Personal Finance Bowl

How do you break the pattern of living paycheck to paycheck and barely getting by?

Planning to open a 529 account for my kids. I live in Virginia and planning to use fidelity since I have accounts there. Any other considerations I should think of?

When you got married, did you join your spouse’s healthcare plan, or stay on your own?

If you planned on starting a family, did you stay on a high deductible plan or go to low deductible?

I used to use Mint for monthly budgeting. Haven’t used a budgeting app in a long time now. Looking for a replacement. What do you guys recommend? I primarily want to track spending.
If you pay a subscriptio… more

How do you track your financial health (net worth, savings rate, etc. )

I need a financial pep talk. Make $116K annual. Single no children. Own home with roughly $150K equity and 2.5% rate. Stuck in cycle with high interest credit card totaling $26K and auto loan of $43K… more

3% cash back… no annual fee… you can add your kids to the account to build credit. Seemed like a no brainer so I signed up for the Robinhood Gold Card. Help me earn the solid gold card! Thank you!
Here’s … more

Do you save money in any creative ways that no one talks about or writes blogs about? I’m looking for new ways to save on day-to-day expenses as a single income and I feel like I’ve read them all. Any creative ideas?

Ex… more

Is a 150k salary enough to live comfortably in a HCOL city? I don't mean extravagance. Just save a bit, eat out a few times a week, go on a couple of vacations? Realistically, how much do you need… more

I am 23. Currently max out my 401k + contribute to emergency fund.

Have a buddy who is a financial advisor and suggests I should not max my 401k, but only put in enough to receive the match, then put the rest in a traditional… more

Any advice will be appreciated.

I have a six-figure amount in HYSA earning only 4.1% (just slightly above inflation). I was looking at investing VOO ETFs, but I wasn't sure what the risk/returns would be compared to a VOO mutual fund. Goal is t… more

Do you really need to make 40x the rent to live comfortably in NYC? I have a job offer there and really want to make it work but this is putting me off. I'm a big saver, and even with that, I woul… more

Does anyone have any recommendations for a shop to manage 401k accounts and Roth, etc that is used to getting approval before buying stock / Tracking and Trading compliance? Ie Big4 compliance. I hav… more

Hi! I have about $15K in investments, $8K in an HSA, and am $10K in debt. I know my investments are there for the long-term but I want to get back to my debt-free status. I’d love to hear differing pe… more

What percentage of your money do you invest in ETFs?

Are there any personal finance coaches here? Could use some help, thank you

After an accident, I need a car, balancing affordability with safety. I mostly drive for errands, gym, and occasional office visits. Net Income: $5K/month; Savings: $60K; Monthly expenses: $3,600.
Preferences:
- Honda, … more

What's something you know is a "waste of money" yet you still spend money on?

How strictly do you keep track of your budget? I've always been of the mentality that as long as you're taking care of the big picture (i.e. necessities are covered and money is going into sav… more

Are there any banks that show debit transactions immediately (or close to immediately)? I’m switching to cash-only (really debit only) since I can’t be trusted to not accumulate cc debt. The problem I… more

Hello, any Financial advisor here?
Idk if you'd interested in getting a landing page/Website. in return for a referral or a review.
(An expert told me this would boost my portfolio if I offer freebies at first and l… more

Does anyone over the age of 25 still have a secured credit card?

I have two homes. Unfortunately I am a little ignorant when it comes to the economy, knowing what to do next, etc. I have about $150K in equity and have some home improvement that could be done. Is th… more

Hello,
I am trying to partner with a professional who is interested in buying another firm with me and I want to understand how to evaluate the acquisition costs and benefits as well as the existin… more

How did you celebrate when you hit certain financial goals? I will most likely close the year with over a million in savings and I’d like to celebrate this in some small way.

Anyone ever dropped full coverage on their cars? My cars are paid off and considering getting liability only and self insuring. How do you weigh the risk/ reward?

Full coverage: $1895/yr
Liability only: $1046/yr (save $849)

2… more

My income just went up from around $75k to $300-600k per year (performance based) about a year ago.

Considering my new higher income, what should my lifestyle changes be? What can I afford now that I couldn't … more

Does anyone pay for rent with their credit card? Trying to justify the high transaction fee associated with credit cards.

Anyone use empower financial for their company’s 401k? I have never heard of them before. What was your experience? Good, bad, neutral, no interaction?

Thanks!

Anyone have a good tax person they'd be willing to refer me to?

More of a marriage dispute or advice: Bought my wife a new X7. “Downsized” my own car bc I’d rather have the $ to do something with or invest. So I have like $100k of “free cash” and I’d like to buy a nice … more

I have a question regarding taxes. When I started my current position, I was given a relocation package of 10k. It was taxed around 30%. I fall into the 22% tax bracket. When tax season comes around, … more

Dentist referred me to a provider who is outside my network. What are my options (if there are any)? Will I just need to pay more than what I would have paid if they were in-network?

Need answer to cashing out US 401k - are taxes and penalties paid out immediately before receiving the money or do you pay the tax on it after filing next year? Does it vary depending on where money i… more

At what point in your life did you feel like you had achieved financial freedom? And if you haven't gotten there yet, what would that look like for you?

A family member recently passed away and left behind 50k for me. What would you do with this money? Non-fiscally responsible answers are welcome, too, I don't have any debts to pay off or anything… more

Recommendations on a job I can get on the weekend part time? I’m currently making 90k with a masters degree and 10 years of work experience (I was laid off so had to take what was available). I don’t … more

Hi fish! My 2nd year AF for Amex Platinum is coming up soon. 1. Would you cancel Amex platinum and apply for Amex gold, or directly downgrade from platinum to gold? 2. If you opt to looking to tra… more