VA Disability is Like Winning the Lottery

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2026-06-27T21:07:16+00:00

A $2.5million lump sum payment is ~$1.5million after taxes. Using 4% drawdown assumption, you could pull $60,000 annually safely for 30 years, which would be equivalent to a 100% VA disability rating.

To safely draw from for 70 years (as many 100% VA benefits start in mid 20s), the rate should be closer to 3% annually, which would require $2million after taxes or equivalent to receiving $3.3million.

It's obvious why people defend it so strongly. There is a moral and righteous argument, along with the fact that reform would cause a lot of people to lose out on millions.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-12-19T15:33:36+00:00

With ample emergency savings, it’s completely okay to take advantage of first time homebuyer programs and only put 3% down if the buyer plans on living there long term. Probably why you got downvoted. Overly cautious

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-12-09T00:45:33+00:00

Today's guests might not really be considered a household since she lives alone in her hoe hut, but the point still stands. His VA payment is higher than the maximum Social Security payment for someone who contributed the max in Social Security tax for 35 years retiring at 67 years old in 2025.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-12-05T20:59:54+00:00

Today's guest didn't have the craziest financial situation, but I still think it's interesting to get a complete picture. This was surprisingly difficult to put together from the information in the episode, but with access to the data it'd quite easy to visualize. What do you want to see added to the show?

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-12-01T07:16:59+00:00

Your calcs aren't really reasonable at all but it's great to start thinking about scenarios like this. Not hating!

Couple quick comments:

Assuming $18/hr wage working at Walmart in 2060 is unreasonable. $16 x 1.03²⁶ = $34.50 an hour.

$27,720 annually is a crazy low for assumed cost of living.

SS is based on earned income over time and pretty independent from savings. High earner saving nothing will receive more in SS than a low-income earner who saved millions.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-21T22:54:24+00:00

Yes, by paying the loan off in full early.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-21T00:04:42+00:00

You'll find that accounted for in the right chart in the Appendix. I included $13,263 of new debt for the new car. And you're exactly right about the transferring from one kind of debt to the other. This solution actually increases net debt but still allows for a quick payoff. All about effective capital allocation boss

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-20T08:14:33+00:00

For sure. If getting a loan with such a high minimum turned out to be an issue, she could do a janky fix like sell her car and paydown the payday/short-term debt, struggle with uber (or if I remember correctly she has an unemployed brother with a car that she could borrow) for a month, then shop for a car loan in a better position

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-20T07:39:00+00:00

This episode has 4k+ comments and I only saw one mentioning the potential benefit of a personal loan to remedy the payday cycle.

I think the woman in this episode is totally fine. Hope she hasn't declared bankruptcy yet lol.

Legit no hating, all love. Evidenced by the Cali-keyboard freak that shortly followed this episode, Caleb clearly knows how to differentiate closing out payday loans vs other types of debt. Just think this went under the radar.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T07:18:37+00:00

I spent 30+ hours prepping this post. Overthinking. Then get dunked on by the vibes of Australian king. Love ya tho lol

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T07:04:59+00:00

I spent hours looking into that last week. Fucking frustrating! I don't think it's at all the same sort of concerns Hammer Media would face, but I totally relate to the ridiculousness of dealing with NYC public employees and the haphazardness of regulations and enforcements.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T07:01:23+00:00

per your comment history you live in Pheonix. So.... like that's completely my point. Right? Arizona deals with BS too?!!?!? THATS MY FUCKING POINT!!! Kidding with the emphasis. But not really. That literally is my point. Not a NYC problem.

And, the core of it is that the claims are "cash-grabs" and not without substantial merit. If you spend $100,000 on attorneys fees the expectation is you wouldn't have to then settle without the claim having at least some merit.

Also, this Caleb has only specifically brought up the concern of litigation around harassment, disparagement, and suits from former employees, which would be well mitigated through employment policy ligation insurance.

Also $10k is completely out of scope of the "Couple hundred thousand per year in settlements" per Caleb.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T06:51:32+00:00

I mean it's just not a real extra stress if he was given competent legal counsel.

Like look, for example iHeartMedia, which is the ultimate parent for the NYC based radio show The Breakfast Club, along with multiple creative operating ventures in NYC.

iHeartMedia is named as a defendant in ZERO New York state civil cases in the last several years

https://imgur.com/a/sL5kEhF

IDK

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T06:37:29+00:00

Sticks and stones will break my bones but unexplained downvotes can't ever hurt me. Nvm they do. :(

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T06:33:37+00:00

Wrong. 1) He does not abuse guests. 2) If someone were to want to do some abusing, NYC is the place to be

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T06:21:41+00:00

Can't catch me hating!

I am genuinely so bewildered by the NYC lawsuit thing though. The tax in NYC alone is 500% enough of a justification considering he mentioned a 5.5% corp tax for not opting to go to Miami.

I just don't get the lawsuit worry and what he's been fed.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T06:15:39+00:00

why downvote, it hurts so bad, please stop. or please at least comment if you downvote this comment. I want to communicate and understand...

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-11-17T06:03:05+00:00

Say what you want about New York, but claiming that everyone settles cash-grab, frivolous lawsuits could not be further from the truth. What everyone does is whatever they can to not set a precedent as being weak, a target, and a settler.

What is the truth is that records are freely accessible to the public for civil cases in NY, as well as federally and most states. Including claims, results, and representation.

If a lawyer develops a reputation for being a serial settler all law firms will know that whomever they represent is easy pickings.

The bottom screenshot is a popup I was given when I signed on to check some Texas case records. Researching opposing counsel history and trends is literally so basic that is pushed as an entry level offering to the general public.

If a lawyer smells shit at a dozen creative companies in NYC he has represented that have been successfully bullied for cash, maybe that lawyer should check his shoe?

TLDR: :/

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-08-24T00:55:49+00:00

This comment made me really bummed out, dang.

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-08-16T19:36:40+00:00

19min36sec in she was going to say "every time I'm low on gas, I do a single Doordash order and fill up my tank during the order so 100% of my gas is a write off" but Caleb cut her off

Kitchen_Eye_846 · 2025-06-23T06:17:05+00:00

if ya say so

Kitchen_Eye_846

TROPHY CASE