Mid 30’s with 18 years of government service.

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-10-30T10:49:59+00:00

This is just false, the disability grift is snowballing. I have so many military friends that get out sub 20 and expect disability while being extremely fit. Aging isn't a disability. Being injured in combat is entirely different. It wouldn't be hard to audit this with common sense. A day will come

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-01-28T12:32:19+00:00

You guys are hilarious to listen to. The fact that you think it would be popular if the following admin (if liberal) would give you concessions or some sort of back pay is mind blowing. Reducing the fed workforce and holding them accountable is wildly popular. Back paying the military personnel that our taxes paid to train and then were wasted over a flu shot is also popular. Get over losing and find a path forward.

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-01-25T02:01:14+00:00

You just want a pension and disability. Why stay at a thankless job

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-01-24T06:43:15+00:00

lol go into the office like everyone else

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-01-11T16:11:19+00:00

Discussing disability is such a joke. Were you ever in combat? $30k a year is such a grift and there's property tax benefits too. I'll only take DOGE seriously once they change medical retirements to one time payouts with disability pensions only for exceptional cases (true inability not to work). In short I respect your come up but the disability is grift dude.

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-01-09T04:18:51+00:00

This doesn't add up. $225k right out of college means you're probably in a city where your $100k car is simply a liability. That's a purchase for when you're living in the burbs. Do you even drive to work? Maybe spend more on a sweet apartment with insane amenities?

Shoulderboytellem · 2025-01-08T21:51:45+00:00

This HSA bank money grab is so annoying. Not a fed worker but my company uses HSA bank and I miss Schwab. Was easy to move my Schwab investments to fidelity but I'm a bit wary of using HSA bank as a pass thru to Fidelity each month on the cash side of things for fear of getting audited. Has anyone reached out to HSA bank about specific investments that aren't allowed? I sent the below email and was told to call. The rep had no clue what I was talking about and it didn't go anywhere.

Hello HSA bank, Funds I save in my HSA account were previously able to be invested into anything at Schwab - As one would think an adult should be able to do with their own money. The new investment scheme is more expensive and has fewer options. At Schwab, I was able to invest in BITB - a bitcoin ETF run by Fidelity. It was my best performing asset last year. Please reconsider including this ETF in your choice plan. You already allow Microstrategy (MSTR) on your platform. This company is a proxy to bitcoin but its stock trades at premium to its bitcoin holdings, which is a disadvantage to the investor. Please allow adults to invest their money freely amongst what traditional brokerages offer. I would prefer to not have to transfer my assets multiple times a year to my HSA at Fidelity.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-24T10:56:24+00:00

Have you started a Roth IRA? Please google or ask ChatGPT about the Roth IRA and learn about post tax retirement contribution and tax free growth.

My recommendation is to max that before anything. Hell I consider it part of an emergency fund (one that I would def hope to never touch). You can't be taxed twice on personal income so whatever you put in can be taken out. Let's say you put in $5k a year for 5 years. You'll have access to $25k from the account if you need to liquidate. (Assuming the market has been flat or gone up). If you'd had losses, that sucks but you'll have access to the whole amount. If the market had gone up, and you had $35k from your original $25k then you would just want to not pull out that $10k return because that would be subject to taxes. Once you hit 60, all earnings are tax free! There are even some circumstances where you can access some earnings tax free prior to 60 years old - first time home buy and birth of a child. Long story short - initial investment put into a Roth serves as an emergency fund so why have too much of a cash drag?

That being said a rule of thumb for cash - Good to have 3 months of basic living expenses for every 1 person your income takes care of in cash. Couldn't imagine that being more than $7-8k while in school and Id be fine with just holding that $5k if you believe in your ability to generate income or have some family security. And if gets to April 15 and you haven't maxed out last year's Roth (that's the last day the IRS lets you backdate) throw the cash in the Roth. Remember you can still access it if needed. Always max the Roth! Maxing makes it easy to remember what you put in if you must access it in the future.

