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Stop Investing In Value Stocks Over Growth If You Want To FIRE

Stop Investing In Value Stocks Over Growth If You Want To FIRE

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 g…

The Sad Need For Investing Big Money To Make Life-Changing Money

The Sad Need For Investing Big Money To Make Life-Changing Money

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 publi…

The Need For Investing Big Money To Make Life-Changing Money

The Need For Investing Big Money To Make Life-Changing Money

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 publi…

Earning Passive Income Requires Optimization And Sacrifice

Earning Passive Income Requires Optimization And Sacrifice

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 exc…

Earning Passive Income Requires Optimization And Sacrifice – Goodbye, Hot Tub Parties!

Earning Passive Income Requires Optimization And Sacrifice – Goodbye, Hot Tub Parties!

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 exc…

The Acceleration Of AI Growth With Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise

The Acceleration Of AI Growth With Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise

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 art…

The Futility Of Chasing A Hot IPO And What To Do Instead

The Futility Of Chasing A Hot IPO And What To Do Instead

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…

You Can Use The Tax-Free Home Sale Exclusion Every Two Years To Save On Taxes

You Can Use The Tax-Free Home Sale Exclusion Every Two Years To Save On Taxes

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. F…

How To Use The Tax-Free Home Sale Exclusion Every Two Years To Save

How To Use The Tax-Free Home Sale Exclusion Every Two Years To Save

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. F…

The Shocking Power Of Getting A Different Perspective

The Shocking Power Of Getting A Different Perspective

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…

You Should Love The 529 Plan More After OBBBA Passed

You Should Love The 529 Plan More After OBBBA Passed

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 t…

How Cultural Differences Can Hurt Your Chances In The Workplace

How Cultural Differences Can Hurt Your Chances In The Workplace

When I lived overseas, one of the most celebrated aspects of my international schools was cultural diversity. At the International School of Kuala Lu…

The Cost To Remodel A Rundown Two-Bedroom In-Law Unit

The Cost To Remodel A Rundown Two-Bedroom In-Law Unit

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…

The Healing Power of Returning to Your Childhood Home

The Healing Power of Returning to Your Childhood Home

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.…

What It Takes to Feel Wealthy Today Is Less Than Before

What It Takes to Feel Wealthy Today Is Less Than Before

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 …

The Richest People Are Not Index Fund Fanatics – Why Are You?

The Richest People Are Not Index Fund Fanatics – Why Are You?

I love index funds and ETFs for their low-cost nature and simplicity of ownership. However, if you want to build generational wealth before tradition…

The Step-Up In Cost Basis And Its Relation To The Estate Tax Threshold

The Step-Up In Cost Basis And Its Relation To The Estate Tax Threshold

Imagine spending your life building wealth, investing in real estate, stocks, or your business, with the hope of leaving a legacy for your children. …

In Defense Of Owning A Big Beautiful Home Over A Small One

In Defense Of Owning A Big Beautiful Home Over A Small One

The value of owning a big, beautiful home is underappreciated. Somewhere along the way, society began favoring minimalism and smaller living spaces, …

Low US Household Leverage Bodes Well For The Economy

Low US Household Leverage Bodes Well For The Economy

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 Cost of Supercommuting: Way More Than Just Gas Money

The Cost of Supercommuting: Way More Than Just Gas Money

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 g…