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I sell cars, I also work for a very corporate-run dealership that has a lot of rules, and depending on the level of management depends on their ability to discount blah blah right. I've also been with this dealer for a really long time so I know how to play the game. It can be a PITA at times but if you learn how to play your cards right you can take advantage of their rules.
Now we have a rule
Once a new car hits 90 days we start doing two things

• We offer bonus to the sales person who sells it
• We discount the car to move it

The idea if we want to move our old inventory first
So I'm chilling and I get a call, a guy is on a business trip and says he sees we got a truck he likes. I look it up and I notice its been on our lot for over 140 days. It doesn't have a clearance discount on it. I give him the price I"m able too and he asks me if I have any wiggle room since its a 2020 and not a 2021.
I go "Would $500 do it?"
He counters me roughly another $200 to bring it below a certain price point
I ask "If I agree will you give me a depost right now?"
He goes "Yea"
I go "You know yea I'll do it lets do a deal"
Now the reason why I said $500 is because I know its the maximum amount my sales manager can discount a vehicle without approval. When he countered me above that I knew it was going be a fight to get the deal accepted but I figured giving a customer a $700~ discount is better then giving him a $2,000 clearance discount.
We do the deal, he signs it, I send the deal up for approval. My manager yells at me, tells me I can't do the discount. I explain that its an aged unit, its supposed to have a clearance discount and it doesn't so we should just do it. He says customer has to agree to a higher price.
I go fine I'll talk to him
So I walk outside, play on my phone, answer some emails come back and go "customer says honor the deal or refund him his money"
Manager goes "Can't do it, refund the money" I go "okie dokie"
So I don't refund the money, but I drop the unit back in stock. I call up a higher level manager and point out that he screwed up and didn't do anything about this aged inventory.
He thanks me for pointing it out and says we'll do $1,500 off and see how quick it sells. I ask "What about a bonus?" he goes "If you sell it I'll give you a $150 bonus" I go "Fanstastic" now I work for a dealer that doesn't pay me a % but a set amount per car so this discount isn't cutting into my commission.
I call the customer up and I say "hey Mr. customer, I didn't notice it but this morning the truck you did a deposit on was included in a clearance list, I'm going give you the clearance discount and your price is now approx $800 lower" customer is super happy, thinks I'm the best guy ever. I'm smiling cause I just made an extra $150
Later that afternoon my manager comes in and goes "Sting did you drop that truck back in stock" I said "No customer is going buy it" he goes "O he agreed to a higher price?" I smile and go "nope, I got a clearance discount on it" my manager smirks at me and goes "You got a bonus too didn't you?" I smiled and said "Sure did"
Malicious compliance is my dealership refused to do the common sense thing, and give a customer a $700 manager discount, so instead they gave me a $1,500 clearance discount and $150 bonus.

Title: I am 35 years old, I made $67,665 gross last year (between multiple jobs) and live in Buffalo and work in higher education and retail.
This is my 5th MD update. Previous MDs in June 2019, October 2019, February 2020, and July 2020.
Ref29 questions:
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Absolutely. Both of my parents have bachelors degrees, and it wasn’t even a conversation of “if” I was going to college, but “where”. I ended up going to a private 4-year college, with a 75% merit scholarship. I was able to pay for the first semester with savings bonds/general savings, but took out loans for the remaining semesters. I worked 2 on campus jobs (tour guide and TA), plus at a coffee shop - this was more for spending money/gas etc. Looking back, I wish that I had put more of that income aside for paying for school, but I was definitely headlong into the student loan trap of “it’s ok, this is good debt….blah blah.”
I thought that i had the exact idea of what I wanted to do for a career - and that basically required a masters degree - so I went straight to grad school after undergrad. Private - and took out the maximum student loans for both years. I cannot stress what a terrible financial idea this was. The last half of my MA was in DC, so I used the loans for rent/food, as I had a full time unpaid internship. Long story short, what I thought was my career goal wasn’t.
I am FINALLY nearly done paying off my loans. If I had to go back and give my past self advice, it would have been to not go to grad school directly after undergrad. I still might have gotten my masters, but I would have done it in a much more financially responsible way.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We had conversations growing up - but it was much more of a conversation now that I’m an adult. I’ve noted in past MDs, but my parents have told us that they regret not being able to help us all more as teenagers/college/young adults, so they’ve been extremely supportive of my focus on debt repayment.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Not really. I remember being conscious about it - we didn’t have new cars (EVER - like it’s still a thing), and we used coupons/budgets/bulk freezer meals for shopping, but I think a portion of that was that there were 4 of us kids. We were all involved in a variety of extracurricular activities as well, but I don’t remember even being like, limited or restricted from doing anything.
Do you worry about money now?
Absolutely.
While I am noting that I’m making progress, it is still very overwhelming. It’s really hard for me not to beat myself up when I either buy “treats” or things that aren’t really treats, but are just home comforts. I finally bought myself 2 sets (!) of decent sheets this past month after having 1 set of crappy sheets for the last 2 years lol. I still have so much work to do, on debt repayment, fully funding my emergency fund, and (massive goal here) saving for a down payment on a house.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I would say I was financially responsible for myself when I moved for grad school in the fall of 2008 (so when I was 22/23).
That being said, I definitely have had a financial safety net - my parents always assisted with grocery money if I needed it - when I was married, that definitely was not only a safety net, but also got me in a lot of bad habits.
Since my divorce, my parents have assisted with cell phone, car insurance, and letting me live with them for a few months when I moved back to the US. I know that if something happened, they would absolutely assist with a place to live if I needed it.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
As previous MDs have noted, my parents have assisted with assorted checks when my dad got a bonus, and they have always been extremely generous with holiday $.
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance (and how you got there): $33,194.67 (up from $23,800 in February 2020)
This is a combo of Stash Retire ($1721.52), 401K from a previous job ($17,330.01), retirement accounts from my current job ($2807.58 in my optional IRA to which I contribute extra; $2947.46 in the basic retirement plan, to which my employer contributes 7%), and TSP from a previous job ($8,388.10).
Savings account balance: $1000
Checking account balance: $1381.07 (at the start of the money diary)
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it): $7,558.08 (focus has been more on student loans, plus I am a bit guilty of using it at random points) (down from $19,556 in June 2019).
Student loan debt (for what degree): Current remaining balance is $972.57!!!!! This is down from $23,645.37 in June 2019) (combined loans for undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Relations. To give you an idea of how much I’ve paid off - I’ve paid $118,297.81 off up to this point).
*note: December was a PHENOMENAL debt payment month for me (just over $4k).
Section Two: Income
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $2847.53
*after using the IRS refund calculator, it became clear that I was expecting a much higher refund, so I stopped having extra withheld. Eventually I’ll get the hang of it.
Side Gig Monthly Take Home: $1442.72 (average monthly take home August-December 2020)
My retail job fully reopened, and I also applied for, and got a promotion, which meant both an hourly raise and more hours)
Any Other Monthly Income Here:

• Christmas $ from Mom & Dad - $1000
• Stimulus Checks - $1200 + $600 (Both of these went mainly to debt repayment)

