In July 2009, I began Monetary Samurai to make sense of the monetary destruction unfolding on the time. I had been toying with the thought since 2006, after I graduated half time from UC Berkeley’s enterprise college, however stored kicking the can down the highway. After shedding round 40 p.c of my internet value in simply six months, losses that took a decade to construct, I spotted it was now or by no means.
I promised myself I might publish thrice per week for 10 years. Once I reached that aim in July 2019, I merely stored going. There are too many attention-grabbing developments on the earth and too many ideas in my head to cease.
In 2025, I revealed 156 posts and 52 free weekly newsletters. Join if you wish to improve your probabilities of attaining monetary freedom sooner. Monetary Samurai has greater than 2,500 articles and has now been learn by over 100 million individuals. Under are a few of my favourite and most impactful posts from 2025, organized by matter.
For background, I earned my diploma in economics from the School of William & Mary earlier than Berkeley. I then spent 13 years working in equities at Goldman Sachs and Credit score Suisse earlier than retiring from finance in 2012 at age 34. Due to my dad and mom’ work within the U.S. International Service, I grew up within the Philippines, Zambia, Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia earlier than coming to america for highschool in 1995. I have been based mostly on San Francisco since 2001. You possibly can learn extra on my About web page.
The Greatest Investing Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
As an energetic investor, 2025 felt like a continuing battle between defending my wealth and happening the offensive. In my quest to outperform the markets and maximize each greenback I’ve, I burned out. I’m not positive my portfolio’s outperformance was value it.
It Feels Like 1999 Once more: Time To Celebration With out Blacking Out – Valuations are stretched and FOMO is operating to the max. Some ideas on easy methods to take part within the upside with out shedding all the pieces when issues flip bitter.
The Unhappy Want For Investing Large Cash To Make Life-Altering Cash – Even when your bullish name is right and also you make investments, when you do not make investments a major quantity, nothing actually adjustments.
The Richest Individuals Are Not Index Fund Fanatics, Why Are You? – Everyone loves index funds and ETFs, so do I. However as an alternative of viewing index funds as a strategy to get wealthy, the rich view index funds extra as a strategy to protect capital.
Shopping for The Dip: How To Overcome Concern Throughout A Correction And Prosper – When the subsequent dip comes, will you’re taking benefit or sit on the sidelines in worry? Within the historical past of the inventory market, shopping for the dip after which holding for 10 years has made you cash.
Safeguarding Your Future From AI: The Existential Disaster Playbook – It’s apparent to me that our kids will discover a harder time discovering knowledge-work employment after highschool and school. Additional, current staff needs to be nervous that AI will ultimately remove their jobs.
The Greatest FIRE Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
In 2009, I helped kickstart the modern-day FIRE motion by writing about my journey to make sufficient passive earnings to flee company America for good. Since then, FIRE has grown right into a world-wide phenomena as extra individuals attempt to save and make investments aggressively to interrupt free sooner.
The Third Rule Of Monetary Independence May Additionally Be Your Greatest Remorse – If you happen to do not comply with this rule, you will be unable to retire early with out continuously worrying about cash.
FIRE Might Make Constructing Multi-Generational Wealth Unimaginable – In case your aim is to make sure your grandchildren are taken care of, will probably be onerous to do when you retire early.
The One Large Lovely Invoice Act’s Affect On FIRE Seekers – There are some vital monetary adjustments that ought to show you how to save and construct extra wealth in 2026 and past.
The Early Retiree’s Information To Funding Retirement Accounts – If you happen to’re decided to retire early, then this is a logical information on easy methods to fund your numerous portfolios.
The Precarious Life Of Twin Unemployed Dad and mom – If you happen to suppose FIREing with out youngsters is difficult, it’s far tougher for each dad and mom to remain retired with youngsters. That is why you usually see one one who is FIRE have a working partner to offer healthcare, earnings, and retirement advantages.
Having Children Would possibly Not Damage Your Excellent FIRE Life-style After All – Having youngsters will suck up all of your free time when you allow them to. Nonetheless, after each youngsters began college, I used to be pleasantly stunned by how a lot trip time they’ve a yr plus summer time, winter, and spring holidays.
The Greatest Actual Property Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
For the primary 15 years out of school, actual property was my favourite asset class for constructing wealth. Nonetheless, the asset class has been caught in impartial, or reverse, since inflation surged and the Fed aggressively jacked up rates of interest beginning in 2022.
Why Housing Affordability May Be At An All-Time Excessive – It baffles me why no person is discussing this perspective. If I wasn’t in my late 40s, I might be shopping for up as many prime properties as potential.
In Protection Of Proudly owning A Large Lovely Residence Over A Small One – Private finance nerds love to evangelise frugality as a way to maximize their hole between earnings and bills. However this is a seldom mentioned tackle why having a tremendous home may very well be value it.
A Paid Off Residence Is A Nice Defend Towards Concern And Uncertainty – Though many argue that paying off your mortgage is suboptimal, I discovered the state of affairs gave me the braveness to aggressively purchase the dip in March and April. Having no mortgage could encourage you to take extra dangers to make more cash as properly.
Deciding Between Accepting A Preemptive Supply Or Itemizing On The Open Market – I needed to determine between the 2 after I tried to promote my home in 2025. Listed here are some tips that can assist you decide the best path.
