Finance Xpress

Ideally, you want to find a home with both a big lot and amazing views. These are the two special features that most buyers covet the most, which create bidding wars and higher re-sale prices. However, they rarely coexist at an affordable price. Usually, when a home has amazing views, it’s perched on a hill […]

The post Big Lot vs Great Views: Deciding Which Home Offers More Value appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Conventional wisdom says we’re in a housing affordability crisis. With higher mortgage rates and higher home prices, buying a home has supposedly never been more expensive. But what if I told you this entire narrative might be wrong? In reality, housing affordability could actually be at or near an all-time high. Sound crazy? Maybe. But if […]

The post Why Housing Affordability Could Actually Be At An All-Time High appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Well folks, the time has finally come to buy a new car. After buying eight cars in my first ten years out of college thanks to my former car addition, I now dread the idea. All I want is to drive one car forever to save time, hassle, and money. However, my 2015 Range Rover […]

The post Time to Buy A New Car: Mine Is 10 Years Old & Causing Problems appeared first on Financial Samurai.

At our core, we all just want a fair chance to compete. We don’t need handouts, and we certainly don’t want to rely on the Bank of Mom & Dad to prop us up as adults. The real satisfaction comes from seeing what we can build through our own effort. Because honestly, having everything handed […]

The post Thankful for the Opportunity to Keep Competing and Thinking appeared first on Financial Samurai.

About 10 years ago, I tried logging onto SSA.gov to check my Social Security benefits. You would think after decades of paying FICA taxes, the government might make it easy to see what you’re entitled to. Nope. Instead, the system demanded to physically mail me a PIN. I tried three times over 12 months. Nothing ever arrived, […]

The post Living Solely Off Social Security Benefits In Retirement Is Possible appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I was talking to a full-time mother the other day, and she was pissed. Her full-time working husband was heading out on yet another business trip. It was his third week-long trip that month, and she was over it. Their two kids missed their father, and she didn’t think all the travel was truly necessary, […]

The post How To Overcome Travel Guilt As a Stay-at-Home Parent appeared first on Financial Samurai.

People knock real estate for being slow and tedious, but slow and steady might be exactly what the doctor ordered to build tremendous wealth long term. With stocks doing well for so long, you’d think most people would be far better off investing in stocks than in real estate, right? Just look at the chart […]

The post Made More From One House Than 26 Years of 401(k) Investing appeared first on Financial Samurai.

For my latest trip to Oahu, this time to surprise my father and take him out for his 80th birthday, I decided to fly Basic Economy. I'm here this week. Originally, I planned to splurge on First Class for $1,600 roundtrip because the flight was on the Boeing 777 300ER, my favorite plane with solo […]

The post Survived Basic Economy And Then Won The Lottery appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The maximum employee 401(k) contribution limit for 2026 is increasing by $1,000 to $24,500 according to the IRS. For workers over 50, the catch-up contribution rises to $8,000, bringing the total to $32,500. That’s a substantial amount of money to shelter in a tax-advantaged account each year. When I first started working in 1999, the employee 401(k) limit […]

The post The 2026 401(k) Contribution Limits Feel Like Big Money Now appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Housing is one of life’s fundamental needs, right up there with food, water, and safety. For decades, though, housing affordability has become increasingly out of reach for the average American. With the median U.S. home price hovering around $440,000 and the median household income roughly $80,000, it’s easy to see why homeownership has become more of a dream […]

The post A 50-Year Mortgage Is Fantastic For Homeowners And Investors appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I wasn’t always a personal finance nerd, but I gradually became one out of survival. This is my story — and my observation — of why being an “American nerd” has become more important than ever if you want to rise in your career or achieve financial freedom sooner. For context, I no longer view […]

The post Be an American Nerd, Not the Cool Kid, If You Want to Survive appeared first on Financial Samurai.

During my free financial review of my rollover IRA, I was feeling pretty good about how far it had come. Back when I retired from finance in April 2012, I had about $300,000 in my 401(k). After leaving, I rolled it into an IRA and invested in index ETFs and individual stocks. Since then, it […]

The post You Might Not Be as Good an Investor as You Think appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Housing security is something I hope everyone will one day obtain. Once you are house secure, you can more easily focus on your career, family formation, and other things you care about. However, if you rent for life, you may face housing insecurity, which can feel especially uncomfortable when you’re older or no longer willing […]

The post Please Don’t Rent Your Entire Life: Housing Security Is Vital appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As a buyer and seller of real estate since 2003, I’ve learned that getting a home inspection before each purchase is one of the most important steps in protecting yourself. You want a professional — someone who’s inspected hundreds of homes — to review your potential property for at least an hour before you submit […]

The post Paying For A Home Inspection Is Worth The Cost, Don’t Skip Out appeared first on Financial Samurai.

It’s a raging bull market, and I’ll admit, I’m a little annoyed I don’t have a large paycheck anymore to take advantage of more investment opportunities. Every day, I see people with steady W-2 income are funneling thousands into stocks, real estate, and private deals. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here, asset rich but cash flow constrained. […]

The post FIRE Confessional: No Big Paycheck During a Bull Market Stinks appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Halloween isn’t just about ghosts, ghouls, and overpriced costumes that disintegrate after one use. For financially aware adults, the real chills come from spreadsheets, surprise bills, and market meltdowns that turn your net worth chart into a horror movie graph. After over three decades of studying, working through, and writing about financial ups and downs, […]

The post The 8 Scariest Financial Situations You Can Find Yourself In appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Despite finally having the permission to live it up in retirement, I still find it hard to spend money on things I don’t truly need. A big part of building wealth has always been about endurance and suffering. The more we can withstand—long hours, delayed gratification, and the occasional investment blowup—the greater our odds of […]

The post How to Endure Suffering to Build Greater Wealth and Resilience appeared first on Financial Samurai.

