Agent #96 — Personal Finance for CS Students

TC Calculator

Base Salary ($/yr) Signing Bonus — Year 1 ($) Signing Bonus — Year 2 ($) Annual Bonus Target (%) RSU Total Grant ($) Vesting Schedule

Cost of Living Adjuster

Offer City

Austin equivalent purchasing power

—

4-Year TC Breakdown

Year	Base	Bonus	RSU	Signing	Total

4-Year Total TC
$0

Est. Monthly Take-Home
$0

RSU Vesting Tracker

Grant Date

Grant Amount ($)

Current Stock Price ($)

Offer Comparison (up to 3 offers)

New Grad Budget Builder

Your City Monthly Take-Home ($) Living Situation

Monthly Expenses

Student Loan Payment ($/mo)

Budget Analysis

Savings & Emergency Fund

Current Emergency Fund ($)

401(k) — Your Most Powerful Tool

A pre-tax (or Roth) retirement account through your employer. Contributions reduce your taxable income right now.

2024 Limit
$23,000
Employer Match (typical)
3–6%

💡 Golden rule: Always contribute at least enough to get the full employer match. That's a 50–100% instant return.

Traditional 401k

Pre-tax contributions
Pay tax on withdrawal
Best if: you expect lower income in retirement
Required minimum distributions at 73

Roth 401k

After-tax contributions
Tax-FREE withdrawals
Best if: you're in a low bracket now (new grad!)
No RMDs

RSU Tax Guide

RSUs are taxed as ordinary income when they vest — based on the stock price at vest date.

Scenario	Tax Treatment	Risk
Sell immediately at vest	Income tax only	None
Hold < 1 year after vest	Income tax + short-term cap gains	Medium
Hold > 1 year after vest	Income tax + long-term cap gains (lower!)	High (stock volatility)

⚠️ Watch out: RSU income is added to your W-2 and may push you into a higher bracket. Your employer withholds ~22% but you may owe more at tax time.

HSA — Triple Tax Advantage

Only available with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The most tax-efficient account that exists.

Contributions
🟢
Pre-tax

Growth
🟢
Tax-free

Withdrawals (medical)
🟢
Tax-free

2024 Individual Limit
$4,150

2024 Family Limit
$8,300

Strategy: invest the HSA (many custodians offer this), pay medical costs out-of-pocket now, reimburse yourself later — tax-free growth for decades.

Compound Interest Calculator

Monthly Investment ($) Annual Return: 7% Years: 30

Total Invested
$0

Total Gains
$0

Final Balance
$0

$1K/month at 7% Annual Return

Years	Total Invested	Ending Balance	Total Gains
10 yrs	$120,000	$173,084	$53,084
15 yrs	$180,000	$316,017	$136,017
20 yrs	$240,000	$528,613	$288,613
25 yrs	$300,000	$843,933	$543,933
30 yrs	$360,000	$1,327,243	$967,243

Index Funds vs Individual Stocks

	Index Funds (VTI, VOO)	Individual Stocks
Diversification	✅ 500-3600+ companies	❌ Concentrated
Expense Ratio	✅ 0.03–0.07%	✅ $0 commissions
Time Required	✅ Set-and-forget	❌ Research-heavy
Beat the market?	Matches market	Most don't over 10yr
Best for new grads	✅ Yes	Small % only

Net Worth Tracker

ASSETS

LIABILITIES