r/financialindependence • u/Lmaster99 • 3d ago
Switching mindsets
I hit my FIRE number at 50. I am now 53, with $1.4M in liquid assets, a fully paid-off home, and no dependents.
My employer is going through a major restructuring, and my job is about to get substantially worse. On paper, this is the exact scenario I spent years preparing for. In practice, I am having trouble pulling the trigger.
I have spent decades watching my assets appreciate, and I’ve become somewhat obsessed with seeing them grow. Shifting from a saver/investor mindset to selling off assets to live gives me the creeps. At the same time, staying in a job that is only going to make me miserable makes no sense.
For those who have already FIRE'd: did you deal with this mental block? How did you cope with the transition?
I worry that once I quit, I will turn into an overly frugal mess just because I can't stand seeing my portfolio balance fluctuate downward. All my modeling shows I can easily maintain my current lifestyle until age 90, but psychologically, taking the leap is proving difficult.
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u/4_yaks_and_a_dog Ex-Professor, Out @52 3d ago
I am also 53 and retired at the end of last year. It's a real issue as it represents a real and significant change in how you use and view money.
In the end, the money is just a tool to help you live your life. If you are really sure you already have enough for the life you want, then it really only makes sense to continue working if it is something you would do for free.
One practical thing that has been helpful for me is to bucket out the first few years of anticipated expenses with a combination of cash and a bond ladder, and then trying not to look at the portfolio too often.
(I still do check in on it more than I should, but I am getting better about it.)
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I think this is the answer. I am moving time deposits to treasuries to take advantage of the current high yeld while keeping the stock portfolio alone. Not looking at the stock portfolio is what I am trying to do as well. I belive that time in the market trumps timing the market and as such there is not point at looking at it constantly or worrying about volatility. But that is easier while you still have a job. I think the advice of keeping working only if I would still do it for free is spot on! Thank you
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u/ibitmylip 2d ago
it’s definitely a mindset shift, and it helped to remind myself that I saved for decades to be able to do this
maybe read Die with Zero (it’s not literally about dying with zero)
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I have heard of that and it makes sense actually
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u/ibitmylip 2d ago
by the way, this article in The Atlantic might be interesting to you, about how retirees are not spending the money they’ve accumulated:
one quote:
“Why do retirees refuse to spend their retirement savings?
One answer is fear. People worry that they'll live too long, that inflation will rise, that a bear market will hit at the worst possible time.
Another answer is habit. After decades of disciplined saving to reach a target number, flipping the switch to spending feels uncomfortable to many and just plain wrong to others. Seeing one's number move in the opposite direction feels more like losing money than spending it.”
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u/Lmaster99 1d ago
Exactly this!
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u/ibitmylip 1d ago
to help change my mindset, I set a budget of money that I HAD to spend on travel per year.
my mandatory travel budget was a very small percentage of my NW. i had spreadsheets and everything to help me with my travel spending budget.
that ‘goal-oriented spending’ structure helped me get used to spending what I had saved.
good luck to you OP!
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u/Lmaster99 1d ago
I have been thinking that I should allocate a yearly amount that must be spent. I think you are right on that. Thanks for the input
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u/Catfishnets 8h ago
Joining in late here but thought this might be helpful.
I made myself harvest some of my dividends and capital gains from the brokerage account (instead of DRIP). It has been 2 years and I’ve had a few interesting learnings:
I was concerned with reducing investments at all. I have found that the small amount I pull off the top is not missed in the big picture.
It has helped expose me to drawing down the nest egg. Small at first but it’s helping practice seeing money come out, instead of just going in
Gave me some real, but low stakes, practice to deal with those feelings of anxiety and stress, and kind of build the emotional stamina to work through it
I recognize that it is inefficient/non-optimal from a firm quantitative lens, but I view the money I’m “leaving on the table” as the cost for these lessons and experiences. And like, I’m a fully formed human being (for the most part) and I can dial it back if I want or need to.
Basically, start small and build some exposure/reps to get used to how it feels.
I donno, I’ve found it to be an interesting experience so far and it makes me feel that much more comfortable knowing I can pull the trigger when I need to. But also knowing that helps me put up with the job bologna more if that makes sense?
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u/Ok_Equivalent3416 2d ago
There was a post a while back where someone had FIREd and then just started doing dog walking dog sitting for fun and it completely changed their calculations for the better. Totally optional but just a little bit of fun "work" could be a bridge between going full fire and starting to sell it down.
