Bogleheads

Like most posters, I agree that the unique circumstances surrounding the individual determine whether or not renting or buying makes the best financial sense. What I found interesting was the comment ...

Fourth, and here's the big wake-up call, is that being $200,000 large in debt for a government position SCREAMS "Danger, Will Robinson" to anyone applying for a clearance (I presume that the ...

More out of curiosity, do you attend Ashford University? (google pointed me in that direction)

My guess is Embry Riddle. Quite a few of my coworkers have attended this university but for avia ...

Thanks for all the replies. I think I was misunderstanding some of the purpose of having the EF in a retirement account. As a temporary solution for someone who can't fund both a taxable ER and a Ro ...

The concept of an emergency fund within a Roth is an interesting concept; however, I tend to disagree with saving an emergency fund this way. A large part of this has to do with my more conservative ...

---Deleted. I figured I was hijacking the OPs thread so I figured I would instead start my own thread.

The biggest problem I see is where a student must take out a significant amount of student loans in order to attend one university vs another. To me, that more expensive college simply becomes a leve ...

Henry, I have similar reasons to you although I am in a lower tax bracket. On one hand livesoft makes a good point that that your taxes would be difficult to match in retirement, but if you continue ...

Thanks dbr and kaneohe for both helping clear up the tax question. So, once the adjusted gross income is known at the end of the year it is taxed in accordance with the tax brackets. Therefore, it r ...

If it's an either or situation ...

Either extra house payment or retirement accts then it's an easy decision.

Either extra house payment or stuffing boatload of cash under mattress after maxing ...

Gekko,

Really great words of wisdom, but I disagree with this part (or maybe I don't understand your reasoning):
4. Keep some cash equal to at least 2 years gross salary in a low cost liquid check ...

Overall we feel that prepaying our mortgage is helping us "minimize our chances of being poor".

Good point, I think the goal should be to minimize the chances of being poor. Having no d ...

I think both sides have brought up some very compelling arguments. Certainly, various factors influence the decision to pay off the loan early, both financially and emotionally. One other aspect that ...

I'm still a little lost. I completely see that 20% of 50000 is 10000, but I don't see how the entire amount of contributions get taxed at the marginal rate of 25%. With 401(k) contributions, you wou ...

The distinction is between income and expenses. Let's say you make $50K and save 25% of it. Then you are really living on $37.5K before taxes, but pay taxes on $50K. Then in retirement to maintai ...

2. Some of the retirement income is in the form of capital gains, which has (at least at this moment) preferential tax rates vs ordinary income.
3. Withdrawals from a portfolio will be part cost ...

That would be a risk, but the risk to the traditional investor is that income tax rates will be higher in retirement than during his working years. Two sides to every coin. Thanks for the reply.

Was looking for some feedback and/or advice on Roth vs traditional investing for retirement. As it stands now, I am 100% Roth and max out both the 401k at 16500 and IRA at 5000. There seems to be go ...

The problem I see, as others have also brought up, is that even if a bogleheads type curriculum is made mandatory that will not likely stop people from making poor financial decisions. Think about it ...