First job out of college- questions about benefits.

Dead of Knight

Dead of Knight

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I wanted to make this thread because I want honest, real people answers to this shit in addition to the HR BS. Any links would be great too.

First, 401(k)s. My job's matching contribution is pretty shitty. 25% of up to 6%. Should I even bother? I am very risk averse as well. The "recommended" life cycle option is almost all equity (stocks). I don't feel comfortable with the stock market, especially now. Would mostly bonds be a better idea for me or what?

EDIT: Any money that would be going into a 401(k) normally if I decide not to have one would definitely be going into savings of some sort anyway. I am a very disciplined saver, but also very risk averse.

Now, health insurance. We have a choice between Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna. The plans cost the same and have extremely similar benefits, so the choice is basically between the companies and their customer service and attitude. I was on BCBS with my parents and they seemed ok, but I don't know. I've also heard bad things about Cigna, but I wanted to consult with CAGs.

If I have any more questions I'll post them. Anyone else can post relevant questions too.
 
Are you eligible for a 401K match right away? Some companies have a wait period before they do any matching.

Keep in mind 401K is taken out pre-tax, so your taxable income in less same as insurance.

Regarding health plans: extremely similar =/= exactly similar. Look at things like co-pays, deductibles, maximum out-of-pocket, what is 'in network'/'out-of-network' coverage with regards to your health and travel patterns.
 
Can you use the same Doctors in each plan? If you already have a doctor that you see regularly, you can even ask their office which they prefer... I have BCBS... they always seem to do me right.

And 401K, especially now, is always a good thing. The market is down, you can gain some good money over the long term.

As far as the 25% match... 100% is ideal, I don't know how many places do that, my company does, but think of it this way. Even if it's only 25%... it's FREE money.
 
Id say go with the benefit of equity in stocks or mutual funds if possible. Just because the markets are poor now is perfect reason why it would be the best idea to invest in stocks now... once the markets hit the alltime low, over time your funds will appreciate greater then if you had gone the bond route.

Assuming you have the time to "wait the market out", Id say go with the stocks / mutual fund if you have the option.

Also, what Ive always been taught is always take advantage of your companies matching. Even if its 25% of 6% your still making free money essentially, unless you ABSOLUTELY need funds at this time. But still... assuming (on average) youre making 35,000 (albeit that may be the low side) thats still 525 bucks for simply having them take advantage of using your funds now.

For health I have never heard of Cigna, only red cross blue shield. IMO its personal preference. I would try to see if any of them have the lowest copay and utilize that... then again I am in good health and a non smoker / well under suggested weight so Id feel I wouldnt need any real intensive coverage and would focus more on taking out a good whole life policy.
 
[quote name='Steggy']Id say go with the benefit of equity in stocks or mutual funds if possible. Just because the markets are poor now is perfect reason why it would be the best idea to invest in stocks now... once the markets hit the alltime low, over time your funds will appreciate greater then if you had gone the bond route.

Assuming you have the time to "wait the market out", Id say go with the stocks / mutual fund if you have the option.
[/QUOTE]

I agree with this. If I were you I wouldn't be averse to going this route just because the market is bad right now. My company has a wait period before they'll start matching, but if yours doesn't than you should certainly take advantage. I work for a nonprofit so I have a 403b, but I think they function pretty much the same.

As for health insurance, my biggest consideration has always been what doctors I could choose. I don't really know enough about the health plans you're offered since my company uses different ones. Doesn't sound like there is too much of a difference. If in doubt, there's no harm in asking your new coworkers.

Also... Congrats on finding a job right out of college in this economy!
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']First, 401(k)s. My job's matching contribution is pretty shitty. 25% of up to 6%. Should I even bother? [/QUOTE]

Is there someplace else where you can put that 6% and it will instantly return 25% with some future risk?

If you have student loan debts, yes because the interest is tax deductible.

If you have credit card debts, yes because there is no risk factor.
 
The health plans are literally exactly the same in terms of deductibles, co-pays, max out-of-pocket, etc except for a few obscure procedures. Obviously since I had BCBS with my parents, I would be able to keep the same doctors, but I was wondering as to the quality of Cigna. The 401(k) matching begins on the first day of the 2nd full month after we're hired, which is 11/1 for me. Good idea on asking coworkers about which comapny to pick, I'll have to do that.

