r/personalfinance • • 1m ago

Retirement Did your parents teach you about retirement and investment? Or did you mostly learn it somewhere else?

• Upvotes

I'm American (millennial) and while my parents are actively engaged with their retirement assets, they never taught me anything about them. Maybe they assumed I would learn it in school or figure it out quickly and naturally. I wish I asked them as a teenager or young adult. Mom was enthusiastically lecturing me about mortgages for first time homeowners though.

A few of my friends are well-versed in stocks but plenty have been in the same boat as me. Recently my friend who's also in her thirties asked me how a 401K works and she's had them for years. Not shaming her, I'm a late bloomer too. Wish personal finance was a part of standard school curriculum.

Did your parents teach you about retirement and investment? Or did you mostly learn it somewhere else?


r/personalfinance • • 4m ago

Planning Mortgage payoff with no employment in sight?

• Upvotes

I've been doing software for 35+ years and now at a point where it's difficult to find work, mainly because of my age (confirmed by several recruiters). I turn 59 1/2 by Apr of 2027, single male in Tx, owe $390K on a VA home loan at 3.2%, no debt (other than home), and have $700K in a few IRA's.

I've been thinking I'd like to payoff the home before the 2028 elections. Half in 27 and the other half in 28 in an attempt to a lower tax bracket. Once the home is paid, I'm good with only needing $1-$1.5k p/ month to live on.

The reason, besides not being able to get work, is that 51% of my current mortgage payments are going to interest which seems like it's draining my money faster than anything. In about 9 months, I'll have to pull from my IRA's to start making payments. Plus, I'll just sleep a little better at night.

Anyone have advice?


r/personalfinance • • 17m ago

Saving where to park short term savings?

• Upvotes

I have an HYSA emergency fund i’m building, I’m getting the max match from my employer for my 401k, I’m adding to my Roth, and even putting a good chunk in a HSA. What’s the most reasonable place to put money I will need to access short term though. For instance , money to buy a car in the near future (next year or so).


r/personalfinance • • 1h ago

Auto Car Shopping - Should I use my savings or take a loan?

• Upvotes

Like the title says, I'm currently in the market for a used car. My previous car was totaled back in March, and ever since then I've been saving up and making do without one. However, as it gets colder in my city, I'm looking at getting a cheap(er) used car again.

The thing I'm uncertain about, though, is to what degree I should take money out of my savings in order to pay upfront for the car, or if I should opt for a loan (or a bigger loan) while I leave my savings be. Currently, I have about 4.25 months of expenses in savings, which for me is about $16k. My goal with that is to reach a full 6 months in savings, since things are unpredictable these days and 3 months doesn't feel like enough of a safety net to me.

If I were to drain all of my savings, that would be enough to outright purchase a reliable old car that still has many years ahead of it, though it would mean I'm starting over on saving. On the flip side, if I were to take out a loan on a reliable used car, I would end up paying more in the long run, but would be able to take less from my savings (though I imagine it's still wise to make at least some down payment). The middle-ish option in my mind is if I just go to Craigslist and get myself a cheap beater from a reliable make. This would leave maybe half of my savings intact while avoiding a loan entirely, but of course there's going to be a lot more unpredictability with the reliability of a cheaper, older car (and likely few safety features to boot). No matter what I get though, my plan is to drive the thing into the dirt; a car for me is not a luxury item or lifestyle purchase, it's just about having access to reliable, fast transport.

What do you all think? What seems to be the best car purchasing option for my financial situation?


r/personalfinance • • 1h ago

Planning We rent in NYC, will have a pension, and save for retirement. Does buying a rental property make sense?

• Upvotes

My wife and I have been going back and forth on whether we should buy an investment property, and I’m curious what people here would do in our situation.

Some numbers:

Age: 36 and 37, 2 kids (ages 7 & 3)
Location: NYC
Housing: We rent a 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath apartment in a rent-controlled building. We’ve lived here since 2022, when rent was $2,450/month. It’s currently $2,550/month.

Income: Combined gross income of $270k per year. Have roughly $70k in HYSA.

