2024 Year In Review: A Year Of Transition And So Much Luck

With 2024 almost done, I'd for illustration to stock my twelvemonth successful review. For nan immense mostly of investors, this was a banner year, pinch nan S&P 500 up ~25% and existent property prices successful astir of nan state continuing to inch higher contempt precocious owe rates. Bitcoin investors, golden investors, and venture capital investors person each done good too.

2024 was a twelvemonth of luck because astir investors didn't deliberation we'd do truthful well, including myself. The mean Wall Street forecast for 2024 was 4,861, pinch nan astir bullish forecast astatine 5,500. Therefore, it feels for illustration astatine slightest 15% retired of nan 25% gains are a bonus. And pinch 2025 S&P 500 forecasts averaging astir 6,500 and 2025 lodging value forecasts calling for a 4% increase, we whitethorn still get moreover luckier!

2024 was a modulation twelvemonth for maine arsenic I moved from not moving to moving part-time for 4 months astatine a startup. Then, starting successful September 2024, aft being a stay-at-home dada since April 2017, my youngest began schoolhouse full-time. Suddenly, I had a afloat 40 hours a week of free clip to use. The modulation has been smoother than expected. Once I sewage much free time, I appreciated it overmuch much acknowledgment to consulting earlier successful nan year.

Let maine disagreement this reappraisal into 4 sections: Wealth, Health, Family, and Financial Samurai. I dream you will stock successful nan comments really your twelvemonth went arsenic well.

2024 Wealth Year In Review: A-

Roughly 28% of my nett worthy is successful nationalist equities. Given my tech-heavy portfolios, I outperformed nan S&P 500 by 10% successful 2024, mirroring akin results successful 2023. However, I underperformed by 7% during nan 2022 carnivore market. This benignant of volatility is nan trade-off for being an progressive investor successful individual stocks.

About 45% of my nett worthy is successful beingness existent estate. After purchasing a caller location successful Q4 2023, beingness existent property climbed to 50% of my nett worthy by early 2024, hitting my limit. Transferring productive assets from stocks and bonds into my superior residence slowed my nett worthy growth. San Francisco existent property is reportedly up 4% successful 2024, while San Jose, 50 minutes south, has seen gains of 8%.

Commercial existent estate, which makes up astir 6% of my nett worth, showed signs of betterment successful mid-2024. Prices person risen 5-6% for nan twelvemonth aft a challenging 2022 and 2023 owed to fierce Fed complaint hikes. Fortunately, nan money I'm invested successful has been acquiring value distressed properties, which clasp beardown semipermanent potential.

Finally, astir 15% of my nett worthy is successful task capital. As nan S&P 500 rebounded successful 2023, superior began flowing into high-growth AI companies. With backstage firms staying backstage longer and backstage investors capturing much gains, it's logical to proceed allocating superior to this sector. Some of these backstage companies are up 300% successful conscionable 1 year.

I ended up investing $148,000 successful Fundrise Venture mid-year because I judge galore of nan portfolio companies will spell nationalist and person upside. ServiceTitan and Databricks are awesome examples. I would person invested much but I was liquidity constrained.

Net Worth Growth Target Achieved In 2024

Overall, my nett worthy grew betwixt 14% and 18%, depending connected really my existent property and backstage investments are valued.

Since retiring successful 2012, 1 of my main net worthy benchmarks has been to turn nett worthy by 2-3 times nan risk-free complaint of return. I want dependable maturation pinch little volatility truthful I don't person to interest astir money. Given nan 10-year enslaved output averaged astir 4.1% for nan year, my target was 8.2% to 12.3%.

When it comes to investing, everything is comparative to what you tin get risk-free by owning Treasury bonds. If you're taking consequence and not outperforming nan risk-free complaint consistently, past you should astir apt extremity investing aliases consult pinch a financial professional.

I consciousness highly fortunate that I sewage to put during different bull marketplace successful 2024. About 98% of my nett worthy is invested successful consequence assets, which intends it's been a nosy 2 years. However, I'm besides preparing to get hammered erstwhile nan correction aliases carnivore marketplace yet returns again.

Another important realization is really powerful compounding is. During bully times, nan absolute dollar magnitude of returns grows tremendously, sometimes to aggregate times your time occupation income. At this point, spending immoderate magnitude of clip moving connected thing you don't bask is genuinely a waste. Below is my nett worthy tracked utilizing Empower.

Net worthy floor plan for 2024, lumps are owed to backstage money distributions.

Financial Areas In Need Of Improvement

I made nan incorrect prime of investing successful scale target-date costs for my children's 529 plans. As a result, they person importantly underperformed nan S&P 500 since first funding. I will rebalance much toward nan S&P 500 (more risk) since they person 11-14 years near until college.

I didn't put my children to activity online, which intends they didn't person earned income to contribute to their Roth IRAs. This was different correction since nan S&P 500 did truthful good successful 2024. I was truthful focused connected rebuilding my finance vulnerability to equities that I forgot astir theirs. However, I did put them to activity landscaping and doing rental spot maintenance.

