BiggerPockets Money29 Huhti 2025

The Single Biggest Risk That Could Stop Your Early Retirement (& How to Dodge It)

You’re part of the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) so you can quit your job, have complete time freedom, and truly enjoy your life. But what if early retirement isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be? What if you grind for years or decades, reach your FIRE number, quit your job, and realize… you’re bored? Your schedule is wide open, but what do you fill it with? You start asking yourself, “Did I pursue FIRE for financial freedom—or to escape something else entirely?”

Tyler Gardner, former portfolio manager and financial advisor, has seen the toxic side of FIRE far too often. Tyler believes that working on something you love can be far more meaningful than early retirement, and he might be right. Early retirees often struggle with their post-career lifestyle, and many find they can’t thrive without meaningful work. This identity shift can cause profound dissatisfaction, even after so much sacrifice to get to this point.

Tyler’s advice: slowly phase out of work or have other income streams that can keep you going, not just for your mental health but your portfolio’s health. So, how do you do that? Mindy, Scott, and Tyler have a meaningful debate, with significant disagreements, on the best way to phase out full-time work, why a 100% stock portfolio may be safer than you thought, and the toxic side of FIRE nobody talks about.

In This Episode We Cover

The problem with FIRE and why early retirement won’t solve everything

The #1 risk early retirees are NOT prepared for and how to ensure you keep your FIRE blazing

How to phase out of work even if you have a demanding, full-time, 40+ hours per week job

Why working during early retirement is not a bad thing and has massive benefits

Creating cash flow before you retire and how to minimize the dreaded “sequence of returns risk”

And So Much More!

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