The Financial Samurai Podcast

I recently spoke with Steve Chen, founder of Boldin (formerly NewRetirement), about common concerns retirees face. Boldin stands out as the most comprehensive DIY financial planning software I've encountered. It goes beyond analyzing stocks and bonds, incorporating other investments to optimize your net worth. Boldin also helps address key financial goals like buying a house, saving for college, p...

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, the 4% Rule, developed by Bill in the 1990s, sugge...

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 for investors. However, since investing in risk as...

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 platform that enables individuals to invest in fin...

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 more about the service.  Alice is a daughter of i...

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. In this episode, I'll break down what this rate...

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, surpassing operational improvements. Apartments a...

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. Could you give up $1-2 million a year in your mid-to-l...

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 at home to raise your children, or even retire Rel...

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 want for readers. A tradwife typically denotes a...

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 spending and maximize their house spending in a practic...

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 financial independence.  If you enjoy this episo...

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 triggers a saver's mindset. The key is to maintain t...

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 Dynamics: Helping Buyers Buy At The Best Time Real es...

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 a great cash flow tool that enables individual,...

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 different inherent desire to provide thanks to biology....

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 can see what the fund is investing in before yo...

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 rekindling the joy we had as children. Colleen has been...

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's pockets are now going back into the homeowners'...

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 out Fundrise , my favorite private real estate pla...

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 for 500,000+ investors. With mortgage rates c...

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 on Instagram @ChefKathyFang and on her website a...

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 suggest coming up with an investment thesis. An inv...

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 Francisco, California and will launch its platform by...

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 Entrepreneurship Income Is Needed To Replace You...