Achieving a lofty financial goal requires a good understanding of why you’re working towards it. For Ted and Claire, retiring early was an important achievement that allowed them to spend more time together, enjoy travel experiences and opened the door to them helping others. As early retirees who have embraced the FIRE movement, their passion is guiding people towards reaching retirement goals through financial independence. Their podcast, Later 2 FIRE, has a focus on guiding those who are starting their journey to FI later in life. They have an amazing story to tell that is full of advice and inspiration. In this episode, we discuss the core principles of pursuing FIRE.
Expanded show notes
Back story
- Claire worked for 30 years in corporate finance, retired in her early 50s
- Their interest in FIRE is partially driven by an interest in increasing financial literacy in America
- Ted came from a blue collar family and always had an interest in savings and the stock market
- After college moved into the tech industry and eventually met Claire
- Learned they had similar money habits, both owned real estate, had good spending habits and saved
- The retired early together 10 years ago, mostly because Claire wanted to retire early
- Goal was to retire so they could spend more time together
Advice for couples navigating their finances
- Compromise is important, come to an understanding and identify financial goals
- Transparency and communication, identify each person’s strengths in order to identify roles
- They chose to keep accounts separate, but were open with each other about their balances
- They consider their investments to be combined even though they are managed individually
- Even if one person in the relationship primarily manages the money, the other person should learn and participate as well
Philosophy on FIRE and the benefits of retiring
- Retirement is less of the focus, it’s more about having options
- They look at it as retiring earlier, rather than as early as possible
- Being able to retire early has removed a lot of stress from their lives
- They have more time to spend together and time is priceless
- Not having to work has allowed them to focus on other experiences and projects
Core Principles of FIRE
- There is a difference between a principle and a practice, they focus on principles
- More of a foundation to allow people to open their minds to seeking financial independence
- Important to have a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset and be open to change
- Need to have a healthy relationship with money, live below their means and focus on saving
- Take your time before making large purchases, think it over and research
- Travel has been an expense that they value, rather than material possessions
- Understanding your “why” will help get you through the difficult part of the journey
- Identify the problems you want to solve and decide if you are willing to do things differently than others
- Later2FIRE episode 12: The Principles of Later to FIRE
Where to follow Ted and Claire
Twitter: @retirehoppy
Website: https://firewalkers.co/
Podcast: https://firewalkers.co/podcasts/