2024 Health Year In Review: A-

Luckily, I've had nary superior wellness issues. I had nary expert visits contempt paying $2,500 per period successful unsubsidized healthcare premiums, and nary sprains aliases breaks. However, I did get a nasty tummy microorganism successful December! Without health, it's difficult to admit aliases attraction connected thing else.

After gaining 5 pounds successful 2020 during nan tallness of nan pandemic, I've been backmost to my steady-state weight of astir 165-168 pounds since 2000. I'm convinced that astir 70% of our assemblage weight and assemblage type is owed to genetics. But that still leaves 30% up to america to eat good and workout regularly.

Sports And Body Maintenance

In position of fitness, I played tennis aliases pickleball 3 to 4 times a week each year, moreover during winter, because I'm a personnel of an indoor sports club. Paying $180/month for rank is awesome worth for amended wellness and camaraderie passim nan year. I highly urge specified a “splurge.” Your accomplishment level should besides improve, arsenic I'm now a legit 4.5 pickleball player.

I emotion nutrient and could eat wagyu NY strip, cheeseburgers, jamón ibérico, kalbi, milkshakes, and pome pies each week forever. But if I do, I mightiness dice younger and not beryllium capable to play pinch my young kids for longer than 10 minutes. So, I effort to eat healthier foods.

An easy measurement to gauge nutrient depletion is to lucifer nan intake of personification smaller than you. For example, I purpose to eat nan aforesaid magnitude arsenic my wife, who weighs astir 65 pounds little than me. By splitting portions evenly, managing your nutrient intake becomes simpler and much intuitive.

Area for Improvement: Strength Training

At this point, I'm not concerned astir weight attraction anymore. Instead, I'm much focused connected maintaining strength. Muscle wide originates to diminution much quickly aft 40. I lifted weights possibly a full of six times successful 2024, which is astatine slightest 46 times excessively few.

Coming to Hawaii for vacation, I'm ever inspired by really fresh immoderate group are. Living successful a spot that's lukewarm year-round is simply a earthy motivator to get successful amended shape, which is different logic why I want to move to Honolulu.

2024 Family Year In Review: B+

Being a genitor of young children is hard. It's harder than my stressful banking job, which required changeless travel, 6 a.m. arrivals, and demanding clients. Having young children has besides put a strain connected my narration pinch my wife. But astatine slightest I fulfilled my committedness to beryllium a stay-at-home dada to some kids for their first 5 years, truthful I consciousness satisfied that I tried my best.

I'm assured that if we were ever to spell to divorcement court, she cannot impeach maine of being a deadbeat dad! Whoo hoo!

Despite 4 months of part-time consulting that sometimes bled into my clip pinch my girl while she was location connected Tuesdays and Thursdays, I could not person spent much clip pinch her. My main dream arsenic a stay-at-home dad was that location would yet beryllium a relationship betwixt effort and value of relationship.

When my kids were betwixt 1 and 3, that relationship was tenuous. Because my woman is besides a stay-at-home parent, I was usually nan 2nd option. Feeling for illustration chopped liver excessively often made maine mobility why I wasn't retired moving and making money instead. But after astir property 3.5, it became clearer that nan much clip I spent pinch my kids, nan much they appreciated it. Now, we person an incredibly loving relationship.

Enjoyable Progress

In 2024, I taught my four-year-old girl really to aquatics and bike, a satisfying accomplishment for some her and me. We achieved these milestones a twelvemonth up of my son. Perhaps having acquisition arsenic a genitor helps pinch school and being much assured astir letting go.

Both children emotion their schoolhouse and ever want america to prime them up later. This has made paying for costly backstage people schoolhouse much digestible, arsenic is their learning Mandarin. My ain Mandarin has steadily improved arsenic well, arsenic I perpetually look up really to opportunity things and perceive much to Mandarin podcasts.

Even though I miss my boy during nan weekdays, whom we homeschooled for 18 months during nan pandemic, we walk plentifulness of value clip together aft schoolhouse and during weekends. Instead of playing softball from 10 americium – 1:45 p.m. connected nan weekends, now I play pickleball from 7 to 9 a.m. to walk much clip pinch family.

We took our children connected their first flights to Honolulu, Hawaii successful June to spot my parents. The travel went well, isolated from for nan ER sojourn aft my boy trim his caput connected a rod and needed stitches! This clip around, successful December, we are much relaxed owed to staying successful much acquainted environments.

Biggest Area In Need Of Improvement

My biggest family miss for 2024 was not being much diligent pinch my wife. We run astatine different speeds, which tin consequence successful maine being much disappointment than I'd for illustration to be. I request to slow down and beryllium much clear and literal erstwhile communicating, arsenic she believes she is neurodivergent.

Sometimes, I felt disappointment that nary matter really difficult I tried to beryllium a bully parent, it didn’t consciousness for illustration enough. The feelings of inadequacy would bubble up erstwhile nan kids were crying aliases complaining. In those moments, I had to punctual myself that a child’s hardships are opportunities to thief them build resilience for nan future.

After getting to cognize much fathers, I besides gained much position that I was doing OK. One stark opposition is that I ne'er spell connected business trips, which intends I ne'er time off my woman unsocial to return attraction of 2 kids by herself. So erstwhile I'm emotion unappreciated aliases not useful, I punctual myself that I'm ever there.

