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$3382.58 total deducted from my paychecks since 6/1/2026 with $0 of it posted to my balance.

9 paychecks total - bi-weekly pay schedule.

I'm already pissed more than I can say. I clearly didn't check this soon enough but the point is that from my understanding, HR/payroll is far past late (0-15 days) of their opportunity(ies) to make corrections for lack of handling with my 401K contributions that are from June 2026 - October 2026. Perhaps the standard two week period for individual corrections is irrelevant at this point since it was partially on me for not having raised issue.

What's recommended? Am I due lost earnings/recuperation?

Interest?

Do I file a claim with the Dept. of Labor or could that back fire?

Should I bring it up to my CEO? It's not out of norm within our company culture to be able to have meetings with the CEO. I think it's important to make it known how much of an issue and concern this is. Or would that be too personal?

I'm walking blindly here with no insight or guidance. This is my first big career job. Any help would be appreciated.

I’m 27 years old and I keep seeing people younger or my age with a lot more money saved up for retirement.

Right now I have 37k saved up

Roth - $12,700 invested in VOO
401k - $20,800 invested in fxaix
Roth 401k - $900 invested in fxaix
Crypto - $1600 (bitcoin, xrp, eth, ect.)

I invest about $500 a month into my 401k and Roth and make 60k a year with an annual 10% performance bonus. Should I be contributing more?

I’m 35, married, and have a baby. My partner cannot work because of a disability, so I’m responsible for supporting our household.
I work and make approximately $100,000 a year. My take-home pay is about $2,900 every two weeks, or $5,800 in a normal two-paycheck month.
I know that salary sounds decent, but here are my monthly expenses before groceries and several other necessities:
Mortgage: $2,715
Car payment: $564
Auto insurance: approximately $405
Phone: $241
Electricity: $237
Natural gas: approximately $88
Water: approximately $43
Internet: approximately $95
Private student loan: $85
IRS payment plan: $75
Credit card minimum: approximately $57, depending on the statement
That’s roughly $4,605 a month before groceries, gas for the car, baby supplies, healthcare, federal student loan payments, and other expenses. Some utilities vary.
My debts, excluding the mortgage and car balance, are approximately:
Credit card: $5,750
IRS: $3,038 after a $400 payment I just made
Private student loan: $2,712 at 7.12%
Federal student loans: $16,814 at approximately 2.75%–4.53%
That’s about $28,300, with the IRS and credit card being the debts I most urgently want gone. My credit card is currently at 0%, but that promotion ends January 27, 2027. The regular purchase APR listed is 21.49% variable.
I’ve tried working second jobs to get ahead, but the lack of sleep and exhaustion catch up with me. My mental health declines, my performance suffers, and I end up losing those jobs. I’ve also been applying and interviewing for higher-paying primary jobs. I’ve had interviews that felt promising, but I still haven’t been selected. I’m trying to improve my situation, but nothing has worked out yet.
After being fired from a previous second job, I cashed out that job’s 401(k). The gross withdrawal was $3,988.35, they withheld $797.67 in federal taxes, and I received $3,190.68. Nothing was withheld for state taxes. I now understand that withholding may not cover the full income tax and potential 10% early-withdrawal tax. I’m provisionally planning to reserve another $700, though the actual amount depends on my tax return.
I have a separate retirement account and have considered withdrawing from it to clear the IRS and credit card. I have about 17k in that account. I want the relief, but I’m worried about creating another tax bill.
I’m exhausted and feel trapped. I can see that dining out and subscriptions need to come down, and I’m willing to make changes. But working myself into the ground with another job hasn’t been sustainable.
Given these numbers, what would you prioritize? Would using retirement money make this worse, and what realistic options am I overlooking?

I'm looking for some advice because I've never sold a house before, and I'm not particularly knowledgeable about real estate.

My husband and I are planning to sell our home. We haven't officially listed it, don't have a realtor, and haven't had an appraisal done yet. However, someone has expressed interest in buying it and recently asked how much we want for it.

Online estimates put the house somewhere around $200,000, but I know those aren't always accurate, especially when repairs are involved.

**Here's where I need advice.**

The potential buyer asked what we want for the house, and I'm unsure how to respond.

Should I tell them we're thinking around $200,000? Should I ask what they're willing to offer first? Or would it be smarter to pay for an independent appraisal before discussing numbers?

I'm also wondering whether selling directly to someone without a realtor is a good idea. I know we'd still need a real estate attorney to handle the paperwork and closing, but I'm concerned about accidentally undervaluing the house or making a costly mistake.

We're trying to make the best financial decision possible, and I don't want to rush into accepting an offer simply because someone approached us.