A poor millionaire sounds like an oxymoron, but they definitely exist. Roughly 6% of U.S. households are millionaires, yet many of them still don’t feel rich. A poor millionaire is someone worth over $1 million but unable to access much of their wealth. In other words, their net worth is highly illiquid. A layoff, bear market, or […]

The post Poor Versus Rich Millionaires: Liquidity Is The Difference appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If healthcare in America weren’t so egregiously expensive, more people would retire earlier and live better, happier lives. We’re one of the few countries in the world where affordable healthcare is tied to employment, making financial independence that much harder to achieve. Given the high cost of coverage, before you decide to retire early by […]

The post Millionaire Early Retirees Probably Shouldn’t Get Healthcare Subsidies appeared first on Financial Samurai.

S&One of the key conclusions from doing a deep-dive analysis of my IRA with Empower, is that I should be able to live it up more in retirement. In fact, we should all be able to live it up more in retirement based on a higher recommended safe withdrawal rate by Bill Bengen, one of America's […]

The post Permission To Live It Up In Retirement Granted: The New 5% SWR appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After doing my first free Empower financial professional review back in 2013, I decided to do another investment portfolio review with them. Given the portfolio review is free for anyone with over $100,000 in investable assets, and my financial situation has changed so dramatically since then, I figured, why not spend a little time to uncover […]

The post How Empower’s Free Financial Review Helped Me Rethink Retirement appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If time is truly more precious than money, then spending money to buy back your time is the wisest trade of all. Here's an example of overcoming my frugality to live a better life. Perhaps one of the main reasons I initially didn’t want to go on a family vacation to LegoLand and SeaWorld was […]

The post Spending Money to Save Time Is the Best Use of Funds appeared first on Financial Samurai.

On October 8, 2025, we decided to go on a family vacation I was decidedly unexcited about. That entire week was supposed to be my time to attend the Fairfield Challenger tennis tournament every day with my buddy Richard. September and October are tennis paradise months in the Bay Area, with multiple tournaments and ideal […]

The post Vacations Just Aren’t As Great Once You Retire Early appeared first on Financial Samurai.

1999 is back, and I’ve missed it. Ever since then, I’ve been chasing that next 50-bagger, the kind of life-changing winner that helped me come up with the down payment for my first property. But he's been elusive. I still remember sitting on the international trading floor at Goldman Sachs at 1 New York Plaza, […]

The post It Feels Like 1999 Again: Time To Party Without Blacking Out appeared first on Financial Samurai.

So you’ve read my post on the growing importance of Identity Diversification and now you’re wondering what it actually takes to prove your ethnicity and heritage. Doing so can help you better navigate the shifting socioeconomic winds of society and, in some cases, even improve your odds of getting into school, landing a job, winning […]

The post The Cost To Prove Your Ethnicity And Heritage: Hawaiian Edition appeared first on Financial Samurai.

It’s been several months since we returned from Hawaii, and surprisingly, my FOMO about the AI tech boom has faded. Sure, I still don’t have a job paying me gobs of money as AI CapEx surges higher, but that’s OK. Instead, I’ve allocated enough money to AI investments to where I no longer feel the […]

The post The Main Way To Save Your Children From AI Is To Invest In AI appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The government has shut down again, this time mostly over healthcare subsidies. We’ve seen shutdowns before, and we’ll see more in the future. As frustrating as they are, shutdowns remind us that uncertainty is the only constant. Instead of just surviving, I want to show you how to thrive during and after one. Out of […]

The post Turn a Government Shutdown Into an Opportunity to Thrive appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As long-time investors, we all understand the importance of diversification when it comes to growing wealth. Bear markets and corrections are inevitable, which is why putting everything into a single asset class is not wise. But what about applying that same principle to our identities? What if “Identity Diversification” could help grow not just our […]

The post Identity Diversification May Be As Important As Investment Diversification appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Deciding whether to pay off a mortgage early—or how long to keep one—is ultimately a personal choice. In this post, I’ll share my perspective by drawing on both real-life experience and some numbers to frame the decision. In 2022, my wife and I finally paid off the mortgage on our Lake Tahoe vacation property. That […]

The post The Ideal Length Of Time To Hold A Mortgage Until Paying It Off appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 2020, during the heart of the COVID pandemic, I remember listening to a FIRE-focused podcast hosted by two people who claimed to be financially independent and retired early. Even though it’s been over 16 years since I first started writing about FIRE, the topic still fascinates me. The journey toward financial independence is full […]

The post Being Truly FIRE Is Terrible For Entrepreneurship, But That’s OK appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you own rental properties, this guest post may resonate with you. It’s about what to do with a property once it has served its purpose: keep renting it out, sell and pay capital gains taxes, sell via a 1031 exchange to defer taxes, move back in to avoid taxes, or—most controversially—simply leave it empty. For […]

The post Purposefully Leaving A Rental Property Empty As A Luxury Move appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The other evening, I went to a school reception held for parents and alumni who donated at least a certain amount in the calendar school year. It was a warm, intimate gathering where I mingled with other parents, shared stories, and listened to the head of school and a couple of trustees talk about the […]

The post The Difficulty Of Donating Money When You’re Unemployed Or FIRE appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Two decades ago, I learned an important lesson: if you can’t beat them, join them. And if you can’t find a job with the monopolies, then you might as well invest in them! Take what happened on September 1, 2025. I got an email from Apple saying my Apple TV+ monthly subscription was going up from […]

The post Invest In Monopolies To Profit And Win: Resistance Is Futile appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The grindcore culture is back and grindier than ever. At least that’s what Are Kharazian, an economist at fintech startup Ramp, says. (Disclosure: I’m an investor in Ramp through the Innovation Fund.) For those unfamiliar, Ramp is a corporate card company that makes doing expenses easier. But here’s the fascinating part: according to Kharazian, usage of […]

The post The Upside of Grindcore Culture: Work Hard, Profit Harder appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Since 2022, commercial real estate (CRE) investors have been slogging through a brutal downturn. Mortgage rates spiked as inflation ripped higher, cap rates expanded, and asset values fell across the board. The rally cry became simple: “Survive until 2025.” Now that we’re in the back half of 2025, it seems like the worst is finally over. […]

The post The End Of The Commercial Real Estate Recession Is Finally Here appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As I inch closer to death, I find myself thinking more about estate tax planning and the potentially massive tax bill my family might face if we're extremely lucky. To get ahead of it, I dug into how an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) could help families save big on the so-called death tax. Picture […]

The post How The Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust Saves Families From the Estate Tax Hammer appeared first on Financial Samurai.

