Look at Ray Ray Run

Australians have a higher average household income than the USA. But OK... The US unemployment rate is artificially low for two big reasons: 1. The sheer amount of people who dropped out of the workforce entirely and aren't recorded. 2. The US has become a service industry. Driving for Uber/Lyft, delivering food, working as a server and etc at a restaurant.... it's not exactly an economy with a lot of room for upward mobility - hence the middle class stagnation over 4 decades. It's amazing that you have it all figured out and you don't even live here. Truly amazing.

Manny is from Miami; that's the 305.

Content working dead end jobs? My goodness. It's called bills and a lifestyle; family, education, and a home aren't free bud. Once again, you continue to act as if you can get a job in a high earning field by browsing the internet for free courses. Those credentials will get you laughed out of any hiring managers office. College is as much about education as it is networking too; good luck meeting people at free online courses. Good luck beating out candidates with Ivy credentials and etc.

Let me know how you get a job with your education listing being as follows: Codeacademy Khan Academy Believe it or not, but hiring managers aren't exactly blown away by those credentials.... and I'm pretty sure you will be removed from any candidacy list that is withered down by machine scanning. At least with coding, you can either do it or you can't. Not much else to it.

The government would be attacked equally so if they denied student loans based on majors and told only certain kids with certain career aspirations that they could get the opportunity. Even though I agree that it's reckless lending, it's also not their place to discriminate loans for education based on majors - however damning and telling the earning potential is for certain ones.

There are many countries in the world with a better quality of living than the USA, right? It is not easy mode either. I honestly have no idea where you get this type of information. Middle class wages in America - when accounting for inflation - have been stagnant for nearly 4 decades. There has been no economic growth for the vast majority of American's over a 40 year window, while a very select percentage have seen their income grow by more than 3000%.

Yes, I understand that but people need to understand that it's still an investment since there is no collateral or income; unless you consider a lifetime of wage garnishment as the collateral.

By the way, comparing loans you can default on to a loan you cannot does not really work. The bank isn't investing in you for a mortgage. The government is absolutely investing in you with a college loan because they are giving you a loan with no real income or collateral being held.

I have no issues with tax dollars; they are a necessary evil. I just want them to be appropriated properly. I just find it ironic that you judge people of less fortune when you, yourself, depended on others to pay for your education. Others aren't so lucky for that to be an option. You think it was hard work that got you where you are, but would you be there if you had to pay yourself? Why didn't you work hard - outside the military - to pay your own tuition? Why did you chose a route in which tax payers pay if it's all about how hard one works? I grew up in River Forest - struggling is not something I have personally endured... far from it, but I have met and worked with people of all walks of life who did not have the privileges I was given growing up - a great school system, parents that could support me to the point where that never was a concern for me, and supportive parents who pushed and motivated me because they could afford Montessori schools, great child care and etc. What you fail to understand is that those are huge benefits, and judging those who don't receive them is naive. When you are worried about whether or not your mom will eat tonight or have enough food for you... worried about whether you can walk to the closest place with wifi because it's night time and dangerous... maybe then you'll understand that obstacles can deter a childs path to success much easier than adults - who themselves are already easily taken off task. Children that have to worry about every thing in their lives - unable to simply focus on school and friends etc - are going to have a harder time achieving the goals that someone without those speed bumps has. It's just a fact of life. The whole... work hard and succeed thing is obviously nonsensical. It's why parental income is correlated so heavily to childrens success.

Yes, it is a cash grab that also increases the education level of the country. In no way was I patting the government on the back for this; it's merely a reason they will use to rationalize the loan offerings to people without incomes. It is viewed as an investment.

No, no bet with $200 limits and a 40% hold has a decent amount of actual sharp money in there. Any market that can be influenced dramatically by a $400 bet is not a market that is heavily invested nor is it one that can properly predict anything.

Not at all. No market that is effected dramatically by a $200 investment is efficient. Efficiency in gambling and financial markets are directly correlated to the total amount of money invested. The less money invested the less efficient the market. This is why props with $200 limits are not good market indicators and are merely there for "fun."

The military... I should have known that was the nonsensical place you were headed with this discussion. No biggie. Have a good one. I'm just glad my tax dollars got to pay for The Sir's education while he passes judgement on others who are less fortunate.

Also very true, which makes it that much worse in my opinion. The entire system is so top heavy and no one cares about the majority of the bottom.

Yes, an environment in which the majority of kids aren't there focusing on learning because they have bigger concerns in their lives. If you think the CPS environment is that of one which is pro-learning, you are in denial.

Wait, I'm confused... The Sir just made some posts saying that he essentially went to school for free and earned two degrees by working so hard... then three posts later he says: "I graduated college with no savings and a bunch of student loans. I now have a ton in savings and no loan debt. Who did that? ME." So... did you go to school for practically free, or did you take on a lot of debt to do it? You are taking this as an attack on your work ethic, when it's not, but you are showing a very ignorant and naive view of the opportunities you were given that most kids are not.

Once again... complete nonsense. If I give you $1000 to invest, sure you could turn that into $10,000 or $100,000 - everyone has the same opportunity... but if someone else was given $50,000 they have a much better chance to turn it into $100,000. Both were given an opportunity but one opportunity put them in a much better position. You teach in those schools - or whatever you do. You have no idea what it's like to be a teenager growing up and developing an environment that tries to suppress their desire to learn. You were granted privileges those kids never were yet you want to judge them for not overcoming things you've never experienced it. Its nonsense.

That's not really a "better" system imo.

Because student loans are the government investing in their own people. It's an investment loan granted by the government under the premise that an educated country is a more prosperous one and that college leads to higher earnings to pay you back.

This is complete nonsense. You clearly have no idea about the differences between education at good and bad elementary/middle and high schools. A lot of kids do not have a computer or internet. They dont have updated text books. Their classrooms are difficult to focus in as many kids arent their to learn. There is genuine fear about being the smart/book nerd kid at some CPS schools. Everyone does not have the same opportunity as you. Some people who come for a lot or even middle class up bringing have a really difficult time understanding how lucky they were. Frequently they accredit their success to their hard work - completely ignoring the immense opportunity they had and were given.

7 years, 230 with opt out at 4 and team opt in at 3 for 8 /250 .

Yes, any good company and accounting team should easily be able to do this for you.

Yes. I got married this year and my wife was not working so I received a refund for the first time - but ideally, since I run the department for my company - I'd like to get a zero refund. It's not a bad way to use the government to save if that's a problem for you, but otherwise you could be putting that money to work.

You should be analyzing your total tax liability not your refund. Your effective tax rate is simply your taxes paid divided by your gross income. That's the only way to determine your tax break or lack there of. Your refund means nothing.

A refund is simply an interest free loan to the government. Getting it back little by little literally means you make more money. Meaning your paychecks are bigger and hence the tax break.