Afford Anything

Tag: 401k

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#399: Ask Paula: The Stock Market Is Down – Can I Still Retire?

Bella is SO CLOSE to reaching F.I.R.E and is worried about her withdrawal rate if the stock market drops. If the stock market does drop, can she withdraw as much as she had originally planned?

Sam has been investing for several decades and thinks that he should stay invested in his portfolio, despite the recent drop in value…but he is still wondering if there’s a chance that he should sell.

Meisha is making more money at her new job but can’t contribute to her 401(k) for the first six months – what should she do with her extra money in this interim??

Kyria is a young investor with multiple goals: she’s wondering how to best save for a down payment without it being eroded by inflation and also whether her investment choices should take on more risk, since time is on her side.

Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.

Enjoy!

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#385: Ask Paula: How to Invest When You’re Unsure of the Goal

Anonymous (“Jennifer”) keeps hearing us say that you should “start with the end in mind” – that your investments should match your goals and timeline. But what if you don’t have any specific financial goal? What if your risk tolerance is different than you once thought?

Rachel’s new employer won’t let her contribute to retirement for more than a year – what should she do??

Carri’s parents are in poor health and can’t work much – what should they do about their life insurance policy and their health insurance?

Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we’ll answer them in a future episode.

Enjoy!

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#378: Ask Paula: Should I Take a Higher-Paying Job if I Can’t Save As Much for Retirement?

Anonymous is 25. She has a job offer that comes with a substantial raise. Hooray!

Buuut … there’s a problem. If she accepts this job offer, her new employer won’t allow her to contribute as much money to her company retirement accounts.

How should she think about the trade-off between increasing income and funding her retirement?

Meanwhile, Dan from California is retiring soon and wants to know what he and his wife should do with the loan they took out against their 401(k).

Finally, an anonymous caller who goes by “Daughter” has a whole life policy that only costs her less than $50 per month. Since her policy is so cheap, should she keep it?

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#366: Ask Paula: How Do I Invest For My Parents’ Retirement?

Micheal’s parents just sold their home to pay off debt and fund their retirement. How should he invest the profits?

Ryker would like to understand what it would take for cryptocurrency to be considered as a good investment option for a diversified portfolio.

Megan has qualified for her employer’s 401k and needs help deciding between […]

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By Paula Pant

#314: Ask Paula – I’m Worried About My Parent’s Retirement. What Should I Do?

Briale opened a Variable Annuity inside a 403b at work when she was 23. She has 17 years to go before retirement. As an elementary school teacher, her pension will be $6,000 per month. Should she stop contributing to the annuity and contribute to a Roth IRA instead?

Debi has an extra $1,000 each month and isn’t sure where to save it. She also has $10,000 in a CD which will reach maturity in August 2021. Her goal is to buy a residence in the next five years. Should she save this all for a downpayment?

Dominique is concerned about her parents retirement portfolio. Their advisor charges a fee of 1.5 percent assets under management. Her parents are frugal and they don’t realize how much they’re paying. Should she talk to them, or drop the issue?

Sarah isn’t sure whether she should put more of her savings towards a Roth 401k or a 529 fund for her future kids. Which option is best if she wants financial flexibility?

Hunter put a credit freeze on his two children’s credit, which required sending each credit union documentation via mail. Experian and TransUnion confirmed the credit freeze, but Equifax didn’t. Upon calling, the representative gave Hunter a different mailing address for the documents. What should he do?

My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me once again to tackle these questions. Enjoy!

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By Paula Pant

#285: Ask Paula – How Can I Pay for Grad School?

Sam wants to use the funds in her Vanguard S&P 500 index funds for a downpayment on a house. She isn’t sure if she should keep her savings in the market. Should she move her money, and where?

Hailey purchased a duplex in March and is already looking to sell due to a hostile tenant during the purchase process. How can she shift her focus from her initial return on investment to a long-term outlook?

Zoe dreams of attending grad school, but her savings are locked away in retirement accounts. How can she save for grad school in the next two to three years?

Mohamed wants to monetize a new podcast with affiliate relationships, but the service providers he wants to promote don’t offer affiliate programs. Can he still make this work, and how?

I answer these listener questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!

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By Paula Pant

#193: Ask Paula – I Spent Ten Years in School, and Now I’m Behind on Retirement Savings

Lori is behind on retirement savings, as a result of being a full-time student for more than a decade. She makes good money and lives frugally, but she’s aware that she’s behind for her age. What should she do?

Sierra wonders whether she should apply her savings towards paying off her mortgage or building investments.

Jenessa plans to retire at age 35, and she’s wondering if the 4 percent withdrawal rule applies for such a long time horizon. Her friend swears that it’s designed to cover a 30-year retirement, not a 60+ year retirement. Is that correct?

Jacqui is 24 and recently married. She’d like to open a 529 College Savings Plan for her future children, which she doesn’t plan on having for another 8 to 10 years. Should she do this?

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By Paula Pant

#189: Ask Paula – How Does My Net Worth Compare to Others My Age?


Julie, age 27, calculated her expected net worth based on the formula taught in the classic personal finance book The Millionaire Next Door. She’s concerned. Her current net worth is significantly lower than the number that the formula revealed. Is she on-track?

Anonymous wants to save for a downpayment on a home. Should she reduce her 401k contributions in order to amass these savings? Should she store some of that money in a Roth IRA?

Samantha is more than halfway finished with paying off her debt. In order to make this happen, she took on a second job. How much will she owe in taxes?

Maxime works at a job in which his 401k only offers expensive choices. Should he put his money in a taxable brokerage account, instead?Leslie’s parents are going to retire in five years, but they’ve only saved $65,000. What should they do? How can she help?

Clare is creating an estate plan. What should she be thinking about?

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By Paula Pant

#167: Ask Paula – Should I Pay Off Student Loans While in School?

Angelisa is a college senior with $30,000 in student loans. She has a part-time job, from which she’s saved $2,500. Should she keep saving money, or should she get a headstart on paying down her student loans while she’s in school?

Mackenzie is also a college senior with some student loans. She recently received a settlement from a car accident. Should she invest this money? If so, how?

Franchesca is 35 and is carrying $212,000 in debt, mostly student loans. Could she reach financial independence, even with a late start?

Erica wants to make environmentally-friendly investments. How should she approach this?

Caroline is 42 and has started making after-tax (non-Roth) 401k contributions. Is this a good idea?

An anonymous listener is curious about podcasting. How did I get started?

I answer these six questions on today’s podcast episode, alongside former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy. Enjoy!

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Afford Anything