Finance Xpress

Understanding how home prices fluctuate over time is one of the most intriguing insights gleaned from my post on the reasons behind property bidding wars. Understanding how prices change over time will empower you to make more informed purchases in the future. I contend that timing the housing market is comparatively simpler than timing the […]

The post Analyzing Home Price Dynamics: A Guide To Smarter Purchases appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Well folks, as anticipated, bidding wars are back with a vengeance, at least here in San Francisco. If I were a real estate agent, I would never encourage my clients to engage in a bidding war. Winning such a war often leads to what's known as the “winner's curse.” This term signifies paying a price […]

The post Understanding Why People Get Into Property Bidding Wars appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Despite my extensive experience of 13 years working in international equities, living abroad for the same duration, and visiting approximately 60 countries, I don't allocate much of my investments to international stocks. I believe the risk outweighs the potential reward, especially when there are already numerous lucrative investment opportunities available in the United States. If […]

The post Investing In International Stocks Is Unnecessary, Here’s Why appeared first on Financial Samurai.

My life has been filled with rejections, and I've finally come to embrace rejection as a natural part of life. To me, being rejected is akin to the urgent need to visit the bathroom after indulging in too much Taco Bell. The discomfort is undeniable at first as your stomach sours from the inside out. […]

The post Embrace Rejection! How Getting Denied Saves Us Over $50,000 appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Amidst a recent whirlwind of car maintenance expenses with my trusty nine-year-old Range Rover Sport, I embarked on a quest to find the most budget-friendly car brands for long-term upkeep. With my finances feeling the pinch, I'm on a mission to squirrel away as much cash as possible over the next three years to regain […]

The post Cheapest To Most Expensive Car Brands To Maintain Long Term appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Since middle school, I've embraced frugality, largely influenced by my parents' thrifty habits. They drove aging cars, donned the same clothes for decades, and preferred water at restaurants. Naturally, I adopted these practices. Today, I still drive a nine-year-old car, opt to repair rather than replace my belongings, and typically stick to water when dining […]

The post Giving A Gift Card Is The Best Way To Help Frugal People Spend appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not the Federal Reserve but the bond market that controls mortgage rates. The Federal Reserve regulates the Fed Funds rate, the overnight lending rate for banks, which sits at the shortest end of the yield curve. When the short end of the yield curve rises, it impacts longer duration rates. […]

The post Components That Affect Mortgage Rates The Most appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I recently caught up with Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise in person, about the Innovation Fund's latest investments in private AI (artificial intelligence) companies. Since launching the open-ended venture capital fund in 2H 2022, the Innovation Fund has made a series of promising AI investments that I was eager to learn more about, but unable […]

The post Investing In Private AI Companies Without Connections Or Big Money appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Recently, I received a capital distribution from a private real estate fund, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The experience brought me both joy and relief, prompting me to share it in the hope that it might inspire you to invest more for your future. After purchasing a new home in October […]

The post Capital Distributions From Private Real Estate Investments Are Wonderful appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Unlike buying a primary residence, where I believe you should buy one as soon as you can afford to, purchasing a vacation property is a different matter. Nobody needs to buy a vacation property; it's a luxury expense that everyone can do without. Chances are, you won't use your vacation property enough times a year […]

The post Don’t Buy A Vacation Property Until After You Have Children appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 2007, I had a dream of taking my future family on a ski vacation. I was an avid snowboarder and my wife enjoyed the tranquility of Lake Tahoe. After receiving a good bonus, I bought a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo at Everline Resort in Palisades. Our son came ten years later, but we didn't go […]

The post Family Ski Vacations: The Cost Could Break The Bank! appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Tipping has become increasingly pervasive, leaving many wondering how much to tip without feeling like a miser. To alleviate this dilemma, I've crafted a tipping guide to help you navigate gratuities with confidence. This guide not only suggests appropriate tip amounts but also explains the rationale behind them. In the past, tipping was a discretionary […]

The post A Tipping Guide To Counteract Tipflation And Feel Great Again appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The rich are frequently criticized for not contributing their fair portion of taxes. However, when examining income taxes, it becomes evident that the wealthy actually contribute more than their fair share. Here's a chart displaying the proportion of income taxes paid by different income groups from 2001 to 2021. In 2001, the top 1% (considered […]

The post The Rich Pay More Than Their Fair Share Of Income Taxes appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After delving into the exorbitant prices of new luxury cars, I've come to the realization that a larger segment of the population is purchasing such vehicles than I initially thought. This trend poses a significant problem for those striving for financial freedom, which is why I've come up with the House-To-Car Ratio guide. I see […]

The post The Right House-To-Car Ratio For Financial Freedom appeared first on Financial Samurai.

