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This just in: Houses are expensive. But some houses are really expensive. If you have your heart set on a luxurious oceanside mansion (or just a modest home in an ultra-high-cost city like New York or San Francisco), you may need to seek out a jumbo mortgage: one whose dollar amount surpasses the conforming loan limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) each year. In 2024, that limit is $766,550 in most cases, though in some high-cost areas the limit can range up to $1,149,825. Any mortgage that exceeds those amounts is considered a jumbo loan.

What Are Jumbo Loans?

Jumbo loans are those in which the mortgage total surpasses the conforming loan limits set by the FHFA. The conforming loan limits change annually. As noted above, in 2024, a jumbo loan is one whose total is $766,550 or more in most areas, though in select high-cost areas, the limit goes up to $1,149,825.

Your mortgage total is the amount of money you borrow in order to purchase a house — an amount that can be calculated by subtracting your down payment from the agreed home purchase price. (Keep in mind, though, that this figure isn’t the same as how much you’ll pay in full over the lifetime of the loan, since you’ll also owe interest to the bank that provides the loan. Still have questions? Check out our mortgage payment calculator with interest.)

Jumbo vs Conventional Loan

Conventional loans are offered privately through banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions, unlike other loans which are supported by a government agency such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Conventional loans are easily the most common type of home loan.

Jumbo loans are a type of conventional loan. But whereas most conventional loans are also conforming loans and are available with a minimum down payment as low as 3% for first-time homebuyers, jumbo loans are considered nonconforming and typically require a larger down payment — usually at least 10%. You’ll also likely need a very high credit score in order to be eligible to take out a jumbo loan.

Determining Jumbo Loan Limits

As we’ve seen above, the specific jumbo loan limits where you live (or where you’re planning to buy a home) will vary depending on the area’s cost of living. The FHFA offers a convenient conforming loan map that allows you to see what the conforming loan limits (otherwise known as jumbo loan limits) are in your area, broken down by county.

How Loan Limits Are Calculated

The jumbo loan limit is determined each year by the FHFA using current housing price data. That way, the limits are tied to real information in the world about how much it actually costs to buy a home in a given area. Conforming loan limits — also known as the jumbo loan limits — change each year; new limits for the coming year are typically announced in late November.

Current Jumbo Loan Limits

As mentioned above, in 2024, the jumbo loan limit for the vast majority of the U.S. is $766,550, and the highest conforming loan limit, in the most expensive places to live, is $1,149,825. To see exactly what the jumbo loan limits are in your area, visit the FHFA’s map.

Qualifying for a Jumbo Loan

Jumbo loans are, well, big — which means the qualification metrics for getting a home loan are pretty strict. (After all, that’s a whole lot of money the lender stands to lose if you default.) While every lender has its own specific algorithm for qualifying potential borrowers, here are some rules of thumb when it comes to qualifying for a jumbo loan:

Credit Score Requirements

While there’s no specific credit score that guarantees you’ll qualify for a jumbo loan, most lenders will likely require a high one — after all, it’s a fairly risky prospect to lend that much money to someone. Credit scores range from 300 to 850. Scores of 670 to 739 are considered good; scores of 740 to 799 are considered very good, and scores of 800 and above are considered exceptional.

Down Payment Requirements

We touched on this briefly, but jumbo loan lenders often require their borrowers to provide a more substantial down payment than conventional loan lenders do. While a minimum of 10% is a good rule of thumb, some lenders may ratchet up the minimum to 25% or 30%.

Considering how large jumbo loans are already, that means you’ll probably need a significant amount of cash lying around in order to successfully apply for one — 10% of $800,000, a relatively small jumbo loan, is already $80,000.

Debt-to-Income Ratio Requirements

Your debt-to-income ratio, or DTI, is a measurement of your existing debt burden expressed as a percentage. It’s calculated by totalling all your monthly debt payments and dividing that figure by your gross monthly income.

Conventional loans usually required a DTI of 50% or lower — and that’s the absolute max. (Many lenders cut off qualification at lower percentages.) Again, while there’s no one advertised maximum DTI for a jumbo loan, you’ll likely want to have as little debt as possible in order to qualify — not to mention in order to have the money on hand each month to make that massive mortgage payment.

