What is financial independence?
Financial independence is having enough wealth such that you no longer have to work for money. You become financially independent when your wealth's assets produce enough income to cover your expenses.
For example: If you have $500,000 in assets and your assets produce $20,000 per year (4% of your total assets value) and your expenses for the year are $20,000 or less, then congratulations, you are now financially independent. Your assets are producing more income than you spend in a year.
Everyone has a different financial independence number. Some people want to have a more lavish retirement and therefore will need to save more money. Some people want to retire as soon as possible and are more willing to cut back some expenses. The key to financial independence is how much money you spend. The more you spend, the more you will need to save. The less you spend, the less you will need to save.
You need to save at least 25 times your annual spending.
Why? In 1998, three professors at Trinity University released what is now called the Trinity study. The study looked at a number of different stock/bond mixes of portfolios and their withdrawal rates from 1925 to 1995 in periods of 15 to 30 years. The study concluded that if you withdrew no more than 3-4% of your investment portfolio every year, then it would be extremely unlikely that your portfolio would run out of money. Thus, from this study, 4% became known as the safe withdrawal rate.
Therefore, withdrawing 4% of your investment portfolio every year should cover your annual expenses. Since this is 1/25 of your portfolio, then as a general rule, your portfolio must be at least 25 times your annual spending in order to retire.
Some people might be more conservative and go with a 3% withdrawal rate. That decision is up to you. However, keep in mind that the Trinity study did not assume the following:
With some of these assumptions in place, we do not have to be so conservative with our safe withdrawal rate and can use the standard 4% safe withdrawal rate.
An important factor to financial independence is your savings rate, which is how much of your income you can save. The more you save, the quicker you will reach financial independence. Take a look at Mr. Money Mustache's article on The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement. Assuming a net worth of zero, if you save 50% of your income, you can retire in 17 years. If you save 75%, you can retire in 7 years. If you can save 85%, you can retire in 4 years.
Before we get started, we're going to assume a simple scenario: you don't have an emergency fund, you have some sort of debt (credit card, student loans, house, etc.) and you have no investment accounts.
Your first step should be to track every single dollar you are spending and earning. It will be very difficult to get a good grasp on your finances without knowing exactly what your accounts look like now and where your money is going. If you are looking for an automated approach, Mint.com is an excellent website to link to all of your accounts and pull your financial data automatically. However, I highly recommend using YNAB (You Need a Budget), which will require manual entry of every transaction in your accounts. Alternatively, you can manage this manual process with custom spreadsheets. I recommend doing this process manually (YNAB/spreadsheets) over automatically (Mint.com) as you will know where every dollar is going instead of being merely told where it went after the fact.
Once you are tracking every dollar, you should be able to easily spot where your money is leaking into unnecessary expenses. You should next create a budget, starting with a list of your essential expenses: housing, utilities, food, etc. Then starting listing your non-essential expenses: hobbies, alcohol, vacations, etc. Then you need to set aside a set dollar amount for each of these expenses, essential and non-essential, and try to not go over that monthly alloted amount.
Your objective is that you want to reduce your expenses such that your monthly income is greater than your monthly expenses. You will then take this left over money (income minus expenses) and place it into your soon-to-be created emergency fund, debts, investment accounts, etc. It is very important that you try to stick to your budget and to reduce and remove any expenses that are not necessary, at least temporarily until you are out of debt, if not permanemently (if you wish to achieve financial independence sooner).
An emergency fund is an important initial step to take. With your budget in hand, you should now know exactly how much your monthly expenses are. Now you need to save your excess monthly money (income minus expenses) into an emergency fund account. This account should be a cash account at your local bank or an online bank. The importance is that the emergency fund should be easily and quickly accessible during an emergency. Do not worry about trying to earn much interest on an emergency fund account. Think of it as a self-insurance against future unexpected expenses from emergency situations, such as non-regular car repairs or an emergency veterinary visit.
Start by saving up enough money to cover one month's worth of your budgeted expenses. With this money set aside, if something comes up in the near future, then you won't have to worry about adding more debt to your credit cards due to an unexpeceted emergency. Instead, you pay for that emergency with your saved cash on hand and then re-build your emergency fund for the next inevitable emergency down the road.
