Obligatory im a dumbass.

Ok, so like 15+ years ago I created an Xbox Live account, set it up for auto renewal. Quit playing a few years later and ignored the annual auto.

Well, finally went to cancel it. Problem is, I know NOTHING of this account. I cant tell u the gamer tag, the email associated with it (i think I used an old work email that no longer exists, couldn't even tell u what it is or password).

So, ive tried calling Microsoft, but they cant do anything without the gamer tag or email/login info. I even asked if I give them my credit card number can they just find the account with that and cancel it, no....got with my bank and asked them to block the transactions, cant...so i literally can't do anything. Just have to live with losing $60 a year to nothing the rest of my life? Thanks for any input.

Totally hypothetical scenario. Let's say you inherit 100K in some way. As cash, that would be enough for 5 years in your life. Or you could get a nice single-bedroom apartment with that amount. You also have a steady job that makes 20K a year.

The base idea would be to put all that 100K in an investment plan. In 10 years that money could be ~220K. If you don't touch it for 20 years, it could reach upwards of half a million with minimal risk. So that would be the easy answer.

But you're in your early 30s, you have a nice relationship and like to travel with your friends. You could keep your job and use this money to finance all your excursions. This could pay for 10+ month-long trips all over the earth, or fund your hobbies in the biggest way (10K would give me more bikes than I could ever want). For some people this could be a bigger investment than waiting 20 years. In your 50s it wouldn't be the same to do those activities.

How would one split those decisions? Keep X for now and invest 100-X. And after 5 years, when you'll have some gains, how much would you take out to spend? Only the amount you made, or less?

So, let's say I Invested 70K and 5 years later I have 100K. Should I spend 30K and invest back the other 70? Is that a sensible strategy? This way I would have 30K each 5 years and that sounds like a very generous amount for my hobbies.

Please help if anyone has been in this situation. I make 2570 per month, i dont have debt and the apartment I'm thinking of moving into is a 10min walk to work which saves me money instead of buying a bus pass. The rent is considered Low income housing? (Calgary Housing company) and its 1270 with utitlies included except wifi and tenant insurance. I honestly don't know what to do as I found a basement for $950 but it barely has any windows it appears to be illegal but yk i guess thats why it's 950. It's my first to be moving in my own apartment if I were to take it.. But yea please let me know if u have bene on the same boat. I do value my own space but having a financial burden isn't good either.

I haven't made any extra payments, just checked. My monthly payments did go down $200, so is this just a way for the mortgage have my payments bump back up next year?

So I just got 4 emails telling me my Wells Fargo application had been approved, a "next steps for you application" email with a secure access code, a welcome email and finally an email saying my delivery preferences had been updated (listing 2 separate accounts). Whoever opened the account used a name similar to my first name.

I can't tell if my email was hacked, but I have 2FA on and don't see my account connected to any devices other than my own. I assume they were able to see the secure access code to finish their application though, unless they submitted it in one go or something.

I don't think it's a phishing scam as everything links to the Wells Fargo site, but I haven't clicked any of the links directly. I've tried resetting the password on their site to access the account since it's linked to my email, but can't do this without the username or a full account number.

What's going on here, and how should I proceed once I contact their fraud department? Could this also be some sort of error? The delivery preferences email said something like, "you're receiving this email because..." and listed several options, one of which was "your email address was invalid."

Wife and I are mid 40s, 6 figure household income, $25k in credit card debt, no real savings to speak of, and only $100k in 401k. Not in a good spot financially but motivated to get back on track. Obviously the credit cards need to be paid off first due to the high interest rates, but I'm confused on where to put my money after those are paid.

How does one balance the need to create a 6 or 12 month emergency fund vs the need to get started immediately on Roth IRA and other investment vehicles?

Clearly a job loss or other catastrophy without the emergency fund would be devastating, but it also feels like further delaying serious contributions to investment accounts are killing any hopes at retirement. Is trying to do both half-assed at the same time a bad strategy?

