Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 14:00     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It isn’t that people don’t understand these basic concepts. The posters on this forum like to compare and compete with each other. You can’t do that if everyone has different ways of coming up with their HHI or net worth.


It's human nature to compare and compete


Found the SUV driving lard@$$


Found the purple-haired, men are women, socialist loving libt@rd
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 13:41     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It isn’t that people don’t understand these basic concepts. The posters on this forum like to compare and compete with each other. You can’t do that if everyone has different ways of coming up with their HHI or net worth.


It's human nature to compare and compete


Found the SUV driving lard@$$
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 13:23     Subject: Definition of HHI
I wasn’t saying it is a bad thing to compare and compete. I like reading this forum and seeing other families financial status.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 13:01     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:It isn’t that people don’t understand these basic concepts. The posters on this forum like to compare and compete with each other. You can’t do that if everyone has different ways of coming up with their HHI or net worth.


It's human nature to compare and compete
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 12:56     Subject: Definition of HHI
It isn’t that people don’t understand these basic concepts. The posters on this forum like to compare and compete with each other. You can’t do that if everyone has different ways of coming up with their HHI or net worth.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 12:54     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Pretax W2 income.


This. We make nearly as much from investments, but we don't count that as HHI income (it's definitely on our tax returns) as it's all reinvested.


I'm in the same boat but our investment income is over triple our W2 income but we only count investment income that is in our taxable brokerage accounts toward HHI despite it all being reinvested (most of the time unless we make a large purchase where we need these funds). I don't count Roth IRA or 401K income since we can't access that for another 19 years.


May I ask how much your W2 income is and how you came into so much investment income? It's fascinating that your investment income is 3x your W2 income. Did you invest in Apple early, did you inherit it, did you sell a business?

Anyways, good on you.


W2 income is now about $200K which has gone down since I changed careers for better work/life balance. Investment income is approaching $575K (sorry I rounded up when I said it was 3x more than my W2 - my bad). I did not invest in Apple but I did invest in individual stocks, namely hit a couple of grand slams with big bets on clinical-stage rare-disease biotechs that went parabolic and were eventually bought out by Big Pharma in all-cash deals. Shares were in both taxable and Roth brokerage accounts. Put a lot of the proceeds from those buyouts into dividend paying stocks, treasuries, etc. Bought Eli Lilly stock with some of the proceeds before GLP-1 drugs were a thing (didn't know that at the time). Who knew people would pay big bucks for a drug that helps you lose weight. Call it luck, call it skill, I don't care. I took the risk and it paid off.



Forgot to add: none of the funds came from inheritance or selling a business. I started investing in individual stocks at a young age and learned a lot by failure on how to find opportunities. Opened up a Roth not long after I had first earned income and contributed every year investing in individual stocks. Biotech/Pharma has always been my preferred sector. Lived well below my means and remained disciplined in investing the rest. Married a wonderful woman who had similar views on investing and living below your means. Took a ton of risk at a young age.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 12:49     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a W2 income. I invested in real estate that generate enough cash flow to support my lifestyle.
I guess my HHI is zero?


Do you have money coming in from your real estate? Is someone paying you rent?

Because that’s income, dummy.
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 12:48     Subject: Definition of HHI
Why do people not understand extremely simple concepts like household income and net worth?

Are people who frequent this board really that dumb? Or is there some ulterior motive at play?
Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 12:44     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Pretax W2 income.


This. We make nearly as much from investments, but we don't count that as HHI income (it's definitely on our tax returns) as it's all reinvested.


I'm in the same boat but our investment income is over triple our W2 income but we only count investment income that is in our taxable brokerage accounts toward HHI despite it all being reinvested (most of the time unless we make a large purchase where we need these funds). I don't count Roth IRA or 401K income since we can't access that for another 19 years.


May I ask how much your W2 income is and how you came into so much investment income? It's fascinating that your investment income is 3x your W2 income. Did you invest in Apple early, did you inherit it, did you sell a business?

Anyways, good on you.


W2 income is now about $200K which has gone down since I changed careers for better work/life balance. Investment income is approaching $575K (sorry I rounded up when I said it was 3x more than my W2 - my bad). I did not invest in Apple but I did invest in individual stocks, namely hit a couple of grand slams with big bets on clinical-stage rare-disease biotechs that went parabolic and were eventually bought out by Big Pharma in all-cash deals. Shares were in both taxable and Roth brokerage accounts. Put a lot of the proceeds from those buyouts into dividend paying stocks, treasuries, etc. Bought Eli Lilly stock with some of the proceeds before GLP-1 drugs were a thing (didn't know that at the time). Who knew people would pay big bucks for a drug that helps you lose weight. Call it luck, call it skill, I don't care. I took the risk and it paid off.

Anonymous
Post 05/16/2026 10:58     Subject: Definition of HHI
I don’t have a W2 income. I invested in real estate that generate enough cash flow to support my lifestyle.
I guess my HHI is zero?
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2026 20:07     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:Reminder: most of the posts on this thread and on the DCUM Money and Financial forum regarding personal HHI, NW, etc are made-up, pure fantasyland, lies, BS.


It’s a mix. There’s a lot of BS but I’ve also noticed many people on here aren’t aware how much certain professions / fields get paid. And that those people usually marry each other. And also both come from family $.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2026 17:26     Subject: Definition of HHI
Reminder: most of the posts on this thread and on the DCUM Money and Financial forum regarding personal HHI, NW, etc are made-up, pure fantasyland, lies, BS.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2026 17:24     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Pretax W2 income.


This. We make nearly as much from investments, but we don't count that as HHI income (it's definitely on our tax returns) as it's all reinvested.


I'm in the same boat but our investment income is over triple our W2 income but we only count investment income that is in our taxable brokerage accounts toward HHI despite it all being reinvested (most of the time unless we make a large purchase where we need these funds). I don't count Roth IRA or 401K income since we can't access that for another 19 years.


May I ask how much your W2 income is and how you came into so much investment income? It's fascinating that your investment income is 3x your W2 income. Did you invest in Apple early, did you inherit it, did you sell a business?

Anyways, good on you.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2026 17:22     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:HHI is very personal. I need $100k cash a year to pay all bills and live well. This money comes from several sources. My tax rate on this money is 0% (negative actually).


Same here but 50% higher income need. Knowing how the tax code works can be very advantageous.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2026 17:18     Subject: Definition of HHI
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Odd that folks are excluding investment income and all their W2 adjustments


+1

Agree. Almost all of our income is investment income. Tax treatment of investment income (LT capital gains tax rates) is so much better than W2 income except for the 3.8% Obamacare tax (Net Investment Income Tax). Salaries are for suckers.


This seems crazy to me if you also make good W2 money still but I guess we make a ton more than I thought hah.


I much prefer paying a combined 23.8% on our taxable investment income (can’t seem to get it down to 18.8%) than the 37% we used to pay on our W2 income. Would love to borrow off our investments and implement the “buy, borrow, & die” strategy but that’s really only for the really wealthy billionaire types.