In-state vs Out-of-state Universities — 4 things to consider

Choosing a college is a big decision, especially for a 17-year-old. I remember feeling excited, grown-up, eager, and free. But I also remember feeling nervous, scared, uncertain, and bounded by my family's financial situation. It was not only a 4-year decision but also a $50k to $150k decision for me.  In this article, I'll step through the thought process of my 17-year-old self. I'll then follow up at the end with my retrospective of the decision, after 15 years.

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Buying vs Renting a House in Silicon Valley

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Go to school, get a job, get married, and buy a house. This is what my parents have always told me to do. And I’m not alone. Owning a home is one of the major milestones in achieving the American dream. But what about owning a home in the Bay Area where a decent townhome can cost $1.4M and a decent single-family home will cost $1.8M? In this article, I'll break down how I ran the numbers and decided that it was not financially worth it to buy a house in the Bay Area, in 2019.

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Is $350k a year really middle class in a big city? Response to Financial Samurai's take

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Recently there was an article that Financial Samurai published which outlines why a $350k household income is barely middle class in big cities like San Francisco. This was a pretty controversial article that raised a lot of eyebrows. Both from big-city dwellers as well as middle America. I previously shared my budget for a family of three and it is nowhere near the budget that Financial Samurai laid out for a family of four. In this post, I'll convey my personal take on each line item in his budget.

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8 Money Things to do Before 30 | Part 1

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I had a great time in my 20s. I had built great friendships, found my own identity, found love, and got off to a strong start in my career. I had it all—except for a good financial education. Had I been more aware about personal finance, I’d be in a much better position than I am today. But I really can’t complain. I will share with you the 8 key lessons that I wish I knew straight out of college. I will split them into a 2-part blog series between “defense” and “offense”.

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The Intelligent Way to Convert 401K to Roth IRA for Early Retirees

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Retirement investment accounts are complex. Some are pre-tax, some are post-tax. Some have penalties if you withdraw early, some allow you to withdraw up to a certain amount without penalty. Some require you to withdraw a minimum amount after the age of 70.5, some don't. And many others. In short, there's a lot of choices—and a lot of tradeoffs.

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How to make $1 million dollars

Have you ever wondered if you’d be a millionaire? I certainly didn’t. But it happened—and much faster than I could have imagined. No, I didn’t strike it rich over night with the lottery, exit from a startup, inheritance, or bitcoin. I attribute it to several things: high savings rate, consistently investing, high income, luck, but mostly a shift in mindset—from linear savings to compounding returns, from only working for money to also making my money work for me.

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