You “lost” $8k in hindsight. Could have easily had a 10 year market downturn and you could have come out ahead with the early payoff. Yes, statistically, you made the wrong decision. But the not paying off option included a degree of risk. Due to the unusually long bull market, the risk of the market is a distant memory. Many blogs would have a whole different outlook if we were coming off a long downturn or even a normal market.
The best argument for gold is as insurance against currency debasement, but even in that case, you'd likely be better of with a stash of booze, guns, food stores, and chickens.... If you have to claim against this insurance policy, you will likely have bigger, basic survival, problems to deal with. The guy with the guns is going to take your gold and whatever else you have....
"A Budget" is just a tool and worthless on its own. But most of the time when someone is "on a budget" or "budgeting" they are describing the budget as a tool AND all that goes with budgeting to make it useful. Just like when I say I use a financial calculator. The assumption is that I am both using the tool (calculator) along with the proper inputs and assumptions to make the tool useful. The two items, the tool itself and implementing the tool, go together. So stating a tool is useless on its own is correct, but somewhat pointless.
Setting aside a small percentage of funds annually for education/skills improvement, etc. would be a worthy investment for any young person. Investing in yourself.
Most withdraws take a few days to process, so you're ok unless they are going to hold you hostage for a few days...
A bigger, more likely scam, is family/other with some amount of financial control over your accounts, taking your funds when you are elderly.
When you get up to $90K per year might it be more helpful for the student to go to a $20K per year school and later give them the balance? Buy them a house at graduation. Any institution that charges $90K/year likely also has a huge endowment. It's just gross to give an intuition this sum of money, knowing that is only charging this much because they can. At some point, the ROI is such that there is better use of the money. Some of this depends on the major choice as well. There are some specific degrees that lead to career fields where an IVY degree pays off, e.g. top level attorney. Engineer - many excellent lower cost options. But to become a elementary school teacher???
$80K per year tax fee is a whopping sum of money. They would likely be better off taking that cash and buying business. Happier and likely wealthier in the long run....
I'm ok but the general inflation on just about everything is really impacting my young adult kids. Wages are just not keeping up. I was not rich at their age either, but I remember my slightly above minimum wage going much further. Worked my way thru college w/o debt, had a car, rented a room and a few buck to spare...
I use high yield online savings accounts. When selecting one of these banks, make sure that it is a bank and not an online pass-thru entity that takes your money and passes it on to a real bank. Rare, but there have been issues when there was mismanagement between the online sudo-bank and the real bank. Sites to verify banking: https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfindhttps://
mapping.ncua.gov/ResearchCreditUnion
Comments
You “lost” $8k in hindsight. Could have easily had a 10 year market downturn and you could have come out ahead with the early payoff. Yes, statistically, you made the wrong decision. But the not paying off option included a degree of risk. Due to the unusually long bull market, the risk of the market is a distant memory. Many blogs would have a whole different outlook if we were coming off a long downturn or even a normal market.
Post: The $8,000 Cost of Peace of Mind
Link to comment from January 24, 2026
The best argument for gold is as insurance against currency debasement, but even in that case, you'd likely be better of with a stash of booze, guns, food stores, and chickens.... If you have to claim against this insurance policy, you will likely have bigger, basic survival, problems to deal with. The guy with the guns is going to take your gold and whatever else you have....
Post: Gold Isn’t Special
Link to comment from January 10, 2026
"A Budget" is just a tool and worthless on its own. But most of the time when someone is "on a budget" or "budgeting" they are describing the budget as a tool AND all that goes with budgeting to make it useful. Just like when I say I use a financial calculator. The assumption is that I am both using the tool (calculator) along with the proper inputs and assumptions to make the tool useful. The two items, the tool itself and implementing the tool, go together. So stating a tool is useless on its own is correct, but somewhat pointless.
Post: Can a budget do all that?
Link to comment from January 4, 2026
Setting aside a small percentage of funds annually for education/skills improvement, etc. would be a worthy investment for any young person. Investing in yourself.
Post: Six Ways to Grow Income
Link to comment from December 20, 2025
Most withdraws take a few days to process, so you're ok unless they are going to hold you hostage for a few days... A bigger, more likely scam, is family/other with some amount of financial control over your accounts, taking your funds when you are elderly.
Post: Can we be completely safe?
Link to comment from December 20, 2025
Why, after two major scams at WF, is anyone still banking with them?
Post: Can we be completely safe?
Link to comment from December 20, 2025
When you get up to $90K per year might it be more helpful for the student to go to a $20K per year school and later give them the balance? Buy them a house at graduation. Any institution that charges $90K/year likely also has a huge endowment. It's just gross to give an intuition this sum of money, knowing that is only charging this much because they can. At some point, the ROI is such that there is better use of the money. Some of this depends on the major choice as well. There are some specific degrees that lead to career fields where an IVY degree pays off, e.g. top level attorney. Engineer - many excellent lower cost options. But to become a elementary school teacher???
Post: $92,000 a year is quite an investment. The ROI is real, but maybe not.
Link to comment from December 13, 2025
$80K per year tax fee is a whopping sum of money. They would likely be better off taking that cash and buying business. Happier and likely wealthier in the long run....
Post: $92,000 a year is quite an investment. The ROI is real, but maybe not.
Link to comment from December 13, 2025
I'm ok but the general inflation on just about everything is really impacting my young adult kids. Wages are just not keeping up. I was not rich at their age either, but I remember my slightly above minimum wage going much further. Worked my way thru college w/o debt, had a car, rented a room and a few buck to spare...
Post: 27 Months
Link to comment from December 13, 2025
I use high yield online savings accounts. When selecting one of these banks, make sure that it is a bank and not an online pass-thru entity that takes your money and passes it on to a real bank. Rare, but there have been issues when there was mismanagement between the online sudo-bank and the real bank. Sites to verify banking: https://banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfindhttps:// mapping.ncua.gov/ResearchCreditUnion
Post: Where to Keep Cash
Link to comment from December 6, 2025