Income and Asset Documentation

Jumbo loan lenders are, of course, primarily concerned with your ability to repay the loan. That means that, along with the above-mentioned factors, they’ll also want proof that you earn a reliable and high income — and in some cases that you’ve already stockpiled enough wealth that you’ll be able to make your payments for several months even if you lose your job. For this reason, qualifying for a jumbo loan can be especially challenging for a self-employed worker.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Jumbo Loans

So, now that you understand them better, is a jumbo loan right for you? Like any financial decision, taking out a jumbo loan has both benefits and drawbacks to carefully consider. Here are some of the pros and cons of jumbo loans.

Advantages of Jumbo Loans

Jumbo loans offer those who qualify the opportunity to purchase a costly home that they might otherwise not have access to. They may also be available at similar interest rates to lower conforming loans, and both fixed and adjustable rates are available in 15- and 30-year terms.

Disadvantages of Jumbo Loans

On the other hand, jumbo loans are, well, jumbo-sized — which means the total amount you’ll pay over time is, too. Even a low interest rate can add up to a lot on a large principal balance, and jumbo loans also have more stringent qualification and down payment requirements than their conforming counterparts. Associated closing costs and fees can be higher, too.

Alternatives to Jumbo Loans

If you find yourself having trouble qualifying for a jumbo loan, you could look into other nonqualifying mortgages, such as bank statement loans — or potentially borrow a significant amount of money from family or friends. However, if the home you’re vying for is that much of a stretch, it may make more financial sense to find something a bit more modest and apply for a conforming loan instead.

The Takeaway

Jumbo loans are large mortgages that don’t conform to the limits set by the FHFA — and therefore come with stricter qualification requirements. While jumbo loans can help those who qualify to access a high-value house, they can also be hard to keep up with unless your income is correspondingly high.

When you’re ready to take the next step, consider what SoFi Home Loans have to offer. Jumbo loans are offered with competitive interest rates, no private mortgage insurance, and down payments as low as 10%.

FAQ

What does a jumbo loan mean?

Jumbo loans are those whose totals exceed the conforming loan limits set each year by the FHFA. For 2024, that limit is $766,550 in the vast majority of the U.S.; in some areas with a high cost of living, the conforming loan limit can be as high as $1,149,825.

What are the disadvantages of a jumbo loan?

Along with their extra-large monthly mortgage payments, jumbo loans also come with stricter eligibility requirements and higher minimum down payments. In most cases, you’ll need to pony up at least 10%, and some lenders may require as much as 30% up front.

Why are jumbo loan limits necessary?

Most mortgage loans issued in the U.S. are guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which helps reduce risk for lenders and ensure that loans are affordable and available to homebuyers. But the guarantee has to stop somewhere, and conforming loan limits draw that line. This is why jumbo loans have more stringent borrower requirements than conforming loans — lenders who make jumbo loans don’t have Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to fall back on if a jumbo borrower defaults.

Photo credit: iStock/Wirestock

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*SoFi requires Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) for conforming home loans with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio greater than 80%. As little as 3% down payments are for qualifying first-time homebuyers only. 5% minimum applies to other borrowers. Other loan types may require different fees or insurance (e.g., VA funding fee, FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums, etc.). Loan requirements may vary depending on your down payment amount, and minimum down payment varies by loan type.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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^¹FHA loans are subject to unique terms and conditions established by FHA and SoFi. Ask your SoFi loan officer for details about eligibility, documentation, and other requirements. FHA loans require an Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP), which may be financed or paid at closing, in addition to monthly Mortgage Insurance Premiums (MIP). Maximum loan amounts vary by county. The minimum FHA mortgage down payment is 3.5% for those who qualify financially for a primary purchase. SoFi is not affiliated with any government agency.

SOHL-Q324-009

Earning $55,000 a year can be a good salary for a single person. While it’s less than the national average salary of $63,795, that amount is still higher than what the typical worker earns in some states.

Of course, determining whether a $55,000 annual salary is enough for you to live on depends on where you live, your lifestyle, your financial obligations, and a number of other factors. Let’s dive in.

Is $55K a Good Salary?

The American economy is much different now than it was just a few years ago. While the job market has stayed consistently strong, inflation has outpaced wages. In fact, wage growth was three percentage points lower than overall inflation, according to a November 2023 survey conducted by Bankrate. You don’t need a money tracker to tell you that this means a $55,000 annual salary no longer goes as far as it once did.

But inflation is just one piece of the puzzle. Another factor to consider is where you are in your career. While a salary of $55K is below the average salary in the U.S., it can be considered a good wage, especially if you’re just starting out.

