In July 2009, I founded Financial Samurai to grasp the financial devastation that was unfolding on the time. I’ve been toying with the concept since 2006, after I was a part-time graduate student at UC Berkeley’s business school, but I kept giving up on the concept. After losing about 40 percent of my net price in only six months, losses that took a decade to accumulate, I spotted it was now or never.
I committed to publishing 3 times per week for ten years. When I reached this goal in July 2019, I just kept going. There are too many interesting developments on this planet and too many thoughts in my head for me to stop.
In 2025, I published 156 posts and 52 free weekly newsletters. Sign up if you must increase your probabilities of achieving financial freedom faster. “Financial Samurai” includes greater than 2,500 articles and has now been read by over 100 million people. Below are a few of my favorite and most impactful posts from 2025, organized by topic.
The best investment contributions to Financial Samurai 2025
It looks like 1999 again: time to rejoice with no blackout – valuations are inflated and FOMO is in full swing. Some thoughts on how you can take part in the uptrend without losing every thing if things go mistaken.
The Sad Necessity of Investing Big Money to Make Life-Changing Money – Even in case your optimistic forecast is correct and also you invest, nothing really changes unless you invest a big amount.
The richest people aren’t index fund fanatics, why are they? – Everyone loves index funds and ETFs, me too. But as a substitute of seeing index funds as a strategy to get wealthy, the wealthy are inclined to view index funds as a strategy to preserve capital.
Buy the Bottom: How to Overcome Fear During a Correction and Succeed – When the following bottom comes, will you reap the benefits of it or sit fearfully on the sidelines? Throughout the history of the stock market, you have made money by buying when prices dipped after which holding for 10 years.
Securing Your Future from AI: The Existential Crisis Playbook – I realize that our youngsters may have a harder time finding knowledge-based employment after highschool and college. Additionally, existing staff needs to be concerned that AI will eventually destroy their jobs.
The best FIRE posts on Financial Samurai 2025
The third rule of economic independence may also be your biggest regret – in case you don’t follow this rule, you will not give you the chance to retire early without always worrying about money.
A hearth could make it unattainable to construct multi-generational wealth – If you must ensure your grandchildren are taken care of, it should be difficult to realize this in case you retire early.
The Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on FIRE Seekers – There are some significant financial changes that ought to aid you save and construct more wealth in 2026 and beyond.
The Early Retiree’s Guide to Funding Retirement Accounts – If you are determined to retire early, here’s a logical guide to funding your various portfolios.
The Precarious Life of Two Unemployed Parents – If you think that it’s hard to fireside without children, staying retired with children is far harder for each parents. This is why you regularly see a one that is FIRE have a working spouse who provides healthcare, income, and retirement savings.
Having kids may not hurt your ideal FIRE lifestyle in any case – having kids will eat up all of your free time in case you let it. However, after each kids began school, I used to be pleasantly surprised at how much vacation they get annually plus summer, winter, and spring breaks.
The best real estate contributions to Financial Samurai 2025
Why housing affordability could possibly be at an all-time high – It baffles me why nobody is discussing this perspective. If I wasn’t in my late 40s, I could be buying as much prime real estate as possible.
In defense of owning a giant, beautiful house over a small one – Personal finance nerds wish to preach frugality as a strategy to maximize the gap between income and expenses. But here’s a rarely discussed perspective on why having an incredible house is perhaps price it.
A paid-off home is a superb protection against fear and uncertainty – Although many argue that paying off your mortgage is suboptimal, I discovered that the situation gave me the courage to purchase aggressively in March and April. If you haven’t got a mortgage, you might be encouraged to take more risks with the intention to make more cash too.
Deciding between accepting a pre-purchase offer or listing on the open market – I had to choose from the 2 when attempting to sell my house in 2025. Here are some guidelines to aid you find the correct path.
A 50-Year Mortgage Is Fantastic for Homeowners and Investors – The knee-jerk response of many is that a 50-year mortgage is bad. But in case you dig into the numbers, I believe you will change your mind.
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The best family finance posts on Financial Samurai 2025
The most vital strategy to protect your kids from AI is to speculate in AI. This is the perfect solution in case you are apprehensive that AI will destroy your kids’s job prospects and stop them from becoming independent adults.