What if one of the best ways to get wealthy is to trick yourself into thinking you’re broke? It sounds counterintuitive, even ridiculous. But after decades of saving, investing, and observing how people behave around money, I’ve realized one thing: abundance often breeds complacency. When you feel flush, you spend more, work less, and get […]

The post Artificially Feeling Poor May Help You Grow Rich One Day appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you’re thinking about investing in venture capital or any private fund, you need to understand these five key terms: MOIC, TVPI, DPI, Loss Ratio, and IRR. Without them, it’s like walking into a poker game without knowing the rules. And in this game, the stakes—and potential payouts—are massive. I’ve been investing in venture capital […]

The post Venture Capital Investment Terms To Know: MOIC, TVPI, & More appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you want to FIRE, one of my regrets was pulling the ripcord too early at age 34 in 2012. Even though I started writing about FIRE in 2009 with the launch of Financial Samurai—trying to uncover as many blind spots as possible before taking the leap—I still feel like I made a mistake. In […]

The post FIRE May Make Building Multi-Generational Wealth Impossible appeared first on Financial Samurai.

During a bull market, most investors get excited about chasing risk. Despite sky-high valuations, there’s a tendency to double down on even riskier bets in the hopes of making outsized gains. That’s human nature. Nobody wants to miss the boat, and everyone thinks they can outsmart the market. In the process, boring assets like risk-free […]

The post Treasury Bonds Can Appreciate In Value Too – Don’t Ignore Them appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The older I get, the more I dislike being a landlord. There’s too much potential for disappointment, misunderstanding, or outright unpleasant moments. When you’re dealing with people and one of your most valuable assets, the margin for frustration is high. If you want to be a successful landlord—and not get run over—you need to set […]

The post To Be A Successful Landlord, Setting Expectations Is A Must appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I haven’t checked my net worth for four months until recently. That wasn’t on purpose, because normally, since 2012, I check at least three times a week using Empower’s free app. The only reason I stopped was because I could no longer log in. One day, I was suddenly locked out of the app. I […]

The post Not Regularly Checking Your Net Worth Has Some Great Benefits appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Embattled Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is facing accusations of mortgage fraud—specifically, owner-occupancy mortgage fraud. The claim is that she took out two mortgages in two states, within two weeks, while designating both properties as her “primary residence.” If true, it’s a terrible look for someone sitting on the Fed, the very institution tasked with […]

The post Owner-Occupancy Mortgage Fraud: Benefits, Risks, and Legal Workarounds appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I recently had a zero-coupon Treasury Bill redeem in the amount of $102,000. This money is part of the 35% of my taxable brokerage portfolio that’s in bonds. Somewhere between a 60/40 and 70/30 equity/bond split is what I like to maintain at age 48, as a dual-unemployed parent alongside my wife. Given I enjoy […]

The post 20-Year Treasury Bonds At 5% Looks Attractive For Retirees appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you decide to forsake making maximum money to become a FIRE parent or stay-at-home parent, then you had best spend more time with your kids. Otherwise, you might as well go back to the office and grind under fluorescent lights for 10 hours a day to make that sweet coin. One of the greatest […]

The post Daddy Day Camp: Worth Trying At Least Once As A FIRE Parent appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If my recent posts on the mistake of chasing value stocks or the need to invest big money to make life-changing money don’t resonate, you may want to consider hiring a financial professional to manage your portfolio. Offloading the burden of investing frees up your time and energy to focus on work, family, and hobbies. […]

The post The Most Common Tax Planning Mistakes For High Earners  appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Back in 2012, I thought I had finally conquered financial FOMO after walking away from my well-paying finance job. But after having children, I’ve noticed more and more relapses. That creeping desire to make more money and the struggle to feel satisfied with what I already have are troublesome. If you’ve found yourself battling the […]

The post How To Eliminate That Intense Financial FOMO You’re Feeling appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In my post, “How You’ll Feel Achieving Various Millionaire Milestones,” a commenter named Joseph shared these thoughts: “I’m fascinated by someone worth $10M or $20M not feeling wealthy. Are they hanging out with nothing but billionaires? The only other explanation is a scarcity mindset. But I suppose that mindset got them to where they are. They need […]

The post When Investing Is More Alluring Than Spending, Fight Back Hard! appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Since writing about FIRE in 2009, I’ve favored investing in growth stocks over value stocks. As someone who wanted to retire early from finance, my goal was to build as large a capital base as quickly as possible. Once I retired, I could convert these gains into dividend-paying stocks or other income-generating assets to cover […]

The post Stop Investing In Value Stocks Over Growth If You Want To FIRE appeared first on Financial Samurai.

This type of post only surfaces during a bull market, when greed tug at us the hardest, making satisfaction elusive. Ever since making my first public equity investment in 1996, I’ve been hooked, wrestling with the constant mental tug-of-war over how to be at peace with my investment decisions. Maybe you fight the same battles. […]

The post The Need For Investing Big Money To Make Life-Changing Money appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After a week of reviewing the tax-free exclusion rule for selling a rental property, I decided not to sell. I’d already used my $500,000 tax-free exclusion amount and would need to wait at least two more years before I could potentially use the full amount again. Most importantly, I’m on a mission to boost my […]

The post Earning Passive Income Requires Optimization And Sacrifice appeared first on Financial Samurai.

