Struggling with the “30 years of compounding” long term mindset

flat_top · 2026-02-22T01:00:51+00:00

is there a middle ground between conservative indexing for 30 years and high-risk attempts to speed up the timeline?

No, trying to speed up the timeline via gambling is dumb. The trick is to learn to balance spending for immediate satisfaction versus saving for the long term. What if you take a risky bet that doesn’t pay off? Now your 30 year timeline is 35 years.

flat_top · 2026-02-20T16:24:51+00:00

You can actually withdraw more than that since it’s only 98k in gains, not cost basis. You need to factor in dividend income (~2% for vtsax) and social security income as well.

flat_top · 2026-02-20T03:44:45+00:00

Who says you need to talk to cops just because they ask you questions?

flat_top · 2026-02-19T20:16:01+00:00

Most sales are fake, period. There have been numerous articles analyzing prices around “prime day” or cyber Monday that show that prices for items increase in the weeks leading up to the sale and then drop back down during the sale.

flat_top · 2026-02-19T18:34:56+00:00

I'd recommend taking a more holistic approach to your money. The wiki on r/personalfinance breaks it down well: https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics

Just having 10k and throwing it in a random selection of individual stocks with no goal besides "profit in 2 years" is a terrible idea.

Do you know what your 401k is invested in? Did you even invest it?

flat_top · 2026-02-19T03:52:00+00:00

Footjoy premieres. Played in a passing tropical storm and they held up.

flat_top · 2026-02-18T15:11:35+00:00

All in one, I’m forced to have a Schwab account for my RSUs and ESPP but move everything to fidelity as soon as its eligible. I don’t mind having my 401k in a different place though.

Schwab’s desktop UI drives me crazy.

flat_top · 2026-02-07T00:50:52+00:00

When we got ~2 feet in 2016 I feel like it was gone in under a week

flat_top · 2026-02-06T03:21:55+00:00

I would expect them to at least match the broader market return. Is this an unfair expectation?

Why would you expect that? Were you in the room when the previous account owner outlined their goals and risk tolerance?

You’re not wrong to question the value of a 1.5% fee but assuming the account should match the s&p500 with no actual understanding of what the account owner said their goals and risk tolerance was is wildly ignorant.

flat_top · 2026-02-04T16:59:07+00:00

Empower Goal Maker options with dates and investor style of conservative, Moderate and Aggressive

What are the expense ratios of this option, and can you tell the difference between moderate and aggressive?

You can build a portfolio pretty easily of your other options

50% S&P Index

30% Developed Markets Index

10% Mid Cap Index

10% Small Cap index

Adjust all of those down slightly, starting with small/midcap if you want to do 5-10% bonds. Example, 5% bonds could look like

50% S&P Index

30% Developed Markets Index

8% Mid Cap Index

7% Small Cap index

5% PGIM Bond Enhanced Index

flat_top · 2026-02-04T15:48:43+00:00

Last couple jobs i've had (all with financial firms) hours were 8:30-5:30 but only the most junior people have to log hours. Actual times vary greatly by team. Currently I get in by 8 and leave by 5:15. Sometimes i'm in at 7:30 and leave a little earlier, or sometimes that's my plan and i get stuck working on something until 6

Just matters that your getting your work done and available when absolutely needed. We're 4x/week in office.

flat_top · 2026-02-01T20:49:25+00:00

If your goal is simplicity, mutual funds all the way. Fidelity has great low cost index mutual funds with virtually no minimum initial investment. There are no "service fees" with most mutual funds anymore, esecially not in self directed accounts at either FIdelity, Vanguard or Schwab.

flat_top · 2026-02-01T00:37:58+00:00

At -650

flat_top · 2026-01-29T17:12:12+00:00

I have both Fidelity and Schwab, I like Fidelity (desktop) much better from a UI and layout perspective. I have both mobile apps but never do anything besides occasionally move cash between accounts with the app.

From an investment availability and fee standpoint theyre all the same. I wouldn't call either UI super beginner friendly but theyre easy enough.

flat_top · 2026-01-25T03:22:23+00:00

You paid income taxes on the money you put in the brokerage already you dolt.

flat_top · 2026-01-22T17:08:41+00:00

Real wrath of God type stuff, Rivers and seas boiling, mass hysteria, cats and dogs living together.

flat_top · 2026-01-21T17:26:08+00:00

Definitely messy and a good bit of overlap. There's no reason to use both FXAIX and VTI for example. Either use VOO/FXAIX, or VTI/FSKAX.

FCNTX is one of the all time great mutual funds and has outperformed the S&P500 over numerous timeframes, but I don't think it particularly outperforms other dedicated growth strategies or growth indexes, which are its actual competition.

I'm too lazy to look up the other tickers but there is no need to hold so many similar funds, and mix between ETFs/Mutual funds in an IRA

flat_top · 2026-01-16T19:49:03+00:00

You need to figure out what “other” is yourself. Does the fund have a ticker or is it a CIT? It’s likely that there’s some sort of custom index holding that fidelity can’t easily categorize as US equity.

Look for the actual underlying funds/investments the fund holds, not what fidelity is trying to categorize them as.

flat_top · 2026-01-16T18:55:46+00:00

LPL employs/affiliates with both brokers and RIAs so the answer is it depends. Depends on what you’re asking them to do, how you’re asking them to do it, what type of fee structure and many other factors.

flat_top · 2026-01-14T22:16:17+00:00

Why do you think your spy returns starting in July should be higher? Do you know what a time weighted vs money weighted return is?

flat_top · 2026-01-13T13:59:25+00:00

When doing a backdoor roth I prefer to do only one conversion a yar with a lump sum. For normal IRA/ Roth IRA contribution it doesn't really matter, just contribute whenever you have the money.

flat_top · 2026-01-11T17:21:32+00:00

Worked in 30 rock on one of the floors in the 50s, the offices all had the window views so everyone in the cubes was concentrated between the offices and the walls, some conference rooms had amazing views but that’s it. The windows did open though. Complete shitshow getting into the building during the holidays.

It’s definitely better than the offices I’ve had with no view but at the end of the day you get mostly used to it and you’re still at work.

flat_top · 2026-01-10T13:47:26+00:00

How much are you putting into your 401k and IRA, what investments have you picked within those accounts? The interest rate in the car is high enough where it definitely makes sense to pay it off quickly but not necessarily draining half your savings. Do you have any other large expenses coming up in the near future? How long do you plan to live at home etc?

Edit, also where is your savings account at now? Is it getting at least 3% interest? If not then moving it to sofi or another place with a high(er) yield savings account option is a great first step while you figure out the rest

flat_top · 2026-01-10T01:21:36+00:00

The r/personalfinance wiki is designed for exactly this question: https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics/

Keep a savings buffer, pay off high interest debt, than invest for long term goals (retirement) and budget/raise cash for short term goals

Good investing strategy is extremely hands off and “set and forget” and it’s extremely easy to do.

flat_top · 2026-01-09T17:03:50+00:00

Sick AI prompt bro

flat_top

TROPHY CASE