A Home Within Walking Distance of Everything Might Not Be Ideal

When I lived in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, I could walk to endless bars and restaurants within 10 minutes. It was the perfect place for twenty- and thirty-somethings to live, socialize, and indulge in city life. Back in 2005, at age 28, I had just bought my first single-family home—a handsome three-bedroom house […]

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Partying Like A Young Degenerate Is Not Good For Your Finances

Recently, I went off the deep end—living like a degenerate gambler and party animal—and I wanted to reflect on it. Perhaps to nobody’s surprise, I don’t think having extreme amounts of fun is good for your financial future. It’s probably also not good for your health. In our personal finance world bubble, where we go

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Rewarding Based on Merit Alone: Great in Theory, Tough in Reality

One of the reasons I left my job at Credit Suisse was that I no longer felt I was being paid based on merit. After the global financial crisis, the firm—like many others—faced tough times, and overall compensation steadily declined for years. As a top-three ranked producer, I expected to be compensated accordingly. But I

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Buy A Fully Remodeled, Move-In Ready Home Over A Fixer-Upper

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned the hard way in real estate, it’s that a full-on, gut-remodel can be a nightmare. After years of painful, unpredictable remodeling projects, I can confidently say: I will never do a complete remodel again. Instead, I now favor purchasing a fully remodeled, move-in ready home for any future investments.

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Tax Cuts for the Middle Class and Retirees: A Win for Your Wallet

On February 6, 2025, the White House announced a series of tax cuts primarily benefitting the middle class and retirees. Here’s what’s on the table: The administration is calling this the largest tax cut in history for working Americans, and with Republicans in control of Congress, these proposals are likely to move forward.

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Don’t Lose Financial Opportunities Due To A Lack Of Hard Work

The beauty of hard work is that any able-bodied person can do it. If you put in more hours honing your craft than the average person, chances are you’ll achieve far greater success than the average person. If you happen to be rich, well-connected, and blessed with movie-star looks, combining those advantages with relentless effort

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Trade Wars Could Be What The Housing Market Needs To Heat Up

As a stock market investor and consumer, I’m disappointed in the new tariffs President Trump has imposed—10% on imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada, including a 10% duty on Canadian energy imports (oil, natural gas, electricity). If trade wars persist all year without resolution, corporate earnings could take a 2%-3% hit, which means a similar

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Federal Government Employees, Take The Severance Package

As someone who literally wrote the book on how to negotiate a severance package, I love severance case studies! The second rule of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is simple: never quit your job—always try to negotiate a severance. If you’re planning to leave anyway, why not attempt to create a win-win scenario and walk

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The Case For Open-Ended Venture Capital Funds Over Closed Ones

One adjustment I’m making to my net worth asset allocation is reducing exposure to closed-end venture capital funds while increasing allocation to open-ended venture capital funds. Closed-end venture capital funds follow a traditional model: you commit capital, fund capital calls over several years, and rely on the general partners to make great investment choices. I

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Deep Panic Thanks To DeepSeek’s Fast, Open-Source AI Model

China’s DeepSeek has shaken up the AI world with the release of an open-source AI model that reportedly outperformed OpenAI’s in several benchmarks. Even more startling is the company’s claim that its AI technology was developed for only $5.6 million. This figure has raised eyebrows, especially as companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have spent hundreds

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