I believe I am a typical 33 year old, married male, who earns a decent living and manages/invests my money well, i think, but I am not 100% sure.  Most articles and research I see highlights either the super rich or people who have tanked.

I make between 150k and 185k p/year depending on bonuses.  My pay has risen sharply over the past 5 years with some promotions and I’ve increased my investments along the way.  Here is a high level breakdown of my financial situation:

Debt:

22k school loans (combined wife and mine into single low interest loan)

Home – owe 350k on a home worth about 420k.  I pay an additional mortgage payment per year automatically by spreading that payment out into 12 monthly payments.

Auto – owe about 2500 on a 2004 Durango.  I pay 0 per month so I am almost done with that.  I plan to continue to dump 0 per month into an account after this car is paid off.  The hope is to drive this car for 3-4 more years and use the money from that fund to buy a new, more energy efficient car, using cash.

No other debt

Account balances:

20k emergency fund in Ally Bank savings account.  I place 0 dollars per month automatically in this account each month.

10k in liquid savings account.  I put left over money manually into this account monthly.  I try to keep this at 10k at all times.

100k in 401k all invested in Fidelity 2040 target fund.  I now max 401k each year.  My company doesn’t do a match.  They dump profit sharing into the 401k yearly regardless of if I invest into the account or not.

11k in Traditional IRA all invested in Fidelity 2040 target fund.  I now max this out at 5k each year with monthly automatic payments.

1k in newly opened Traditional IRA I opened for my wife.  I plan to max this out now yearly at 5k and this is also invested in Fidelity 2040 target fund.

5k in 529 college fund invested in growth strategy fund in Illinois Bright Start fund.  I automatically invest 0 per month into this account.

Donations:

I donate about 3k to church tithes yearly (I should do better here)

Other than that, that is my financial situation.  I spend just about everything else per month on entertainment, food, bills, etc. for my wife, myself, and two year old daughter.  We plan on one more child and other than adding an additional 0 to another 529, my current financial plan would stay the same.

Other than maybe some better budgeting to leave some money for some short term investing, is there anything else I should be doing?  Anything I am doing I shouldn’t be doing?  I know Target fund approach seems lazy but I work and travel a lot and just don’t have the time to micromanage my portfolio.

From goals perspective, I want a few simple things.

1. Retire early if possible
2. Pay for some or all of kids college
3. Pay for daughters wedding

Again, most investment advice doesn’t seem to be geared towards someone like me so any advice is appreciated.  I just don’t want to "think" I am doing ok if I could be doing something better.
Thanks for the candid feedback Steven. I don’t disagree with anything you said. I can definitely do more with my income. I think I should hit up a financial advisor to dig even deeper and get me on the path you outlined below.

Okay, there’s a guy that wants to sell it because he got a better car. This will be my official first car that i own, the car i drive now is in my mom’s name.
The guy said it doesn’t run currently because the spark plug coil is bad, or something to that degree, basically, the spark plugs aren’t firing. It has modifications such as exhaust, engine and such. It has an straight 6 engine, automatic transmission, rear wheel drive.
I have knowledge about what to do, to a degree, i’m in automotive school. I know that it’ll probably need some new fluids, it’s been sitting for 2-3 years. Gas, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and oil will all be replaced. Any idea on prices that i’m going to be spending or how long it’ll be before it’ll be running? Also, any tips on what to do
everything that i need, i’ll do myself, i could probably use it as a grade in school

ANDERSON — Jose Luna Cobarruvias pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of felony driving under the influence in the extensive injuries of a Greenville couple and the death of their 85-year-old passenger, Katy Eaton.

Cobarruvias, who is an illegal immigrant from Mexico but speaks English, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.27 when he was pulled from the wreckage of his van May 16, 2009. He was unresponsive, had no recollection of the accident and believed for weeks afterward he’d been a passenger in the vehicle.

The collision occurred on a rainy day on U.S. 29 southbound toward Anderson. Cobarruvias was driving 50 mph in a 55-mph zone when his van hit a puddle and swung sharply toward the left, witness Kassandra Smith said. The victims, riding in an Astro van, struck the man’s vehicle almost head-on.

Judge Lawton McIntosh asked Cobarruvias repeatedly if he understood that pleading guilty meant he couldn’t get a jury trial and could not in the future protest any Constitutional violations that might have occurred during his incarceration. When Cobarruvias failed to respond clearly, McIntosh delayed the hearing two hours so his attorneys could obtain an interpreter.

Cobarruvias has been in the country almost 30 years and cobbled together a living doing heating-and-air maintenance and light carpentry in the area. He moved here from California, where he’d attended some high school, about a decade ago.

Public defender Jennifer Johnson said her client spoke and understood English well but was not as clear on the American court system and the implications of his guilty plea – which include automatic deportation once he’s served his time for a felony. The Federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement division has a detain order on Cobarruvias pending his release.

The accident’s victims included Susan Sigmond, who suffered neck injuries, cracked ribs and a bruised spleen. Her husband, Raymond, suffered a broken ankle and two bruised ribs. Eaton sustained numerous internal injuries and died after five days in intensive care to extensive kidney damage.

Eaton’s brother refused to speak in court and Assistant Solicitor Jenn Byford said the Sigmonds did not appear because of the accident’s physical and emotional toll on their health.

Cobarruvias’ sister, Maria Luna, said she still couldn’t believe he was driving because he’d always made a point of finding a designated driver. His bruises after the accident and a broken right collar bone led family to believe he’d been a passenger.

