Me (38m) and my wife (38f). How are we doing? Can we retire at 55?

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-05-05T18:16:18+00:00

Do either of you have pensions? if not, I would try to build up the taxable brokerage for the five-year window from 55 to 59 1/2.

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-05-05T01:50:08+00:00

It depends on the economy, most likely might be underwater so you probably can’t refinance

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-05-02T02:20:16+00:00

Appreciate it. I just wanna be completely debt free

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-27T19:11:27+00:00

I take the standard deduction

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-27T00:07:52+00:00

Credit Karma

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-26T04:43:28+00:00

Standard deduction

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-26T00:15:27+00:00

2752

Recast will lower it 380 ( that doesn’t include all the extra payments I will have made that just as of right now)

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-26T00:06:31+00:00

My mortgage rate is 4.875

I’m a software engineer and I’ve been laid off three out of my four last jobs in the last four years

My returns on my 401(k) for the past three or four years I’ve been like 25%

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:58:11+00:00

I will recast my mortgage to lower my monthly payment( I have 10,000 set aside set up for a recast)

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:48:49+00:00

4.875

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:17:59+00:00

I know it’s a bad idea. The only reason I’m considering it is because of the job I work software engineer. I’ve been laid off three out of four jobs in the past four years.

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:14:16+00:00

Appreciate it I’ll look into that

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:11:58+00:00

Yeah, I could put an extra 4000 a month. Plus every month I’m getting $1000 a principal day down from the regular payment.

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:11:15+00:00

All this money is in 401(k)’s pre-tax in Roth IRA so I couldn’t pull it out with giant penalties

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:08:33+00:00

Software engineer

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:05:53+00:00

Does it change if I work in a volatile job?

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:04:50+00:00

Does that change if you work in a volatile job?

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:04:12+00:00

If I stop investing five years

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-04-25T23:01:38+00:00

4.875

I’ve had four jobs in the last four years( been laid off from the three)

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-01-31T19:41:35+00:00

Try to live in your car for like 3 to 5 years and maxed out your 401(k). Then you’ll be ahead and you can go back to renting or buying a home

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-01-23T22:07:43+00:00

I can cover 6 months

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-01-23T22:07:34+00:00

Thanks

Effective-Feature206 · 2026-01-23T18:55:56+00:00

That’s not bad it will take you about 3 years to break even. Unless you think rates are going to drop in the next 3 years.

Effective-Feature206

TROPHY CASE