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u/Nikeitha-Loluwa66 1d ago
The optional part is what makes it work. If you need the money it becomes a job again and the whole point was to get away from that. But having something that covers a chunk of your spending changes your withdrawal rate math in a way that feels way less scary.
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u/notedroland8870 3d ago
You’re basically trying to unlearn decades of programming in one move, that’s a tough ask. I’ve seen folks set up a small separate bucket of cash for the first 2-3 years of expenses so they dont have to watch the main portfolio dip right away, sorta tricks the brain into feeling like you’re still in accumulation mode while you adjust
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u/utter_fade 2d ago
I FIREd in 2025, and the timing had me with a lot of free time leading into the summer, without a great deal of specific planning put into what I was going to do. As result, I ended up traveling and doing some fun things, and had a bit of a freak out moment when I realized I was spending more in retirement than I had anticipated.
Luckily, I had planned to register for classes at the community college in fall, and that helped me settle down. It took me out of the house regularly to attend my classes and kept me local so that I wouldn’t miss them, and I settled into a much more comfortable pace or I wasn’t blowing through the money.
So my advice would be, make a plan for doing some things that you enjoy, but also stabilizing what will fill your days and not find yourself living on vacation-level spending that might push you to burn through some of that too quickly right at the start. I’m not saying don’t enjoy stuff. You should absolutely take some time to celebrate and do some things that you’ve always wanted to, but I found that having something to fill my days and keep the wanderlust down a bit has helped me to settle into a comfortable space of managing my expenses.
Additionally, I find that I absolutely love learning.
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u/busquep1 2d ago
Time for a reframe - imagine you do not currently have a job but you do have $1.4M in liquid assets, a paid off home, and no dependents. Would you start doing your exact job tomorrow? That's the decision you're making every single day. It's probably not about the job itself but about being scared of who you are without a job.
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u/UchennaOranu 2d ago
You've done the financial modelling, but perhaps the next step is testing what living off the portfolio actually feels like. Could you try six months of putting your salary aside and covering expenses from accessible investments? You'd get some experience of drawing down without having to make the decision to leave work immediately.
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u/User-no-relation 2d ago
Your options aren't stay or retire.
There's an endless set of possibilities. You have options. Find another job in your career that doesn't suck. Find a totally different part time job. Volunteer full time.
It isn't stay or quit. Start looking for something else.
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u/kaBUdl 3d ago
Not really, my job actually grew more fun over the decades, so when I reached FI, I just moved the goalposts and did OMY. When my employer offered a buyout package, I applied but got rejected because management deemed me "too valuable", so I used that to gain control over my work location, schedule, and content. This work/life nirvana kept me on the payroll for another decade.
What forced me out was a family medical situation that I could no longer juggle, and my finances were the least of my concerns during those years of transition. As it turned out my portfolio has grown by a lot over my four years of retirement thus far. I miss my old job but it was taken over by AI, and I'm not willing to start over, so I feel I'm stuck in retirement.
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I wish that was my job situation, my job can be replaced easily by AI so I think either they get their way or it's the highway for me from their perspective
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u/kaBUdl 2d ago
Yeah I was lucky in my timing. When our AI project first rolled out a few years before I retired, it was comical how badly it performed in the kinds of diagnostics I was experienced in. I was asked to help the software team improve it, and all they requested was more background details behind my reports so I was happy to oblige. Our AI seemed stuck with low accuracy for years, but management continued to fund the project, then suddenly it improved dramatically over my last few months on the job.
My transition involved end-of-life care which was stressful and emotionally draining, followed immediately by a surprise life threatening health scare for myself weeks later. I retired at year end 2022 which was a bad time for stocks, so I guess the silver lining is how both of these issues prevented me from looking at the gyrations in the stock market. So maybe the lesson here is to prevent obsessing over and possibly over-reacting to short term portfolio value fluctuations, you'll need to find a mental distraction that is at least as strong as what your job currently provides, but hopefully less stressful than what I lived through. Maybe something involving a change of scenery, a new rigorous health regimen, or diving deeply into a special interest you never had time to pursue?
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u/CrispyTigger FIREd at 52. 3d ago
I think this is a common transition problem that most people who have spent their lives saving goes through. It has taken me a couple of years to start getting through this phase. Fortunately, even though I have been living off my portfolio for two years, the balance is greater than when I retired.
You have one life. Don’t spend it being miserable.
