So to summarize: Set your position rankings and autodraft.

They have a Visa one also that is 1.5% back. I just have both and use the Amex unless places don't take it. Then I use the Visa.

This is what I use. I also have the Visa for places that don't take AmEx.

Shows how arbitrary politics are when opinions boil effectively to 5 yes-no questions. Where is the option to find other people who couldn't care less?

My advice is worm professionally first, even if its in some BS admin job. I worked a few years before grad school and it helped so much. While everyone else still stayed up til 2am studying I got in every morning at 8 and left at 5 and never worked after dinner. Also treat it like a job (I.e., professionally). Wear…

I just made the switch from a Nexus 10 to iPad Air due to App jealousy and found the same thing, the Android tablet App selection isn't really that bad. There aren't many glaring holes, but I do find a lot of apps I use frequently (like Bloomberg News) are much better on iPad, though probably not enough so to warrant…

Taxes are lower though in a lot of places, and you only pay tuition while your kid is in school. I pay $1k in tax on my 250k house in Denver, plus school prices aren't included in the house price.

Its not asset rich if you don't have equity, which is what happens when you buy a new house. Maybe 20 years in once amortization starts accelerating, but you want to look at net worth (i.e., assets minus liabilities).

I would have bought the smaller house and sent my kids to private school.

Sorry to hear your story. Its too late now, but I've always been a bigger believer in the "starter home" than the "house to grow into". Not only does it keep things more affordable now, but in the event you are doing well later you can use it as a rental property to (hopefully) generate extra income. Maintenance can…

At my last job my boss probably took home $500k-$1MM annually and drove a Honda Accord. It was something I always respected about her.

What's wrong with working into your 70s? When the retirement age was set at 65 most people were ready to die from a lifetime working in a factory. For a generation of people doing jobs they enjoy without harsh physical conditions and opportunities to get exercise in much more healthy ways 70 is the new 50.

Some economists say pretty much everything. Doesn't mean they have any idea.

It's sad that Americas financial and math education are so bad that compounding has to be explained to people who read a tech blog.

Other advantage to a small house is its easier to rent out later. People who want big houses don't rent, they buy.

Yeah, we are building a garage for the massive amount of outdoor gear we own (and use). 6 bicycles, 5 sets of skis, camping packs, sleeping bags, etc. That and tools. Other stuff is not saved.

As someone who lives with my wife in a house that is 970 square feet, I highly recommend making sure you have a garage, shed, or basement. The living space is fine, but you will find you want storage space.

I loved having an HSA. As someone with low health costs (30 and male) I just used it for retirement saving. Basically it's like an IRA and Roth in one. You get to double dip on tax savings!

I was in a similar situation, but had already banked around $6k before leaving. My returns far outstrip my $5 a month in fees. The bigger thing to watch out for is the fund fees. Use index funds. Also if you don't like the options you can always roll your HSA over to a different provider.

I have an HSA through Chase that includes a number of Index funds. I'm fortunately no longer able to contribute (new job) but get decent returns. It's similar to 401k fund makeup.