Political Discussion

[nolalady]

@Joe Mac did you see this?

Classified Ministry of Defence documents found at bus stop

The papers contain details about UK warship HMS Defender and the British military.

www.bbc.com

Classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military have been found at a bus stop in Kent.
One set of documents discusses the likely Russian reaction to the ship's passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast on Wednesday.
Another details plans for a possible UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led Nato operation there ends.
The government said an investigation had been launched.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it is investigating "an incident in which sensitive defence papers were recovered by a member of the public". The MoD employee concerned reported the loss at the time, it said.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

I'm kind of annoyed that once again a boomer told me that I'm living above my means. That I need to get a roommate and cut my expenses in half or move somewhere where rent is cheaper. With many jobs allowing people to work remotely you could move anywhere.

Why is it that they can't seem to offer up any other financial advice to me.

This came up in a discussion about owning versus renting. It's probably easier for me to find a house or condo with a mortgage payment less than my current rent than finding another apartment with cheaper rent in this year. The problem I am having though is no bank will approve me for a mortgage because of my student loan. Too much debt there and to make matters worse, it's defaulted. Even it the payment is a couple hundreds less a month than my rent and I can easily afford it, they won't approve me.

I really want to own something because I'm sick and tired of the 3 to 10 percent rent increase every year. It's not sustainable as it outpaces my income increases.

The general advice was you are not going to get approved for any type of mortgage, and even if you were the interest rate would be astronomical. You need to cut your expenses in half for at least 5 years by having a roommate or moving somewhere where rent is cheaper. Only after your student loans current for 5 years are you likely to be able to get a mortgage. And the fact that you defaulted on them will remain on your credit report probably for the rest of you life, resulting in higher interest rates.

I for sure don't want a roommate other than a significant other sometime down the road and I don't want to just pack up and relocate to the middle of nowhere rural America. The only way moving to rural America would ever work was if I was 100% sure I didn't have to go into the office again or need to be close to other jobs if I ever need to jump around or get laid off. Not to mention, I wouldn't feel comfortable living in a sea of red.

In just under 5 years from now I'll be 40. And I would like to own my own place by then. But unless I see a substantial increases in wages, I just don't see that happening. Anyone have any advice with helping me reach this goal. Advice that is not telling me my rent is too high and that I'm living above my means. I can't control rent other than relocating and that's really not on the table at the moment.

 

[debianlinux]

I defaulted my student loans, eventually paid them back, credit score has been over 800 for at least 10 years and was high 700's for 10 years prior to that. I'm not saying you're in shit, but a default does not necessitate permanently marred credit.

 

[Dtknuckles]

I defaulted my student loans, eventually paid them back, credit score has been over 800 for at least 10 years and was high 700's for 10 years prior to that. I'm not saying you're in shit, but a default does not necessitate permanently marred credit.

Yea I defaulted on some Cc debt because of school and still hadn’t payed it off when I went to buy a house. It wasn’t a problem.

 

[jaycee]

I'm kind of annoyed that once again a boomer told me that I'm living above my means. That I need to get a roommate and cut my expenses in half or move somewhere where rent is cheaper. With many jobs allowing people to work remotely you could move anywhere.

Why is it that they can't seem to offer up any other financial advice to me.

This came up in a discussion about owning versus renting. It's probably easier for me to find a house or condo with a mortgage payment less than my current rent than finding another apartment with cheaper rent in this year. The problem I am having though is no bank will approve me for a mortgage because of my student loan. Too much debt there and to make matters worse, it's defaulted. Even it the payment is a couple hundreds less a month than my rent and I can easily afford it, they won't approve me.

I really want to own something because I'm sick and tired of the 3 to 10 percent rent increase every year. It's not sustainable as it outpaces my income increases.

The general advice was you are not going to get approved for any type of mortgage, and even if you were the interest rate would be astronomical. You need to cut your expenses in half for at least 5 years by having a roommate or moving somewhere where rent is cheaper. Only after your student loans current for 5 years are you likely to be able to get a mortgage. And the fact that you defaulted on them will remain on your credit report probably for the rest of you life, resulting in higher interest rates.

I for sure don't want a roommate other than a significant other sometime down the road and I don't want to just pack up and relocate to the middle of nowhere rural America. The only way moving to rural America would ever work was if I was 100% sure I didn't have to go into the office again or need to be close to other jobs if I ever need to jump around or get laid off. Not to mention, I wouldn't feel comfortable living in a sea of red.