On the latest episode of the Financial Samurai podcast, I sat down with Ben Miller, cofounder and CEO of Fundrise, for a deep dive into artificial intelligence, venture capital, and what it really takes to get into the best private company deals. Ben was in San Francisco this summer visiting various portfolio companies and trying to make […]

The post The Acceleration Of AI Growth With Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When I worked in Equities at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, we would occasionally bring a hot IPO deal to market. During the company roadshow, we’d take management around to meet one on one with our largest investors and clients. Sometimes the IPO was so in demand that many clients could not even get a […]

The post The Futility Of Chasing A Hot IPO And What To Do Instead appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In Spring 2025, I sold one of my properties and successfully excluded $500,000 in capital gains, tax-free, thanks to the IRS Section 121 Exclusion. For those unfamiliar, this powerful rule allows homeowners to exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains if single, or $500,000 if married filing jointly, from the sale of a primary residence—as […]

The post You Can Use The Tax-Free Home Sale Exclusion Every Two Years To Save On Taxes appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Since starting Financial Samurai in 2009, I've encouraged folks to keep an open mind and embrace as many different perspectives as possible. So often, we get set in our ways and think our approach is the only right way to do things. But I can assure you, you're probably missing something—or could do something a […]

The post The Shocking Power Of Getting A Different Perspective appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As soon as both my children were born in 2017 and 2019, I superfunded their 529 plans equal to the five-year gift tax exemption. At the time, I was thrilled to do it given a parent's number one responsibility is to provide for their children. Finally, a tax-efficient way to shift some of my assets […]

The post You Should Love The 529 Plan More After OBBBA Passed appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After remodeling a fixer I bought in 2019 between 2019–2022, I swore I would never take on another remodeling project again. I hate remodeling with a passion, even though I'm always satisfied after the project is done. The delays, cost overruns, and people management completely bum me out. If you want to save your sanity […]

The post The Cost To Remodel A Rundown Two-Bedroom In-Law Unit appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of the main reasons I refused to spend a small fortune renting a vacation property in Honolulu was because I wanted to stay in my childhood home. The home was built in 1986, when I was nine years old, and I’ve been going back almost every year since. But staying there isn’t just about […]

The post The Healing Power of Returning to Your Childhood Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

How much money do you need to feel financially comfortable or wealthy? The answer depends on where you live, your household size, and your lifestyle desires, of course. However, according to the 2025 Charles Schwab Wealth Survey, Americans say it now takes a net worth of $839,000 to feel financially comfortable—up from $778,000 in 2024. More surprisingly, the […]

The post What It Takes to Feel Wealthy Today Is Less Than Before appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I love index funds and ETFs for their low-cost nature and simplicity of ownership. However, if you want to build generational wealth before traditional retirement age, consider looking beyond just index funds and index ETFs. Since starting Financial Samurai in 2009, I’ve written extensively about investment strategies, financial independence, and retiring earlier to do what […]

The post The Richest People Are Not Index Fund Fanatics – Why Are You? appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Imagine spending your life building wealth, investing in real estate, stocks, or your business, with the hope of leaving a legacy for your children. Then one day, you find yourself wondering: Will the government take a massive chunk of it anyway? If your estate is well above the federal estate tax exemption threshold — $30 million […]

The post The Step-Up In Cost Basis And Its Relation To The Estate Tax Threshold appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The value of owning a big, beautiful home is underappreciated. Somewhere along the way, society began favoring minimalism and smaller living spaces, often dismissing larger homes as “McMansions.” But after spending five weeks living in a much smaller space again, I’ve gained a renewed appreciation for the comfort, privacy, and functionality that a larger home […]

The post In Defense Of Owning A Big Beautiful Home Over A Small One appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of the things that gives me great comfort about the health of the U.S. economy is our historically low household leverage. According to the Federal Reserve Board, household leverage is now at an 80-year low—a remarkable sign of financial discipline. So let me be the first to congratulate you for not loading up on debt like so […]

The post Low US Household Leverage Bodes Well For The Economy appeared first on Financial Samurai.

A typical supercommuter spends 60–90 minutes or more one way commuting to work or school. As the cost of living continues to outpace wage growth, supercommuting is growing in popularity. According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report, an estimated 5 million people are now supercommuters—up from roughly 3.42 million in 2012. I hate long commutes. Taking […]

The post The Cost of Supercommuting: Way More Than Just Gas Money appeared first on Financial Samurai.

On July 3, the House narrowly passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) with a 218–214 vote. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will add an estimated $3.3 trillion to the budget deficit over the next 10 years. Trump signed the bill the next day on July 4. To help pay for it, OBBBA […]

The post The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s (OBBBA) Impact On FIRE Seekers appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you became a newly minted millionaire, where would you migrate to? Due to inertia, I bet most of you would stay right where you are. A lot of us are afraid of change, which is why we stay at jobs we hate and suffer through broken marriages for too long. But how about being […]

The post Millionaire Migrations: Where Millionaires Are Moving Globally appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Ever since I left my day job in 2012, I’ve used a form of the dumbbell investing strategy to grow my wealth while protecting against large losses. It’s a framework that’s helped me stay invested during uncertain times—especially when I felt the urge to hoard cash or sit on the sidelines. If you’re in a situation […]

The post The Dumbbell Investing Strategy: Balancing Risk and Safety appeared first on Financial Samurai.

About a year ago, a relative asked me to help manage her money. She had been paying a ~1% asset management fee with Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM), even though she wasn’t their typical high-net-worth client. The account had been set up through her ex, but since she wanted a clean break, she was ready […]

The post Why I’ll Never Manage Money for Anyone for Free Again appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I’m convinced that if you wake up just one hour earlier every day for the next 10 years, you’ll not only accomplish far more, but also build significant wealth and unlock countless opportunities in life. Conquering the magic of the morning—while most are still asleep—will give you a massive edge. No doubt about it. I’m […]

The post Sleep In, Stay Broke: Wake Up Earlier for Financial Success appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When the U.S. bombed three locations in Iran, my initial reaction was a mix of hope and sadness. Hope—because I wished it might lead to a reduction in weapons of mass destruction. Sadness—because of the likely loss of innocent civilian lives and the heightened danger now facing Americans abroad. I shared these thoughts and feelings […]

The post Your Perception of War and Death Depends on Your Experiences appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you want to grow your wealth faster than the average person, I suggest trying to think in two timelines that move together in unison. The first timeline is analyzing what's going on right now. The second timeline is analyzing what could happen in the future, with a consistent spread. It's like having a dual […]

The post Think In Two Timelines If You Want To Build Greater Wealth appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When I first started Financial Samurai back in 2009, I had idyllic dreams of helping as many people as possible achieve financial freedom. My finances were crumbling during the global financial crisis, and I wanted to break free from the corporate grind. So I wrote about how to do just that. But like anything, over […]