I have zero debts. I guess I'll just dump the 6% in the 401(k). Anyone have any thoughts about general allocation? Remember that I'm fairly risk averse. My fiance is as well and he's had a large amount of his 401(k) in international funds because he doesn't trust the US market. :lol:
 
I would max out that 6% 401K because it is pre-tax, free money from the company, and also helps with your income tax each year.

BCBS seem to have a better rep than Cigna. I have been through both companies. Didn't use my insurance much so I won't be able to list specifics. Also look at whether flexible spending is an option.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']Is there someplace else where you can put that 6% and it will instantly return 25% with some future risk?

If you have student loan debts, yes because the interest is tax deductible.

If you have credit card debts, yes because there is no risk factor.[/QUOTE]
Am I misreading this or are you telling her to pay off her (likely
 
For the 401K, since it's a match, you have to toss money into it instead of the company giving you money. If you can afford the 6%, you might as well get 7.25% out of the situation with the match, since it's free money. As others have said, it's tax deductible, so it'll reduce your wages for taxes, so that'll save a little money.

Since you're young, you should pick something that has some decent growth potential, and as we're going through the beginnings of a market shift out of a recession/bad economy (no, I don't think it's over, though I think we're starting to shift towards getting out of this mess), it would be a good time to invest with the market starting to shift.

Also, your company's contributions may not vest until you've been there for a while, so you need to keep in mind that you may not get that matched money until you've been there 3-5 years, unless they vest immediately or in a shorter timeframe. Plus, unless you plan to retire at that company, you may need to move your 401K to another company's 401K or to another option.

For the health insurance situation, my company shifted health care providers every year for the past few years, though they've been doing that to try and not stick us with some ugly increases. They pick up the cost of my health care coverage, which is a nice perk. Between BCBS and Cigna, it would really depend on the doctors you have to pick from, what they have to offer in discounts, co-pays and the like. I would hope that there's a nice chart to compare the two options and see which one pays what for each type of care.

I've gone from BCBS to Aetna to BCBS/Anthem, and for me, they've been all about the same, just some changes in co-pays and drug coverages. I've never had Cigna, so can't offer any direct experiences with them. BCBS/Anthem has been competent enough for my uses of their services.
 
You most certainly should put in at least the 6% that gets you the 25% match. It's free money, an automatic 25% return on the money you invest. It also lowers your taxable income.

At your age, you should definitely invest aggressively in stocks. If your retirement is 20-30 years out, over time you will make out much better than if you invested far more conservatively. By making regular contributions, you dollar cost average into the market which smooths out losses over time. Even though the market looks scary now (though it has been bouncing up quite nicely as of late), over the long term, there is no other way to beat inflation and you won't do so if you invest too conservatively. Just saving money in a money market account isn't going to help it grow as inflation will lower the value of your money over time. Investing in equities is the best way long-term to grow your retirement money and that does entail some risk. However time is on your side, don't worry too much about the short term as you have a long way to go until you need to access those funds for retirement.

If you're risk averse then stick 70% in a straight up S&P 500 index fund and the other 30% in a bond index fund. However, I strongly encourage you to take a more aggressive approach (15-25% in international stocks, 20-30% in small cap) which over time will give you a far better return as long as you can stomach volatility.

As to health insurance, you should check to make sure your doctors are part of their network. Even if the plans cost the same, if your specialist for example is not in their network, your copay will be higher. BCBS is probably the safest option in this regard since they are so big almost any doctor will be part of their network but be sure to do your due diligence.
 
[quote name='dopa345']
If you're risk averse then stick 70% in a straight up S&P 500 index fund and the other 30% in a bond index fund. However, I strongly encourage you to take a more aggressive approach (15-25% in international stocks, 20-30% in small cap) which over time will give you a far better return as long as you can stomach volatility.
[/QUOTE]

The more aggressive approach: Are you saying 15-25 in international, 20-30 small cap, and the rest bonds, or is the rest something else?

Thanks all for the great advice. Keep 'em coming.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']The more aggressive approach: Are you saying 15-25 in international, 20-30 small cap, and the rest bonds, or is the rest something else?