Section Three: Expenses
Rent / Mortgage $980.00/month (+ $3.95 service charge when I pay online) (no change)
Retirement contribution: $115.58/month Roth IRA from work + $80.00/month into Stash Retire (no change)
Savings contribution: $0/month (Debt payments are the priority)
Investment contribution: None
Health/Dental/Vision Insurance: $76.38/month (Through work, it gets taken out biweekly)
FSA contribution: $27.78 biweekly (I set my annual contribution at $750 this year, up from $600)
Debt payments
Student Loan minimums: $55.54 is strictly the minimum for my FINAL (!!!) student loan, but as you all know by now, I have been attacking these with a vengeance and plan on this being gone no later than March.
Credit Card minimums: Avg. Monthly Payment $300. (as mentioned in the debt section, I have slipped slightly on allowing myself to use the credit card, but still have been able to lower my overall amount)
Wifi/Cable/Landline: $64.99/month
Cellphone: Still on the parental plan, but will be transitioning off. I’m shopping around and have started to budget.
Subscriptions: Apple storage - $2.99/month; Netflix- $8.99; (even though I’ve been able to be at home much much more, we still get a monthly barkbox for the toys; Spotify Premium - $9.99/month. Headspace - $14.99/month. Renaissance Periodization - $16.19/month
Laundry (if you pay per load): $40/month. I put aside $10 per paycheck.
Gym membership $75/month - I budget this much for my ROMWOD and Movement Vault monthly subscriptions. This also covers my monthly subscription for my WHOOP band. My retail side gig also provides $225/month to work out. This covers my monthly membership to my crossfit gym, as well as extra megaformer classes. $32.63/month for WHOOP; $13.95/month for ROMWOD; $9.99/month for Movement vault
Pet expenses: $150/month - includes pet insurance. This is what I put into my budget for insurance, food, grooming etc.) Barkbox 31.54/month; Pet insurance $79.24
Car payment / insurance / average gas:$100/month (as my dad plans on retiring within the next year, he will be signing over my car to me, meaning that I will be taking on my insurance. I fully acknowledge that this has been nice to not have to worry about, and that my parents have been absolutely amazing. The current annual insurance for my car looks like it will be around $450. Future money diaries will take this into account.
Renter insurance: $12.50/month
Average groceries / household supply spend; Looking at YNAB, my average spend has been just over $700/month. This seems insanely high for one person, but I do also follow a RP meal plan, meaning that I tend to eat A LOT to fuel my workouts. I also haven’t gone out basically at all ….
Regular therapy: N/A
Charitable Giving: $75/avg. August-Dec 2020 (Much of this was “rage” donating in the run up to the election)
Annual Expenses:
YNAB (You Need A Budget): $83.99/year
NB: Anytime I leave my house, I am masked, including gym visits. It’s honestly not terrible once you find a mask that works for you!
Day 1: Friday
5:45am: Alarm goes off and I get up to put the kettle on to start coffee. Today is a weigh in and weekly review for my meal/training plan, so I enter my numbers and see what my upcoming week will look like as far as my macros. I notice that my chest/shoulder are sore, and hurt when I take a deep breath, but assume that I just slept on my arm wrong. I take out the dog, feed him, and head out to my weightlifting class.
7:30am: Nope, not just sleeping on it wrong. I make it through the lifting portion, but when we start the metcon, I have to stop because it hurts too much to take a really deep breath, instead stretching and cheering everyone else on. Annoyed, but hopefully it’s nothing too crazy. I think it’s just a strain from my muscle up drills the day before. Once I get home, I make breakfast - a savory oatmeal with oats, cheese, chicken sausage, egg whites, and mushrooms, topped with a fried egg and za’atar seasoning from Trader Joe’s. YUM. I log into work and get settled in for a 2 hour (ugh) staff meeting.
11:00am: Finally done with that. Thank goodness for my camera getting to be off. I take a shower and get into “work” clothes - aka lululemon from top to bottom (align leggings, ebb to street crop tank, and a sit in lotus wrap). Back to work until it’s time for lunch, which I have just after noon (rice, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and ground beef, topped with avocado). Work continues afterwards.
2:00pm: Time for work #2! It’s a fairly uneventful (and slow) afternoon/evening, which is ok after the craziness of the holiday season. And I only have to tell 2 people to put their masks on over their nose and they don’t give me an attitude - woohoo! Around 5 I eat my food on my 10 minute break - another taco-ish bowl, just without the avocado from earlier. I get out from work at 7:30pm.
8:00pm: Home, take the pooch out and feed him and make my casein hot chocolate (casein protein is a slower digesting type vs. whey and it’s my evening “meal” most of the time) plus a couple dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I facetime my Mom briefly and then we each put on our respective Star Wars shows - she and my Dad are watching the Mandolorian (they just got Disney+), and I’m deep into season 4 of the Clone Wars. Bedtime routine starts at 9:30 with a couple of melatonin gummies and I brush my teeth and wash my face (eye makeup remover, then Neutrogena foaming cleanser, and a nighttime moisturizer from Aldi). Snuggle up with the dog and a heating pad with a Headspace night sounds playing.
Daily Total: $0
Day 2: Saturday
5:50am: NO. It’s like 30 minutes before I want to wake up...NO.
6:10am: Uggggggh
6:20am: FINE. Dog outside, then fed. I make coffee and another savory oatmeal (AMAZING - same as yesterday, just no bell peppers). Catch up on podcasts and my YNAB budget. In happiest news, I can take a full big breath without that weird pain from yesterday! Yay!
10:00am: Home from my workout, which went amazingly - I love a good long chipper of a workout! I take the dog out for a little cold weather walk and then make my post-workout meal - Kodiak chocolate chip pancakes with blueberries! (use 1 egg and almond milk to make the pancakes and it fits my post-workout macros: 35P, 10F, 65C). I follow this with a cuddle session with the dog while watching Marple episodes and drinking coffee. I also add items to my lululemon shopping cart and exit out of it before I can spend money. While I get a great discount (especially on markdowns), I know I don’t really NEED anything, so I don’t get anything.
1:00pm: Off to the mall for work. I stop on the way to fill the gas tank ($25). It’s a busy day, but a good one - during my break I eat my taco bowl (rice, sweet potatoes, ground beef, peppers and avocado). I work until 7:30pm.
8:00pm: Home, dog out, casein hot chocolate - the usual. I’m nothing if not a creature of habit. I pull out a Trader Joe’s chocolate croissant to prove overnight in the oven. Bedtime is around 10pm.
Daily Total: $25
Day 3: Sunday
7:50am: Whoooops, I intended to wake up around 7:15, but I didn’t actually set the alarm. Luckily the dog wakes me up with a polite whine - I take him out, make coffee and a bowl of oatmeal (oats, almond milk, egg whites, topped with blueberries), and head to my workout around 9.
11:00am: 2 workout classes later, I’m home - post workout meal is the aforementioned chocolate croissant, and a little egg scramble of egg whites, mushrooms, chicken sausage and broccoli. The afternoon is spent with old Miss Marple episodes on Amazon Prime, combined with laundry and apartment cleaning.
3:00pm: I made a quick loaf of bread (2 hrs of rising, then shaping) and put it in the oven. Happily it turns out pretty damn tasty - I make Trader Joe’s Cippino (seafood soup) and have that with toasted fresh bread around 4/4:30pm. A Clone Wars marathon ensues - the Bills are playing in the AFC championship tonight, so the city is basically a giant ball of nerves. I don’t watch the games (and haven’t all season - mostly because I don’t have all the apps/cable), but I follow the score on my phone while watching many (MANY) episodes of Clone Wars. I facetime my mom and dad around 7 after they finish the Mandolorian and we can all squeal with excitement.
9:00pm: Melatonin gummies, contacts out, teeth brushed, face washed, bedtime.
Daily Total: $0
Day 4: Monday
5:45am: Awake, coffee, take the dog out, head to crossfit.
7:30am: Home, dog out again, then breakfast (homemade toast, everything but the bagel smoked salmon, scrambled egg+egg whites) and more coffee. I login to work at 8am, and get the morning podcasts going (Up First, the Daily, Post Reports, the Intelligence).
10:00am: I place a Target pickup order for the snacks for our break area at the mall (seltzer, peanut butter crackers, cookies, granola bars - all single serving packs). I will be reimbursed for this by the store. ($39.57 - I get a notice that an item isn’t available after I place the order...oh well)
11:00am: I’m traveling out of state for a couple of days - it’s a long awaited tattoo coverup (don’t get a tattoo for a significant other….I knew not to do this...and yet I still did), so I make my list of items to pack and things to remember to do (take out trash, do all my dishes, etc). I will be driving to my destination (Indiana), staying at a hotel by myself, going to the tattoo shop (masked), and back to the hotel. Not telling friends I’m there, not going out anywhere. And I’ve scheduled a test for 4 days after my return, per NYS rules. If I could make the drive nonstop, I would, but your girl isn’t giving herself a UTI lol. I’ll be masked and sanitized anytime I step out of my vehicle. Still super nervous, but getting this tattoo covered up is like….the final FINAL step. I also take a shower (finally, yes I’m gross and have been sitting in my workout clothes since I got home - god help me if I ever live with a human again lol).
2:00pm: Time for head out for work! On the way, I pick up my previously mentioned Target order, and also pick up meals for my trip from a local meal prep place - I get a bunch of great stuff (2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, 1 lunch plus energy bites for the car), plus it means that I can just hermit it up in the hotel room apart from the actual tattoo appointment. ($62.68). I get to the mall early before my shift starts - since I know I’ll have a tub in the hotel room, and I don’t have one in my apartment, I get a couple of bath bombs and lotion from Lush ($25.93) and a whole bunch of sheet masks from Sephora ($25.01). Then time for work - It’s a fairly quick shift, which is nice, not too terribly busy and we get a lot done. And people at the mall are generally not pills today - epic win!
8:15pm: Home from work - take the dog out and have a little evening meal of homemade soup from my co-worker (it’s a kale sausage soup her husband makes and it is AMAZING) and the rest of my homemade bread. I finish packing up and the poor pup definitely knows something is up. Bedtime around 10pm.
Daily Total: $153.19
Day 5: Tuesday
5:45am: Alarm, dog, coffee. Rather than dirtying dishes, I heat up one of the prepped breakfasts I brought (a breakfast sandwich with chicken, which is actually quite tasty - plus some blueberries). I get the car loaded up with my stuff and the dog - he’s staying with my parents while I’m gone - and head out by 7:15am. After I drop him off I top off my gas tank ($14.10), and also get a couple of bubly waters and a can of death wish coffee for the road ($6.25).
12:00pm: Lunch stop at panera - fuji apple chicken salad and a cup of chicken noodle soup - drive thru and eaten in the car ($10.94, but I have a gift card). Road Trip Podcasts: You’re Wrong About and Noble Blood.
3:00pm: Gas stop (there’s also a few bathroom stops, but since I didn’t spend anything, it’s not terribly relevant, right? :) ) ($27.01).
5:30pm: Arrival! Check in to the hotel - masked front desk employee, check. Bring my stuff up to my room, and jackpot - biiiiiiiiig tub. Looks like those bath bombs were a solid choice! Open up the work laptop to see if there is anything urgent - nothing crazy - and decide which meal I want for dinner. Bourbon Chicken with Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes it is. Plus a Sparkling Apple Cider vinegar beverage (ginger and lemon) from Trader Joes. Before I eat, I do a lower body focused stretching routine from ROMWOD since I spent so long in the car.
7:30pm: Bath Bomb, Face Mask, Feet Mask, and finished Night Stalker on Netflix. Since I’ll be quarantining until I get a negative COVID test after my trip, I order 10 meals through the same meal prep company that I got my travel meals from ($88.43 - includes both delivery fee and tip). They will be delivered on Sunday.
Daily Total: $146.73
Day 6: Wednesday
6:00am - I had intended to sleep longer, but my body is like - nope, you’re waking up at the same time no matter what. Coffee (keurig in the hotel room - ick) plus a prepped breakfast (a goat cheese egg white scramble with sweet potatoes - which is delicious). Morning podcasts and I open up the work laptop. Since I’m awake I guess.
7:30am: Hotel room workout - I do yesterday’s workout from my gym, with a few modifications, but it still feels great to move after sitting in the car for so long! Shower afterwards, then food (Mexican Taco Bowl!) and work.
10:30am: Squuuuueeee it’s time for my tattoo. I double mask up, drive through for a Starbucks order ($4.74 - paid for on my Starbucks app with previously loaded funds) and head to the shop! I already paid my deposit and took advantage of a gift card sale before Christmas so I don’t owe anything additional today. We do linework, shading, and partial color. It’s going to take 2 appointments to do the full thing, so we make my next appointment for May (augh, I cannot wait!). My coverup is over black text, so a cover up involves a LOT of layering of color. I’m impressed that I still have stamina after not getting a tattoo for nearly 3 years.This is going to be BEAUTIFUL.
2:30pm: After my tattoo appointment, I make a quick stop at CVS (still double masked!) to pick up aquaphor, orange dial soap, ibuprofen, and toothpaste (cause naturally that’s the one thing I forgot to pack - d’oh) ($22.00). I make a curbside pickup order for Panera - another soup and salad combo ($10.55 - again paid for with gift cards!). I head back to my hotel room, eat, put on more podcasts (Planet Money, Can He Do That, Code Switch) and log onto work. An uneventful afternoon follows.
6:00pm: Facetime call with my mom, then dinner and various true crime documentaries on Netflix and Pinterest browsing because as per usual, now I want allll the tattoos. I also put in an order for a grocery pickup on my way home (coffee, coffee creamer, fruit, etc) ($66.82). I try to make a testing appointment through NYS for my return COVID test on Monday, but the automated system keeps putting me in the first available, which is Friday….I’ll try to schedule again on Friday so that the timing works. Bedtime tattoo routine of wash, aquaphor and ibuprofen, as well as a sheet face mask. Sleep around 10:00pm.
Daily Total: $104.11
Day 7: Thursday
6:00am: Welp, up and at em! I finish packing all my stuff, check out of the hotel and warm up the car. I head out around 7:00am. Top off the gas tank ($12.80) and I also add $15 to my Starbucks card and drive thru a Starbucks (Spinach Feta Wrap + Cafe Misto with almond milk). Then it’s time for podcasts and lots of driving. My mom had suggested a podcast from Serial - S*%*Town. IT’S AMAZING and this drive has never gone so fast!
11:00am: (or sometime around this time) Stop for gas ($27.01) and another Starbucks stop ($15 reload) to get another misto, a bottle of water, and a fruit/cheese/hard boiled egg box.
3:00pm: I was going to try to make it all the way without stopping for anything else, but my stomach is about to eat itself. I stop at a Tim Hortons about 45 minutes away from my parents’ house and get timbits and a hot chocolate (which is gross) ($6.66 - eeep). I get to my parents’ house - my mom and dad stay upstairs and in the basement respectively while I use the bathroom and retrieve a very happy pup. Once I get everything out to the car, my mom and dad come outside (double masked, as am I) and we quickly wave and air hug from a distance. On the way home, I drive through the grocery pickup and get my groceries.
5:30pm: Finally home. The dog is very happy to be home too - my mom said when she would come into the bedroom where he was, he would look at her and be - “oh…..just you…”. Such a momma’s boy :) Dinner is actual food (the rest of the kale sausage soup). I also put together a batch of cranberry almond biscotti (based off the Ina Garten cherry pistachio biscotti) - the apartment smells delicious. Settling in for post-travel isolation lol.
9:30pm: Melatonin gummies, tattoo upkeep, and then bedtime with the dog!
Daily Total: $76.47
Weekly Total: $505.50
Food & Drink: $326.64
Fun & Entertainment: $0
Home & Health: $22.00
Clothes & Beauty: $50.94
Transport: $105.92
Reflections:
First, GODDAMN I AM SO EXCITED TO PAY OFF THIS STUDENT LOAN. Just paid another $200 on it this morning, so we’re under $800!! If you hear an excited scream from the Western New York area next month, don’t worry, it’s just me.
Second, this was a higher spend week than usual, but I’m really proud to have budgeted for all of it. I had basically prepaid for the tattoo (on the gift card) and there’s still leftover for my next appointment. I had also budgeted and saved for the increased amount of gas and food.
Third, hopefully this isn’t too boring. My life pre-pandemic wasn’t terribly interesting, and it certainly isn’t now lol. I’m hoping to continue my debt payoff progress by finishing paying off my credit card debt in 2021, and start saving my 3-6 month emergency fund before starting that house down payment savings! I’m even starting to allow myself to start actually looking at Zillow.
I have been isolating since I got back - just drove through and got my COVID test, so fingers crossed for a quick reply!
Lastly, the coverup tattoo is going to be beautiful. I can’t wait for it to be finished!
Thanks for reading this whole thing!

