Long Time Lurker, Introduction

[Zachary Harr]

Hello,

37yoM living in LCOL area Midwest. I'm a PA and wife is an OTA. Current income is around 450k on W2s. I max out 403B. Going to begin maxing Backdoor Roth this year. Hold some VTSAX. Homeowner. Looking to begin doing more with our money. Goal is FI by around age 50. 2 boys (5yo and 7yo). 

Current Assets:

250k in 403B (max contribution)

25k in 401k (wife 401k)

400k in HYSA at 4.25% (need to move a lot of this, previously was saving for local Long-term Rentals... but haven't put enough effort into this."

30k in checking

50k in VTSAX

15k in Disney

est 20k (bought side lot adjacent to property in 2020 1/2 acre for 15k... paid off)

est 60k (bought back lot adjacent to property in 2020 3 acres for 45k... paid off)

est 280k equity (Home valued est at 600k bought for 380, 320 remaining on note at 2.7% in 2020. Recently finished a pole barn to make a family room for large family gatherings. Put 70k into this, will likely only recoup half of this in the future.)

So, current NW just breached 1MM for the first time! Although my wife and I are excited, I know that we could be doing more to grow our money (I also know that many people don't tie in equity to NW, and these numbers are skewed if we keep our home forever). Looking for inspiration and ideas of what to do mostly with the HYSA money. I know that we are in a good position. Wife and I grew up poor. Have been savers all of our lives. No expensive hobbies other than the kids (I play disc golf and I like to do wood working). Both vehicles are paid off.

Thank you all!

[Scott Trench]

Fantastic job! This is a fun one.

Aside from “invest in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, or Akron”, here are some ideas:

First map out annual savings potential and multiply by the next 13 years. Bet with your income and LCOL you generate $2M+ on that alone.

From there think about how you want your wealth to look at that time. With $1M today, and $2M accumulated and invested over 13 more years, I think you are looking at an end state NW of ~$5M.

Personally, I’d love an end state $5M portfolio that looked something like this:

$750K paid off home

$250K cash

$2M stock portfolio (as much as possible in tax advantaged accounts likely 401(k), HSA, and less in the Roth in this situation). Mostly in index funds.

$2M in, at this future time, lightly levered RE.

Supposing this is close to what you’d love, one could spit out a financial plan that looked something like the following:

- Max HSA

- Max 401(k)

Use leftovers to go on a shopping spree buying RE at relatively low leverage, potentially on 15 year mortgages, in local LCOL area (which probably also means a relatively reasonable cash flow market)

Obviously I’m making a ton of assumptions here and will be wrong in ten places. But this is how I approach planning at the highest level.