My Journey – Chapter 2: Searching for Answers

Searching for Answers

This article is part of the My FI Journey series – click here to access the full journey. Looking for Answers to the Big Two Two issues haunt me from the lost decade of my professional life: Busy Becomes Normal and No Financial Plan. To become less busy, I focus on becoming more efficient at work. I become obsessed with … Read more

FIRE is fantastic and awesome; So why does no one actually do it?

FI and Friends

Over the years, I have been pleasantly surprised at the benefits of Financial Independence / Early Retirement (FIRE). I have also been amazed at how hard it is to convince my friends and relatives to try FIRE (much less adopt it)! FIRE Reactions from Friends and Relatives Financial Independence (FI) has worked wonders for me. … Read more

23 Items to Help Create a Better Early Retirement Plan

Early Retirement Checklist

After reaching Financial Independence (FI), I am now creating an Early Retirement Plan. Below is a checklist I have compiled to help me think through the process. Importance of Early Retirement Plan Retiring early is a big decision! Just look around – how many people retire early. Not many, in fact, of the thousands of … Read more

My Journey – Chapter 1: A Lost Decade?

A Lost Decade

The Best of Times… My professional life starts when I complete my MBA and join a management consulting firm. Life is great – I am working with marquee companies on their strategic projects. On the personal front, I marry the wonderful MrsFiner. We both love to travel, and consulting is an excellent career if you … Read more

Investing for Early Retirement: A Low Cost, Safety First Portfolio

Investing for Early Retirement: A Low Cost, Safety First Portfolio

After reaching Financial Independence, I am investing for Early Retirement in a low-cost portfolio that is conservative but also has some room for growth. Investing for Early Retirement: Safety First Rule Number One: Never Lose Money.Rule Number Two: Never Forget Rule Number One.Warren Buffett The above quote from the legendary investor Warren Buffett is funny … Read more

Perils of Optimism on the Road to Financial Freedom

Perils of Optimism on Road to Financial Freedom

It is difficult to be pessimistic and be on the Financial Independence journey. Even though I am an optimist, there were some areas where I had to temper my optimism on my FI Journey. Optimism and Financial Independence Most people pursuing FI are, by definition, optimists (although pessimists may doubt this assertion)! People on the … Read more