Thanks all for the great advice. Keep 'em coming.[/QUOTE]The 401K managing company should have some possible investment scenarios that cover these types of investment styles. See if they have an "aggressive" one and a "growth" one and figure out what they have in them for their makeup.
 
Definitely do the 401K, think of the 25% match as a guaranteed return on the money. You can afford to take risk with your investments too, you probably won't be needing the money again for another 30 years, get more conservative as it gets closer to time to withdraw it. You will lose some years, sometimes big, and win some years also big, but over decades you will almost certainly come out far ahead of where you would with bonds. For example an index fund that I use for my Roth IRA is up almost 50% since March of this year. I made my annual contribution around then when the stock market had bottomed out. On the other hand share I bought in 2006 and 2007 were hit hard by the recession last winter/this spring, but have pretty much bounced back to the prices I paid and will probably continue growing.

As for the insurance I can't really help you. All I know about insurance companies mainly concerns prescription coverage which you are probably not really needing right out of college anyway. Blue Cross seems popular around here but they have some dumb restrictions; they will both be a pain in the ass either way I'm sure.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']As crazy as it sounds, yes. That and I misposted about the tax deduction unless her loans give her the option to prepay interest.

There is no risk. Her interest rate may be less than 10 percent, but there is never a risk in paying off debt. Stock market? How has that been the last 18 months?

Let's try another angle.

She is the low woman on the totem pole. This year, she might be a hot commodity. Next year, she might be one of the 20% unemployed and underemployed. If she pays off her student loans among other debts, she can go deliver pizza and keep her same lifestyle.

Same principle if she burns out, suddenly wants to be a mother or wants to buy a house.

401k is a good tool for retirement. No debt is the best tool for building wealth.[/QUOTE]
While this is true, unless she has very small loans, the amount she would be contributing to her 401k would do very little to pay down her student loan debt (maybe they'd be paid off in 2020 instead of 2025), particularly if a job loss occurred suddenly.

So if you have the means to pay off your student loans, do it, but I wouldn't advise neglecting retirement savings in your 20s to do so.
 
Actually prescription coverage is an issue. I take 2 prescriptions, but they are both generic, for anxiety and birth control.

[quote name='botticus']While this is true, unless she has very small loans, the amount she would be contributing to her 401k would do very little to pay down her student loan debt (maybe they'd be paid off in 2020 instead of 2025), particularly if a job loss occurred suddenly.

So if you have the means to pay off your student loans, do it, but I wouldn't advise neglecting retirement savings in your 20s to do so.[/QUOTE]

Again, I have no debts.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']The more aggressive approach: Are you saying 15-25 in international, 20-30 small cap, and the rest bonds, or is the rest something else?

Thanks all for the great advice. Keep 'em coming.[/QUOTE]

That's WAY too conservative for your age. You really should be looking at a much higher % in stocks. You aren't even going to be able to touch this money until you retire, which is a minimum of what, 25-30 years from now?

Who is the 401k provider? Fidelity? Vanguard? They are going to have target funds that you can pick that will allocate things appropriate to your retirement time frame if so.
 
For reference, my 2040 target fund has ~60% domestic stocks, ~30% foreign stock, ~10% bonds. Added more stocks though, investing is apparently the only place I'm not really risk-averse.

[quote name='Dead of Knight'] Again, I have no debts.[/QUOTE]
Even better, now you just need to worry about your savings beating inflation!
 
DoK,

I'll reiterate the same advice my uncle gave me on my 401(k), based on a salary of $50k/yr:

Invest at least $10,000/year into your 401(k), through the combined self investments, company matching, and company investments. To give you some insight as to what this means:

I contribute: 14% Pre-Tax
Company Matches: 6% Max
Company Contributes: 3% (Static Amount based on Age)

Investments:
Large Company Value - 35%
Large Company Core - 35%
My Own Company - 30% (This was because my company had a history of strong performance, and was currently dirt cheap due to the economic crisis).

I've worked 6 months, have contributed about $3000 of my own money, had an additional $2000 put in by my company, and have made about $900 in profit during that time, a 37.5% increase in performance, spread evenly across the 3 stocks.

Unfortunately, I don't have any advice for you on Health Insurance, as I have not used any of those companies.