46 years old. Expat living in Poland. I worked in US right after college for about 10 years before relocating to Europe. Net household income just over 100K USD. No debt of any kind. We own a house (3500 sq. feet on a 3 acre lot 10min from Warsaw). 50K USD in a 4% yield savings account (this in Polish zloty) - this is my emergency fund. About 60K USD (split between 40K in EUR and 20K in USD) sitting, idling and waiting to be invested. I also have a 401K (currently sitting at 200K USD) in US split between QCGRIX (35%), Nuveen Lifecycle Index 2040 (30%) and VWENX (35%). I also own an apartment in Warsaw (as a means of diversification) with a net worth of about 200K USD and additional land (close to 1.5 acres) in the vicinity of Warsaw. Our lifestyle does not match the income (or matches it perfectly - depending who you ask :) as we regularly save over 6K+USD a month. I'm also contributing to the polish equivalent of 401K but here I have accumulated about 25K USD.

So, where to invest the monthly surplus + the 60K outside of the emergency fund, especially considering that my 401K heavily exposes me on the US market?

My grandparents have been holding my inheritance from my great gma but I turn 25 in a few months and will be getting that $5,500 directly into my bank. Am wondering what the best way to use that money is? I have about 14k student loan debt that I’m paying down about $70/month. I have about 8k in auto loan debt on my car that I pay down $388/month, should be paid off in about a year and a half if I keep paying normal monthly payments. I don’t have any savings whatsoever (bad spending habits, which I’ve slowly been improving), I make about $2,200/month, and I live with my parents rent-free. That’s pretty much all my debt, I know $5,500 ain’t even that much, but it’s enough for me to want to make sure I use it the right way. I was thinking I could use it to pay down some debt, but other options are I could either put it in savings, or possibly invest it. Not sure what the priority should be, paying down debt, saving, or investing?

Hi everyone, I’m in a stressful situation and could really use some advice.

I’m closing on a house on January 21st and planning to sign the documents on January 17th. However, the Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) has placed a lien on my property due to an overpayment determination from unemployment benefits that I received years ago. (I just found out about this Friday evening from the lender)

Here’s the backstory:

• I was discharged from the military and began receiving unemployment benefits in good faith.
• The ESD later denied my claim because I didn’t verify my identity in time. Unfortunately, I was temporarily out of the country and didn’t receive the request. This never showed up on my credit report and I never received correspondence from them about a court case.
• Now they’ve determined I owe $7,500 (over $14,000 after interest), and they’ve placed a lien on my property.

I’ve already filed an appeal, but the process takes time, and I need to resolve this ASAP to avoid delaying my house closing. My lender needs either the lien removed or proof that I’m actively resolving the debt.

I’m willing to:

1. Make a partial payment upfront if I absolutely have to.
2. Set up a repayment plan with ESD.

Does anyone have experience with:

• Getting ESD to release a lien temporarily or quickly?
• Working with escrow or lenders in a situation like this?
• Posting a lien bond or other creative solutions?

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

Hi everyone, throwaway account here

I (30M, single) have a question about my emergency fund, I currently have about $10k set aside in it trying to grow it a little more and my monthly expenses are around $3.5k in a HCOL area. I need outside insight on if I should grow it to the full 6 months or keep it closer to the 3 that I have.

I have a relatively stable job (healthcare) but it feels stressful and I feel psycholgically uncertain about it day to day and I'm trying to find a new job with better hours and less stress. After OT I can usually clear $100k a year but OT is plentiful because no one else seems to stick around long enough so so many shifts open up. I'd like to find a job that has less stress, lower turnover, even if its slightly less pay

I read on the subreddit that retirement assets shouldn't be used to supplement emergency fund (Makes sense). Though I do have around $70K in a taxable brokerage account (mostly in VOO).

My question I can't seem to ever figure out is should my emergency fund be closer to 3 months or 6 months?

I can never come to grips, I know it can sound pretty silly but I'd like some outside input, thanks!

Edit: I also currently max my Roth IRA and contribute 7% to max my employer match

Roth is about $50k and 401 is around $80k (mix of traditional and roth)

Can someone dumb this language down for me to understand this companies 401k matching contribution, possibly with an example?

“offers discretionary company matching contribution of 25% of the first 12% you contribute on an annual basis”

I recently accepted a role at a company where if I took their health benefits, I would make north of $10,000 less. I am not sure why their insurance is so expensive, but I decided to go without it and purchase my own plan, and need to get one before open enrollment ends on the 15th of this month. Currently, I live with my family so my general costs are very low, just helping with things such as utilities and food and paying for my dental, phone, and car insurance, so I decided that if anything should happen, I can afford the deductible for my health insurance easily since I have saved up plenty from my last position, which is why I'm primarily trying to go down the HSA route. I have a few insurance options on marketplace that are HSA compatible but I need some advice on how to set it up since my employer doesn't have an HSA program. My understanding is that it will not be FICA exempt, but for the following year I can still receive some tax deductions via my HSA when they send out 1099-SA forms but I am still a bit confused on how to do this.