I initiated a brand new one $197,100 Fundrise Venture Position in August, intended for my children in the following 10-12 years. This is along with my corporate account, which I actually have previously invested in. My goal is to contribute one other $100,000 next yr, money flow permitting. Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai because our investment philosophies align.
Moms, Nannies, Au Pairs and Me: The End of Being a SAHD – If you are excited about giving up your profession to remain at home, listed below are some thoughts on what to anticipate.
There are wealthy mothers and dads in all places – Accept and adapt – you may either rail against the injustice of adult children receiving enormous financial help from their parents, or you may determine how you can construct enough wealth to do the identical. There is not any level playing field in life. Parents will reasonably do whatever is needed to make sure that their children get to market.
The Income Limit to Qualify for College Scholarships and Grants – I’ve met loads of individuals who think they simply make an excessive amount of to get free money for school. This article may surprise you, as many earners earning several six figures receive grants.
How to Make Your Kids Millionaires Before They Leave Home – If you think that the world won’t give your kids a good likelihood after they graduate, then consider making them financially independent in order that they never must depend on gatekeepers to find out their future. I worked with ProjectionLaba implausible financial planning tool to create this text.
The best cultural and social contributions to Financial Samurai 2025
Be an American nerd, not the cool kid, if you must survive – being cool makes for a greater social life. But in case you are a nerd, your probabilities of constructing far more wealth increase. And so far as I can tell, all of the nerds I’ve met are married. So do not be afraid of being unwanted in case you’re out of form, don’t play sports, and have minimal other talents. Money and intelligence attract.
Millionaire early retirees probably shouldn’t get health care subsidies – you may have a net price of as much as about $3.5 million, and depending on how much income it generates, you may get huge health care subsidies.
Identity diversification could be just as essential as investment diversification – As we have now passed through a period where identity has turn into a significant deciding think about whether to go to high school or get a job, it’s price taking a take a look at your cultural heritage.
How Cultural Differences Can Affect Your Opportunities within the Workplace – If you might be a part of the bulk or were born and raised in America, you might never must cope with such difficult situations.
The best wealth management posts on Financial Samurai 2025
In May 2025 I published my national bestseller. My mission was to jot down an actionable, powerful book that might help readers construct more wealth and break free faster. As a result, I discovered myself excited about millionaire topics rather a lot more all year long.
Poor versus Rich Millionaire: Liquidity is the important thing difference – you may feel poor no matter your net price in case you haven’t got enough liquidity.
Not checking your net price repeatedly has some big advantages: If you are into personal finance, you almost certainly check your net price several times per week. However, spending an excessive amount of time on social media is bad on your health, and checking your net price too often might also be detrimental.
How you’ll feel once you reach various millionaire milestones between $1 million and $20 million – Here are some fascinating insights into individuals who have achieved various millionaire levels. You might think that after possibly $5 or $10 million you would not must worry about money anymore, but you would be mistaken.
The Hidden Dangers of Earning Risk-Free Passive Income – This is a very important post as I actually have been lulled into complacency with risk-free government bond yields of 4-5%. I remember making an analogous mistake after I bought too many government bonds during and immediately after the financial crisis. I didn’t intend to make the identical mistake again.
Writing is an excellent type of conscious thought
I do know that long-form reading and writing goes out of favor because of social media and short videos. However, if you have got the perseverance to read an in depth article, I believe you will get rather a lot more out of the experience.
If you ever want to unravel an issue, try writing an article with a transparent thesis, body, and conclusion. I promise you’ll surprise yourself with recent perspectives and turn into a greater thinker in the method. You may even take motion that changes your life for the higher.
Thank you for reading, sharing and supporting my work all year long. If someone who’s going through a situation that I actually have written about, I believe they might appreciate receiving the article. Everything I write is predicated on first-hand experience, be it an issue I’m trying to unravel or an unexpected result that I wasn’t aware of.
If you have got favorite posts, I’d love to listen to them. Next is my annual review and my goals for 2026.
To your financial freedom,
Sam