0️⃣Section Zero: Background
Hello, MD! I hope you're all doing well, and are safe and healthy. I've gone back and forth for a while about whether I should share my money diary. I signed up to do one last year to chronicle our home buying process but chickened out (I'm so sorry mods!). I was worried I'd be judged for what I spent money on, not having a college education, or what might be perceived as frivolous habits. I don't know. Internet strangers terrify me. But I'm finally sharing this money diary because I want this to be a data point: you can have a career (or two!) without a college degree.
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I moved to the US right before entering elementary school. I spent half my childhood in a simple four room shack with no running water or electricity (mom's side of the family) and the other half in a large house with a nanny and domestic help (dad's side of the family). From a young age I was told that college was chance at a better life and I believed it -- not going to college wasn't an option. My mom completed a healthcare related degree in our home country but she couldn't practice in the US. My dad dropped out of college in our home country due to his work as a student protester. Both of them worked blue-collar jobs to support our family and were always working. As with just about every parent, they wanted more for me.
I was accepted to a top ranked private university but didn't get a sizable scholarship so my parents and I took out loans, separately, to fund my tuition. I dropped out halfway through my sophomore year due to poor mental health stemming from an assault. No one knows (except for my fiancé and now, internet strangers) the real reason why I left school.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes. My parents never talked about their money struggles with me, but I knew money was always tight. After my youngest brother was born, I remember how excited I was to find a jar of peanut butter in our cupboard. We hadn't had any for a while. It had a "WIC" sticker on it and I didn't know what it meant at the time. My parents never talked about receiving government support but I'm thankful that we had a safety net available to us when we needed it most.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I started paying my parents rent to stay in my childhood bedroom when I moved back home. I didn't pay for groceries or to use one of their cars, which was nice. I was about 21 when I was completely on my own. My parents and I had a falling out over me dating a much older man who I'd come to learn was very abusive. There were a few months where I slept on a friend's couch because I barely had money to feed myself. My early 20's were rough. But if I were to go completely broke now, my parents would be there to help me. They're doing much better financially.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No. I've never received an inheritance or any other passive income.
Finally, a note on Erik: he also doesn't come from money or finish his college degree. He immigrated to the US less than a decade ago and does not receive or provide monetary support to his mom or dad.
1️⃣Section One: Assets and Debt

