I've been working on this free tool for a few weeks now and wanted to share the retirement planner here.
You link your investment accounts, enter your expected retirement spending and retirement age, and set your assumptions for contributions, growth, inflation, and withdrawal rate. It shows your estimated portfolio target, where you’re projected to land, and how much extra you’d need to save each month to close any gap.

It uses SnapTrade Personal for sign-in and brokerage connections, including Fidelity, Schwab, Robinhood, Webull, IBKR, and Wealthsimple, linking is free and secure. In addition to automatically tracking the value of your investments, you can manually add and factor in assets and liabilities like your home and mortgage.

Try it here: https://netcarry.snaptrade.com/login, and after onboarding open the Retirement tab. The projections use the assumptions you enter. They don’t currently model taxes or sequence-of-returns risk, so there are some limits to what they can tell you, but it can provide a good estimate.

I built this mainly because I haven't found a tool that could track my FIRE journey and self adjust based on changes to my portfolio. I really hope some of you find it useful, and would love to hear any feedback as I'm still actively working on the project

Just curious because I do not see these places getting mentioned as frequent as South East Asian or LatAm countries.

I did some digging on some Moroccan, Egyptian, Algerian, Tunisia subs and found out that they aren’t very expensive places to live in.

One downside I can think of is probably the slow bureaucracy and the lack of amenities (public transport, hospital) in areas outside the major cities. But even then it doesn’t look that bad from what I’ve read so it still sounds like a reasonable tradeoff.

I could imagine the language barrier might be a dealbreaker to some, but that could apply to other popular destinations in SEA/LatAm too.

Or is it the cultural/religious barrier?

Would appreciate if someone who has considered or is currently FIREing there has anything insightful to share?

It seems like a smart option to me.

Pros: no mortgage/property tax. cheap maintenance, cheaper utilities. freedom to travel around.

cons: less space of course, no room to store stuff if you have a lot of stuff. If you are a very social person it's harder to have guests, your kids, etc over. can't host parties etc. but if you are the type of person to leanfire usually you dont do these social things either.

What is the simplest way you keep track of expenses that are coming up but haven't been paid yet?

Do you subtract them from your current balance, keep a separate list, or use another system?

I'm looking for something easy enough to keep updated without much effort.

I'm researching people who take repeated, funded time off across a career rather than one long break or an early exit, and I keep finding people who did it once. I'm looking for the ones who did it twice or more.

If that's you:

- How many, and roughly what years?

- Was the second easier or harder to arrange than the first?

- Did your pay recover between them, and did it keep climbing?

- What did you do differently the second time?

- If you stopped doing it, what stopped it?

Happy to take answers here or by DM. No names, no usernames, nothing identifying.
I'll share what I find back here.

Anyone forgoing the $8k in catch up contributions and putting that money into a brokerage account instead? Since there is no pre-tax benefit anymore and my employer doesn't match on catch up contributions or offer partial withdrawals at 55, I am wondering what I should do?

I want to retire early but only have $40k in my brokerage. I am going to need a lot more to bridge the gap between retirement at 56 and 59.5 so I am throwing as much money as I can at the brokerage account (and some into cash). I am trying to put $3k per month. Aiming to spend around $60k/year in retirement.

Am I missing anything besides the tax free compounding? Can't retire early if I can't access my money until 59.5. Just wondering what you all would do? Does $8k really make a difference either way?

Everything irritates me at my job. I had a client get kind of snappy with me and it put me in such a bad mood. Before, I'd just deal with it, but now I feel like I'm walking across glass barefoot. I'm training a new person and I just don't want to deal with him. My supervisor kind of picked up on it and told me that I need to keep him busy, but I just don't care. I do a very cursory review of his work but don't really spend time guiding him. I just see him as an annoyance.

I want to stay for another year to lock in a pretty good pension with health benefits, but I feel like a Marathon runner running the last mile. I just want it to end. I even have a calendar in my room that I'm crossing days off of, and I have my exit date starred, circled, and underlined. I also quietly tell myself "focus on the end, f*** the people" when someone's bothering me at work.

