25M, HCOL, mid-200s HHI (dual income next year) — dividend tilt vs total-market + chubbyFIRE trajectory
25M, HCOL, been leveling up financially over the last couple years. First time posting.
Income: ~$205k base + variable bonus, mid-200s total. Getting married next year and my partner will start working with a modest salary (~$50k), so HHI moves toward low-300s in 2027.
Snapshot:
- Liquid: ~$7k (building a 3–6mo emergency fund next)
- Rollover IRA ~$52k: VOO 46%, VYM 38%, SCHD 6%, ~9% cash (SPAXX), small single-stock (~1%)
- 401k: currently at the match, moving to max ($24,500) going forward, minuscule amount in the 401k.
- Mortgage: ~$860k, co-owned with family, ~6% rate
- Student loans being paid off this summer; no other consumer debt after that
Questions:
Allocation at my age. I'm ~44% dividend funds (VYM + SCHD) at 25 with a 30-year horizon. It's all inside the IRA so the tax drag doesn't apply, but is the dividend tilt worth it here, or should I consolidate toward total-market / S&P and drop it?
Backdoor Roth. With the second income pushing us toward the MFJ Roth phase-out next year, does it make sense to roll this rollover IRA into my 401k now so the pro-rata rule doesn't wreck a future backdoor Roth?
Idle cash. ~9% is sitting in SPAXX doing nothing. Lump-sum deploy, or keep a buffer?
ChubbyFIRE trajectory. Targeting roughly $2.5M invested / ~$100k spend. With a second income coming and index discipline, is chubby by early-to-mid 40s realistic on this income, and what savings rate / allocation would you run to get there?
I know 6% makes it close to a wash on paper, but is the psychological upside worth it?
Appreciate any input.