In just under 5 years from now I'll be 40. And I would like to own my own place by then. But unless I see a substantial increases in wages, I just don't see that happening. Anyone have any advice with helping me reach this goal. Advice that is not telling me my rent is too high and that I'm living above my means. I can't control rent other than relocating and that's really not on the table at the moment.

If you want to talk about some of this stuff feel free to DM me. I'm going through the home purchasing, mortgage stuff right now. I wouldn't say a home is out of reach for you even without a downpayment, although that might not end-up being the best investment.

Other than that the "advice" you're getting isn't helpful and coming from people based on belief rather than real financial understanding or practicality.

What your expectations for home ownership can be has everything to with where you choose to live and how you choose to live with your take home pay.

I've moved several times to be able to have a job that paid enough in a place that was affordable enough and offered me enough of what I wanted in life to be able to purchase a home. I'm not saying that's the right thing to do for anybody else. It's just what my situation dictated to me. If you choose to live in Boston and the nearby suburbs I don't doubt there are options for you... you will just need to consider what compromises you can live with and which ones you can't. We all have to do this unless we are independently wealthy.

 

[Dtknuckles]

Yea I defaulted on some Cc debt because of school and still hadn’t payed it off when I went to buy a house. It wasn’t a problem.

I’m actually making the last of those payments on that debt next month. I’ve had a home for three years. I think we are close to 100k appreciation since buying it.

 

[Joe Mac]

@Joe Mac did you see this?

Classified Ministry of Defence documents found at bus stop

The papers contain details about UK warship HMS Defender and the British military.

www.bbc.com

Classified Ministry of Defence documents containing details about HMS Defender and the British military have been found at a bus stop in Kent.
One set of documents discusses the likely Russian reaction to the ship's passage through Ukrainian waters off the Crimea coast on Wednesday.
Another details plans for a possible UK military presence in Afghanistan after the US-led Nato operation there ends.
The government said an investigation had been launched.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it is investigating "an incident in which sensitive defence papers were recovered by a member of the public". The MoD employee concerned reported the loss at the time, it said.

No I hadnt, been up to 11 all day with work and then some bits to do in the evening.

That’s both shocking beyond belief and also in a weird sort of way I’m not even remotely surprised…

 

[AnthonyI]

I'm kind of annoyed that once again a boomer told me that I'm living above my means. That I need to get a roommate and cut my expenses in half or move somewhere where rent is cheaper. With many jobs allowing people to work remotely you could move anywhere.

Why is it that they can't seem to offer up any other financial advice to me.

This came up in a discussion about owning versus renting. It's probably easier for me to find a house or condo with a mortgage payment less than my current rent than finding another apartment with cheaper rent in this year. The problem I am having though is no bank will approve me for a mortgage because of my student loan. Too much debt there and to make matters worse, it's defaulted. Even it the payment is a couple hundreds less a month than my rent and I can easily afford it, they won't approve me.

I really want to own something because I'm sick and tired of the 3 to 10 percent rent increase every year. It's not sustainable as it outpaces my income increases.

The general advice was you are not going to get approved for any type of mortgage, and even if you were the interest rate would be astronomical. You need to cut your expenses in half for at least 5 years by having a roommate or moving somewhere where rent is cheaper. Only after your student loans current for 5 years are you likely to be able to get a mortgage. And the fact that you defaulted on them will remain on your credit report probably for the rest of you life, resulting in higher interest rates.

I for sure don't want a roommate other than a significant other sometime down the road and I don't want to just pack up and relocate to the middle of nowhere rural America. The only way moving to rural America would ever work was if I was 100% sure I didn't have to go into the office again or need to be close to other jobs if I ever need to jump around or get laid off. Not to mention, I wouldn't feel comfortable living in a sea of red.

In just under 5 years from now I'll be 40. And I would like to own my own place by then. But unless I see a substantial increases in wages, I just don't see that happening. Anyone have any advice with helping me reach this goal. Advice that is not telling me my rent is too high and that I'm living above my means. I can't control rent other than relocating and that's really not on the table at the moment.

Whoever told you this, needs a slap of reality. They need to come out of their bubble of what they "perceive" America to still be.........this coming from a Boomer "Technically", 1964.

