Family Finances

Lending Money To Friends And Family: How To Determine When It’s OK

One of my tennis buddies told me a funny story about borrowing money from his parents. He was 28 at the time and asked for a $30,000 loan to buy a condominium. Since his parents had the spare cash and weren’t making much from interest, they figured lending money to him was a win-win situation. […]

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The Fear Of Spoiling Adult Children By Giving Them Money Is Overblown

One of the worries about entering the decumulation phase is that you might start spoiling your adult children. If you end up giving your adult children so much money, you might just take away their motivation to work! Being able to earn your own money and provide for your family creates one of the most

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If You Love Your Spouse, You’d Make Them Financially Independent

If you love your spouse, you’d make them financially independent. If you don’t truly love your spouse, then you’d make them depend on you for all their financial needs. Depending on someone for money is a terrible feeling. Imagine being a grown adult and returning home to live with your parents after four years of

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Dear Older Parents, Having Kids Late Might Be The Best Choice After All

I’ve mentioned one of my regrets was having kids late. I was too focused on my career. Then I became too focused on achieving financial independence to make room for little ones. Ideally, I would have liked to have had my first kid at age 34 instead of at age 39. However, a conversation with

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How Having Kids Can Make You A Richer And Better Person

Much has been written about the high cost of having kids. Spending $300,000 – $1,000,000 per kid through high school is a lot of money. However, less has been written about how having kids may make you richer and a better person. Let’s change the dialogue with this article now that I’ve been a stay-at-home-father

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The Average Net Worth For The Above Average Married Couple

One of the most popular posts on Financial Samurai is The Average Net Worth For The Above Average Person. But what about the average net worth for the above average married couple? Life is so much easier once you have a highly compatible partner. When it comes to building wealth, above average married couples should

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Dad Guilt Epidemic: Ways To Overcome Feeling Like A Bad Parent

Do you have parental guilt? Welcome to the club. The vast majority of articles already address mom guilt. Therefore, I’d like to discuss more about the dad guilt epidemic. After all, it takes two to make a baby. Unfortunately, men don’t have a culture of readily sharing our feelings. As children, we are told that “big

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Historical Gift Tax Exclusion Amounts: Be A Rich Strategic Giver

The historical gift tax exclusion amount is $18,000 for 2024, up from $17,000 in 2023, and up from $16,000 in 2022. As a result, you may want to contribute more to your child’s 529 plan or give them more money if your estate may surpass the estate tax threshold when you pass. Despite paying taxes

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Forfeit The Enrollment Deposit For A Better School?

Something funny happened on our long and intricate preschool admissions journey. A school we had applied to in 2017 reached out and said they have a spot for our son this fall. Now we have to decide whether to forego an enrollment deposit at another school or stay the course. We jokingly refer to this

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