Finance Xpress

There are layers to freedom, and most of us only ever peel back two. The first layer is breaking free from your parents. Some people manage it the summer after high school. Others are still depending on dad to pay their new credit card charges at 37. The second layer is breaking free from work. […]

The post You’ll Never Be Free From The Government: Introducing The Leash Ratio appeared first on Financial Samurai.

After reviewing dozens of financial tools on this site since 2009, ProjectionLab is one of the most comprehensive planning tools I've come across. It shows you how today's financial decisions play out over the next 10, 20, and even 40 years, with a modern interface that makes financial planning something you actually want to do. As a […]

The post ProjectionLab Review 2026: Best DIY Retirement Planning Tool appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of my biggest fears as a parent is raising kids who can’t launch into adulthood on their own. My hope is that by 26, three years after college to find their footing, they can support themselves without my money. If they can’t, I’m afraid I’ll feel like I failed them as a father. So […]

The post Real Adults Are Not Financially Dependent On Their Parents (But That’s OK) appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Recently, I shared a sample budget of a family of four earning $408,000 a year on Twitter, the amount the latest data deems necessary to feel comfortable in San Francisco. The tweet received over three million views and more than a thousand responses. But the views aren't the story. The story is what I learned […]

The post Why Americans Are Richer, Happier, And Healthier Than You Think appeared first on Financial Samurai.

Back in 2017, I wrote that households need to earn $300,000 a year to live a middle-class lifestyle in an expensive coastal city. The internet was not pleased. I was called out of touch, delusional, and a few other things I can't print on a family finance blog. After having a second child in December 2019, I […]

The post How Much A Family Needs To Earn To Live Comfortably By City: SF #1! appeared first on Financial Samurai.

One of the greatest ironies in personal finance is that the people with the most money sometimes live the most uncomfortably. After spending another summer in Honolulu with my parents, I've been thinking hard about why. This post is a love letter to frugal parents everywhere. It's also a nudge for all of us adult […]

The post In Praise Of Unnecessary Suffering (Until It Does You In) appeared first on Financial Samurai.

When Fundrise's Innovation Fund (VCX) listed on the NYSE on March 19, 2026, its net asset value was $18.97 a share. Within days, retail investors momentarily bid the price above $400. That's more than 20X NAV, a premium so rich it made 1999 look responsible. As a shareholder locked up until September 19, 2026, I've […]

The post VCX NAV Estimate: What Fundrise’s Innovation Fund Is Really Worth appeared first on Financial Samurai.