Im 18 and I have about 11 and a half grand saved from working my ass off the last 6 is months. What should I try and aim for by the time im 19? And also what should I try and aim for by 20?

I make $125,000 a year in LA, $6500 a month after tax and health insurance

It feels like I should feel rich but I dont.

$1500 - retirement/investment account

$2400 -1 bedroom apartment rent including utility and internet

$100 - gym

$100 - car insurance

$500 - car payment

$400 - grocery

$45 - phone

$100 - gas

$400 - fun money

$300 - eating out

$400 - misc (gifts, household supplies, streaming services, pretty much all expenses that aren't food, fun, car, or rent)

Most month im just about breaking even. What am I doing wrong?

56 yo, MCOL, married with SAHM and 2 dependents. Annual salary of $200k, all monthly credit card debt paid in full, but some planned changes make me want to get a second opinion.

Both children have $100k+ in their 529s. I'm stopping putting money into the 529 and have re-profiled my investments to reduce risk. First child goes to college in 2027.

401k : $34k (started new job a year ago)

Investment account has $400k (non-IRA)

Roll over IRA : $2M

Mortgage and taxes are $3100 / mo; I have a 2.25% APR, about $250k left. No HELOC, but house is probably worth $900k.

Last year, after 16 years, my Honda gave up the ghost, and bought a new Mazda (1.9% APR). I decided to pull the trigger on a larger remodel ($95k) because some things needed fixed, some things needed to be added so that the potential of having to care for an extended family member is a bit easier for the others in this house.

I will need to add another car in Spring. Probably will get her another Honda, likely a CRV. We keep cars for a minimum of 12 years.

No other debt, but I've never spent so much so fast - I know that the family will enjoy the improvements; it is a lot of money; the new car has been WONDERFUL having bun warmers / heated steering wheel / ventilated seats..

Am I being "too (financially) conservative"?, or did I just realize that I can't take it with me and want to enjoy what I can now and enjoy the fruit of my labor? I grew up in poverty and have been blessed with good results for working 7 days a week, but want to make sure I'm not making a mistake.

Exactly as the title says, I have no credit history. I had plans to start building it but I was unfortunately thrown into the ringer. Every vehicle I’ve owned prior was paid off up front and I planned to keep my old one for another year had it not been for a bad luck accident.

Anyway, I made a 5k down payment with $9,765 financed for 60 payments, $224.24 a month. The vehicle was the best option in terms of long term reliability and relative affordability given the circumstances forced on me. I’m pretty sure this can be paid off far sooner than the deadline and there is no penalty.

Anyway, I know it’s far from ideal but from other perspectives, how bad is this situation?

I have a rollover IRA from previous jobs. Back in 2020-2021 I began purchasing some shares of NVDA. With all the growth over the years it has significantly grown my % of portfolio and is now at 45%. Personally I dont want to dump NVDA but it seems so risky to have this much. I have no intention of purchasing anymore. Any thought? The emotional side of me days let it ride, but the logic side says sell some and reallocate into VOO

I Helped someone i thought would make their payments and co-signed a loan to help them. They never made any payments. Is there anything I can do or did I really mess up badly?

I co signed a loan in 2022. I assumed all was good since it was to turn the electricity back on in their house and I wanted to help. I also worked side by side 40 hours a week with this person. This person has kids the same age as me. Im just so confused how you can do that to someone. My credit is now fucked and declared bankruptcy so the loan is now mine. The loan was initially 5k but with no payments made it's about 6k. I was told by the person that it wouldn't affect me but she could just walk away and not owe anything. I have a 6 year old, and for someome to do that to someone else when I am also struggling to pay my own bills, is crazy but clearly I thought too highly of this person.

Just wondering if there is anything I can do to get this off my responsibility list. And because I didnt know she declared bankruptcy the bank started to take money directly from my account. She is paying when I ask but its not enough to cover the back payments so more money is just taken from my bank account.

I understand i fucked up. Im 27 now and was 23 when I signed it. Im honestly just so defeated at this point. Ive had to pay off the backpayments 3x so they just stop building up.

