Transcript
A (0:00)
Hey everyone and welcome back to the Rich Habits Podcast Question and Answer edition brought to you by public.com these are our Thursday episodes where every Thursday we sit down and we answer your questions as if we were in your shoes going through whatever you're going through. You can ask us questions via email at rich habits podcastmail.com Instagram dms@rich habits Podcast or just join the Rich Habits Network. Link in the show notes to learn more about that seven day free trial. And always get your questions answered because we host those two hour weekly live streams every Tuesday night. Robert I'm excited for this episode. We've got a ton of cool questions to answer and man, we are getting really close to Thanksgiving and the holidays. It's, it's snowing here in Nashville. I feel like this this year just like flew by us.
B (0:44)
It has definitely been an amazing year for us in the Rich Habits Network and our entire ecosystem. And I just love seeing all the cool new things that we have going into 2026. And yeah, these episodes have really grown and grown and I just really enjoy.
A (1:00)
Making them now before we get started. Robert it's always important to people that the only way they're ever going to be able to retire is if they have a nest egg that's growing for them over time so they don't have to always trade time for money. That nest egg supports their lifestyle via that portfolio income.
B (1:17)
And the easiest way anyone can begin investing towards their Future is on public.com they make it incredibly simple to build a multi asset portfolio including ETFs, stocks, bonds, crypto options and more. They also offer industry leading yields of up to 3.8% APY for that emergency fund.
A (1:36)
And for a limited time you can earn a 1% match on all IRA deposits, IRA transfers and 401k rollovers. It's $1,000 of free money for every hundred thousand you roll over into their platform. I know you guys have a couple hundred thousand from that old 401k, that old financial advisor you haven't talked to in 18 months. Roll that money over and get your.
B (1:55)
Free match and fund your account in 5 minutes or less by heading to public.com or front/rich habits to claim your 1% match today. Paid for by Public Investing. Full disclosure in the podcast description.
A (2:07)
So our first question comes from Aaron C. Via email. Again, rich habits podcast gmail.com if you have a question. Aaron says, hey Austin and Robert, I'm a big fan and longtime listener of the show. Thank you for everything you're doing to make finance approachable and empowering for all your listeners. I have a question about how much my family should spend on a car. We're expecting our second child and need a bigger car. Well, first off, second child, bigger car. I think a lot of these cars come with four seats, so we'll see. But just maybe pump the brakes, literally and figuratively as it relates to that. But let's assume you do need a car, so let's keep rolling. Aaron says, My husband's 38. I'm 30. We bring home about 120,000 a year so I can stay home with our son. Combined, we have a net worth of about $450,000, roughly broken out to a quarter million in savings and investments, 65,000 in our retirement account, 10,000 in home equity, and 17,000 in cars bought with cash. We also have 5K and our 529 for our son. We're looking at a 2024 SUV to last us until the wheels fall off. We have set aside 35,000 for the car purchase. However, I feel guilty spending this amount of money on a vehicle because I've always bought the cheapest thing that would fit our needs. Is it too much of our overall net worth to have tied up in a depreciating asset? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. To answer your question, I do not think it is too much to have tied up in depreciating asset. You have about a half a million dollars of a net worth. You're making 120,000 a year, which means you guys are probably investing anywhere between maybe 15 to 25,000 of your income on an annualized basis. Let's even say the $35,000 car purchase will depreciate by 50% in the next call it three, four, five years. Your current investments with your current net worth and what you're going to invest over that period of time will more than offset that 35,000. I think the 35,000 is a very fair purchase. I wouldn't feel bad about spe that much money on a depreciating asset in your specific circumstance, but just make sure you actually do need a car. I don't know what you're driving right now, but two seats in the back, two seats in the front, family of four. That could work. Now, if you have family of five, six and seven, obviously you would need the van or upgrade to a larger vehicle. You mentioned some sort of SUV here, so that does make sense. But to answer your question, 35,000 seems pretty appropriate.
