The Financial Samurai Podcast

My wife and I debate whether a lottery admissions or an entrance exam is better for students, teachers, parents, and society.  You can read the post here and vote on which is best too.

My wife and I discuss our retirements at 34 and 35, respectively. We also discuss the ideal age we think people should retire if they can. Life is both short and long. We all want to maximize happiness and minimize regrets.  Read the post: The Ideal Age To Retire To Minimize Regrets

The demise of big city living is overblown. Big city living has gotten better post pandemic given there's less congestion, less competition, and more living options. I'm focused on buying more big city real estate before the inevitable V-shaped recovery in the next couple of years.  See the post here.   

What is the right amount of money to give our adult children while we are alive without spoiling the heck out of them? What is the right amount of money to leave our children after we die? I've developed a logical framework to maximize our giving and supporting of our family.  See the post here. 

The 4 percent rule is outdated. It was established in 1998 when the 10-year bond yield was at ~5 percent. Of course you're never going to run out of money withdrawing at 4 percent when you can make 1 percent more risk-free! Follow the 0.5 percent rule instead for a safe withdrawal rate in retirement. Follow the times or suffer the consequences. Read the post here.

After giving homeschooling a lot of though, my wife and I have decided to go the homeschooling route. COVID-19 was just the catalyst to get us over the hump. We tried preschool for a solid 5 months and enjoyed it. However, there were lots of downsides as well. My wife joins me on this episode. 

So you love chasing unicorn stocks to get rich. So do I! However, you should probably be more judicious with your active and passive investing split. It's really easy to get caught up in stock market mania and then blow yourself up. Here's my recommended passive and active investing split by personality so we can get rich more responsibly.  Read more here.

For those who are worried about inflation, don't be. There is not going to be inflation or inflation worries for years, if ever.  I've got to believe the only people who are worried about inflation are people who took out a 30-year-fixed mortgage or who are against America! Relevant post: Why An ARM Is Superior To A Fixed-Rate Mortgage

It looks like demand for buying a home has hit an 11-year high. Before you buy a home, it's good to know what's going on in the mortgage industry. The mortgage industry / banks hold the key to a steady real estate market.  See this post for more charts and details. 

Let's have a discussion on how climate change may affect real estate prices. Your desire for a beachfront home might be misplaced. But maybe it's best to live life now! Post: How Climate Change May Affect Real Estate Prices 

Wondering whether to pay down your mortgage debt or invest? I go through a logical framework of how to do both, and also highlight the extra benefits of paying off a mortgage: more courage! Mentioned posts: No Mortgage More Courage  FS-DAIR: Invest and Debt Framework

Racism is systemic in America. We must speak up and fight back against racism. We must share our stories and hold racists accountable for their actions. Do not stay silent during this time of crisis. Let us do our part in helping end the cycle of hate.  Mentioned posts: Dear Minorities, Please Use Racism As Motivation To Achieve Financial Independence The Importance Of Feeling Consistently Uncomfortable For Personal Growth    

I've been skeptical about college for a while, but now that the pandemic has hit and tens of millions of jobs are lost and perhaps never coming back, I find college to be too risky of an investment to make for the average middle class family.  Pertinent posts: https://www.financialsamurai.com/should-i-go-to-public-school-or-private-school/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/recommended-529-plan-amounts-by-age/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/accept-1000000-to-attend-public-school-over-private-school/

With such a massive 30%+ rebound from the lows in March 2020, the S&P 500 is almost back to 3,000. I discuss why I've de-risked in my taxable investment portfolio. At the same time, I also discuss why you may want to keep holding onto your stocks.  Here are some bearish charts and some bullish charts for you to review and consider. 

So you want to save for college in a 529 plan but you're unsure of how much to save. Or, you're wondering whether you should contribute more or less. I address your questions and more in this episode and in this post with a detailed chart. 

Don't you dare slack off. We're almost done with mass lockdowns and now is the time to step things up a notch. There will be consequences if you do not!

Buying real estate during the COVID-19 pandemic is tricky because of lockdowns and lower inventory. But this is a chance for buyers to get a great deal from a doomer bear seller. Highlighted posts: Real Estate Buying Strategies During A Pandemic How To Get Preapproved For A Mortgage

I believe the PPP program is the best economic stimulus program the government has ever created. However, more than one month  into the PPP program, there is some disappointing progress. There is also some hesitation by small business owners who have accepted the PPP to spend the money due to fear of it not being forgiven. Let's discuss! Post highlighted: The Paycheck Protection Program

A look at the latest enhanced unemployment benefits and ranking the highest and lowest unemployment benefit amounts by state. See this post for charts: Highest And Lowest Unemployment Benefit Amounts By State See this post if you need information on how to file: Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits: How To File

With the S&P 500 up over 25% from its lows, let's look at what the Doomers got wrong so we can potentially make better decisions investment decisions in the future. Post reference: How To Predict The Stock Market Bottom Like Nostradamus