Retirement

The Richest People Are Not Index Fund Fanatics – Why Are You?

I love index funds and ETFs for their low-cost nature and simplicity of ownership. However, if you want to build generational wealth before traditional retirement age, consider looking beyond just index funds and index ETFs. Since starting Financial Samurai in 2009, I’ve written extensively about investment strategies, financial independence, and retiring earlier to do what […]

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The Step-Up In Cost Basis And Its Relation To The Estate Tax Threshold

Imagine spending your life building wealth, investing in real estate, stocks, or your business, with the hope of leaving a legacy for your children. Then one day, you find yourself wondering: Will the government take a massive chunk of it anyway? If your estate is well above the federal estate tax exemption threshold — $30 million

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Low US Household Leverage Bodes Well For The Economy

One of the things that gives me great comfort about the health of the U.S. economy is our historically low household leverage (liabilities to net worth). According to the Federal Reserve Board, household leverage is now at an 80-year low—a remarkable sign of financial discipline. So let me be the first to congratulate you for not loading up

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Your Perception of War and Death Depends on Your Experiences

When the U.S. bombed three locations in Iran, my initial reaction was a mix of hope and sadness. Hope—because I wished it might lead to a reduction in weapons of mass destruction. Sadness—because of the likely loss of innocent civilian lives and the heightened danger now facing Americans abroad. I shared these thoughts and feelings

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Execution Fear: The Silent Killer of Great Real Estate Deals

One of the most overlooked risks in real estate investing isn’t rising interest rates, leverage, or even tenant issues—it’s execution fear. You run the numbers. The property checks all the boxes. It fits your timeline and lifestyle. You can even picture the steady cash flow hitting your account… Yet you still don’t pull the trigger. It’s

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The Best Psychological Trick To Boost Your Wealth Beyond Belief

Believing you deserve to be rich is one of the most powerful psychological tricks to boost your wealth. With trillions of dollars circulating in the world, you have to ask yourself: Why not me too? Think about the knuckleheads you grew up with—people no smarter or harder working than you—who somehow ended up making vast

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