If you want to retire early, the Mad Fientist is your guide. For over a decade, Brandon, more commonly known as the “Mad Fientist,” has been running simulations, experiments, and exercises to discover which road to early retirement is the fastest. Now, in his forties, Brandon has time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and his regrets on the sprint to early retirement and financial freedom. And he’s also got a new update that’ll make your early retirement journey smoother.

After tinkering with the beloved and rarely challenged 4% rule, Brandon decided it was time to sit down and calculate how much you really need to retire early. For decades, financial freedom chasers have been breaking their backs, trying to have as much stashed away as possible to enjoy their well-earned time off from work. But, it turns out that this number might be overinflated, and you can retire with much less than you think. That means your early retirement timeline just got a LOT shorter.

In this episode, Brandon will describe why the 4% rule may be a bit too rigid, how to ensure you’ll have enough during early retirement, what to do during a market crash or correction, and why spending thousands of dollars on a coffee machine isn’t such a bad idea. If you want to maximize enjoyment in early retirement, instead of building a big bank account you probably won’t use, stick around!

In This Episode We Cover

Early retirement rules of thumb you MUST know when on the path to FIRE

The 4% rule and why you DON’T need to follow it to a tee

Retirement withdrawal rules and how much to spend during a crash/correction

The skill of spending and what Brandon regrets most from pre-FIRE life

Tracking your expenses and why knowing your costs is CRUCIAL to early retirement

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

Mindy on BiggerPockets

Scott on BiggerPockets

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Email Mindy: [email protected]

Email Scott: [email protected]

BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group

BiggerPockets Money 119 - Coronavirus: Is It Time to Give Up on Financial Independence? w/The Mad Fientist

BiggerPockets Money 161 - Backdoor Roths, Mega Backdoor Roths, and Roth Conversion Ladders w/The Mad Fientist

The Problem with the 4% Rule (and Why You Could Retire Even Sooner)

Hear Brandon's New Album!

Try Baselane, the One Platform for All Your Property Banking & Finances

Get to Early Retirement Faster with "Set for Life"

Find Investor-Friendly Lenders

BiggerPockets Money 18 - Accessing Retirement Funds Before Age 59½ with The Mad Fientist

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-592

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