Recommended: What Is a Good Entry-Level Salary?

Average Median Income in the US by State in 2024

Certain states tend to pay better, often because they have a higher cost of living. The following chart shows the median income in each state, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Recommended: Highest Paying Jobs by State

Average Cost of Living in the US by State in 2024

The term cost of living refers to the amount of money someone needs to cover day-to-day expenses. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), here’s how much residents in each state spend on necessities like housing, utilities, food, and health care.

How to Budget for a $55K Salary

Depending on your financial obligations, regional cost of living, and other factors, you may find it easier to stretch a $55,000 annual salary with the help of a budget. (A budget planner app can help you set up a spending plan and allow you to monitor your credit score.)

One method to try is the 50/30/20 budget, which recommends setting aside 50% of your earnings for needs (like housing, food, and transportation); 30% for wants (like entertainment and travel); and 20% for savings and debt repayment.

Recommended: US Average Income by Age

Maximizing a $55,000 Salary

When it comes to making every dollar count, it helps to identify the biggest line items in your budget. Typically, these will be housing, transportation, and food. If you’re looking for ways to stretch a $55,000 annual salary, these may be natural places to start trimming. For instance, if you live alone and are open to a shared housing arrangement, you may want to consider getting a roommate. Or if you live near coworkers, it may be worthwhile to explore carpooling to work.

But there are other ways to maximize a $55,000-a-year salary. Here are a few strategies to consider:

•   Build up an emergency fund. Aim to save at least three to six months’ worth of basic living expenses.

•   Pay down debt. If you’re carrying a credit card balance and you’ve already built up an emergency fund, you may want to focus on paying off debt.

•   Step up your retirement savings. If you have a 401(k) retirement plan with your employer, run the numbers and see if you can increase your monthly contributions. You could possibly get an employer match as well.

Is $55,000 a Year Considered Rich?

While $55,000 a year is no six-figure salary, it can be more than enough for a single person to live comfortably. This is particularly true if they have a low cost of living, little to no debt, or are only supporting themselves.

But is that salary enough to classify someone as rich? One way to think about it is to look at the person’s net worth. To calculate net worth, simply subtract outstanding debts or liabilities from the value of all combined assets.

You can also use tools like a net worth calculator by age to help you determine how a $55k a year salary stacks up.

Is $55K a Year Considered Middle Class?

The Pew Research Center defines middle class as households with a salary that’s two-thirds to double the national median income. By that definition, “middle class” is household income ranging from $47,189 and $141,568, which includes $55,000.

Examples of Jobs that Make About $55,000 a Year

Whether you’re looking for jobs for introverts or entry-level roles, you’ll likely find a number of positions that pay around $55,000 a year. Here are some examples:

•   Firefighter: $57,120

•   Postal service mail carrier: $56,510

•   Carpenter: $56,350

•   Counselor: $53,710

•   Retail supervisor: $52,030

The Takeaway

While $55,000 a year is lower than the national average salary, it may be enough for a single person to support themselves. However, cost of living, financial obligations, personal spending habits, inflation, and other factors can impact how far the money goes. To help make the most of your salary, consider strategies like creating a budget and savings plan you can stick to and using financial tools to monitor your spending.

Take control of your finances with SoFi. With our financial insights and credit score monitoring tools, you can view all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.

FAQ

Can I live comfortably making $55k a year?

It’s possible for a single person with little to no debt and no dependents to live comfortably on a salary of $55,000. However, it may require you to carefully manage your budget and control your expenses.

What can I afford with a $55k a year salary?

Depending on the city and state that you live in, you should be able to afford housing, transportation, healthcare, and some discretionary spending. But just how much will largely depend on your area’s cost of living, your overall expenses, and your budget.

How much is $55k a year hourly?

A $55,000 a year salary works out to around $22.50 per hour.

How much is $55k a year monthly?

If you make $55,000 a year, you may earn around $4,583 per month, depending on your tax situation.

How much is $55k a year daily?

An annual salary of $55,000 comes out to around $220 per day.

Photo credit: iStock/PeopleImages

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Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SORL-Q224-1839402-V1

From saving for college to getting a leg up on retirement, creating an investment plan for your child just makes sense. Why? Because when your kids are young, time is on their side in a really big way and it’s only smart to take advantage of it.

In addition, there are several different avenues to consider when setting up an investment plan for your kids. Each one potentially can help set them up for a stronger financial future.