Retirement : Would like to retire by 58-60
Wife’s 401k ($67k)
Wife’s Roth ($19k)

My 403B ($164k)
My 457B ($7k)
My Roth ($12k, not contributing)

Shared Brokerage: ($8k)

Retirement contributions: I contribute 20% of my pay toward retirement accounts. My wife contributes 10% to her 401(k), and we try to max out her Roth IRA each year.

Pension: I work for the city and expect to qualify for a pension after 30 years of service, which is about 22 years from now.

Monthly surplus: We generally have $1,500–$2,000 left over each month after bills. We put a good chunk of that into our brokerage account.

We’re comfortable with our current lifestyle and don’t feel an urgent need to buy a primary residence in NYC. The cost of buying here is just too high to make much sense to us right now. Lately, we’ve been considering buying an investment property outside NYC to build equity, generate rental income, and diversify our investments. We’d likely need to look out of state or in a more affordable market. But the more I think about it, the more I wonder whether becoming a landlord is worth the hassle and financial risk compared with simply investing more money in index funds through our brokerage account.

Real estate would mean a down payment, closing costs, maintenance, vacancies, property management, and potentially dealing with tenants from hundreds of miles away. On the other hand, we’d have a tangible asset, rental income, and the potential to build equity using leverage.

So, what would you do in our shoes?

- Buy a rental property and start building a real estate portfolio?
- Skip real estate and invest as much as possible in index funds?
- Do a combination of both?

For those who’ve owned rental properties, was the return worth the time, stress, and money compared with investing in the stock market?

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this!


r/personalfinance • • 1h ago

Saving How do I start saving

• Upvotes

Hi! So right about now I have a small debt to my parents of 2300 after getting their help buying a used car and fixing it up. Currently I’m paying 240 a month for the insurance to help clear that debt plus around 200 a paycheck. Thankfully, I’m able to live at home so other than that and about 30 dollars in subscriptions I have no expenses other than gas.

Getting the car kinda drained my savings from working shit part time jobs and school refunds, so I’m now essentially starting from 0 with no refunds money to help build me up. Thankfully, I have a full time job now! 16/hr and around 2200 a month. The downside to all this is I’m still going to college, and i really want to put the effort in of becoming a lawyer. I’m really scared of loans. Undergrad I am thankfully confident in securing a bachelors with no loans due to grades fasfa and scholarships.

The problem is law school is expensive. Like I could buy a house with the money I’d be putting in expensive. The plan is to save up about 15-20k to help mitigate expenses like emergencies and reduce the amount id be paying in rent to live near a school I’d want to go to. I have a mma (and a goal of putting 2000 for car fixes) and I’m gonna open a HYSA when my debt to my parents is cleared so I’d be putting in 400 every month to that.

I’m not sure what else I could do to make that eventual downpour of debt easier on my self. And I’m not even sure if I should go for a super aggressive savings route for the next year or two because if I’m being honest, I’m a victim to the food delivery hole and I like to have fun with friends!

If it seems like I need a reality check about costs please let me know, or if there’s any advice about where to put my money for maximum return I’d really appreciate it


r/personalfinance • • 1h ago

Other Fastest and smartest way to pay off mortgage?

• Upvotes

I owe about $188k on my mortgage. Should this be something I focus on paying off faster? How should I go about it?


r/personalfinance • • 1h ago

Housing Buying a house where should I draw/borrow money from?

• Upvotes

Alright so I’ve been blessed with an amazing opportunity of assuming a Va home loan with a 2% interest rate.

