（（不愿意“被”代表的请留下标记。同意“被”代表的可以考贝，不追究版权责任。六万五的工资是网上流传的美国理功科大学毕业生拿到的工资的中位数字，不包括年终奖金等。女儿拿到的不是这个数字。）
Dear XXX,
Congratulations to you for the big step in your life! Your mom and I have been waiting for this since you left home for college in the summer of 2008. You should feel proud of yourself for the hard work during your college career.
While you are dreaming your freedom in the near future, I would like to discuss a little bit of your personal finance situation once you start your new job. My only purpose for this discussion is to make you ready for the real world.
Your starting salary is about 65K annually. Uncle Sam will count all pennies, and they are subjected to Social Security tax (also called as payroll tax): 65000*6.2%=4030. ( Currently it is 4.2% because of stimulation for economy, normally it is 6.2%.)
MA income tax: (65000-8000)*6%=3420. (I remember the MA deduction is 8K per person, and the tax rate is 5.95%, if not higher.)
You federal tax is estimated as following:
Assuming you put 6% income(3900 dollars) into your 401k to get all match-up benefit, your W-2 form will show your annual income: 65000-65000*6%=61100
On your 1040EZ form, the total of your standard deduction and per-capital deduction is about: 5700+3300=9000. Therefore, your taxable income is 61100-9000=52100.
Your federal tax: 9144 for single. (Congratulations, you are in 25% tax rate bracket, higher than dad and mom.:).)
(For single, taxable income between 35350-85650 is for 25% rate. I am sure you will have AMT to deal if you take itemized deduction. LOL.)
This is what you will get from your pay check annually: 65000-4030-3420-3900-9144=44506, i.e. 44506/12=3708 per month.
If you consider Roth IRA, which you should because of its long-term tax benefit, that is 5000 annually, and monthly 416. So your monthly available income is: 3708-416=3292.
Not bad. Your mom and I have been living on a budget of about 4000 dollars per month during last 4 years, and we managed to pay mortgage and your brother's school cost. See, countryside is a better place to raise a family, and your mom and I made a right choice to move from Boston to the countryside in Illinois.
Enjoy your poor city-girl dream. Don't feel depressed if you could not come out with the money to buy ticket to fly back to see dad and mom. Your mom and I are willing to buy you ticket, and we will keep your room as it was when you were home, and prepare delicious fish and organic vegetable when you are tired and want to have a nap at dad and mom's side.
Love,
mom and dad