Why Invest for Your Child?

There’s a reason for the cliché, “Time is money.” The power of time combined with money may help generate growth over time.

The technical name for the advantageous combination of time + money is known as compound interest or compound growth. That means: when money earns a bit of interest or investment gains over time, that additional money also grows and the investment can slowly snowball.

Example of Compounding

Here is a simple example: If you invest $1,000, and it earns 5% per year, that’s $50 ($1,000 x 0.05 = $50). So at the end of one year you’d have $1,050.

That’s when the snowball slowly starts to grow: Now that $1,050 also earns 5%, which means the following year you’d have $1,152.50 ($1,050 x 0.05 = $52.50 + $1,050).

And that $1,152.50 would earn 5% the following year… and so on. You get the idea. It’s money earning more money.

That said, there are no guarantees any investment will grow. It’s also possible an investment can lose money. But given enough time, an investment plan you make for your child has time to recover if there are any losses or volatility over the years.

Benefits of Investing for Your Child Early On

There are other benefits to investing for your kids when they’re young. In addition to the potential snowball effect of compounding, you have the ability to set up different types of investment plans for your child to capture that potential long-term growth.

Each type of investment plan or savings account can help provide resources your child may need down the road.

•   You can fund a college or educational savings plan.

•   You can open an IRA for your child (individual retirement account).

•   You can set up a high-yield savings account, or certificate of deposit (CD).

Even small deposits in these accounts can benefit from potential growth over time, helping to secure your child’s financial future in more than one area. And what parent doesn’t want that?

Are Gifts to Children Taxed?

The IRS does have rules about how much money you can give away before you’re subject to something called the gift tax. But before you start worrying if you’ll have to pay a gift tax on the $100 bill you slipped into your niece’s graduation card, it’s important to know that the gift tax generally only affects large gifts.

This is because there is an “annual exclusion” for the gift tax, which means that gifts up to a certain amount are not subject to the gift tax. For 2024, it’s $18,000. If you and your spouse both give money to your child (or anyone), the annual exclusion is $36,000 in 2024.

That means if you’re married you can give financial gifts up to $36,000 in 2024, without needing to report that gift to the IRS and file a gift tax return.

Also, the recipient of the gift, in this case your child, will not owe any tax.

Are There Investment Plans for Children?

Yes, there are a number of investment plans parents can open for kids these days. Depending on your child’s age, you may want to open different accounts at different times. If you have a minor child or children, you would open custodial accounts that you hold in their name until they are legally able to take over the account.

Investing for Younger Kids

One way to seed your child’s investing plan is by opening a custodial brokerage account, established through the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA).

While the assets belong to the minor child until they come of age (18 to 21, depending on the state), they’re managed by a custodian, often the parent. But opening and funding a custodial account can be a way to teach your child the basics of investing and money management.

There are no limits on how much money parents or other relatives can deposit in a custodial account, though contributions over $18,000 per year ($36,000 for married couples) would exceed the gift tax exclusion, and need to be reported to the IRS.

UGMA and UTMA custodial accounts have different rules than, say, 529 plans. Be sure to understand how these accounts work before setting one up.

Investing for Teens

Teenagers who are interested in learning more about money management as well as investing have a couple of options.

•   Some brokerages also offer accounts for minor teens. The money in the account is considered theirs, but these are custodial accounts and the teenager doesn’t take control of the account until they reach the age of majority in their state (either 18 or 21).

These accounts can be supervised by the custodian, who can help the child make trades and learn about investing in a hands-on environment.

•   If your teenager has earned income, from babysitting or lawn mowing, you can also set up a custodial Roth IRA for your child. (If a younger child has earned income, say, from work as a performer, they can also fund a Roth IRA.)

Opening a Roth IRA offers a number of potential benefits for kids: top of the list is that the money they save and invest within the IRA has years to grow, and can provide a tax-free income stream in retirement.

Recommended: Paying for College: A Parents’ Guide

Starting a 529 Savings Plan

Saving for a child’s college education is often top of mind when parents think about planning for their kids’ futures.

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan that encourages saving for education costs by offering a few key benefits. In some states you can deduct the amount you contribute to a 529 plan. But even if your state doesn’t allow the tax deduction, the money within a 529 plan grows tax free, and qualified withdrawals are also tax free.