Once most of your debts have been paid off, you can expand your emergency fund to the typical recommended 3-6 months worth of expenses. The number of months to save is ultimately up to you and how risk averse you are. Some people save up to a year's worth of expenses (meaning they could possibly go without a job for up to a year!). I would not recommend more than a year's worth of cash in an emergency fund, as you will eventually be placing your excess saved money into an investment account, which is absolutely necessary to become financially independent.
This page is maintained by Bryan Denny. I am a software developer who is trying to achieve financial independence. I created this page as a starting point for others who are interested in doing the same thing.
This page is for informational purposes only. I am not a financial professional. See a professional for financial advice. I am not responsible for your decisions. Please take some time before you make any financial decisions.
This page is still under development. Have a suggested change? Make a pull request on GitHub!
Read more from the original source:
Financial Independence, Retire Early
- Bitcoin Halving: A History of Economics Shift & Financial Independence - Crypto Times - April 20th, 2024 [April 20th, 2024]
- Your Excuses Will Never Help You Build Wealth - DataDrivenInvestor - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Financial expert comments on Brits methods of obtaining financial freedom - IFA Magazine - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- Women reveal why they chose financial security over love - Yahoo News UK - April 14th, 2024 [April 14th, 2024]
- This 48-year-old dad retired early to move to Panama with his family: 'This has been the greatest thing' - Fortune - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- More than just housewives: Ministry encourages women to embrace leadership, financial independence - Sinar Daily - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Gender equality through Financial Independence (CSW68 Side Event). - Welcome to the United Nations - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Journal Club 03-15-24 - Passive Income MD - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- How much money Americans need to earn to be 'financially independent' - CNBC - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- What is Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE)? - Bankrate.com - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- HUYNH: The Student Council endowment could ensure financial independence - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Crypto Sundae The Dog $SUNDAE: Your Path to Financial Independence - Medium - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Financial Independence through Crypto: Top 3 Coins That Could Transform Your Portfolio in 2024 - CryptoDaily - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Salary Success: Is $94000 the Magic Number for Financial Freedom? - Study Finds - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Early Retirement Is Just A Big Lie - Seeking Alpha - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- 4 Strategies to Achieve Financial Independence in 2024 - Business Insider - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- 3 Legged Stool of Retirement | investing.com - Investing.com Canada - January 4th, 2024 [January 4th, 2024]
- What is Coast FIRE? Should you pursue this instead of vanilla financial independence? | Mint - Mint - December 25th, 2023 [December 25th, 2023]
- Book Recommendations on Money, Investing, and Financial Independence - Business Insider - December 25th, 2023 [December 25th, 2023]
- How 12 years of tracking investments has been a life-changer - freefincal on YouTube - December 25th, 2023 [December 25th, 2023]
- Understanding the Path to Financial Independence in Retirement - TickerTV News - December 25th, 2023 [December 25th, 2023]
- Females On FIRE: 3 Diverse Women Share Their Journey To ... - Bankrate.com - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- WA Parents Lead in Funding Adult Kids, Survey Shows - Source ONE News - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Saving, Investing, and Running Marathons: My 25-year Journey to ... - freefincal on YouTube - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- The Clash Against The Magnificent Seven - Community Advocate - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- What is the perfect age to retire? Here are the 5 crucial questions you need to answer now - AOL - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Italy Searches for Museum Leaders, With Nationalism in the Air - The New York Times - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- In Africa, Gender Equity in Construction Shapes Tomorrow's Workforce - Autodesk Redshift - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- How Lifestyle Inflation Is Keeping You In The Rat Race (Avoid To ... - New Trader U - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Small business ideas to start at university - Arizona Big Media - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Top 5 Investment Ideas for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide - Goodreturns - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- How Huawei Is Helping China Build Up Its Semiconductor ... - Bloomberg - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- Patient experiences of being advised by a healthcare professional to ... - BioMed Central - November 30th, 2023 [November 30th, 2023]
