patrick.net
An Antidote to Corporate Media
1,350,283 comments by 15,721 users - Al_Sharpton_for_President online now
« First « Previous Comments 183 - 195 of 195 Search these comments
183
WookieMan
2025 Sep 1, 4:44am
WookieMan
2025 Sep 1, 4:44am
HeadSet says
It's no longer education. It's business at this point unfortunately. My neighbors are CC professors and pay is public record. They're 52 getting paid $98k/yr for teaching English. A 52 year old professor at Harvard is probably getting $180-220k. Now throw in administrators (eye roll) and extravagant buildings to learn in....
I write and read more than any English professor. I have numerous typos, but that's for speed to read and write more. The subject makes sense in high school, but it's completely useless in college. The people that want to write are going to write. If you graduated high school you can speak and write it. Not sure why it's a required course in college.
There are numerous other subjects that are forced and a complete waste of time. STEM I get. Medical I get. Spanish for now I get. Chem I get. Otherwise most everything else is useless. Call me out if there's another subject. I guess finance and some business courses, but those you look stupid for wasting the money to get them for the field it is. Spent all this money to get a piece of paper and now I'm going to tell you how to spend/save your money? Makes no sense.
The_Deplorable says
In the 60s and 70s people
used to get a university education with a part-time job. What happened?
College loans. Easy money always runs up costs.
It's no longer education. It's business at this point unfortunately. My neighbors are CC professors and pay is public record. They're 52 getting paid $98k/yr for teaching English. A 52 year old professor at Harvard is probably getting $180-220k. Now throw in administrators (eye roll) and extravagant buildings to learn in....
I write and read more than any English professor. I have numerous typos, but that's for speed to read and write more. The subject makes sense in high school, but it's completely useless in college. The people that want to write are going to write. If you graduated high school you can speak and write it. Not sure why it's a required course in college.
There are numerous other subjects that are forced and a complete waste of time. STEM I get. Medical I get. Spanish for now I get. Chem I get. Otherwise most everything else is useless. Call me out if there's another subject. I guess finance and some business courses, but those you look stupid for wasting the money to get them for the field it is. Spent all this money to get a piece of paper and now I'm going to tell you how to spend/save your money? Makes no sense.
186
AD
2025 Nov 6, 12:44am
AD
2025 Nov 6, 12:44am
If the Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs, the 2025 federal deficit could increase by approximately $195 billion, raising the total deficit from about $1.8 trillion to nearly $2 trillion.
The 2024 deficit was $1.833 trillion.
Federal government expenditures in fiscal year 2025 are projected to reach approximately $7.01 trillion, up from $6.73 trillion in 2024—an increase of about $275 billion or 4%.
Key Drivers of 2025 Spending Growth
• Interest on the debt: Surging past $1.1 trillion due to higher rates and rollover of maturing debt.
• Social Security and Medicare: Automatic growth continues, driven by aging demographics and healthcare inflation.
• Defense and veterans programs: Increased outlays for modernization and support services.
• Student loan accounting changes: One-time adjustments in 2024 reduced apparent spending, making 2025 look higher by comparison.
The 2024 deficit was $1.833 trillion.
Federal government expenditures in fiscal year 2025 are projected to reach approximately $7.01 trillion, up from $6.73 trillion in 2024—an increase of about $275 billion or 4%.
Key Drivers of 2025 Spending Growth
• Interest on the debt: Surging past $1.1 trillion due to higher rates and rollover of maturing debt.
• Social Security and Medicare: Automatic growth continues, driven by aging demographics and healthcare inflation.
• Defense and veterans programs: Increased outlays for modernization and support services.
• Student loan accounting changes: One-time adjustments in 2024 reduced apparent spending, making 2025 look higher by comparison.
187
The_Deplorable
2025 Nov 6, 11:04am
AD says...
But is this debt real? Every time the Federal Reserve prints a dollar We The People
are in debt. And this frankly is a fraud. How about prosecuting the frauds and
canceling the debt?
But is this debt real? Every time the Federal Reserve prints a dollar We The People
are in debt. And this frankly is a fraud. How about prosecuting the frauds and
canceling the debt?
189
GreaterNYCDude
2025 Nov 9, 4:40pm
Patrick says
We must be abnormal. I'm happy to report our household debt is less than$100k. Took 25 years but we're on pace to be debt free before we retire.
https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2025/11/06/household-debt-rises-to-18-59-trillion-in-q3-2025
We must be abnormal. I'm happy to report our household debt is less than$100k. Took 25 years but we're on pace to be debt free before we retire.
190
Tenpoundbass
2025 Nov 10, 8:03am
Tenpoundbass
2025 Nov 10, 8:03am
Where's the graph that shows, average investments, 401K and other holdings?
It should be as easy as going to the bank and withdrawing money from your bank account.
As it should be using your tax free retirement funds to purchase or partially fund your first time home.
I'm always shocked to hear people say they took a loan from money that's already theirs. That gets taxed and incurs interest.
Many homes have their money locked up in government controlled retirement accounts. Instead of just letting people save and invest, and make banks pay the savers. All for a dog and pony show to play hide the weenie, for the illusion they aren't paying taxes on the money and their company gave matched contributions. Every ten to fifteen years, a major market upsets wipes out the previous decade record returns, and they keep starting back where they started. Makes no damn sense at all.
Your 401K payments when you retire, will be taxed, more than it would have been taxed in your weekly paycheck.
Not only that, you'll then have to use that money to pay your mortgage, that should have been paid off before you retired.