That includes money used to pay for tuition, room and board, lab fees, textbooks, and more. Qualified withdrawals can be used to pay for elementary, secondary, and higher education expenses, as well as qualified loan repayments, and some apprenticeship expenses. (Withdrawals that are used for non-qualified expenses may be subject to taxes and a penalty.)

Though all 50 states sponsor 529 plans you’re not required to invest in the plan that’s offered in your home state — you can shop around to find the plan that’s the best fit for you. You and your child will be able to use the funds to pay for education-related expenses in whichever state they choose.

Recommended: Benefits of Using a 529 College Savings Plan

Other Ways to Invest for Education

Given the benefits of investing for your child’s education, there are additional options to consider.

Prepaid Tuition Plans

A prepaid tuition plan allows you to prepay tuition and fees at certain colleges and universities at today’s prices. Such plans are usually available only at public schools and for in-state students, but some can be converted for use at out-of-state or private colleges.

The main benefit of this plan is that you could save big on the price of college by prepaying before prices go up. One of the main disadvantages is that, with some exceptions, these funds only cover tuition costs (not room and board, for example).

Education Savings Plans

An education savings plan or ESA is similar to a 529 plan, in that the money saved grows tax free and can be withdrawn tax free to pay for qualified educational expenses for elementary, secondary, and higher education.

ESAs, however, come with income caps. Single filers with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) over $110,000, and married couples filing jointly who have a MAGI over $220,000 cannot contribute to an ESA.
ESAs also come with contribution limits: You can only contribute up to $2,000 per year, per child, and ESA contributions are only allowed up to the beneficiary’s 18th birthday, unless they’re a special needs student.

And while many states offer a tax deduction for contributing to a 529 plan, that’s not the case with ESA contributions; they are not tax deductible at the federal or the state level.

Investing Your Education Funds

Once you make contributions to an educational account, you can invest your funds. You will likely have a range of investment options to choose from, including mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which vary from state to state.

Many plans also offer the equivalent of age-based target-date funds, which start out with a more aggressive allocation (e.g. more in stocks), and gradually dial back to become more conservative as college approaches.

Depending on your child’s level of interest, this could be an opportunity to have them learn more about the investing process.

Thinking Ahead to Retirement Accounts

It’s worth knowing that as soon as your child is working, you are able to open a custodial Roth IRA, as discussed above. The assets inside the IRA belong to your child, but you have control over investing them until they become an adult.

While it’s possible to open a custodial account for a traditional IRA, most minor children won’t reap the tax benefits of this type of IRA. Most children don’t need tax-deductible contributions to lower their taxable income.

For that reason, it may make more sense to set up a custodial Roth IRA for your child, assuming the child has earned income. A Roth can offer tax-free income in retirement, assuming the withdrawals are qualified.

When to Choose a Savings Account for Your Child

Investing is a long-term proposition. Investing for long periods allows you to take advantage of compounding, and may help you ride out the volatility may occur in the stock market. But sometimes you want a safer place to keep some cash for your child — and that’s when opening a savings account is appropriate.

If you think you’ll need the money you’re saving for your child in the next three to five years, consider putting it in a high-yield savings account, which offers higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts.

You might also want to consider a certificate of deposit (CD), which also offers higher interest rates than traditional saving vehicles. The only catch with CDs is that in exchange for this higher interest rate, you essentially agree to keep your money in the CD for a set amount of time, from a few months to a few years.

While these savings vehicles don’t offer the same high rates of return you might find in the market, they are a less risky option and offer a steady rate of return.

The Takeaway

When considering your long-term goals for your child, having an investing plan might make sense. Whether you want to save for college, help your child get ahead on retirement, or just set up a savings account for your kids, now is the time to start. In fact, the sooner the better, as time can help money grow (just as it helps children grow!).

FAQ

Can a child have an investment account?

A parent or other adult can open a custodial brokerage account for a minor child or a teenager. While the custodian manages the account, the funds belong to the child, who gains control over the account when they reach the age of majority in their state (18 or 21).

What is the best way to invest money for a child?

The best way is to get started sooner rather than later. Perhaps start with one goal — i.e. saving for college — and open a 529 plan. Or, if your child has earned income from a side job, you can open a custodial Roth IRA for them.

What is a good age to start investing as a kid?

When your child shows an interest in investing, or when they have a specific goal, whether that’s at age 7 or 17, that’s when you’ll have a willing participant. Ideally you want to invest when they’re younger, so time can work in your favor.

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