A 50-Yr Mortgage Is Implausible For Householders And Buyers – The knee-jerk response by many is {that a} 50-year mortgage is dangerous. However when you dig into the numbers, I feel you may change your thoughts.
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The Greatest Household Funds Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
Since my son was born in 2017 and my daughter was born in 2019, I’ve shifted my focus to being a keep at house dad. My youngsters are my predominant motivators to maintain grinding after I do not wish to. I’ve 12.5 years to guide by instance till my youngest doubtlessly goes to school.
The Major Means To Save Your Kids From AI Is To Make investments In AI – That is the most effective resolution in case you are fearful about AI destroying your kids’s job prospects and stopping them from turning into unbiased adults.
I initiated a brand new $197,100 Fundrise Enterprise place in August, earmarked for my kids over the subsequent 10-12 years. That is along with my company account, the place I began investing earlier. My aim is to contribute one other $100,000 over the subsequent yr if money circulate permits. Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Monetary Samurai as our funding philosophies are aligned.
Mommies, Nannies, Au Pairs And Me: The Finish Of Being A SAHD – If you happen to’re pondering of giving up your profession to be a keep at house dad, listed here are some reflections on what to anticipate.
Wealthy Financial institution Of Mother & Dads Are In all places – Settle for And Adapt – You possibly can both rail towards the unfairness of grownup kids getting great monetary assist from their dad and mom, or you’ll be able to work out easy methods to construct sufficient wealth to do the identical. There isn’t a equal enjoying discipline in life. Dad and mom will rationally do no matter it takes to make sure their kids launch.
The Earnings Restrict To Qualify For School Scholarships And Grants – I’ve met lots of people who suppose they merely make an excessive amount of to obtain free cash for school. This text may shock you, as loads of multi-six-figure earners get grants.
The best way to Make Your Kids Millionaires Earlier than They Go away Residence – If you happen to consider the world received’t give your kids a good shake after they graduate, then you must make them financially unbiased in order that they by no means need to depend on gatekeepers to find out their future. I labored with ProjectionLab, a improbable monetary planning software to provide this text.
The Greatest Tradition & Society Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
Be An American Nerd, Not The Cool Child If You Need To Survive – Being cool supplies for a greater social life. However being a nerd will enhance your probabilities of constructing much more wealth. And so far as I can inform, all of the nerds I’ve met are married. So do not worry being undesirable when you’re out of form, do not play sports activities, and have minimal different skills. Cash and intelligence attracts.
Millionaire Early Retirees Most likely Should not Get Healthcare Subsidies – You possibly can have a as much as a ~$3.5 million internet value, and relying on how a lot earnings it generates, you’ll be able to earn obtain great healthcare subsidies.
Id Diversification Might Be As Essential As Funding Diversification – Given we went via a interval when id turned an vital deciding think about whether or not you bought into college or landed a job, it’s value trying into your cultural heritage.
How Cultural Variations Can Damage Your Possibilities In The Office – If you happen to’re a part of the bulk or have been born and raised in America, you may by no means need to take care of such sticky conditions.
The Greatest Wealth Administration Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
In Might 2025, I revealed my USA TODAY nationwide bestseller, Millionaire Milestones: Easy Steps to Seven Figures. My mission was to jot down an actionable, punchy e-book that helps readers construct extra wealth and break away sooner. In consequence, I discovered myself fascinated with millionaire matters much more steadily all year long.
Poor versus Wealthy Millionaire: Liquidity Is The Major Distinction – You possibly can really feel poor irrespective of your internet value if you do not have sufficient liquidity.
Not Usually Checking Your Web Price Has Some Nice Advantages – If you happen to’re a private finance fanatic, you most likely verify your internet value a number of occasions per week. Nonetheless, similar to how spending an excessive amount of time on social media is dangerous to your well being, so could checking your internet value too steadily.
How You may Really feel Reaching Numerous Millionaire Milestones Between $1 – $20 Million – Here is some fascinating insights into individuals who’ve achieved numerous millionaire ranges. You’d suppose after perhaps $5 or $10 million, you may not have cash worries, however you would be unsuitable.
The Hidden Risks Of Incomes Danger-Free Passive Earnings – This is a vital submit as a result of I discovered myself getting lulled into complacency with 4% – 5% risk-free Treasury bond yields. I bear in mind making an analogous mistake shopping for an excessive amount of Treasury bonds throughout and proper after the monetary disaster. I did not wish to make the identical mistake once more.
Writing Is a Great Type of Intentional Considering
I do know long-form studying and writing are going out of favor because of social media and short-form movies. Nonetheless, when you can muster the endurance to learn a deep-dive article, I feel you’ll get much more out of the expertise.
If you happen to ever wish to remedy an issue, attempt writing an article with a transparent thesis, physique, and conclusion. I promise you’ll shock your self with new views and change into a greater thinker within the course of. You may even take motion that adjustments your life for the higher.
Thanks for studying, sharing, and supporting my work all yr. If you realize somebody going via a state of affairs I’ve written about, I feel they’d recognize receiving the article. All the pieces I write relies on firsthand expertise, whether or not it’s an issue I’m attempting to resolve or an sudden end result I used to be not pay attention to.
When you have any favourite posts, I’d love to listen to them. Subsequent up is my yr in evaluation submit and targets for 2026.
To Your Monetary Freedom,
Sam
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