Dear Financial Samurais,
I hope everyone had a relaxing Thanksgiving. Due to a lack of planning, my family stayed in San Francisco for the entire week. However, this turned out to be quite pleasant since a large percentage of the population cleared out, giving us more freedom to roam.
Reflecting on Gratitude
Given that it is Thanksgiving week, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the things I’m grateful for. While writing my latest post, How One Lucky Financial Break Can Change Everything For Good, I realized just how much the help of others can influence our journeys—perhaps even more than we think.
Many of us focus on keeping our heads down and working hard, believing our merit will be rewarded. Yet, as I reflect, I’m increasingly convinced that the assistance of others play significant roles in building above-average wealth and having greater opportunities.
For instance, two women helped me land my first and second jobs at critical moments in my career. More recently, an old acquaintance introduced me to a startup he had invested in, leading to a four-month part-time consulting role. These moments of support have had a lasting impact, and I’m incredibly thankful for them.
Missing the S&P 500 Below 6,000
We recently discussed the Santa Claus Rally phenomenon, which seems to be materializing this year. With the S&P 500 now at 6,032, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever have the opportunity to buy the index below 6,000 again.
One of the highlights of last week was seeing the 10-year Treasury bond yield retreat to 4.18%, down from a high of about 4.47% post-election. Initially, there were fears that Trump’s policies, such as increased tariffs and mass deportations, would reignite inflation. However, given Trump’s real estate background and his desire to lower inflation and mortgage rates, he may approach tariffs more cautiously.
Additionally, Trump’s nomination of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary has been a relief for investors. Bessent, 62, has worked with some of the most renowned investors in the world, including Jim Rogers, Jim Chanos, Stanley Druckenmiller, and George Soros. He is seen as pragmatic and well-versed in the economic pitfalls of policies like the Smoot-Hawley tariffs that exacerbated the Great Depression—a situation no one wants to repeat.
For now, my strategy remains to buy any dips in the S&P 500. I’m also dollar-cost averaging into commercial residential real estate in anticipation of a robust Spring 2025 season.
Chart Of The Week
Not only has the S&P 500 performed incredibly well since 2010, the S&P 500 has also significantly outperformed the MSCI World index. We are truly fortunate to be able to live in or at least invest in the U.S. Let our home country bias continue!

Mega Roth IRA Time
Lastly, it’s worth reviewing the Mega Roth IRA (new post), especially since the tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will likely be extended beyond 2026. For 2025, employees can now save up to $70,000 a year in tax-advantaged retirement accounts via a 401(k) and Mega Roth IRA.
I’ve been skeptical of the “pay now” Roth IRA since 2001, primarily because I was excluded from contributing due to income limits. It never made sense to me that the government would impose arbitrary income caps on who could benefit from this retirement savings vehicle. The more Americans can save for retirement, the less the government needs to support us.
Now that I’m much closer to traditional retirement age, I regret not contributing to a Roth IRA when I had the chance. I don’t want to make the same mistake by neglecting the Mega Roth IRA.
The logic is simple: since we’ll all pay taxes on our income anyway, we might as well contribute to a vehicle that compounds after-tax income and allows us to withdraw all profits tax-free in the future. It’s an opportunity worth considering.
Wishing you continued success and gratitude for the moments that shape your financial journey.
To Your Financial Freedom,
Sam
Subscribe To Financial Samurai
Listen and subscribe to The Financial Samurai podcast on Apple or Spotify. I interview experts in their respective fields and discuss some of the most interesting topics on this site. Your shares, ratings, and reviews are appreciated.
To expedite your journey to financial freedom, join over 60,000 others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. Financial Samurai is among the largest independently-owned personal finance websites, established in 2009. Everything is written based on firsthand experience and expertise because money is too important to be left up to the inexperienced.