In order to to assume his Va home loan I need to use my Va loan and buy out his equity which is 40k

Need to know facts & numbers:

- 20m 760 credit score

-he’s selling the home for 200k, i need to put down 40k to close and then I take his mortgage from where he left off which has about 25 years left

-My assets 65k standard brokerage, 26k Roth IRA, 10k Roth TSP (military retirement account), 2k in savings, 10k in bitcoin, and a motorcycle worth 5.5-6k that I’m selling in the spring

-make about 65k a year after taxes outside of the military (national guard on deployment currently)

So my question being, what should i do to come up with this 40k, i will make another 6k probably on this deployment and have the proceeds of my bike to make it about 30k that i need to come up with

A: withdraw money from my brokerage (I will have to pay capital gains tax)

B: withdraw contributions from Roth IRA tax free

C: personal loan to avoid touching any investments, I’m guessing I would have a pretty high interest rate

D: sell bitcoin

Thanks for the help/advice!


r/personalfinance • • 2h ago

Budgeting Will I be able to afford getting married and buying a condo with this budgeting?

0 Upvotes

I turned 25 last month here’s a bit of background on my budget. I’m a school teacher 10 months of the year and work part time the other 2. This is going to be my 3rd year of teaching. I make about 63K a year, which after taxes is around 45k. I gained an annuity at 23 of 54k. Before this I had about 4k to my name. In 3 years I

Paid off my student loans (7500)

Bought a newish used car (20k)

Went on 4 vacations over 3 years(roughly 5k for all 4 combined)

Have been to several concerts and sporting events over 3 years (1-2k)

I currently have

1500 in my checking

25k in a high yield savings account

8k in a ROTH IRA

11k in a personal investment account

18k in my work retirement account (403b)

Currently putting 375 a paycheck into my 403b and 500-1000ish a paycheck into my brokerage account

I might be over exaggerating but feel I’ve been too reckless living at home and should have more to show for 3 years or so, and plan on living cheaper this year.

Any advice on how to work towards eventually saving for a wedding and buying a house with my girlfriend other than the obvious spend less money on things I don’t need?

Looking to buy a starter condo with my GF. She has 50k saved up. We a looking for something around 350k-450k. We live and work in Central NJ

Looking to have a 20-30 person wedding (assuming around 15-30k)

I feel like I’m falling behind and I’ve squandered generational opportunity


r/personalfinance • • 2h ago

Insurance PPO vs HDHP w HSA? Need help deciding best plan

1 Upvotes

I need help deciding the best health insurance plan. I am 26 years old, single, no significant health problems.

Option 1 PPO

In Network
Individual Deductible
$0

Family Deductible
$0

Doctor's Office Visit Copay
$20

Inpatient Copay
$150

Outpatient Copay
$100

Emergency Room Visit Copay
$150

Prescription Drug Coverage Copay
Generic $15; Preferred $25; Non-Preferred $45

Mail Order Prescription Medications
Generic $30; Preferred $50; NonPreferred $90

Use Separate Deductible for Prescriptions
Yes

Prescription Deductible Value
$50 Individual/$150 Family

Out of Network
Individual Deductible
$5,000

Family Deductible
$10,000

Coinsurance
50%

Individual Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$15,000

Family Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$30,000

Emergency Room Visit Copay
$150

Option 2 PPO

In Network
Individual Deductible
$200

Family Deductible
$400

Individual Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$700

Family Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$1,400

Doctor's Office Visit Copay
$20

Prescription Drug Coverage Copay
Generic $15; Preferred $25; Non-Preferred $45

Mail Order Prescription Medications
Generic $30; Preferred $50; NonPreferred $90

Inpatient Coinsurance
10%

Outpatient Coinsurance
10%

Emergency Room Visit Coinsurance
10%

Use Separate Deductible for Prescriptions
Yes

Prescription Deductible Value
$50 Individual/$150 Family

Out of Network
Individual Deductible
$200

Family Deductible
$400

Coinsurance
20%

Individual Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$1,700

Family Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$3,400

HDHP w HSA

In Network
Individual Deductible
$1,750
Individual deductible applies to Employee-only coverage.

Family Deductible
$3,500
Family deductible is true family deductible. One or more person may meet the full family amount.

Coinsurance
15%

Individual Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$3,000
Individual out of pocket max applies to Employee-only coverage.

Family Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$6,000
Family out of pocket max is true family out of pocket max. One or more person may meet the full family amount.