The post You Can’t Save The World, So Mind Your Own Finances appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of the most overlooked risks in real estate investing isn’t rising interest rates, leverage, or even tenant issues—it’s execution fear. You run the numbers. The property checks all the boxes. It fits your timeline and lifestyle. You can even picture the steady cash flow hitting your account… Yet you still don’t pull the trigger. It’s […]

The post Execution Fear: The Silent Killer of Great Real Estate Deals appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When my son was born in 2017, I decided to focus on being a stay-at-home dad (SAHD). Every early childhood development book I read emphasized that the first five years are the most critical for a child’s growth. So I figured, why not spend that time with him? It wasn’t a difficult decision since I […]

The post Mommies, Nannies, Au Pairs, and Me: The End Of Being A SAHD appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In late 2022, my wife and I were finally able to lock in matching 20-year term life insurance policies at an affordable rate through Policygenius. For three years prior, I had been concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get approved at a reasonable price—all because of a mistake I made by visiting an overzealous […]

The post A Terrible Life Insurance Mistake That Cost Me A Fortune appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I recently received a question that boils down to this: How do you know when you have enough money? And once you do, when is it time to shift from chasing excess returns to simply maintaining what you have? There are several ways to approach this question, which I’ll explore in this post. I've come […]

The post The Best Way To Determine If You Have Enough Money appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Feeling burned out and underappreciated? Tired of managing people and just want to focus on your craft? Thinking about going back to school to do something more meaningful? If any of this resonates, don’t quit your job. Instead, it might be time to consider a strategic descent down the corporate ladder to take back control […]

The post Descending The Corporate Ladder: A Great Solution To A Better Life appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I’ve been focused on building passive income since 1999, back when I had to be in the office by 5:30 a.m. and often worked past 7 p.m. every night. Weekends were another eight hours or so. I knew I couldn’t sustain a traditional 40-year career working those kinds of hours, so I began saving and […]

The post The Hidden Dangers of Earning Risk-Free Passive Income appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Have you heard of the no-spend chalenge? It’s a popular concept among budget-minded and minimalist bloggers who encourage us to save more and declutter our lives. The idea is simple: stop spending on non-essentials for a set period and see how much you can save. The more you save (and invest), the sooner you'll achieve […]

The post The Time To Participate In A No Spend Challenge Is Now appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you are a parent, your mission is clear: develop into a rich Bank of Mom & Dad to save your children. If you don’t have wealthy parents yourself, then unfortunately, life might stay on hard mode forever. It’s up to you to break the cycle for your next generation. Ever since I started working […]

The post Rich Banks of Mom & Dad Are Everywhere—Accept It and Adapt appeared first on Financial Samurai.

There is more wealth out there than you think. But the government and media sometimes likes to trick us into believing there is not. Government data says the median net worth in America is around $200,000. Meanwhile, the media keeps highlighting financial struggles, convincing us there’s a looming retirement crisis. But what gets overlooked is […]

The post The Rise Of Everyday Middle-Class Multi-Millionaires appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After publishing Why We Keep Spending Even Though We Know We Shouldn't, I realized something important: the real reason I wasn’t willing to spend on a vacation rental this summer is because we no longer have financial freedom. I didn't think about this fact until after I got a lot of feedback from readers on how […]

The post The Choices We Make To Achieve Financial Freedom Aren’t For Everyone appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Spending money is an American pastime. With a national saving rate hovering around 5%, it's clear we collectively love to spend. And honestly, being able to enjoy our wealth is a beautiful thing. It’s something more personal finance enthusiasts like me—and readers of Financial Samurai—could probably do more of. But like with most things, moderation […]

The post Why We Keep Spending Even When We Know We Shouldn’t appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When you decide to sell a house, you might encounter a preemptive offer—a bid that arrives before you list publicly on the open market or reach your set offer due date. This scenario often unfolds in a robust market or when your property is highly sought after. It’s a tempting yet tricky situation: Do you […]

The post Accepting A Preemptive Offer vs. Listing On The Open Market appeared first on Financial Samurai.

About once a month, I get an email or comment from a reader criticizing adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) as a poor financial choice. Since I’ve been a proponent of ARMs since starting Financial Samurai in 2009, I understand the pushback. However, I still prefer an ARM over a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage because I don’t want to […]

The post How An ARM Can Save And Make You More Money On A Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Believing you deserve to be rich is one of the most powerful psychological tricks to boost your wealth. With trillions of dollars circulating in the world, you have to ask yourself: Why not me too? Think about the knuckleheads you grew up with—people no smarter or harder working than you—who somehow ended up making vast […]

The post The Best Psychological Trick To Boost Your Wealth Beyond Belief appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I'm bullish on real estate. Yet I recently sold another rental property. This type of incongruence between thought and action can feel unsettling and even counterproductive to wealth creation. But it doesn’t have to be. Because while maximizing returns is a big goal on your road to financial independence, it’s not the only goal. Sometimes, […]

The post Why It Can Make Sense to Sell Your Property Even If You’re Bullish appeared first on Financial Samurai.

During the recent stock market correction, I decided to buy the dip. But this time, I didn’t just buy my usual dip-buying amount of $25,000 to $100,000. I went much bigger. All told, I spent over $1 million buying the S&P 500 and various tech stocks like Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon. Spending over $1 million buying stocks […]

The post Buying The Dip: How To Overcome Fear During A Correction And Prosper appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Before I retired from finance in 2012, I struggled with chronic back pain, sciatica, and TMJ. The stress was so overwhelming, I even paid a dentist $700 to drill divots into several teeth just so I could close my jaw more easily. At only 34, my body was breaking down, and I had no choice […]

The post Health Issues Or A Disability May Force You To Retire Early: Prepare Accordingly appeared first on Financial Samurai.

To celebrate the launch of Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures, I want to share how you might feel and what you might do as you hit various levels of wealth. Perhaps by sharing, I'll motivate you to take greater action. We'll start with reaching your first million, then move on to $5 million, $10 […]

The post How You’ll Feel Reaching Various Millionaire Milestones ($1M-$20M) appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After three years of writing, rewriting, and refining, I’m thrilled to officially celebrate the launch of Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures! This book has been a true labor of love, not just for me, but for my family as well. It’s the product of countless early mornings, late nights, and weekends hunched over […]

The post Behind The Scenes Of The Millionaire Milestones Book appeared first on Financial Samurai.