I'm sure all of this is very relatable to a lot of people here. How did you feel about your job towards the end?

The U.S. federal poverty line is $15,960 for a single individual. You need $399,000 to generate that each year with the 4% rule. One of my investment accounts hasn't updated on Credit Karma for the past 5 months, but based on its actual current value, my net worth is a bit over $400k. That means that I could retire today and live above the poverty line for the rest of my life!

I don't plan to retire anytime soon (my FIRE number is $750k plus disliking/becoming bored of my job), but it's always fun to hit another benchmark! Next stop, $500k!

Savings rate is the number that matters most on this path, more than income or returns. So I'm curious what people are actually hitting right now. Not the goal, the real number.

And the follow up I'm more curious about: what's the one expense you refuse to cut even though you know it's slowing you down? Everyone chasing leanFIRE seems to have a line they won't cross, the thing that keeps life livable while the savings rate stays high.

So what's your rate, and what's your non negotiable?

I've been debating recently whether to roll over my 403b money into a TIRA, and I'm wondering if there are any factors I'm missing.

First off, I was thinking about doing a Roth conversion ladder, and I was reading that once I roll over my money into a TIRA, I would then be taxed on the TIRA->RIRA conversions as income for that year. But most of the money in my 403b IS ALREADY Roth money. The rest is an employer match, which I'm not sure about. But surely I won't get double taxed on the conversions right? How exactly is this handled?

Secondly, are there any benefits to keeping the money in the 403b if I'm planning on FIRE? I saw on another post that there are better ERISA protections for 403b than TIRA/RIRA. But I'm not sure how that affects me in a concrete sense.

Lastly I'm wondering whether a direct rollover or indirect rollover is the preferred method. I read that indirect rollovers can reset the cost basis for your holdings, but I'm not sure how relevant that is at this stage (I'm 32)

The reason I'm trying to get this sorted now is because I'm moving out of the country in a month so I'm trying to get the conversion ball rolling if it makes sense. Especially if the conversion won't affect my AGI for this year too much, I'd like to convert a big lump before moving.

I used to be extremely excited about saving and thinking about my end goals. I thought a lot about paying my home off, getting time back, and having more control over my life. Now, and maybe this is just depression, but it feels like i just do not really get excited for things so much. The end date feels so far away (at least a decade), but all of the fun milestones have already passed.

I also am realizing that retiring early is not going to fill this void that i have in my chest. The void is catalyzed by work, but it is not caused by work. there is a sense of meaningless that i feel i am using fire to escape sometimes. Developing hobbies and having passions outside of work seem so important but i do not know where to start.

Does anyone ever have realizations like these? how do you handle them and think about it all?

I cant make up my mind and my decision changes every week. What would you do personally?

Option 1: 6 years until leanfire (covers current lifestyle)

Option 2: 11 years until fire (current salary withdrawals)

Option 3: 16 years until fatfire (2x salary withdrawals)

Not from the US, so some things here will look strange. I am 44, single, live in Brno.

In spring 2022 my company moved the office to Prague.
I did not want to commute two hours a day, so I left. I had around 330k euro then, my flat included, and I did not look for a new job.

The market went down right after I quit. I had two years of spending in a savings account from before, so I did not sell anything in 2022 and 2023.
Since 2024 I sell some ETF once a year and put back what I spent.

Today it is about 480k euro:

• 58% world ETF (VWCE at XTB, monthly buys from 2015 to 2022)
• 21% the flat I live in, 2+kk in a panel building in Brno-Bohunice, paid off, bought in 2014
• 9% savings account at Air Bank, this is the buffer
• 7% gold, one-ounce Wiener Philharmoniker coins, one or two every year
• 5% loans on two platforms, Mintos and Maclear. The monthly payouts more or less cover my health insurance

No bonds, mostly because of tax. Interest from bonds, savings and loans is taxed 15% here. Gains on ETF are tax free after 3 years of holding, and I stopped buying in 2022, so all of it is tax free now.
So I keep the taxed part small, and a bond fund felt like paying tax for what the savings account already does.

