Financial Samurai

Sam Dogen is a personal finance blogger who runs Financial Samurai, one of the largest independently-owned blogs in America. He writes about investing, spending, saving, and retirement. He is also an author of the instant Wall Street Journal bestseller Buy This, Not That. He has been helping people save and invest more since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @financialsamurai.

Investing

Sam Dogen worked in investing banking for 13 years before starting Financial Samurai, a personal finance website helping people save and invest more to achieve their dreams. He has been writing about personal finance since 2009. Sam was an early pioneer of the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement and is now one of the world’s most popular personal finance bloggers. He has a new book called Buy This, Not That and writes about real estate on CrowdStreet, a platform for accredited investors to find individual properties in “18-hour cities.” Sam’s podcast is available on iTunes.

Taxes

Sam writes on personal finance topics on his blog, Financial Samurai, which he started in 2009. He is financially independent and was able to retire at the age of 34, largely due to the investments that produce around $250,000 a year in passive income. Sam writes to help others achieve financial freedom sooner rather than later. You can sign up for his newsletter here or listen to his podcast. Also, check out a mortgage rate comparison tool here to get competitive quotes in under three minutes. When banks compete, you win! It’s that simple. Sam’s latest book is Buy This, Not That.

Savings

A financial samurai is mindful of how much they spend and save. They know that the key to achieving wealth and financial freedom is not working more but spending less and saving more. Ideally, a financial samurai would be debt-free and invest in assets that produce income, such as real estate or rental properties. They also would invest in tax-efficient vehicles such as ETFs and low-cost index funds.

Sam Dogen is the author of the popular personal finance blog Financial Samurai, which he started in 2009. In 2012, he retired from his job at 34, having built up a net worth of more than $3 million through prudent investments. He pioneered the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement and has appeared in major media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and The Sydney Herald. His new book, Buy This, Not That, is an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Retirement

In retirement, financial samurai pursue the maximum income while living as inexpensively as possible. They also look for ways to increase their retirement savings through tax-advantaged accounts, such as the solo 401(k) and SEP IRA. These plans offer higher contribution limits, more flexibility in investment choices, and the ability to profit share with an employer.

Some financial samurai are also interested in moving to Asia, where $2,000 per month in after-tax income can let them live like royalty. Others may retire at a more modest amount but still pursue the goal of being able to travel as much as they wish and live comfortably.

Sam Dogen was one of the first financial samurai to popularize the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement when he retired at age 34 in 2012 with a net worth of more than $3 million. He had been writing about personal finance on his website, Financial Samurai, since 2009 and built it into one of the largest independently-owned personal finance sites on the Internet. He is a consultant, writes his book, and runs the podcast Buy This, Not That.