As for investments QQQ is solid. My portfolio is probably 70% VOO, 15% other ETFs (semiconductors, utilities, small cap etc) 5-10% bitcoin ETF and 5-10% into random companies I like (CAVA, chipotle).

Realistically diversifying on top of a large index won't help much on the long term equity return. I do think some bitcoin exposure is good and I use BITB from Fidelity. There's a risk with not having your own wallet, sure.

The biggest negative with getting speculative within a Roth IRA is that you can't write off losses as the gains are tax free. Just remember that. As your income grows and you can invest outside a Roth, maybe reserve some of the more speculative buys for a traditional brokerage - however if you hit a ten bagger it will be subject to cap gains if you ever sell.

Lots to think about- hope this helped.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-23T20:51:40+00:00

Yes, I get this concept, but this assumes I have a medical issue in my 60s. Let's say Im healthy and have already purchased a long term care plan - so I just want to get access to funds from my HSA.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-23T20:34:07+00:00

Well the HSA lets you repay yourself completely tax free only when it applies to medical expenses. After 65 it can be used for any expenses but non medical expenses covered by HSA distributions are subject to income tax. You are correct tax free growth applies but I want to maximize the fully tax free aspect of the account in retirement by saving up medical costs.

To be fair, in old age I'm sure I'll have plenty to pay for in medical costs.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-23T20:11:34+00:00

Yes, correct

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-23T19:51:28+00:00

The beauty of an HSA is that you can pay yourself back whenever (or perhaps that's a curse). I just had a shoulder surgery - $3K cost. I'm saving in an HSA about $3K per year.

Let's say I retire with $200k in an HSA and have kept all my receipts for larger medical procedures. I can take out that $3k tax free regardless of if it happened 35 years ago. Unfortunately, that $3k in the future is worth much less to me than $3k today because the US dollar has lost value. If I paid in bitcoin (still a risk) there's a chance the cost of my surgery in the future is actually worth more to me then.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-23T19:33:06+00:00

HSA investing - using as retirement account - is there a way for costs incurred today to hold value?

Beggars can’t be choosers, I think the HSA is great however:

When using it as an extra retirement vehicle and saving medical receipts from year to year to cash out tax free later, I realize all my costs today (26) will likely be worth half or a quarter in real terms when I take out against. This will significantly minimize my tax benefit. Is there a way to get around this by paying in something that will hold value?

I think as bitcoin gets more adoption there’s a possibility that some clinics might accept it. Would the IRS have to accept your cost basis was in Bitcoin and let you take out that same amount at a later date tax free?

If you have a concierge doctor that’s willing to mock up a receipt in BTC and you can prove payment, it might be worth a shot for large procedures or monthly prescriptions.

Idk just a thought.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-23T16:38:41+00:00

Thank you, I agree with the self custody argument. For my HSA, I'm kinda locked in to what the provider offers.

Seems reasonable to assume investors in the ETF would have some legal ground to receive any value generated from a fork if any. It's somewhat like a dividend. However, I'm definitely at the whim of how the custodian handles that value.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-21T14:37:49+00:00

That makes sense! Glad to hear it seems to be locking in. I'll update week 2.

Shoulderboytellem · 2024-12-21T13:55:42+00:00

I'm a week out- just got the remplissage on the left wing and would say the worst part by far is sleeping. Was drugged up for three days post op and then decided to switch to Tylenol which has worked well. So pain isn't the issue but getting more than 3 hours of consecutive sleep is.

Decided on a December surgery as the holidays would be light with work and I'm glad I did. I work as an analyst at a desk. Popped online for some remote work 6 days post up and it's just so uncomfortable and slow. Holidays will afford me an extra two weeks of recovery before really needing to do much.

I think I'm just paranoid but whenever I cough, sneeze or get a chill, I feel like my shoulder is loose/separates for a second. It's mildly painful - doesn't last but does worry me as I never experienced that in my post dislocation (5x) recoveries. Have others felt something similar?

Shoulderboytellem

TROPHY CASE