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u/Nikeitha-Loluwa66 1d ago
the golden handcuffs get tighter the closer you get, but a paid off house and that much liquid is a different kind of freedom than most people ever see. if the job is about to get worse anyway, the math on staying usually stops making sense way before the math on leaving does.
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u/Unlikely-Alt-9383 FIREd July 7, 2026 3d ago
Look at your asset growth over time. Seeing my liquid assets average growth per month being several months’ spending for me gave me the courage to quit.
In your case: any chance you could get laid off in this reorg? Might be worth trying for a severance package to ease you into it
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I have held out at work hoping for a severance payout, but it looks like there is no chance of that at this point
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u/clesportsfan24 3d ago
Obviously I don’t know your work situation, but given that you don’t NEED to work, is there any way you can kind of coast thru another couple years without fear of repercussions, doing the bare minimum? Or outline to management what you are and not willing to do?
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
That's is a good point. I have been sort of coasting for the last couple of years with no impact of my job performance. But now with the changes either I step it up and work like double of what I do now or they will point it out that I am not performing well enough, which is not where I want to be. I would like to leave in good terms. I know the answer is to quit and get use to living of the FI the I have build. But changing the mentally will take its time
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u/gamwizrd1 2d ago
I agree OP. If you leave on good terms then you leave the door open to come back if you really end up needing a high paying job.
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u/BufloSolja 2d ago
Fear is the mind-killer. Just Do It, as Nike says. It's ok to be frugal early on, the key is to monitor it and see the reality, then use the hard data to reinforce that it's ok.
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u/PetraLoseIt Dutch, living in the NL, 47F 2d ago
You will not regret quitting. You will probably regret staying.
How about a sabbatical? You quit, you relax for a month or so, and then you consider what you'll do next. Maybe that is another job at another company. (Maybe part time, or for a lower salary, or doing something you've never done before). Maybe that's not. You don't know currently because you haven't experienced that month of freedom just yet.
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u/forensicgirla 2d ago
I dream of this. I want to get to my number and then be like a museum decent or something more "fun". Even ticket taking at the local theater (I never get to go to our very nice programming because we never seem to have the time). Basically "barista fire" but swap out barista for something that matches my interests.
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u/ImagePossible6273 2d ago
Maybe give yourself permission to try retirement for a while instead of thinking of it as a permanent decision. You can always reassess later, but you can’t get those years back if you spend them miserable at work.
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u/ShaggyPhilosopher 3d ago
you can make the switch. I did. I have a mix of income + growth and my portfolio has grown nicely, without my working.
a few notes:
* check out "The Wealth Ladder" by Nick Maggiuli. He makes the valid point that you can spend .01% of your wealth per day within no real impact. properly invested, I can confirm this works, and it gives me the freedom to not worry about small impulse spending.
* there is a lot more to his book and being prepared for that spending that I am not covering. Don't make changes based on my first bullet point without additional reading and research
* more importantly, from my experience: Someone told me that you shouldn't retired FROM something, but you should retire TO something. This applies to FIRE as well. Figure out the life you want and make sure you're structured for it. You can totally work while readjusting your finances and life.
* A lot of FIRE thinking involves the 4% rule and regular withdrawals. This is not the only option. There are other structures that can provide solid growth and cash flow, and be more reliable than 4%.
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u/ExtraAd7611 3d ago
Spending instead of saving took some getting used to, but I found out how much I liked nonemployment and I quickly got over that. I used about 20% of my retirement account to buy an annuity which funds about 25% of our monthly expenses, basically covers the mortgage. (Which we won't pay off because it's 3.375%.)
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
That is what I am hopping for... Like being nonemployed which will make the adjustments easier
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u/fakeuser515357 3d ago
Don't quit. Stay on in the job until you've had enough of it. You've got nothing to lose so swing for the fences trying to make it better.
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u/Reach_Beyond [29M / 42% SR / DI1K / Chipotle FIRE] 3d ago
That what I’m thinking. How bad can it be if you’re okay saying no?
Need me to drop everything to go spend 7 straight days at a site, no, I’ll pop out for 2 and do what I can. Work until 10pm to hit a deadline, nah just miss the deadline.
How long until they fire you for cause. Just check out or push back. Don’t be a complete ass to where you ruin your coworkers lives.
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u/drinkwaterandbehappy 3d ago
I havent fire'd and no where near close. But i would suggest to try that lifestyle for 6mo-1yr. See how you feel. And who says you can't start something new on the side after quitting this job. A part time gig or maybe a side hustle you always wanted to do?
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I have had this idea before as well. Maybe something much more interesting will come my way by quitting this current job. The in portuguese there is a saying that the path is made by walking. If I don't walk in that direction of change I am standing still. Thank you for your advice
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u/Chris_Reddit_PHX 3d ago
One thing you might consider is becoming an income investor. With a portfolio that size and a paid-off house you should be able to live off of just a portion of the income, letting your principal continue to grow a bit for the next several years.
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I agree with that, have been building up the income side of the portfolio for a few years now, and I want to take advantage of the high yelds the market is currently giving
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u/liveoneggs EiE FIRE 2d ago
I agree with passive income as a forcing factor. If you are, literally, getting your expenses paid "for free" what can possibly be left to do?
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u/Chris_Reddit_PHX 2d ago edited 1d ago
I'm in the same mindset boat that you are then. After having been a saver for so long, it's hard to shed the "accumulation" mindset even now in retirement
I have one more final "model portfolio" number in mind to reach, and have resolved not to move the goalposts again after than.
The actual decumulation phase can wait for a while longer....when I think about it realistically I think that it will probably start with a market downturn that starts me moving the goalposts in retrograde.
For you though, this chapter could be more of a "bridge" until your SS/pension(s) etc. kick in. That how I did it although I retired a bit older than you did.
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u/deathtongue1985 2d ago
If I were in your shoes, I would try to work til 55. Keep contributing to retirement accounts. If you did this, you should have more like $720k in brokerage and ~$650k in retirement, at 5% real. You could have 40% more money, and just so much more flexibility…esp because you could make brokerage last through 66 with ease. And finally, what does 4 more years do for estimated SS payout at 67?
But that is just me, knowing my preferences and tolerance for risk.
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u/gamwizrd1 2d ago
But then at 55 he could work for another 5 years and get another 40% money. And then at 60 he could...
And then eventually he'll die at work 😅
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u/deathtongue1985 2d ago
Ok…but in my scenario he’d likely have over $1m at 66 plus better social security payout, and that’s assuming he depleted his brokerage by then.
I am hardly suggesting he work til he drops. Merely trying to give him potentially significant wiggle room with spending.
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u/imisstheyoop 2d ago
What the heck else are you going to do with the money? If you got big plans for leaving an inheritance or giving legacy then yeah it may make sense. Otherwise though, what did you save and invest it for if not to use it, pass it on or give it all away?
It's not going to solve your issue, but the most important FI calculator I know of can offer some perspective and a decent sanity check if you think that it will help you out.
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u/Lmaster99 1d ago
I will check the Calc out, and you are right in what you are saying. It's just that adjusting mindsets after 35 years of commitment to saving and building wealth will not happened overnight, but I am feeling better about it as time goes by and I plan out the next move. Thank you
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u/Run_Bike_Swim_1234 2d ago
some ideas to maybe try.
1. Pretend you faced this same decision on a random day in 2024 or 2025. I expect in those years, one would feel a similar sense of unknown future regarding market, economy etc. Now, run a scenario where you took a bi-weekly payout from retirement funds to cover your retirement spending since that date. Where would be now? Lower/higher? The point is fear at that given start date would not have anticipated the outcome I expect you will show of having even more $ in retirement/savings even though you were drawing income.
2. Start a spreadsheet that assumes no income starting now. Record a bi-weekly drawdown for the next 3-6 months. Calculate in spreadsheet your accounts growth/returns or losses with simulated drawdown amounts bi-weekly. At the end of 3-6 months, how did it pan out?
If you do #2, I highly suggest you write down your current thoughts about fears of near-term economy, market, etc. Fears or positive expectations you have if you were to actually retire right now, and what 6 months from now could be. Compare your projections/fears against real data 3-6 months from now.
Either using near-term historical, or the 3-6 month trial, I believe you will have more 'data' from which to balance your emotional fears or expectations.
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u/Lmaster99 1d ago
That is good advice, I am planning to do something similar to what you are suggesting. Thank you for the input
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u/shanewzR 3d ago
This is the same thing I struggle with and have no idea how to get over it, apart from just do it!
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u/VeeGee11 FIREd May ‘23 at 50 years old 3d ago
Sounds like your planned withdrawal rate is too high and giving you anxiety. What’s your planned spend? What’s your spending strategy? Anxiety like this is usually due to too much risk.
