I've squandered my money for 5 years now, but a summer-long sabbatical, autumn-long regroup, and finally a steady job have me excited to save, save, save, then sabbatical again for the rest of my life.
Life Situation: Single, 26, North Carolina
Gross Salary/Wages: $43,515 salary
403b with no match: $210 (just started)
401k from previous employer: $3500
After tax thrift plan, which matches 25% of my first 6%
Employer contribution, zero employee contribution required, three-year vesting period: 7% base salary
Other Ordinary Income: $5000 freelance
Qualified Dividends & Long Term Capital Gains: N/A
Rental Income, Actual Expenses, and Depreciation: $1500/month total. This is everything.
Adjusted Gross Income: $8500 pre-tax investment, $17,082 after expenses take-home
How should I best maximize these retirement accounts and my surplus money? I can't find much information on this kind of thrift plan offering, though I think I could roll it into a Roth IRA should I ever leave the company. I would love some advice.