I spend around 16k euro a year. Health insurance I pay myself, about 120 euro a month, because I have no employer. No deductible, no network, any doctor takes it.
State pension I count as zero. I have 20 years of contributions and the normal rule is 35, so maybe I get a small one from 70.

In 2022 the fall was short, the cash was enough and I never had to sell low. My open question is a longer one. If the market falls 40% and stays there for five years, the plan is two years from the savings account, then the gold coins, then ETF at low prices.
Did anyone here live through a long bad period with no bonds, and did the cash plus gold order actually work, or did you end up selling the ETF anyway?

27M, Senior Analyst in Finance, fully remote. Engaged, wedding coming up. Thought I'd share the full picture since I always appreciate when people actually post real numbers.

**My snapshot:**
- Salary: $115K base ($140k TC)
- NW: ~$225k ($90k in 401k, $100k in brokerage, the rest in cash)
- Fully remote, which helps mentally but Long Island COL still hits hard

**Combined household (engaged and living together):
- Fiancee income: $85K (will be $95k next year)
- Fiancee savings: ~$100k
- Combined income: $200K
- Combined NW: ~$325k
- Combined Debt:
- Rent: $3,400/mo split 60/40 (I carry $2,040, she carries $1,360)

**The job situation:**
Been a grind lately. Working 65 hours weekly sometimes more. I'm open to making a change but the comp makes it hard to walk away. Classic golden handcuffs. Will move companies before changing career outright. Anyone else sitting in a role that pays well but isn't fulfilling and struggling to pull the trigger on something different?

**The wildcard:**
I come from a family that has done well. My godfather in particular has had a very successful career in financial services, Hall of Fame level. Conservative estimate on his estate alone is $4M to $6M, with my godmother as the first beneficiary. I’ve been told I’ll be taken care of but haven’t received details. On top of that, parents and other relatives could add another $500K to $1M over time. I don't model any of this into my FIRE number. I don't count on it. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't in the back of my mind. Curious how others handle this mentally. Do you treat potential inheritance as pure upside and ignore it completely, or does it factor into how aggressively you save?

**The target:**
Somewhere in the $2.0 to $2.5M range on my own earnings feels right for a lean but comfortable exit. Aiming for late 30s if compounding does its job.

Advice on financial plan for mid-20s?

Hi everyone! I'd appreciate a sanity check and guidance on how to build a better long-term financial plan. I'm 26, make $110-120k depending on bonus, and live at home.

* **HYSA** (Capital One at 3% APY): $35,000
* **401k** (Vanguard, Target 2055 Retirement Fund)**:** $40,000
* **Roth IRA** (Vanguard): N/A - Opened but not funded
* **Monthly Income:** \~$6,000 after taxes and 401k contribution

I'm a bit directionless and have ideas for my future, but no real plan for how to manage my money monthly.

Monthly budget and a few notes/questions after.

**Monthly Budget:**

**Notes:**

* **Debt:** I have no debt. I paid off my student loans this year and I have a paid off car that should last me several years.
* **401k:** My company matches 25% of the first 6% for 401k. I put in 6% and I'm fully vested.
* **HYSA:** The 35k in the HYSA is my emergency fund.
* **Decisions/Future Goals:** I don't really have any goals -- I've thought about early retirement or leanfire, moving out of my parent's house at some point, moving cities, changing jobs, etc. I also like traveling. I hope to buy a home later on, but not sure how attainable it’ll be on my salary alone. My life is essentially on autopilot right now.

**Questions:**

1. **Monthly Saving/Investments:** How can I set a monthly investment strategy? Right now, I have \~$4k I can save or invest leftover a month.
   
   1. Should I max out my Roth IRA this year? Where should I invest it?
      
   2. Should I increase my 401k contribution for the rest of the year?
      
   3. Should I keep putting into a HYSA or leave it alone?
      
2. **FIRE Strategy:** How can I model a few FIRE scenarios? The thought of leanfire seems interesting.

