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+ position in an open-ended fund to gain more exposure to private AI companies, I want to fully understand how the fund operates.

Here are some of the questions I asked during our discussion:

• What happens to a private company that successfully goes public, and how does this impact the fund?
• Is it harder to identify a promising company or to actually invest in that company?
• How does Fundrise and other venture capital firms compete to gain access to invest in private companies?
• How does Fundrise approach risk management in its investments?
• What’s the process for writing checks to invest in companies?
• If you don’t have cash on hand, how do you secure a line of credit to invest in a company?
• How do you provide liquidity to investors in the Innovation Fund?
• How do you determine the size of a fund you want to run?

Related post: Why I'm Only Investing In Open-Ended Venture Capital Funds Going Forward

Join 60,000+ readers and subscribe to my free weekly newsletter here. My goal is to help you reach financial freedom sooner, rather than later. 

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 main reasons why. 

Investing in stocks and bonds in your 401(k) or IRA are classic staples for retirement investing. However, I also suggest diversifying into real estate—an investment that combines the income stability of bonds with greater upside potential.

I’ve personally invested over $300,000 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.

Fundrise enables you to 100% passively invest in residential and industrial real estate without the headache of maintenance or tenants. With about $3 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. 

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Listen and subscribe to The Financial Samurai podcast on Apple or Spotify. I interview experts in their respective fields and discuss some of the most interesting topics on this site. Your shares, ratings, and reviews are appreciated.

To expedite your journey to financial freedom, join over 60,000 others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter.

Financial Samurai is among the largest independently-owned personal finance websites, established in 2009. Everything is written based on firsthand experience and expertise because money is too important to be left up to pontification. 

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 tax rate in retirement than during their working years.

While most Americans earn less in retirement, you aren’t most people. You subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter and are obsessed about money and living an incredible life!

Readers of personal finance sites like this one are likely saving far more and investing more strategically than the average individual. We're a nerdy bunch who care immensely about our financial future.

Thanks to the power of compounding, decades of disciplined saving and investing could result in you earning far more in retirement than you ever anticipated.

And perhaps equally as important is understanding how 401(k) and IRA withdrawals are taxed. They are considered deferred income and will be taxed as income, not capital gains. 

You can read more and discuss on my post: Why You May Make More In Retirement Than While Working. There's an example too. 

If you’re serious about building wealth and retiring comfortably, consider signing up for Boldin’s powerful retirement planning tools. They offer a free version and a PlannerPlus version for just $120/year—an affordable alternative to hiring a financial advisor. For the paid version, there's a free 14-days trial.

Boldin was specifically designed for retirement planning, providing a holistic approach to financial management. It goes beyond managing your stock and bond portfolio by integrating real estate investments, guiding Roth conversions to minimize taxes, helping with college savings, and addressing other real-life financial scenarios we all face.

As I approach the traditional retirement age, I’ve found Boldin’s tools particularly helpful in deciding how much to convert to a Roth IRA. The ability to model various “what if” scenarios has been invaluable for planning my future, especially for when I’m older and less able to manage my finances.

To Your Financial Freedom,

Sam

Thanks for rating, sharing, and subscribing to my podcast. Every review means a lot. 

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 some quick thoughts about what to expect in 2025 for the stock market, real estate market, and Financial Samurai. 

Mentioned posts:

2025 Wall Street S&P 500 Forecasts Are All Bullish – Uh Oh!

2025 Housing Price Forecasts: Continued Strong Gains

2025 Goals And Resolutions: Back To Simple Retirement Living

2024 Year In Review: A Year Of Transition And Luck

The Best Of Financial Samurai 2024: Favorite Posts And Popular Reads

30/30/3 Home Buying Rule To Follow

Join 60,000+ other readers achieving financial sooner by subscribing to my free weekly newsletter here. 

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 into a top college. 

John has interviewed hundreds of college admissions officers on his podcast, The College Admissions Process Podcast, and plans to interview hundreds more!

If you have any questions you’d like John  to cover on future episodes, or any comments you’d like to share, please email him at: [email protected] And don’t forget to visit his website at www.collegeadmissionstalk.com

More resources:

Monica Romero Matthews - Facebook Group:

Scholarship Help & College Talk for Parents 

https://how2winscholarships.com

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 encountered. It goes beyond analyzing stocks and bonds, incorporating other investments to optimize your net worth. Boldin also helps address key financial goals like buying a house, saving for college, planning for retirement, and more.

You can start with Boldin’s Basic Planner for free—it’s far more detailed than a typical retirement calculator.

For just $120 a year, you can upgrade to PlannerPlus, unlocking its full potential. It’s a fraction of the cost of hiring a financial advisor, and you can access it anytime without additional fees. Most importantly, PlannerPlus provides peace of mind, actionable insights, and the tools to grow your wealth far beyond the cost of the software.