During the global financial crisis in 2008 – 2009, I expected the San Francisco Property Assessor Office to automatically lower my property tax bill. After all, home prices had topped out at the end of 2006 and had declined about 5% a year for three consecutive years. Instead of receiving a property tax bill reduction, […]

The post Downgrade Your Property Statistics Online To Lower Your Property Taxes appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you're a book collector, I wanted to give you a heads up that the first print of the first edition of Buy This Not That is almost sold out. My editor at Portfolio Penguin informed me that the second print of the first edition will arrive in their warehouse on April 24, 2024. Subsequently, […]

The post Investing In First Print, First Edition Books Is The Way appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Education is the key to freedom for all of us. Therefore, I've made the decision to pursue a doctorate degree instead of seeking a fancy tech job. Specifically, I plan to earn a Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on real estate from UC Berkeley. Considering my MBA from UC Berkeley in 2006, my […]

The post Getting A Doctorate Degree Instead Of A Fancy Tech Job appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 2002, I foolishly bought a new luxury car, a Mercedes Benz G500. I had to just gotten a raise and a promotion to Associate so I thought I had might as well blow all my money. The G-Wagon cost $78,000 out the door, which was actually a good deal at the time. Just a […]

The post New Luxury Car Prices Are Outrageous, Never Buying One Again appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Who stands to gain the most from the settlement reached with the National Association of Realtors regarding commission price collusion? The clear beneficiaries are residential real estate investors and owners. Why? Because they were the ones burdened with paying the so-called “standard” real estate commission ranging from 5% to 6%. Following the judgment against the […]

The post Why Every Residential Real Estate Investor Is Suddenly Richer appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Now that I'm on a quest to save money and improve my cash flow, I've stumbled upon some new ways to save that I hadn't really considered before. Let me share with you my latest realization about how good relationships can help you save money. One of my expenses is a $180/month private sports club […]

The post How Good Relationships Can Save You Lots Of Money appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you're aiming for a more cost-effective lifestyle, you might find it surprising that opting for a more expensive home over a median-priced one could be the way to go. While it may seem counterintuitive, let me explain. Since purchasing a pricier home in the fourth quarter of 2023, my family and I have been […]

The post For A More Affordable Life, Buy A More Expensive Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Lately, I've been pondering why I tend to have less admiration for men who claim to be retired but have a working spouse. Is it fueled by envy? It's possible, considering I wouldn't mind if my wife were the breadwinner, easing some of the financial strain on me. The sentiment is akin to observing several […]

The post A Provider’s Clock For Men Is Like A Biological Clock For Women appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Exciting news for homesellers and homebuyers! The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has reached a settlement in its lost $1.8+ billion lawsuit on price fixing and collusion, agreeing to pay $418 million in damages. This settlement marks a significant shift in the homebuying and selling business model, where sellers traditionally paid both their broker and […]

The post The NAR Settlement’s Impact On Commissions And Home Prices appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you've been feeling down despite the apparent strength of the economy, I can relate. Despite stocks and real estate reaching near all-time highs, there seems to be a growing silent recession among Americans. Here are the primary reasons why I believe some of us don't feel better despite the apparent strength of the U.S. […]

The post A Silent Recession: Why You Might Feel Bad Despite A Good Economy appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I've faced significant criticism for encouraging my wife to re-enter the workforce after being retired since 2015. However, it's important to clarify that she hasn't been truly retired. Instead, she has been actively engaged as a full-time mom since 2017. In addition, she has helped do a lot of the operations and editing for Financial […]

The post Life Insurance Is A Reason Why Your Spouse Doesn’t Need To Work appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When I speak to the media, one of the most commonly asked questions I get is whether I had to make significant sacrifices in my pursuit of FIRE (financial independence and retire early). When they refer to sacrifices, what they really mean is whether I missed out on the typical fun experiences of a young […]

The post The Sacrifices We Make To Achieve Financial Independence appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Zillow recently released an intriguing study that outlines the income needed to afford a “typical home” in different cities. The study considers a 10% down payment and utilizes the Zillow Home Value Index to determine the median home price in each city. Let's compare the income required to purchase the median home in each city […]

The post Income Required To Afford A Typical Home By City appeared first on Financial Samurai.