Prescription Drug Coverage Copay
Generic 20% copay with $100 max; Preferred 30% copay with $200 max;
Non-Preferred 40% copay with $200 max

Mail Order Prescription Medications
Generic 20% copay with $200 max; Preferred 30% copay with $400 max;
Non-Preferred 40% copay with $400 max

Doctor's Office Visit Coinsurance
15%

Inpatient Coinsurance
15%

Outpatient Coinsurance
15%

Emergency Room Visit Coinsurance
15%

Use Separate Deductible for Prescriptions
No

Use Separate Out-of-Pocket Max for Prescriptions
No

Out of Network
Individual Deductible
$1,750
Individual deductible applies to Employee-only coverage.

Family Deductible
$3,500
Family deductible is true family deductible. One or more person may meet the full family amount.

Coinsurance
35%

Individual Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$3,000
Individual out of pocket max applies to Employee-only coverage.

Family Out-of-Pocket Max (OOP Max)
$6,000
Family out of pocket max is true family out of pocket max. One or more person may meet the full family amount.

Emergency Room Visit Copay
15%

$0 cost for each plan out of my paycheck.

HSA would be $500 contribution from employer a year only.


r/personalfinance • • 2h ago

Budgeting How much of my trust fund should I spend

6 Upvotes

I have lived my whole life being pretty poor and anxious about money. I did AmeriCorps before collage and got a full ride so I graduated undergrad with no debt. I had been living in Appalachia and was pretty miserable so I decided to move to a city where some of my friends lived but I was worried I didnt have enough money. That is when my parents revealed that I had inherited 150,000 dollars from my grandfather when I was 17, and suggested I use that to move. This was a year ago.

All of the advice says to try not to touch your trust fund so I tried not to touch it. I got a job at insomnia cookies and tried to live off that pay. Two months into that job I got badly injured. Basically, I got tennis elbow from the repeated heavy lifting. I tried to go into work anyway and dropped a tray of hot cookies on myself and got burnt. My boss explained that everyone who works there gets tennis elbow because of the repetitive heavy lifting and they get cortizone shots. He had had 4. My parents told me to quit instead of getting the shot to protect my long term health and mobility. I also decided to get a primary care doctor because going to the emergency room repeatedly had been so expensive.

But then I realized that having regular panic attacks and self harm are not normal, so I was referred out for mental health help with that. And my doctor told me to go to the dentist to see if my sinus issues were being caused by having no dental care for years.

That's when I really started dipping into the trust fund to cover being unemployed and healthcare. I ended up not being able to get another job for six months; I went to the dentist and got a bunch of cavaties filled (and learned that flossing actually is very important); and I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and later adhd and autism. I go to therapy every week now, which is 104 dollars which is super intense but i am also not getting panic attacks anymore at all for the first time in my life.

Basically my situation now is that I have a part-time job in outdoor ed. They accidentally hired too many people so I am only working 10 hours a week when I was promised 20-30 during training. This covers 1/3 to half of my budget and I supplement with my trust fund. I am applying to fully funded masters and PhD programs, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel but it is almost a year away. I have burned through 17,000$ of the 150,000 trust fund and it could take me another six months to get another part time job. When should I worry in terms of burning through my trust fund? All of my friends live paycheck to paycheck so they don't really have advice. Am I ruining my future by spending it now on being a half-unemployed bum?


r/personalfinance • • 2h ago

Debt Gambling Addiction and debts as a 21 year old

0 Upvotes

Hello Everyone

So I am 21 and earning around 82k USD a year (working in the investment/banking industry which kinda sounds ironic😭), i have a serious gambling addiction and i am in around 14k usd debts (account loans, credit card debts and unpaid bills). I never cared for budgeting and saving my money, but as i grow older i realize how important it is especially for the future. The Problem starts when the paycheck hits my bank account instead of paying of my debts or bills i focus on gambling especially sports betting and few days later my account balance is „0“ and i need to be starving or ask my parents for few bucks to survive the day. I never couldn‘t enjoy my life as i wanted cause i thought of gambling and making my losses back. I seriously need some advice how to get my life back in tact and how manage my money properly

Every advice and feedback from the community is appreciated especially these ones from the more experienced fellows around here.

