The main reason I can’t convince anyone in real life to FIRE is the desire for more. The moment you hit a $1 million net worth, you start dreaming of $5 million. Get to $5 million and suddenly $10 million sounds reasonable. Hit $10 million and, well, why not shoot for $25 million and higher? […]
The Multi-Million Dollar Home That Ate Your FIRE Number Read More »
The problem with writing about FIRE since 2009 is that I’ve become completely sold on the lifestyle. I know how good freedom feels, so I have a natural tendency to want everyone to achieve it too. I’m also aware I can come across as annoying when I talk about FIRE, so I try to throttle
Failing to Convince Anyone in Real Life to FIRE Despite Big Gains Read More »
One of the issues we frugal people despise is going through buyer’s remorse. We don’t want to feel stupid or ripped off, so we tend to buy fewer things and experiences. Minimalism and early retirement go hand in hand. We’re always looking for a deal, partly to minimize disappointment. And if we can get something
Time Fixes Most Financial Mistakes Because You Grow Richer Read More »
As I approach 50 in mid-2027, I’ve been thinking a lot more about responsibility, legacy, and mortality. What I’ve realized is that responsible adulting is hard. One misstep and you or your loved ones could be screwed for life. Ultimately, life is a series of financial quests for survival before we die. If we don’t
Life Is Simply One Financial Quest After Another Read More »
I love startups and entrepreneurship. My obsession started when I was reselling Nerds candy in Taipei, purchased from the U.S. commissary store. To recognize and exploit a pricing arbitrage as a nine-year-old felt like winning the lottery every time a new batch arrived. In 1998, a year before graduating from William & Mary, I was
The Startup Grind Will Make You An AI Maximalist Read More »
Here is a question worth sitting with: which is actually harder to achieve, a top 1% income or a top 1% net worth? Most people assume income. The number sounds impossibly high, the competition sounds brutal, and the lifestyle of someone earning that kind of money seems reserved for a different species entirely. But after
Top 1% Income vs. Top 1% Net Worth: Which Is Harder to Achieve? Read More »
The decade-long advice to “learn to code” is losing its edge. With tools like Claude Code handling the heavy lifting, a basic three-month online course may be all anyone needs to build what they can imagine. The more important skill is investing. If you learn to invest, you can build lasting wealth and bypass the gatekeepers
Learning To Sell Is Just As Important As Learning To Invest Read More »
Growing up, my dad would grab a quick breakfast with us before vanishing into the workforce. He’d resurface after 6pm, visibly depleted. The highlight reel of my childhood memories: throwing a ball around the backyard, some genuinely fantastic family dinners out, and the times he watched me lose tennis matches and declare, “you’re just not good
Dads No Longer Need To Feel Guilty Neglecting Their Children For Money Read More »
The S&P 500 is up roughly 100% over the past three and a half years. At its historical average annual return of about 10%, you’d expect it to be up closer to 40% over that same stretch. That’s an “excess gain” of 60%. I view this excess like free money you find on the street
Use Your Excess Stock Market Gains to Actually Change Your Life Read More »
After the final day of swimming and tennis at the sports club we’re dropping, I took my kids to an open house in San Francisco. My wife was on a mom’s trip to Napa and I wanted to keep introducing my children to real estate, my favorite asset class. Maybe they might take a professional
The Rise of Arrogant Listing Agents in A Hot Real Estate Market Read More »