Combined net worth:	$3.7M
Combined brokerage balance:	$2.14M	$317,587 (mine) + $1.82M (Erik)
Combined retirement balance:	$195k	$116,300 (mine) + $78,700Erik). We're behind on funding our 401ks. I finally convinced Erik to take advantage of his employer match program two years ago. He was concerned about the ease of withdrawing funds since we plan on living outside of the US when we retire.
Joint checking account balance:	$111k	We have a lot of cash on hand right now because we need to prepay income taxes, and will be furnishing our place.
Equity:	$1.42M	We put 40% down on a 2 bedroom/2.5 bath condo (<1,200 ft2) in a new construction last summer. Our down payment came from the sale of some of Erik's RSUs.
Mortgage:	$1.61M	For our financial situation, an interest-only mortgage made sense. We have a 2.35% APR 7/1 ARM since we don't intend to stay in NYC longterm. Our plan is to pay off the remaining mortgage in full after five years and either sell the condo or hold onto it as rental property.
Combined credit card debt:	$0	We pay off our credit cards in full every month. We put between $6k - 20k on our cards every month in a typical year. He's also the authorized user on my credit cards; I added him to my accounts about six years ago to help him build his credit file since we knew we'd eventually buy a place together.
Combined student loan debt:	$0	I finished paying my student loans two years ago. Erik received free tuition as an EU resident but had some cost-of-living loans which he's paid off.

2️⃣Section Two: Income My fiancé and I ended 2020 with a total cash compensation (base + bonus) of $493,750 but with last year's vested RSUs, our overall compensation is:

	Mine	Erik
Base	$131,250	$268,750
Bonus	~$13,125	~$80,625
Vested RSUs	$121,500	$835,500
Total Compensation	$265,875	$1.18M

Income Progression I don't recall my salary increases so I'm listing my starting base salary for each role. I'm also not including additional compensation such as bonus or RSUs.

• HS and into my early 20's: minimum wage. I started working when I was 16 as a hostess for a restaurant and worked there throughout high school. In the summer before and after freshman year of university, I worked at a department store on commission. After I left university, I worked there full time and also picked up two part-time jobs (restaurant hostess, receptionist) to make ends meet.
• Job 1: $30,000 as a business development manager for a staffing agency in a HCOL (rent was $600 for a room in a 2bd/1ba). I worked there for three months.
• Job 2: $50,000 as a recruiting assistant then promoted to recruiter for a large non-profit in a HCOL (rent was $1200 for a room in a 3 bd/2ba). I was there for three years.
• Job 3: $75,000 as a recruiter for a large research institution in a VHCOL (rent was $1600 for a 1bd/1ba shared with ex-bf). I was there for three years. Looking back now, I didn't realize how burned out I was at the end. I fully believed in our mission to save lives and was so grateful to have that job. I was working directly with these world class physicians and scientists, and I had no college degree. I felt like I had to prove I belonged there. To me that meant staying in my office until 2-3am some nights (mornings?). When an opportunity to change industries, I took it.
• Job 4: $90,000 as a recruiter for a tech company in a VHCOL (rent was $1400 for a room in a 3bd/2ba). I was in that role for 2.5 years. When I joined the company, there were less than 5,000 employees. It was an amazing experience to have a hand in building teams of incredibly bright and kind people, many of whom now are now leading global teams of their own. But, I was traveling non-stop. It was exhausting and I experienced burnout (again). I had turned in my notice to HR and started letting people know. It was in one of those "goodbye" conversations that a director I closely worked with asked me if I'd be interested in joining her group as a PM. That opportunity changed the trajectory of my career. I stayed and switched roles.
• Job 5: $110,000 as a program manager for the same tech company in a VHCOL (rent was $4400 for a 2bd/2ba with Erik). I was in that role for 2.5 years. I worked on public-facing initiatives, built some awesome programs, and partnered with senior leadership daily. By this time, the company had grown 10x and had no signs of slowing down. But I needed to slow down. I didn't really take time to decompress after my two previous roles. Erik saw how unhappy I'd become. He supported me leaving the workforce for a year and I'm grateful I had his support, the opportunity, and the ability to do it.
• Took a year off. –$20,000 withdrawn from my brokerage accounts in a VHCOL (rent was $4000 for a 1bd/1ba with Erik). I didn't do anything remotely awesome during this time. I was coming out of a pretty bad depression so I took it easy on myself. I watched a lot of Investigation Discovery, cooked, napped, went down many Wikipedia rabbit holes, and joined Erik on all his business trips.
• Current Job: $125,000 as a program manager at a tech company in a VHCOL (mortgage + common charges is ~$4400 for a 2bd/2.5ba with Erik). I've been in this role for almost two years.

Main Job Monthly Take Home

Deductions	Mine	Erik
Retirement	15% of paycheck to Roth 401k	7% of paycheck to 401k
M/D/V	under Erik's employer; my employer also provides free M/D/V but we would have different providers	covered by his employer + $~250 for mine
Life insurance and AD&D	covered by my employer	covered by his employer
Short & long term disability	covered by my employer	covered by his employer
Net monthly take home	$7,000	$10,00

3️⃣Section Three: Expenses This is what our YNAB budget roughly looks like (for annual expenses, I set aside an amount per month towards the expense):
Housing

• Mortgage: $3,155
• Common charges: $1,260
• Property tax: $27,509 annual
• Homeowner's insurance: $837 annual
• Utilities: $300
• Staff bonus: $1,200 annual (1 super, 5 FT front desk, 2 porters)

Transportation These would be significantly higher in normal times. We rarely leave our place and if we do, we walk.

• Public transportation: $20
• Rideshare/taxi: $30

Entertainment

• Books & Magazines: $50 (Audible, Readly, news+, NYT)
• Music & Podcasts: $25 (Pandora, Spotify, Patreon, Blinkist)
• TV & Streaming: $120 (Hulu, Netflix, Masterclass)

Donations: $10,000 annual We donate to Children International on a monthly basis. The remaining amount is donated throughout the year to different causes. Last year, we supported AIDS research, mental health and addiction support, food banks, and international food programs.
Hobbies:

• Fitness: $176 (Aaptiv, Future, Whoop)
• Flowers: $125
• Photography: $10 (Photoshop)

Fields

• Pet insurance: $1,500 annual
• Veterinary care: $1,500 annual
• Pet food & medication: $500

Savings & Finance

• Backdoor IRA: $6,000 annual
• Acorns: $250
• Betterment: $500
• Credit card annual fees: $1,890 annual

Food & Drink Pre-COVID, we'd budget $3,000 to a "Restaurant", increase "Cafes & Bars" to $1,500, and decrease "Delivery & Takeout" to $1,000.

• Delivery & Takeout: $3,000
• Cafes & Bars: $700
• Groceries: $300

Wedding: TBD Our original budget was $75,000 (international, <50 people). We've had to reschedule it twice now and have already spent $10k in lost deposits and rescheduling fees. We'll re-evaluate our budget later this year when we start planning again.
4️⃣Section 4: The Diary