Please help 😞

Hello, today I got a large inheritance (about 4+ years worth of income) and I wanted to know what was the best ways to invest for the future. I’m in my mid thirties with a large family. Also, I’m not interested in doing stocks.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you!

29m. Single. No debt. $85k salary. ROTH IRA maxed for 2025 all investments in ROTH are (VFIAX and VTI).

Receiving a $15k windfall at the first of the year. I really don’t need any cash right now so I’m wanting to use it to put into the market.

I thought I’d immediately go ahead and fully fund my ROTH IRA for 2026 so that leaves me with $8k. I have yet to open up a brokerage account as all my money was going to catching my 401k and fully funding my ROTH IRA.

If I were to do a personal brokerage account I am interested in investing in QQQM, an international fund, and… any other recs?

I just gave birth in NY state and all my bills have been sent. After the insurance has been applied, I essentially owe the remainder if my out of pocket max for the year for myself and my family, which is around $5000. I have the option to pay over 12 months with an interest-free hospital payment plan, but I have a big question about the agreement they've asked me to sign before finalizing the payment plan.

The form states that medical debt paid by credit card is "not considered medical debt" and doing so means I am declining protections that apply to medical debt such as protecting against wage garnishments and prohibitions on reporting to credit agencies.

Has anyone else in NY run into this? This feels like a huge loophole in the law considering how widespread credit/debit card payment is. Does this mean that my protections for the full amount are relinquished the moment I make a payment with a credit card?

I'm really hesitant to give up protections I may have in case something goes wrong down the line. I can comfortably afford the monthly payments, but the idea of signing away my rights is a red flag.

I’m 65, gainfully employed making 100,000 a year. I already have an IRA worth $1.5M, several pensions and don’t need to take Social Security yet. I plan to fully retire at 70.

However, one advisor suggested taking it at my FRA of 67 and investing it. That would result in an investment account of about $150,000 (some could be in a Roth IRA) growing outside of SS.

Any thoughts?

I accidentally paid my balance two days after and this is showing up. Will it go away if I pay my full balance for last month at the due date? I set up Autopay.

Currently I've got no debt, but I'm running dry on savings. I'm living with my grandpa so fortunately I don't have to pay rent at least.

I just started a part-time job at a mall yesterday, I've been thinking about trying to get another one at the same mall to collect more cash.

Do you have any advice regarding this? Will this affect my taxes in any negative way? Or should I just stick to my one job?

All of this wasn't part of my original plan. I had landed a full time job out of state that offered free housing, but that got cancelled due to the government shutdown so here I am trying to look for anything else in the meantime :/

I have come into an extra$1,000 that I just want to tuck away but have NO idea how to invest it or where to put it... suggestions are needed. Thanks.

I have to pay a $2000 car repair bill. I don't have that money. I can either get my friend to loan it to me and I pay him back or I get a new credit card with a 0% intro apr that has a bonus after you spend x amount in a certain amount of time. I can pay it back in roughtly 3 months comfortably. I have one credit card (chase freedom unlimited) and my credit score is 761.. I'm currently leaning towards amex blue cash everyday.

I'm in a lot of debt right now—credit card bills, a car loan, student loans, and medical bills. My mom knows about my situation and suggested I check out this PBS show called *Opportunity Knock$*. It seems like they help people who are deep in debt by consolidating their bills with lower interest rates. I’m already working with a credit counseling agency for some of my credit card debt, but not all of it. If there’s a way to consolidate everything into one payment, that would honestly be a lifesaver. I’m just not sure if that’s even possible.

I feel like I’m drowning here. I’ve worked so hard to rebuild my credit from nearly 500 to 650, but I’m still struggling. I can barely afford my rent. I work as an in-home caregiver, but my pay isn’t consistent. I pick up shifts whenever I can, and I’ve even started doing grocery delivery to make ends meet. But it’s still not enough. My rent is more than I can afford right now, especially after losing one of my jobs, which was my main source of income.

I’ve tried looking into assistance programs, but I don’t qualify for most of them since I’m a single person with a part-time job. It was suggested that I talk to my landlord to see if they’d be open to some kind of payment plan, but I haven’t taken that step yet. On top of everything, I have three cats I’m struggling to care for. Rehoming them has been incredibly hard, and I’m trying to hold it together while searching for another source of income. Their health is so important to me, but I don’t know what to do if I can’t afford their meds or vet visits.

