Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 10:18     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a nice retirement? My DH is the higher earner, but taking a well deserved step back and got a nice Fed position. We'll both be GS-15, maxing out TSP contributions, but won't be able to invest in our brokerage in a meaningful way with expenses. Our house is worth about 900k and we still owe 500k on it, at pandemic level interest rates.

I realize I'm fortunate but it's weird not to be able to contribute to the brokerage account anymore. We're in a total world index fund fwiw



Children? Are you aware that private colleges are now almost $100,000 a year x 4 x how many children you have to put through? Add in taking care of elderly parents, surprise costs like SN kids, speciality doctors, testing, shrinks and SN schools … and you’ll
Have even less if fate removes one of you as a bread earner. I hope you have good life insurance too.


They have investments plus make 350k-400k a year. They will be fine.


A) investments were unspecified.
B) you have to pay tax on that $350k a year at the 35% level = that’s $140k gone. Incime is now down to $210k
C) they owe half a million. At Covid interest rates on a 30 year fixed, they are paying $2016 or more a month. Now down to $175
D) now you pay TSP, foid, car, insurance, life, disability, clothes, taking car of family
D) they said nothing about children, plans or otherwise.
E) they have spent everthing they made.
F) you can’t retire in “unspecified” amount of investments even if it compounded forever.
G) if ine if them loses their job or becomes disabled or stays at home, they might have to dip into “unspecified” savings to pay down the $500k


You cannot possibly be this dumb. Please don’t give financial advice.
Anonymous
Post 01/20/2026 10:15     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:As a fellow fed you’re really giving all of us a bad name….or more likely a troll trying to stir up anti-fed sentiment


+1.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 15:26     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a nice retirement? My DH is the higher earner, but taking a well deserved step back and got a nice Fed position. We'll both be GS-15, maxing out TSP contributions, but won't be able to invest in our brokerage in a meaningful way with expenses. Our house is worth about 900k and we still owe 500k on it, at pandemic level interest rates.

I realize I'm fortunate but it's weird not to be able to contribute to the brokerage account anymore. We're in a total world index fund fwiw



Children? Are you aware that private colleges are now almost $100,000 a year x 4 x how many children you have to put through? Add in taking care of elderly parents, surprise costs like SN kids, speciality doctors, testing, shrinks and SN schools … and you’ll
Have even less if fate removes one of you as a bread earner. I hope you have good life insurance too.


They have investments plus make 350k-400k a year. They will be fine.


A) investments were unspecified.
B) you have to pay tax on that $350k a year at the 35% level = that’s $140k gone. Incime is now down to $210k
C) they owe half a million. At Covid interest rates on a 30 year fixed, they are paying $2016 or more a month. Now down to $175
D) now you pay TSP, foid, car, insurance, life, disability, clothes, taking car of family
D) they said nothing about children, plans or otherwise.
E) they have spent everthing they made.
F) you can’t retire in “unspecified” amount of investments even if it compounded forever.
G) if ine if them loses their job or becomes disabled or stays at home, they might have to dip into “unspecified” savings to pay down the $500k
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 15:02     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
The number doesn't matter.
The growth rate and the growth rate of the growth rate matter.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 14:52     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lmao, yes, it’s enough. If you don’t put a dime into it, it’ll be $7.5 million at 65 in today’s dollars (i.e., controlled for projected inflation). From that, you can safely withdraw 350k a year in today’s dollars with like a 95% chance of not drawing down the principal.

If you can’t comfortably live on 350k/yr in retirement, I judge the shit out of you.


But it's not a comfortable amount to say quit your job now and "retire".



That wasn’t the question.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 14:50     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:Lmao, yes, it’s enough. If you don’t put a dime into it, it’ll be $7.5 million at 65 in today’s dollars (i.e., controlled for projected inflation). From that, you can safely withdraw 350k a year in today’s dollars with like a 95% chance of not drawing down the principal.

If you can’t comfortably live on 350k/yr in retirement, I judge the shit out of you.


But it's not a comfortable amount to say quit your job now and "retire".

Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 14:44     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:For a nice retirement? My DH is the higher earner, but taking a well deserved step back and got a nice Fed position. We'll both be GS-15, maxing out TSP contributions, but won't be able to invest in our brokerage in a meaningful way with expenses. Our house is worth about 900k and we still owe 500k on it, at pandemic level interest rates.

I realize I'm fortunate but it's weird not to be able to contribute to the brokerage account anymore. We're in a total world index fund fwiw



The Internet is filled with so many useful information about Debra Evans Flyte.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 22:17     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For a nice retirement? My DH is the higher earner, but taking a well deserved step back and got a nice Fed position. We'll both be GS-15, maxing out TSP contributions, but won't be able to invest in our brokerage in a meaningful way with expenses. Our house is worth about 900k and we still owe 500k on it, at pandemic level interest rates.

I realize I'm fortunate but it's weird not to be able to contribute to the brokerage account anymore. We're in a total world index fund fwiw



Children? Are you aware that private colleges are now almost $100,000 a year x 4 x how many children you have to put through? Add in taking care of elderly parents, surprise costs like SN kids, speciality doctors, testing, shrinks and SN schools … and you’ll
Have even less if fate removes one of you as a bread earner. I hope you have good life insurance too.


They have investments plus make 350k-400k a year. They will be fine.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 21:35     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:For a nice retirement? My DH is the higher earner, but taking a well deserved step back and got a nice Fed position. We'll both be GS-15, maxing out TSP contributions, but won't be able to invest in our brokerage in a meaningful way with expenses. Our house is worth about 900k and we still owe 500k on it, at pandemic level interest rates.

I realize I'm fortunate but it's weird not to be able to contribute to the brokerage account anymore. We're in a total world index fund fwiw



Children? Are you aware that private colleges are now almost $100,000 a year x 4 x how many children you have to put through? Add in taking care of elderly parents, surprise costs like SN kids, speciality doctors, testing, shrinks and SN schools … and you’ll
Have even less if fate removes one of you as a bread earner. I hope you have good life insurance too.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 21:31     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
If OP and DH pit it all in TSP C-fund (or an S&P500 index fund with low expense ratio) and leave it alone for 20-30 years, it will grow a lot. Both should contribute to TSP at least enough to get the full match, ideally to the max allowed TSP contribution. Again, stick to C fund.

Ask the Bogleheads folks online also. Better financial advice there.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 21:09     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, now is not a great time to be a dual fed family, thanks to Trump. But I guess if he's five year in and not making partner or counsel, it's time to leave? But whereas pre Trump being dual feds was great, now it's kind of risky.



I’m assuming these aren’t normal civil service jobs but ideological appointments. Which makes it insanely risky.


Why assume this? Because DOGE bled us dry, we are hiring again. I’m currently hiring two GS 15 attorneys for my work group and that’s a drop in the bucket of what my agency is doing overall. Winning! We encouraged all the people to retire or leave with all their relevant experience and now we are hiring again, which is a tedious and time consuming process that could have been avoided if they’d just left us alone. Also, please take my acting executive job away as I truly hate it.
Anonymous
Post 01/18/2026 09:07     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:OP, now is not a great time to be a dual fed family, thanks to Trump. But I guess if he's five year in and not making partner or counsel, it's time to leave? But whereas pre Trump being dual feds was great, now it's kind of risky.



I’m assuming these aren’t normal civil service jobs but ideological appointments. Which makes it insanely risky.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2026 22:15     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
You are in really good shape. If you want to retire early or do something different, a brokerage account becomes a valuable lever. I would revisit the decision not to contribute to the brokerage in a year or two.
Anonymous
Post 01/17/2026 22:01     Subject: At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
OP, now is not a great time to be a dual fed family, thanks to Trump. But I guess if he's five year in and not making partner or counsel, it's time to leave? But whereas pre Trump being dual feds was great, now it's kind of risky.

Anonymous
Post 01/17/2026 21:56     Subject: Re:At 35, is 1M a big enough nest egg
Anonymous wrote:No, you need $10mil at 35.


+1 to I usually think DCUM posters are unnecessarily harsh on these kinds of questions, but I'm starting to see where they're coming from.

Setting my personal grouchiness aside, sincere congratulations to you OP. Two GS-15 jobs, $1M, and low housing costs is awesome!