We are already moved out, so we are eager to sell.

Buying a car from a friend for $45k, private sale. I have the cash just sitting in a HYSA earning 4%, was planning to just pay cash and be done with it.

But then I saw my local credit union is offering 3.99% APR on auto loans with no prepayment penalty. So now I'm thinking: finance like $30k of it, leave the cash in the HYSA, and pay the loan off in a year or so.

Quick math says I'd pay maybe $600ish in interest over that year while the HYSA earns more than that on the $30k, so I'd technically come out ahead? And I keep the liquidity in the meantime.

Am I missing something or is financing actually the smarter move when your loan rate is below your HYSA rate? Feels wrong to take out a loan I don't need but the numbers say do it. Could you please advice?

Can someone give me some advice?

I’m a 21-year-old woman and already an orphan. My dad passed away last year, and my mom passed away five years ago.

I’m planning to get insurance because I’m not sure where I should put my money. I want to build a source of passive income and secure my financial future. I want to make wise financial decisions while I’m still young so I can become financially stable in the long run.

What would you recommend I do? Should I get insurance, start investing, or focus on saving first? I would really appreciate any advice from those who have experience with managing their finances.

I badly need guidance on this, so please be kind and respectful. Thank you!

My (24) dad (54) was admitted to a hospital in Georgia on October 3 after suffering a severe stroke. He cannot move the right side of his body, and his doctors anticipate that he will need extensive rehabilitation. Since being admitted, he has also developed ARDS and pneumonia, which have prolonged his hospital stay. As of October 15, he is still intubated. He has no health insurance.

When he was first admitted, we spoke with a caseworker who explicitly advised us NOT to apply for Medicaid because she wanted us to pursue a charity bed. We were told that applying for Medicaid would prevent him from qualifying for the charity bed at a nice facility. Based on that information, we followed her guidance. Now, we have been told that the charity bed is no longer an option since he has been in the hospital longer than she anticipated and that we need to apply for Medicaid to cover his hospital bills. (They are really pushing us to fill this out ASAP)

I spoke with the caseworker again to say my dad cannot safely come him and our family does not have the resources to care for him. She ignored that and continued emphasizing that he could potentially receive an in-home nurse through Medicaid etc etc basically saying no to unsafe discharge and encouraging us to prepare to take him home. However, we are concerned that home health services would not be sufficient for his needs, especially given the severity of his stroke and his other medical complications.

Another point of confusion is that, from what we have been told by the caseworker, the Medicaid application for his hospital bills is different from the Medicaid coverage he would need for care after discharge. She is telling us to apply for Medicaid to cover his hospital stay, but she has not provided resources or assistance for applying for what we understand to be regular Medicaid that could potentially help with rehabilitation and We don’t know whether these are actually separate programs or whether applying for one affects eligibility for the other.

When I asked the caseworker to help us find rehabilitation facilities that accept Medicaid, she said there were none in Georgia. She also stated that she is not allowed to help patients who do not have insurance and that the hospital cannot do anything else for him. We are now trying to figure out our next steps before he is ready for discharge, which could be within the week. We really cannot afford to get him into the facility by ourselves
My questions are:

**1. How What happens if the hospital tries to discharge him?*\* Can the hospital discharge him to our family even though we have explained that we cannot care for him? What should we do if they attempt to discharge him without a safe plan

**2. Should I apply for Medicaid independently or insist that the hospital caseworker help us?*\* Given that we were initially told not to apply, have we lost any potential benefits or options? Is there a way to get Medicaid coverage for his hospital rehabilitation, if he qualifies?

**3. Is it true that the hospital cannot help us because he is uninsured?*\* I find it difficult to believe that the caseworker cannot assist with discharge planning or placement because he does not have insurance. Is there someone else at the hospital we should contact?

Hi,

19 months ago, I finally found a stable job making $24 an hour, working 40 hours a week with no overtime. Since I started, I’ve successfully saved $1,000 every month, and this month, I was able to throw in an extra $1,000 to finally hit $20,000 in savings.

Anyways, this entire time, I’ve had my money in a savings account that earns me very little interest (just cents a month) while charging me $3 a month just to keep my money in there.

I hear everyone say, “Invest your money” but what does that actually look like? Do you mean crypto? Gold and silver? Or is there somewhere I can put my money, let it sit, and watch it grow while still using it as a savings account?

I don’t know. I just have a feeling I could be doing more with $20K than letting it sit in a savings account that costs me more in fees than I earn in interest.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you! 🙏🏼

Mom is 81 and has a lifelong pension, dad is mid 80s, has no retirement but has rental income. They have social security income. We live in a HCOL area. I supplement their income by paying a good part of the rent.

