Retirement

With the real estate industry finally lowering commission rates after August 17, 2024, a battle is brewing among brokerages and agents to win business. For example, Sotheby’s has decided to charge 2% to the seller and 2% to the buyer—or even less—to stay competitive. Other brokerages will likely follow suit. For individual real estate agents, […]

Life is easier when you can make a positive connection with other people. As I discovered recently, creating a connection with your service provider can also save you money or provide you better service. One of the ways I’m decumulating wealth is by spending money on massages. I love getting massages, especially after a lot

Starting at age 45 in 2022, I consciously started focusing on decumulating wealth. I realized that my life was likely half over, and I needed to start spending more to prevent dying with too much money. If I died with too much money, it would mean that I had wasted a lot of time and

Many of us experience mental health conditions or know someone close to us who does. Life is stressful and it only seems to get more stressful over time. The difficulties of day-to-day life can cause significant anxiety about what the future holds. We’ve discussed parental existential crisis and money dysmorphia, both of which may stem

In 2023, I significantly impacted our passive income, causing our household to technically lose its financial independence. Prior to this, we had been financially independent since 2012, when I left my banking job. My goal now is to regain financial independence by December 31, 2027. To achieve this, I need to restore the ~$150,000 in

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 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. It