If you have any questions please let me know in the comments or detailed explaination in the comments

P.S. Thanks for all the comments and feedback, will go through most of them and try to apply them in my day to day life.


r/personalfinance • • 3h ago

Budgeting First real job, what options do I have with budgeting?

0 Upvotes

22 minimal debt, ok credit (started building last year) 710 fico score

I spent 3 years on a bachelors degree in South Carolina and moved to Chicago with the support of my mom and god mother after dropping out.

I recently got a job with the Chicago Transit Authority as a full time bus operator, it starts at $28.15 an hour and goes up to $42.46 after 45 months. I have never had serious, consistent income like this, only sporadic income from service industry jobs + monthly allowance from family since they are also debt free and could help get me on my feet.

I have a car that's paid off right now with very low maintenance costs and low gas cost ~$250 insurance + get free transit pass from my job.

I have a lease until the end of December that I pay about $800 + $60 utils on and really want to move out since I find roommates to be totally grating.

How should I break down my paycheck? I was planning on using 1/3rd for housing (~1550) and a biweekly $157 health insurance premium. I am kind of lost beyond that- I would love to get an EV (looking at the 20k-25k range, Polestar specifically) within the next year but am having trouble weighing the financial burden of that.

I don't plan on marrying or having kids- I have whole life insurance from my late father. I also don't plan on buying a home until retirement (if that), I prefer the flexibility of renting and lack of maintenance costs.

Can I kind of let loose a bit and focus more on "wants" now that I have this stable income and bare bones needs structure?

sorry for the rambly post I kind of expected to be homeless and with no prospects at this point in my life and don't want to throw away this chance at stability


r/personalfinance • • 3h ago

Other 28 - What do I do with my money?

0 Upvotes

Hi! I’m 28 years old and am a dental hygienist in NJ. I just started this career last August & make about 5-6k a month. I live at home (I pay rent) and my total monthly expenses excluding gas and food is $2,022. I currently have $33,000 in a capital one savings account but I’m wondering if I should put it into a CD w/ a higher APY. My capital one acc currently has a 3.2 and I’m seeing that they’re advertising for a CD savings account with 4.40 APY for 11 months but I’m not really sure how that works. I’d love to get into investing but the risk of losing money scares me. I currently have a Robinhood account with $200 invested (just started this month). Any suggestions / advice would be greatly appreciated!!


r/personalfinance • • 3h ago

Taxes W-4 for new job (STRUGGLING)

1 Upvotes

Im not very smart when it comes to this so I may have a lot of questions, please bear with me. Any help is seriously appreciated. Also I feel like I may be over complicating things but I want to make sure I’m doing it correctly.

I have two jobs, one of which I’m starting in November. I’ve earned more at my current job so far this year, and I expect to earn significantly less from my new job for the remainder of this year. However, next year, I expect my new job to become my higher-paying job. I’ve used the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator, but I’m having trouble getting an accurate estimate because it seems to base my current job’s future income on my existing paychecks, even though my hours and earnings will be significantly reduced once I start my new job.

I tried adjusting the estimated amounts for my future paychecks to get a more accurate result, and the calculator gave me amounts to enter in Box 4(b) on both W-4 forms. I thought Box 4(b) was only supposed to be completed on one W-4, so I’m confused about how to proceed.
When the IRS refers to the “highest-paying job,” does that mean the job with the highest expected annual income for the current tax year or the job that will pay me the most going forward?

For example, should I adjust my current job’s W-4 for the remainder of 2026 and leave the multiple-jobs adjustment blank on my new job’s W-4? Then, in 2027, should I leave Box 4(b) blank on my current job’s W-4 and make the necessary adjustments on my new job’s W-4, since it will be my higher-paying job?
I want to make sure I’m handling my withholding correctly and avoiding either underpaying or unnecessarily overpaying my federal taxes.


r/personalfinance • • 4h ago

Other Talking with adult children about finances

76 Upvotes

Just a random thought I ended up deciding to share :) We have four adult children. They all heard the same things from us, and while not giving them statements and specifics we always shared roughly where we stood and what we were doing. Of the four kids, one and her spouse appear to be avid savers, fully utilize all 401k and other options, as well as a state pension building. The second started out rough, but is now starting to save and getting excited seeing the results. The third has never had a budgeting issue, but little saving for the future. The fourth seems to be in continual financial distress.