- When You Should Consider Buying Even More Stocks | White Coat ... - The White Coat Investor - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Sanaipei Tande's insights on marriage, polygamy and financial ... - Nairobi News - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Real jobs for eager young people: The Heckscher Foundation ... - New York Daily News - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- All about the Benjamins: Researchers decipher the secrets of ... - ND Newswire - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- How To Become Rich With The Power Of Compounding - New Trader U - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Women Deliver 2023 | Together We All Lead - Procter & Gamble - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Acclaimed Temple psychologist's new book explores parenting adult ... - Temple University News - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Where Is Kate Chastain From 'Below Deck' Now? - We Got This Covered - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Programs that help NYC migrants achieve financial independence ... - New York Daily News - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- ChatGPT gives 10 reasons why you should buy Bitcoin - Finbold - Finance in Bold - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- Scottish independence reset undermined by confusion over SNP ... - Financial Times - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- It's Never Too Late to Become a Millionaire - New Trader U - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- Milford Foundation Partners With MoneyTime To Improve Financial ... - Scoop - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- Bitcoin ETFs: What Are the Potential Implications for Crypto? - Captain Altcoin - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- De-dollarization will be a priority talk at BRICS meeting Cryptopolitan - Cryptopolitan - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- Gen Z viewers are more inclined towards 'Financial Independence Retire Early' concept: Rachana Ranade - Times of India - February 7th, 2023 [February 7th, 2023]
- FIRE Movement: What It Is And How It Works - NerdWallet - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- FIRE: Financial Independence, Retire Early Forbes Advisor - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas' idea of financial independence is inspirational and how! - Zoom TV - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Independence Realty Trust, Inc.'s (NYSE:IRT) Stock Has Seen Strong Momentum: Does That Call For Deeper Study Of Its Financial Prospects? - Simply Wall... - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- What Is Financial Independence? Forbes Advisor UK - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- The FIRE Movement: Financial Independence; Retire Early | Britannica Money - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- Home | NextAdvisor with TIME - January 6th, 2023 [January 6th, 2023]
- Why Financial Independence with Children is Challenging. - December 28th, 2022 [December 28th, 2022]
- 8 Levels Of Financial Freedom - Forbes - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- Independence Contract Drilling, Inc. Reports Unaudited Financial ... - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- How Much Money You Need to Retire Early in All 50 States - NextAdvisor - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Funding | The Official Website of The Duke & Duchess of Sussex - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- What the Future Voices of Personal Finance All Have in Common - NextAdvisor - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- How this 41-year-old went from 'living on credit cards' to retiring early with $3 million in California - CNBC - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Insights on What Really Matters to Participants - PLANADVISER - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- On the road to financial independence - The News International - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Womens center announces expansion to address domestic violence throughout the region - Houston Public Media - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- PSLF Waiver Application Deadline - The White Coat Investor - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Fairfax Financial and Independence Pet Group Receive All Regulatory Approvals To Complete Sale of Global Pet Insurance Operations - GlobeNewswire - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Sustainable Bitcoin Miner CleanSpark Welcomes Investors and Analysts to its Mining Campuses in Atlanta - GuruFocus.com - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Deep Well Project to host open house for new financial stability initiative - WSAV-TV - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- IIM Grad Quits Job to Help Over 1000 Women in Bihar Scale Their Small Businesses - The Better India - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Harry's Memoir Will Be 'Quite Revealing' 'If We Ever See It'Jeffrey Archer - Newsweek - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Where Harold Weilbrenner and Janice Weiner stand on issues in the Senate District 45 race - Iowa City Press-Citizen - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Moliy Is Swimming Against the Tide of Mainstream Afropopand Succeeding - OkayAfrica - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- From Chaos to Success: The Mike Koshatko Story - Digital Journal - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- SEC Warns Auditors to Take Their Role and Independence Seriously - JD Supra - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Suze Orman Hates the FIRE Movement. Here's Why - The Motley Fool - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- 59% Of Working Women Rely On Patriarchs To Take Financial Decisions - HerZindagi English - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Unprecedented collaboration launched to take on the underrepresentation of women in financial advice - Yahoo Finance - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- 37-year-old millionaire reacts to couple who retired early with $2.2 million in Portugal: It's 'like cheating' - CNBC - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]