My main question is, since my employer won't fund an HSA account and I have to contribute to it myself, what would be the best way of setting up an HSA? I am aware I would need a HDHP plan which I could easily afford, but I am not sure of the steps needed to take in order to set this up so I can have some tax deductions and be able to invest with said HSA as well. Thank you for any help.

Hello everyone, I’m 18 years old, working a part-time job while attending college full-time. I’m a big saver and try to avoid unnecessary spending since I’m still living with my parents. Ever since I was younger, I’ve wanted to learn how to make better use of my money instead of just letting it sit in my bank account.

I’ve heard a lot about Roth IRAs and investing platforms like Charles Schwab and Robinhood from friends and family. I recently applied for a Charles Schwab account, but I’m not sure how to get started. I’d like to learn the basics of investing, understand how to navigate these platforms, and eventually develop a solid strategy for investing and setting up a Roth IRA.

If anyone has advice or resources to help me get started, I’d really appreciate it. Sorry if this is something that gets asked a lot!

I live in a 1 bed 1 bath 850 sq ft apartment alone. I work 40 hours a week. I am usually home the rest of the time. I have been living here for a year +. Last year, I paid $42 for electricity. This year, $238. I have checked my hourly electricity and it is now on average 0.8 kWh when it was previously around 0.4 kWh. This trend started in July and really boomed in November. I put in a dispute on my November bill ($244 or something similar) and they said everything was fine, no issues and would not discuss further. I have not changed ANYTHING since last year. I never turn on AC or heating. I’ve actually even unplugged all my electronics besides my Amazon Alexa, lights, stove, TV, and refrigerator in the entire house, especially when not in use. I bought a Kil-A-Watt to see what could possibly be consuming so much energy. Does this seem normal? Any thoughts? I am at a loss. I just turned off my TV today in hopes that that might be what’s consuming so much energy daily. I also switched to TOU (5-8 PM) now since most of my energy usage is 10-12 am watching TV and chilling in room. Pleaseeee help. SCE is not giving me any answers.

So I just got a job as a 1099 worker but my boss is telling me that I would only be on 1099 for my first 3 months then I can switch to a W2 if I want to. The problem is, he is telling me that I need to have open availability and that I would possibly have to work 7 days a week from open to close without overtime pay (which of course 1099 employees don’t get that) but I’m a little concerned as he keeps implying that I work for him now and I report to him and only him. I was also told that I would be working open to close. I thought 1099 employees work for themselves? Am I being played here? Need some blunt advice. The hiring process was extremely quick… within 2 days max.

I am getting a great deal in progressive. My guess is that they might be giving new customer discount and might increase premium after renewal.

While getting quotes, there was a question on how long i am with current carrier.

Does premium increase if we switch every year?

Like the title says my job is now offering Roth 401k in addition to a regular 401k. I'm 29 making around 85k. Currently I'm contributing 10% plus a 5% match. Does it make sense to change my future contributions over to Roth? I'm also looking at opening a Roth IRA, but don't plan to fully fund it.

Looking for some help here. I (33m) am just looking for reassurance that I'm on the right track financially. I currently have about 80k in my 403b from my old job, and invest $150/month into a Roth IRA. Ive paid down to $5000 on student loans and just recently finished off paying my cc debt. Am I doing enough to retire at 65?

Edit: Gross salary is ~$45,000/year; Mortgage with $55,000 left, finishing in Dec 45; high or low cost of living - Pretty low, in the Cleveland area; other investments - only the investments are in the Roth IRA; Inheritance - none i know about i think Other debt - none

Hi all,

I’m born and raised in Southern California (SD). While I’ve also lived/worked in two other states, I moved home a couple years ago as my mothers health took a turn and she needs me nearby now as she is in a wheelchair and dad can’t help her all the time due to his own physical limitations/issues.

Being back here has made me realize that this is where I want to settle down. My siblings are here, my friends are here, everyone I know is here. But damn it is expensive!

