My First $1 Million: Banking Executive, 37, Nashville

"I don't want anyone to think I'm bragging, but I am really proud of myself! Neither my husband nor I comes from money, so it really does feel like mine." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Delivered dailyKiplinger TodayProfit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. 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Welcome to Kiplinger's My First $1 Million series, in which we hear from people who have made $1 million. They're sharing how they did it and what they're doing with it. This time, we hear from a 37-year-old married banking executive who lives in Nashville but is from the Washington, D.C., metro area.See our earlier profiles, including a writer in New England, a literacy interventionist in Colorado, a semiretired entrepreneur in Nashville and an events industry CEO in Northern New Jersey. (See all of the profiles here.)Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special IssuesProfit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.Each profile features one person or couple, who will always be completely anonymous to readers, answering questions to help our readers learn from their experience.These features are intended to provide a window into how different people build their savings — they're not intended to provide financial advice.To hear more about My First $1 Million, you can check out this podcast with bestselling author and tax attorney Toby Mathis: I wish I had a fancier answer, but I just saved and lived below my means and made smart choices. And I've worked hard!I went to a no-name college on a full-ride (scholarship), so I graduated with only about $12,000 in loans. I paid off half my first year working while making $35,000 and living in Section 8 housing, and my grandmother paid off the other half as a gift. She never spent a dime and was really an inspiration for me.We moved a lot growing up (renting), so I knew I really wanted to own a home early. I bought my first condo at 24 and started building equity.I started saving in my 401(k) the first day of my job — just 5% to get the company match until I could max it out.I save in mostly index funds and have two rental properties.I got a large raise two years ago that enabled me to renovate and buy a rental home with cash. I crossed the $1 million mark sometime last year.I was very into the FIRE movement in my late 20s. I started making six figures but didn't see my lifestyle inflate too much.I was always looking for a deal, free events, that kind of thing — and it worked.Once I got the bump in pay two years ago, my mindset shifted. I always donated 3% to 5% of my salary to causes important to me, but I started focusing more on small things. For example, free music in the park exists because of donations — and I'm one of the people with the means to give.It's also been nice to be comfortable treating family members to experiences.Treated my family to a great time when they came to visit.The confidence that I can set a goal and achieve it.Not having to be stressed about money is incredible. Though, you can burn through that money, too. I just tell myself it's not there.The only money I see every day is what I keep in my checking account for basic expenses.Only my husband — we keep our finances mostly separate.I don't want anyone to think I'm bragging, but I am really proud of myself! Neither my husband nor I comes from money, so it really does feel like mine.The $6,000 from my grandmother I've since "regifted" back to my parents.I plan to! My dream goal is to be done with corporate work by 40.No. But I'm surprised how much joy I get by sharing my savings — supporting local artists, restaurants, nonprofits, museums. To be able to do it without stress — what a gift! It's all just numbers on a screen, but the freedom is real.Nope. Just me.Buy two more rental properties.Know your worth. Own an affordable home. Don't go into credit card debt, but card-hack for vacations. Not yet, but we need to.Look for high-dividend stocks.If you have made $1 million or more and would like to be anonymously featured in a future My First $1 Million profile, please fill out and submit this Google Form or send an email to MyFirstMillion@futurenet.com to receive the questions. We welcome all stories that add up to $1 million or more in your accounts, although we will use discretion in which stories we choose to publish, to ensure we share a diversity of experiences. We also might want to verify that you really do have $1 million. Your answers may be edited for clarity.Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.As Contributed Content Editor for the Adviser Intel channel on Kiplinger.com, Joyce edits articles from hundreds of financial experts about retirement planning strategies, including estate planning, taxes, personal finance, investing, charitable giving and more. She has more than 30 years of editing experience in business and features news, including 15 years in the Money section at USA Today. With decades of growth ahead, your 40s aren't just for saving. We asked financial advisers how to enjoy your income now without compromising your nest egg. Large unrealized capital gains can create a serious tax headache for retirees with a successful portfolio. A tax-aware long-short strategy can help. 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