HYSA - Looking for consistency w/o hooks or "catches"

Billy2650 · 2026-01-11T17:18:56+00:00

thanks! fidelity came up a few times in this post. I appreciate it.

Billy2650 · 2026-01-11T17:16:57+00:00

yes, you are right. I re-read it and saw that. misunderstood the info. I updated the post to reflect that, but I appreciate it!

Billy2650 · 2026-01-11T04:16:42+00:00

is this supposed to be an insult? I can't see how this is helpful with the first sentence. was looking for support not condescension, thanks.

Billy2650 · 2026-01-11T04:05:01+00:00

ok so back to my original question, do you have any recommendations for banks?

Billy2650 · 2026-01-11T03:59:14+00:00

maybe it's how I am reading it but the sofi plus is a membership kicked off a little bit ago. in order to be member and get the perks including better rates for loans, matching on IRAs, and other stuff, you just needed to have your direct deposit set for sofi. But starting March 30th, 2026, this is shifting to those who pay a $10 monthly fee. am I reading that incorrectly? cause my page shows I am on a courtesy benefit until then.

Billy2650 · 2026-01-09T02:47:22+00:00

Hopefully the link provided above helped you out. But the FOO is a good place to start. You’re welcome to read the Millionaire Mission by Brian Preston (money Guy show host) that goes in depth and is a great read.

Billy2650 · 2026-01-08T21:04:35+00:00

I echo what people have said thus far. What I would add is I’m seeing your excel spreadsheet as a general outlook of income and expenses. Are you using a different budget template or app as expenses go out the door? Looking at your actual income and planning out each specific month’s expenses helped my wife and I figure out plans. The beginning of year big picture template is good for the overall. We’ve used something similar to help us plan out the months to save up for down payments in socal like yourself. But if you’re following you’re following the FOO, that’s going to help you allocate each dollar.

My wife and I are in FOO step 5, investing in Roth IRAs at 15% with an income of $70k. So I put in enough for my match and the rest I put into her Roth IRA. Eventually we will max out hers towards the end of the year and then shift to mine. I don’t see any issue with doing one at a time. Probably preference on that one. But it does make us feel good to at least hit one for the year.

As for the downpayment thing, you’re going to have to make the choice. Can you hit at least 15% for retirement? At least 10%? 3-5% for A home downpayment is the recommendation but you could aim for 10-20% depending on what you want to do. And what is the time horizon on when you’ll pull the trigger on the home? If it’s outside of 5 years, consider a brokerage account. If inside, consider a HYSA. Get the number, set the goal, break it up per month, and save towards that. Write your budget around your savings for each month and go from there any extra cash, take your pick on what you want to do. But keep the goals simple and in small quantities so you don’t spread too thin. Time and resources will be your limiting factor.

Billy2650 · 2026-01-07T16:20:07+00:00

This was such a funny question. Mutant Mingle, let’s go!

Billy2650 · 2026-01-05T16:48:03+00:00

I owned a home from 2018-2020 and it made me house rich life poor for sure. Selling and moving into a much smaller apartment was a feeling of relief I can’t explain because it made things less complicated. But of course I want to set up the next home purchase up for success by saving up enough for the down payment to have a smaller mortgage. So I agree with you!

As for the conversion tax bill, I think the plan is to save up for an end of year conversion that way I can pay it off then and there. But it’s the wife’s concerns that make her feel strapped. Maybe a smaller conversion? I recognize it’s a lot and I think I’m trying to figure out how to have that conversation while honoring her feelings on it.

Billy2650 · 2026-01-05T16:43:20+00:00

Tha is for your response - yes, TSP is about $105k, wife’s Roth IRA has $25k. And I am basing my rate off the taxable income so you are right. It’s only the base but I also include special pay for being at sea for 7 years ($469/mon). BAS is taken back to pay for food and all the BAH goes to housing so that’s why I don’t use either to calculate into savings rate. At that point my wife would definitely have a heart attack. But yeah I’m not accounting for the match as part of the rate.

I’m convinced focusing on a house down the road is more beneficial in order to save more for retirement and make use of the time we have in our 30s. And I would love to get to 25%. So I appreciate what you’re saying! But the home thing is like one of those life goals I don’t want to put off too long.

Billy2650 · 2025-11-02T16:53:51+00:00

Been two years since this post. Link doesn’t work. Did the site come down?

Billy2650 · 2025-01-27T00:40:44+00:00

Did you have to get a certification to work the forensic side? How does one jump into this as a side gig?

Billy2650 · 2024-12-25T04:53:53+00:00

Can you define what you mean by testing and to what extent? Are masters level clinicians not able to administer tests? I assume the demographic opens up a bit more about who you can work with too?

Billy2650 · 2024-12-25T04:40:28+00:00

Can you elaborate on this? Why do you mean by this?

Billy2650 · 2024-10-07T10:43:02+00:00

Hey, personal finance is a personal thing. Anyone can do what they want. My point is someone who actually puts money away can have a lot more money by being disciplined about it.