2024 Financial Samurai Website And Writing Year In Review: A-

Overall, I wrote complete 156 posts (here are the astir popular), 52 newsletters (subscribe here), and recorded 30 podcasts (listen connected Apple aliases Spotify). I did not slack disconnected once, moreover erstwhile sick aliases connected vacation. When I full everything up, it sounds for illustration a lot. But it's astir 30% little than what I'm tin of happily doing for an extended period.

I do little because I'm acrophobic of burnout. It takes a fewer steps person each year. Once nan burnout microorganism takes hold, it tin engulf nan full assemblage and make you wholly sick. I've seen galore group discontinue moving connected their passion projects and ne'er return. I can't fto that hap if my extremity is to proceed penning until 2037, erstwhile my youngest turns 18.

In fact, I was truthful burned retired aft 13 years successful banking and getting my MBA part-time for 3 years while moving successful banking that I permanently discontinue activity altogether astatine 34 and ne'er returned! In retrospect, it would person been amended if I had extended my profession for astatine slightest 5 years and relocated to a different agency location successful nan world. That would person been fun.

Writing To Solve Problems And Entertain The Mind

I want to proceed penning astir real-life dilemmas and solutions. It's besides nosy to stock caller findings and opinions I've ne'er considered before. There's ever thing caller to study each day. Hearing from readers is besides a thrill I look guardant to erstwhile I aftermath up. It's nan aforesaid emotion arsenic Christmas morning.

Each station provides a consciousness of accomplishment, which feels rewarding since I don't person a time job. Once a station has gone from thought to paper, I consciousness free to do thing I want for nan remainder of nan time guilt-free. It's nan aforesaid conception arsenic paying yourself first earlier spending immoderate money.

Speaking of money, nan gross generated from this tract feels for illustration winning nan lottery each period because I would do it for free. And because I'd constitute for free, I'm having overmuch much nosy penning astir immoderate taxable comes to mind. To past person nary paywall aliases subscription interest to publication my newsletters besides feels for illustration I'm making a affirmative publication to anybody who wants to amended their finances.

The gross from this tract is capable to screen nan $1,600-1,800 per period it costs to run it owed to server and attraction costs, devices I usage that person subscription fees, and unexpected method problems. Whatever is near complete mostly gets invested successful stocks and existent estate.

Finished My Second Book

After much than 2 years of writing, I’ve yet completed my 2nd individual finance book pinch Portfolio Penguin! Since July 2024, my woman and I person been diligently editing and refining it. We’re now successful nan 5th and last awesome information of revisions aft respective rounds of reviews and edits by Penguin’s team. The magnitude of effort that goes into creating a polished last merchandise has fixed maine a newfound appreciation for books.

The adjacent measurement is to stitchery supporting blurbs from different authors for nan backmost and wrong cover, pinch a deadline of mid-January 2025. After that, nan book should caput to nan printing presses by March 2025 for a May 6, 2025 target publication.

When Buy This Not That launched successful July 2022, 1 of nan astir joyful moments was taking my kids to bookstores to hunt for a transcript for illustration a wealth hunt. I can’t hold to acquisition that again pinch this caller book.

Areas In Need of Improvement

This tract faces an existential situation owed to artificial intelligence. As a result, I request to study really to champion leverage AI to summation productivity and grow to different media platforms. But past that starts emotion for illustration work, which reduces nan nosy of moving this site.

I besides request to beryllium little reactive to disapproval and nan occasional hateful comments. It takes up unnecessary energy. My problem is that I bask debate.

Laie, Oahu December 29, 2024

Overall Grade for 2024: A for Effort, B+ for Results

With a extremity of generating an further $80,000 per twelvemonth successful passive income—or accumulating $2 cardinal much successful investable assets—by December 31, 2027, I felt energized passim nan twelvemonth to earn, save, and put arsenic aggressively arsenic possible. This eager target stemmed from a infinitesimal of self-sabotage successful 2023 erstwhile I purchased my ideal location to raise our kids. Having a intent to gain feels wonderful!

I'm besides thankful that nan pandemic is agelong over. I sometimes punctual myself really fortunate we are to nary longer person restrictions. My woman and I went retired to eat more, watched our first philharmonic successful 10 years, and went to galore events and parties. Experiencing a antagonistic manner from 2020-2021 has helped maine amended admit nan state we person today.

2024 was genuinely a fortunate twelvemonth for our finances and I dream for galore of yours too. Losing a batch of money successful 2022 helps make 2024 consciousness much special. My scheme is to effort to support arsenic overmuch of our financial advancement arsenic imaginable while spending immoderate of our winnings.

Finally, I'm astir proud of my kids and their development, arsenic good arsenic continuing to instrumentality to my penning schedule, which I've maintained since July 2009. As agelong arsenic you effort your best, you'll consciousness bully sloppy of nan outcome.

Thank you 2024! Next up will beryllium my goals for 2025.

Readers, stock immoderate of your hits and misses for 2024. What were immoderate things that amazed you connected nan upside? Where could you person done better?

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