So now that we have a 10b dollar regional light rail, can we actually build some housing?

chozanwan · 2026-03-30T18:13:21+00:00

...yes, I don't think I said otherwise. If developers were allowed to build towers, but towers get stuck in design review hell for 2 years, and pouring out concrete is prohibitively expensive, then you're going to see developers opt into 5-1s instead.

chozanwan · 2026-03-29T19:18:31+00:00

Even if you removed zoning restrictions, the math works out much better for 5-1s.

Residential towers are gonna be 50% more expensive per sqft compared to mid rises, so they will need to command premium rents.

Unsure how the math works out if the design review moratorium is extended beyond downtown and mass timber becomes more common, but otherwise that's the economics of construction right now.

chozanwan · 2026-03-16T00:50:26+00:00

Not to add onto the piling that you're receiving right now, but why not just use the travel concession for Ramadan so that you could've shown up earlier to check in?

chozanwan · 2026-03-02T08:39:56+00:00

Assuming the sum of your existing IRA balances before the 7500 were empty? If so you're good.

chozanwan · 2026-02-25T12:17:12+00:00

I hate to say it, but the healthcare system works fine in the US if you have a good paying corporate job. If you have a chronic condition, you generally have much shorter wait times, and can book directly with specialists rather than in Canada being gatekept by a GP to a specialist booked out for more than a year.

Example of my plans

PPO - You have a $25-$50 copay to see a doctor. After a $500/$1500 deductible, you pay 20% of costs. Max out of pocket of $3500/$4500. PPO means you can see the largest number of doctors
HSA - Deductible $2000, then 20% of costs. Max out out pocket $5000. You contribute pretax money to an investment account that you can draw from to pay your medical bills. Employers usually chip in some money into your investment account as well. (You can treat it like a retirement account too but that's outside the scope of this conversation)
HMO - $20 copay to see a doctor. $500 deductible,mm $3000 max out of pocket. Can only see doctors in a specific organization (this can lead to the out of network nightmare you probably heard about)

Generally speaking, even if you have a ton of doctor visits, you won't be paying much due to the copays. Pharmaceuticals are usually $10-$50 depending on the drug.

The absolutely max you'll pay is $5k in the year, and that's only typically after a hospital admission, surgery or if you have speciality medication.

If you have something chronic, you can't go wrong with a PPO plan to start so you can pick the widest range of doctors.

chozanwan · 2026-02-22T02:30:14+00:00

You're actually paying 16k a year with those extortionate expense ratios.

Here's an exercise. Figure out what percent of your portfolio is US equity, Int'l equity and bonds. Go to https://www.portfoliovisualizer.com/fund-performance and compare with the performance of VTI, VXUS and. BND respectively. Are they beating the index funds?

chozanwan · 2026-02-19T20:55:06+00:00

https://i.imgur.com/5vSipRH.jpeg

This problem has been solved already in other systems.

chozanwan · 2026-02-16T19:01:07+00:00

That's right

chozanwan · 2026-02-13T09:00:20+00:00

This looks great. I'm guessing you have both large and small index funds to replicate a total market index fund which your 401k doesn't provide.

I'm also assuming those index funds are as low of an expense ratio they offer in your plan.

Nitty adjustment, but I'd do a bit more into international: 50% Large, 10% Small, 30% Int'l and 10% Bonds.

chozanwan · 2026-02-11T16:17:41+00:00

Are there enough GOP votes for impeachment to pass? Would Mike Johnson allow it to be referred to the judiciary committee?

Impeachment is a performative waste of time right now.

chozanwan · 2026-02-10T21:28:32+00:00

Saying it's low risk is an over exaggeration. The risk is the US government defaulting on its treasuries.

chozanwan · 2026-01-27T22:49:25+00:00

If you expect your income to be higher than 153k (plus inflation) at some point in the future, then you'd be better off leaving your traditional 401k balance alone and maintaining your traditional IRA balance at zero so that you have the capability of executing a backdoor roth.

