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I’m looking for feedback on my overall financial and investment strategy, particularly around asset allocation and how I’m using my Solo 401(k).
I’m 35, married, and expect to earn approximately **$492,000 pre-tax this year as a 1099 physician**. My long-term goal is early retirement around age 55, so I’m trying to balance growth, diversification, and tax efficiency while managing income volatility. My currently does not work and is in school full time, but will be looking for work in the coming months after graduation in May.
**Accounts & current positioning:**
**Roth IRA** **(backdoor):**
* \~$8,400 total
* 50/50 split between **VTI / VXUS**
* Haven’t made my 2026 contribution yet
* Intended for long-term, tax-free growth
**Solo 401(k) (traditional):**
* \~$16,000 invested, split **90/10 between VXUS / FTEC**
* \~$22,000 currently in cash
* This account is where I’m considering a higher growth tilt
**Cash / short-term holdings:**
* \~$76,000 in a HYSA earning \~3.30%
* \~$459,000 in a CD earning \~3.92%, maturing in the next few months and earmarked for a home down payment
**Debt**
* \~$400,000 in student loans
Because the CD funds are intended for a near-term home purchase, I’m treating them as non-investable capital and avoiding market risk with that money.
**What I’m looking for feedback on:**
* Whether my overall risk level and allocation make sense given my age, income, and early retirement timeline
* Should my spouse open up a spousal Roth IRA, and would they need to do it via backdoor?
* How aggressive it’s reasonable to be inside the Solo 401(k) relative to the Roth IRA
* How others would think about deploying the remaining **$22K of cash in the Solo 401(k)** from an asset-allocation perspective (not specific recommendations, but frameworks)
* Whether my current international and growth exposure is balanced or redundant
* Any tax inefficiencies or structural blind spots I may be overlooking as a high-income 1099 earner
**Notes:**
* Really don't want to try to pay down student loans, but that might be a bad move
* A house purchase is a must for us in the few months, so using the money in the CD to pay off student loans is a no-go
* 1099s have a hard time getting approved for home loans
I’m not looking for personalized financial advice, just general insights, critiques, or alternative ways to think about structuring this setup.