The Financial Samurai Podcast

4 Aug 2026

Being an adult is hard, and nobody is ever truly independent. In this episode, my wife and I talk about spending 30 days in Honolulu with my parents and what it's like to slowly shift from being

23 Jun 2026

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow school dad Domingo Guerra (https://www.linkedin.com/in/domingoguerra/) to trace his entrepreneurial journey: from growing up in Mexico, to

26 Mar 2026

With Fundrise's successful listing of VCX on March 19, 2026, its venture capital product, I want to discuss what's potentially next for the fund and for investors. The listing has far surpassed my

24 Feb 2026

For more than a decade, the mantra for boosting your career and income was simple: learn to code. Becoming a programmer or engineer was seen as the clearest path to job security and high pay. But

22 Jan 2026

If you are a parent who is interested in FIRE, you should listen to Andy Hill's podcast, Marriage, Kids, & Money on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. It's a great show that talks

6 Jan 2026

Happy New Year 2026, everyone. Despite a strong year in the stock market in 2025, I found myself feeling less happy due to some family health challenges. That contrast inspired me to reflect on what

13 Nov 2025

The debate between owning and renting will go on forever — it all depends on your stage in life, finances, and lifestyle. But as you get older, one thing becomes clear: housing security matters

22 Oct 2025

Bill Bengen, the father of the 4% Rule, is back with a new book titled A Richer Retirement. In it, he raises his SAFEMAX—or safe withdrawal rate—from 4% to 5%. This change has major implications:

17 Sep 2025

Since 2022, commercial real estate (CRE) investors have endured one of the toughest stretches in decades. Surging inflation drove mortgage rates higher, cap rates expanded, and property values sank.

28 Aug 2025

In this solo episode, I want to clarify how the tax-free home sale exclusion works. For those who want to move back into their rentals to then qualify after two years, there is a pro-rated amount you

8 Aug 2025

On the latest episode of the Financial Samurai podcast, I sat down with Ben Miller, cofounder and CEO of Fundrise, for a deep dive into AI, venture capital, and what it really takes to get into the

10 Jul 2025

Figuring out when you have enough money is a mix of math and emotion. You might have enough on paper, but if you're not emotionally ready to live life entirely on your terms, then you probably don't

26 Jun 2025

Earning passive income is the holy grail of personal finance and achieving financial independence. With interest rates still elevated, it's become much easier to generate a larger amount of risk-free

17 Jun 2025

Buying the stock market dip can be intimidating. As a result, many investors sit on cash, waiting for clear signs of a recovery. However, history has shown that those who bought during downturns and

5 Jun 2025

In this episode, I reconnect with my old friend Joe Saul-Sehy from The Stacking Benjamins podcast to talk about creating your own life curriculum — because when you do, you may no longer be

6 May 2025

After three years of writing, revising, and reflecting, I'm excited to share that Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures is now available everywhere—in hardcover, eBook, and

29 Apr 2025

In this episode, I talk with Harry, a long-time Financial Samurai reader, about his journey to building a $4+ million home in the Los Angeles area. While most people buy move-in ready homes, Harry

26 Mar 2025

I have the pleasure of speaking with Humphrey Yang, a personal finance content creator with over 1.6 million followers on YouTube and over 3.3 million followers on TikTok. Humphrey burst onto the

5 Mar 2025

With trade wars, massive federal government employee cuts, fallout with Ukraine, and worsening relationships with European countries, the Trump administration is kicking off with significant

25 Feb 2025

With stock market volatility returning and the potential for an economic slowdown ahead, I can't help but feel grateful for the incredible gains we've made in 2023 and 2024. This reflection led me to

20 Feb 2025

I speak with Dr. Jordan Grumet about building purpose for a happier and more meaningful life. If you're feeling stuck, as many of us so inevitably do at some point, Dr. Grumet has a new book out

29 Jan 2025

In part 2 of my discussion with Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise, and sponsor of Financial Samurai, I ask him about how an open-ended venture capital fund works.  If I'm going to build a $500,000+

16 Jan 2025

In this episode, I speak to Ben Miller, co-founder and CEO of Fundrise about his outlook for commercial real estate in 2025. Despite high mortgage rates, he's taken a positive view and he shares the

9 Jan 2025

One of the biggest reasons I was against contributing to a Roth IRA is my belief that most people won't make more money in retirement than while working. As a result, they're unlikely to pay a higher

4 Jan 2025

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you're enjoying the time off and doing some reflecting. I've returned to San Francisco after eight days of being in Oahu and am ready to relax some more! Here are

