I had the pleasure of speaking with Bill Bengen, creator of the "4% Rule" for retirement planning. Bill has been a reader of Financial Samurai for many years and has always been courteous in the comments section when I write about safe withdrawal rates. So, I figured it was time we had a chat to clear up some misconceptions. For those unfamiliar, t…

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States, this time with JD Vance as his Vice President. Let’s explore how this new Trump presidency might impact your finances. We’ll look at how Trump’s policies could affect stocks, real estate, bonds, venture capital, and even our careers. Overall, Trump's return is generally seen as positive …

Investing in alternative assets has become an increasingly popular way to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds. Wine and whiskey, in particular, are gaining traction due to their potential for strong returns, resilience during economic downturns, and rising demand. In this episode, I speak to Anthony Zhang, CEO and Founder of Vinovest, a p…

If you have children, you likely want to provide them with the best education possible, which may include helping them get into a top college. Along the way, you may come across college consulting services and wonder how beneficial they really are. In today's episode, I speak with Alice Chen, Founder of BrightStory Admission Consulting, to find out…

After four years, the Federal Reserve has finally cut the Fed Funds rate by 50 basis points, bringing the target range to 4.75% - 5%. Expectations point to another 50 basis points in cuts for 2024 and a total of 100 basis points by 2025. Fed Chair Powell remains optimistic, stating the economy is 'very solid' and sees no elevated risk of a downturn…

I speak to Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise about investing in real estate during a multi-year rate cut environment. With the Federal Reserve finally cutting rates in September 2024 after raising them in 2022, real estate should have a nice tailwind for a couple of years. Main Theme: Interest rates are the most significant driver of real estate prices, …

I speak with Khe Hy, who spent 15 years on Wall Street and became one of the youngest Managing Directors at BlackRock at just 31. He earned up to $2 million a year—then he quit! His journey mirrors mine in many ways, though he earned significantly more. I thought it would be fascinating to understand why he chose to walk away from such wealth. Coul…

After 15 years of experimenting with and living an early retirement lifestyle, I've developed my Minimum Investment Threshold Formula to help determine when you can finally break free from a suboptimal job. Once you reach this threshold, you'll have the option to find a more fulfilling job that pays less, take a sabbatical, go back to school, stay …

In this episode, I speak to Jo Piazza, bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, podcaster, and award-winning journalist. We discuss tradwives and its financial and social implications. Given that Financial Samurai is about achieving financial freedom sooner, being financially dependent on someone as an adult is the exact opposite of what I w…

I've decided that my Home-To-Car Ratio guide is the most important pesonal finance guide for everyone to fall. After all, everybody needs a place to live, real estate is the best asset to build wealth for the average person, and America has a love affair with cars. My Home-To-Car Ratio guide helps personal finance enthusiasts reduce their car spend…

I catch up with Andre Nader, ex-Facebook employee about what he's been up to one year after leaving his day job. We talk about being a stay-at-home dad, the temptation of going back to work, buying property in San Francisco, and his FAANG FIRE newsletter he publishes twice a month. It is the only newsletter I've read that helps tech workers achieve…

I spoke to my wife about how my saver's mindset naturally kicked in after purchasing our new house in October 2023. Our liquidity was tight, and we were literally living paycheck to paycheck for six months. This is when my frugal gene kicked in and made me lock down expenses. This experience taught me that experiencing financial difficulty often tr…

Property bidding wars are back, despite persistently high mortgage rates, due to the strength of the economy and the stock market. This episode discusses why people are getting into bidding wars and the best time of the year to buy a house. Articles referenced: Understanding Why People Getting Into Property Bidding Wars Analyzing Housing Price Dyna…

I talk to Emily Luk, Co-Founder and CEO of Plenty, a wealth platform for today's modern couples about her career path from VC, to joining a big startup, to creating her own startup. I wanted to now why she lifted a cushy job with good pay. If you're a couple interested in a great tool to manage your finances together, check out Plenty. They've got …

For the longest time, I've wondered the following about some men: Why claim to be retired while having a working spouse? Why work so many hours after having a newborn? Why leave your family when your children are still young and need fathers the most? Doing these things didn't make much sense to me until I had an epiphany: every person has a differ…

In this episode, I catch up with Ben Miller, Co-founder and CEO of Fundrise about artificial intelligence and the latest investments by the Innovation Fund. We discuss how company valuations are calculated in the fund, a defense AI investment, and so much more. The Innovation Fund is an open-ended venture capital fund with only a $10 minimum. You c…

I speak with Colleen Kong-Savage about becoming a children's book illustrator and author, as well as a freelance graphic designer while living in expensive New York City. Colleen has a new book out entitled Piano Wants To Play. It is a wonderful book for children and adults of all ages who appreciate music. It is also a touching story about rekindl…

