FIRE Retirment Strategy: The Path to Financial Independence and Early Retirement

A movement called Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) is becoming more and more popular.

FIRE retirement strategy enthusiasts are committed to a program of severe saving and investing.

The goal is to retire far earlier than typical budgets and retirement plans would allow.

How does the FIRE Retirement Strategy work?

The FIRE retirement strategy movement has developed a unique strategy for saving and early retirement.

FIRE is mainly achieved through aggressive saving.

While normal financial planners recommend to save 10-15% of your income, FIRE suggests a much higher saving rate.

It all comes down to your annual living expenses when you retire. If you want to retire, you need enough money to cover your expenses until the last day.

How long do you have to save for one year of living expenses?

Assuming expenses are equal to income minus savings, and neglecting investment returns, we can observe that:

• At a savings rate of 10%, it takes (1-0.1)/0.1 = 9 years of work to save for 1 year of living expenses.
• At a savings rate of 25%, it takes (1-0.25)/0.25 = 3 years of work to save for 1 year of living expenses.
• At a savings rate of 50%, it takes (1-0.5)/0.5 = 1 year of work to save for 1 year of living expenses.
• At a savings rate of 75%, it takes (1-0.75)/0.75 = 1/3 year = 4 months of work to save for 1 year of living expenses.

From this example, it can be concluded that the time to retirement decreases significantly as savings rate is increased.

For this reason, those pursuing FIRE attempt to save 50% or more of their income. 

At a 75% savings rate, it would take less than 10 years of work to accumulate 25 times the average annual living expenses suggested by ‘the 4% safe withdrawal’ rule.

The Purpose of a FIRE Retirement Strategy

According to Wikipedia, FIRE is all about early retirement:

The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is a lifestyle movement with the goal of gaining financial independence and retiring early. The model became particularly popular among millennials in the 2010s, gaining traction through online communities via information shared in blogs, podcasts, and online discussion forums.

Source: Wikipedia

The movement directly targets the 65-year-old conventional retirement age.
Its advocates believe that by saving a large portion of their income, they will be able to retire decades before they turn 65 and only need to take tiny distributions from their investments.

FIRE retirement strategy means to save a large portion of the income.

How do they accomplish it? People on the movement are constantly striving to achieve two things: keep spending incredibly low and find ways to increase income in order to save more money for investing.

The prevailing consensus is that you can achieve financial independence more quickly the greater your income and the lower your spending.

“Financial independence” for people involved in the movement doesn’t merely entail relaxing on a warm beach or playing golf all the time. It refers to getting to the point where you are not need to work a full-time job.

How to join the FIRE Movement

Most people believe that FIRE is only for those who can earn a good living, typically in the six figures. And that is most likely the case if your retirement aim is to do so in your 30s or 40s. Though not nearly as early as 40, there is plenty that everyone can learn from the movement’s guiding principles that can help people save for retirement and even achieve one.

Begin thinking about and making plans for retirement.

The movement’s greatest achievement is that it is encouraging younger employees to begin thinking about retirement, which is especially important given that just 43% of Americans ages 18 to 34 and 59% of those aged 35 to 54 now have any kind of retirement account.1 Create a vision for your ideal retirement and a strategy to get there. Your retirement dreams become feasible goals when you put them on paper and include a timeline.

Look for strategies to reduce your spending.

The movement’s adherents spend time examining where their funds are going. They establish their wants and needs, monitor their monthly expenditure, and eliminate any spending that is unnecessary for them. They establish a budget and follow it. Saving small amounts of money here and there builds up over time. If you have the self-control to eliminate wasteful spending from your budget, the additional funds you have available for investment will significantly advance your long-term retirement goals. After all, the cruise to the Mediterranean you and your wife have been fantasizing about won’t pay for itself!

Find strategies to increase your income.

Your most effective asset for accumulating money is your income. Additionally, you must be resourceful in your search for additional income streams if you want to retire early—or really early. There is no avoiding it. There are a lot of methods to raise your income; perhaps your work path will take you to a six-figure income. Or perhaps you have a side business that you run on the weekends and in the evenings. It can entail saving money to buy a rental property or temporarily delivering pizzas.

Prioritize investing and saving.