Day 1: Monday | Total: $111.84 

8:00am - First day back from holiday break for both Erik and me. He's still snoozing so I turn on the bedroom TV to see if our dog is still sleeping too. We adopted a senior dog, Fields, over the summer and quickly became one of those dog owners that installed cameras everywhere so we can watch him anytime, anywhere. Fields is still asleep so I check my work accounts and respond to anything urgent.
8:30am - Normally, this is when I'd take Fields for his morning walk while Erik makes our coffee. But our espresso machine is broken so we can't use it until the replacement parts arrive next week. Erik and I both start getting dressed to take Fields for a walk together. Before that happens, I take the dog outside to relieve himself and we quickly head back to the apartment for his breakfast.
9:30am - We walk to our favorite coffee spot in our neighborhood and get our usual: cortado with whole milk for Erik, cold brew with a splash of oat milk for me, and a breakfast BLT to share. We walk back to our apartment and get to work. $23.69
12:30pm - I take Fields with me to pick up our lunch at Sweetgreen: a kale caesar salad (hold the tomato and swap for the blackened chicken) for me, and a hot honey chicken plate for Erik. $27.71
4:30pm - Erik and I are dire need of coffee. We take the dog for another walk, this time to our other favorite coffee shop. The decor is very IG-friendly and their coffee is fantastic. I get their matcha latte with oat milk, Erik gets a cortado with whole milk, we split an avocado toast with smoked salmon, and Fields get a whole lot of snacks for being a good boy while he waits for our order to be ready. $29.95
4:45pm - We walk past a cute mochi ice cream shop that I've been meaning to try. I pick up eight mochi ice creams: ube, chocolate hazelnut, passion fruit, mango, and some seasonal flavors. $30.48
5:00pm - We get home just in time to feed the dog. His food is laughably expensive but we think it's worth it and most importantly, Fields is worth it! He's the best dog and we want to spoil him during his final years. Especially since the poor pup was returned to the shelter twice within a year. I can't imagine giving up this sweet old guy.
9:00pm - I log off work and head down to our building's gym to workout. I've been working with a trainer through the app, Future, and like it so far. Pre-pandemic, I was in really good shape as I was training for a half marathon and our now-postponed wedding. Since the lockdowns started, my healthy eating habits and will to workout has gone down a very messy spiral. I do a mile run on the treadmill followed by a set that includes split squats and deadlifts. Ouch.
10:15pm - I walk into the apartment to find Erik's made dinner from yesterday's leftovers: tacos! I quickly eat two tacos, then tidy up the kitchen while Erik takes Fields out for his last potty break before bed.
10:45pm - I rinse off in the shower and start my nighttime routine. Erik won't see me for another 45 minutes, at least. Tonight, I use a dermaroller on my arms and legs before rubbing in vitamin C lotion. While the lotion dries, I start on my face: facewash, essence, serum, niacinamide and azaleic acid, eye serum, and all topped off with a nighttime cream cream. This is a typical nighttime routine for me.
11:30pm - Finally in bed. We put on a Netflix comedy special while I finish my routine in bed: foot cream, hand cream, and cuticle oil. Erik is browsing on the iPad looking for pots and planters. We call it a night just after midnight.

Day 2: Tuesday | Total: $199.41 

8:30am - We're both really tired. I want to lay in bed a little longer but Erik has a call at 10am and we need coffee. Since his pants are on first, I convince him to take the dog outside so I can get ready. He agrees. I put on sweats and prepare Fields' breakfast.
9:15am - We walk to a cute Australian coffee shop and order: a cortado with whole milk for Erik (it's the only thing he drinks), a cold brew with oat milk for me, and share one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches. It's got prosciutto on it and a perfectly runny egg! $23.58
12:45pm - I lost track of time and forgot to order lunch. I place an order at Chop't: avoketo chicken club salad sans tomatoes for me and a kebab cobb wrap for Erik. Once it's ready, I take Fields with me to pick it up. $25.67
1:15pm - While eating lunch, I order Ess-A-Bagels to be sent to two girlfriends across the country as very belated Christmas gifts. I meant to send them their gifts earlier but they've had family visiting them and I wanted to make sure they got to enjoy their gift. I know they both really love Ess-A-Bagels and wouldn't be too keen to share. $213.90 - $100.00 AMEX offers credit = $113.90
3:00pm - That salad was not enough. I pull a Daily Harvest mint + cacao smoothie from our freezer to make a smoothie with oat milk and split it with Erik.
4:30pm - Ok, we really need coffee. We head back to cute IG-friendly coffee shop we went to yesterday and order the same drinks but skip the sandwich. $12.74
4:45pm - On the way home, I tell Erik that I need to eat something more substantial. I was feeling hangry. We stop by our favorite mediterranean cafe. I order a kebab bowl and Erik gets the kebab sandwich. $23.52
5:15pm - We get home just in time for me to get ready for my last meeting of the day and feed Fields his dinner. Today, he gets lamb and red quinoa.
8:45pm - My trainer has a run scheduled for me today but I'm so tired; I don't think I slept well. I message my trainer to tell her I'm taking the day off but will make up the run tomorrow!
9:30pm - I catch up with some girlfriends on the west coast over text while watching an old Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode. I remember we have mochi ice cream and eat two of them. This is a great night.
10:30pm - I need to sleep earlier tonight since I need to get a run in tomorrow morning. I have a Morpheus8 appointment at 11am and I can't workout after that.

Day 3: Wednesday | Total: $290.44 

8:00am - The alarm goes off and I yell at Siri to stop. I roll back over and snuggle Erik. The run isn't happening.
9:00am - I receive a call from the clinic where I get my Morpheus8 done. My esthetician has a family emergency and can't make the appointment. I'm secretly excited to reschedule for a later date since I have a face lipo, neck lipo and buccal fat removal procedure in exactly a week. I know, I know. Scheduling procedures so close to each other isn't the smartest idea, but I wanted to finish my Morpheus8 series before more invasive procedures. To get the kind of results I wanted, I needed three Morpheus8 sessions booked about a month apart. Today was supposed to be my last one.
9:20am - Walk Fields with Erik to get our usual coffee order and split a bagel with smoked salmon, alfalfa sprouts, picked red onions, chili and dill. $27.85
3:00pm - During our team meeting, my director asks me if I've seen the news. I grab my phone to look at the news and feel my anxiety spike as I learn that the Capital is actively being breached. I know my mental health is going to take another hit after this. Instead of working, I doom scroll the rest of the day. I also realize that salad isn't going to cut it for lunch. Not today. I need something more comforting and warm. We decide on Chinese food: ma po tofu and black pepper beef with a lot of fluffy white rice. $64.52
4:45pm - It's time for my sort-of monthly nail appointment. I go every three weeks to this amazing salon that specializes in nail art but they're also superb at taking care of your nails. I pick a sunny yellow color to offset the shit that happened this afternoon. They're pricey ($75 + $20 tip) but my nails and cuticle beds have never looked healthier. I also buy a ceramic cuticle pusher tool ($15). $114.40
7:15pm - I convince Erik to meet me at our neighborhood pizza spot to pick up dinner. We order: a pepperoni Sicilian slice, Hawaiian slice, ham and cheese calzone, and four slices of cheese, root beer and diet soda. $46.65
8:30pm - While scrolling through IG, I see a dermatologist use snail extract for her NuFace. I've been meaning to buy more NuFace gel and this seems like a good cost-effective replacement. I find the same bottle on Ulta and add an eyeshadow brush to get free shipping. I'm project panning my eyeshadow palettes so this will be a fun new tool to play with. $37.02
12:00am - Bedtime.

Day 4: Thursday | Total: $112.13 

8:00am - Same routine as the days before: get dressed, take Fields out, give him breakfast, and head out for our family walk.
9:00am - Another day, a new cafe. We order our usual coffees, and split a breakfast sandwiche: herb omelette on a toasted baguette slathered with spicy aioli and topped with bacon. $27.22
9:15am - I realize that I dropped Erik's credit card somewhere between the cafe and our apartment (I didn't bring my wallet so I asked Erik for his card at the cafe). I call the cafe and ask if they'd seen it; they hadn't. And just as I'm about to call the bank to cancel the card, the cafe calls back -- someone found it on the sidewalk and turned it in! We thank them for following up and tell them we'll pick it up tomorrow.
1:00pm - I wake Fields up from his nap so we can walk to get our usual Sweetgreens order. $27.71
7:00pm - Erik and I take Fields on a walk to pick up Thai food for dinner. We order beef pad kee mao, shrimp tom kha soup, chicken pad thai, and mango with sticky rice. $51.75
9:00pm - While reconciling this week's expenses, I see that my Sephora credit card payment was returned and I was charged not only a late fee, but a finance charge! I signed up for the Sephora card over the holidays to take advantage of their cash back program and this was my first payment to them. I go on the website to investigate what happened and find that I missed entering a "0" to my linked bank account. I call their customer service rep to explain everything. I ask her if she could waive the late payment fee ($35) and the finance charge ($5.45) if I paid the balance in full. She said she's able to waive the late payment fee but not the finance charge. I thank her for her help and hope this doesn't affect my credit score too much. $5.45
12:00am - Zzzzzzz.

Day 5: Friday | Total: $245.56 

8:00am - Same morning routine as yesterday.
9:00am - Same breakfast routine as yesterday but add additional tip since they held onto Erik's card. $28.67
12:00pm - Wake Fields up from his nap for a quick walk to Just Salad. I get a chicken caesar salad while Erik gets a chicken poblano salad. $23.70
7:10pm dinner - Friday's are our date nights. Before the pandemic, we'd get dressed up and go out for a nice meal and spend quality one-on-one time. These days, we usually order in fancy sushi and watch a movie. Between us, we order 19 pieces of sashimi and nigiri like uni (my favorite), zuke, wagyu, and tamago. $193.19
10:30pm - As soon as Erik gets back from taking Fields out, we pile onto the couch to watch Jurassic Park.
1:00am - Sleep.

