Motivation

In 1997, Gary Winnick founded Global Crossing, a company with the bold vision of laying undersea fiber-optic cables to build a global IP-based telecommunications network. It was a massive infrastructure play, designed to form the core transport layer for the internet, connecting data centers and network hubs worldwide. But as visionary as the plan was, […]

Well, folks, after 16 years of diligently writing three free posts a week, I’ve finally decided to erect a paywall. Originally, starting in 2009, my goal was to provide free financial insights for 10 years to help people achieve financial independence sooner. Success! I’ve always believed that if you’re lucky enough to learn something valuable,

I keep reflecting on how incredible 2024 was. With the S&P 500 up 23%, Bitcoin surging, and residential real estate climbing in most of the country, personal finance enthusiasts have had an amazing year. The investment gains almost feel like free money—and who doesn’t love getting something for free? With the return of volatility, we

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’re enjoying the time off and doing some reflecting. I’ve returned to San Francisco and am ready to relax some more! Now that I’ve shared my 2024 year in review, I wanted to share my goals and resolutions for 2025. Although 2024 was a great year, I still have

With 2024 almost done, I’d like to share my year in review. For the vast majority of investors, this was a banner year, with the S&P 500 up ~24% and real estate prices in most of the country continuing to inch higher despite high mortgage rates. Bitcoin investors, gold investors, and venture capital investors have

On August 7, 2023, I received an email from Amy X. Wang, the assistant editor at the New York Times Magazine, inquiring about the modern-day FIRE movement and its Fat FIRE offshoot. Amy is a self-proclaimed FIRE enthusiast who has worked side hustles to earn extra money and utilized rewards points to save. As one

My life has been filled with rejections, and I’ve finally come to embrace rejection as a natural part of life. To me, being rejected is akin to the urgent need to visit the bathroom after indulging in too much Taco Bell. The discomfort is undeniable at first as your stomach sours from the inside out.

Happy new year everyone! For 2024, my theme of the year is, “One last year of intense focus.” This marks my 15th year running Financial Samurai, coinciding with both my children starting full-time school in September. Fatigue has set in, reminiscent of 2011 when I pondered leaving investment banking for good. That burnout prompted a

I’ve been writing year-in-review posts for over a decade now. It’s a rewarding way to document what went well and where I can improve. While 2023 brought more failures than wins, being alive and healthy fills me with gratitude. My theme for 2023 was “Back To Easy Living.” After an exhausting pandemic period, I aimed

At the end of every year, I highlight the best posts and podcasts on Financial Samurai. Determining the “best” of Financial Samurai is both objective and subjective. For those new here, I started this site in July 2009, at the depths of the global financial crisis. I had been considering launching the site since 2006,

While watching some competitive 5.0 tennis, a top 1% level, I suddenly started to reflect on why the window of opportunity that many of us have is smaller than we think. From 2015 until 2021, I played at the 5.0 level. I lost 69.3% of my matches, but USTA’s computer algorithm wouldn’t drop me down

Instead of sharing the usual things I’m thankful for (health, family, being Asian, etc.), I thought I’d share some unusual things I’m thankful for this year! 2023 was supposed to be a return to easy living. Alas, I don’t feel very relaxed. The combination of keeping Financial Samurai going and being a dad is grinding

If you want to succeed long-term, make sure you are working mostly for intrinsic rewards not extrinsic rewards. I believe the right balance for success is to have >70% intrinsic motivation and <30% extrinsic motivation. If most of the reason why you are doing something is due to extrinsic motivation, you will likely burn out

Good fortune tends to come to those who save and invest over a long period of time. However, sometimes your good fortune goes beyond expectations. In such scenarios, you may experience money guilt. Money guilt arises when you don’t feel like you deserve your good fortune. With literally eight billion people in the world, why

You know that panicky, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize you’re in deep trouble or you made a mistake? You’re so SOL that you don’t know what to do. It’s Sam’s wife Sydney here, and I recently found myself in a bind. Right after I booked flights to Japan, I

In one of my recent newsletters, I supposedly wrote something absurd. It didn’t occur to me I was being absurd until a reader called me out. Read for yourself the introduction before I got into stocks, the economy, and more. Happy Father’s Day to those of you who are fathers and still have fathers. And