You always need to work hard, that isn't dictated by some generational label, but, seeing what my "adult" children are faced with keeps me up at night, I can advise them best I can, but it is by no means a simple task to live a reasonably normal financial life in America anymore, we're now built on grinding the middle class into a never ending treadmill with no end point in sight.

I'll say it again, once all these "Old White Guys" in government kick off or by some miracle are replaced with younger more progressive politicians, it's never going to end.

 

[debianlinux]

Whoever told you this, needs a slap of reality. They need to come out of their bubble of what they "perceive" America to still be.........this coming from a Boomer "Technically", 1964.

You always need to work hard, that isn't dictated by some generational label, but, seeing what my "adult" children are faced with keeps me up at night, I can advise them best I can, but it is by no means a simple task to live a reasonably normal financial life in America anymore, we're now built on grinding the middle class into a never ending treadmill with no end point in sight.

I'll say it again, once all these "Old White Guys" in government kick off or by some miracle are replaced with younger more progressive politicians, it's never going to end.

No, no, you're wrong. In about 50 years it all ends because we put profit ahead of an inhabitable planet.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Some gas stations are running out of gas as we approach the holiday weekend and many more worry that they will run out of gas.

The issue has to do with a shortage of drivers available to drive tanker trucks to gas station. 1/4 of the nations tanker trucks are sitting idle because there are not enough drivers available.

During the pandemic many drivers were laid off. Many of which chose it as an opportunity to retire early.

Now they need to recruit new talent. Which is not easy as they need highly qualified drivers with certifications that take months to get. Some trucking companies have doubled their recruiting budget this year and are still struggling to find enough drivers. Things may not fully return to pre-pandemic and for at least the next 6 months to year, the time it takes new drivers to go through the certifications the driver shortage my cripple our economy. We really too much on fossil fuels.

 

[nolalady]

Some gas stations are running out of gas as we approach the holiday weekend and many more worry that they will run out of gas.

The issue has to do with a shortage of drivers available to drive tanker trucks to gas station. 1/4 of the nations tanker trucks are sitting idle because there are not enough drivers available.

During the pandemic many drivers were laid off. Many of which chose it as an opportunity to retire early.

Now they need to recruit new talent. Which is not easy as they need highly qualified drivers with certifications that take months to get. Some trucking companies have doubled their recruiting budget this year and are still struggling to find enough drivers. Things may not fully return to pre-pandemic and for at least the next 6 months to year, the time it takes new drivers to go through the certifications the driver shortage my cripple our economy. We really too much on fossil fuels.

And had oil companies not bought up rights to green technology and let them sit idle for years because it would decrease their worth, we might actually have green technology that could replace fossil fuels, but unfortunately, we aren't there yet.

Just as an anecdote from my life, my boss is taking another position elsewhere and so are four of my immediate team members. We are having a heck of a time finding and keeping data analysts. I haven't had it confirmed yet, but I knew that it was going to be a blow to the industry once the boomers started retiring. Right now, my organization is not pushing for us to return to the office, but some people in my org are, and I think this threat of returning to the office is enough for people who are very close to retirement to just retire. I really do wonder how this will shake out, because we have a lot of work and not enough analysts.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

One of the things I have been following closely is the articles about Wall Street / the financial / investment industry.

This industry tends to be more conservative and one of the last to adapt new business models. Management fully expects everyone to return to the office. If you can go out to a restaurant you can come into the office mentality. If you are not in the office you are not working.

However, lower and mid level staff don't want to return to the office. They want to continue to be able to work remotely or have hybrid options.

Management is already asking people to come back to the office now optionally, but it's mandatory starting labor day. Most people have not returned to the office and are pushing it out as long as they can. There is speculation that not all will return to the office. Some may leave, some may force the issue of working at home even if it costs them their job.

One analyst said that wall street is in for a wakeup call.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

I think you might be seeing a binary (staying where you are vs. moving to a rural sea of red) that isn't necessarily the case.

Also, a “sea of red” is a bit of a generalized. There are lots of pockets of blue tucked into that sea or red if ideology is a factor. Many major college towns are (Iowa City, Champaign, Knoxville, etc…) very Blue and fairly metropolitan considering their surroundings and all would be assuredly cheaper from a cost of living standpoint than that in the Northeast corridor. I am not saying that @RenegadeMonster should move. He should do whatever makes him happy. I just think the rationale might be a bit flawed.