Day 6: Saturday | Total: $375.24 

9:00am - It's a late start to the morning. After feeding Fields, we walk to pick up breakfast. We get our usual coffee order, a bagel with smoked salmon and a chocolate croissant. $34.12
1:20pm - I saw someone post in a cooking subreddit about seasoning that a local restaurant uses on their wings. Of course I google the restaurant and get hungry from looking at their photos. I end up ordering lunch from them: wings (of course), coconut crab curry, shrimp chips and chili jam, thai iced tea, and khua kling. It was all delicious but holy cow everything was so spicy. Definitely will order from them again though! $93.40
3:45pm - I see a notification pop up for a charge on our card. I assume it's something for Erik's current house project (building our custom closets). I ask him about it and it's actually a router extender. $125.85
8:00pm - We've been missing Mission-style burritos lately and haven't found a good replacement in New York yet. But we did find a restaurant that makes delicious Mexican food. I get two spicy pork tacos and one al pastor taco, Erik gets a spicy pork burrito and a mandarin Jarritos, and we split a large chips and guacamole. $49.87
10:00pm - While browsing Reddit), I see someone post decants for sale of fragrances I've been meaning to try. Fragrances were a serious hobby of mine for a while, to the point that I hired a fragrance "fixer" on a Paris trip to take me around the local shops. I've since scaled back my collecting and have been focusing on learning to differentiate scents better. $72.00
11:00pm - Goodnight!

Day 7: Sunday | Total: $134.57 

9:00am - Another late start to the morning. We do our morning routine with Fields and walk to get breakfast. This time, we head back to the cafe that found Erik's credit card. We get our coffees along with the herb omelette baguette with bacon. $27.56
12:00pm - There's some leftovers from yesterday's very spicy lunch so we eat that for lunch. I think the food might actually be spicier today.
6:00pm - I FaceTime with a girlfriend on the west coast who shares some amazing life news. Her and her husband are moving from the west coast! While I'm sad they're not moving to New York, I'm thrilled that they'll be closer to us and that she has an amazing new role. This is a huge win for her career and I'm really proud of her.
9:40pm - We realize we haven't had dinner. We both want something much less spicy so we order in Italian: caesar salad, pasta alla gricia, and a spicy vodka pasta. $107.07
11:00pm - We owe a response to our wedding planners about our wedding date. Do we move forward with a summer 2021 (originally summer 2020) wedding or do we postpone another year? I have strong feelings about trying to hold a destination wedding in the middle of a pandemic. I don't want to put our friends and family at risk since we won't know when vaccines will be widely available. But Erik is worried that his dad won't make it to 2022 since his dad already isn't in the greatest health. We agree on a new game plan: we hold off on our wedding celebration until 2022. In the meantime, we'll travel to his dad as soon as it's safe and get married with him in attendance. I email the wedding planners our decision to postpone (again) and go to bed.
5️⃣Section 5: This Week's Total & A Brief Reflection

Food & Drink	$1,000.57
Fun & Entertainment	$0.00
Home & Health	$125.85
Clothes & Beauty	$223.42
Transport	$0.00
Other	$119.35
GRAND TOTAL	$1,469.19

This was a pretty normal spending week (during the pandemic) for us, minus all the coffee trips due to our broken espresso machine. I know we spend a lot on food and we're okay with our level of spend, for now. It gets us out of the house, gives us a reason to take Fields out for a walk and explore the neighborhood, and allows us to support our favorite spots. My goals for this year are to increase the amount we put into investments and learn more about tax-efficient strategies.
Apologies for any and all typos!
EDIT: typos and a few words

Table of contents:

• General Information about Nexo
• Buybacks
• Licenses and regulations
• Interest / Earning with your Crypto assets
• Dividend
• Competitors
• Frequently asked questions
• Important information

General Information about Nexo

What is Nexo?

Nexo delivers the The World’s First Instant Crypto-backed Loans, thus resolving a crucial inefficiency for the crypto world. Up to this very moment, no alternatives existed for digital asset owners to enjoy their crypto wealth except selling them. The innovative model of Nexo brings to the crypto community the best of both worlds - retaining 100% ownership of their digital assets while having immediate access to cash.

What are Instant Crypto-backed Loans?

The Instant Crypto-backed Loans are an automatic, flexible and cost-efficient way of obtaining liquidity that is secured by the value of the client’s digital assets. The whole process is completed in just a few simple clicks. No hidden fees, no capital gains taxes, no credit checks. Transparency is guaranteed through the use of blockchain technology, smart contracts and algorithmic processes executed by the Nexo Oracle.

Notes for US (United States) Customers

• You will not be able to exchange NEXO within the upcoming exchange. This is NOT due to Nexo, but because of the SEC.
• You can receive dividends, but paid in BTC not Nexo (Unless you're an accredited investor, then you can be paid in Nexo).
• It's pretty complicated to purchase Nexo (right now) for US customers.
• You can not receive the additional 2% bonus if choosing to get paid interest in Nexo.

How can I buy NEXO?

Currently, until the Exchange comes out, you will have to use a third-party platform to purchase NEXO. You can use the following:

• Changelly (Via the Nexo app, click on the banner on the homepage, at the top) [Note, very high fees/interest rate, but easy to use]
• Huobi.com (Not available for US customers) Send USDT, BTC, ETH to your Huobi wallet, trade it for Nexo. If you complete KYC you get a $10 fee deduction on trades.
• Uniswap. You have to buy ETH first somewhere and then swap it to Nexo. Good solution for 4 figure exchanges and under, above that, there is too little liquidity.
• Buy BNB from Binance, use Binance DEX to convert BNB to Nexo.
• Bitmart.com exchange.
• Hotbit.io exchange (very low liquidity)
• ChangeNow.io - Swap to NEXO

How is Nexo connected to Credissimo?

Nexo is powered by Credissimo, a leading FinTech Group serving millions of people across Europe for over 10 years. Credissimo has always operated under the highest regulatory requirements and strictest supervision by multiple European Banking and Financial Services Regulators. Now the same Team and its Board of Advisors, empowered by the ever-growing community of Nexo supporters and the enormous demand for the Instant Crypto-backed Loans, are unlocking the value of the digital assets in a rapidly expanding token economy that will alter the very fabric of a $5 trillion dollar market.

Who are the Nexo Founders?

Nexo was founded by the Credissimo team who have been in business for over 10+ years and awarded as one of the top 100 Financial Tech companies in Europe.

What happens when NEXO doesn't have enough cash to loan out?

They can't loan out without raising money, of course. So either they have to loan themselves with better terms, raise money through other means, or steadily process the loans facing a supply drought and customer loss. I could imagine that it would be technically legal for a certain % of the collateral to be sold, just like banks are not required to keep 100% of their customers cash in liquid form, but I have quite frankly no clue how this applies to nexo and crypto assets.

What happens to the deposited BTC/ETH if NEXO fails? Who holds the private keys to them coins?

Since nexo is properly registered in the EU, and given the EU's tendency to protect customers rather than company's, Id honestly assume we would have a novelty court case over this issue, with the expected result that the collateral has to be given back out, if it is still available. But as it often happens in crypto, if the coins are sold illegally its hard to reverse that kind of damage, and its even more tough to access them if they were sent to another wallet. I do not really think that there is a reasonable possibility of this happening without nexo deliberately destroying their business/turning criminal, because of the nature of this business and the contracts, and I would assume that not turning criminal is a much, much more profitable strategy in the long run, because nexo is well positioned to assume dominance in this market for what we know so far.

What happens if people fail to pay back the money, but at the same time the deposited BTC/ETH loose value and are not able to cover the loan amount any more? (With people then realising their collateral is valued at less then the money they have to pay back, thus being incentivised towards defaulting rather than paying back to get their crypto.)

If the collateral does not cover the loan due to falling prices, the loan agreement as far as I know will be automatically terminated, with the collateral held in the nexo account. The customer must either default through the prices not covering the loan amount, or with failure of payback itself, its not really possible that both the customer fails to pay back the money AND the collateral declines in value below the worth of the loan unless the market crashes so spectacularly that the collateral cannot be automatically sold. However the outcome is technically the same, nexo itself does not lose money if the client defaults (unless prices crash faster than nexo is able to sell, or the volume is gone, et cetera., which I think at this point is relatively unreasonable to assume.), and I think the "take a loan -> buy more crypto -> take more loans" scenario is incredibly unreasonable given that you can easily margin-trade with much higher leverage and less trouble than what nexo could loan out to you, so I dont assume loans are being taken for actual crypto investments, I rather think people believe in the collateral assuming value and see it as a locked up investment with extra short term utility

How is NEXO profitable?

Lending is the most profitable crypto market segment. Businesses are now parking their idle cash with crypto lenders. This trickle will soon become a flood. Nexo is arguably the most profitable lender. NEXO made ~$20 mill profit last year, paying a $6mill dividend.

Is Nexo trustworthy?