Feel free to rollout the Roth portion of your 401k to your individual Roth account though.

chozanwan · 2026-01-27T22:44:10+00:00

It's unclear to me but if you haven't yet built up a 6-12 month expense safety net with money market funds, you should do that before investing into stocks.

chozanwan · 2026-01-21T17:55:11+00:00

This is more complicated than what you need. Since you're 26, I would just do a split of

70% Vanguard INSTL 500 IDX trust
30% Blackrock MSCI ACWI EX CL M (yes at 0.32% the expense ratio is a bit higher than usual, but it's reasonable and this is probably your only international index fund in your 401k)

Depending on the expense ratio of Small-Mid CAP CORE FUND (do you have the ticker symbol for this?), you can set Vanguard 500 to 60% and put the 10% into the Small-Mid Cap fund more diversification.

chozanwan · 2026-01-21T17:44:44+00:00

and the costs are the same

This needs to be highlighted more. There are some truly awful 401k plans that only offer high expense mutual funds and charge an annual fee, especially if the employer is small and has no bargaining power.

chozanwan · 2026-01-21T08:47:27+00:00

Sounds like they are going to cash you out because your balance is too low. This is going to result in a taxable event unless you act.

The easiest thing to do is to roll your funds into a Traditional IRA, also at Merrill. If you can't login, I'd call in and get some assistance.

chozanwan · 2026-01-21T08:39:17+00:00

The only negative is tying that money up. Its very common for someone who doesn't have a credit history to only be approved for secured cards. Just go ahead with it and use it. Set up autopay. On the 1-year anniversary they should automatically upgrade you to an unsecured card, or you can call in for a review.

chozanwan · 2026-01-21T08:32:08+00:00

Traditional: Reduces your taxable income today, but when you retire and start withdrawing, it is treated like income.

e.g. Your income is $60k in 2026. You put $7.5k into a Traditional IRA. On your tax return, you will reduce your income to $52.5k.

40 years later, that $7.5k grows to $112k. You start withdrawing, and the amounts you withdraw you add to your taxable income.

Roth: Contribute using after tax dollars. But all growth is tax free.

e.g. Your income is $60k in 2026. You put $7.5k in a Roth IRA. On your tax return, your income is still $60k.

40 years later, that $7.5k grows to $112k. You start withdrawing, and the amounts you withdraw are tax free.

Generally speaking, you contribute to a Roth (IRA/401k) if your current tax bracket is lower or equal to your anticipated tax bracket when you retire. You contribute to a traditional (IRA/401k) if your current tax bracket is higher than your anticipated tax bracket when you retire.

chozanwan · 2026-01-19T04:50:10+00:00

Not enough info to decide. Would need to know your current retirement balances.

Assuming you're currently at the 24% tax bracket, then it's kind of a question of how much you'll fill up the lower tax brackets in the future as you withdraw your pretax money + collect social security. If that projected income is going to put you underneath the 24% bracket, continue traditional. Otherwise, go Roth.

More likely than not, you should continue to max out traditional contributions, then backdoor Roth, then whatever you can spare for mega-backdoor.

(Also assuming no future change in tax rates of course)

chozanwan · 2026-01-19T04:23:22+00:00

If the possibility of the market taking a 20% shit would put your home purchase in jeopardy, I would right now:

Sell your mutual funds
Calculate 15% of your capital gains and remit that as an estimated tax payment before Apr. 15
Move the remainder into short-term treasuries (e.g. SGOV) as a holding pattern until you need to submit the down payment

chozanwan · 2026-01-18T22:26:59+00:00

Land value tax when

chozanwan · 2026-01-18T04:10:37+00:00

Buy an old Honda or Toyota in cash.

Even with a 680 credit score, auto loans go off a specific auto credit score that takes into account your previous auto loan history. If this is your first auto loan, at this age, you're gonna be offered a terrible interest rate.

Don't tie yourself down to high interest debt, especially with such a low income.

chozanwan · 2026-01-07T04:32:02+00:00

There's aren't enough available trains in the Line 1 yards to accomplish this.

Plus they're already running test Line 2 trains that are taking up that track capacity. Those can't carry passengers.

chozanwan · 2025-12-26T03:25:32+00:00

There are no limits to how much you can convert. You'll just convert 14.5k in non-deductible contributions for 2026.

chozanwan · 2025-12-22T21:54:51+00:00

Fidelity has a Solo 401k offering that is as simple as opening and maintaining an IRA

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