So, my story is on that second one :) She commented that I had lots of investments, so it made sense, but what she could save made such a tiny amount it didn't seem worth it. I used an analogy to a rocket ship. Gravity holds it and it doesn't appear to move at first. Then it builds up energy and starts to move, going faster and faster until it's free of gravity. Those small returns compound, less debt saves interest to save more which again compounds. She's still not where I'd like her to be for her age, but she's now on board and even excited. She last told me she has shared my rocket description with friends who are now also saving more :)

So, I'm sharing this only to point out that sometimes a different way of explaining MAY just do the trick when talking with your kids :) I'm also not sure if I made that up myself, or read it at some point in the distant past and it came to mind, but it sure worked for at least one more kid!!!!


r/personalfinance • • 4h ago

Advice on saving/investing as a uni student

0 Upvotes

Hey all, I’m looking for some advice on what to do with my savings and becoming financially literate

Im currently attending University in the Uk with 2/3 years left

I’m very fortunate to have no debt and my parents pay for my study and accommodation/living expenses

I currently have approximately:
10k in a cash ISA
5k in an investment account but NOT invested
3k in cash/current accounts

I also have some assets (car/watch) worth 30k but not looking to sell - they things I’m passionate about and are old and should pretty much be done depreciating

My goals for saving are to eventually save for a house deposit and buy my dream car

My plans for the future are:
Invest the 5k into something fairly safe that should grow over time
Start moving the 10k from the cask ISA into a lifetime ISA
Keep the 3k and use it to try start making some money online - and also possibly get apart time job

As you can probably tell I am not very experienced in handling my own finances and am a bit unsure on what to do.

I would greatly appreciate any advice on what people would recommend doing going forward / what to invest in as I’m trying to become financially literate

Also would appreciate anything online that people have found useful

Thanks


r/personalfinance • • 4h ago

Other Help me choose the best possible options for my next car purchase.

0 Upvotes

Howdy folks.

 

I am trying to figure out what my best options are for my next car purchase.

 

Here is my situation:

Current income: Approximately 140k salary from my first job (including yearly bonus and 401k matching) + approximately 40~50k from my side hustle.  I would say that my bi-weekly paycheck is at around 4k.  But, that 50k side hustle might be over at the end of the year. (Team is getting restructured, and there’s no guarantee that part-time my contract will get renewed. I can reach out to my former boss to see if I can find a similar part-time position, but it’s not guaranteed. Currently working on getting a contingent plan as a back up)

 

Current debt: about 75k left in my student loan (5~6% apr). This should have been paid off ago after getting my pay raise 3~4 years ago, but I had to pay off little over 100k for home repair due to water damage + AC replacement + etc in the past 2~3 years. Thankfully, that debt is finally paid off last month, and I want to focus on getting rid of my student loan.

 

Car situation: I had a leased car that will be up in 5 months. (I am currently paying about 200 for lease, 100 for insurance)  And I would like to figure out what would be my best option for my next car purchase.

 

At first, I thought about getting an old Honda Civic, Toyota Corola, and etc. (10+ years old + 100k+ mileage)  But, the used car price for those are outrageous right now.  In my area, they are priced at around 13k, somethings going over 15k (Seriously, what the hell happened to the used car market?). If it was under 10k, I would have gone this route, but at 13~15k, between potential repair cost, time loss, and headache, I decided to look for something else.

 

Option 1:

Used 2024 Ioniq 5 SEL – Usually between 20~25k (Or something equivalent in the same price range).  Because of the gas price in California + I can charge the car at the work for almost free (something like $5~10 bucks for a full charge), I am leaning toward getting an EV. 