Considering that the founders of Nexo are some of the same people behind Credissimo an established successful award winning FinTech Group founded in 2007 which is still around gives gives me reassurance that my coins are somewhat safe. At the end of the day we're all taking a risk here. I'd be very surprised if Nexo just runs off with all our money in the process tainting all the work they've put in from Credissimo to here. It is poor that they haven't done much to reassure us that our crypto/money is as secure as they say but they have a track record that seems to speak for itself. Not many other defi platforms can do the same and we are seeing that almost every second day with the hacks occurring in the ecosystem.
There are actual people behind this thing that we can hold accountable. People who have Forbes articles written about them. People who have been on the news. I'm not saying it's still not possible for a security breach but again their track record seems to speak for itself.

What happens to my assets if NEXO goes under?

In the unlikely event that Nexo goes under, yes, your money is gone. There is no insurance in the world that covers something like that I'm afraid. It's the same for Cel, CDC, or any wallet provider.. remember, not your keys not your crypto. There is always a risk.

How can NEXO afford such high interest rates?

Simple, they borrow your money for ~8% and they lend it out for ~11.9% (no loyalty, this used to be 24.9% but I guess they changed it because it made them look like loan-sharks).
The concept behind Nexo is to make Crypto as liquid as possible for clients. Instead of selling crypto you can temporarily supplement it for a small loan.
Their average loan is well above the 5.9% minimum and more people are using the service to borrow rather than lend.
They are profitable, but don't expect the stablecoin interest to remain at 8%-12% long term, it's to attract new customers! Just like Crypto.com did.
One thing to note, the business model is SOLID, but only in a stable or bullish market. If for some reason Crypto market tanks, then it'll be an issue.

What happens if the market crashes?

The Loan-to-Value (i.e. ~50% for BTC and ETH) is dynamically determined by the Nexo Oracle algorithms, depending on the current and historical volatility and market liquidity of the asset. If the assets decrease significantly in value and you do not contribute additional assets to your Nexo Wallet after receiving a warning from the Nexo Oracle, Nexo may initiate small liquidations to cover any insufficiency.

Buybacks

Nexo announced a Buyback, has it been done, how can I track it?

The buyback has started, it seems like they are doing the buyback bit by bit instead of the full amount all at once. They purchase these tokens from the open market, where there is liquidity (Huobi for instance). You can check how many tokens have been bought back so far here: https://etherscan.io/address/0x1C433CBF4777e1f0dCe0374d79aaa8ecDC76B497#tokentxns

License and Regulations

Is NEXO compliant with the SEC?

Yes: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1732097/000173209718000004/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml

Could SEC investigate NEXO the same way they did with Ripple (XRP)?

Nexo is registered and compliant with the SEC when they did their ICO (Initial Coin Offering), there is nothing to worry about.

What is NEXO's insurance?

Nexo use BitGo (https://www.bitgo.com/) as their cold storage provider. This includes a $100m policy that covers third-party hacks, theft, loss of keys, etc.
The safety of clients funds is the main priority for Nexo. Cold storage Wallets are provided by BitGo, the leader in digital asset financial services. BitGo Custody carries $100,000,000.00 in insurance protections through a syndicate of underwriters through the Lloyd's, the world’s specialist insurance and reinsurance market. And this premium service comes in at no additional cost (details can be found here and here).
The $100 million policy covers digital assets where the private keys are held 100% by BitGo in the event of:

• Third-party hacks, copying, or theft of private keys
• Insider theft or dishonest acts by BitGo employees or executives
• Loss of keys

Nexo has chosen BitGo as its custodian because BitGo provides 100% cold storage technology in bank-grade Class III vaults and the BitGo platform is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. Advanced authentication mechanisms are employed to ensure the authenticity of data, and assets are distributed geographically and organisationally.
It is the account holders’ responsibility to safeguard their accounts by means including but not limited to using a strong password, enabling two-factor authentication and controlling all login credentials to Nexo. Clients remain owners of the crypto assets placed into Nexo accounts.

Why is their insurance only for $100m if they have $4B+ in assets under management (AUM)?

They don't keep the all of their assets in the one wallet.
Their custodian, BitGo, keeps funds in many smaller wallets - the likelihood of all those wallets being hacked at the same time is something approaching zero.

Is there details on Nexo's bank license?

Not yet, Nexo is not a bank yet, but it's possibly coming soon, as they just switched banks to IBS Lithuania UAB. (Not announced but since Lithuania gave Revolut a bank license it's very possible!)

What does an ISO/IEC 27001 certificate mean?

Nexo’s information security management system (ISMS) has been successfully audited by CISQ, a member of IQNet and the world’s largest provider of management system certification, and by RINA, who have decades of experience in certifications, ensuing in an ISO/IEC 27001 compliance certificate. This guarantees that Nexo's security infrastructure is of the highest standard and carries minimal risk to clients and investors thanks to rigorous security policies, impeccable risk assessment, data protection, and state-of-the-art cybersecurity.
Nexo’s ISO/IEC 27001 certificate was issued to it's Estonian entity, the subject of this certification is Nexo’s information security management system, rather than a specific registered entity. As such, it is irrelevant which Nexo entity the certificate was granted to.
Please also note that information provided on www.nexo.io is valid for all Nexo services and operations, as the aggregate of companies within the Nexo group. These include entities registered across the globe, all of which are fully compliant with local regulations.

Licenses and links

License: https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/COMPANY/1898755
License: https://mtr.mkm.ee/juriidiline_isik/236278/valjavoteEdit?tulemus=Tegevusluba
SEC: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgadata/1732097/000173209718000004/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml
Estonia's Business Register: https://www.teatmik.ee/en/personlegal/14520507-Nexo-Services-O%C3%9C
Estonia Approval (Allows operations to all non-estonians): https://www.fi.ee/sites/default/files/2019-03/20190304%20Hoiatusteade%20Nexo.pdf

Interest / Earning with your Crypto assets

I transferred my assets yesterday and have not gotten any interest yet???

You get your first interest payout the day AFTER you deposit. This is normal, to avoid people cheating the system.

I am not getting my 10% interest!

It may not be clearly explained within the app, but in order to get the full potential for rates, you need to max your loyalty level as well as get paid in Nexo. Depending on how much NEXO is part of your portfolio, your loyalty level changes, so to achieve Platinum, you must have at least 10% of your crypto portolfio in NEXO. The bonuses for each level are as follows:

• Base = 5%* on Crypto, 8% on Fiat/Stablecoins
  
• Silver (1-5%) = 5.25% on Crypto, 8.25% on Fiat/Stablecoins
  
• Gold (5-10%) = 5.5% on Crypto, 9% on Fiat/Stablecoins
  
• Platinum (>10%) = 6% on Crypto, 10% on Fiat/Stablecoins
  

Crypto = BTC, Etherium, etc.
Stablecoins = USDC, Tether, etc. Fiat = Euro, GBP.
They get converted to their equivalent stable coin after depositing!
All % are PER YEAR NOT DAILY OR MONTHLY.
Remember, you get paid extra if you decide to receive interest in NEXO and not in-kind (same asset, so BTC to BTC for instance). This bonus is not available for US customers.

Example of interest earned:

Assuming you have 1 BTC in your Savings Wallet on NEXO, you would accumulate 5% per year if you do not hold any Nexo as well. 6% if you hold 10% worth of a BTC as Nexo in your account.
And additionally 2% more if you choose to receive the interest in Nexo and not BTC, so then it would be 7 or 8%, but this is not available for US customers.

I am not getting my 7% every day?!!!

Just like pretty much everything in this world, interest is shown PER YEAR. This means, you get 7% per year, not per day. ANY company, regardless if it's crypto or not, that tells you you can even make 1% back per day, is a ponzi / scam (unsustainable business).

How do I calculate what I should get % per day?

Simplified, and not 100% accurate, but very close, you should take the spot price of the asset at the moment of daily payout, multiply it by your loyalty / bonus level, and divide it by 365.
A more advanced, accurate calculation would be as follows (thanks to masashi_t):
Example: BTC interest is 6% in-kind and 8% in NEXO.
If you choose to earn in-kind, take into account of compounding interest, it would give you [(1+0.06)1/365-1]*100 = 0.0159% per day, or 6% APY
If you want to earn in NEXO instead, you will get (0.08/365)*100 = 0.022% per day, or 8% APR.
BTC and NEXO are both appreciating assets, you are free to pick which one you think will give you a better return in the future.

Small note regarding compounding interest:

The daily interest rate you receive for the like-kind reward already takes into account the fact it compounds to end with the stated annual interest rate. The interest rate you see for like-kind reward only is achieved if you keep it for 365 days. If you keep it for a lesser time, you actually get a lower interest rate.
I am not sure why this isn't mentioned in the app, as far as I know.

I am not getting back interest on my NEXO assets?