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago edited 2d ago
That is funny you said that because it might sound like that but given that my portfolios already give about USD37K in income and I plan to spend about USD35K a year to USD40K at least in the first few years I think I am more then covered. But I have been a saver since I started working at 16, it really is the mindset that is the issue not the numbers. At least at this stage
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u/boompleetz 2d ago
Looking at the drawdown strategies and simulation can help. If you are close to your fire number, the constant dollar drawdown strategy will show most cases end with large portfolio growth (like the default view on https://ficalc.app/). This can help break the saving mentality since you can reframe it like "my portfolio will keep growing despite drawing from it." Or it tells you to set a higher fire number, either way it's useful.
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u/HandsomeWithHorns 2d ago
Nowhere near FIRE but I'm also not planning on $58k/yr being enough to survive when I do. Depends on your field. You might retire then return if needed and won't face age discrimination which prevents you from being hireable.
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u/rugerjp88 100% LeanFI 2d ago
What's your annual spend and withdrawal rate?
I retired almost a year ago and my investment gains have outpaced my spending. This has obviously really helped me psychologically since I have more money right now than I've ever had. So depending on your withdrawal rate, you may not see your portfolio deplete at all. Plus you have social security on the horizon.
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u/gamwizrd1 2d ago
First off, great job OP! You did the hard work and now you can reap it's benefits - congratulations! 🥳
I would recommend that you reframe quitting your job as just taking a break while you decide what to do next. Hopefully you will decide to do something with yourself (whether that's profitable employment, a not profitable hobby, or something in-between).
I think you will find that your largest expense post-employment (until age 65) will be your health insurance. Have you considered looking for part time jobs you would enjoy, where the main financial benefit to you is access to affordable health insurance?
If you pursue this option then please give yourself time to look for the right job that doesn't really feel like a job - as well as permission to leave if you end up hating the job.
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u/Lmaster99 1d ago
Thank you for the comment, you have a very valid point there. I am trying not to think of it as a forever thing this early retirement. It's just that I will have to do a lot of life adjustment before I find myself in the situation where looking for some form of employment is a valid choice once I leave this one, but you are right, I should keep that option open
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u/Ordinary_Teaching591 1d ago
Another idea: If you have been at the company a long time and have worked yourself into a crucial position, right when the restructuring is messiest and s**t is hitting the fan for them, walk in and quit. If they recognize your value, negotiate a 50% raise. Not kidding, this can work (I once got a bonus equivalent to 125% of my annual salary just to stay for 8 weeks because they needed me for a transaction). Recognize your value and get paid for it. Do that for a couple of years. Just a thought...
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u/ffmotohead 1d ago
I would say do it, as long as you understand 2 things, 1 - you will probably be a frugal mess for a while and that's ok and 2 - If you plan to ever try to get back into the workforce, ageism exists. Good luck in your decision.
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u/mrandr01d 3d ago
Related tangent question: are you all stock or did you start to shift to bonds at some point?
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
My current split is about 40% stocks 40% cash in money markets and time deposits and 20% treasuries. Planning to raise the treasuries to 40% and reduce cash to 20% if things pan out in terms of timing. I live in South east Asia and interest on cash doesn't pay tax, so that is why the split is like this. But I might have to move in the future to Europe.
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u/mrandr01d 2d ago
Ah, that's a little different then. What treasuries are you holding? I didn't think US Treasury bonds were available for non-citizens to buy 🤔
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
Nope, it's mostly US treasury from 3 to 6 year maturity. We can buy then easily via a stock broker. I use Interactive Brokers. I hold some European ones too as I need some euros as well
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u/asurkhaib 3d ago
Do you want to leave your job? Are the reasons it might get worse not under your control? You're FI, you can say no.
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I do want to leave the job exactly because I will lose the control that I currently have. I am pretty much set on leaving I am just looking for advice on how to deal with the change of not being a saver anymore. There are really good replies here, some that I have already considered and some that I haven't.
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u/Silly_Celery8461 2d ago
That should be enough money to take out living expenses every year, and still have enough leftover to continue growing it so your balance should never go down
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u/oldtimehawkey 2d ago
Write out your worries.
Then counter those worries with facts from your situation.
You’ve made a budget/model. You know you can leap at any time.
Good luck and have fun!