With cash flow running tight, I've embarked on a mission to trim unnecessary expenses from my budget. In times of surplus cash before my home purchase, I hadn't scrutinized my expenses for years. It's not that I was lazy about budgeting; instead, I've always embraced the “pay myself first and spend the rest” strategy. Each […]

The post Three Sneaky Expenses That Are Ruining Your Budget appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of the most effective ways to build semi-passive income is to own your primary residence, live in it for several years, then rent it out and purchase a nicer property. If you're aiming to retire early, over a 20-year career, you could easily build a rental property portfolio consisting of 3-5 units. This has […]

The post The Best And Worst Times To Find Renters For Greater Cash Flow appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Net worth composition for the top 1%

The post Obtaining A Top 1% Net Worth Is Easier Than Ever Before appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Now that cash flow is tight, I've reviewed all the expenses where I could potentially cut. One such expense is a private sports club membership. I joined the club in February 2023 when it was raining nonstop for three months. I was getting cabin fever so I decided to pay $180 a month for access […]

The post A Private Sports Club Membership Is Well Worth The Cost appeared first on Financial Samurai.

For those of you who are looking to upgrade homes, let me tell you a sad truth. I climbed to the top of the property ladder with my latest home purchase, and after four months, I feel no happier. Whenever someone would congratulate me about my home purchase, I felt nothing. What's there to celebrate […]

The post Climbed To The Top Of The Property Ladder And Feel No Happier appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 2009, I established my first rule of FIRE: generate enough passive income to cover your basic living expenses. Once achieved, you attain financial independence and the freedom to pursue your desires. Since then, various permutations of FIRE have emerged, one of which is Coast FIRE. Coast FIRE involves front-loading your retirement savings and then […]

The post The Most Dangerous Early Retirement Strategy To Follow: Coast FIRE appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After receiving significant criticism for my post, Embrace Living Paycheck-To-Paycheck To One Day Be Free, I find myself contemplating the existence of a net worth level that brings about serenity and inner peace, prohibiting one from feeling troubled. Is there a financial threshold beyond which emotional turmoil becomes unacceptable? Despite my attempt to turn a […]

The post Net Worth Serenity: When Feeling Bad Is No Longer Allowed appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I once encountered an actor in Paris who had secured minor roles in significant films, courtesy of his friendship with Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite having the opportunity to continue with these smaller roles due to his connections, his pride led him to pursue larger roles. Regrettably, 10 years later, I haven't seen him in a single […]

The post Don’t Let Pride Get In The Way Of Taking Care Of Your Family appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Living paycheck-to-paycheck is one of the most unpleasant financial experiences. Not only does it mean needing to spend everything you have to make ends meet, it also creates an ongoing feeling of despair. You might even have to get into debt to pay your bills. And if you aren't careful with debt usage, it may […]

The post Embrace Living Paycheck-To-Paycheck To One Day Be Free appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Money is great. Money provides freedom. But you will always regret sacrificing love for money. When you get older, you will realize how true this statement really is if you haven't found someone. Life is simply not as fun if you don't have someone to share it with. Further, finding “the one” might also want […]

The post You Will Always Regret Sacrificing Love For Money appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Our first visit to the emergency room unfolded three years ago when our daughter displayed signs of anaphylaxis due to a food allergy. Unsure of what steps to take, we dialed 911, which led to an ambulance arriving promptly to transport us 16 minutes to the nearest hospital. The paramedics administered epinephrine, then the ER […]

The post Going To The Emergency Room Is Like Getting Two Kicks To The Groin appeared first on Financial Samurai.

A common suggestion people have made to help me regain my financial independence is to move to a cheaper area of the country or the world to save money. I've resisted relocating so far because I believe the excitement of living in a big city is worth the cost. I've lived in big cities all […]

The post The Excitement Of Living In A Big City Is Worth The Cost appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In general, the longer you stay invested, the greater your chance of making money. To help you maintain a long-term investment approach, it's imperative to develop an investment thesis. Drawing from my experience in investing since 1995, it's quite easy to get shaken out of a particular investment. I observed panic selling during the 2000 […]

The post An Investment Thesis: The Key To Making More Money Long Term appeared first on Financial Samurai.

During my time living abroad, approximately 90% of my friends were fluent in a second language besides English. I attended schools such as the International School of Kuala Lumpur for middle school and Taipei American School for elementary school. Upon relocating to McLean, Virginia, for high school, I noticed a decline, with only about 50% […]

The post The Value Of A Second Language: How Much Would You Pay To Be Fluent? appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I've been documenting my journey in Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) since July 2009. To the best of my knowledge, I can't identify any other blogger who commenced their FIRE journey earlier, is still currently retired or unemployed, and has maintained a consistent writing presence like I have on Financial Samurai. When I began sharing […]

The post I’m Unwilling To Change The Rules Of FIRE To Win The Game appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After publishing my post on no longer being financially independent, several media outlets picked up the story and thousands of comments on their respective platforms ensued. The main criticism was that my expenses were way too high. As a result, I thought it would be useful to discuss the impact greed and inflation have on […]

The post Inflation And Greed: The Biggest Wealth Destroyers For Families appeared first on Financial Samurai.