There comes a moment when your child might look up and say, with wide-eyed innocence: At first, you may feel a surge of pride. Your hard work is being seen. You’ve become a role model. But almost as quickly, that pride can twist into something else: concern. Because if they truly knew what it was […]

The post When You Don’t Want Your Kids To Be Just Like You appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If we're not already in a recession, we may soon enter one due to aggressive trade policies that are fueling tremendous uncertainty. As companies and consumers pull back on spending, millions of jobs could be lost, trillions in stock market wealth may disappear, and inflation could persist—potentially ushering in a stagflationary environment. If you’ve been […]

The post What A Recession Is Like For Early Retirees: The Good And Bad appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you’re a personal finance enthusiast with kids, you’ve probably wondered: at what household income level will colleges stop offering scholarships and grants (i.e., free money) to help your child attend? What is that income cutoff? Given that the cost of college is already outrageous — and likely only getting worse — this is a […]

The post The Income Limit To Qualify For College Scholarships And Grants appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Nobody enjoys a stock market downturn, especially those who rely more on returns without active income. But as parents, we can use these sell-offs as an opportunity to help turn our kids into future millionaires. Although I’m a perennial optimist, I believe our kids are kind of screwed. The world is getting more competitive by […]

The post Use Stock Market Downturns To Make Your Kids Millionaires appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In 1997, Gary Winnick founded Global Crossing, a company with the bold vision of laying undersea fiber-optic cables to build a global IP-based telecommunications network. It was a massive infrastructure play, designed to form the core transport layer for the internet, connecting data centers and network hubs worldwide. But as visionary as the plan was, […]

The post The Last Mile Is Where Success Is Made: Always Close The Loop appeared first on Financial Samurai.

To celebrate the launch of my new book, Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures, on May 6, 2025, I thought it’d be fun to explore various millionaire topics leading up to the release. For most millionaires, owning the nicest house they can afford is a top priority. Given that many of us are still […]

The post Income And Net Worth Required To Afford A $10 Million Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When it comes to saving for retirement, knowing which account to fund first is like knowing which steps to take when climbing a mountain. You want to reach the summit with enough oxygen (money) and energy (tax efficiency) to enjoy the view. For those aiming to retire early, funding retirement accounts in the right order […]

The post The Early Retiree’s Guide to Funding Retirement Accounts appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Only when the stock market goes down do people start to wonder whether they have too much exposure to stocks (equities). Questions arise: Should I cut back? Should I buy the dip? What’s the appropriate allocation to stocks right now? While the answer depends on many variables—your risk tolerance, age, net worth, current asset allocation, and […]

The post How To Easily Determine The Right Amount Of Stock Exposure appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When it comes to selling a home, first impressions are everything. Yet, many sellers make the mistake of thinking buyers can look past an empty room, outdated furniture, or a poorly lit space. The reality? Most buyers have little imagination. They struggle to visualize a home’s true potential unless it’s presented to them in a […]

The post Staging A Home Is Worth It Because Most Buyers Lack Imagination appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The first year after purchasing a house is the most dangerous and potentially challenging period. This is particularly true for first-time homebuyers who likely stretched their finances to achieve a 10 percent or greater down payment, leaving their liquidity quite thin. Once you've secured the house, you are inevitably confronted with unknowns that only become […]

The post How To Survive The Most Dangerous Time After Buying A House appeared first on Financial Samurai.

With a likely recession and potentially stagflation on the horizon, I suspect many more families will join us as DUPs: Dual Unemployed Parents. Mass layoffs and company shutdowns will ripple through the economy. According to USA Facts, there were approximately 38 million single-income households in 2022. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were […]

The post The Precarious Life of Dual Unemployed Parents (DUPs) appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Creating an investment game plan is a crucial part of building lasting wealth. Without one, you're likely to accumulate far less over your lifetime. Now that the S&P 500 has corrected by 20% in 2025, we've officially entered another bear market. Whether this downturn continues, and for how long, is anyone’s guess. One reason I […]

The post My Bear Market Investment Game Plan: Adjusting the Strategy appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As stocks plummet and recession fears grow, there’s one silver lining worth highlighting: the increasing value of your home, if you own one. A home is a fundamental necessity for survival, stocks are not. So, sacrificing your stock portfolio to strengthen or preserve your housing situation can be seen as a net benefit. Many of […]

The post Sacrificing The Stock Market For The Good Of Your Loving Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Reciprocal tariffs will drive up the cost of most goods, making everyday life more expensive for American households. According to Fitch Ratings, the U.S. tariff rate on all imports has jumped from 2.5% in 2024 to around 22% today. Some research firms estimate the percentage is closer to 30%. As a result, more Americans may […]

The post Reciprocal Tariffs Actually Make Wealthy Americans Even Richer appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Well, folks, after 16 years of diligently writing three free posts a week, I’ve finally decided to erect a paywall. Originally, starting in 2009, my goal was to provide free financial insights for 10 years to help people achieve financial independence sooner. Success! I’ve always believed that if you’re lucky enough to learn something valuable, […]

The post Putting Up A Paywall To Fight AI And Support My Family appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Stagflation is a rare and challenging economic condition where slow or stagnant growth, high unemployment, and persistent inflation occur simultaneously. Typically, inflation rises when an economy is expanding and demand is strong, while recessions tend to bring lower inflation due to weaker demand. Stagflation defies this pattern, making it particularly difficult to address with traditional […]

The post Stagflation Is Worse Than A Recession: Here’s How To Prepare appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of my goals is to put my kids to work so they can earn money, contribute to a Roth IRA, and learn the value of hard work and the power of investing. By age 18, they'll have roughly 10 years of work experience and compounding behind them. If they earn an average of $7,000 […]

The post Various Things Children Can Do To Earn Money For A Business appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Back in 2019, I remember being surprised at a survey by toy maker Lego that asked young adults what they wanted to be when they grew up. The top answer was YouTube creator! Of the 3,000 children surveyed between the ages of 8 and 12 from the U.S., U.K., and China, a surprising 33% said they […]

The post Helping Others While Making Millions On YouTube And TikTok appeared first on Financial Samurai.