~HotShotX
 
do the 401k. youre just turning down free money.

as for the plans. the benefits might be the same, but there could be other differences? what type of plans are they? hmo? ppo? ffs? pos? that can make a big difference. also, they may have different doctors that accept the insurance, that could be a huge difference. you dont want to take cigna if your favorite doctor doesnt accept it.
 
My company pretty much covers all my medical, dental, and vision. There's no co-pay, and if anything there's a tiny deductible.
We have some sort of profit sharing, something like they match for the first few years 10% of what you put in. I get to attend a meeting on this next week.

Might due better to put my money into my mutual funds or my Roth, but since I lost my other job that paid better the Roth has been getting nothing.
 
Investments are really just up to you. You should have a variety of options to choose from based on your risk.

I went with a 2040 one that's like 90% stocks or something, it's actually done ok this year. I have a much better plan though as I contribute 5% and my employer 9% of my paycheck each month. It's not a 401K, but rather the higher education equivalent.

Benefits wise, I couldn't tell you. I've had Blue Cross and no problems, and had Aetna with no issues before that. Haven't used the other.
 
[quote name='Gentlegamer']I hate you.[/QUOTE]

Me, too.

In the case of no debt, put the full 15% into your 401k and max out Roth IRAs for you and your spouse.

After that, start piling up money for a downpayment on a simple house and emergency funds.

Since I don't think you're having kids, you should be able to retire long before you're 40.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']Me, too.

In the case of no debt, put the full 15% into your 401k and max out Roth IRAs for you and your spouse.

After that, start piling up money for a downpayment on a simple house and emergency funds.

Since I don't think you're having kids, you should be able to retire long before you're 40.[/QUOTE]

I don't like to talk about this really, but since we're on the subject of money and stockpiling it....

I had a trust made up of money my aunt (who worked as a secretary and was childless) saved for me to go to college. For this, I am extremely fortunate and grateful as she was strictly middle class and not wealthy at all (however, she worked for the govt so she had sweet benefits as well as a good retirement plan, probably the only reason she could do it). The money was accrued in savings bonds and not a 529 plan, so it's real money. My parents ended up paying for my college and let me keep the money. So I was handed about $45k after graduation from college. Along with the other savings I had, I have about $60k in my bank accounts total right now, along with no debts. Since I'm so risk averse I only have the majority of the money in an ING savings account (had the same rates as the CDs they were offering and were way higher than the local bank's savings or CDs), and a couple thousand in regular liquid checking and savings account with a local bank. It's not invested at all since I have no fucking clue what to do with it and like I said, I'm very risk averse.

So basically, what I'm saying is, I have an emergency fund and basically what amounts to a DP on a house already. I would buy a house in this sweet-ass market but we don't plan on staying in Ohio for more than a few years unless I end up wanting to stay here for my job. So I basically just have a pile of money sitting there that I don't have any intention of spending on anything in the near future. If anyone can give me any advice on where to put it (or to keep it in the accounts as is), it'd be much appreciated. Remember, fairly low risk shit only.
 
[quote name='Gentlegamer']Now I really, truly, hate you.[/QUOTE]

I hate her more.

I hope you truly truly appreciate your privilege and never go around talking about how some poor people should've worked harder like some other privileged assholes do.
 
[quote name='SpazX']I hate her more.

I hope you truly truly appreciate your privilege and never go around talking about how some poor people should've worked harder like some other privileged assholes do.[/QUOTE]

Oh, no way, I'm not one of those people. I really do appreciate it and like I said, I'm pretty embarrassed that I even posted it in this thread. I hope people don't think I'm not a cheapass anymore, because I still am. :X
 
I've had BCBS for 2 years now with no problems. Can't comment on Cigna since I haven't had them. If you have a preferred doctor you had before, find out which network they are in to prevent high costs. Find out what plan works for you (HMO/PPO, etc) since each plan differs in coverage/co-pay. Usually the general rule is lesser premium = higher co-payment and vice versa...At least from what I've seen.

You can also watch *flame shield on* SiCKO by Michael Moore if you want to more info on which health insurance is screwing you over more. I think he really demonizes Cigna in the documentary. It's interesting to say the least.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']The more aggressive approach: Are you saying 15-25 in international, 20-30 small cap, and the rest bonds, or is the rest something else?

