BiggerPockets Money Podcast

• I FIREd with Index Funds, She FIREd with Rentals: Which is Better (& Faster)?

  There’s no arguing that real estate and stocks are the two most proven ways to build wealth, but which one comes out on top in a race to FIRE? Stay tuned as we put these investment vehicles to the test and show you the fastest path to early retirement! Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Today, Mindy and guest co-host Amberly Grant are pitting real estate investing and stock investing against each other to determine which of these popular investments is most FIRE-friendly. The best part? They don’t exactly agree! First, Amberly will defend the position of real estate investing. From house hacking and live-in flips to out-of-state investing, there are several strategies you can use to create monthly cash flow, build wealth through appreciation, and save a fortune on taxes! Meanwhile, Mindy will defend her time-tested stock investing strategy. Along the way, she’ll share the many advantages of passive investing, compare 60/40 and 90/10 stock-to-bond investment portfolios, and show you the ideal portfolio mix for those who plan to retire on the 4% rule. YOU decide which of our financially independent hosts has the strongest case! In This Episode We Cover Real estate versus stocks (and which will help you FIRE faster) How YOU can “live for free” with the house hacking strategy Saving hundreds of thousands in taxes with the live-in flip strategy How to turn your rental properties passive by investing out of state The perfect stock portfolio allocation for retiring on the 4% rule And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-626 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Teacher ($44K/Year Income) FIREs in 10 Years Making the RIGHT Sacrifices

  You may not make six figures, but you want to achieve FIRE and retire early. You might be struggling to get by, let alone saving and investing to hit your FIRE number. If it seems impossible, you should take a page from Bryce Stewart’s book. He was a sixth-grade school teacher, making $44,000/year, underwater on his condo purchase, worrying about the bills with one baby and another one on the way. A decade later, he was retired, with more passive income than he could spend. Today, we’re sharing how he did it. Your income is NOT the limiting factor to you achieving FIRE, no matter how much it seems that way. Bryce took a slow and sacrifice-heavy path to early retirement and now makes more than 300% of the combined income of his and his wife’s teacher salaries. He was frugal without a doubt, but focusing on income-generating opportunities is what really slingshotted his net worth, passive income, and FIRE timeline.  So, what money move should you make RIGHT now to turn your median salary into investments that pay you passive income every month? What sacrifices should you be making to put your family in a FIRE financial position? What was the one purchase that launched Bryce’s path to FIRE? Whether you’re making under, over, or around six figures, you can retire earlier by taking Bryce’s advice.  In This Episode We Cover The one investment Bryce made that helped him get to FIRE in 10 years  Building multiple income streams so you’re NOT reliant on your job  Why house hacking (living for free) is the ULTIMATE FIRE super-charger  Investments to make with a low/median income that will get you to FIRE faster The #1 reason you should NOT tell your partner about your FIRE dreams…yet And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-625 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• FIRE at 50 by Creating “FI Paychecks” That Fund My Early Retirement! | Life After FIRE

  Would you delay your early retirement for years to feel safer and secure once you FIRE? That’s what Mark Trautman did, FIRE-ing before discovering the FIRE movement was even a thing. While he could have retired in his 40s, Mark pushed his retirement date to 50, retiring with a conservative withdrawal schedule that even beats the 4% rule. But, thanks to being invested throughout his retirement, Mark has blown past even his Fat FIRE dreams, spending what he wants, when he wants, without a worry! But it wasn’t the money that made Mark thankful for FIRE. Mark was able to be right next to his wife and even his father during their last days, being fully dedicated to them and not worrying about a job or paycheck he had to go after. This is the TRUE point of FIRE, and living like Mark could have the same powerful impact on you. Speaking of paychecks, Mark’s “FI paychecks” are fueling his retirement, so much so that he barely (if ever) needs to withdraw from his retirement portfolio. How is this completely passive cash flow funding his life? Copy Mark’s strategy, and you could be Fat FIRE by 50, too!   In This Episode We Cover The “FI paychecks” you should set up once you’re near early retirement  Why FIRE is about MORE than money; it’s about time with the ones you love  Mark’s “Fun Bucket” for worry-free spending on life-changing experiences  Why delaying your early retirement could help you FIRE without money anxiety  The one inflation/market downturn hedge Mark uses that provides him with passive income  Early retirement healthcare and how Mark pays for health insurance without employment  And So Much More! Links from the Show Mindy on BiggerPockets Scott on BiggerPockets Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place Join BiggerPockets for FREE Email Mindy: [email protected] Email Scott: [email protected] BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram “Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook Subscribe to the BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel! How to Plan for Early Retirement NOW! | Life After FIRE w/Justin Peters Mark’s Money Mind EconoMe Conference Get to FIRE Faster with “Set for Life” Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area How to Plan for Early Retirement NOW! | Life After FIRE w/Justin Peters (00:00) Intro (00:53) FIRE at 50! (04:37) Scared to Withdraw for Retirement? (07:59) Super Conservative FI Strategy (12:34) The FI "Paycheck" (13:25) Spending in Early Retirement (15:14) Time Freedom to Care For His Wife (21:42) The "Fun" Bucket (25:24) Market Corrections Are GOOD! (29:41) Add Treasuries to Your FIRE Portfolio? (32:09) FIRE Healthcare (34:46) The FIRE Lifestyle (37:52) Connect with Mark! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-624 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Barista FIRE at 36 with ONLY $500K by Trading “Stuff” for Substance

