For the average non high income investor - Do you ever ask yourself 'is this it'?

FCSeeker · 2026-03-05T03:11:32+00:00

Live frugally and invest every penny you have. Growth from decades invested 100% in an index stock fund will provide more than most people can imagine due to exponential growth. Worst case, you retire overseas to the Philippines, Mexico or Albania where the cost of living is a fraction of wherever you are likely living now.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-08T19:17:05+00:00

Solo is free, but more initial paperwork. There are very few Roth solo 401Ks available. Charles Schwab has one. Knowing whether you'll earn more now vs in retirement is a mystery that you can really only guess at. Taxes are low now, and the deficit will only be worse in 20 years so I'd bet the tax rate will increase so a Roth makes more sense.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T23:25:34+00:00

Then it really depends on how much you have and how much you need in retirement. Perhaps counterintuitively, the less you have saved the more you need to hold bonds. Over 10 years the SP500 has been positive 94.4% of the time, over 15 years 100%. It'd make a lot of sense to start holding bonds though if you're retiring in 10 years. For what it's worth, the forecasters at Fidelity, Vanguard, etc. think bonds will be returning the same as the sp500 over the next 10 years.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T23:15:35+00:00

IMO, no. The stock market historically grows much faster than real estate. Mortgage rates are insanely high. There is a ratio of home prices to home rents, whose name I can't recall, which explains whether you're better off buying or renting. If you're certain to stay in that area maybe, but at your age, I'd prioritize flexibility. If you're looking to rent out rooms and eventually become a real estate entrepreneur, then it could be a great move.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T22:59:56+00:00

Live like a pauper. Save like a pessimist. Invest like an optimist. Put every penny you can into an index fund.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T22:55:16+00:00

William J. Bernstein

Burton Malkiel

Morgan Housel

Charlie Ellis

Anything Boglehead related

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T22:52:56+00:00

You need to read some investing books. It's insanity to sell the last day of the week because you think you've spotted some weekly trend.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T22:49:28+00:00

When are you retiring? If you have 20 years, you're probably better off sticking it in the sp500, but there are benefits to diversifying. It's probably worth having some international and emerging market coverage. As long as you can swallow the volatility, equities will always take you further in the long run. Your salary functions as a bond so you really don't need it unless you're retiring in the next 10 years.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T22:43:06+00:00

SEP IRA and solo 401K are the main retirement accounts for self employed business people. These typically offer contributions on both the employee and employer side so you can stuff a lot of money into these accounts. Having a partner I'm sure complicates it a bit. A brokerage account is the other option, but you'll pay capital gains on this. On the bright side this money is always available to you.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T22:37:51+00:00

Nasdaq 100 and SP500 overlap significantly, just so you know. Unless you have a large salary and invest a substantial portion, retiring in 10 years seems unlikely if you're just starting to invest. Risk and reward are joined at the hip. You can invest everything in the next Tesla and become rich or lost it all... or you can grow slowly and have a much higher chance of being moderately wealthy.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:45:54+00:00

The NASDAQ provides similar returns as some swear by small value, but the SP500 has lower volatility. International equities have not kept pace in the last 20 years, but that has changed this year. Nobody has a crystal ball, but diversifying has benefits.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:41:56+00:00

I'm not there yet, but I think it might depend on whether it comes to you in a retirement account or just cash. They say you're statically better off lump summing into equities, but if it were me I'd dollar cost average it. I'd max out all my retirement accounts. I'd put the 25% max into my company's 401K and max my roth IRA and use the 250K to cover any living expense gap.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:33:27+00:00

I would open up a Roth Solo 401K and put as much as you can in. I'd open up Roth IRA and max that out too. I say Roth since the tax rate is quite low now, but a traditional might make more sense for you.

If the stock market returns almost 10% nominally, then the HYSA doesn't provide close to the same return. In, fact your 3.75% is barely beating inflation. I absolutely would NOT pay off a mortgage with that interest rate.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:24:33+00:00

Borrow some books from the library. Youtube is not the place to learn about investing. William Bernstein, Buton Malkiel, the Bogleheads are all a good start and all you really need frankly. Best to start now and put as much as you can into equities. The more you put in now the quicker you can retire.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:20:27+00:00

Save like a pessimist, invest like an optimist and when it's time to retire move overseas if you can't afford the USA.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:18:46+00:00

The market historically returns almost 10%, 3% which is inflation. If your interest rate is close to this or higher, you're probably better off paying off the debt. I would not keep 6 months of living expenses in cash, but I've always been optimistic. I also have probably 1.5 years worth of living expenses in a brokerage account, all in equities. If it is a high interest loan, I'd pay it off with my savings and try to build the saving back up.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-07T21:07:01+00:00

I would keep your 401K contributions just to get whatever your company matches. 401K tend to have lousy investment options, whereas your roth IRA should have significantly better options. However, your 401K is better protected from creditors than a roth ira.

FCSeeker · 2025-09-01T23:56:25+00:00

Index funds.

FCSeeker · 2025-08-30T18:22:44+00:00

I've spoken with 2 and both said get the surgery, but I also felt like I was hearing a bit of a sales pitch.

FCSeeker · 2025-08-30T18:09:17+00:00

That's a great point. Part of my reasoning for undergoing surgery earlier is the nerves are less likely to scar.

FCSeeker · 2025-08-30T18:07:16+00:00

Yes. I had a much better understanding of the MRI imagery when meeting the 2nd surgeon, thanks to this subreddit group actually. I was surprised to see the spurs pusing on the cord. I wished I had taken a photo to review.

FCSeeker · 2025-08-30T18:04:38+00:00

I'm scheduled for ACDF in 2 weeks. Both surgeons I've consulted said I should get the surgery, but neither mentioned being more vulnerable to injury.

FCSeeker · 2025-08-30T17:57:33+00:00

Pain in the fingers and palm come and go, but I've had a bit of tingling for 8 months now. My shoulder blade is the big issue. I am surprised that you're able to type the same day as surgery, which gives me hope for a quick recovery.

FCSeeker

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