I use FundRise. I think an important thing to focus on is liquidity, which was only briefly mentioned in the article. I’ve been happy with my returns thus far but it’s not like a stock - you can’t buy and sell it easily. There are redemption periods. One of the things that’s been keeping me from exploring…

Right now seems like a bad time to get into real estate.

I work in residential property management, and right now lots of sales are going on. Owners are looking to offload investments since valuations are pretty high.

There is plenty of building going on, so it’s looking like we’re in for a glut of inventory. 

Throw in…

I’ve been using it since summer 2017, so roughly two years. But when I first started, I only put in about $1k just to test if I liked it enough, and just didn’t really think to invest more until the beginning of this year - so I would only earn nickels and dimes at a time. I have it on balanced investing.

Yep, I’m really interested in seeing how these handle a recession. RealtyShares was a massive superstar just 2 years ago. Now, it’s basically nonexistent.

Like you say, they have yet to really be tested. They have offered good returns in these last 7 years of growth, but so have most other investments! They are definitely more passive than actually owning real estate, which is less of a passive income and more of a part time (or full time!) job with a high hourly rate.

I use fundrise too! I don’t have TOO much in there, but it’s steadily growing day by day. I’ve been meaning to throw more into my account, and this post was a great reminder to do that! 

I increase mine with every raise. If its a 4%, 2% more goes to my 401K, if its 5% 3% goes. if its higher at least 1/2 that % goes to my 401K.

Exactly. A great way to look at bear markets is that instead of the market being “down” it is “on sale”. It gives me a more opportunistic mindset on what the headline of the WSJ/CNBC/whoever is flashing, and encourages you to increase your investments during those times instead of sheltering in cash. 

I saw that my raise goes into effect next pay so I just upped my contribution. I try to do so when I get a cost of living increase and/or a raise. Even 1% each time adds up. I got a late start on saving so I need to work on closing the gap. I know I never will, but once again, something is better than nothing.

“Volatility can actually work in your favor over the long term.”

I do it when we get our cost of living adjustments, because then you don’t really miss the money.  If you just pick a point in the year (maybe tax return time?) to do it every year then you don’t have to get around to it, it just becomes a thing you do. 

While I think this article has excellent advice about increasing contributions and being proactive, especially for younger folks for whom retirement savings might be a little mystified, “worst offenders” makes it sound like a lot of them have a choice. I get that this article is targeted to a certain segment of the…

+1 for how easy it was to opt-out.
Took me all of 3 minutes to find the chat button, send the same message Nick Guy sent, wait for a Goldman Sachs Apple Card rep to respond that I was opted out, and then take a screenshot for my records.
Probably the easiest experience I’ve ever had with a financial institution ever.

I can confirm this works. I have to say, the rewards are mediocre but everything else about this card is fantastic.

Of note: in my experience, credit card companies do not count Walmart or Target as supermarkets even though many people do their grocery shopping there.

I just joined a local Buy Nothing group via Facebook. It’s amazing both what nice stuff people are willing to give away for free, and also how many people are willing to drive to your house to pick up your half-eaten jar of peanut butter (I was not involved in that trade but I did see the post about it). It really…

Also, don’t go out and buy the books before you are sure you need them. There were so many classes those first couple years that I bought the book that was on the syllabus only to never really need it at all. After learning the hard way I had classes I never bought the book for and didn’t miss a single thing.…

In defense of “that one professor,” it’s usually not the professor’s fault. Textbook publishers will deliberately make successive editions just different enough that the previous edition won’t be usable for exercises and other information that needs to be kept uniform across all students in a course. And the…

In most places there is no prohibition on modifying the underlying notice requirement to something shorter or removing it completely. Generally freedom to contract ends up overcoming the base rule for notice.

It’s common knowledge to not exceed 50% utilization on any one card routinely.

The reality is a bit different. The score is your credit utilization ratio which is more complex than the blanket statement to not exceed 50% but keeping to that figure is recommended, some people are more conservative (20% or lower...) but…