[solarmist]

Really? Don't go for the maximum salary because you might be disappointed in future raises?

Do you know why companies discourage job hopping and sharing your salary with coworkers (even though just mentioning a bias against sharing that information is illegal)? Because it costs them money if employees do it (i.e. it's good for employees)!

Sure, throwing money at a problem isn't a way to solve it and companies that think it is are bad news, but the rest of your advise is horrible.