We've only been dating about six months, but I've gotten to know her pretty well and have gathered that she has a net wealth of zero dollars, nada, nothing. While she does have possessions, she rents an apartment, lives paycheck to paycheck, and still owes several thousand dollars on her car. She does not have any kind of retirement account. Her net worth as far as I can tell is either slightly negative or no more than $5000 at the absolute max, and I cannot see any way her financial situation will change significantly in the next few years.
First off, this seems like a huge red flag to me, so much so that I have basically reasoned this girl is not marriage material as she will likely drain me financially and be a parasite. I like her well, but I can't help myself from wondering how the hell someone lives their life like that. I would be terrified.
Second, assuming she doesn't find some man to latch onto, is she totally screwed? The general rule is to have a retirement fund worth two years of your gross earnings by age 35. What the heck to people like my gf do once they hit age 65? I'm genuinely baffled.
My girlfriend is 30 and has a net wealth of $0.00. Is she totally screwed? Retirement?
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Can't answer without pics?
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Referring to your girlfriend of 6 months as a parasite? You are "genuinely" an adjective all right, but "baffled" isn't the first one that comes to mind
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She'll have to work til she's 68? Save more than most (not hard)?
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You, sir, need to get over yourself. As long as she's not in lots of debt, you don't have much to worry about. Help her get signed up for all of her retirement options (401K, 403b, whatevs) and get those babies fully maxed out.
Then, as long as you guys are saving a good amount of money each year, you'll both be fine by the time you're 40, 45 or 50 (depending on your savings rate).
The bigger red flag is you calling her a parasite. -
Zero net worth at 30 is actually probably fine. A lot of people have negative net worth at that age.
Why do you think a single 30 year old needs to be a homeowner? -
Bring Back the 880 wrote:
Zero net worth at 30 is actually probably fine. A lot of people have negative net worth at that age.
Why do you think a single 30 year old needs to be a homeowner?
I don't. I rent myself. I was breaking down her finances. Living paycheck to paycheck while having equity in a home is different than living paycheck to paycheck and renting.
I'm not really sure how she's going to "save more" if she's currently living paycheck to paycheck and is not spending hugely excessively. We do live in reality. -
she's probably going to have a better life than you.
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So?
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70g wrote:
I don't. I rent myself. I was breaking down her finances. Living paycheck to paycheck while having equity in a home is different than living paycheck to paycheck and renting.
I'm not really sure how she's going to "save more" if she's currently living paycheck to paycheck and is not spending hugely excessively. We do live in reality.
Renting is actually better if you don't have savings because a repair won't put you into a crisis.
If you're going to be in the same place for 10 or more years, the forced savings can be good for people that don't save in other ways though.
You're absolutely correct and that housing situation is a detail worth considering. Renting your own place is a huge step above living at home, so that detail goes in the plus column unless she has really flaky roommates. -
No. You're screwed. She will marry you and then divorce you and take all your savings.
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She's still relatively young and if she can suck a golf ball through a garden hose then she has an infinite amount of worth to someone.
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Sagacious AF wrote:
Can't answer without pics?
Seriously this is the correct answer. If she is really hot she could be in deep debt and still, in your words, not be totally screwed.
Or maybe more correctly she would frequently be screwed. -
I think this may be a serious post.
Most people have no net worth at age 30.
I know I didn't.
There is no rule of what net worth you should have at any age except to have enough when you do retire.
Some people are way too into saving.
You can actually get through life without saving a single penny in a retirement account.
Just buy a house at some time and have it paid off by the time you retire.
Example - Buy a house at age 40. Work until you are seventy.
Then get a reverse mortgage.
With income from social security and money from the reverse mortgage while having no house payment, you can easily manage your utility bills, eat well and have some extra spending money for the rest of your life.
In the meantime, you can spend all of your earnings as you go without saving, if you choose so.
(I do suggest taking advantage of a company 401k to get the company match. That's extra income to you)
Saving is good. But not necessary.
I am serious.
And your girlfriend will be fine with or without you. -
You sound like a condescending dweeb without much grasp on reality of how a lot of people live.
Also the red flag is definitey for her - wow I would hate to be your gf. -
There are lots of 30 year old people still paying off college loans, so don't get too worked up over this. If other than a few thou on a car loan she is debt free, then she is in better shape than most.
As someone else suggested, get her started in some sort of retirement plan as soon as possible. -
I declared bankruptcy when I was in my early 30s.
I'm in my late 50s now and I own two houses outright, no debt.
Planning, hard work, and yes a bit of luck / timing.
So maybe don't sweat it. -
If she's good looking, she needs to find a guy that's loaded 😉
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She's definitely screwed if she stays with you.
Where do you get off calling her a parasite? -
Flounder wrote:
She's definitely screwed if she stays with you.
Where do you get off calling her a parasite?
I didn't call her a parasite. I said if I were to marry her she would become one. I'm 31 and have a net worth of around $115,000. With such a huge mismatch in finances it's only natural that she will end up benefiting a great deal financially while I will lose a great deal financially. Yes, I understand as a man that's how it typically works, but it's generally not so lopsided, especially when kids are not even in the picture. Her financial skills are abysmal; mine are above average. I would rather be with someone closer to my level.
You guys are clearly a bunch of chumps who are in no better financial situations.