To my dismay, my beloved hot tub stopped working the other day. It had been fully operational since 2016, but when I went to visit it for a late morning soak, I found its GFCI circuit breaker not working. When I tried to flip it back on, the circuit popped down within three seconds. I […]

The post When To Cut Your Financial Losses When Paying For Service appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Since 2009, I’ve been writing about the importance of working to live—accumulating wealth to achieve financial independence and freedom ASAP. But despite years of advocating for this lifestyle, I’ve come to realize that convincing people remains an uphill battle. Instead, I now have proof that live-to-work is back and stronger than ever! “Live to work” […]

The post Live-To-Work Is Back And It Could Cost You A Great Fortune appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Despite the wonderful peace of mind that comes with owning a home free and clear, deciding to pay off a low-interest rate mortgage early is not always straightforward. If your mortgage rate is low compared to risk-free investment returns, keeping the mortgage and investing excess cash elsewhere often makes more financial sense. What Is Considered […]

The post The Only Good Reasons To Pay Off A Low-Interest-Rate Mortgage Early appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Get excited! After over two years of writing and editing, I’m thrilled to finally share my upcoming new book with you: Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures! If you’ve enjoyed my writing on Financial Samurai over the past 16 years, you’re going to love this book out on May 6, 2025. With over 30 […]

The post New Book! Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures appeared first on Financial Samurai.

While visiting my parents in Honolulu this past winter, I ended up driving my dad's 28-year-old beater for eight days. He bought that Toyota Avalon new in 1997—back when I was a college sophomore and he was stationed in Guangzhou, China for the U.S. Foreign Service. I’ve known this car nearly as long as he […]

The post Driving A 28-Year-Old Beater Made Me Love My Car Again appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As I sadly watch my stock portfolio correct by over 10%, I find serenity in my paid-off home. No matter how much the stock market tanks, it's comforting to know I'll always have shelter to take care of my family. It's funny, but only active investors, people in charge of their family's investments, or personal […]

The post A Paid-Off Home Is A Great Shield Against Fear And Uncertainty appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Unfortunately, the chances of another recession are increasing, largely due to the uncertainty set forth by the new administration. When uncertainty rises, we collectively tend to spend less and save more. As a result, corporate profit growth may slow, stock prices could fall, and layoffs may increase. Losing money in your investments and then your […]

The post The Positive Impact A Recession Can Have On Your Life appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Let's say you've come into a large sum of money—perhaps $1 million or more from stock grants, a bonus, or the sale of a home. Congratulations! After accounting for taxes, the real challenge is deciding how to invest it. Given the significant amount, the last thing you want to do is lose a portion of […]

The post A Simple Three-Step Process To Investing A Lot Of Money Wisely appeared first on Financial Samurai.

With fears of a recession rising again mainly due to the Trump administration’s aggressive policy measures—tariffs, spending cuts, aggressive layoffs, and an increasingly combative trade stance—it’s time to awaken the vulture investor within. Both Main Street and Wall Street are at risk of losing a lot of money now. I don’t particularly enjoy the idea […]

The post Awaken Your Inner Vulture Investor To Survive And Thrive appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As I watch my stock portfolio correct, I take solace in knowing that my real estate portfolio continues to chug along despite the chaos, fear, and uncertainty. With mass government personnel cuts, new tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China, a heated Oval Office exchange between President Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelensky, and sharp words from […]

The post Chaos, Fear, And Uncertainty: Wonderful For Real Estate Investors appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I recently came across an eye-opening chart by the National Association of Realtors showing that the median age of first-time U.S. homebuyers is now 38 years old. That’s a significant jump from 30 years old between 2008 and 2010. Meanwhile, the median age for repeat buyers has risen to 61 years old. What is going […]

The post Waiting For The Perfect Price Could Hurt Your Lifestyle And Happiness appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you don’t believe the world will grant your children a fair chance to succeed, you may want to take matters into your own hands as parents. One way is to set them up for financial independence—ideally making them millionaires before they graduate high school, finish college, or leave home. If your children are millionaires […]

The post How To Make Your Children Millionaires Before They Leave Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If you knew that no matter how hard you tried, success was impossible or practically impossible, would you still push yourself to the limit? Or would you rationally pivot to another endeavor with a real chance of success? Personally, if the odds were overwhelmingly against me, I’m not sure I’d bother pushing so hard. Since […]

The post Trying Your Best When There’s Little To No Chance Of Succeeding appeared first on Financial Samurai.

I keep reflecting on how incredible 2024 was. With the S&P 500 up 23%, Bitcoin surging, and residential real estate climbing in most of the country, personal finance enthusiasts have had an amazing year. The investment gains almost feel like free money—and who doesn’t love getting something for free? If you read Financial Samurai and […]

The post The Million-Dollar Mindset of Personal Finance Enthusiasts appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Unless you are incredibly rich, it's highly likely that your vacation property is smaller than your primary residence. Having a smaller vacation property is a rational choice given you don't live there as long as you do your primary residence. Further, it's unlikely you need as many extra rooms for guests, an office, or entertainment […]

The post The Ideal Vacation Property Size To Own Depends On Your Primary Home appeared first on Financial Samurai.

There are plenty of reasons people choose not to have kids, with the cost of raising them being a major one. Another big factor is the fear that children will disrupt an ideal FIRE lifestyle. Many envision a life of traveling the world, indulging in incredible cuisine, and living spontaneously—things that can feel more challenging […]

The post Having Kids Might Not Hurt Your Ideal FIRE Lifestyle After All appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When I lived in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, I could walk to endless bars and restaurants within 10 minutes. It was the perfect place for twenty- and thirty-somethings to live, socialize, and indulge in city life. Back in 2005, at age 28, I had just bought my first single-family home—a handsome three-bedroom house […]

The post A Home Within Walking Distance of Everything Might Not Be Ideal appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Recently, I went off the deep end—living like a degenerate gambler and party animal—and I wanted to reflect on it. Perhaps to nobody's surprise, I don't think having an extreme amounts of fun is good for your financial future. It's probably also not good for your health. In our personal finance world bubble, where we […]

The post Partying Like A Young Degenerate Is Not Good For Your Finances appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of the reasons I left my job at Credit Suisse was that I no longer felt I was being paid based on merit. After the global financial crisis, the firm—like many others—faced tough times, and overall compensation steadily declined for years. As a top-three ranked producer, I expected to be compensated accordingly. But I […]

The post Rewarding Based on Merit Alone: Great in Theory, Tough in Reality appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned the hard way in real estate, it’s that a full-on, gut-remodel can be a nightmare. After years of painful, unpredictable remodeling projects, I can confidently say: I will never do a complete remodel again. Instead, I now favor purchasing a fully remodeled, move-in ready home for any future investments. […]

The post Buy A Fully Remodeled, Move-In Ready Home Over A Fixer-Upper appeared first on Financial Samurai.

