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, […]
The Best Of Financial Samurai 2023 – Posts And Podcasts Read More »
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
Your Window Of Opportunity Is Smaller Than You Think Read More »
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
Five Unusual Things I’m Thankful For (Despite All The Bad) Read More »
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
To Succeed, Intrinsic Rewards Must Dominate Extrinsic Rewards Read More »
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
Maybe You Don’t Deserve Good Fortune But Enjoy It Anyway Read More »
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
When In Trouble, Remember FULL BENEFIT! A Passport Debacle Read More »
After every tennis match I lost in high school, my father would console me by saying, “You just weren’t good enough.” Those words stung each time I heard them. But they were true. Over time, my dad stopped coming to my matches because I told him the pressure of his gaze wasn’t helpful. With no
The Joy Of Low Expectations: When Nobody Believes In You Read More »
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
Having Absurd Dreams Are OK Because Sometimes They Come True Read More »
I realized something important after writing about the best reason to retire early. Money doesn’t buy everlasting happiness. However, having more money can reduce stress and anxiety. The goal of achieving perpetual happiness is not realistic. Happiness ebbs and flows. It’s more exciting to be an 8 out of 10 on the happiness scale because
Top 10 Financial Moves To Reduce Stress And Anxiety Read More »
One of the main reasons why I retired at age 34 was to hedge against an early death. When I was nine, my grandfather died from cancer and I clearly remember seeing my mother distraught for months. Then when I was 13, my 15-year-old friend died in a car accident. Here today, gone tomorrow is
The Pandemic Was An Experience In Hedging Your Life Read More »
