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Parent Plus loans are not a mortgage dealbreaker - lenders focus on who legally owns the debt, meaning monthly transfers to parents for their loans are often viewed as recurring personal expenses rather than formal liabilities.
“What lenders care most about is who legally, legally being the operative word, owns the debt. Parent plus loans belong to the parents. They are legally your parents' responsibility, even if the child, you, is the one making the payments every single month.”
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The 457 plan is a superior 'sleeper hit' for retirement - for public sector workers, these plans offer pre-tax benefits similar to a 401k but allow for penalty-free withdrawals as soon as you separate from service, regardless of age.
“With a governmental 457, once you separate from service, meaning you leave that job, you can access that money without the early withdrawal penalty, even if you're under the age of 59 and a half.”
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Diversify your portfolio instead of divesting from US markets - exiting US investments based on scary headlines is a form of market timing that often backfires; staying the course with a balanced mix of domestic and international assets is safer.
“Given all the uncertainty in the markets, should I divest from the US investments in my portfolio and focus more on international stocks and bonds? And my answer was, no, do not divest, but do diversify.”