So l'll be honest, I fucked up and I completely forgot last year to file my taxes for 2025. At the time I had a freak accident and was on bed rest for quite a while due to my injury back in early 2025 so I completely forgot. Anyways fast forward to today, I got a voicemail allegedly by a tax consultant stating that they are reaching out to me about my missed filings, (I'm assuming it's a scam but idk) and putting me on some sort of relief program so it scared me.

Anyways I never got around to doing it and I'm now concerned if I'm fucked. To put things into prospective on my financial situation l am a junior enlisted active duty troop in the Military, so I'm not swimming in dough. I'm going to look into it once the business week opens up, I currently can't because everything is closed on Sunday.

https://preview.redd.it/fec3djwcu6wg1.jpg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179eb30a72c447fde18289e43dac4e02b3c2824c

I’m looking for a sanity check on a potential home purchase in San Francisco. I’m transitioning into a white collar job and want to see if these numbers are as sustainable as they look on paper. I grew up in section 8 housing/apartments and never lived in a home so home ownership is very new to me.

Bio:

• 35y/o, frugal mindset, no debt.
• GF will be earning 165K but I dont feel right charging her rent and profiting off of her.
• Still trying to figure what neighborhoods to buy. Can get more bang for my buck in Berkeley/Oakland but will feel like I'll be missing out on "SF"
• Want to buy because moved every 2 years since I graduated college and want an "anchor." I know this is an emotional argument but I will feel very transient in renting.
• I could save more by renting but I do I just dump that into my brokerage?
• Concerned about buying at the top of market too...

Financials:

• Income (W2): $175,000 base. (but possible bonus_
• VAD: ~$5,100/mo, tracks inflation.
• Total Monthly Inflow (Net): ~$15,200 (Post-tax)
• Assets: $1.2M (Mix of brokerage, 401k, and HYSA). Current ROI is roughly 4% (know I need to diversify better).

Target Property:

• Price: up to $1.5M (San Francisco/Oakland).
• Loan: VA Jumbo Loan (0% down, waived funding fee).
• Rate: Approved for 5.5%.

Projected Monthly:

• PITA - Total Housing: ~$11,267.

Strategy:

1. Tax Arbitrage: Between the $40k SALT cap and the mortgage interest deduction, I expect my federal tax liability on the $175k salary to be minimal. I plan to adjust my W-4 to increase monthly cash flow.
2. Retirement: I still plan to max 401k ($24.5k) and maybe Backdoor Roth ($7.5k).
3. Cash Flow: After the house and retirement, I’m looking at roughly $3,000–$3,400/mo for "everything else" (food, lifestyle, travel).

My Questions:

1. Is a ~75% housing-to-net-income ratio insane given that I have a $1.2M safety net?
2. With $1.2M in assets, should I put a down payment to lower the monthly P&I, or keep the liquidity in the market (aiming for better than 4%)?
3. Are there any SF-specific "gotchas" I’m missing for a 2026 purchase?
4. How much above 1.5M can I stretch?

This is a bit embrassing and a weird situation. my husband is an E2. Prior to getting married, I helped pay for his life because he couldn’t survive on an E2 salary. Or so he says. Im not sure how accurate that is but I believed him because I had no one else to ask. So far I have let him keep most of the bah but I am noticing that there are many low ranking husbands who are able to support themselves and their wives so I’m not sure if my husbands pay is really that bad or if he’s simply refusing to budget because he expects me to cover him. Hence why I am asking you.

No we do not have a shared bank account. I don’t want a shared bank account because I want to protect my assets from pre marriage.

“Note: The 2026 Continuation Pay Rates remain the same as 2024-2025.

For CY27, the service member must complete no less than seven years of service and not more than 10 years of service, as computed from the Soldier’s PEBD to be eligible for Continuation Pay.”

Does this mean anyone who joined in 2015 is essentially SOL if they opted in to BRS? The Air Force hasn’t changed the charts to anything under than 12 YOS nor the multiplier in a few years.

The myFSS webpage says members will “Ask A Question” on myFSS but the response I got was it would be an automatic 90-120 notice before 12 years of service.

Does anyone have a traction on why specifically CY27 would have a change to the terms?

i’ve had a soldier PCS from fort drum due to a compassionate reassignment E-4 he wasn’t receiving BAH because S1 said he was “geobatching” he cleared the barracks and submitted a BAH PAR almost a year before even getting reassigned i’ve always wanted to help him but i’ve never had the answers i’m sure he’s doing great things at his new duty station and still wondering how i can help him… if anyone has answers please reply

26 year old, E5, 7 years TIS

TSP: 70K

Charles Schwab Roth IRA SWPPX: 20k

Emergency Savings: 10K

Deployed.

It took finance almost an entire month to open SDP after I became eligible. I deposited $10k immediately once it was opened.

Is there any chance I can be back-paid for the ~$75 in missed interest because of the delay on their part?

Just sharing if you are stationed oconus and want to hit some easy credit card signup bonuses I recommend putting your dependents on Tricare select overseas. We are stationed in Europe, so I pay with my credit card the full bill, my wife can see whatever doctor she wants and then we submit to Tricare and get reimbursed within 30 days . The max out of pocket for the year is $1000, and some specialties Tricare pays 100% before hitting the cap . We have already hit 4 different card signup bonuses this year .

I wanted to ask you a question about TSP, Thrift Saving Plan, for Air National Guard airmen is getting bonus for the job, so can he invest that entire bonus into the thrift saving plan, or is it better to take that money and invest in S&P 500 or any other platforms to compound? And also, what is the best way to maximize the thrift saving plan?

I’m separating June and not returning to my place of enlistment. SATO booked me on a flight to where I’m going to reside and I paid the difference.

After talking to the airline, they said their pet policy changed so I have to go with another airline but they stated the ticket was still fully refundable but only to SATO. Spoke to SATO and they said,

“you have exchanged the ticket you have in effect used it so there is no refund due to ticket exchange. 

Therefore we can not assist you. 

When you made the change you were advised there were restrictions and you are responsible for the ticket.  NAVPTO can no longer access it as it is exchanged and the funds are used.”

If I am fully responsible for the ticket then why can’t I even get my partial money that I paid even after the airline said it was fully refundable? Im aware they pay government rate for the tickets, but really? Thats it?