Every residential real estate investor and homeowner is richer after the National Association Of Realtors settled its price fixing lawsuit. I know many real estate agents, realtors, and brokerages are upset with the ruling. However, the decision was decided quickly by a jury of our peers. The money that would have went into the real estate industry…

The most expensive cities in America include cities like New York City, San Francisco, and San Jose. However, these expensive cities could actually be the cheapest due to all the income and investment opportunities. Let's explore the reasons why. Related post: Income Required To Afford A Typical Home In The Top 50 Cities Recommendations 1) Check ou…

In this episode, I talk to my wife about what it's nice to own the nicest home we can afford five months after moving in. Although I am no happier, I do feel more satisfied. Related post: Climbed To The Top Of The Property Ladder Recommendations 1) Check out Fundrise, my favorite private real estate platform with over $3.3 billion under management …

In this episode, I speak with Kathy Fang, star of the Food Network's Chef Dynasty, as well as owner of Fang Restaurant, one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. We talk about what it was like making a reality TV show, running a restaurant, expansion potential, and raising a family in San Francisco on chef hours. You can find Kathy o…

Since 2009, when I began Financial Samurai, I've noticed some people are too afraid to invest or get easily shaken out whenever there is economic or stock market turbulence. Then, these investors get left behind as the economyc, stock market, real estate market, and other markets eventually recovery. To help you overcome your fear of investing, I s…

I talk to Emily Luk, Co-Founder and CEO of Plenty, a wealth platform for today's modern couples. Due to career aspirations, higher education, and the rising cost of living, couples are taking longer to get married and have children. In addition, couples are also building more wealth on their own before getting married. Plenty is based in San Franci…

I speak with Noah Kagan about being one of the first employees at Facebook and Mint, not making the megabucks, and then turning into a successful entrepreneur with AppSumo. Noah's new book is called Million Dollar Weekend by my same publisher, Portfolio Penguin. You can find Noah on Twitter and YouTube. Related posts on entrepreneurship: How Much E…

In this episode, I speak to Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise about his change in outlook for the real estate market in 2024 and beyond. He believes October 2023 was the bottom and we're going up from here. In this episode we explore several key topics: The reasoning behind Ben's belief that October 2023 marked the bottom, and the less obvious indicators…

Happy 2024 everyone! Here are some of our goals and financial predictions for 2024. Overall, we're optimistic about the year. Related posts: 2024 S&P 500 Forecasts 2024 Housing Price Forecasts 2024 Financial Samurai Goals Explaining All The Surprise Capital Calls Investing In 2024 If you'd like to invest in the rebound in real estate in 2024, check…

Sydney and I review 2023 and discuss the importance of intrinsic motivation to keep going. Be aware of only chasing extrinsic motivators, like money, fame, and promotions, to achieve your results. If you do, chances are high you'll burn out quicker than expected. We'd love a share and a review of the podcast. Each episode takes at least two hours t…

I speak to Sydney, my wife, about the idea of sending our children to Community College instead of directly to a four-year state or private university. The benefits are many, including less stress and more fun! If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe! Posts mentioned: Community College May Be The Way: How I Plan To Spend $1.…

This episode is sponsored by Danielson Legal, which provides top tier intellectual property legal services for the greatest value proposition available in the market. Their attorneys have formidable experience and expertise from practicing at the highest levels of the profession—from the top law firms in Boston to publicly traded corporate legal de…

I speak to my friend and 4-time NBA champ, Shaun Livingston about his journey from high school basketball prodigy to winning multiple championships with the Golden State Warriors. If you're an NBA fan or a professional sports fan, you're going to love this episode. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast. Every review means a lot! Related…

This episode is sponsored by Danielson Legal, which provides top tier intellectual property legal services for the greatest value proposition available in the market. Their attorneys have formidable experience and expertise from practicing at the highest levels of the profession—from the top law firms in Boston to publicly traded corporate legal de…

After the real estate industry was found guilty of collusion by a Missouri jury, I spoke to lead trial lawyer, Mike Ketchmark about how the entire process came about. If you're into real estate, thinking of selling or buying a home, or are curious about how lawyers get compensated, you're going to love this episode! Related posts: Real Estate Collu…

This episode is sponsored by Danielson Legal, which provides top tier intellectual property legal services for the greatest value proposition available in the market. Their attorneys have formidable experience and expertise from practicing at the highest levels of the profession—from the top law firms in Boston to publicly traded corporate legal de…

After a couple of months, I was able to successfully convince my wife to upgrade homes! But now that she's on board, I'm afraid to move forward. I'm afraid because it's scarier to buy a home when demand is down. There's a comfort in buying when everybody else wants to buy. But I think I'm mostly afraid of buying because I had to convince my wife. A…

