Financial Independence, Retire Early (F.I.R.E.)
The American Dream used to be "work until 65, get a gold watch, die at 70." The FIRE movement hacked that script.
The 4% Rule
The core of FIRE is the Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR). A landmark study (The Trinity Study) found that if you withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year and adjust for inflation thereafter, your money has a 95% chance of lasting 30+ years.
The Magic Formula: * Annual Expenses $ imes$ 25 = Your Number. * If you spend $40,000/year, you need $1,000,000 invested.
Modes of FIRE
- LeanFIRE: Living on strict budgets (beans and rice) to retire ASAP.
- FatFIRE: Retiring with a lavish budget ($100k+ expenses).
- BaristaFIRE: Saving enough to quit the high-stress career and just work a chill part-time job for health insurance.