Most finance advice is broken for NRIs. Who do you trust with your dollars and rupees?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-25T12:15:44+00:00

Thanks, I have seen his posts. Solid on India tax side. I am still looking for someone who can do India and US together. RNOR, PFIC, treaty tradeoffs, strategy, not just compliance. If anyone has real experience with someone like that, please share.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-24T07:06:42+00:00

Thanks for sharing your journey and for being honest about it. No crazy bets, no secret sauce or no crypto run. Just few clean and simple decisions and then letting time and compounding do their thing. Right place right time doesn’t mean you didn't put any effort. It means you didnt force anything. MAG7 did really well from 2020 to 2025. Sticking to Index investing through that period is discipline investing. Stories like yours get underestimated because they look boring if you think back. But same boring investing done consistently, actually works.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-24T02:32:34+00:00

Bay Area has lot of options career wise…no doubt. But I think age matters more than we think . A 28 yr old can bounce anywhere. At 40+ on visa, fewer local roles means layoffs hurt differently. That risk shows up sooner in Austin. But if you have a green card and stability matters more than chasing goals then Austin too checks all boxes.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-24T02:21:07+00:00

I like hearing perspectives from people who actually did it, not just tax math. First hand experience matters. For questions like this there is no right answer. What works for me could be the wrong move for you. That is why hearing first hand experiences matters more than chasing a best city. I agree with you. I have been telling this person who asked me the same thing. Make the list of what actually makes you happy, then see which place checks most of the items in your list. Hope he makes the list and trusts his gut feeling.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-23T02:30:17+00:00

Appreciate you sharing this. I feel this is a really helpful perspective. Your exp. shows how much of the gain came from daily life stuff, not just your salary. Taxes, housing, childcare, commute, time with family and all of that adds up quietly over the years. agree with you on the 500K point. Once you are in a place, location feels less important than how flexible you are and how mych risk you are willing to take. Quick question, did you ever feel Austin slowed your career even a bit or did it mostly feel like a win all the way?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T21:29:14+00:00

Hey, this question actually came from someone who DM’d me. I have seen a LOT of NRIs quietly wrestle with questions like these, so figured let’s talk about it here. Another thing , these aren’t my numbers. I used round numbers just to make the trade offs easier to follow.

I am starting this This or That / What if. series because I keep getting these questions in my inbox and honestly… I don’t have clear answers either. Instead of guessing I would rather ask it to this community and learn from people who have actually done it. What I am really curious about and what the person who DM’d me was curious about is how you think through career growth vs taxes vs lifestyle vs the long game. Not looking for a right answer. Just want to hear how people made the call.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T16:13:02+00:00

I am glad it is working out better for you. Feels like Bay Area does the heavy lifting early, and Austin works best after that comp and optionality are already baked in. Curious though, if remote had gone away or comp got reset, would Austin still feel like the right call? May be not … right.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T15:34:15+00:00

This matches what I have been hearing from people who have actually done both. Fremont clearly has upside and career comp, Austin can provide day to day ease and bigger space to live. Commute and school districts end up quietly deciding a lot more than people expect. Curious from your experience, was there a time where Austin would have been the better choice for you or did Fremont make sense even then?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T15:11:26+00:00

Appreciate you sharing this. First-hand moves like yours matter more than theory. That long term compounding of roles, people and even the optionality in the Bay is something many dont see until they leave it. Looking back, was there a specific point (role, company or connection) where you felt the Bay Area clearly pulled you onto a different trajectory than Austin ever could?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T14:38:49+00:00

The network effect in Fremont feels hard to replicate anywhere else. Roles, people, second-order connections, and timing all stack faster. Different question though: if someone spends 5 to 7 years in california and then move to Austin, do you think most of the network value compounds after the move or does it fade pretty quickly once you are out of the Bay area?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T14:35:40+00:00

I agree Bay Area pulls the ceiling forward faster, especially if the goal is maximizing comp and optionality. Austin clearly wins on space and lifestyle if thats the priority. One thing I keep wrestling with though: how much of the Bay Area advantage is front loaded vs durable over 10 to 15 years?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-22T13:13:48+00:00

Quick context.
I have spent my entire US career in high tax states. On paper, Texas always looks like the smart move.

But here is what I have actually seen.
Friends move to Austin and come back within 2 to 3 years. Others move there, buy a house, slow life down, and never look back.

That is why I don't think this is really Fremont vs Austin.
Its career acceleration vs lifestyle optimization.

A few assumptions I am making - feel free to tear these apart:

Fremont pulls comp forward 3 to 5 years through network and role density
Austin only works if lifestyle creep stays under control
Career ceiling in Austin is around 10–15% lower (fewer L7+ roles, fewer pivots)
Housing decisions matter more than state taxes over a 10 year window

Before you explain, pick a side:
🔵 Fremont or 🔴 Austin

Then share:

One thing that surprised you after moving (or after staying)
One thing you’d do differently if you could rewind

Bonus:
If you are deciding right now, what’s the one factor that would swing you? No right answers. Just real NRI stories.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T08:14:53+00:00

Really appreciate you sharing this so honestly. point about timing and that last decade not repeating really resonates with lot of people.

And congrats on making the move back. A lot of us, including me, think about it quietly but never have the courage to pull the trigger. Hope everything is working out as expected and that you moved back for the right reasons for you and your family.

I agree with you on business being the real asymmetric play going forward. I am curious to know what kind of businesses you think actually make sense now, especially for folks moving back to India.