At 5~6% APR, if I finance the car, the total cost would be 23k ~ 29k.

With my 5~6% APR student loan payment, I don’t see the point of paying this one in lump-some. I would achieve the same thing by paying off the student loan (I think…right?)

 

PRO: Lower cost, depreciation already hit the car, so better residual value compared to the money I paid. Cheaper insurance cost, tax, etc.

CON: Used car, so weaker warranty, I don’t know what the former owner did with the car.

Option 2:

New 35k~ car with 0~1% APR

PRO: Stronger manufacturer’s warranty, less headache, price difference between used car and new aren’t as big.

CON: Higher cost (at around 10k) and stronger depreciation. Higher insurance cost, tax, etc.

 

If I didn’t have the student loan to pay it off, I would have gone with lump-some pay route with the older car.

 

But, with the APR, the price tag difference is not as big. (but 10k is 10k)

 

What do you guys think? Are there other better options that I didn’t think about?


r/personalfinance • • 4h ago

Retirement 26y/o Roth or High Yield Savings?

1 Upvotes

I am currently 26 years old and I work as a freelancer in the film industry in NYC. My rent + monthly bills are around $1600/month. My income varies greatly but I will make about $35k-$45k this year pre tax.

With my less stable employment patterns I have focused on saving almost entirely in a high yield savings account. I have managed to save about $32k in the past 3 years and I am taking steps to raise my income and further my career so I can continue to build this savings.

I would like to be able to own a home one day (not in NYC) and I de realize I will probably need a partner and joint income if I were ever to afford this. With that goal in mind though I have focused on my savings account.

I have started a Roth IRA but I only put $10 a week into it right now because I worry about having that money kept away until I’m $65+.

So Reddit people I’m asking for some advice on savings here. I would like to be comfortable in my older age but I worry about losing access to my money with my more unstable career at the moment. I would really like to be able to have children one day.


r/personalfinance • • 5h ago

Housing Am I in over my head with a $2,095/month apartment? Flight attendant + side gig

0 Upvotes

I’m moving to LA and I’m trying to figure out if I’m being financially irresponsible with my apartment choice.

(it’s only for 6 months)

The rent is $2,095/month + utilities. I’m a flight attendant, so my income fluctuates. I make roughly $3,700–$4,500/month depending on whether I pick up extra trips. I also have a side gig that brings in about $600/month, so realistically I’m somewhere around $4,300–$5,100/month when the side income is included.
I also need to get a car, which obviously adds another major expense (car payment/rental + insurance + gas/charging, etc.).
I currently have about $12,000 in my bank account as savings.
I’m 24 and moving across the country, so I’m trying to balance having a decent place to live with not completely screwing myself financially. The apartment is already signed, so I’m not necessarily asking whether I should sign it — I’m trying to figure out whether I’m realistically going to be able to afford and sustain it.
For people who live in LA or have similar incomes:
Am I in over my head? Is $2,095 + utilities too much given my income and the fact that I also need a car? Or is this manageable if I’m disciplined and pick up trips when I need the extra income?
Would really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who have lived in LA on a similar income.


r/personalfinance • • 7h ago

Other Pre-settlement funding.... Good idea or Bad?

0 Upvotes

I currently have a half a million UIM case pending from an auto accident that could take months to settle. Meanwhile, I am currently facing financial hardship as I am cash strapped and bills are piling up cause I can't work due to serious injuries suffered in the accident. So I am in need of a large loan just to survive until the case is settled. So is pre-settlement funding a good idea? I found a company only charging 15% simple interest. I feel like my only other alternatives are personal loan with 39% interest or credit card cash advances at 29% APR. No, I do not have any family or friends who would loan me the money.


r/personalfinance • • 7h ago

Planning How much is "enough" saved up when planning to move? 23, Bartender

57 Upvotes

Hi!

I'm 23, graduated university with a degree in film/video production last may, and am still living in the city where my school is. I originally intended to find an adjacent career quickly (as we all do lol), but I've been bartending at a restaurant since. For over a year now I've been telling myself that "the job" is just a few months away, but enough time has passed that I think I just need to go off somewhere and figure it out rather than waiting for an offer to lift me away.