  Julie Rose “semi-retired” at just 36 years old with only $500K, trading her corporate job for sunrise safaris in Africa, beach walks in Bali, and mid-day hikes in Mexico.  With “Barista FIRE,” you can retire with a lower FIRE number, still work (minimally) doing what you love, and have almost complete time freedom over your life. Why have FIRE when you can “semi-retire” decades earlier? Plus, your retirement nest egg will be growing in the background, all while you do what you want, when you want, with who you want. Sounds like a dream life, right? Well, you’re not far from it already! After barely scraping by (even with a good job), Julie knew something needed to change, but she wasn’t ready for it. It wasn’t until she got laid off multiple times that she realized it was time to put her financial future in her own hands. This led her down the FIRE movement rabbit hole, getting almost addicted to saving and investing, and finding herself in a position to quit her job and do what she really loves: travel and get PAID to plan trips for others.  Now, she’s Barista FIRE (FIRE with the help of a side hustle), living nomadically for a fraction of the cost of a basic life in the United States!  In This Episode We Cover “Barista FIRE” and the faster way to semi-retire early with a lower FIRE number Why consumerism WON’T fulfill you, but it will make you broke Using side hustles to supercharge your savings rate and investing goals  Building your Barista FIRE income stream BEFORE you quit your job  Early retirement healthcare and how Julie pays just $40/month for coverage Living your best life abroad for a fraction of the cost of living in the States  And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-623 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Can Your FIRE Portfolio Survive a Stock Market Crash?

  The stock market is shifting, and your portfolio needs to change NOW if you want to reach or stay FIRE (financial independence, retire early). Many early retirees are sitting anxiously, watching their net worth fall by 10% (or more), making each withdrawal from their portfolio increasingly risky. If you’re close to financial independence or are retired early already, you CANNOT risk losing the gains you’ve worked so hard for. This is what we’re doing NOW to keep our FIRE portfolios crash-resistant. Last month, Scott talked about his big decision to sell off a chunk of his index fund portfolio in fears of overvalued stock prices. What followed? A significant stock sell-off, with some major indexes falling 10% already. Scott urges those close to FIRE to “lock in” their gains and avoid unnecessary risks to push their FIRE numbers higher. So, what did Scott move his money into, and should you do the same? Should you switch to bonds for a safer but lower-return correction hedge? What happens if this stock downturn lasts years? Should someone in their 20s or 30s, just starting on the FIRE path, stop investing or double down? We’re answering all of your burning FIRE questions today!  In This Episode We Cover Why Amy uses a financial advisor to help manage her money in retirement Amy’s journey to financial independence, losing her husband, and retiring early Assets under management (AUM) versus fee-only advisors (and which one to hire!) How to reach your FIRE number sooner through “experimental deprivation” Why you need to have regular money check-ins with your significant other And So Much More! Links from the Show Mindy on BiggerPockets Scott on BiggerPockets Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place Join BiggerPockets for FREE Email Mindy: [email protected] Email Scott: [email protected] BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram “Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel Save $100 on Real Estate’s Biggest Event of the Year, BPCON2025 Get to FIRE Faster with “Set for Life” Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area BiggerPockets Real Estate 1,095 - Scott Trench: How I’m Protecting My Money From “Irrational Exuberance” (00:00) Stock Market Update (06:44) Close to FIRE? Do This (14:41) Fix Your FIRE Portfolio (17:20) Lock-In Your FIRE! (19:02) Scott’s 2025 FIRE Portfolio (21:30) Already Retired/FIRE? (23:46) What About Taxes? (28:49) What if This Crash Lasts? (35:00) Start Shifting Toward Retirement Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-622 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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