On February 6, 2025, the White House announced a series of tax cuts primarily benefitting the middle class and retirees. Here’s what’s on the table: The administration is calling this the largest tax cut in history for working Americans, and with Republicans in control of Congress, these proposals are likely to move forward. Tax Cuts Means Greater Financial Freedom […]

The post Tax Cuts for the Middle Class and Retirees: A Win for Your Wallet appeared first on Financial Samurai.

The beauty of hard work is that any able-bodied person can do it. If you put in more hours honing your craft than the average person, chances are you’ll achieve far greater success than the average person. If you happen to be rich, well-connected, and blessed with movie-star looks, combining those advantages with relentless effort […]

The post Don’t Lose Financial Opportunities Due To A Lack Of Hard Work appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As a stock market investor, I’m disappointed in the new tariffs President Trump has imposed—10% on imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada, including a 10% duty on Canadian energy imports (oil, natural gas, electricity). If these tariffs persist all year without resolution, corporate earnings could take a 2%-3% hit, which means a similar drop in […]

The post Trade Wars Could Be What The Housing Market Needs To Heat Up appeared first on Financial Samurai.

As someone who literally wrote the book on how to negotiate a severance package, I love severance case studies! The second rule of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is simple: never quit your job—always try to negotiate a severance. If you’re planning to leave anyway, why not attempt to create a win-win scenario and walk […]

The post Federal Government Employees, Take The Severance Package And Run appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One adjustment I'm making to my net worth asset allocation is reducing exposure to closed-end venture capital funds while increasing allocation to open-ended venture capital funds. Closed-end venture capital funds follow a traditional model: you commit capital, fund capital calls, and rely on the general partners to make great investment choices. There are four main […]

The post The Case For Open-Ended Venture Capital Funds Over Closed Ones appeared first on Financial Samurai.

China's DeepSeek has shaken up the AI world with the release of an open-source AI model that reportedly outperformed OpenAI's in several benchmarks. Even more startling is the company’s claim that its AI technology was developed for only $5.6 million. This figure has raised eyebrows, especially as companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have spent hundreds […]

The post Deep Panic Thanks To DeepSeek’s Fast, Open-Source AI Model appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Starting on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump is now the 47th President of the United States, this time with JD Vance as his Vice President. Let's dive into what this new Trump presidency could mean for your finances. The failed assassination attempt on Trump was a sobering reminder of how fragile life is, underscoring that […]

The post What A Trump Presidency Means For Your Finances appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After over two years of writing and editing, I’m thrilled to finally share my upcoming new book with you: Millionaire Milestones: Easy Steps To Seven Figures! If you’ve enjoyed my writing on Financial Samurai over the past 16 years, you’re going to love this book out on May 6, 2025. I believe almost anyone can […]

The post New Book! Millionaire Milestones: Easy Steps To Seven Figures appeared first on Financial Samurai.

If there's one thing I don't recommend, it's buying stock on margin. Due to the volatility of stocks and high margin interest rates, borrowing money to buy stocks is a bad idea. Conversely, I'm not opposed to buying a home on margin, namely through a mortgage, if buying follows a homebuying guideline like the 30/30/3 […]

The post Bought Stock On Margin At A 12.575% Interest Rate And Survived appeared first on Financial Samurai.

In this Financial Samurai podcast episode, I speak to Ben Miller, co-founder and CEO of Fundrise about his outlook for residential commercial real estate in 2025. Despite high mortgage rates, he's taken a positive view and he shares the main reasons why.  Listen to my conversation with Ben by click the play button below or go to […]

The post Why Residential Commercial Real Estate Looks Attractive in 2025 appeared first on Financial Samurai.

A couple earning $500,000 a year should feel rich, right? That’s top 2% territory in America—plenty of cash to save, invest, and splurge on the finer things in life. Or so you’d think. But when I dive into the financial lives of high-income households, the reality often doesn’t match the perception. Take, for example, this […]

The post From Struggling To Living Well On $500K A Year: Escaping the Rat Race Faster appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Did you know that a whole life insurance policy can actually help you make money? It’s true—and it’s a strategy often used by those with higher incomes. For those seeking life insurance coverage, a term life insurance policy is typically the more affordable and simpler choice. Both Sam and I opted for matching 20-year term […]

The post How To Make Money From A Whole Life Insurance Policy appeared first on Financial Samurai.

With the tragic fire that occurred in Lahaina, Maui, hurricanes ripping through Florida yearly, and now the devastating Southern California fires, it's important to review your home insurance policy and understand what it does and does not cover. You also need to have contingency plans in case your house burns down. If you have not […]

The post What’s In A Home Insurance Policy? Know The Details Before A Fire Occurs appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When times are good, we must celebrate our excess investment returns because we sure as heck aren't celebrating when times are bad! When times are bad, it can feel downright terrible due to a psychological concept called loss aversion. The pain of losing $10,000 often feels far worse than the joy of gaining $10,000. Because […]

The post Calculate Your Excess Investment Returns To Feel Awesome appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is causing an existential crisis for many workers, myself included. With the rise of AI, I’ve often found myself wondering: what’s the point? If AI is going to take over, why bother trying? Maybe you’ve felt the same way—worried about how to safeguard your future from AI. Or perhaps you’re a parent […]

The post Safeguarding Your Future from AI: The Existential Crisis Playbook appeared first on Financial Samurai.