Cobarruvias, 45, has four children and two grandchildren, all living in the Anderson area. Seven family members sat in the courtroom; another four, including two small children, waited outside. His daughters and wife sobbed when the sentence was announced.

“He is such a happy person,” Luna said. “Today, he looks so sad.”

Smith was riding in a truck behind the Cobarruvias’ van and said he was driving smoothly until he hit the water. She sat in the courtroom this morning and later consoled Eaton’s brother and several members of the Cobarruvias family.

“I had no idea he was drinking until the officer told me,” Smith said.

Cobarruvias’ attorney, public defender Jennifer Johnson, said her client was immediately distraught when he learned he had to have been the driver. She said he’d been speaking with his pastor in the days before the accident about his drinking problems and had been sober for six months until the weekend of the accident.

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2010/sep/03/illegal-immigrant-sentenced-deadly-traffic-acciden/

Ok so I’m searching for my first car. I’m 17 and I’m getting my license september 16- my dad only wants to spend like 3K on a car for me. My brother is in a 50K (yr) college and money is tight. I found a 2001 VW Passat for sale for 3,995$ at a local dealership. I went to go check it out, it’s green with black leather and its automatic! I am really excited but I’ve been reading reviews about it and hardly anyone recommends the car. But is it a solid car for a first car for me? (mostly driving to school and back) the car has 170,000 miles on it. but for 4K? that seems like a good deal for this car, it’s really cute. help!

So…….

Yeah, I have totaled up all the money I made from working in high school freshmen to senior year and have FINALLY got a car, with 00 left over for maintenance given by my parents.

I am set on a used Audi s6. It only has 15k miles too and have personally checked out the car, its fine and will draw the attention of everyone in school for senior year hehehehehehe.

The car I was driving before….was a Toyota yaris used, automatic transmission. Piece of SHIT!

So, I want to know how hard it is to use manual shifting gears.

Of course, the Audi has tip tronic so I can choose, but how hard is it?

Specifically, my question is, the highway speed limit is 75, what if you reach that speed at gear 3 lets say? Do you just stick to that gear? Won’t it over rev the engine or something?

Sorry if I sound dumb, its just that cars in America these days are all automatic and my dad just sold his manual accord, so i can’t practice too much.

Most of this; believe it or not, comes from Gran Turismo information !!

im debating between two cars at local dealerships for college, i have limited money so these are the two i’ve come down to:
1998 audi a4 1.8t quattro ,999
-86k miles
-automatic
-1 owner, no accidents, good condition, and well taken care of
-4wd
-it has a sunroof, heated seats

2004 mitsubishi lancer oz rally ,995
-128k miles
-fwd
-good condition, 1 owner, no accidents
-automatic

both cars look good with no physical damage, just not sure which one will get me back and forth the longest. i dont commute far to school and i live in ohio so im thinking about the winter time driving as well.
any opinions or advise would help

Ok, first off, I want to know if I can do that I want to know how to drift with an Automatic Rear Wheel Drive Mitsubishi Eclipse (2000 – 01 Make). Second, I want to how to drift. I’m only 15 and haven’t got my permit or license, but I still want to know because I want to drift and be called the "Drift King" at my school. Plus, I think its really sick. And I also want to know what risks there are and if I can flip or rollover or something. In addition, is there some kind of special "drifting" tires and or modifications that I have to get?
No I’m not in middle school, I’m a sophomore in high school, and I want to be called that because my school is very small and that I could be known for such sick skills. Anyways, Thanks and I understand.

i got it at a buy here pay here about 6 months ago and it has a rebuilt title on it. it has always had an idling bug (doesnt cut off because of the idle, but it rattles pretty bad), but when im on a hill (esp a steep hill) i roll backwards while in drive if my foot isnt on the brake, without any slowing or stalling. it has been happening for a while but i havent payed it any mind because all the hills i have been on arent that steep, but the new school year just started and im driving to school now and to get out of the parking lot you have to go up a hill either way… any ideas?

So my Mum is making me set up a budget and I have to factor in a gas allowance, but I don’t know how much it’s going to cost me to fill up since I haven’t had to yet (I just bought the car). I have an automatic straight six 4.0 engine. Also, I need to know about how often I’d have to fill up. I have slightly larger than base tires (I would guess 28" or 30"), but no lift. I’ll be driving five miles to school, a mile to work, then five miles home each weekday, and to work and back, five miles each way, on the weekends. So I’d guess that I’m averaging probably less than twenty miles a day. Would I have to fill up every week? Every other week? And how much can I expect each fill up to cost?

Thanks.
Sorry. Let’s assume gas, which is worst scenario right now. I think the gas station up the road is at .68. It is stop and go because I live in the city with a stoplight every block or two, so my gas mileage would be, I assume, around 15MPG. I’m pretty sure my tank is 20 gallons. And now I have all the stuff to do the math on my own…

01 jetta 1.8t automatic
lower 18 inch rims tinted windows new tires recaros seats spend over 6thousand dollars but parentes are going to buy the car 9000 dollars
replace the tranmission got tired of it of sillys repair to much time in the shop
94 jeep wrangler 5 speed 6 cylinders
big mud tires lifted soft hard bikini top roll cage
kind of excited of this car

just going to drive the car to work to school and home not much off road riding city ready for the summer and winter the truck

which one would you chosse