Congrats! The average American household is now a millionaire according to the latest Federal Reserve Consumer Finance Survey. It's good to be average! Alas, the median American household is not a millionaire, which is a better reflection of the average American! Related posts: The Average American Household Is Now A Millionaire The 30/30/3-5 Homeb…

I talk to Roger Lee, Co-Founder of Human Interest, a YC-backed private company that offers 401(k) plans to small businesses. Human Interest raised $200 million in a Series D round in August 2022 valuing the company at $1 billion. Roughly 80% of small businesses with under 100 people don't have 401(k)s. We talk about how Roger got into Harvard, why …

I speak to Eric Rosenberg, a long-time blogging buddy, about his journey from corporate employee to freelance writer, podcaster, and web designer. Eric has three children and lives in expensive Southern California. Yet, he's able to provide for his family on his freelance income alone. If you've ever wanted to become a freelancer and make side mone…

I figured out how to cure those afflicted with entitlement mentality! Once cured, I'm positive most will be happier and richer over their lifetimes. Because for the longest time it boggled my mind how wealthy, privileged people could feel so entitled instead of so grateful. Posts mentioned: Entitlement Mentality Is A Sneaky Wealth Destroyer How To …

I speak to doctor Daniel Shin about his journey to being a urologist in Southern California to leaving behind his $600,000 job and moving to Memphis, Tennessee. We talk about doctor burnout, entrepreneurship, family, and real estate. You can find out more about Daniel at The Darwinian Doctor (https://thedarwiniandoctor.com) and on his TikTok page a…

I speak to Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money podcast and author of her new book, A Health State Of Panic about fear. Specifically, we discuss how we all have fear and how we can harness it to build more wealth and have more purposeful lives. We also discuss parenthood, how to live a successful life, and how to be more inclusive of different voi…

I speak to Ben Miller, Co-Founder and CEO of Fundrise about why his company started a new tech Innovation Fund. We explore why Ben thinks his firm has a competitive advantage, the most promising areas where the fund is investing, and the mechanics of investing in a private venture fund by Fundrise. For more, read my Fundrise Innovation Fund Review …

I speak with Brad Stulberg, author of Master of Change, about how to do just that in this chaotic, stressful, and every-changing world. Brad also wrote The Practice Of Groundedness, which I found particularly helpful during the pandemic. For those who wish to feel a little less stress, a little more calm, and a lot more confident about tackling cha…

My wife and I talk about how shockingly low the median 401(k) balances are by generation. We also discuss why we think this is the case and why there is likely no retirement crisis in America. Financial Samurai Posts: 401(k) Balances By Generation How To Calculate the Value Of Your Pension The 60-Day Rollover Rule The Right Ratio Between Income And…

I speak to Srinivas Rao host and founder of The Unmistakable Creative Podcast, where he has interviewed over 1,000 thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives. He is also the creator of the Maximize Your Output course, which helps individuals optimize their workflow and productivity. Srinivas is passionate about helping others achieve their creat…

Buying a home with contingencies is rare during housing bull markets. But as higher mortgage rates dampen investor demand, being able to put in contingencies before buying a home is now more possible. Let me share with you why buying a home with contingencies can make you lots of money. It will also make you feel better in the process! Relevant pos…

In this episode, I speak to Chad Carson about his new book, The Small And Mighty Real Estate Investor. Chad played linebacker for Clemson University and decided to dive deep into real estate as a career. To buy the book, click here (BiggerPockets) or above and use the discount count SAMURAI to save 10%. It's an incredibly thorough book if you ever …

I speak to Charlie Albright about his journey from being a pianist since three-and-a-half, to graduating Harvard and Juliard, to playing at some of the biggest venues in the world as a concert pianist. Please visit his website https://www.charliealbright.com to connect, learn, and book. I saw Charlie perform live and it was a magical experience. Ch…

I speak to Peter Atwater, author of The Confidence Map about understanding the role of emotions in decision making. Peter is also an adjunct professor at William & Mary, where we both are alumni. By plotting our experiences across four boxes, we can gain powerful insight into our decision-making process: Stress Center = low control/low certainty Co…

With the tragic fire that occurred in Lahaina, Maui, 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 done so already, call your home insurance company to review your coverage details. You don't want to be caught…

I talk to a long-time Financial Samurai reader, Anahad O'Connor from The Washington Post. Anahad worked at The New York Times for 20 years until moving over to The Washington Post in 2022 to cover health and wellness for its Well+Being segment. Related Posts: The Pandemic Was An Experience In Hedging Your Life Why Blogging Is The Best Business In T…