Category: Early Retirement

I’ve made it to my early retirement one year anniversary. In June 2015, I hung up my bond trader cleats and decided to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime. Since I “retired” at the age of 25, I’ve traveled to over three dozen countries, learned how to build a website, wrote my first book, started a student loan consulting business, almost finished my second book, and hope this next year has a lot more in store for me! I seriously want to thank my readers for sticking with me and lending your eyeballs to Millennial Moola. I’m lucky to be an American citizen. We live in an age where everyone has access to the tools they need to retire early. Whether my story just merely provides entertainment or inspires you to work towards financial freedom, I’m excited for the road ahead. Continue reading “My Early Retirement One Year Anniversary at Age 26”

For those of you who don’t know, I have been retired now for about ten months and just got back from my second international trip, this time through Latin America. I am tired of this whole “no job” lifestyle. It struck me hard after I got back from buying $7.99 organic French bread at the Whole Foods. While waiting in line at the check out counter, I noticed a beautiful, glossy car magazine with a picture of a brand new 2016 Ford Mustang on the cover. I realized in that moment that I am tired of being poor. It really sucks. Continue reading “I Am Tired of Being Poor So I Am Going Back To Work”

John Maynard Keynes, notable for his founding of an entire branch of economics, made a bold prediction in his writing, Economic Possibilities For Our Grandchildren. He writes that, in 100 years, living standards would be four to eight times higher. Because of the drastically higher living standard, we would trade working hours for leisure hours and only work 15 hours a week.  Why then do 40% of Americans leave paid vacation time on the table? Continue reading “Why Don’t We Work 15 Hours a Week?”

Thanks to Moola Reader Bryan for these questions about how to retire early. I’ll answer them below. Hopefully I can do several more of these kind of quick hit answers to your financial questions. If you have some that you’d like to see me respond to , email me at [email protected]

1) What do you say to emergency expenses and end of life health care cost increases?

2) The 4% rule supposedly gives you a safe, constant, indefinite income. That might be ok if you’re 50 or 60 and only plan to be on it for a few decades. If you’re 25 you’ll be relying on that income for quite a lot longer, and over that time span inflation will kill a constant income. Continue reading “How Can You Retire Early Without a Crystal Ball?”

I checked out a budget for a friend in Philly recently because she expressed a desire to cut her spending to save for early retirement. While trying to find areas in her budget to cut back, I was really distracted by how much she was paying in taxes. I thought it would be really beneficial as we get close to the end of 2015 to talk about understanding where all the money in your paycheck is going. To do this, we will analyze the paycheck of my friend (let’s call her Charlotte), to see how she pays European levels of taxes in one of America’s largest cities. Continue reading “Middle Class Workers in Philly Pay European Levels of Taxes”

I’ve been spending a lot of time learning about the rules for student loans lately. Perhaps my sudden interest is due to dating a girl with a typical medial school debt burden and my desire to help out as best I can. I came across an incredible realization while reading through the FAQs on the Fed’s website, that you can hardly work 10 hours a week, pay barely anything on your student loans, and get it all forgiven in 20 years time or less. Here’s how the plan could work. Continue reading “How to Work 10 Hours a Week with 6 Figure Student Loans and No Health Insurance”

My first viral post on Millennial Moola was How to “Retire” in Your 20s. It got well over 1000 views and it was one of my first posts. I had to go back and add the “” marks because users from various financial forums like Bogleheads and to a lesser extent MrMoneyMustache lit me up for daring to use the word retired. “This guy isn’t retired,” said one. “He merely has a little bit of savings he will burn through in no time and is in no way 100% financially independent, therefore he’s using the term erroneously and should not be looked at as legitimate. Also his grammar sucks and he didn’t use monthly compounding for his investment portfolio growth and break down specific cash inflows and outflows. This website will not be getting a second more of my time.” It was my first experience being attacked by the internet retirement police. While I’m not financially independent by the traditional definition of being able to meet my living expenses off spending 4% of my portfolio each year (read this link if you don’t know what that rule is), I’m about 60% of the way there. I have my own definition of retirement that I think will help many people out there take chances, start a business, go on a round the world trip, or take a job at a nonprofit with uncertain income prospects all because of thinking about early retirement in a new way. Continue reading “What Early Retirement Means To Me”

I was talking to a surgeon friend of mine the other day and it hit me that its often the folks with the highest incomes that have the toughest time getting to the early retirement finish line.  Lawyers have to deal with negative net worth thanks to law school for a long time until they finally make bank. Consultants, I-Bankers, and business types get a head start by making money right out of undergrad, but even then you don’t see that many folks retiring before 50. What gives? Why are so many millennials with big money jobs forced to work until they’re eligible for AARP? The truth is, if you have a six figure income you can retire way sooner than you think.  Continue reading “If You Have a Six Figure Income You Can Retire in Six Years”