My family and I could have been set for life. Instead, due to my inability to beat back real estate FOMO, I blew up our passive income. And because our passive income is now much lower, we are no longer financially independent. Desire is the cause of all suffering. Due to my desire to own […]

The post Blew Up My Passive Income, No Longer Financially Independent appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 2017 and 2019, I superfunded two 529 plans for my two children. Since then, my wife and my parents have also regularly contributed to the two college savings plans. You would think with all this aggressive saving, I would feel confident we'll have enough saved to pay for college. But I'm still unsure. Given […]

The post A 529 Plan Is Not Enough To Pay For College, We Must Save More appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When my kids were born, I made a promise to be a stay-at-home father for the first five years of each of their lives. Mission accomplished with my son in April 2022. But there's still some time to go before my daughter starts full-time school in Fall 2024. Anticipating the completion of this step, I'm […]

The post How Parents Can Fill The Void Once Kids Go To School Full-Time appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In December 2016, I purchased a 2015 Range Rover Sport with 10,800 miles. At the time, I had been driving a Honda Fit but sought a larger vehicle as my wife was expecting in early 2017. During the purchase, the option to acquire an extended car warranty was presented, offering coverage for seven years or […]

The post An Extended Car Warranty Is Probably Not Worth The Cost appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In a compelling TikTok video, Brittany Pietsch chronicles her own experience of being laid off at Cloudflare, a publicly-traded tech company. The call involves an HR (Human Resources) representative named Rosie and another individual, presumably also from HR. The man begins by asserting that Brittany did not meet Cloudflare's performance expectations, but Brittany interrupts him, […]

The post Inside Look At How HR Lays Off An Employee: Severance Insights appeared first on Financial Samurai.

At the end of 2023, feeling burnt out and in need of a peaceful environment to work on my book, I opted for a wellness retreat lasting just one day. Instead of spending $2,000 a night at a wellness center in the middle of the woods, I chose to retreat to my vacant old house. […]

The post Rent Out, Sell, Or Create A Wellness House For Better Health appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In this episode, I interview Ben Miller, the CEO of Fundrise, discussing his revised perspective on the real estate market for 2024 and beyond. The year 2023 posed challenges for institutional real estate investors, marked by 11 rate hikes and a significant surge in mortgage rates since the first quarter of 2022. Ben believes October […]

The post Past The Real Estate Market Bottom With Brighter Days Ahead appeared first on Financial Samurai.

While I consider myself frugal, there are instances where saving money isn't worth the additional time investment. Let me share a story illustrating how excessive frugality cost me my health, productivity, and happiness. Recently, we decided to attend Monster Jam for the first time, an event featuring monster trucks racing and performing stunts. Getting there […]

The post Being Overly Frugal Can Be Terrible For Your Health And Happiness appeared first on Financial Samurai.

On Jan 2, 2024, Claudine Gay resigned as the president of Harvard University amid public outcry over her failure to denounce the genocide of Jews before Congress and allegations of approximately 50 counts of plagiarism. As an author and blogger, I observed the public judgment with fascination, considering that plagiarism has been regarded as the […]

The post Thoughts On Plagiarism As A Thief, Blogger, And Author appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Everyone aspires to be a self-made millionaire, but surprisingly, there are fewer self-made millionaires than commonly thought. Before finding out the answer, what percentage of millionaires do you think became one with no inheritance or financial help from their parents or relatives? Here’s an insightful Bank of America Private Bank Survey of Wealthy Americans that …

There Are Less Self-Made Millionaires Than You Think And That’s A Problem Read More »

The post There Are Less Self-Made Millionaires Than You Think And That’s A Problem appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 2024, I am transitioning from a spender to a saver mindset. I am returning to frugal habits reminiscent of my lifestyle in the first thirteen years after college. This change is prompted by the need to rebuild liquidity. One area I'm targeting to cut expenses is food. After a three-month experiment involving increased spending …

How Couples Can Adopt The Same Financial Goals And Win Read More »

The post How Couples Can Adopt The Same Financial Goals And Win appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Happy new year everyone! For 2024, my theme of the year is, “One last year of intense focus.” This marks my 15th year running Financial Samurai, coinciding with both my children starting full-time school in September. Fatigue has set in, reminiscent of 2011 when I pondered leaving investment banking for good. That burnout prompted a …

2024 Financial Samurai Goals: One Last Year Of Intense Focus Read More »

The post 2024 Financial Samurai Goals: One Last Year Of Intense Focus appeared first on Financial Samurai.