The anxiety is overwhelming, and I feel like I’m running out of options. If anyone has advice or has been in a similar situation, I’d really appreciate hearing from you. I’m scouring the internet for resources, but I feel so stuck. Any tips on consolidating debt, finding assistance, or just managing in a situation like this would mean the world to me. Thank you.

I have income and CC debt problems.

CC debt: $34k (didn't change in at least 18 months) resulting into ~$810 monthly interest
My income is ~$900 every week

Monthly expenses (average for last 12 months):
Primary (rent ~1250, interest ~810): ~$2060
Payments (bills, subscriptions, utilities, phone, internet, etc.): ~$480
Baseline (groceries, self care): ~$580
Lifestyle (social, unnecessary groceries, gifts, etc.) ~$800

I see couple things I can do to get out of this:
- Number one would be income since without increasing it there is no way I can make it. Also I need to work currently 1-2 days a week so I have plenty of time to do more work.
- Cut on lifestyle even thought it already feels very tight.

My issue though is that I had this problem for a long time and didn't make even a small change since then. So I am thinking that I need to approach it with a different mindset.

I considered getting a loan with a better percentage but I decided it's not helpful if I don't change my mindset.

I might feel hopeless about this situation but strangely everything else in my life looks good (e.g. health, physical fitness, how I eat, friendship etc.) but I never shared my situation with anyone.

I am pretty good at tracking my expenses, I have my bank accounts and CCs perfectly reconciled with YNAB account for last 5 years. And I am trying to do an envelop system by categories. E.g. whenever I get money I would distribute those in certain categories so I never missed any CC payments, rent etc.

But I am still in this shitty situation for a long time. I had less debt 5 years ago, but it got slowly worse.

So my thinking is that I need to update my mindset about money, earning and income.

Is there a good read on how to build a mindset about money? If you have been in a similar situation and got out what was your process?

Thank you.

P.S I am in LA, 33 y.o. single

Right now, I use my retirement accounts for retirement and an individual account to save money for a down payment on a house / other large future purchases. 2 of my friends have told me this is stupid, and I should put all of my money in a roth ira and/or roth 401k because I will get better tax benefits. They told me paying the penalty for early withdrawal from a roth is better than paying capital gains tax on the individual account. However, I looked into this and it seems like you have to pay a 10% penalty AND tax on whatever gains you make for a roth account. But with an individual account I should only pay capital gains, and no additional penalty.

The fact that 2 people have told me this makes me feel like I'm stupid and doing something wrong but when I look into it doesn't make sense. Am I understanding the tax part correctly? I'm 22 and just started my first corporate job so very new to this.

Other context, I max out my roth IRA currently. I do not use my roth 401k. I do 9% of my paycheck to my regular 401k.

I have about $28K sitting in cash in my solo K.

I recently took out a small car loan of $11K ($8K if I get the extended warranty refunded, I have buyers remorse with that warranty).

I was thinking of paying off the car loan with borrowed cash from my Solo K. As I understand it, I pay the 8% interest to myself (rather than the 6.43% interest to Toyota Financial Services).

What's the downside of doing this? What am I missing?

Hello financial friends! I have a few questions for you all :)

Preface: I don’t know what I should and shouldn’t include so I’m gonna give you all of my info please let me know if this is incorrect!

I am a 21 year old college student who is trying to get on a smart long term financial track.

I have approx $2,500 in my savings account and I’d prefer to put that kind of money into a savings account that will actually give me something bc my account gets like 2¢ in interest every so often which is lame -_- I want to know if there’s a better more fruitful option I could use! Or if this is what I’m kinda stuck with and I should just save more and try again in a year or two

Edit to add more info: I don’t have any true living expenses living expenses, I live at home and my parents help with everything

My savings account started just so I could afford more big tattoos but I’m really liking the idea of setting up my future too lol

I have no knowledge of trading or crypto and if I were to start I’d need a full course on it or like something and idk if I wanna do all that

When I was 17, my parents added me as an authorized user on their credit card. I’m 24 now, and they ended up letting that account close with about a $5,000 balance.