With that, they have enough to break even but I suspect most months they come out a little behind (a few hundred at most) because they like to travel (modestly) and they use their means to support my intellectually disabled brother who lives across the country, taking out the grandkids, etc.

They sold a property they own a few years ago and are sitting on around ~200k in high yield savings. They also own a house across the country where my brother lives (selling not an option), have been trying to rent the upper half to no avail for a few months, and they have my dads rental property.

My mom has no uncontrolled health issues and longevity runs in her family. I wouldn’t be surprised if she made it to 90+. My dad, sadly, seems to be winding down in life.

What would you do with that 200k? Besides their property, it’s literally all they got. I know it’s losing to inflation in HYSA but considering their age I just wonder how much I should keep in cash. On the other hand, it would be nice if it was generating some income, especially since they’re already running negative.

I make $20 an hour (before taxes) and it’s weekly pay (50 hours a week, everything after 40 hours is roughly $30 an hour)

Just moved into an apartment where rent is $845 a month but that’s not including utilities so say like $1,200 a month.

I also need food, gas, and extra money that I can actually have a life with. Any advice is appreciated

Edit: Car insurance is $100 a month and renters insurance is already paid off for the year. Phone bill is like $27 cause I have a cheap ass plan

Hey guys, I recently turned 18 and I have a fair amount of money saved up and coming in soon.

I'd like to know how many bank accounts I should own and for what purposes. Currently I only have a day-day one and a savings account but I'd like to know the benefit of other ones as well as if offshore accounts or other unique accounts are only something in crime movies. Thanks!

Evening all. I have a 2015 tacoma with 105k miles that blue books about 22k on trade I owe 8k. The APR is 6.29 and I spend about 15% of my take home on transportation costs.

I’ve been aggressive paying it down for the two and a half years I’ve had it, but I’ve been looking at used hybrids. My worry is gas prices will continue to get worse and my commute distance may go up a good amount next year.

There’s a local 2017 Chevy bolt with 68k miles they’re asking 11.5k. With trade I could come out with no financing and have no auto debt. I love my truck, I have maintained it, and do all my own work but I’m trying to plan for career changes.

My intent when I bought the Tacoma was for it to be paid off and drive it for a very long time. Just wanted to get others input on pros and cons and if I’m just better off paying my Tacoma off. Thanks for reading, cheers.

I make 3 to 4000 a month I pay about 1000 to 1300 and bills a month i’m just wondering is there anything I I can do to maybe get me a little ahead financial wise I save about $1500 in my bank account a month just wondering should I be investing that money into something? kind of lost need a little help and advice.?

Hey 28yo here looking to get a temperature check on my savings and just how I’m doing.

I work a city job that will provide me a pension equivalent of $12,000-14,000 if I was retiring today.

I have 15 years left to receive my retirement and it will grow over the years leading up to my retirement with contract increases.

Currently putting away 35% in my pre-tax 457 which I’ll be maxing out this check. Figuring out where my next move will be for the rest of the year - considering Roth but can also contribute to my pre-tax 401k.

Salary: 78,000USD
Future salary in 1.5: $109,000

With overtime I typically will make 1.5-2x my salary but this is my base.

Cash Equivalents:
$72,826.00
26.54%

Investments:
$167,613.49
61.08%

Cryptocurrency:
$34,000.00
12.39%

TOTAL
$274,439.49

My liabilities are my student loans and rent:

Student loans: $19,000
Rent: 1350

I have a car with positive equity (65% paid off). It has had some issues at just 4 years old and I now know the engine is not the most reliable. Has 50k miles. Had the accessory drive belt shred during extreme heat this summer which overheated my engine and ran through all my coolant, just did new brakes this year. Has an ongoing recall for fuel injector issues that might cause combustion with no fix in sight. I can put my equity on a new car and have a slightly lower monthly but starting over on a loan scares me. But if I drive my current one until it breaks down it will have little to no trade in value. Any thoughts are appreciated!

I (45M) recently came into some money and am trying to figure out the best way to invest it.

I’ve set aside $60K for emergency savings (roughly two years of living expenses), $10K in a slush fund for unexpected costs (car repairs, credit card overages, etc.) and have another $220K sitting in a money market account until I decide how to invest it.
I’d like to put that $220K into index funds and let it grow over time, similar to how I approach my 401(k). I’m comfortable with passive, long-term investing and don’t plan to touch the money anytime soon.

My question is: Where do I start? Can I simply open a Fidelity brokerage account and invest the entire amount in an S&P 500 index fund? Should I consult a financial advisor first, or is this something I can reasonably handle myself?