You must save money and make investments if you wish to retire, whether early or not. No ifs, ands, or buts apply to it. This is why members of the movement are so extreme about allocating sizable portions of their income to retirement.
The good news is that you don’t have to save half of your salary in order to meet your retirement objectives! 15% of your salary should be put into tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts, such as 401(k)s and Roth IRAs, as a starting point.
The goal is to make regular monthly savings and investment commitments. When you accomplish so, compound growth and time begin to work in your favor rather than against you.

FIRE Movement’s Variations

There are several FIRE retirement variations that determine the way of life that followers of the movement are prepared and able to maintain.

1. Fat FIRE

A traditionalist who wants to save far more than the typical worker without lowering their existing way of living should use this strategy. For it to work, you typically need a big salary as well as active savings and investing methods.

2. Lean FIRE

This necessitates a significantly more constrained lifestyle as it calls for tight devotion to minimal living and excessive savings. Many supporters of this strategy make $25,000 or less a year.

3. Barista FIRE

This is for those who desire a middle ground between the two options mentioned above. They gave up their typical 9 to 5 employment, but they nonetheless maintain a less-than-minimalist way of living through a combination of savings and part-time work. While the latter forbids people from taking money out of their retirement accounts, the former enables them to purchase health insurance.

Pros and Cons of The FIRE Movement

While it has gained popularity in recent years, like any financial strategy, it comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a detailed table outlining the pros and cons of the FIRE investment movement:

Pros of FIRE Investment Movement

Cons of FIRE Investment Movement

FIRE and Bitcoin

The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) strategy and a Bitcoin savings plan are made for each other. Bitcoin is the best performing asset in history and has already allowed thousands of people to retire early.

Here’s how they can complement each other:

Extreme Gain: The FIRE strategy requires smart investing and saving practices. Bitcoin has gained in value over 20,000% which is unheard of in the history of investing. If you had bought Bitcoin in 2010 you would certainly be retired already.

Long-Term Outlook: Both the FIRE strategy and a Bitcoin savings plan benefit from taking the long view. FIRE aims to accumulate enough wealth for early retirement, while Bitcoin savings appreciate when held over the long term, despite short-term price fluctuations.

Risk Management: If you’re incorporating Bitcoin into your FIRE plan, establish risk management measures. These can include setting limits on your Bitcoin allocation, periodically rebalancing your portfolio, and having an eye on security of your funds. Consider how potential losses in Bitcoin could affect your overall FIRE goals.

Investment Objectives: Determine the role of Bitcoin within your broader investment objectives in the context of FIRE. Are you using it to potentially expedite your path to financial independence, or are you allocating part of your portfolio to it as a store of value?

Tax Considerations: Be mindful of the tax implications related to your Bitcoin savings, as they may be subject to capital gains taxes. Consult a tax professional to optimize your tax strategy in line with your FIRE goals.

Savings Discipline: Consistency and discipline are critical for both FIRE and Bitcoin savings plans. In the FIRE context, this means systematically saving and investing a substantial portion of your income. With Bitcoin savings, it involves consistently allocating funds to purchase Bitcoin according to your plan, such as dollar-cost averaging. As many Bitcoin have reported over the years, Bitcoin can help you become more frugal. The extreme future value people believe Bitcoin could attain makes them very focused on increasing their bitcoin balance and reducing annual expenses to a minimum.

Emergency Fund: Ensure you have a sufficient emergency fund as part of your financial strategy. Emergency funds provide a financial safety net for unexpected expenses or income disruptions and can help you avoid the need to sell Bitcoin at unfavorable times. If your emergency fund is also held in bitcoin you need to make sure you don’t liquidate below the cost basis or risk trading on a deficit. Since bitcoin is very liquid and can be used as money around the world it is well suited to be part of your emergency fund.

Education: Continuously educate yourself about Bitcoin and how to protect your funds. The landscape evolves rapidly, so understanding the technology, market dynamics, and security practices is crucial.

In summary, the FIRE strategy and a Bitcoin savings plan can complement each other effectively, provided they are integrated thoughtfully and aligned with your financial goals and risk tolerance. Principles such as diversification, risk management, and a long-term perspective are key when combining these strategies. Consulting with a financial advisor or planner is advisable to ensure your approach aligns with your unique financial circumstances and objectives.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions