The Financial Samurai Podcast

This summer, my new AI wealth advisor, Mezzi, discovered roughly $300,000 of Google exposure I didn't know I had. It sounds a little absurd, given the amount. But I've been investing in Google for over 15 years, and with a complicated net worth it's hard to track everything accurately when your mind anchors to old price points. Weeks after I trimmed the position, Google sold off about 10%. I sidestepped over $20,000 in losses. Then I did something I'd never done in 17 years of writing about money on Financial Samurai. I invested in the company. As an AI maximalist, I'm always hunting for new AI products that help build wealth, and for promising private AI companies to invest in. Mezzi turned out to be both. So I sat down with Manish Jain, CEO and co-founder of Mezzi, over lunch in San Francisco and then again for this episode. We get into: Manish's entrepreneurial path and why he left JPM to build Mezzi Why he built an AI wealth advisor instead of another robo-advisor What Mezzi surfaces in a portfolio that most investors miss, from overlapping positions to fee drag Where AI wealth management goes next, and the parts it still can't do Sign up for Mezzi AI for free today. Use code: FS30 to save 30% off the premium plus version. Disclosure: I'm an investor in Mezzi, an affiliate partner, and Mezzi sponsors this podcast. I only partner with companies whose products I use myself. If Mezzi weren't already open on my laptop most weeks, this episode wouldn't exist.

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 cared for to being the caretaker. We also get into a bizarre encounter with two park rangers on an empty public tennis court while I was teaching my own kids, and a discussion about what a real adult actually is when a 37-year-old still depends on her father for money. Three generations, one uncomfortable question about who takes care of who. We also touch on how hard it was to spend our Summer YOLO Fund. The full accounting comes in tomorrow's post. Related posts: Real Adults Are Not Financially Dependent On Their Parents (But That's OK): https://www.financialsamurai.com/real-adults-are-not-financially-dependent-on-parents/    How Much A Family Needs To Earn To Live Comfortably By City: SF #1!: https://www.financialsamurai.com/how-much-a-family-needs-to-earn-to-live-comfortably-by-city-sf-1/   You'll Never Be Free From The Government: Introducing The Leash Ratio: https://www.financialsamurai.com/leash-ratio/    A Tax Identification System For Determining Your Level Of Freedom: https://www.financialsamurai.com/backwards-tax-identification-system/ Podcast Support If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review, and share. Every review means a lot, as each episode takes hours to produce. And if you want to achieve financial freedom sooner, sign up for the free weekly Financial Samurai newsletter at https://www.financialsamurai.com/news. You can sign up for ProjectionLab or Empower to help you better manage your finances, for free. I use both and they are long-time affiliates of Financial Samurai. 

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow school dad Domingo Guerra to trace his entrepreneurial journey: from growing up in Mexico, to studying engineering at UT Austin, to co-founding the mobile cybersecurity company Appthority with my poker and softball buddy Kevin, to selling it to Symantec in 2018. Today, Domingo runs his own seed-stage venture fund focused on cybersecurity, called Chispa VC. It always fascinates me how people become entrepreneurs, given that most of us just go to college and get a job. I wanted to start a company myself for the longest time, but I chickened out after Goldman Sachs offered me a job out of William & Mary. It took me until 2009 to finally stop waiting for permission and build something of my own. Domingo's story is the version where you take the leap much sooner, and it's a great one. If you'd like to connect with Domingo, the easiest way is to reach out to him on LinkedIn. Related posts: Y Combinator Demo Day: The Quest To Invest In The Best Startups The Startup Grind Will Make You An AI Maximalist Subscribe To Financial Samurai Enjoy the show? Please subscribe to the Financial Samurai podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and leave a quick rating and review. Reviews genuinely help more people discover the show, and they only take a minute. It's the easiest way to support the podcast for free. And if you want my best insights on money, investing, and building wealth delivered straight to your inbox, join 60,000+ readers and sign up for my free weekly newsletter. I've been writing it every week since 2009, and it's still the best way to never miss a thing.

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 expectations, and the expectations of most investors. Anything can happen during the 6-month lock-up period, so it's important to keep expectations low and stay humble. Don't spend any paper profits until you actually have liquidity. Financial Samurai has been working with Fundrise as a corporate partner for over 10 years now. I'm proud of what Ben Miller and his team have accomplished in democratizing access to venture capital through public venture capital. Let's see what the future holds! Related posts: After A Big Investment Win Stay Humble: Clean A Toilet How ETFs, Open End Funds, and Closed End Funds Trade Recommended Net Worth Asset Allocation By Age and Work Experience Subscribe and Support Financial Samurai Every podcast episode takes hours to record, edit, and produce. Your shares and positive reviews mean a lot and are greatly appreciated. If you've benefited from my writing in any way, please pick up a copy of Millionaire Milestones and Buy This Not That, and leave a review on Amazon. These national bestselling books will help you make better financial decisions and reach financial independence sooner rather than later. For more nuanced personal finance content, join 60,000+ subscribers and sign up for my free newsletter. Financial Samurai started in 2009 and is one of the top independently run personal finance sites today. Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai and Financial Samurai is an investor in Fundrise products. Our investment philosophies are aligned.  Best, Sam

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 with the rapid rise of AI, coding is no longer the protective moat it once was. As I revisited my own FIRE plans after leaving work in 2012, I realized the one financial buffer that has consistently stood the test of time: knowing how to invest well. Forget "learn to code." Learn to invest. Becoming a competent investor may be the most important skill you develop to survive - and thrive - in the coming AI wave. Posts mentioned: Becoming A Competent Investor Is A Vital Skill To Master Gain Financial Security By Creating Financial Buffers For Your Financial Buffers The FIRE Movement Is So Back Due To AI Disruption Free Financial Analysis Offer From Empower Stay on top of your net worth with Empower, the web's #1 free financial app. Track your cash flow, x-ray your investment portfolio for excessive fees and inappropriate risk exposure, and use their retirement calculator to plan for the future. If you have over $100,000 in investable assets—whether in savings, taxable brokerage accounts, 401(k)s, or IRAs—you can sign up for a free financial check-up from a professional at Empower. It's a no-obligation opportunity to have a seasoned advisor—someone who analyzes portfolios for a living—take a fresh look at your finances. A professional review can help you identify hidden fees, inefficient allocations, or missed opportunities to grow and protect your wealth. More importantly, it can give you the clarity and confidence to know whether your current savings and investment strategy aligns with your long-term financial goals. I've taken advantage of three free consultations with Empower over the past decade and each session has helped me build more wealth. There's no rewind button in life. Make the most of everything, especially things that are helpful and free. The statement is provided to you by Financial Samurai ("Promoter") who has entered into a written referral agreement with Empower Advisory Group, LLC ("EAG").  Diversify Your Retirement Investments Stocks and bonds are classic staples for retirement investing. However, I also suggest diversifying into real estate. It is an investment that combines the income stability of bonds with greater upside potential. Consider Fundrise, a platform that allows you to 100% passively invest in residential and industrial real estate. With over $3.5 billion in private real estate assets under management, Fundrise focuses on properties in the Sunbelt region, where valuations are lower, and yields tend to be higher. Residential commercial real estate is attract. Meanwhile, the Fed is set to cut rates further. I've personally invested over $500,000 with Fundrise, and they've been a trusted partner and long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai. With a $10 investment minimum, diversifying your portfolio has never been easier. Subscribe To Financial Samurai To increase your chances of achieving financial independence, join 60,000+ readers and subscribe to my free Financial Samurai newsletter here. Financial Samurai began in 2009 and is the leading independently-owned personal finance site today.