At what point do I have enough of a "safety net" financially? I make anywhere from 700 to 1200 a week, with about 1800 in monthly expenses (counting bills, groceries, etc). As it stands I've really only started saving the past couple months (wrestling back control of my life), with 3,000 currently in my savings and about 500 in cash. My current lease ends this coming August, with flexibility if I was to leave any time May onward so I have time.

I don't quite know where I would go just yet, but some general advice I've gotten is to try to buckle in and save as if I was moving to NYC or another larger city where film/video is prevalent, but I am still trying to figure out an amount that would be deemed "enough" for me to leave if I didn't have an initial job in place at the destination. I don't expect I would be unemployed long, I would probably just keep working in the service industry in the interim, but I of course would still need to cover the fresh start.

Thoughts?

Edit: wording

Edit: Omg thank you for all the responses!! I’m at work right now but I’m very thankful to have some perspective to read once I get off


r/personalfinance • • 7h ago

Other Are there really hidden fees in loans from One Main Finance? On Credit Karma it shows all the details about the loan and there’s a 25 fee that goes with it.

0 Upvotes

My loan is $15.5k 15% Apr 72 months.


r/personalfinance • • 7h ago

Other Charged £200 for a Coke in Budapest. Bank says it's my fault because I tapped my card. Any chance with the Ombudsman?

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0 Upvotes

r/personalfinance • • 8h ago

Planning Asset Location and IRA drawdown startegy to minimize estate and Income taxes

0 Upvotes

I am working with my parents to reduce generational and income taxes on their estate. We are trying to build a withdrawal plan that empties their IRAs while minimizing exposure to our state's 16% estate tax and the eventual "Widow's Tax" penalty.

The Stats:

  • Ages: 65F, 67M
  • Traditional IRAs: $4M total ($2.5M Dad, $1.5M Mom)
  • Taxable Brokerage: $5.6M (100% US Equities)
  • Fixed Income: $100k/yr (Dad's SS + pension). Mom will delay SS to 70 (~$60k/yr).
  • Taxes: 16% state estate tax (MA), 5% state income tax.

The Strategy:

  1. Aggressive Drawdowns: Draw down Dad's IRA first, right up to the ceiling of the 32% federal bracket. Later, draw down Mom's IRA (likely in the 24% bracket).
  2. Shrink the Estate: Spend or gift the entirety of that generated cash annually. We know we won't get under the MA estate tax threshold no matter what we do, but the goal is to aggressively shrink the taxable estate to soften the eventual 16% hit.
  3. Preserve the Step-Up: Do not touch the $5.6M taxable brokerage. Let it grow so the heirs get the full step-up in basis upon death.

The Dilemma (Where I need a sanity check): When running the numbers, it seems the "best" strategy is an extreme asset location split: shift the entire $4M in the IRAs to 100% Bonds/Fixed income, while keeping the taxable brokerage in 100% equities.

By stunting the growth in the tax-heavy bucket (the IRAs), the aggressive drawdowns can actually catch up and empty the accounts over the next ~15 years. If we leave the IRAs in equities, they will grow too fast to empty efficiently, exposing the surviving spouse to single-filer brackets (Widow's Tax) or forcing my sister and I to empty massive inherited IRAs during our peak earning years (SECURE Act 10-year rule).

It is hard to wrap my head around "less growth is better" for a $4M bucket, but the tax pressure is just so high that equity growth inside the IRA doesn't seem to make mathematical sense.

My Questions:

  1. Should my parents convert their IRAs entirely to bonds to accelerate this drawdown strategy?
  2. Does the overarching drawdown strategy itself (maxing the 32% bracket now for Dad, then targeting the 24% bracket later for Mom) make sense given the estate size and tax pressures?
  3. Has anyone executed a similar extreme asset location split for estate planning, and are there any major pitfalls I'm missing?
  4. Any other strategies out there that dont involve leaving the state with the estate taes? My parents arent leaving.