Im 21 have $1,000 saved and own land, but it is far from my family and currently produces no income

I expect to leave my family home after graduation so I want to prepare financially while I still have three years.

So Should I keep the money as savings, invest part of it or use some to develop a skill that could generate online income? How should I balance those options?studying business administration in and expect to graduate in three years

Hi all, hoping just to get some opinions to feel things out. Looking at houses now and considering what a comfortable car + monthly mortgage looks like (including insurance, PMI, taxes).

Is around 42% of our combined take-home too much? I would like to keep it 40% or even lower, but this market makes that harder to come by for what we're looking for. We could look for cheaper houses, but they aren't ideal for us. We are willing to pay a little bit more for a good neighborhood and a good house.

Guess I'm just looking for advice, how to budget, if that's a good ratio to keep, etc. I'm feeling nervous as a first time home buyer but excited to get a nice house to call our own.

Income

• Combined take-home: ~$6,930 (we'll say $6,900 to keep it square)
• My take-home: $4,630
• GF's take-home: $2,300

Notes

• 3.5% down payment on an FHA loan.
• All-in on the upfront costs, this house (up-front costs + move-out costs) would take most of our savings, but I don't feel too concerned. I feel we could save back at a decent rate. We would still have a couple thousand leftover after, or enough for 1 month of major expenses.
• We would plan for smaller upgrades (flooring, etc.) but budget for them so as to maintain savings.
• I take care of rent/mortgage + car payment + my personal bills.
• GF takes care of electric/water, groceries, etc.
• The house we're looking at is in good condition + all new systems (roof/HVAC/etc.), so no major repairs anytime too soon. At worst, a small piece of siding.
• This may potentially break our lease; depends on the closing date we secure. I am accounting for those costs + all other move-out-related costs.
• It's just the two of us + our dog.
• See tables attached for most costs in our budget
  • By my estimates, we should have at least $2k leftover every month.
    • For some reason, this feels wrong, but I think we currently spend much more money than we realize.
  • Tables do not account for current rent/ savings/investments, car maintenance, pet food, other discretionary costs.
• Current rent is $1900 and we are comfortable. am trying to imagine having $500 less a month, and it's not too difficult. I normally like to keep at least $700-800 if not $1,000 or more in my checking account
• Nervous as a FTHB

Monthly Budget Summary

Year 1 Monthly Expense Breakdown

Combined monthly take-home: $6,930

Combined monthly expenses: $4,280

Combined monthly leftover: $2,650

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!

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’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?

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!

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 have to do a large amount RTGS from Bank of Baroda to Post office savings account in UP but i wrote one incorrect digit in account no, so it went to a post office savings account in Tamil Nadu in a 29 yr old lady's account. What should I do now

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.

37 (F) here planning to keep working for now but I'd love to retire by 50 if possible. Wondering if I'll be in a good spot. Expecting maybe 150k spend in retirement. Here are my current numbers:

• 401(k): $322,000 (includes $12,000 Roth)

• Pension (employer): $49,000

• Roth IRA: $28,000

• HSA #1: $6,000

• HSA #2: $12,000

• Brokerage #1: $375,000

• Brokerage #2: $109,000

• Brokerage #3: $72,000

• Brokerage #4: $8,000

• iBonds: $20,000

• HYSA (for house down payment): $34,000

• Cash (incl emergency fund also in HYSA): $100,000

• Investment properties: $740,000

• Mortgages: $502,000

Any advice? Should I put more towards mega backdoor Roth (I can)? What about tax impact? Am I diversified enough? My investment are mainly s&p500 etfs.

Appreciate the help!

I'm aware this might sound like a stupid question, but I need around €15,000–€20,000 for plastic surgery, and I genuinely have no idea how I'm supposed to come up with that kind of money.

I'm 18, currently in college, and living in the Netherlands. My only income right now is student finance, so I doubt I'd qualify for a personal loan.

I've honestly gotten so desperate that I've even considered loan sharks, although I know that's an awful idea.

Does anyone have any realistic advice on how I could possibly afford this? I'm genuinely at a loss and would appreciate any suggestions.

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 25 years old and trying to decide whether to sell an inherited property or keep it and rent it out. I'd appreciate hearing people's opinions, especially from those with experience in investing and wealth management.

My current financial situation

• Net salary: around €750–850/month.
• Meal allowance: €150/month.
• Monthly expenses: around €850, including food, household bills, fuel, car expenses, cats, and personal expenses. This is an estimate that includes some allowance for irregular expenses.
• Current housing: I own my home outright, with no mortgage.
• Current savings: around €1,500.
• Potential rental income from the property: around €1,100/month, before taxes and expenses.
• Estimated net proceeds from a potential sale: approximately €250,000.

I would continue working in either scenario. I have no intention of quitting my job or reducing my working hours.

Option A — Sell the property

I would sell the property and end up with approximately €250,000 in net proceeds.

The idea would be to divide the capital into three components:

• €20,000 in an emergency fund and readily accessible cash;
• €150,000 in conservative financial instruments, prioritising financial security and protection against unexpected expenses;
• €80,000 in a diversified long-term investment portfolio, accepting the possibility of significant temporary losses.

I would continue working and living in my current home. The goal would be to use my salary to cover my usual expenses and let my assets act as a safety net, rather than relying on them to fund my lifestyle.

Pros: Liquidity, peace of mind, fewer responsibilities, and greater flexibility to return to studying and potentially change careers.

Cons: Giving up a property that could appreciate in value and generate income for many years; the risk of making poor investment decisions, losing purchasing power to inflation, or gradually depleting my savings.

Option B — Keep the property and rent it out

I would try to rent out the property for around €1,100/month, or €13,200/year.