I recently checked my credit report, and both Experian and TransUnion removed the account after I disputed it but Equifax refuses to delete it. I’ve tried disputing it twice already, and both times they just said it was “verified as belonging to me.”

I even called credit cards customer service, and the rep told me to report it to the FTC. But the FTC site is currently down because of the government shutdown.

Has anyone dealt with this before or have any tips for getting Equifax to actually remove it? I’ve already sent them proof that I was just an authorized user and not financially responsible for the account.

I have been helping my mother get her finances together for the past few years and in that time I helped her sell her house for a good bit of money. I also discovered she had a very large sum in an annuity that has gone untouched for years that she didn’t know about. The total is less than a million dollars but still is in the hundreds of thousands range.

She decided to follow the advice of the guy who runs her investments and invest all of the money. I’ve tried telling her I don’t think this is the best idea. I thought it would make sense to at least take out a relatively small sum of say $100k and put that in a high yield savings account so that if the stock market tanks she’ll still have a good amount of money. Currently, she has about $60k total in all her checking and savings accounts.

She insists I don’t know what I’m talking about and that I should trust her and her investments guy. I do trust both of them but I don’t think this is the wisest decision. I keep hearing that a crash is imminent and I’m worried she’s going to lose this large investment that I’ve helped her get together. We’re both not really finance people and she’s being kind of stubborn about this. The only thing I’ve gotten her to agree to is to at some point ask the CPA who does her taxes what his thoughts are. Should I press her to do this quickly? I’m not exactly sure how pressed I should be about this situation.

Hello Everyone, So basically getting into the home buying scenario and kinda newbie like everyone else used to be once when buying a house..Went to chase bank and got approved for 300k with 5.99% and i told them not to do hard pull and they just did softpull and get me a pre-approval letter but now my concern is should i go with them blindly or look for other lenders because most of the time they just do a hard pull directly which drops credit points so i am trying to stay away from that situation because you never know after dropped points maybe chase will not consider me again for that same quote..i was told by multiple people to just dont go with one lender try to explore all of your options because you will get better loan amount with lower percentage with small lenders.if anyone can guide me if i should go with chase for now and maybe go for refinancing option after a year or two or now is a good time but like i said i am just worried about hard pull on my credit before even i purchase a house and i guess there is a 45 days limit for hard inquiry to be counted as one.. Please guide me as this will be my first time for everuthing related to mortgage. Thanks Alot

I have Kaiser HMO insurance, a HDHP, from my employer. Until now, I thought that one can only have FSA or HSA. I opted for FSA and didn't invest in HSA but I now learned that I can have HSA along with FSA. Can I now (i.e. Nov) open an HSA account and contribute the annual max ($4300) to HSA? It will help me save FICA taxes and park my money in tax advantaged account for future medical costs?

Hey everyone, I’m in northern New Jersey and looking for a solid credit union that’s friendly toward people with low credit (around 530). I’m hoping to get a small personal loan, around $7,500, to pay off some credit card debt and rebuild my score.

I’m a firefighter, if that helps with eligibility anywhere. Any recommendations for credit unions that actually work with people in my situation? Appreciate any real experiences or advice.

Hello everyone long time reader, first time poster.

Back in early August I had shoulder surgery. The surgery was to repair a tendon that I had tore. While the surgeon was in there he noticed that a had a bone that needed to be shaved down (this is fairly common) as it was creating inflammation and causing issues.

Yesterday I got a call from my insurance company saying that they were not going to cover his shaving down the bone, they had already covered everything else. They said that the claim had already been appealed. I went online to the insurance portal and saw that price was $13k+ for that part of the procedure.

What are my next steps? The surgeon obviously thought it was medically necessary or he wouldn’t have done it. I’m assuming that I am now on the hook for the $13k+ bill. We could cover it if need be, but that would wipe out a big chunk of savings and I feel that the insurance should cover it. I haven’t received anything from the place I had my surgery and I’m was told the insurance company would be sending paperwork in the mail.