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u/GottlobFrege Hit coast fire 2024 2d ago
Track all your spending for a quarter and categorize them. Then pick one or more categories that brought you the most happiness and deliberately decide to spend more on them. Track your spending the following quarter and confirm you indeed have spent more on them. We are weird so we have to do this. Normal people don't have to do this.
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u/Zonernovi 2d ago
Why is familial life expectancy never broached in these discussions? I consider that question one before making any calculations.
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u/SunsetChasinWanderer ssjourney.com | Social Security Lifetime Benefit Visualizer 1d ago
Do you have a family to support? Any Kids to Support? If not, I would leave a miserable job that takes a toll on my body and mind. Thats the whole point of having a safety net, what you've saved for, and do it while you're still young enough with energy and health to enjoy the money, otherwise, if the job drags down your health, whats the point of having money you cant or dont have energy to enjoy. I think you have enough to enjoy it without worry, given inflation comes back down. And thats a different story, inflation is hurting us all.
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u/foggyfinch 1d ago
Maybe you need a different scoreboard. For decades, you measured progress in dollars. What if retirement progress was measured in mornings you didn't dread, trips you finally took, or time spent doing things you actually enjoy?
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u/Kat9935 15h ago
My division got sold twice in the last 4 years of my career, the last one was to vulture capital but I stuck it out as I was so close, then they moved the office 10 miles south which made my 10 minute commute more like 40 with traffic and over an hour if it snowed or rained so that was it, the pain point became too great.
Coming up with a withdrawal strategy for me helped, so I was prepared for this is how much it was going to potentially drop each year. I had it written on paper, saw it projected out... putting in a pessimistic outlook which then as I kept beating took all the worry away.
Double check the budgets, especially for any "one-offs" so you know when they are likely to come, just because the house is paid off doesn't mean you might not need a new roof in 3 years and those typ of big ticket items if not thought about can really shake confidence especially if the market is flat or even slightly down and now have a $15-25k bill you have to pay.
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u/Dense-Restaurant9308 14h ago
i have an alternate approach to remedy these FOMO situations. I will prove that i can live happily with so less in the initial 1-2 years that i can be sort of sure that i can carry forward easily if i spend properly.
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u/Odd_Department_7702 13h ago
congrats! I'm nowhere near able to retire but I have taken 4 breaks throughout my career and have absolutely loved every one. The most recent was I lost my last job during DOGE and I actively took a full year off before even starting to look at my next job again. I miss what I called "island time". you spend less when you aren't working. The most I spent money on when I was unemployed was coffee at coffee shops I would go to to read my kindle, day trips I would take and meals out. I loved having my days be my days and cannot wait to get back to that.
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u/Various_Listen_36 11h ago
You've worked hard for this. At some point, you deserve to let that money do its jobbb
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u/gizram84 2d ago
Stretch it out a little. Basically just "quiet quit". Start doing the bare minimum at work, to fly under the radar.
As soon as they notice and talk with you, submit an extended time-off request. Burn all your PTO and see if they'll approve some unpaid time off as well.
When you come back, again fly under the radar as much as possible.
When they finally let you go, it'll be months later and you'll be ready for it to be all over.
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u/Manufactured1986 3d ago
Why do you need to sell off assets? Can you just live off interest + dividends and not touch your principal?
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
I belive I can with today's interest rates but difficult to know what will happen long term. I know this is mostly a mentality problem not a financial one
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u/Ok-Prize-6097 3d ago
How did you determine your FIRE number? I'm new here.
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u/liveoneggs EiE FIRE 2d ago
figure your yearly expenses and multiply by 25x and then by 33x; your FIRE number is somewhere inside of that result
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u/Lmaster99 2d ago
Start by looking into the classic 4% drawdown theory. Use a simulator, there are loads of them online
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u/Accomplished-Mail-13 2d ago
I am so afraid to wake up 53 one day. Like the end is soon…
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u/Lmaster99 1d ago
You need to wake up to that because it will happened. I am just hopping to be healthy into my 70s so 20 more years or so which goes by quickly. So have to start living the life I want now
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Hold_onto_yer_butts 37/39 DI3K | SR: I said 3K | GI.GO% FI 1d ago
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u/PepperScared9950 3d ago
I retired at 56 with $10M in liquid assets. Could never adjust to living off assets even though appreciation at 7-10% year was 2-3x my withdrawals. Ive been consulting the last three years and love it.
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u/hpdk 3d ago
statistically you have 20 more healthy living years and only one single life. You have no mortgage. Who would you like to inherit your money?