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I strongly dislike the people that turn a blind eye to the massive problems that Chicago has and think of it as some lefty utopia where nothing is wrong. Like Pritzker is Mr. Effective... please.
What big city doesn't have problems? And how does the senseless shootings you hear about affect you?
It is one of the best cities in the country to live in. So many vibrant and diverse neighborhoods; great dining and entertainment; 2 airports; great public transportation; and an amazing downtown. Even it’s middle location makes it easy to get relatively anywhere in the country via flight.
Lots of cities have problems but at least some cities try to address them unlike Chicago which either ignores or even exacerbates them.
Too much crime? Let's defund and impede the police.
Property taxes driving residents into foreclosure and fleeing the state? Let's raise them more instead of reforming the government.
Let me help you .... guess third time demonizing is the charm and OP clearly seems to have run for the hills none-existent in Chicago. Helping you consolidate your post here for a full concensus.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
It's like getting constantly being raped in the @ss. Thanks Democrats "party of the working people" for taxing grannies and working families into foreclosure and driving an exodus that led to Illinois losing another US House seat.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
Or the poor grannies and working families being driven into foreclosure by 5 figure property tax bills. How dare they complain, that is how the Dems have worked so hard to help them. Besides, it isn't like housing is a basic human necessity. People can live in tents and crap on the sidewalks, but heaven forbid the govt workers don't get million dollar pensions.
Even State jobs are not the jobs to get today.... They once were clearly much more.... a life-job with pension and security. Few are.... of course there are some.... just not like the Post Office once was for more common folk and even just a State office job. Some who retired close to a decades or more ago.... they made out GREAT.
None of us really likes taxes... we know it is a evil that is virtually anywhere USA. Some states there is no income tax and a bit lower sales tax.... still if you have a newer home especially in a large metro. You will generally have a high real estate tax to make up for less other taxes too.
My taxes in more rural small city after small older city pay has CHEAP TAXES.... I mean LOW. Works for me as it is by my old hometown also. Not sure any Chemist would find much work here. My youngest brother moved to Suburban Allentown PA and higher end suburb he purchased a home out of college with no debt as my parents scrimped and paid for his 4-yrs college and her parents also where he found his his wife a couple decades ago.... home had the works including a built in pool they still own. Bought in a buyers market period.
Anyway, his Biology major-in degree he found great options in and travels the Nation with a job now. Great benefits from the getgo. He is part of the Democrat local politics there also as like a commissioner.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
The above is not true well maybe it is if you consider companies desire Chemists to work for $20/hr often contract no benefits. I have a decent job, it took me 3 years of working an excrement job to obtain it, that is the only thing that keeps me in Illinois and after they jacked up my property taxes another 15% this year I am looking at jobs in other states with fewer "Democrats helping the working people." though I am not hopeful.
Again, Welcome to America where Corporate America has the upper hand and a highly competitive market where they have a edge for sure.... Unions no matter what is said of them being corrupt in time.... so many got insurance in this Nation they otherwise would never have and modest pensions waay back. A solid Middle-Class income too. Now they are for Professionals whether Trades, Teachers, Nurses etc. No Company with low-skilled workers have a Union today and a few that might have hung on? Of course you will say Chicago city workers and IL state has plenty .... I know plenty in my state where them glory days of a pension and job-security are gone. The Auto Workers Union of course hung on and some Truckers.... most are just independent brokers now and have to make their own. The Trades I consider Professionals today. Unions gave so many concessions over the years they have little clout or power when a Company just could move to China or the Sunbelt.
My Great Aunt retired for Sears in the 80s.... just before most LOST their PENSIONS. Lucky her she had the years in when Sears was a Great. Then some laws were passed preventing mergers and restructurings and so many just lost pensions then.
Like I said one time... my first full time job at 18 in Chicago was a Union one and took some years before I had a wage as good as that one that only lasted a couple years..... and then any change in job meant yes a cut.... now if I had a superior degree as many do.... you can keep moving up much better. Still nothing is in stone and crisis is life can hurt one severely that has nothing to do with a Dem or Rep. as if to blame for everything.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
I've come to the conclusion that retiring early or possibly retiring at all will mean expatriating.