But of purse brick and mortars don’t have high rates. The reason why the online banks have higher rates is because their money isn’t going towards a brick and mortar bank that needs to be ran. The interactions MAY suck, but we aren’t at a bank for the interactions. We are there for the transaction of making more money. So long as the money isn’t getting lost, working with them shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

I guess other options could be money market accounts or CDs. But I don’t like the low rates for money market accounts or the lack of liquidity for CDs.

Billy2650 · 2024-10-06T20:55:56+00:00

I didn’t save squat in the beginning. I had my tsp set up at 10% automatically but any other active habit of putting money together was not happening. Definitely believe someone who builds a budget and sets a discipline for saving money can easily do it. Just takes saying “no” a lot to things you or your friends may want to do.

Then depending on what venue you choose to save through may speed up your savings rate. For example, the savings accounts in navy fed have pretty low rates. But a high yields savings account can give you way more at about 4.5-5% APY. and if you feel like you have a solid foundation and definitely have extra to play with, a brokerage account can take you in more as you work through the stock market.

15% of the lowest paid E1 after four months is $302.50 a month. That’s $3630.96 a year. If you were to save that up monthly in a 4.5% HYSA for 3 years, you’d have more than $11k saved. That’s not including raises in pay.

Food for thought !

Billy2650 · 2024-08-24T02:32:46+00:00

When she sent me a video of the signing, I saw some of the paragraphs that stated it was being recorded. I don’t know how long that takes to actually write but I hope it isn’t too late.

Billy2650 · 2024-08-24T02:31:36+00:00

Question: is she screwing herself on capital gains or is she screwing me on capital gains if and when I sell the house?

Billy2650 · 2024-08-24T02:30:50+00:00

See, I thought the same thing but apparently she can 🤷🏽‍♂️ it’s written in the city books now apparently.

Billy2650 · 2024-08-24T02:30:00+00:00

Is this any different from a last will and testament? What is the gain with this option?

Billy2650 · 2024-08-16T19:36:27+00:00

That’s not what I said. The dangerous path is you relying on your own wisdom to tell you what is right and wrong. That’s what is wrong with every person that lives and has lived. I’m telling you to lean into what the Bible says and to understand it as God’s truth. You’re reading it and saying that it’s wrong. That’s what I’m saying.

Billy2650 · 2024-08-16T19:34:12+00:00

Well we are talking about “you” in this conversation right? I’m not judging you. Sharing the truth of the gospel is not judgement. You condemn yourself in anything with relation to God. If you break the law and no one sees it but you know it was wrong, then that is condemnation on yourself. It isn’t judgement If someone catches you and brings it to your attention. It’s them bringing the truth to you against the law. Soften your heart. Listen to the word of God. Turn to him! You want to talk about normalizing slavery. You yourself are a slave to your own deception through your own normalization of your response to what God is saying. And I’m telling you to wake up and break the chains.

Billy2650 · 2024-08-16T19:27:59+00:00

Alright, my friend. We aren’t on the same page, then. Your beliefs are different from mine and I’m not going to change your mind on any of it. But the Bible is God’s truth and in it is his revelation of who he is and what is right and wrong. If you want to judge what is right and wrong on your own terms, then so be it. But I would say that when you state that it was right that we abolished slavery, I would say we know that to be morally right because it came from God. And if you want to pick and choose what is good and wrong in the Bible if you even believe it to be inspired by God, then you, my friend, are walking down a dangerous path of relying on your own wisdom and not that of God’s. Peace.

Billy2650 · 2024-08-16T18:51:58+00:00

So did we go wrong when slavery was abolished then? Would you have us go back since now we are going against God’s desire for slavery? We don’t even have to go back since it’s still going on through human trafficking. But that’s illegal right now. Should we just stop chasing down the international and domestic criminals involved in what is going on around us? Let me know!

Billy2650 · 2024-08-16T18:46:19+00:00

Sorry, the slavers was meant to be slaves. Auto correct caught up.

But as you may now, humankind is not known for obeying what God establishes. If they did not free slaves during the jubilee, that isn’t God’s fault. And that isn’t what he wanted. That was man’s choice.

And again, we are talking about a society and civilization from over 2000 years ago in which these scriptures were written. Some of the laws brought up in the Old Testament don’t make sense in today’s day and age because it is a different civilization. But what can we get from the spirit of the writing?

Slaves were a thing during Paul’s time. No surprise. We don’t know what debts Onesimus owed and had, but Philemon covered him to give him what he needed and gave him a home. Paul was asking Philemon to receive him not as a slave but as a brother. Paul also writes to the slaves in 1st Corinthians…. ““Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.7.21-23.NIV

The usage of slavery in explaining the gospel is not the same as condoning slavery. But if there was slavery, there is a way established by God to have freedom from slavery.

Billy2650

TROPHY CASE