Have you ever wondered, “What is the FIRE movement?” Whether you’re new to the concept, or simply trying to get a better understanding of what FIRE is, you’re in the right place.

FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The FIRE Movement is a lifestyle that prioritizes saving and investing aggressively. The idea is to save and invest in such a way so that you can retire early and live off your savings and investments (if you so choose).

Even if you don’t choose to retire early, working towards FIRE can have immense life benefits. 

It can give you the ability to choose work – or not, improved health (physical and mental), more time to pursue hobbies and spend time with family, and greater financial security, among other benefits.

Working toward FIRE can be meaningful, regardless of your financial goals, even if you plan on building a long, successful career.

If this sounds intriguing and you want to learn more about the FIRE movement, then keep reading on. You’ll learn more about the benefits of following the FIRE movement, plus some simple ways you can get started today. 

By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll be able to answer the question, “What is the FIRE movement?” once and for all.

Read More

“Freedom Financial” Trick or Treat: Your FIRE Journey Awaits

‘Tis the season for goblins, ghosts, and ghouls, but it’s also the perfect time to start thinking about your financial future, perhaps even a “freedom financial” journey. 

On this spooky night, we gather to celebrate Halloween and all things spooky. But what if you used this time of year to fuel your FIRE goals?

After all, what’s scarier than the thought of working until you’re old and gray?

You might remember that FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. Put simply, it’s a movement designed to help you achieve financial freedom (or “freedom financial”), so you can retire early and do more of the things you love.

In this article, I’ll provide you with some spooky strategies you can use to fuel your most ambitious financial goals, freedom financial, FIRE, or otherwise. I’ll also tell you about a few spooky characters that may help or hinder your journey to financial success.

Read More

Strategic asset allocation is one of the most important aspects of investing for FIRE (financial independence, retire early), but what does it mean, you might wonder?

It’s actually rather simple. Strategic asset allocation involves finding an ideal mix of assets in your investment portfolio based on your personal risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial goals.

So it’s essentially finding your version of a Goldilocks portfolio. What’s right for you might be too hot or cold for someone else. But it doesn’t matter if your portfolio is wrong for someone else, what does matter is that it’s right for YOU.

If you’re committed to achieving FIRE, then strategic asset allocation is critical.

In this article, I’ll share some tips to help you mindfully select a strategic asset allocation that will support your financial goals, FIRE or otherwise.

Read More

Passive investing can add hefty fuel to your financial freedom and FIRE goals, at least if you know what you’re doing.

If you’ve been here a while, then you might remember that FIRE means financial independence, retire early. Essentially, it means you can live on your terms by saving and investing a significant portion of your income.

While I’m still working toward my FIRE goals, I’ve used passive investing to achieve many of my financial goals over the years.

In so doing, I’ve paid off my massive student debt, grown my net worth, and considerably grown my savings. It’s been pretty worth it, at least for me.

In this article, I’m going to tell you what passive investing is and how it works. I’ll also give you a few ideas to help you get started on your own passive investing strategies.

Read More

Portfolio diversification. It’s not sexy, but it’s the key to hedging your risk when it comes to investing.

If you dream of achieving financial freedom, investing and portfolio diversification can support your journey. 

If you’re following the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early), portfolio diversification is even more important.

Diversification is the practice of spreading your money across different asset classes, industries, and geographic regions. This helps reduce your risk by minimizing your exposure to any one particular investment or market sector.

Whether you’re just starting to invest, or well into your investing strategy, portfolio diversification can help you build a portfolio that will help you achieve your financial goals, FIRE or otherwise.

In this article, I’ll provide you with the key factors you’ll want to consider when you choose your investments, and tips on how to build a diversified portfolio that will help you achieve FIRE.

Read More

Introduction

Do your priorities include achieving financial freedom goals?

Financial freedom via the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early), is a growing trend. After all, why wouldn’t you want the freedom to choose what you do with your time? 

When you achieve your financial freedom goals, you have the flexibility to choose how you live your life. You can live on YOUR terms. That kind of freedom can completely change your life for the better.

Maybe your career matters to you and you could never imagine retiring early. Even if that’s the case, wouldn’t it feel great to be able to choose whether or not you work?

One of the key components of the FIRE movement is investing. When you invest your money wisely, your money can grow over time and support you in retirement, early or not.

In this article, you’ll learn the various ways your investments can fire your financial freedom goals.

Read More

My stock market investing journey didn’t start with a bang.

I remember what it was like when I started my first 401K. There were so many options and I had NO idea what I was doing. I asked a supervisor for advice, but he couldn’t provide any.

Confused and overwhelmed, I did my best to make smart investing choices, but I couldn’t be sure. 

After that day, I committed to learning what I could about investing so that I could be better prepared in the future.

It’s been over a decade since then, and while I’m continuously advancing my knowledge of stock market investing, I’ve come a long way.

In this article, I’m going to tell you how I learned to make smarter investing choices, and how I invest my money today to add FIRE to my finances.

Read More

If you’ve been following the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early), you probably already know that early retirement is a fundamental component.

When I first started pursuing FIRE with my partner, I had no plans to retire early. I figured I’d achieve financial freedom, but would likely continue working in my career for many years.

After my boys were born, my perspective changed. While I know that I won’t be ready to retire any time soon, it is something that I’m passionate about pursuing.

In this article, I’m going to tell you how I plan on getting to the “retire early” portion of the FIRE method. I’ll also tell you what I’ve achieved to date with FIRE, and what I have planned when I eventually choose to retire early.

Read More

FIRE retirement is something that really only became important to me after my kids were born.

In the past, I was blindly ambitious. I dreamed of climbing high up the corporate ladder and achieving remarkable milestones throughout my career.

I could have easily continued on that path, had I decided it was right for me, but thanks to my children, I quickly determined it wasn’t.

That doesn’t mean I don’t respect those that have continued on that path. It’s a tough journey forward, and I applaud anyone for going after their dreams, regardless of what they are.

A FIRE retirement became important to me because I started dreaming of spending more time with my children. I don’t ever see myself giving up ambition, or my career entirely, but I’d like to have more flexibility to choose how I work, when, and how much.

Over the years, I’ve been able to become far more financially free than I ever was, though I’m still working to achieve a FIRE retirement. My partner and I have made remarkable progress on our journey, and we can live off of just one of our incomes today if we choose.

In this article, I’ll share the methods we used to become more financially free, and I’ll tell you what I’d like to achieve with a FIRE retirement.

Read More

My journey to FIRE (financial independence, retire early) began years ago, but I still dream of becoming a “mad fientist.” Or in other words, someone that achieves financial freedom and FIRE retirement.

It’s motivating to imagine what kind of lifestyle is possible with FIRE. I envision spending more time with family, enjoying the beach, traveling, playing with my kids, enjoying yoga, and other self-care activities.

You may also dream of achieving FIRE retirement, and if so, you may want to consider activities you’ll pursue when you reach your goals.

I’ll be honest, I hadn’t considered what I would do when I became a mad fientist, at least not until the last year or so.

It’s hard to envision the possibilities when you’re neck deep in a busy career, especially when you have little kids that rely heavily on you.

Even so, it’s important to put thought into your dreams for the future and to reflect on why pursuing a FIRE lifestyle matters to you. It isn’t an easy journey, but it can be worth it, especially when you spend time reflecting on what you’ll do when you achieve your FIRE goals.

In this article, I’m going to share 10 activities I plan on enjoying when I become a mad fientist.

Read More