I’m not looking to actively trade or constantly manage investments. I just want a straightforward, low-maintenance approach that allows the money to grow over time.

For additional context, I’m married with three young children and am the sole income earner while my wife is a stay-at-home mom. We have no credit card debt, our cars are paid off, I max out my 401(k) annually, and we have approximately $230K in home equity with a 2.7% mortgage rate.

Ultimately, I want to make smart decisions with this money, build long-term wealth for my family and avoid paying unnecessary fees. Any advice on how to get started would be appreciated!

Hi everyone, my fiancée and I rented a car from enterprise as we do often for travel in August. Unfortunately we were hit by someone on the highway and they sped off in Detroit, and after filing the report police said cameras aren’t running on the highway to catch anything (go figure). There was back bumper damage and visual denting but otherwise the car drove perfectly fine home. We immediately informed enterprise.

Now in October we just received an itemized bill for $9000. I’m absolutely floored!! We unfortunately do not have collision or anything to cover it, and we did not have their damage protection coverage (I know, hard lesson learned and we were stupid).

What do we even do to go about this? We did not use a major credit card and I know insurance isn’t covering much. I have a very hard time believing $6000 worth of damages happened plus over $2000 in loss of use fees (they claimed 28 days of work on the car).

Any advice would be helpful!!

Like the title says I have been in America for 2 years now. I have no idea what im doing.

Im 21 working as a travelling aircraft tech, so i roughly make around $76,000 after taxes but I dont know how to save and lose most of it.

I have a bank with USAA, Two credit cards (the other being capital one), a $2000 debts, no bills. Average credit score and thats it.

My step dad told me to make an account with Edward Jones and so I did, until recently after reading some reddit posts.

Moved the money to Charles Schwab and now its slowly accumulating in my Roth IRA. 100$ a week automatic transfer.

The company im in also doesnt do 401k

I asked AI for help a lot of the times, but I feel like i would be able to understand it better from a human.

Im also planning on getting moving out from my parents home into an empty apartment and buying a Mazda 3

I usually keep all my short term savings in cashapp (as in things I'm saving up for that I'm going to buy in a few months, trips I'm going to go on, etc). It works out great for me because of the huge interest cash app gives monthly. My credit union only gives a small amount, and it's yearly, so I wouldn't get it on the money I put aside like cash app does.

But recently I've seen a lot of posts online talking about how you should never keep large amounts of money in cash app and how stupid it is and they can just close your account and take your money? I don't know if thats true but it freaked me out a little.

So far though I haven't been able to find a bank that offers monthly interest like cash app does, and I really want a saving account that offers that because it works out for the type of spending I do. Does anyone have any recommendations? Or at least some confirmation about whether those issues with cashapp are real or not?

I’ve pretty much always contributed to Roth. Anything I have in traditional would be just my employer’s match contributions, which if I understand correctly goes in as traditional even if my 401K contributions are Roth. I was thinking about putting some in traditional but want to see if I am correct in how I think this would work in retirement:

I believe you can make up to a certain amount and still owe $0 in income tax ($34K for married over 65 currently). So during retirement could I withdraw up to that much from traditional, and then get the rest of my living expenses from Roth, and still owe $0 tax? In other words, by combining the contribution types, can I get some tax advantages now by contributing to traditional, while not having to make up for it later when I withdraw from the traditional?

Or am I wrong on some point? Will I owe tax on the traditional disbursement even if I keep that amount low per year? Will my social security income mess with that and cause me to go over that tax-free income limit anyway?

Hi 25 and hoping to retire earlier than 65. Most people here and the planning pages pretty much say to do the emergency fund, meet 401k match, HSA max, Roth IRA max thennn 401k max then brokerage.

I guess it all comes to everyone’s individual goals, but if hoping to retire early wouldn’t you want to contribute to your brokerage to have “free” money to move around?

Is there a benefit I’m missing? Maybe the Roth conversation ladder?

Currently making 115k in a HCOL, meeting my 401k match (contributing 11%, only need to contribute 6% to match), on track to max HSA (have a majority of it invested), maxed Roth IRA for the year (have maxed for the past three years), and just doing random small brokerage deposits.

Edit:
BIGGEST THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!! I know Google, YouTube, TikTok and whatever all exists but you guys have been so helpful. I want to retire probably at around 55 (nothing too crazy, but maybe that is crazy in the world we’re in now?). My 401k balance is around 78k, Roth IRA 36k, and brokerage 35k. Hoping for no major health emergencies but have my HSA at 26k. Looks like I have some new automating deposit breakdowns to do.