You do not get interest on NEXO token assets you hold in NEXO. Instead, you get dividends. Nexo give out 30% of their profits back to their customers that hold nexo tokens. Read this article for more information.

Do my assets on Nexo get locked-up / stake period?

NO! Unlike, CDC Crypto.com, you do not need to lock in your assets with Nexo, you can withdraw them at any time.

Do I get interest on my collateral?

Any assets in your Credit wallet do not get any interest, so you can not borrow 0.5BTC with 1BTC as collateral and make interest on the 1BTC at the same time. The only asset that "technically" makes % while being in the Credit wallet is Nexo tokens, where you get dividends regardless of which wallet the tokens are in.

Dividend

What is a dividend?

To "reward" loyal customers who support the project and Nexo token itself, Nexo have decided to do (yearly*) dividends, this means they give 30% of the benefits (profits) the company earned since the last dividend back to the nexo holders. Based on how many tokens you have and knowing there is currently a fixed supply of 560 millions tokens you can calculate what % you should get. Furthermore, they have an extra "bonus" for those who have held onto the tokens for a long time. This bonus is small, but it helps differentiate those who are holders and those who purchase nexo tokens before a dividend to cash in. Read the question below about frequency.

How regular are dividends, when is the next one?

So far, dividends have been yearly, in August. There have been mentions from Nexo that they'd like to do it more regularly. As any business/stock that do dividends, the price of the token/stock decreases drastically after dividend payout. Do not be alarmed.

Do US customers get dividends?

Yes, but paid out in BTC. EDIT: Apparently, you can receive it in NEXO as well, but you must be an accredited investor. Read this

Do I need to verify/kyc to receive dividend for my NEXO tokens?

Yes, advanced verification is necessary.

Where do I need to hold NEXO Tokens, in order to receive dividends?

NEXO Tokens must be held/staked in your Nexo account (doesn't matter if it's in the Credit or Savings Wallet) at the ex-dividend date. The ex-dividend date will be communicated in advance.

Competitors

CELSIUS vs NEXO

Summarized: Celsius do a much better job at engaging with their customers, and their token CEL has performed better than NEXO, however, NEXO appears much more professional (imo of course), by taking things slowly but surely. Everything works perfectly, everything is tested, no downtimes, no trash-talking by the employees. CEL at this point seems like a cult, Nexo seems like a business.

Why is CEL so high compared to NEXO?

Visibility, marketing? Various reasons. IMO looking at their trading volume, its VERY low. If even a small-sized whale decided to sell their bags, it would crash. Basically, it's artificially inflated due to low liquidity.
Also keep in mind, Coinmarketcap and Coingecko show incorrect Market Cap data for Celsius. You can see the real value by visiting the Celsius website. It will crash soon, and hard. Again, my opinion.

Frequently asked questions:

Are there any airdrops/giveaways/freebies?

No. There are currently no giveaways. If you get contacted via Facebook, Twitter, Telegram or anywhere else, it's a scam. The only "giveaway" that is currently running is the fact that you can win 100k Nexo tokens for voting for which coin should be added next to the platform (You can do this via the app, on the home screen, scroll the top banners to the right until you find the one about voting.)

When will the Card (Crypto Credit Card) be released?

There are no official announcements yet, but all we know that is it currently in a private beta. A select few European (non UK) customers have been given cards to test the upcoming platform.

When will the Exchange be released (Buying and selling crypto within the Nexo app/webapp)?

Just like the card, there is no official news yet. All we know that there are a select few IOS users who have been given early access to test the functionality of this exchange. Currently, users are reporting a 1.5%~ spread on the exchange, which is quite high.

How long does Verification/KYC take?

Generally, it takes about 2 business days, although lately with the increase of users signing up it can take a big longer. If you don't hear back after a week I'd suggest contacting their support.

Support is not answering my emails?

One tip is to go on their website, open the live chat and type in "speak with human" "talk to agent" "human" to get transferred to a real person.

Are deposits and withdrawals free?

Yes, withdrawals are completely free, although deposits depend on which exchange you use to send your assets to Nexo with.

Difference between CREDIT and SAVINGS wallets

You must take into account that you have TWO wallets per asset within the Nexo platform. One for SAVINGS, which will give you interest on any assets you hold in it, and one for CREDIT which is basically your collateral, which you use for taking out crypto-backed loans.

Will Brexit affect UK customers?

There is no official information so far.

Does NEXO have a bonus/referral system?

No, you can not get $ or bonus for referring other users right now. The only thing you can do is share a link to the CARD page, to increase your position in the waiting list.

When are payouts made?

Usually around 12:00AM UTC, daily!

What coins are accepted as collateral?

BTC, ETH, XRP, LTC, XLM, BCH, EOS, LINK, TRX, stablecoins, PAXG, NEXO and BNB. More information

What is Collateral?

Collateral is crypto assets you would put up for a loan (if you don't repay they will sell it to cover the default). You do not earn interest on crypto that you use as collateral. If you are not borrowing from Nexo then your funds are held in a "savings wallet" where it can earn interest until it is either moved off the platform or used as collateral on a loan.
Nexo tokens do not earn interest the same way as other tokens, but do provide dividends from the profits of the company.

What are the loan-to-value (LTV) rates?

A Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio is an indicator representing the size of a loan compared to the value of the assets securing the loan.
The Loan-to-Value percentages of each asset are dynamically determined by the Nexo blockchain oracle algorithms, depending on the current and historical volatility and market liquidity of the asset.
More info

How many confirmations does my transfer need?

• BTC deposit require a minimum of 6 confirmations
• All ERC20 deposits (ETH, PAXG, NEXO, USDT, TUSD, USDC, PAX, DAI) require 50 confirmations
• LINK deposits require 40 confirmations
• XRP (Ripple), XLM (Stellar), BNB, NEXO BEP2 and EOS - near-instant
• BCH deposit requires 16 confirmations
• LTC deposit requires 6 confirmations
• TRX (Tron) deposit requires 20 confirmations

How can I find a list of important announcements, information?

https://support.nexo.io/hc/en-us/sections/360002501674-News-and-Updates-2020
On the sidebar, you can go back to 2018.

When will NEXO be listed on Coinbase?

It's very unlikely, because they are considered competitors. Furthermore, Nexo token is very clearly a security, based of the dividend payments and now the buyback program, these big exchanges aren't licensed to deal in securities, hence they will not list Nexo.

Will the (possible) upcoming bill regarding regulating self-hosted assets affect US NEXO customers?

No, Nexo is not self hosted. BitGo is their custodian.

How often does NEXO add new coins?

Not regularly at all.

Can NEXO be mined?

There is a fixed circulating supply of Nexo, the remainder the Team have said are locked until TBA.
So there isn't a dilution, as there are no new Nexo created - the dividend paid in Nexo needs to be bought from existing circulating supply by the company in order to be paid to holders.

Important information

NEXO's Roadmap?

• Banking license: Nexo is trying to either acquire a company or get their own banking license (like Revolut and Monzo) so they have more flexibility in their operations. It would be a huge step for a crypto company to get this and shows their ambition
  
• Credit Card: This will be similar to CDC and they'll offer generous cash back incentives of 2% when you get your credit card.
  
• Referral Scheme: Currently Nexo has done this massive growth without incentivised referrals, and when they turn this tap the company can likely see a lot of users pouring in for their great savings rates and crypto credit lines. But take a moment to think.. who do you trust more, a company that acquirers users based on their services/product, or a company that gives out bonuses to those who promote/spam their product..
  
• Exchanges and more Coins: The ability to exchange crypto within the eco system will go a long way to keeping users within the system. The plan is to let users buy and stake virtually any legitimate crypto asset.
  

And with this massive roadmap, the core principle they started with by sharing back with the community, they keep everyone's incentives aligned.

Where can I view statistics and information about Nexo?

https://nexologist.com/
https://nexostatistics.com/
https://www.hodlfire.com/go/hf-sheet/

How can I compare the earn rate of Nexo vs BlockFi/Cel/CDC/...?

https://blockscompare.com/

Important reads:

Liquidations: https://medium.com/nexo/why-liquidations-are-needed-and-how-they-protect-us-all-9d426ac70dc2
AMA from the Co-founder Antoni Trenchev: https://youtu.be/LBTrd8C5n1c
Nexo Help Center: https://support.nexo.io/hc/en-us/categories/360000766354-Nexo-Help-Center
Whitepaper: https://nexo.io/assets/downloads/Nexo-Whitepaper.pdf

Telegram Communities

Official Telegram
NEXOnians
NEXOnews
NEXOstatistics

Small thanks?

Took me quite a while to gather and write all of these if something is missing please let me know! Feel free to get me a beer if you'd like :)
(NEXO): 0xa6a87d29c362d63df60cf7667cacdfe411ee30e0