Thanks all for the great advice. Keep 'em coming.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

My suggestion is roughly 50% large cap, 15-25% international/emerging markets and 25-35% in small/mid cap. The simplest way to do this is sticking with index funds across the board (S&P 500, small cap and international stock index) which will guarantee you at least close to the market return. This is just for your stock mix. If you want some bond funds, I would suggest no more than 20% of your contribution and even that is pretty conservative.

An even simpler route is using target date funds. Many retirement plans offer a fun d that automatically adjusts your stock and bond mix over time (more aggressive early on then more conservative as you approach retirement age). Personally, I like having control over my investments so I prefer to allocate it myself, but if you're new at this, a target fund is a good option at the start. You can always change your mind later.

The key is remembering that investing for retirement is like running a marathon, not a sprint. The market is volatile but it eventually goes up.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Oh, no way, I'm not one of those people. I really do appreciate it and like I said, I'm pretty embarrassed that I even posted it in this thread. I hope people don't think I'm not a cheapass anymore, because I still am. :X[/QUOTE]

Hey, you can stay a cheapass and I won't tell anybody...for a price.

To add something maybe a bit more relevant: I would take blue cross over Cigna. I don't have too much info on blue cross, my gf's family had it and I haven't heard anything bad, but I know when I was younger and my dad had Cigna we ended up going to some shitty dentist (he apparently didn't even like to use novocain or anything to numb up my parents). I remember one time he was doing that post-cleaning look over my teeth thing, and he was about to get up in my mouth and shit (I don't know how to say that without it sounding dirty), but he asked the assistant what insurance I had and after she told him he kinda backed off, glanced at my teeth, and said "they look good" or something like that, and walked off.
 
1 - The 401k. Any matching is free money. Like others have said it comes out pre-tax, further increasing the goodness. If you can afford it, I'd recommend putting at least enough away to get full matching from them.

2 - I can't speak for Cigna but I've had BCBS as my health plan for 12 years. I don't use it all that much, but the one time I needed something expensive from them, an exploratory surgery that came to about $7,000 they attempted to screw me over. It took filing an appeal with the Office of Personnel Management at my job to get BCBS to honor the claim. The whole ordeal is a long story but it basically came down to they ok'd the surgery then later tried to claim they didn't.
 
The quality of BCBS varies from state from state, so you'll want to research yours. I use BCBS and would choose them over Cigna without any other information. Your insurance mileage will vary, but if you find a company that pays for everything you need, stay with them regardless of how bad the customer service may seem.

In your case, I would put as much money as you can into your 401k. It's about as low risk as it gets. The only problem is that the money is tied up until you're old and gray, but your savings will mitigate that.

If you don't want to invest in a home, which is understandable in your circumstances, you should consult a financial adviser on how to hold your savings. If it's all in cash, you need an informed opinion on the likelihood of inflation and invest accordingly, however you conclude.
 
I put 6% in my 401k(effectively 10% after match) - in the 2045 retirement fund at Vanguard, i believe. I'll let them do their thing, since I have no idea how that world works. Wife is a teacher, so if that all plays out well her pension will be enough to live off alone with my 401k as just extra gravy.
 
First of all, you need to at least take advantage of whatever match your employer offers because that is just free money and over the long term will serve you very well. From that point, if you can go with the reduced take home pay then you should contribute the maximum amount per year that the government will allow on a pre-tax basis.

Secondly, I think the op said at some point that his wife was invested in foreign markets because they didn't trust the US markets. That is basically backwards. While the US markets do have a ton of hurdles to overcome. The overseas markets are much more volitile on a historical basis than the US markets so if you are not comfortable with big swings then you really shouldn't be looking at the foreign markets.

Finally, the markets "sucking" is all a matter of perspective. Sure if you were buying at 1500 on the S&P then yeah the markets have been sucking but if you have been trading or even just dollar cost averaging during the downturn then you would have been making a killing in this "crappy market."