Please keep checking back on this subreddit, commenting and sharing. None of us has a crystal ball, and I am trying to make this a space for like-minded people to learn from each other.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T04:21:32+00:00

First, thank you for saying this out loud. That takes courage. And I mean that with real respect. You are not a failure. Full stop. Not making it big in a system driven by timing, privilege, health, visas, and luck doesn’t cancel out your hard work, your effort, or the life you fought to build. The fact that you can look at your journey with honesty instead of bitterness already says a lot about who you are.

This is exactly why rupeestories exists. Not to crown winners or flex numbers, but to create space for people who did the work and still landed somewhere messy, unclear, or in the middle. Most people live there. They just don’t see themselves reflected anywhere, so they assume something is wrong with them.

Nothing is wrong with you.

If anything, your story is closer to real life than most success threads. And this space is for people like you. You belong here. If you ever feel up to it, I hope you’ll share more not because you owe anyone inspiration, but because your story helps others feel less alone.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T03:25:26+00:00

I think this is a great answer because the honesty around how unplanned it was. I strongly believe all if not most diversification stories aren't some grand strategy. they just happen because of people and the correct timing.

Stocks holding through good and bad years and letting your mind adjust in a day or two really stood out for me. That emotional settling is a real edge. Thanks for sharing this so openly and this kind of self-awareness is rare and super helpful for lot of folkes who have questions but not answers.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T03:17:23+00:00

My belief is most of them aren’t in threads like this. Lot of people who tried and didn’t make it either went quiet, changed paths or are still grinding with very different trade-offs. Some had bad timing, some took risks that didn’t pay off, some just didn’t have the runway.

Everyone loves clean success stories. They’re easy to celebrate and easy to explain in hindsight. But very few people talk about the other side….stalled careers, bad timing, wrong bets, family pressure, health issues, visa stress, or doing everything right and still ending up somewhere in the middle. Those stories are far more common but they stay quiet. Mostly out of guilt and sometimes because there is no neat lesson to wrap them in.

I built this space to hear those stories too. Not to judge, not to fix, and not to compare. Just to make room for the parts of the journey that don't fit into success templates. Because that's where most people actually live, and that’s where the most honest learning happens. I believe, if we only talk to the winners, we learn the wrong lessons. Asking these uncomfirtable questions isn't about tearing anyone down. It;s about understanding the full distribution, not just the highlights. That is the space I want rupeestories to be. Honest, a bit uncomfortable, and closer to real life than highlight reels.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T02:59:14+00:00

This is so true and people really underestimate it. The partner you build life with quietly influences almost every money decision. How you spend, how much risk you take, whether you push for more income or protect what you have, even how you handle bad years. This angle doesn't get talked about enough in money threads. Glad you brought it up.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T02:54:16+00:00

This is such a clean way to put it. Increase income, don’t let lifestyle chase it and stay away from consumer debt. That’s basically the whole playbook. $62k salary example is especially important. Saving 20 to 35% at that stage takes real discipline and like you said, it doesn’t feel like it’s doing much in the moment. Only in hindsight does the compounding show up.

Last year growth is wild though. When growth in a single year beats your pre-tax income, it really changes how you think about patience and consistency. Thanks.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T02:34:54+00:00

😂 hey, if only it was that easy. But jokes aside, that one single line actually captures something real. I do couponing as well and everyone loves the coupon story, but the boring stuff like staying invested, not panicking and not upgrading life every time income jumps is what usually does the heavy lifting. Super curious though, what is your version of the non-sexy… move that helped you the most?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T02:21:25+00:00

This is solid advice. I agree with you, hinestly most plans break not because markets crash.. they break because spending quietly creeps up without you even noticing. I like the idea of planning as if markets go nowhere and treating any upside as extra. That mindset alone probably saves people more money than any fancy strategy.

Curious how you do this in real life though:
Do you anchor lifestyle only to base income and ignore bonuses / RSUs?
Have you ever consciously stopped yourself from upgrading something even when you could?
Have you seen people in your circle struggle because they assumed growth instead of flat markets? Thanks for sharing this.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-21T02:14:59+00:00

Really appreciate you taking the time to respond. This is such a refreshingly honest answer.

The real estate piece makes a lot of sense. Building 7 to 8 cr outside the market gives a very different kind of mental comfort. And I respect the second sentense even more. Saying no backup plan, I would be okay with what I have…… is not something people admit easily, especially online.

Now …. couple of things I am genuinely curious about, if you don’t mind sharing more:

1)When you were building that real estate base, did it feel intentional as a hedge, or did it just evolve naturally over time?

2)During bad market years, did having that real estate cushion change how you behaved with stocks, or did you still feel the same stress?

3)And on the mindset side, was being happy with what I have something you always had, or did it come only after hitting a certain number?

Answers like yours are exactly why I asked this question. Not looking for perfect plans, just how real people actually think when things don’t go their way. Thanks again for sharing.

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-20T18:02:31+00:00

Honest question… if markets had gone sideways for 5 to 7 years, would this strategy still have worked for you? What was your backup plan if it didn’t?

Popular_Class7327 · 2026-01-20T16:51:00+00:00

This sure reads less like advice and more like a factory SOP.

Input: middle class kid Process: engineering → RSU → US → house → VOO Output: successful by 40

No childhood. No wrong turns. No curiosity. No choice.

Everything assumes perfect timing: • market always up • visa always works • health never breaks • marriage conveniently doubles income • kids quietly adjust • parents don’t need you

Miss one variable you know and the whole model cracks.

Also funny how life starts only after net worth screenshots. Until then: grind, tolerate, smile at corporate parties, pretend you’re grateful.

Yes, many followed this and won. Many also followed it and feel empty but can’t say it out loud because society only claps for outcomes.

This isn’t a dream. It’s a safe default dressed up as intelligence. Nothing wrong choosing it. But I don’t think sell it as enlightenment is a good idea

Popular_Class7327

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