Retirement

With the New York Times article on Fat FIRE, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the repercussions of achieving financial independence and retiring early. One of those repercussions is that financial independence can turn you into stingy person who is unwilling to give! Every year, my kids’ Mandarin immersion independent school hosts a fundraiser […]

One of my ongoing challenges as a writer is explaining financial concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. With ann MBA from Berkeley and 13 years in banking at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, financial concepts come naturally to me. Despite writing over 2,500 personal finance articles since 2009 on Financial Samurai, however, some concepts still get

In October 2023, my passive income took a significant $150,000 hit, representing a decrease of 39%, following the purchase of a new house we didn’t really need. It was funded by proceeds from selling public stocks and bonds. The decision to buy the house with cash was agonizing, as we didn’t need a nicer home.

After delving into the exorbitant prices of new luxury cars, I’ve come to the realization that a larger segment of the population is purchasing such vehicles than I initially thought. This trend poses a significant problem for those striving for financial freedom, which is why I’ve come up with the House-To-Car Ratio guide. I see

If you’re interesting in investing in books, then you must invest in first print, first edition books. I am an author who also collects rare books, ancient coins, and other artifacts. Here’s my detailed advice on how to proceed. My editor at Portfolio Penguin informed me that the next print of the first edition of

One of the most commonly asked questions I get is whether I had to make sacrifices in my pursuit of FIRE (financial independence and retire early). When they refer to sacrifices, what they really mean is whether I missed out on the typical fun experiences of a young adult. These aren’t serious sacrifices like risking

In 2009, I established my first rule of FIRE: generate enough passive income to cover your basic living expenses. Once achieved, you attain financial independence and the freedom to pursue your desires. Since then, various permutations of FIRE have emerged, one of which is Coast FIRE. Coast FIRE involves front-loading your retirement savings and then

I’ve been documenting my journey in Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) since July 2009. I’m not aware of any other blogger who commenced their FIRE journey earlier, is still currently retired or unemployed, and has maintained a consistent writing presence like I have on Financial Samurai. When I began sharing my FIRE experiences, I was

My family and I could have been set for life. Instead, due to my inability to beat back real estate FOMO, I blew up our passive income. And because our passive income is now much lower, we are no longer financially independent. Desire is the cause of all suffering. Due to my desire to own