I have good medical insurance through work but avoid the healthcare system unless something is intolerably painful or life threatening. I get vaccines and a yearly preventative blood test and that is all that I have used in years. I had to have to hernias surgically repaired 3 years ago and that cost me $2k out of pocket (deductible is ~$3k). Other than that one year no medical bills in many years.
It is just nuts. You are expected to check for network every doctor or Nurse practitioner that treats you while you are sick or even possibly unconscious.
Well sorry for you issues in health. I ALWAYS SAID... I want my 80s 90s insurance back when ALL WAS COVERED but a TV and Phone bill in your hospital room.... Wife and I had full Futility invetro done over 2 yrs in 3 hospitals .... try that today. After all.... I have not heard that the GOP platform is going to fix our insurance system that has most in the base claim they love their insurance vs anything Dems could try... Obamacare was doomed by Big Pharma from the start and could never become what intended. Now it is a remnant .... you give you name and number and 1000 home-agents call you for months trying to sell you some Insurance outside the ones you really want.... Really, Obamacare was RAPED from what hopes were for it. Just IMO. Just think.... you could retire in some hick Country and get their insurance for some basic coverage.... that Wealthy US does not.... unless you go to a emergency room of a inner-city hospital and your bill is like forgiven yet someone with insurance will have their company more raped in added fees to try to survive those with no insurance given minimum care to you abhor that they get.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
I'm just hoping to ride my current job to retirement. I am steadily accumulating net worth living a fairly frugal life and saving ~1/3-1/2 my gross pay. I think there is a good chance. I have a steady specialized job with a stable small/mid-size company. If I can hold out another 10 years I may be set. I'd even consider expatriating to retire.
In the meantime I have companies and recruiters competing to see who can offer me the biggest paycut and it is clear I can expect a 50% paycut if I ever have to switch jobs. I literally get recruiters offering me a 50% paycut and loss of benefits and I have to tell them to go get bent.
Noone in my family is ever going to major in science again.
Sad indeed that this is how Corporate America wants us to be and bad, terrible Unions of old tried to prevent for many and were demonized as money hungry and Company BUSTERS. Then they just moved to Asia and then mostly China or waaay south today.... and well Asia for pennies on the $1 in labor and still less in what was once the lowly South. At least if not the better part of a metro suburbs. In more rural small city IL even and WI and IN .... You can find lower cost living vs a Chicagoland right?
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
40
$374k taxable
$265k 401k
$35k rIRA
I am starting to catch the 401k up to taxable. I didn't have access to a 401k until 2014 as my previous jobs, like most in my field, were contract crap plus I was planning to go back to college to get out of science and didn't want to lock up all my money.
Not bad at all... more then me and I retired early.... have no insurance again yet.... good health just you never know. Will in the future as nearly $1000 a month is like HUUUGET.... with no discounts. My state I read is offering some plans I am hoping are cheaper I am looking into...
Still, for 40yrs old that is not bad at all... You are doing a helova better then a lot of Americans and you should appreciate it. Now all you want is tax shelters and full working years benefits and high hourly wage with job security/top insurance and the ability to LEAVE the Country then with your wealth and live more a Trump life-style there.... Islands in the Philippines or in Costa Rica would work today for ya.... in 10 - 20 yrs? Who knows.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
Income tax doesn't concern me as much as property taxes. If you are retired on a $40K income a 5% $2k income tax bill isn't nearly as devastating as a $10k property tax bill on your $333k house. Also any little school council or governing body can raise it to whatever they want with little press nor accountability. The turnout for those podunk off year municipal elections often held in Feb to further keep the votes down is as little as 20% The union workers in that district and the parasites, I mean beneficiaries of the taxes have a much louder voice as a result.
Income tax hikes get more attention and the politicians that institute it more often face repercussions.
