In July 2009, I began Monetary Samurai to make sense of the financial destruction unfolding on the time. I had been toying with the thought since 2006, after I graduated half time from UC Berkeley’s enterprise faculty, however saved kicking the can down the street. After dropping round 40 p.c of my internet value in simply six months, losses that took a decade to construct, I noticed it was now or by no means.
I promised myself I’d publish 3 times every week for 10 years. After I reached that objective in July 2019, I merely saved going. There are too many fascinating developments on the planet and too many ideas in my head to cease.
In 2025, I printed 156 posts and 52 free weekly newsletters. Enroll if you wish to enhance your probabilities of reaching monetary freedom sooner. Monetary Samurai has greater than 2,500 articles and has now been learn by over 100 million folks. Beneath are a few of my favourite and most impactful posts from 2025, organized by matter.
For background, I earned my diploma in economics from the School of William & Mary earlier than Berkeley. I then spent 13 years working in equities at Goldman Sachs and Credit score Suisse earlier than retiring from finance in 2012 at age 34. Due to my mother and father’ work within the U.S. International Service, I grew up within the Philippines, Zambia, Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia earlier than coming to the US for highschool in 1995. I have been based mostly on San Francisco since 2001. You may learn extra on my About page.
The Greatest Investing Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
As an active investor, 2025 felt like a continuing battle between defending my wealth and happening the offensive. In my quest to outperform the markets and maximize each greenback I’ve, I burned out. I’m now not positive my portfolio’s outperformance was value it.
It Feels Like 1999 Again: Time To Party Without Blacking Out – Valuations are stretched and FOMO is operating to the max. Some ideas on tips on how to take part within the upside with out dropping the whole lot when issues flip bitter.
The Sad Need For Investing Big Money To Make Life-Changing Money – Even when your bullish name is appropriate and also you make investments, when you do not make investments a major quantity, nothing actually modifications.
The Richest People Are Not Index Fund Fanatics, Why Are You? – Everyone loves index funds and ETFs, so do I. However as an alternative of viewing index funds as a strategy to get wealthy, the rich view index funds extra as a strategy to protect capital.
Buying The Dip: How To Overcome Fear During A Correction And Prosper – When the following dip comes, will you’re taking benefit or sit on the sidelines in concern? Within the historical past of the inventory market, shopping for the dip after which holding for 10 years has made you cash.
Safeguarding Your Future From AI: The Existential Crisis Playbook – It’s apparent to me that our youngsters will discover a harder time discovering knowledge-work employment after highschool and faculty. Additional, current employees must be nervous that AI will finally eradicate their jobs.
The Greatest FIRE Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
In 2009, I helped kickstart the modern-day FIRE movement by writing about my journey to make sufficient passive income to flee company America for good. Since then, FIRE has grown right into a world-wide phenomena as extra folks attempt to save and make investments aggressively to interrupt free sooner.
The Third Rule Of Financial Independence Could Also Be Your Biggest Regret – Should you do not comply with this rule, you will be unable to retire early with out continuously worrying about cash.
FIRE May Make Building Multi-Generational Wealth Impossible – In case your objective is to make sure your grandchildren are taken care of, it is going to be laborious to do when you retire early.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s Impact On FIRE Seekers – There are some vital monetary modifications that ought to assist you to save and construct extra wealth in 2026 and past.
The Early Retiree’s Guide To Funding Retirement Accounts – Should you’re decided to retire early, then here is a logical information on tips on how to fund your numerous portfolios.
The Precarious Life Of Dual Unemployed Parents – Should you suppose FIREing with out youngsters is tough, it’s far more durable for each mother and father to remain retired with youngsters. Because of this you usually see one one that is FIRE have a working partner to offer healthcare, revenue, and retirement advantages.
Having Kids Might Not Hurt Your Ideal FIRE Lifestyle After All – Having youngsters will suck up all of your free time when you allow them to. Nevertheless, after each youngsters began faculty, I used to be pleasantly shocked by how a lot trip time they’ve a yr plus summer time, winter, and spring holidays.
The Greatest Actual Property Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
For the primary 15 years out of faculty, actual property was my favorite asset class for constructing wealth. Nevertheless, the asset class has been caught in impartial, or reverse, since inflation surged and the Fed aggressively jacked up rates of interest beginning in 2022.
Why Housing Affordability Could Be At An All-Time High – It baffles me why no person is discussing this standpoint. If I wasn’t in my late 40s, I might be shopping for up as many prime properties as doable.
In Defense Of Owning A Big Beautiful Home Over A Small One – Private finance nerds love to evangelise frugality with a purpose to maximize their hole between revenue and bills. However here is a seldom mentioned tackle why having an incredible home could possibly be value it.
A Paid Off Home Is A Great Shield Against Fear And Uncertainty – Though many argue that paying off your mortgage is suboptimal, I discovered the state of affairs gave me the braveness to aggressively purchase the dip in March and April. Having no mortgage could encourage you to take extra dangers to earn more money as nicely.
Deciding Between Accepting A Preemptive Offer Or Listing On The Open Market – I needed to determine between the 2 after I tried to promote my home in 2025. Listed here are some tips that can assist you decide the precise path.
