Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 08:07     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
Good brag.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 08:04     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
You’re doing really well overall, but you made a pretty big mistake paying off the house. That money should have been working for you in basic S&P index funds - you should be sitting at a much higher net worth. And that money in the house is just sitting there inaccessible.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 07:55     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
Anonymous wrote:All three need private? I made a totally different choice. My kids are in public school and I retired in mid 40s. DCs have their own fairly high investment accounts and know all about investing.They know that money makes money and then there are jobs.
I went to free test in boarding school abroad. My kids are going through DCPS. I wanted to mention this, because I'm often told how I don't know the difference between good and lousy education. I can tell them what they need to know in about 5 minutes.
Op, I do think you are a little behind saving for retirement. You also seem to rely on 529 and other slow investment accounts, which I don't do. My returns are much, much higher.
Your income is high enough to catch up unless you come up with something else that is important and expensive.
You have to wait for return on your money a little bit. I didn't want to, because time is money. There is no right or wrong.


In some 529s you can invest in SP500 funds, so not necessarily a slow investment. During Biden’s last two years my $90k+ gains paid for college expenses those years.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 07:44     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
No one can tell you if you’re on track for retirement without an idea of your living expenses, or at least what you think they will be in retirement. Also, don’t count your 529s in the same pot as money you will use for retirement. What do you mean by the house is almost paid off? How many years to go?
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 07:35     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
Anonymous wrote:I'm mid-40s and my husband a few years older. Our house is mostly paid off and worth about $1.7 in near-in suburbs. We have about $2.7 million in other investments, including thrift savings, and 529 plans though we still have some more college saving to do. All three kids in private school (spanning high school to elementary) and we pay full tuition. Our combined HHI is between 400 and 600k depending on the year, but with private school and camps that often leaves us with about 250. I'm a fed for nearly 20 years and will have a pension eventually. I thought we were doing ok but in seeing some of these posts I'm not so sure. We aren't interested in fancy clothes or cars, but we do enjoy travel.


We are the same age but have $5M not including home equity. Similar HHI. Private school was not something we felt we could afford with our savings goals.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 06:18     Subject: Re:HHI and Prep for Retirement
Anonymous wrote:Is this a joke? You make $600k a year, have a $2m paid off house, and $3m in retirement and are asking if you are dong ok?


Are you new to DCUM? They all think they are middle class making half million a year and having millions in savings.
Anonymous
Post 06/06/2025 06:13     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
All three need private? I made a totally different choice. My kids are in public school and I retired in mid 40s. DCs have their own fairly high investment accounts and know all about investing.They know that money makes money and then there are jobs.
I went to free test in boarding school abroad. My kids are going through DCPS. I wanted to mention this, because I'm often told how I don't know the difference between good and lousy education. I can tell them what they need to know in about 5 minutes.
Op, I do think you are a little behind saving for retirement. You also seem to rely on 529 and other slow investment accounts, which I don't do. My returns are much, much higher.
Your income is high enough to catch up unless you come up with something else that is important and expensive.
You have to wait for return on your money a little bit. I didn't want to, because time is money. There is no right or wrong.
Anonymous
Post 06/05/2025 23:01     Subject: Re:HHI and Prep for Retirement
Wish it were a joke. Know lots of big law, lobbyists, and family money in the area, and seeing some of the posts here on retirement expectations had me concerned.
Anonymous
Post 06/04/2025 08:40     Subject: Re:HHI and Prep for Retirement
Is this a joke? You make $600k a year, have a $2m paid off house, and $3m in retirement and are asking if you are dong ok?
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 18:55     Subject: Re:HHI and Prep for Retirement
OK, so minus 600 from investments since that's in 529s. About 200 for each. Not planning on saving for grad school at this point.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 15:51     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
Private school is crazy expensive. And you should not count your 529s in your net worth. But you have lots of money.
Anonymous
Post 06/03/2025 10:19     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
Why are you paying for private school when you haven’t saved enough for college and grad school? With 3 kids, you should have saved at least $1 million for higher education.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 22:22     Subject: Re:HHI and Prep for Retirement
OP here- thanks very much- comforting to hear. For sure it is a choice. Has been a good option for our kids, and I try not to think too much about where we would be if we didn't have this expense
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 22:02     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
You’re doing great. Private schools cost $$$ so you’re going to be a little behind those who didn’t have 3 kids and who went public. It’s a choice.
Anonymous
Post 06/02/2025 21:59     Subject: HHI and Prep for Retirement
I'm mid-40s and my husband a few years older. Our house is mostly paid off and worth about $1.7 in near-in suburbs. We have about $2.7 million in other investments, including thrift savings, and 529 plans though we still have some more college saving to do. All three kids in private school (spanning high school to elementary) and we pay full tuition. Our combined HHI is between 400 and 600k depending on the year, but with private school and camps that often leaves us with about 250. I'm a fed for nearly 20 years and will have a pension eventually. I thought we were doing ok but in seeing some of these posts I'm not so sure. We aren't interested in fancy clothes or cars, but we do enjoy travel.