That sounds more like LA or SF or NYC? $10,000 property tax on a $333,000 home. Of course it seems after $500,000 it really jumps in the costliest neighborhoods. IF ONE RENTS well it is not quite the same. Some who own buildings build Capital gains and pay little or no taxes.... I sometimes look over homes for say in Chicago and a couple suburbs.... just to see and the tax history. Different neighborhoods some highest priced to those less-so. Even for like Lincoln Park and we know how that is like King of city living for transplants.... seems for a $10,000 tax bill your value of home is much closer to a $1 mil home.... of course Lincoln Park is at a high-end of expected taxes.
I clearly could find a cheaper modest home to live for much cheaper in retirement in Chicago or small city America where you get a McMansion for less even suburban metro Texas cities ....though that is changing fast. There are plenty of great modest homes though more rural/small city America with homes under $50,000 even that are not living without. Go to the $200,000 and you are finding much more then you think in a lot of American areas even up North. You seem very wise yet have SO MUCH BAGGAGE and extreme political views have it skewed much. Eats you alive. You have so many past post that give a history of you. Still, you are supporting yourself and building a nest-egg and have a plan to leave the Country in perhaps a early retirement. Much more wealth at your age then I did.
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Originally Posted by MSchemist80
Not for at least another 10-20 years sadly. $600k isn't enough to early retire on unless you expatriate to a cheaper country.
OMG I disagree.... sure if you want to live in a big city metro and larger home or in the middle of everything. Sure you will have a much higher COL. Heck, I retired early with a fraction of that and in a year start my SS at its minimum at 62 1/2 just enough to pay for out-of-pocket insurance... TIS AMERICA Folks. At least many with very little can get some help federally and statewise and some non-profits.
Just choose a NICE SMALL TOWN/CITY in the North or South or Midwest. Plenty of areas VERY CHEAP. Whether a old-stock cheapest modest home or a nice with acreage and a ranch home. BOTH with still cheap taxes even in the North. Area just will be far from large metros.... and OMG MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE. All rural America is by far. Now if you want a home along the Florida coast with access to the shore .... well then of course you may as well move to Costa Rica or the Philipines.... and who knows how they will be in 10 yrs?
But honesty. More Rural America and still with plenty to do and you can travel..... it clearly is doable if you are without debt, modest spender and happy without needing every new thing that comes out.
I could have SWORN you said you were renting in suburban Chicago? Does not matter though.
Just you are VERY BITTER with far more then jobs. So many of your post I read and I lead a very boring life apparently. Had a divorce and we finally got back together to live.... works though it just was a arrangement that worked. She is on disability with so many issues.... and was always a debt maker or I would be a lot richer LOL... I let go of all resentment. Just not worth it.
It is just not worth letting everything eat at one and blame and hate where one lives and see everything as THEM vs .... As they say in Faith circles ..... COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS and realize you have a LOT MORE THEN MORE THEN 1/2 of Americans may have when they retire.... already in a decades and so many 401k's could loose 10s of thousands tomorrow as mind did in the crash and before I cashed it in.
I'd cross the border to either Wisconsin or Indiana. You could live so close to chicago that it will not matter that you must live in chicago, but the rent savings is about 1/3 less. i.e. the same square footage in chicago might be $1,500 whereas that same square footage just over the border is $1,000 or $1,100.
I'd cross the border to either Wisconsin or Indiana. You could live so close to chicago that it will not matter that you must live in chicago, but the rent savings is about 1/3 less. i.e. the same square footage in chicago might be $1,500 whereas that same square footage just over the border is $1,000 or $1,100.
But then I have to get a car again and drive everywhere. That's expensive. A lot of extra steps to settle for living in Wisconsin or Indiana. Nah. I'm good.
I'd cross the border to either Wisconsin or Indiana. You could live so close to chicago that it will not matter that you must live in chicago, but the rent savings is about 1/3 less. i.e. the same square footage in chicago might be $1,500 whereas that same square footage just over the border is $1,000 or $1,100.
Might as well live in Iowa. If you choose to live in Wisconsin or Indiana you aint coming to Chicago (figure of speech). I have friends that live in Berwyn and often opt out of hanging in downtown because its (too far) I'm not kidding. You get comfortable. Happens.
I have friends that live in Berwyn and often opt out of hanging in downtown because its (too far) I'm not kidding.
And to think, some parts of Berwyn along Cermak are no further away from the L system than I am, in the city.
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