I'm a pretty aggressive investor, being a full time trader, but since you are quite young and have a long time before retirement and since you have no debt; you are in a very good position to take on some added risk over the next few years. IMO, you should be about 90% stocks at this point. From there I would allocate the stock aspect to something like 25% S&P 500 index fund, 25% small cap aggressive growth, 25% foreign growth (over-weighted toward China, India and Brazil if you can), 25% some form of commodity/energy fund.

But if you just hold cash in some money market account you are probably going to be losing money on an inflation adjusted basis for quite some time to come.

Make sure you keep an eye on the expense ratios and fees of the funds you are looking at though because they can impact your total return quite significantly, especially funds that are geared toward foreign stocks.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']I don't like to talk about this really, but since we're on the subject of money and stockpiling it....

I had a trust made up of money my aunt (who worked as a secretary and was childless) saved for me to go to college. For this, I am extremely fortunate and grateful as she was strictly middle class and not wealthy at all (however, she worked for the govt so she had sweet benefits as well as a good retirement plan, probably the only reason she could do it). The money was accrued in savings bonds and not a 529 plan, so it's real money. My parents ended up paying for my college and let me keep the money. So I was handed about $45k after graduation from college. Along with the other savings I had, I have about $60k in my bank accounts total right now, along with no debts. Since I'm so risk averse I only have the majority of the money in an ING savings account (had the same rates as the CDs they were offering and were way higher than the local bank's savings or CDs), and a couple thousand in regular liquid checking and savings account with a local bank. It's not invested at all since I have no fucking clue what to do with it and like I said, I'm very risk averse.

So basically, what I'm saying is, I have an emergency fund and basically what amounts to a DP on a house already. I would buy a house in this sweet-ass market but we don't plan on staying in Ohio for more than a few years unless I end up wanting to stay here for my job. So I basically just have a pile of money sitting there that I don't have any intention of spending on anything in the near future. If anyone can give me any advice on where to put it (or to keep it in the accounts as is), it'd be much appreciated. Remember, fairly low risk shit only.[/QUOTE]

If you have that much in liquid assets, you should consider looking into opening up a power checking account/savings with a local credit union. Usually they will require you to have a direct deposit into the account or pay a certain number of bills using their bill pay. But once you meet those requirement each month, you are paid an interest of ~3% or so on the balance of your account. you can make a couple of hundreds each month using this method. It is much better than keeping your money in CDs, where your assets are not liquid.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']I wanted to make this thread because I want honest, real people answers to this shit in addition to the HR BS. Any links would be great too.

First, 401(k)s. My job's matching contribution is pretty shitty. 25% of up to 6%. Should I even bother? I am very risk averse as well. The "recommended" life cycle option is almost all equity (stocks). I don't feel comfortable with the stock market, especially now. Would mostly bonds be a better idea for me or what?

EDIT: Any money that would be going into a 401(k) normally if I decide not to have one would definitely be going into savings of some sort anyway. I am a very disciplined saver, but also very risk averse.

Now, health insurance. We have a choice between Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna. The plans cost the same and have extremely similar benefits, so the choice is basically between the companies and their customer service and attitude. I was on BCBS with my parents and they seemed ok, but I don't know. I've also heard bad things about Cigna, but I wanted to consult with CAGs.

If I have any more questions I'll post them. Anyone else can post relevant questions too.[/QUOTE]

As for 401K, you should definitely put money in up to 6% to take advantage of the FREE money i.e. the match.

As for health plan, I am personally on BCBS and have been happy with their customer service.
 
I have had Cigna for 10 years now as my insurance. I think they are great. They have comparable co-pays for Doctor visits and prescriptions, and online prescriptions as well at a decent savings. And thier Customer Service is really good in my experience in dealing with them. As an example, my wife went into labor at 24 weeks, and required bed rest at the hospital for nearly 2 months. They covered everything 100% without batting an eyelash, except for my $250 co-pay, but refunded my $50 Emergency room co-pay because she was admitted. They also covered my sons 10 day stay in the NICU when he finally arrived. Also, many BCBS doctors also take Cigna. Just my $.02. Just wanted to throw out my experience with Cigna.

Also, you should really invest into your 401K as much as you possibly can. Since you are young, I would be aggressive. And the stock market right now looks like it's about to take off, so don't shy away from stocks. My 401k portfolio is up almost 25% this year alone.
 
