths, ETFs and eventually our 401ks once we are eligible to with our jobs. We also hired a financial advisor to help us manage all of this financial wealth because we have no idea what we are doing. We feel what he is charging is well worth the financial literacy we are gaining about investments, budgeting, etc…

    Can people share their thoughts on what we should be doing with all of our extra cash?! I trust our advisor, I but want to get some outside perspective. Planning for retirement is our primary priority while still reserving some cash for short-term savings goals and investment. For two people that still need to learn a lot about savings and investments, what should we be doing immediately?

    Edit: my wife and I do have some debt. Small car payment, we plan on having our masters degrees paid off by 2024, and will slowly chip away at our mortgage as the years go on.

    Should we be eliminating all debt ASAP or managing monthly payments while still investing?

    submitted by /u/modifythis
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    In-laws Need Help - What kind of advisor should they see?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 11:37 AM PST

    Today my (32M) MIL (65) texted my wife (32F) to let her know she and my FIL (92M) owe 6K in taxes on their house and needed to pay in the next 2 weeks or she didn't know what would happen (I assume the county/state would repossess the house). The notice was given to my MIL by the local constable.

    For some background, my in-laws are retired and have lived in the same house in Texas for the last ~30 years. My MIL and FIL have done little to no financial planning and are very unprepared to meet their financial obligations. They live primarily off of their social security benefits and have very little in savings. Whenever an unexpected expense comes up they are unprepared and have to rely on me and my wife to cover the cost. While we have been happy to help with small things here and there, we are expecting our first child in March and simply cannot afford these unexpected expenses. My MIL breaks down whenever we try to bring up finances, but we cannot keep pushing this out. We are in the process of collecting her financial records to get a better idea of their monthly inflows and outflows.

    Is there a type of personal financial planner (specialized for retirees) I should coordinate with to meet with them to help them understand what options they have moving forward? What other advice can I give them to help them take charge of their finances? Outside of their current sources of income, which are insufficient to cover their annual costs, I presume my in-laws will need to find more affordable living. Selling their house should give them enough to add to their savings and cover incremental costs.

    Any help is greatly appreciated!

    submitted by /u/wafflesaur89
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    What can I do with my HSA?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 06:36 PM PST

    My previous employer offered an HSA contribution and I used to put some money into it. I recently switched employers and no longer contribute to that HSA and it is just sitting there and collecting a monthly fee of $5.

    My current employer doesn't offer an HSA so I was wondering what I can do with it besides withdrawing it and incurring taxes. Can I convert it into something or roll it over to my IRA?

    Any advice welcome.

    submitted by /u/Massive_Type5773
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    How risky is it to buy this house?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 10:15 PM PST

    Background: Single. 27 years old. $120k gross annual income. Net (after taxes, 401k, and HSA): $6k/month. First time home buyer in the US - Medium/Average COL area. Looking to have long term and not as an investment. Only debt's are $20k in student loans and $3k in CC.

    Home Price: $370k | Down Payment: 3% | Term: 30 Years | Rate: 4%

    Monthly Payment Breakdown:

    Mortgage Payment (Principle & Interest): $1,713.44
    Property Tax: $110.42
    Home Insurance: $60.42
    PMI: $118.00
    HOA: $160.42

    Total Out-of-Pocket/Month: $2,162.69

    This is pretty much it without electricity. Water and sewage is included in the HOA.

    submitted by /u/predsel
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    Which Bank Should I Go With?

    Posted: 07 Feb 2022 08:02 PM PST

    My debit card is currently with a small-town community bank that I like, but I have now moved 9-hours away from that bank, so it's not very accessible.

    I'm looking to change my checking/savings account to a new bank, preferably a nationwide bank (Chase, Wells Fargo, etc.) so I have access to one regardless of where I live.

    Are there any banks you would recommend or avoid looking into? To be honest, I don't really know where to start.

    submitted by /u/Langdailyupdates
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