A 50-Year Mortgage Is Fantastic For Homeowners And Investors – The knee-jerk response by many is {that a} 50-year mortgage is dangerous. However when you dig into the numbers, I feel you will change your thoughts.
You may take heed to extra Monetary Samurai podcasts on Apple or Spotify.
The Greatest Household Funds Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
Since my son was born in 2017 and my daughter was born in 2019, I’ve shifted my focus to being a keep at house dad. My youngsters are my foremost motivators to maintain grinding after I do not wish to. I’ve 12.5 years to steer by instance till my youngest probably goes to varsity.
The Main Way To Save Your Children From AI Is To Invest In AI – That is the most effective resolution in case you are anxious about AI destroying your kids’s job prospects and stopping them from turning into unbiased adults.
I initiated a brand new $197,100 Fundrise Venture place in August, earmarked for my kids over the following 10-12 years. That is along with my company account, the place I began investing earlier. My objective is to contribute one other $100,000 over the following yr if money circulation permits. Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Monetary Samurai as our funding philosophies are aligned.
Mommies, Nannies, Au Pairs And Me: The End Of Being A SAHD – Should you’re pondering of giving up your profession to be a keep at house dad, listed below are some reflections on what to anticipate.
Rich Bank Of Mom & Dads Are Everywhere – Accept And Adapt – You may both rail towards the unfairness of grownup kids getting large monetary assist from their mother and father, or you possibly can work out tips on how to construct sufficient wealth to do the identical. There isn’t a equal taking part in area in life. Dad and mom will rationally do no matter it takes to make sure their kids launch.
The Income Limit To Qualify For College Scholarships And Grants – I’ve met lots of people who suppose they merely make an excessive amount of to obtain free cash for school. This text may shock you, as loads of multi-six-figure earners get grants.
How to Make Your Children Millionaires Before They Leave Home – Should you imagine the world received’t give your kids a good shake after they graduate, then it is best to make them financially unbiased in order that they by no means should depend on gatekeepers to find out their future. I labored with ProjectionLab, a incredible monetary planning instrument to provide this text.
The Greatest Tradition & Society Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
Be An American Nerd, Not The Cool Kid If You Want To Survive – Being cool gives for a greater social life. However being a nerd will enhance your probabilities of constructing much more wealth. And so far as I can inform, all of the nerds I’ve met are married. So do not concern being undesirable when you’re off form, do not play sports activities, and have minimal different abilities. Cash and intelligence attracts.
Millionaire Early Retirees Probably Shouldn’t Get Healthcare Subsidies – You may have a as much as a ~$3.5 million internet value, and relying on how a lot revenue it generates, you possibly can earn obtain large healthcare subsidies.
Identity Diversification May Be As Important As Investment Diversification – Given we went via a interval when identification grew to become an essential deciding think about whether or not you bought into faculty or landed a job, it’s value wanting into your cultural heritage.
How Cultural Differences Can Hurt Your Chances In The Workplace – Should you’re a part of the bulk or had been born and raised in America, you may by no means should cope with such sticky conditions.
The Greatest Wealth Administration Posts On Monetary Samurai 2025
In Could 2025, I printed my USA TODAY nationwide bestseller, Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps to Seven Figures. My mission was to jot down an actionable, punchy guide that helps readers construct extra wealth and break away sooner. In consequence, I discovered myself desirous about millionaire matters much more continuously all year long.
Poor versus Rich Millionaire: Liquidity Is The Main Difference – You may really feel poor irrespective of your internet value if you do not have sufficient liquidity.
Not Regularly Checking Your Net Worth Has Some Great Benefits – Should you’re a private finance fanatic, you in all probability examine your internet value a number of instances every week. Nevertheless, similar to how spending an excessive amount of time on social media is dangerous on your well being, so could checking your internet value too continuously.
How You’ll Feel Reaching Various Millionaire Milestones Between $1 – $20 Million – Here is some fascinating insights into individuals who’ve achieved numerous millionaire ranges. You’d suppose after perhaps $5 or $10 million, you will now not have cash worries, however you would be flawed.
The Hidden Dangers Of Earning Risk-Free Passive Income – This is a vital put up as a result of I discovered myself getting lulled into complacency with 4% – 5% risk-free Treasury bond yields. I bear in mind making an identical mistake shopping for an excessive amount of Treasury bonds throughout and proper after the monetary disaster. I did not wish to make the identical mistake once more.
Writing Is a Fantastic Type of Intentional Pondering
I do know long-form studying and writing are going out of favor because of social media and short-form movies. Nonetheless, when you can muster the endurance to learn a deep-dive article, I feel you’ll get much more out of the expertise.
Should you ever wish to resolve an issue, attempt writing an article with a transparent thesis, physique, and conclusion. I promise you’ll shock your self with new views and turn out to be a greater thinker within the course of. You may even take motion that modifications your life for the higher.
Thanks for studying, sharing, and supporting my work all yr. If you already know somebody going via a state of affairs I’ve written about, I feel they’d respect receiving the article. Every thing I write relies on firsthand expertise, whether or not it’s an issue I’m making an attempt to unravel or an surprising final result I used to be not concentrate on.
In case you have any favourite posts, I’d love to listen to them. Subsequent up is my yr in evaluate put up and objectives for 2026.
To Your Monetary Freedom,
Sam
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