[quote name='BillyBob29']
Secondly, I think the op said at some point that his wife was invested in foreign markets because they didn't trust the US markets. That is basically backwards. While the US markets do have a ton of hurdles to overcome. The overseas markets are much more volitile on a historical basis than the US markets so if you are not comfortable with big swings then you really shouldn't be looking at the foreign markets.
[/QUOTE]

Just wanted to say that I'm a female and he's not my husband until April. :lol:

He's more thinking long-term. He thinks the US is going to go into a big decline over the next several decades (like the fall of an empire) and that the international markets will end up stronger. I know, it doesn't make shit for sense right now considering the US is still less volatile compared to international, but that's his logic. So yeah....

Considering the stock market is probably going to go up in the short term, as for some reason Wall Street thinks that the recession is over (which is BS IMO), I suppose it would make sense to invest a lot in stocks for my 401(k) right now. I really appreciate all the advice and info. When it came to healthcare, I was looking more for personal experiences like Number83's, as I know I can just compare the plans myself (and like I said, they're almost identical). I am relatively new to the area and I don't have a permanent doctor yet. I went to a PC physician a couple months ago but I didn't really like her, so I am definitely looking to switch. That's the only doctor I've been to in this area, so I am basically looking for new doctors anyway. So the main issue between the two insurers would be the quality of customer service and such.
 
Sorry about that.

I definately agree with your soon to be husband in terms of the foreign markets being stronger on a total return basis than our markets over the years to come but if you are looking to avoid volitility then you may want to invest in more stateside assets.
 
[quote name='diaeresis']The quality of BCBS varies from state from state, so you'll want to research yours.[/QUOTE]


This. Ultimately each BCBS is a franchise per state, so you'll want to investigate yours and compare them to Cigna. I've had good experiences with BCBS here in Alabama, but of course they also hold over 80% of the state's medical insurance, and your experience will vary. I've also heard good things about Cigna, but have no personal experience.

Your best bet is try to talk to someone who has had to has had to use either and ask them about their experience and how easy it was to deal with claims. To me, if you have cheap copays but it takes an act of congress in order to get a claim paid, I would choose someone else, even if the copays are slightly higher. It may not make much of a difference if all you do is yearly checkups/general sickness, but if you ever have some sort of accident where medical bills run well over $20,000, it makes all the difference in the world.

I really should be more proactive about my investments, but my company matches up to 3%, so I'm at least doing that. Like DoK, I'm in a similar situation to where I don't have any debts, and am not sure where I want to live at the moment. Thankfully, my credit union has a pretty decent return on savings right now (2.02%~) so I can have emergency money in addition to a possible down payment for a house whenever I decide to settle.
 
Yeah, I'm probably gonna ask around, particularly to my "buddy" that they've assigned to me, about the healthcare plans and experiences around the office with the different plans (ie has anyone gotten screwed). You're supposed to be able to ask the buddy the more candid questions such as that, so hopefully it will help.

BillyBob29, no need to be sorry. I just wanted to clarify for future reference. :D

I just made a thread in Other Deals and Requests about getting a first credit card. Since it's kind of related I thought I would post a link to it at a tailend of a post: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6300181#post6300181
 
[quote name='Number83']Also, you should really invest into your 401K as much as you possibly can. Since you are young, I would be aggressive. And the stock market right now looks like it's about to take off, so don't shy away from stocks. My 401k portfolio is up almost 25% this year alone.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree, I am only 25 and have been contributing to my 401k since it was offered to me. If you are young and have time on your side you most definitely want to invest aggressively, My 401k has gone up 41.470700% This Year and i want to invest more, as i am 6% which is matched 50% so i effectively have 9% but current rates are around 12% for retirement now.

Stocks being down is great for your 401k especially those of us who are starting to invest while they are down. because we are buying them at such low values. You arent losing value instead you are getting more shares for your $$$. :bouncy:

My Investment looks like this after i re-balanced last month.
Short Bonds/Stable/MMkt 0%
Interm./Long-Term Bonds 10%
Aggressive Bonds 5%
Large-Cap Stocks 24%
Small/Mid-Cap Stocks 41%
International Stocks 10%
Multi-Asset/Other 10%
 
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