For more information, see my post on Financial Samurai: Boldin Financial Planner Review: A Game-Changer For Financial Independence

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 comments section when I write about safe withdrawal rates. So, I figured it was time we had a chat to clear up some misconceptions.

For those unfamiliar, the 4% Rule, developed by Bill in the 1990s, suggests that traditional retirees (around age 65) can safely withdraw 4% of their retirement portfolio in the first year—adjusted for inflation in subsequent years—without running out of money over a 30-year period.

Here’s what I learned from Bill that helped clarify the 4% Rule:

1. Not a Hard “Rule”: Bill considers the 4% Rule more of a guideline than a strict rule. He encourages flexibility with withdrawal rates, though it’s often treated as a rigid rule in the public eye.
2. 4% Isn’t Actually Aggressive: Contrary to popular belief, Bill’s data shows that 4% is actually conservative. In his study of 400 retirees since 1926, only one retiree (who retired in 1968) had to stick to a 4% rate to avoid running out of money. The rest withdrew an average of 7% without depleting their portfolios.
3. Adjusting for Inflation: The 4% Rule isn’t static; it adjusts with inflation. For instance, if you start with a $1 million portfolio and withdraw $40,000 one year, you would adjust that amount by inflation the next year to $44,000. This means your withdrawals fluctuate with your financial needs and economic conditions.

You can e-mail bill at [email protected] if you have any questions. 

Posts mentioned:

Misconceptions About The 4% Rule With Bill Bengen

The Proper Safe Withdrawal Rate

Finishing Rich In A Low Return Stock Market Environment

If you enjoyed this episode please rate, share, and susbscribe. Every review means a lot as every episode takes hours to record, edit, and produce. Thank you!

To expedite your journey to financial freedom, join over 60,000 others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. Financial Samurai is among the largest independently-owned personal finance websites, established in 2009.

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 Trump’s policies could affect stocks, real estate, bonds, venture capital, and even our careers. Overall, Trump's return is generally seen as positive for investors.

However, since investing in risk assets always carries uncertainty, it's essential to align your investments with your personal goals and risk tolerance.

Related posts:

What Trump Means For Your Finances

Financial Planning Through Changing Presidencies

Being Even Greedier While Others Are Greedy

Stock Market Performance Under A Democratic Or Republican Presidents

Suggestions:

If you’re looking to diversify your investments beyond stocks, check out Fundrise. Fundrise manages over $3 billion in private real estate investments, with a primary focus on the Sunbelt region, where valuations are generally lower and yields tend to be higher.

As the Fed enters a multi-year cycle of interest rate cuts and with Trump as president, real estate demand may increase in the coming years. Given Trump’s background and success in real estate, I wouldn’t be surprised if he introduces buyer incentives and policies to support heartland regions, which were key in his election victory.

I’ve personally invested over $270,000 with Fundrise, and they are a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai.

Finally, you can join 60,000+ readers and sign up for my free weekly newsletter here.

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 for strong returns, resilience during economic downturns, and rising demand.

In this episode, I speak to Anthony Zhang, CEO and Founder of Vinovest, a platform that enables individuals to invest in fine wine and whiskey. We'll talk about why wine and whiskey have performed well and why they are a growing asset class. 

I also talk to Anthony Zhang about bringing awareness to spinal cord injuries, after his own accident, and how we can help. 

If you'd like to explore Vinovest's offerings, you can sign up here. 

Related post: Sip, Savor, Profit: Investing In Fine Wine And Whiskey

******

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, share, and review. Every podcast takes hours to produce. Your support means a lot!

Finally, if you want to achieve financial freedom sooner, join 60,000+ readers and sign up for my free weekly newsletter. Everything I write is based off firsthand experience because money is too important to be left up to pontification.

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 services and wonder how beneficial they really are.

In today's episode, I speak with Alice Chen, Founder of BrightStory Admission Consulting, to find out more about the service. 

Alice is a daughter of immigrants and grew up in the Boston area. Alice’s father was a research scientist and her mother an auditor, so Alice grew up thinking that those who studied and worked the hardest would succeed.

But after attending Stanford and working in TV journalism, Alice quickly learned that IQ was not the most important factor for workplace (and life) success.

Alice created BrightStory to offer the mentoring she wishes she had as a teen. Alice also created Happy Asian Woman, a newsletter focused on wellness and living a meaningful life, and she incorporates these values into her coaching work.

*****

If you enjoyed this podcast, I'd appreciate a share and a positive review. It helps keep me motivated to finding new guests to share with all of you. Every podcast takes hours to record and produce.

To expedite your journey to financial freedom, join over 60,000 others and subscribe to the free Financial Samurai newsletter. Financial Samurai is among the largest independently-owned personal finance websites, established in 2009.

*****

Related posts:

The Wide Implications Of The College Admissions Scandal

An Asian American's View On Affirmative Action

Is Private K-12 Worth It?

What If You Go To Harvard And End Up A Nobody?