I recently realized something that completely reframed how I think about income in America: a $200,000 household income is no longer middle class. In fact, under increasing college financial aid formulas, earning up to $200,000 now qualifies as lower income or even poor. New data shows families at this income level can receive free or heavily subsidized tuition at elite […]
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Unlike most people, I love ARMs, or adjustable-rate mortgages. Adjustable-rate mortgages have helped me save over $300,000 in mortgage interest expense since 2005 compared to if I had taken out 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. Despite all the fear, uncertainty, and doubt surrounding ARMs, they have been one of the most powerful wealth-building tools in my financial […]
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Although I’m convinced AI will eliminate millions of jobs and leave many young graduates unemployed and disoriented, there is one surprising positive I recently discovered: AI can be a great therapist for everyday problems. I’m not talking about replacing licensed professionals. I’m talking about something far more accessible. AI can give you knowledge to make […]
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Well folks, after 60 agonizing days of dealing with car salespeople, test-driving far too many vehicles, visiting two auto mechanics to diagnose and fix my current car, and wasting an unhealthy amount of time on online research, I have decided not to buy a new car. I know this may disappoint everyone who generously shared […]
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If you are a FIRE follower, then you have likely mastered the art of saving and investing aggressively. While your neighbors and colleagues splurge on new cars, fancy vacations, and clothes, you are quietly deploying your excess cash flow into index funds, private investments, and real estate. You buy every dip. You dollar cost average […]
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If you want to achieve financial independence, every investment we make serves one purpose: to buy back our time. Time is infinitely more valuable than any object, experience, or luxury. Given how short our lives are, we should use our money not just to accumulate more, but to buy freedom. Once you have freedom, you can […]
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As a FIRE parents raising two children in San Francisco, we rely heavily on our investments to remain free. If we significantly misjudge returns, we increase the probability of having to go back to work. Going back to work is not the end of the world. Ideally, however, we would like to avoid it until […]
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By many objective measures, 2025 was a good year. Investment returns were solid. I published another bestseller in Millionaire Milestones. My kids are healthy, happy, and continuing to grow in loving environments. On paper, I should feel satisfied. But the reality is different. The downside of writing consistently, responding to hundreds of questions, managing the […]
The post New Year’s Resolutions 2026: Less Optimizing, More Living appeared first on Financial Samurai.
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I’ve been aggressively buying the dip since March 2020, when I wrote How To Predict A Stock Market Bottom Like Nostradamus. My daughter was born four months earlier, and something inside me clicked, pushing me to invest aggressively for her future in an increasingly difficult world. Since then, I’ve continued to buy virtually every meaningful dip […]
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Happy New Year 2026 everyone! With another year wrapped up, I thought I’d do a 2025 year in review so I can one day look back fondly as an old man. Overall, I give the year an A for effort, which is all I can really control. Unfortunately, the result didn’t match the effort, as […]
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