Not having household debt should be your biggest goal for retirement. So you don't have to sell your whole life and downsize and have to move to a downsized community and live alongside a bunch of other bitter assholes, that are angry that there retirement plan didn't include paying for their previous creature comforts.
It should be as easy as going to the bank and withdrawing money from your bank account.
As it should be using your tax free retirement funds to purchase or partially fund your first time home.
I'm always shocked to hear people say they took a loan from money that's already theirs. That gets taxed and incurs interest.
Many homes have their money locked up in government controlled retirement accounts. Instead of just letting people save and invest, and make banks pay the savers. All for a dog and pony show to play hide the weenie, for the illusion they aren't paying taxes on the money and their company gave matched contributions. Every ten to fifteen years, a major market upsets wipes out the previous decade record returns, and they keep starting back where they started. Makes no damn sense at all.
Your 401K payments when you retire, will be taxed, more than it would have been taxed in your weekly paycheck.
Not only that, you'll then have to use that money to pay your mortgage, that should have been paid off before you retired.
Not having household debt should be your biggest goal for retirement. So you don't have to sell your whole life and downsize and have to move to a downsized community and live alongside a bunch of other bitter assholes, that are angry that there retirement plan didn't include paying for their previous creature comforts.
191
AD
2025 Dec 7, 11:09am
AD
2025 Dec 7, 11:09am
I think the status quo will be maintained with 2 to 3% annual inflation to slowly inflate out of a debt crisis and gain more solvency with some Trump fiscal reforms like reducing some spending, creating a US Treasury Reserve (Bitcoin, US strategic stocks like Intel, etc., leasing more public land, etc). with goals such as (1) reducing debt payments as percentage of tax receipts (2) improve "affordability" such as % of working class income that goes to living expenses like housing and food
1) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-likely-solution-u-debt-224408428.html
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
2) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ray-dalio-warns-america-track-143300394.html
“If you look at it just from a strategic asset allocation perspective, you would probably have something like 15% of your portfolio in gold (Dalio stated)… because it is the one asset that does very well when the typical parts of the portfolio go down.”
1) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-likely-solution-u-debt-224408428.html
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
2) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ray-dalio-warns-america-track-143300394.html
“If you look at it just from a strategic asset allocation perspective, you would probably have something like 15% of your portfolio in gold (Dalio stated)… because it is the one asset that does very well when the typical parts of the portfolio go down.”
192
GreaterNYCDude
2025 Dec 7, 3:35pm
Tenpoundbass says
The last two places I've worked they offered a Roth 401(k) and I took advantage. 75% of my retirement income will be tax free. I just need to hold out to 59.5 to avoid crazy withdrawal penalties.
Your 401K payments when you retire, will be taxed, more than it would have been taxed in your weekly paycheck.
The last two places I've worked they offered a Roth 401(k) and I took advantage. 75% of my retirement income will be tax free. I just need to hold out to 59.5 to avoid crazy withdrawal penalties.
193
clambo
2025 Dec 7, 3:37pm
The gigantic US debt means that tax rates today are the lowest they will be in our lifetimes.
This is why I am converting some of my IRA to a Roth IRA. However, I'm not really that committed either way so I am converting $10,000 batches.
This is why I am converting some of my IRA to a Roth IRA. However, I'm not really that committed either way so I am converting $10,000 batches.
194
FortWayneHatesRealtors
2025 Dec 7, 6:48pm
clambo says
They won’t raise taxes imo, they’ll just inflate away.
The gigantic US debt means that tax rates today are the lowest they will be in our lifetimes.
This is why I am converting some of my IRA to a Roth IRA. However, I'm not really that committed either way so I am converting $10,000 batches.
They won’t raise taxes imo, they’ll just inflate away.
195
AD
2025 Dec 7, 6:51pm
AD
2025 Dec 7, 6:51pm
GreaterNYCDude says
Yeah, I was fortunate with federal civil service matching 5% for my "401K" plus a 1% per year annuity or pension. I took advantage of the full match of 5%.
You could use a SEPP for that.
"SEPP" is an acronym that most commonly stands for Substantially Equal Periodic Payments, an IRS rule allowing early, penalty-free withdrawals from retirement accounts.
The last two places I've worked they offered a Roth 401(k) and I took advantage. 75% of my retirement income will be tax free. I just need to hold out to 59.5 to avoid crazy withdrawal penalties.
Yeah, I was fortunate with federal civil service matching 5% for my "401K" plus a 1% per year annuity or pension. I took advantage of the full match of 5%.
You could use a SEPP for that.
"SEPP" is an acronym that most commonly stands for Substantially Equal Periodic Payments, an IRS rule allowing early, penalty-free withdrawals from retirement accounts.
« First « Previous Comments 183 - 195 of 195 Search these comments
As interest rates rise, the math says that it's better if invest any spare cash rather than pay down debt, which is at a low fixed rate (house, student loan, small car loan). However, particularly with the mortgage, there is something to be said for the peace of mind of having it behind me and owning my home outright. I'm fully funding my 401(k), and have a six month emergency fund, but until now, any "free cash" beyond that, I've been diverting to the mortgage. As I sit right now, the goal is have it paid off in the next 5 to 7 years. With high yield savings paying about 4% right now, that's a 1% spread relative to my 3% mortgage.
As much as I could try to invest in the market 1) I'm not that good, and 2) the market has more or less peaked, and I don't see another major bull market given that we are seeing the end of the "everything bubble". Once I own the house free and clear, then I'll have plenty of "play money" to invest or whatever and hopefully catch the next upswing.