Shel

@TheMattViera Tied to test scores- it’s not much though. She also gets a one time signing bonus every time she signs the contract for the following year.

@Atlutdfandom What are the bonuses for? I haven't heard of bonuses for teachers.

For everyone asking, “Where are teachers making $100k+?” One place teachers make $100k+ is New York City.

@TheMattViera Thanks, will do.

@Atlutdfandom Oh wow man. Epic! I hope you share some pics when it’s all said and done. Right on Shel.

Filed taxes last night for 2025. Getting a $7700 refund. That'll cover the cost of my upcoming mini-retirement to Crete. And the cost of my cross-country road trip from NYC to Wyoming. Plus money left over for investments. Much better getting this bonus than owing money.

@TheMattViera Actually we are in the process of building a sunroom for a hot tub. We love entertaining and my wife has wanted one for a while. Total cost about 70k so the refund gets thrown into that fund.

@Atlutdfandom Nice Shel! Using some of it for traveling?

@TheMattViera Real estate and ETFs

How did you make your first $1M?

@TheMattViera Agree, experiences over stuff.

@Atlutdfandom That should not stop people from investing in their future and enjoying themselves along the way. Rather than continuing to buy stuff they do not need.

I know most people will disagree, but… I’d rather spend $3,000–$4,000 on a mini-retirement than invest it for a future that isn’t guaranteed.

@BoomerDivvies @TappingOutEarly Not really, How are your butchering skills ? The chain itself is 30% of the weight. Normal restaurant yield from a tenderloin is about 50%. Steaks are expensive because they are usually cut from the center portion. Look for tail steaks or head steaks- usually cheaper

@TappingOutEarly Yeah the untrimmed one is a lot cheaper.

Have you ever bought a full beef tenderloin from Costco? Thinking about doing it this summer at some point. Pretty pricey, but steaks are expensive everywhere these days.

@JonLuskin You are a CPA right? Shouldn’t tax planning guide your decision.

Should I make a traditional or a Roth contribution to my 401k? It's really hard to pick which one is better: traditional or Roth. I'm less concerned with the either/or, than I am with simply making the maximum contribution. That's *at least* $24,500 for 2026.

@steven_segal88 @theficouple lol, totally agree. I am actually in the process selling my rentals. Early retirement, here I come.😁Taxes and maintenance has also been taking a bigger bite.

True. I just don’t think it’s as approachable as when I started. And increases aren’t what they use to be. Many markets are seeing decreases. For the market where I’m selling the prop that made me post this, I think the rent is going to continue to drop (already down 5-10%). I don’t see how this is worth the risk or effort to the buyer.

Most non-RE people would be perplexed how many SFH rentals it would take to replace your income right now. If you want to make $200K/year: Buy $300K 6 Caps, Debt at 6.25% (30yr), 25% down. ... Okay, I started doing this and realized how stupid it really was. You would need 146 homes and $11M.

@steven_segal88 @theficouple Control your initial investments. The pretty home is not the best rental.The math works out a lot better after that.Annual rent increases help. Also returns = rent + appreciation + principal payments+ depreciation.

@theficouple Unsure how this would math.

@Jacob_Naviaux I am in the Atlanta area btw

@Jacob_Naviaux I agree, I used to handle rentals myself then I hire a property management company. been fifteen years. They screen tenants real well. any additional charges get put in some sort of a rental history so tenants are careful. I have not had any major issues since then.

Curious what experienced landlords think about this: Carpet in bedrooms + LVP in main areas/baths…or LVP throughout? On all my rentals (all SFRs), I’ve gone LVP everywhere. Higher upfront cost than carpet in the bedrooms, but I didn’t want to replace stained/torn carpet every single turn. That said, I’ve had more LVP repairs than I expected on some turns. Still leaning towards LVP throughout being the right move… But curious what’s been the better long-term play in your portfolio?

@CGInvesting10 Keep at it. The best feeling is knowing that you have maxed all retirement accounts and squeezing every other dollar into a brokerage, while barely being able to pay the regular bills.

Trying to balance: - Building portfolio - Paying debt - Emergency fund - Maxing Roth IRA At 22 it feels like I’m juggling a lot but I choose to do this, while many don’t do anything at all

@TheMattViera True, everything aligned for us. Perfect timing for real estate too. Lol, What really drove me was to prove a point to a lazy Financial advisor. “Thanks to him”😁

@Atlutdfandom Yeah man, for sure. You started, you were consistent, and you took advantage of what the market offered. Right on Shel! Thanks for sharing.

Here’s what you’d need to invest monthly to hit $1M by age 50: (Assuming a 10% annual return) Age 20: ~$507/month Age 25: ~$848/month Age 30: ~$1,455/month Age 35: ~$2,620/month Age 40: ~$5,230/month Age 45: ~$13,650/month Compounding punishes procrastination.

@woodrowtrouble @GuyTalksFinance You sound scared buddy. You are claiming that a new technology will not get better? lol. Oh btw if you can think a question you can use AI.

@Atlutdfandom @GuyTalksFinance Find me a 75 year old who knows how or where to find an AI tool. Some yes. Most no. Yes - AI can answer a lot of questions. I use AI every day and find many mistakes. It’s not perfect.

Financial advisors are a scam. They will most likely underperform the market. $VOO and Chill is all an investor needs.

@Alice_MiaX People post a lot of crap on X. This is such a well thought out and helpful post.

🗣️Stop Benchmarking Your Income Portfolio to the S&P 500 Most people measure their income portfolio the wrong way. They obsess over “Did I beat or keep up with the S&P 500?” Wrong benchmark. If you’re running an income portfolio, your benchmark isn’t the S&P. It’s your job. If you make $150,000 a year working… Can your portfolio produce $150,000+ a year? If yes, congratulations. You won. That’s financial freedom. Not outperforming an index. Now here’s the part people ignore: Income means nothing if your capital is collapsing. Making $300,000 a year while your principal is bleeding out isn’t winning. The goal? ✔ Income that replaces (and beats) your job ✔ Capital that stays stable (or only slightly fluctuates) ✔ Sustainability Too many people chase index comparisons instead of life replacement. Your portfolio’s job is to free you. Not compete with the S&P.