Investments

Starting on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump became the 47th President of the United States, this time with JD Vance as his Vice President. Let’s dive into what this new Trump presidency could mean for your finances. The failed assassination attempt on Trump was a sobering reminder of how fragile life is, underscoring that unity […]

2025 got off to a rough start with devastating fires and corrections in stocks, bonds, and other risk assets. So, I thought it’d be a good idea to shift focus to some positives—before they fade as well. Take a moment to calculate your excess investment returns to remind yourself of the good times. When times

The 2025 Wall Street S&P 500 forecasts are rolling in, and so far, the outlook is all bullish. I haven’t found a single bearish forecast, which is somewhat worrisome. Most firms project the S&P 500 will close 2025 around 6,500—a solid 8.3% gain from the 6,000 level. If 2024 ends as expected, with the index

The Santa Claus Rally refers to a historically observed stock market phenomenon where U.S. equity markets tend to perform well during the last five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the new year. Historically, the average gain during this seven-day period is around 1.3%. As time has gone on, largely thanks to

After reviewing my analysis on a conversation I had with a financial professional in 2013, I decided to take another close look at my finances. To my surprise, I uncovered a huge gap between my perceived risk tolerance and the reality of my portfolio. Since leaving work in 2012, I’ve generally seen myself as a

If you haven’t spoken to a financial professional in over a year, I suggest you speak to one. You will likely get great insights into how you can better invest your hard-earned money. Further, the financial professional might uncover some financial blindspots you had no idea you had. I’ve been a DIY investor since 1995

This guest post is by Vaughn, a long-time Financial Samurai reader who retired at 44 and is now 55. Vaughn’s early retirement was driven by necessity rather than choice due to a congenital bone disease. Fortunately, his high income during his working years secured a solid SSDI benefit, and his mother’s foresight provided future rental

At long last, after four years, the Federal Reserve has finally cut the Fed Funds rate by 50 basis points on September 18, 2024, bringing the target range down to 4.75% – 5%. The Fed then cut by another 0.25% in November 2024. Expectations suggest we’ll see a total reduction of 100 basis points by

In a previous post, I discussed the futility of working when your net worth is declining. During a stock market crash or recession, your Return on Effort (ROE) for working drops significantly. Therefore, the only way to increase your Return On Effort is to work less, not more. At some point in your life, you’ll