Using a rough estimate for a residential rental contract subject to Portugal's 25% flat IRS tax rate, the figures would look like this:

• Gross rental income: €1,100/month;
• IRS tax, assuming for simplicity that it applies to the entire rental income: −€275/month;
• Condominium fees, property tax (IMI), maintenance, and a reserve for vacant periods and repairs: additional variable costs.

After taxes and these expenses, I estimate that I could be left with approximately €600–750/month. I don't consider this a definitive tax calculation.

The main issue for me is the distance: the property is far from where I currently live. Managing tenants, travelling to deal with problems, overseeing repairs, and handling unexpected situations could become exhausting. Trips can cost between €80 and €150 each, depending on the circumstances.

I'm not particularly interested in spending decades managing a second property from a distance. Still, I recognise that keeping it would allow me to benefit from potential appreciation and additional rental income.

Pros: Retaining my real estate assets, earning rental income, and continuing to benefit from potential future appreciation.

Cons: Uncertain net income, unpredictable expenses and repairs, the risk of periods without tenants, and, above all, the mental and logistical burden of managing a property from a distance.

My main goal

My goal isn't to stop working, but to enjoy a comfortable life without living paycheck to paycheck or relying on credit to maintain a normal standard of living. I'd like to return to studying, change careers, and have time to develop personal projects.

Liquidity is becoming increasingly appealing to me, but I'm worried I might be underestimating the long-term value of holding onto a real estate asset.

I'd particularly appreciate hearing arguments against selling, as well as perspectives I may not have considered yet.

Thank you!

Is this true ?

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.

Hi, I’m 21 years old and I have $8,000 worth of credit card debt…I know it’s stupid but I needed to use it because I got kicked out at 18 and had to do something. I’m just asking for some advice. I have an apartment it’s not the best apartment, it has mold but I got what I could and I’m glad I did. I have accumulated so much debt with the credit card company but the minimum payments were too much and I fell behind and now it’s impossible to catch up, I don’t know what to do anymore. I have tried to get a debt consolidation loan but my credit isn’t good and I don’t have enough credit history so no one will go for it. I just need to know if there is anything I can do to maybe get this debt off my back in the next year. I work full time in childcare so yes, I have a job but my paycheck only covers enough for bills and no, I do not have any subscriptions I can cancel I only have what’s necessary…rent, car payment, car insurance, electricity, gas, and groceries. And even then, I am barely making it. I’m not asking for financial help, I’m asking for advice. So if you have any please I’m desperate.
Thank you in advance:)

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!

In July 2026, I booked accommodation through the VRBO app for a 3-day, 2-night trip to Montreal for four adults. At the time, I was living in Canada and believed my app settings reflected Canada, since we were planning a domestic trip. The booking showed approximately $880 with only a dollar sign ($), and there was no clear indication that the amount was in USD or CAD. Naturally, I assumed it was in Canadian dollars.
I was shocked when I noticed that my RBC credit card had been charged a significantly higher amount, approximately $1,200 CAD. I immediately contacted VRBO to clarify the charge, and they confirmed that the booking was billed in USD. I told them I wanted to cancel the reservation because I was not willing to pay that amount. The reservation was cancelled, but they did not clearly explain to me that the booking was non-refundable. I was extremely frustrated and informed them that I would dispute the charge through my credit card provider.
In August 2026, I filed a dispute with RBC, and the process initially went smoothly. However, I had to leave Canada because my work permit was expiring, and I deactivated my Canadian phone number after leaving the country.
On October 6, I received VRBO’s response to my dispute. I carefully reviewed their arguments and submitted a detailed rebuttal within 24 hours, addressing their claims and explaining my side of the story. RBC had given me until October 9 to respond, and I complied with the deadline.
Unfortunately, on October 16, I received an email from RBC informing me that they were closing my dispute because they considered me non-responsive. They also advised that the temporary credit would be reversed and the disputed amount would be charged back to my account.
This is where things became extremely frustrating. I had been communicating with RBC through its secure messaging system, and I have reason to believe that my messages were successfully submitted. However, I am unsure why the dispute department never received or acknowledged my responses. The system does not allow me to view sent messages after submitting them, nor does it provide a case number or clear confirmation that my correspondence has been received by the appropriate department.
RBC’s explanation was that they had been attempting to contact me through my registered phone number. However, that number was already deactivated because I had left Canada. I am confused as to why they did not notify me by email that they had not received my rebuttal, especially when the deadline was approaching and the outcome of the dispute was at stake.
I explained my situation to RBC and asked whether the case could be reopened. Unfortunately, I was told that the deadline for the Mastercard dispute process had passed and that there was no way to reopen the file.
I understand that dispute deadlines are important, but I believe I made a genuine effort to cooperate and submit my response on time. I do not believe it is fair for my case to be closed because of a communication issue when I attempted to respond within the prescribed deadline.
I am now facing a loss of approximately $1,200 CAD, and I do not want to give up without exhausting my options.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation with RBC or a credit card dispute? Is there a way to escalate this to RBC’s complaints department, the Client Care team, or the appropriate external banking ombudsman in Canada?
I would especially appreciate advice from anyone who has successfully challenged a dispute closure caused by a communication failure.
I am not asking for special treatment. I simply want my case to be reviewed fairly, considering that I submitted my rebuttal before the deadline and made a genuine effort to communicate with RBC.
Thank you in advance to anyone who can offer advice or share their experience. I would truly appreciate any guidance on what steps I should take next.

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!!

If I max out my pre-tax trad 401k why can't I also max out my pre-tax trad IRA? Is there some limit i don't know about.

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?