Humble_Signature_993

Humble_Signature_993 t1_j2dvcuy wrote

More details are needed eg how much did it drop. Do you use credit karma, mint, or a number of other financial tools that track your credit score? These sites will usually provide an explanation for the difference in score. Credit utilization and missed payments impact score the most, but credit hard inquiry or credit age drop (due to closing old account) can also impact.

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Humble_Signature_993 t1_j2axayw wrote

  1. Do your research on the fair market value for the specific vehicle and condition you want.

  2. Do research on how much your insurance premium would cost for the car.

  3. Save the money to purchase the car in full. No loan unless 0% interest (unlikely to find this). Don’t purchase for any price over the FMV.

  4. Don’t purchase vehicle unless you know your budget can afford the monthly or semi-annual premium.

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Humble_Signature_993 t1_j1zcqy7 wrote

Looks like you’re setting yourself up very well already. Low expenses with a solid starter salary. Kudos to you!

Given you don’t have many expenses, I’d suggest maxing out your pre-tax 401k (match from company?) and a post-tax Roth IRA. If available, also max out a pre-tax HSA account. Total for 2023 is $22500+$6500+$3850 = $32850. At $75k, this won’t leave you with much money at the end of the year, but it should be enough given your current expenses. Should leave you with ~$2500/month (inclusive of above described pre/post-tax contributions, medical/dental contributions and income taxes). What are your current monthly expenses? With the remainder, you potentially could start building an emergency fund and/or savings/brokerage accounts.

Live with your parents for as long as possible, while also working on ways to increase your market value (additional education, learning a unique skill, networking). For a SWE, it seems like you should be able to get to $100k/year pretty quickly/easily.

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Humble_Signature_993 t1_iy44ywp wrote

I’d recommend a taxi (download Curb app) over Uber/Lyft, especially when returning to airport. They’re lined up right outside Arrivals, get you to your destination quickly, and drop you off in front of Departures door on your return. Uber/Lyft must pick up and drop off further away from airport and can be a bit confusing finding yours and sometimes can be confusing because there are two ride share pick up areas.

No idea about Irish pubs.

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Humble_Signature_993 t1_iy3q5ts wrote

How many miles on your car, how often do you use your car, and do you live in a city where you can walk/bike/public transit/Zipcar to most destinations? This will help in providing advice.

Without knowing this info and as others have suggested, find a local non-dealer mechanic to provide a quote for the catalytic conv costs as well as do a general check to determine what else you might need over the next 2-3 years. If it’s just the converter, get it fixed, pay off the car and enjoy the no car payment/lower insurance premium life!

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