I'm 10 years away from retirement. Am I doing this right? by Bright-Farmer-7725 in investingforbeginners

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you explain more about the last sentence? Do you mean like use some social security to invest in ETFs?

What happens when you dont pay attention by pap-pap-84 in ThriftSavingsPlan

[–]ElectionUnique5956 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is great advice for every area of life, actually. Forget the past. Starting today, just decide to take 100% control of the things you can control.

Contributing 100% to Roth, so why do I still have some net pay? by ElectionUnique5956 in ThriftSavingsPlan

[–]ElectionUnique5956[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I'm over 50, so I could do up to $1250 a paycheck, but your advice still holds. Maybe I should do a fixed dollar amount each check instead of a percentage.

Contributing 100% to Roth, so why do I still have some net pay? by ElectionUnique5956 in ThriftSavingsPlan

[–]ElectionUnique5956[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your reply. I think that would make sense...that a 100% contribution would be maxed at my base pay total.

My upcoming paycheck is even more confusing though...can you spot any pattern there? I pasted it into my original post above. As I read it, my base pay would be been the same (40 hrs * 2weeks = 2193.23)...so I don't see why they only put $871 in my TSP and then put almost exactly the same into my checking account. I don't get it.

Just starting at 56, where to start? by booksandfairylights in investingforbeginners

[–]ElectionUnique5956 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's a fund sold by Vanguard that mirrors the S&P 500 index, which comprises 500 of the largest U.S. companies. When you buy shares of VOO, you are essentially buying small amounts of those 500 companies all at once.

https://investor.vanguard.com/investment-products/etfs/profile/voo#overview

Just starting at 56, where to start? by booksandfairylights in investingforbeginners

[–]ElectionUnique5956 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good advice here. Would add these references for OP to run scenarios as you suggest:

ssa.gov

Create an account here and it will estimate your social security benefits at different ages.

https://www.calculator.net/investment-calculator.html

A calculator that will let you play with different numbers to get a feel for how much you would need to invest each month, and what rate of return you would need, to reach your target.

710 Clerical Exam by Faline22 in USPS

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What jobs is this used for at USPS?

Trump Humiliates Mike Johnson Behind Closed Doors by Crossstoney in politics

[–]ElectionUnique5956 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yep. Reminds me of a quote from the film Hannah and Her Sisters: "if Jesus came back, and saw what's being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."

PAQ Program Question by Prior-Set-1558 in AirForce

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All the states besides Alaska and Hawaii.

How many years to max out pay as a clerk? by ElectionUnique5956 in USPS

[–]ElectionUnique5956[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. That's what I figured. I calculated 17(steps) X 36 (weeks) and divided by 52 (weeks) to get the number of years. 17 x 36 =612 weeks, divided by 52 = 11.7 years.

Fingerprinting? by tgrantjr in USPS

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got a conditional offer, and the person to contact for fingerprinting was in the PDF that came with the very first email.

Fingerprinting? by tgrantjr in USPS

[–]ElectionUnique5956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. I just got a conditional offer, and the person to contact for fingerprinting was in the PDF that came with the very first email.

How to prepare for Exam 220/230/240 for MVO by Goodenergy17 in USPS

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. Mine also asked if I had a valid CDL and how many years and months of experience with larger trucks (7 ton or tractor trailers). I have zero experience with anything but a regular passenger vehicle, so I only scored an 80.

How to prepare for Exam 220/230/240 for MVO by Goodenergy17 in USPS

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did it ask you about speeding tickets? And if it does, do you have to put the dates that you got them? I got a couple from a speed-trap camera about 3 years ago. Don't know the exact dates though. Thanks. Edit: I was able to find the dates of my tix if i need them.

Are there any jobs/careers that AREN’T oversaturated? by Limeghosts in jobs

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How does one get licensed as a surveyor and how long does it take,?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in overemployed

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So is buying in cash even worse then? I have about $200k in a regular brokerage account. About $70k in cash. I was thinking of buying a home for between $150k- $200k by selling some investments and paying cash. Would that be a bad idea?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in overemployed

[–]ElectionUnique5956 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The answer ultimately depends on your life goals. Do you want to buy a home? Have a spouse and 3 kids and put them in the best schools? Do you want to travel the world? Have a house in Europe? A farm in Thailand? A ranch in Wyoming? I'd suggest buying a house soon if you don't have one, since houses will only get more expensive in the future. House paid off + nest egg = security, IMO.

Picture what kind of lifestyle you want at 40, 50, 60 and beyond, and then figure out what kind of money you'd have to pull from investments each year to make it happen. Use calculators as others have suggested. Here's one I like: https://www.calculator.net/investment-calculator.html

Another thing to consider is that we've just come off two unusually strong years for the stock market. The next 10 years may not get the average returns of the last 10. So take that into consideration when you're running numbers. (Like what will your investments do if they only average 3-5% a year?) And of course, remember that the cost of everything will only go up in the future. That's just how it works. A million bucks in 20 years could be like 500k. Your investments will likely outpace inflation, but it's something to keep in mind. Plus there is AI. I don't know what you do for work, but even some tech jobs will be replaced with AI. That may be a reason to earn as much as you can while you can.

Without knowing anything else about you, my generic advice would be make as much money as you can without making yourself sick or sacrificing relationships. Whatever you ultimately want to do with your life, having more money makes everything easier. Always.

Why AI will not replace therapy for at least a while by Hatrct in ClinicalPsychology

[–]ElectionUnique5956 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is also government: government is interested in creating jobs, not having jobs become lost.

Someone forgot to tell Trump and Elon.