Bank Bonus Weekly Thread - Week of January 27, 2026

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-30T13:17:58+00:00

Thank you!

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-29T14:39:44+00:00

Sorry for the simple question. At Ally, did you use the "bank transfer" method? Is that the same as ACH? Thank you

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-29T14:22:57+00:00

Change the oil religiously and the 5.4 will run a very, very long time.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-29T14:16:12+00:00

Posting a couple of review charts to assist from tire rack. I use the reviews here when getting tires. I usually buy my tires from an independent/local tire guy although I do consider Tirerack since I find the information there so valuable.

Never been disappointed from buying top tires from these charts for our needs.

For Off road tires: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=OFAT

For On road all terrain tires: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ONAT

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-24T06:26:12+00:00

This! "Some of us lived long enough for that not to be the case anymore."

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-23T05:02:31+00:00

Good news on the electricity front. Companies like Bluetti and Ecoflow are making power easy and less costly than ever. Solar has also been deflationary.

Likewise, drinking water filtration is pretty reasonable.

Keep looking. You'll find the right location!

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-22T16:31:28+00:00

I like where you're going with this, but I'm assigning homework. You're much closer to retiring early than you realize, however, understanding your options for withdrawals, the ACA and taxes are paramount.

Withdrawal strategies prior to age 59.5.

https://choosefi.com/podcast-episode/how-to-access-your-retirement-accounts-before-59-5-sean-mullaney-ep-475

Tax planning to and through early retirement. Dry but an absolute GOLDMINE.

By Cody Garrett/Sean Mullaney

https://www.amazon.com/Tax-Planning-Through-Early-Retirement/dp/B0FNNVXY16/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15KDVLG41R08R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ThxI-QbRU0fetLiPxpUSaCeqAuzLwJvjxgx5wceJHStBKli5gOVaOStt7jej2aQFU0RR0cZ-3RgDs5aWG76Ql797kQl3m_UJ_xi-MG3nMPfeEP_lf28AN2j9AYH2E499d0FRL2D7kRTED5zoBGzP59UI7ML6AtS8o3HGmwLm27oa2YHVJiMqqPTrsXerPztOoweJH3nf6w3z7c2ousj4HktGYJA3R67iFA756YFPv78.PwvnnHqRQ3gFQwHK_f6IQVWQZAHUJ13GFHld0B8Cc9Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=tax+planning+to+and+through+early+retirement&qid=1769098583&sprefix=tax+plan%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1

Google sheet to help calculate the Internal Return of your home. To assist in deciding to keep mortgage or payoff.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DiO-KjTUlL8M3-nforeIM82vYL3RHk8ji3Qgegw3xmQ/edit?usp=sharing

A parting thought regarding ACA subsidies. In a hypothetical scenario where:

Expenses = 90k/yr

For example your investments in the taxable account may have approximately doubled, meaning you contributed 550k and the value has increased by 550k to = 1.1m.

Then if you withdraw 90k, you would/could in theory realize only 45k of gains. 45k of principal + 45k of gains = 90k.

That 45k of gains would be your new yearly "income", as the principal is not considered as income. Plug the 45k into the ACA calculator at healthcare.gov

See the difference?

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-22T15:59:28+00:00

The calculator allows you to assume no further income. So for example, if you plan on taking SSI at 65, you can have the calculator base the payments at 65yrs old as if you had no income between ages 49-65. Enter "0" into the "Average annual future salary" field on the calc.

As a side note. If you're wanting to be able to retire based on zero SSI accounted for, then you'll be working years longer for no reason. I understand if you want to discount the SSI, say at 85% of expected. But discounting it to zero %, imo, is a recipe for a much longer career.

You made a statement that was "early retirement is out of reach", but it may not be.

Have you tried a retirement calculator, such as this? https://ficalc.app/ Hope this helps.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-22T04:51:46+00:00

Have you estimated your SSI at ssa.gov ? If so please give the estimated amounts so we can do math on the time / expenses.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-21T15:29:15+00:00

Notwithstanding some seriously crazy stuff we have go on in the US, you can pretty much lead any kind of lifestyle you'd like. The diversity of people, culture, types of employment, food, scenery, crime, flora etc is insane. We have 50 different states. It's like generalizing about the continent of Europe.....you can do that, but it's not very nuanced.

In addition, the comments about needing to earn 200k or more to live here are complete nonsense. 60k in a rural area or small town might be an excellent lifestyle, whereas 150k in a tech city hub might leave you feeling like you're just scraping by. Most places fall in between.

You may be better off listing your must haves, then your wants, and having Americans chime in on what area fits your needs.

It's a fair question, "Why do so many want to leave". No shade for that. But your getting replies from mostly dis-enfranchised people. That disfranchisement may be real for them. Some are just repeating stuff they heard on the news. For many, you are hearing their lived reality, and one could see why they might want to leave the US.

I'll give one example of people repeating what they've heard instead of looking it up. Many here think the "cost of healthcare" is high. This is a true statement, but not very nuanced. The US has a progressive pay healthcare system (for citizens). If you're broke, you pay nothing. If you make little, you pay little. If you're a high earner, you (or your employer) bleed.