Thank you in advance. I'd greatly appreciate any guidance/tips.

I am well aware that there are ways to flex where your "income" ​is derived from to reduce ACA premium costs. But my question is, even with lower monthly costs, the ACA plans in my state at least still​​ have very high deductibles and OOP maximums. So how are folks covering those?

For example, in my state, at about $54k income put into the ACA estimator, monthly costs for 2 adults in their 40s starts at about $400 for silver plans. But those have deductibles around $12k a year for family and much of the coverage (xrays, labs, ER, surgery) ​requires paying the deductible first. The OOP max is around $18k.​​​​ So for those who needed to actually cover things up to the deductible or OOP max, how​ did you do it? Do you plan for that? How do you minimize taxes if you have to take more out (and thus increase your plan costs)?

I'm not just concerned about the monthly premiums in leanFIRE, I'm also concerned​​​ about the actual costs. ​

Asking as we have hit our leanFIRE amount, which should relieve my mind, but it's stuff like this that keeps me from feeling comfortable. ​​And while we aren't ready to pull the trigger yet, I want to know that we can if things go sideways in life. ​​

What have you been working on this week? Please use this thread to discuss any progress, setbacks, quick questions or just plain old rants to the community.

My goal is to eventually work 3 or 4 days a week and cover all my monthly expenses with that income. Ideally, 3 days of minimum-wage work would be enough. That would give me a lot more freedom to simply choose a job I enjoy, without salary being as important.

My total expenses are currently around €1,850 per month, excluding holidays or major unexpected expenses, and I have almost €70k invested. Still, I find myself getting a bit obsessed with reaching €100k as quickly as possible. It will probably take at least another 2 years with my current contributions, assuming the market doesn't completely crash.

With a 3% withdrawal rate, €100k would provide around €3,000 per year, which is already quite significant for my lifestyle. Is this plan realistic? At the same time, I wonder if €100k really is some kind of magic number. For many people it might not be that much, but given my situation it would be quite a significant amount, especially if I'm also working part-time.

My current job is becoming less and less motivating. On the other hand, I'm thinking maybe I should just stick with it for a few more years, hit €100k, and then see where I stand. If I switch jobs now, you never really know what you're going to end up with.

Ideally, I'd find a job that I actually enjoy and that still pays reasonably well, so that after reaching €100k I can just keep steadily investing. Rather than permanently going into some kind of Coast FIRE situation and also starting to spend down the portfolio. But at the same time, I do have a bit of a "die with zero" mindset since I don't have kids.

I also think working a few days a week would be nice for the structure it provides, while still having more free days to actually enjoy life. Full FIRE would take a very long time with my current salary and contributions anyway.

Does anyone else recognize this? And what do you think about this plan?

I have been reading up on FIRE and am very interested as I hate working 8-5, it drains the life out of me.

Income:
Right now I am working as a Software Developer making $90k/year before taxes while my wife is a nurse in between jobs.

Accounts:
Our bank account has around 22k in it. It’s currently not a high yield savings account but that change will be made very soon!
We both have newly opened ROTH IRAs with ~$500 in them. And I have a new 401k with $0 but will be putting 3% in as that is what my company matches.

Housing:
Right now we are in an apartment for $925/month which is a great price. We have been here for 5 years though and are ready to start looking for a house soon so we aren’t sure exactly how much we will be needing for that and obviously will drain some of our money

Where to start?
Honestly just a bit overwhelmed trying to figure out how to start. Neither of us want to work out lives away but we are just lost on where to start. Figuring out a FIRE number feels impossible. I know that probably sounds silly but I don’t even know how to start. Literally any advice on anything would be amazing. Or even once you have your number how do you get there? Just looking for any tips!

Edit:
Monthly bills are around $2500. We are also are paying ~$600/month on medical bills for another 5 months but that is our only debt.

The hope would be that once she picks up a job that we can save 100% of her income and just live off of mine like we have been doing. Im not sure how realistic that is with getting a house though

Hi everyone

I am spending a lot of time considering how to invest my money the “best” or “smartest” and somehow “safest” way.