 

[nolalady]

this is a good phrase

I think you might be seeing a binary (staying where you are vs. moving to a rural sea of red) that isn't necessarily the case.

Also, a “sea of red” is a bit of a generalized. There are lots of pockets of blue tucked into that sea or red if ideology is a factor. Many major college towns are (Iowa City, Champaign, Knoxville, etc…) very Blue and fairly metropolitan considering their surroundings and all would be assuredly cheaper from a cost of living standpoint than that in the Northeast corridor. I am not say that @RenegadeMonster should move. He should do whatever makes him happy. I just think the rationale might be a bit flawed.

Yes, so much this.
While it my sound scary to live in red country, don't knock it until you try it. And I can confirm that around LSU, there's a lot of blue in Baton Rouge, in an otherwise rather red state. NOLA is also a blue beacon in a sea of red. The other thing that I'd like to point out is something I had been reading about regarding the Covid effect. There is a lot of conjecture as to which places will lean red or blue depending on how many people moving from crowded blue areas displace conservative residents. Given that there is real inflation and crime issues, this tends to make all voters lean towards conservatism, so I think the mid-years aren't going to accurately echo the political shifts that might be happening in the sea of red.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

rural areas in blue states

Eh. I am sure you’ve travelled directly East to the Land of Lincoln before. The rural parts of blue states aren’t a whole lot different than the rural parts of red states unfortunately. I think the biggest difference politically is in in rural red states they have to blame California and AOC for all their problems where in rural blue areas you get to also include Seattle and Jay Insley or Chicago and Pritzker.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Eh. I am sure you’ve travelled directly East to the Land of Lincoln before. The rural parts of blue states aren’t a whole lot different than the rural parts of red states unfortunately. I think the biggest difference politically is in in rural red states they have to blame California and AOC for all their problems where in rural blue areas you get to also include Seattle and Jay Insley or Chicago and Pritzker.

Yeah, in Western Massachusetts, which is rural, there is a lot of hate of the liberal populus Eastern portion of the state.

They don't want to pay social services / safety net taxes, pay tolls on the highway, pay for road work out east, pay for public transportation.

In red states the social safety nets are missing. I would feel more comfortable living in a state with expanded medicaid, or has their own health insurance marketplace like Massachusetts. I had to use it during the recession, and it's a life saver that prevented me from being financially crippled.

Bassically, I would prefer to live in a progressive state. And I don't want to be surrounded by people wanting to "own the libs" and complain about them left and right.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Some experts are predicting the hot housing market we are seeing right now is about to end. The demand for housing is expected to decrease soon and the inventory is expected to increase.

The foreclosure moratorium and government-backed forbearance on mortgages and student loans are coming to an end soon. These programs have have stalled home sales for distressed families.

Once these programs come to an end, there will likely be a large increase in inventory of homes on the market. And these types of sales are typically sold at big price discounts.

Thus, the hot market we are seeing right now will not last.

 

[Carl]

This is the equivalent of walking down a crowded sidewalk where someone behind you yellls “Hey, stupid!” and you’re the only one who turns around to look.

Your analogy is as flawed as your, and I’m using this word loosely, logic.

 

[Carl]

Not that what any of what I'm about to say matters and just as you're not interested in my opinion I'm not interested in yours, but your whole performance is sad. It's sad that maybe you had a point to make but couldn't make it, it's sad that a meaningful conversation couldn't happen, it's sad that you've managed to alienate a number of people who align politically with you, it's sad that you've chosen to put this much energy into some dumb shit.

You have less than 50 messages posted. You came into a thread with people who have been part of a community for several years and crapped on the way they were approaching a conversation and an individual because it didn't align with your narrative. Get off your own dick and take a seat.

We all have bad days and your anger and frustration over gun violence and narratives that oppose yours is understandable, but for some reason you would rather scream into the ether, tell everyone else they suck and you're right than actually try to understand perspectives. If you actually gave a damn about making anything better you might try to learn why people believe the shit that they do so that if you really wanted to put energy into changing hearts and minds you could have a reasonable strategy for doing so.

Frankly you're just as full of shit as anyone else and the sooner you figure that out the better the rest of your life will be.

My eyes are brown. And wide open.

This forum is a clown car. Enjoy the limited oxygen and faux intellectualism.

 

[jaycee]

Hold my oxygen tank. I need to search.... define: "faux intellectualism"