Right now I make about $250k pre tax annually and townhouses (2 bedroom, maybe 3) run about 900k - 1 million. This is well above the recommended 3x amount and not sure if it’s a wise move, but I’m pretty sure I’ll just continued to get priced out if I don’t.

I have about $350k cash. If I use 300 of that, after fees I assume my monthly cost including mortgage, HOA, taxes and stuff would net out around $6k.

I have no debt and currently heavily contribute to retirement (max 401k, Roth IRA, and rest to taxable brokerage). I could reduce my retirement contributions significantly and afford it, but there’s obvious opportunity cost there. With my trajectory and industry trends I i can reasonably assume that within the next 3-5 years I should reach about $300-315k salary. Another thought is I could rent a room out to help out a bit.

Any thoughts?

Hey good peeps! I am a newbie here, can you please recommend resources you found interesting for learning personal finance.

TIA

So, as the post heading says, I am an idiot and do not know enough about personal finance. The least I could’ve done was a cursory search of Google or Reddit before I made this decision but alas, here we are.

I had multiple 401(k)s out there from past employers and decided it would be nice to have them all in one place. The old 401(k)s were at Principal and Fidelity and my new company uses Empower. I spoke to someone at empower who told me what a great idea it would be to roll everything to them, but never mentioned that I should check into asset management fees. Today I checked my retirement balance and saw that I will be getting charged about $200 a year in fees at Empower. Not crazy, but I looked at statements from my old 401(k)’s and I don’t see any asset management fees. Not sure how that’s possible, but maybe the companies were paying them even after I left. Also, now that I’ve done that cursory Google search, it seems like Fidelity just has lower fees overall.

Anyways, I talked to a retirement advisor at empower today and she apologized, saying that they should have gone over that and she would’ve told me if I was thinking of rolling over that I should look into fees. Yeah thanks but too late.

Wishing I could reverse the transactions but assuming that’s not possible. I do not have an IRA and I’m not sure if that’s something I should look in to. Maybe these fees aren’t actually very high at all, but it seems like they’re taking my money for no reason since it’s in a target date fund.

Some context, I am almost 40, high earner, target date fund 2045.

Thanks in advance for your advice, and any roasting I receive because internet.

So I heard that Experian is pretty bad to use and to have an account, even free membership, so I was wondering what about Credit Karmaas well. What other credit score or similar apps should I use and avoid?

My employer is putting together an internal focus group to collect feedback to "optimize our 401(k)" and I'm part of the group. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what to suggest besides a higher employer match and options for a backdoor contribution. Our current provider (Guideline) offers low cost Vanguard mutual funds, automatic investing, rebalancing, etc. so almost all the features that I would want in a plan.

Also unfortunately, Guideline says they have no plans to allow backdoor contributions, so that may be right out.

https://help.guideline.com/en/articles/8598378-are-voluntary-after-tax-contributions-and-backdoor-roth-rollovers-permitted-with-guideline

Are they any other features that I should be asking for? It's unclear if they also have moving to a totally different provider on the table.

Hey all,

I work a regular W-2 job, and had a $100k realized capital gain in November 2024. Based on my rough math, I will ultimately owe about $25k in federal taxes on this. It's my first time dealing with estimated taxes/safe harbor rule, so just trying to confirm whether my understanding is correct. I realize I will need to figure this out for State taxes as well.

A little about my income/tax situation for context:

2023

• W-2 income = $238,000
• Fed withholding = $45,000
• Total Tax (Line 24) = $49,000
• Tax Due (Line 37) $3,500

2024

• W-2 income = $227,000
• Fed withholding = $39,500

The safe harbor rule states that if I pay at least 110% (since my AGI is above $150k) of the total tax on my 2023 return, then I should not incur a penalty. Based on my 2023 taxes, 110% would come out to $53,900. Can I simply make an estimated payment of $14,400 ($53,900 minus my 2024 fed withholding) and then pay the remaining tax on the capital gain when I file my taxes by April 15th? Or am I completely misunderstanding how estimated taxes and the safe harbor rule work?

Hello, I know that VTSAX requires 3k minimum to start. That’s been my ideal fund to begin with but I wasn’t sure if there was another Vanguard fund that would allow me to start with a lot smaller amounts. Thanks.