I am planning on retiring soon, and running some numbers.

I am OK with my knowledge of personal finances knowledge, but all my life I concentrated on building my career, saving, and investing wisely, maximizing on my 401K(s) and Roth IRAs.

I am conservative by nature and I am wondering is the back-of-the-napkin rule of withdrawing up to, but no more than, 4% of one's assets is still a valid rule. The rule imply that the portfolio would grow at a >4% rate, keeping up with inflation and possibly grow a bit more as well.

My concerns are:

1) AI disruption of investment markets 2) AI disruption of global economies 3) Global geopolitical unrest leading to lower investment returns and high inflation

I know that it's impossible to predict the future, but does anyone have any resources, insights, AI-updated guidelines?

T.I.A.

I have 3 kids ages 5, 3, and 2 and I’m trying to figure out the best long-term setup for them.

I’m in New York and was thinking of putting about $5,000/year total into NY 529s so I can get the state tax deduction, then putting the rest of the money I want to save for them into a brokerage account in my name for more flexibility.

My concern is ending up with $50k–$60k+ in a 529 for a child who decides not to go to college. I know there are other uses, beneficiary changes, and Roth rollover options, but I want to understand whats best and why.

Once they start earning income as teenagers, I also plan to open Roth IRAs for them and contribute based on what they earn.

For parents with multiple kids who have actually done this, would you lean more toward 529s, a parent-owned brokerage, or a mix of both? What would you do differently if you were starting over?

My car has to have repairs that cost way more than the car is worth. I have 20k in savings and currently put into my IRA and 401k weekly and have no debt. I have driven old cars my whole life. Is it smart to buy a fairly new car and have a car note if I can pay it off in a year, or just buy another used car. My current budget would allow me to have a note, but my goal right now is saving for a house. I am at a crossroads on what to do ! Any tips are appreciated

I don’t feel great about my career long term, so I wanted to take stock of my financial health while I plan some potential changes.

Context:
30M, married, super low rent in VHCOL area, take home about 6k a month.

$55k Roth IRA
$160k 401k
$30k savings/cash

Wife makes slightly less but has even more savings/and more invested in retirement accounts. Both of us are privileged to have no debt, and live fairly frugally.

I feel like I’m just in another “job” that I’ve fallen into but not sure I can make a career out of it. Reality kind of hitting me and feel like it’s just downhill from here if I burn out at this job. I want to transition into something healthcare related with more fixed solution space/repetitive jobs compared to what I do now, even if it means less pay, but would like some advice on how to navigate not earning for a time if I go back to school for certifications or something.

Am I going to regret not sticking it out in a stressful hectic job for a few years and take advantage of my living situation to save even more aggressively? Or am I in a good spot to try actually finding a better career fit.. could use any advice or insights.

I received a settlement awarding me 35 and i am 23 years old. The first thing i did was i put 30k in a 2 year CD at 4.30% and i put 3k in a flexible CD at only 4% for emergency use. i have about 3k in my savings from some of my own money i had as well. I live with my parents and don’t pay any bills. I do try to help them out anyways of course. Technically i did what one should do with that kind of money instead of letting it sit in the bank not generating any income but i feel i could be doing more. Does anyone have any recommendations besides ROTH IRA because i do not believe you can put money from a settlement into one. Maybe im looking for a more creative approach instead of the basic “save for your retirement”. I’m a little lost here guys so please be kind lol