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My Current Financial Strategy

At the beginning of the year, I noticed that I had more deductions from my paycheck than I received in disposable income versus last year’s paycheck. So “taxes+401k contributions+health insurance+other” was greater than what I had left to spend. So if I made 50k, 26k goes to deductions from my paycheck, while I only receive 24k to live on and invest.

I probably spent at least a good hour or two thinking something must be wrong, but after a few months of getting less than 50% of my gross paycheck, and continually doing the math, I’ve come to the conclusion that my paycheck is correct. I knew that I was putting a lot into retirement and other things, but geez…

Let me list out the deductions that are killing my paycheck?

Taxes, no mystery here… 401(k) contributions – This year I’m maxing out the amount that I’m allowed to take out. In fact, I’m overshooting the max amount by $500 because I know that my employer will stop my contributions once I hit that maximum. Roth IRA – This year I’m maxing out this amount too. Previously, I’ve been doing experiments with this account and actually did great. Read my article called “My Roth IRA Has An Annual Growth Rate of 52.75 % Since Inception” if you are curious, or perhaps the title is enough! 529 Contributions – I contribute over 4,000 a year to 529 plans, this takes a respectable bite out of my paycheck too. HSA Contributions – It seems those of us with jobs are all supporting ourselves now after the Affordable Care Act. Maybe net good, but individually painful? ESPP Program – This is my shinning deduction that actually increases the amount I gain each year by $2,000! I wish I had more deductions like this one! Still is puts a monthly strain on me all the same. If your employer has an ESPP, and you don’t know if you should participate, read my article called “Getting Over 15% Return By Saving Money In An ESPP“. I highly recommend participating in an ESPP if you have the opportunity!

Okay, I haven’t even got to the meat of this post yet, but I feel obligated to present some of the “Life Poor” elements of my finances.

A Look At Retirement Saving

Because I’m spending at a subnormal level for the amount that I get paid, this allows me to max out my retirement contributions. After all, that’s what everybody says is the “Smart” way right? I use to believe that too, but now I’m not too sure, here’s why.

I’ve read too many stories about people who were too frugal and until they died, they lived like a hermit hardly ever leaving their house. I’ve even read that some would eat out of their neighbors’ garbage cans. Yeah, they had millions when they died, but I don’t want to live that way to get there. Let’s face it, when you are old, you aren’t going to go clubbing or to concerts or be active in sports or really do much of anything that involves moving fast or getting very excited. Why be rich with nothing to do? Someday in the future, the government may decide that such retirement accounts are easy targets to raid and steal from. One never knows… Some say look at Social Security and Medicare and the state that those programs are in. Death and Accidents happen. You could be saving like a fiend in your retirement account, then some freak accident happens and you are dead. Or you get some incurable cancer, or some injury severely affects your mobility so that you are trapped in a wheelchair (Christopher Reeves for instance). You might get scammed and lose it all. Don’t believe me, ask any Bernie Madoff victim or Worldcom investor.

So what should I (we) do? Maybe go to a fortune-teller? No, instead create a balanced financial strategy that involves getting money to present investments and at the same time into retirement accounts too. The Roth IRA is a good in-between vehicle because you can withdraw your contributions at any time. It’s just the earnings that you can’t touch.

So in my particular case, next year I’m going to drop my contributions percentage down to 10% for my 401(k), but still, max out my Roth IRA. Then with the remaining money, I’m going to invest in my regular brokerage account, looking for some golden dividend stocks. By golden, I mean ones that have the potential to keep growing while still yielding a dividend (maybe Apple by then?).

I’ll have more thoughts on this later…

Don