Yes, it’s possible to retire early, even if you’re just now diving into the FIRE movement. Early retirement could be within reach whether you’re in your twenties, thirties, forties, or fifties. Imagine having complete freedom in a decade or less: no office politics, no boss, and, best of all, no spreadsheets! That’s the life Arik Peterson built when he retired early at forty-four, leaving behind a demanding career in corporate investing.

After reading Mr. Money Mustache’s unmatched FIRE blog, Arik drastically changed his saving and investing habits, increasing his savings rate to seventy percent and redirecting his money into simple, steady investments many overlook. Today, his life looks vastly different—he spends his days fishing, biking, creating art, and working on DIY projects instead of staring at a computer screen, crunching numbers.

In this episode, Arik shares his complete strategy for reaching financial independence, why he’s skeptical of the 4% rule, his current investment choices, and how an unexpected layoff turned into his golden opportunity. Ready to ditch corporate America? Follow Arik’s plan!

In This Episode We Cover

Why you must increase your savings rate if you want to reach FIRE fast 

The simple, low-cost investment Arik has in his early retirement portfolio 

Why you don’t need to follow the 4% rule to finally quit your job and retire

Making money in retirement and living off of side income streams

Arik’s killer advice for Roth investing that could make you tax-free millions 

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

Live Long Live Often

Support Today’s Show Sponsor, Connect Invest, the Alternative Way to Earn Passive Income Through Real Estate

Get to FIRE Faster “Set for Life”

Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area

What to Do Before You Quit the High-Pay & Benefits of Corporate World

(00:00) Intro

(00:58) Discovering FIRE

(02:11) A VERY Stressful Job

(04:58) Secret to Get to FIRE Faster

(08:35) “Obsessing” Over Money

(10:16) What He Invests In

(12:44) Ignore the 4% Rule?

(14:22) FIRE at 44!

(17:07) Connect with Arik!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-579

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