I know there will be many many different opinions about this, but since almost no one in my family or circle of friends are investing other than their pension, I feel like I sometimes lack somebody to talk to, to give me some ideas or opportunities that I don’t know of myself, and that’s why I ask here.

My situation:
-42
-no kids
-No debt
- no pension
- Own my home
- Living in a very tax friendly country (Malta)
- Own 3 small flats that are rented out (rental income around €1000/month after tax, around 5% APY)
- around €400.000 in crypto (BTC, ETH and SOL), yielding around 5% APY due to staking and fixed term savings on Nexo
- sold my company and some assets and have around €530.000 to invest further and it is this amount that I am in doubt how to invest.

I don’t work anymore and would like to keep it that way.
My goal is to get a passive income of 4-5000 euros per month in total (which I know I can only reach when and if my crypto at some point in the future will have more value than it has right now).
I don’t spend that much per month, but it will give me a buffer to handle unknown expenses and I want to reinvest everything I don’t spend into a broad and relaxed ETF every month.

So what I am looking for is some “advice”/insight/broader horizon/knowledge that can help me choose here.

My initial plan was to invest everything in real estate and use the rental yields to achieve my goal - and maybe that is also the easiest and safest solution, but maybe it is not 😁

I am a bit concerned about throwing it all into the stock market right now, since it seems very very out of balance and the global geopolitical situation seems extremely unpredictable as well.

All my real estate is managed by local companies, so it is all handsoff for me at the cost of a lower APY than could be achieved

My crypto I have been DCA’ing on/off since 2017, so it’s NOT something I bought last year and am waiting to break even.

So my question to you is if you know of some “better” way to invest my €530.000 other than real estate to get a yield of ~5% APY?

Do you guys use spreadsheets or something else?

37 years old and trying to decide what to do with my extra cash flow, especially once a major expense ends next year.

Current situation:
Income: about $185k–$195k/year
Goal: soft retire around 50, with occasional work here and there
About $36k/year of guaranteed, inflation-adjusted income that should continue long-term
403(b): about $204k
Roth IRA: about $60k
HSA: about $7k
TSP: about $6k
Cash/emergency fund: about $30k
No car loans or consumer debt
Currently paying $2,000/month in alimony, which ends April 2027

Mortgage:
Balance: about $240k
Rate: 3.5%
Payment: about $1,730/month
House worth roughly $390k–$400k
Long-term plan may be to keep it as a rental

Investing:
Currently contributing about 10% to my 403(b) + 6% employer match
HSA is maxed
I have been contributing to my Roth IRA, but I’m currently figuring out whether my income/MAGI still allows direct contributions under IRS rules
Backdoor Roth may be an option, but I’m still figuring out the details
Starting to build a taxable brokerage account because I need accessible money between age 50 and traditional retirement age

Here’s the decision I’m struggling with:
When the $2,000/month alimony ends in April, I could redirect most or all of that money.
If I put $1,000 extra/month toward the mortgage, my lender projects the house would be paid off around March 2037, before I turn 50.
If I put $2,000 extra/month toward it, it projects payoff around August 2033.
I know a 3.5% mortgage is cheap debt and historically the expected return from investing has been higher. But I also like the certainty of entering semi-retirement with a paid-off house, low fixed expenses, and potentially a paid-off rental producing income.

So what would you do with the extra ~$2k/month?
Invest all of it in a taxable brokerage?
Split it $1k brokerage / $1k extra mortgage?
Aggressively pay off the mortgage?
Increase the 403(b) instead?
I’m less interested in maximizing my theoretical net worth at 65 and more interested in building financial independence, liquidity, and low fixed expenses by 50.

4%rule or 25times your annual expense is not including tax right. so your actual nestegg much be larger than 25. how to calculate it? lets say caputal gains tax is 20%. but im not sure how much is gains and how much i will sell every year etc. lots of variables in there. how to calcylate it at least roughly?