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FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: It takes a net worth of millions to be comfortable in Silicon Valley

Is this supposed to be satire. Quote "Many people assume they will be able to keep working indefinitely until they are 90 or 100 years old but in real life that rarely happens," I don't think there is a human being in the bay area who wants to or expects that they will have to work into there 90s.

Additionally what lifestyle are they aiming for. The Bay area is made up of millions of people. Maybe 5% of that are millionaires. The rest of us are living here on sub 200K a year family incomes and making it work and its mostly comfortable. I think this article is basically saying if you want to live the upper middle class lifestyle you now need to be a millionaire. Even in the rest of America only a small percentage of people live the upper middle class lifestyle. Who is buying a new car every year, going on multiple vacations and savings extra money for inheritance. I'm sorry but the average person saves through home equity, goes on one vacation if they are fortunate to do so a year, and tries to maintain a car for several years if possible.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: The Horror of Hudson Yards Is How It Was Financed

So in your world view, bribery should be absolutely allowed than? You have a piece of land I want, but the law prevents me from stealing it from you and you won't sell. So I grease the hand of the local authorities and get them to take it via eminent domain, pay you some cash for compensation and just take it. I have more capital so its fair... We go to court, but since I have more money I'll just grease the hand of the judge.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: The Horror of Hudson Yards Is How It Was Financed

I have worked in the United States for 10 years on a non-immigrant visa (I have no other way to work in the United states and 7 years of H1-B lottery have yielded nothing). I have paid more than six figures in taxes to the Feds, as well as contributed to an American business and being an active community member. I have no path or way to immigrate to the United States nor can I use by past decade of contributions in any way. Its a slap in the face when I read about people literally buying there way in and corrupt politicians and businessman manipulating the system without consequence.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: Making $300k in San Francisco can still mean living paycheck-to-paycheck

I don't have kids but live on the peninsula. My wife cooks everyday and we mostly shops at Sprouts. Our monthly food budget is $400 and I would say I eat better than I would at my companies on campus food. If I has kids I would up that to $800 (though kids would probably eat less than I do per plate). So $2100 seems like a lot of eating out.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: Berlin's rental revolution: activists push for properties to be nationalised

A possibly better law that allows some free market aspects to continue is allowing only those who work, attend school or have lived in the area X amount of years with the ability to purchase or rent. This way people who need housing in the area are prioritized over rent seekers who have no connection to the area except for the fact that they have cash to purchase in the area. This would also reduce commute times and overall shift around the city population so everyone is closer to where they work or attend school.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: India successfully shoots down satellite in space

Advancing your countries technological capability and dealing with one of the largest populations living in poverty are two separate endeavors. Expecting a country to abandon growth in one sector to improve another is not really sensible. Both challenges are being tackled simultaneously. The US conducted Apollo and the Mars missions, spending billions while people in Skid Row or Detroit live in 3rd world level poverty.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: After 6 months of working fine, Tesla software update drives at barriers again

Tesla can only really gather depth data from there radars, while the cameras operate a DNN to detect features and make adjustments for steering and speed based on fusing those two pieces of data together. An error in the radar or the DNN detecting features incorrectly because of lighting, road color change or object on the road which the model was not trained on, can cause problems like this.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: Google's Page Allegedly Gave Rubin $150M Stock Award

The potential golden parachutes are pre-negotiated into the contracts for these executives. Google could refuse them or alter them, but than will also probably still face litigation from that departing executive. The lawyers for the investors who are bringing this suit against google have a moral point but I proving any legal wrong doing is going to be hard. At least it brings to light how different compensation works when you are higher up on the ladder.

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: Some young people are buying houses with friends

Ok so lets do the math. Age 22, graduated and making 100K USD. After tax this is about 70K. Rent on the low end is 15000 a year, food is about 5000, and a car is about 4000. Assume you spend nothing else, you ae left over with 46000 dollars. You repeat and lets say you salary goes up by 5000 every year and nothing else changes, if you add up you will have 46K+49.5K+53K+56.5k+60k+63.5+67k+70.5k+74+77.5k = 617.5k

So after 8 years of living the bare minimum life style and using up the a good portion of your youth on saving money, you can finally outright buy a 800sq foot house in the poorer communities of silicon valley.

Sounds like a great plan to me. /s

Note you could invest the money while you build it, but get if the market tanks, good buy money

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: $35,000 Tesla Model 3 Available Now

The Auto Loan industry is huge. I would be surprised if more that 20% of the population could pay 35000 cash. Most people less that 40 barely have a liquid cash of 50K. To pull out 35K and regrow that remaining 15K back to 50K would take a year for someone making 100K. Instead you could take a loan which typically go for 3% for good credit, and keep that 50K in a high interest bank account (2% or more) and pay essentially a few hundred dollars over four years to make sure you have cash available for a true emergency. Why risk that. Obviously you could argue that someone with only 50K liquid cash shouldn't buy a 35K but that is not how our economy works. A few hundred bucks so you aren't broke is not crazy. Additionally in most of the country a car is essential to live, especially in suburbs and small communities. Everyone could buy a 15K corolla but everyone wants the cooler thing

FreedomToCreate | 7 years ago | on: Introducing the Wealthfront Cash Account

Definitely very appealing to anyone who already has money in wealthfront and can live with there money potentially not being accessible for 1-3 days. Its crazy how little the banks offer. My current bank gave my account a special status after maintaining a high account balance for a few months. The benefits I gained are slightly better deals on services at the bank (ex 25% extra cash back, or some small percentage off a new mortgage interest rate). In comparison, the return I would get on the amount if I put it in any 2%+ savings account is far more. Doesn't look like my bank will be keeping that money for long.
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