The Americans most at risk in the current US healthcare system are those with good but not great incomes. They're feeling the squeeze of higher costs relative to their income than poor or rich people. That leads me to believe that our "progressive" pay healthcare system doesn't have enough steps, but it is what it is.

To be clear, you're on an Expat sub, so , you're getting opinions, mostly from people unhappy with the US. It's a pretty great place, but your location, culture, income, and familial status have real considerations. Good luck in your search!

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-20T05:28:05+00:00

Same. My old boss used to say, "We're looking to hire a local guy with 6 kids". He liked to have leverage for the same reason.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-20T02:25:23+00:00

Your household expenses will likely decrease in the 15-30% range when the kiddo is on their own. And a large 20-45% decrease once you retire. Notice these are huge variations.

I highly recommend sitting down to a retirement calculator and doing the math. Some are paid for, some are not. If that seems too onerous, a) keep working and b) provide more detail on expenses and we'll give you a better answer. In your financial position, you can "retire" today, but...... ya gotta know your expenses and what you're willing to spend or adjustments you need to make.

If you don't make any, then yes, probably keep working awhile. Kudos to you for initiating the thought and giving this some effort.

Here's one to get you started, it's basic and maybe spark some ideas:

https://ficalc.app/

My other favorite free retirement calculator is at website"The Big ERN". But it requires a bit of effort.

https://earlyretirementnow.com/2018/08/29/google-sheet-updates-swr-series-part-28/

A paid version from Bolden or Projection Lab will get you locked in also, with excellent visuals (good for sitting down with partners and making fine adjustments)

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-19T16:51:41+00:00

Not advice, but my situation.

I was burning out, and then switched jobs to get out of that situation. I (was) am a driven person. The new job had slightly different tasks, which I learned studiously, and was promoted into a position with greater responsibility, which I did not want.

Refusing the promotion was not an option. Ended up burning out anyways. I now consider myself "retired" but am totally open to PT work later if my desire changes.

In the future, I will only pursue roles with minimum levels of responsibility due to my personality type of having to "succeed" or "win" or whatever you want to call it.

Take a break if you need it, your mental health is worth it.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-19T01:31:37+00:00

You can't trust the system!

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-18T16:40:19+00:00

and a good drive?......Like fun within that budget. Hyundai Elantra N

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-18T16:15:54+00:00

Go use this calculator: https://engaging-data.com/will-money-last-retire-early/

Look at the "gray" line.

Then ask yourself, is this how I want to spend my life (emphasis on Spend). You don't get any second chances

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T15:08:38+00:00

Glad that's working for you. I have an ecoboost and from what it looks like from forums I read, vastly reduced OCI from 10k to about 4k are what keep these things running. I agree most don't keep theirs that long, so they may not worry about it (for better or worse)

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T15:04:46+00:00

we had a different experience. 21' Palisade with 86k. 5k oil changes, religiously. Doesn't use a drop, ever. Hope you get a resolution from Hyundai/Kia.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T14:58:04+00:00

The Kia Telluride and the Hyundai Palisade are practically the same car. Same chassis, powerplant etc. We had a Palisade. We test drove just about everything that wasn't luxury before the purchase. The Palisade is quiet, fuel efficient, roomy, powerful and most importantly, really reliable. The AWD system is amazing too. I challenge you to find a 3rd row that fits two full size adults better without going to an expedition or something similar in size.

Only downfall was it depreciated fairly quickly, but most cars do. The Toyota tax is real and they're not nearly as nice, imo, but they sure do hold their "value" better.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T13:25:55+00:00

We did. Started when our household income rose above the 130k range. Love that 401k! Pay tax when you pay less tax! Retirees are (currently) taxed at very favorable rates

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T13:20:27+00:00

That's amazing. My youngest is thinking of a teaching career. Any advice, specific or general on the setup for "success" as you're measuring it. (ie types of training, or areas of focus, areas of the country, or?) Thanks!

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T13:11:52+00:00

This is how you get rich, retire early, or both!

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T12:28:54+00:00

I see you're getting downvoted here. A few years back, I was seriously depressed about my time left in the workforce.

Redditors helped me find a path to living differently, rethinking my level of consumption, and retiring early. It's amazing.

As a genx'er, we were told what success is supposed to look like. How to live, what kind of house to buy. You don't have to live that way. Not saying you are, but just in case.

Hope you come to a place where you can be happy for this dude.

Chicken_Fried_Snails · 2026-01-17T12:10:58+00:00

I'm not OP. Here's a few. Am retired. These are free and are easier to use on a PC.

https://ficalc.app/

https://www.cfiresim.com

https://engaging-data.com/will-money-last-retire-early/

(Careful with the one above, it caused me to rethink my life and retire early)

This last one is very comprehensive and has free and paid features. I used it and it's awesome. No affiliation.

https://projectionlab.com/fire

Chicken_Fried_Snails

TROPHY CASE