16 Dec 2024

I speak to high school principal, John Durante, about his latest book, Straight From The Admissions Office. We also talk in depth about how high school students can boost their chances of getting

6 Dec 2024

I recently spoke with Steve Chen, founder of Boldin (formerly NewRetirement), about common concerns retirees face. Boldin stands out as the most comprehensive DIY financial planning software I've

15 Nov 2024

I had the pleasure of speaking with Bill Bengen, creator of the "4% Rule" for retirement planning. Bill has been a reader of Financial Samurai for many years and has always been courteous in the

7 Nov 2024

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States, this time with JD Vance as his Vice President. Let's explore how this new Trump presidency might impact your finances. We'll look at how

25 Oct 2024

Investing in alternative assets has become an increasingly popular way to diversify beyond traditional stocks and bonds. Wine and whiskey, in particular, are gaining traction due to their potential

10 Oct 2024

If you have children, you likely want to provide them with the best education possible, which may include helping them get into a top college. Along the way, you may come across college consulting

18 Sep 2024

After four years, the Federal Reserve has finally cut the Fed Funds rate by 50 basis points, bringing the target range to 4.75% - 5%. Expectations point to another 50 basis points in cuts for 2024

9 Sep 2024

I speak to Ben Miller, CEO of Fundrise about investing in real estate during a multi-year rate cut environment. With the Federal Reserve finally cutting rates in September 2024 after raising them in

29 Aug 2024

I speak with Khe Hy, who spent 15 years on Wall Street and became one of the youngest Managing Directors at BlackRock at just 31. He earned up to $2 million a year—then he quit! His journey

15 Aug 2024

After 15 years of experimenting with and living an early retirement lifestyle, I've developed my Minimum Investment Threshold Formula to help determine when you can finally break free from a

8 Aug 2024

In this episode, I speak to Jo Piazza, bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, podcaster, and award-winning journalist. We discuss tradwives and its financial and social implications.

27 Jun 2024

I've decided that my Home-To-Car Ratio guide is the most important pesonal finance guide for everyone to fall. After all, everybody needs a place to live, real estate is the best asset to build

20 Jun 2024

I catch up with Andre Nader, ex-Facebook employee about what he's been up to one year after leaving his day job.  We talk about being a stay-at-home dad, the temptation of going back to work,

6 Jun 2024

I spoke to my wife about how my saver's mindset naturally kicked in after purchasing our new house in October 2023. Our liquidity was tight, and we were literally living paycheck to paycheck for six

23 May 2024

Property bidding wars are back, despite persistently high mortgage rates, due to the strength of the economy and the stock market. This episode discusses why people are getting into bidding wars and

16 May 2024

I talk to Emily Luk, Co-Founder and CEO of Plenty, a wealth platform for today's modern couples about her career path from VC, to joining a big startup, to creating her own startup. I wanted to now

2 May 2024

For the longest time, I've wondered the following about some men: • Why claim to be retired while having a working spouse? • Why work so many hours after having a newborn? • Why leave your

18 Apr 2024

In this episode, I catch up with Ben Miller, Co-founder and CEO of Fundrise about artificial intelligence and the latest investments by the  Innovation Fund. We discuss how company valuations are

11 Apr 2024

I speak with Colleen Kong-Savage about becoming a children's book illustrator and author, as well as a freelance graphic designer while living in expensive New York City. Colleen has a new book out

4 Apr 2024

Every residential real estate investor and homeowner is richer after the National Association Of Realtors settled its price fixing lawsuit. I know many real estate agents, realtors, and brokerages

28 Mar 2024

The most expensive cities in America include cities like New York City, San Francisco, and San Jose. However, these expensive cities could actually be the cheapest due to all the income and

8 Mar 2024

In this episode, I talk to my wife about what it's nice to own the nicest home we can afford five months after moving in. Although I am no happier, I do feel more satisfied.  Related post: Climbed

29 Feb 2024

In this episode, I speak with Kathy Fang, star of the Food Network's Chef Dynasty, as well as owner of Fang Restaurant, one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in San Francisco.  We talk about what

15 Feb 2024

Since 2009, when I began Financial Samurai, I've noticed some people are too afraid to invest or get easily shaken out whenever there is economic or stock market turbulence. Then, these investors get

1 Feb 2024

I talk to Emily Luk, Co-Founder and CEO of Plenty, a wealth platform for today's modern couples. Due to career aspirations, higher education, and the rising cost of living, couples are taking longer