What is the best way to divide up your investments among stocks, bonds, and other vehicles? Asset allocation is an essential yet confusing topic. That said, it is an area of critical importance when thinking about early retirement. This is because decisions made about asset allocation can have huge implications on portfolio performance, taxation, and ease of maintenance. Join us for this first episode in a two-part series, as Eric and Jason talk about their portfolios, the merits of simple vs. more complex strategies, the role of bonds, and the risks they considered along the way.

**Note: This content does not constitute investment advice and is being presented for informational and educational purposes only.

Will you have enough to money to retire (early or otherwise)? Achieving financial independence requires many key elements to be in place and special consideration if you plan to retire early. You need a plan: what will you do? What will you spend? Where will it come from?

In this episode, Eric and Jason discuss a recent blog post by Fritz @ The Retirement Manifesto where he discusses the "10 Steps to Make Sure You Have Enough Money to Retire". We cover how we've been designing our "dream retirement", how we track current expenses and project future spend, how Jason is drawing down assets and Eric's evolving plan to use "the bucket strategy", and much more.

**H/T to Fritz's post "10 Steps to Make Sure You Have Enough Money to Retire", please see his article at The Retirement Manifesto: https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/10-steps-to-make-sure-you-have-enough-money-to-retire-2/

Health insurance may not be top of mind in early retirement when you're young and healthy, but it should be. In the US, healthcare costs are a significant line item in our budget. To help us decode what you need to know, we've invited a retirement benefits expert to answer our questions through the lens of those seeking financial independence and early retirement.

To protect against astronomical expenses resulting from unexpected medical issues, it's prudent to carry insurance. If you're retiring before 65 (when Medicare kicks in), you'll be responsible for covering those costs. What do you need to consider? What ARE the costs involved? What insurance shouldn't you purchase? Are there other options for coverage? What about long term care insurance? These are just a few of the topics we cover in this hour-long episode.

Our sincere thanks to Amy Manning for sharing her time, knowledge and expertise with us!

Be sure to check out the show notes at https://twosidesoffi.com/

In today's episode we are joined by a guest, who we met in a FIRE Discord server, and wanted to share her story.  Our conversation is a great example of the diverse reasons why people choose to seek financial independence. As you’ll discover, family health issues set then 23-year old Catherine on her FI path, largely as a means to ensure her financial security should she encounter issues of her own as she ages. Listen to our conversation to hear just how much progress she's made in only two years.

Interested in checking out the FIRE Discord server? Here's a link: https://discord.gg/ArESGNZRax

A seven day vacation or 5 weeks of travel - which would you prefer? When you're working towards financial independence, vacations are a time to set aside work and everyday chores. But they're constrained by things you don't often control: accrued vacation time, work and school schedules, business obligations, and holidays, to name a few. In this episode, Eric and Jason compare notes from their two respective sides of FI and their recent vacations: 7 days for Pre-FI Eric and 5 weeks for Post-FI Jason. See just how different is travel once you reach FI and the constraints have been removed.

For more information on Jason's five-week trip, check out his blog post on the topic: https://thenextphaseisnow.com/longest-vacation-of-my-life/

Imagine hitting your FI number, retiring early, and discovering you hate it? In this episode we discuss four examples of such an outcome: from quitting the perfect job and regretting it, to feelings of depression and lack of purpose. Some are unable to find motivation without financial incentives, while others realize they haven't budgeted enough to do things they enjoy in life.

This is part 2 of our How NOT to FI/RE series for part 1 and the PRE FI/RE examples, be sure to check out that video here: https://youtu.be/Jb438jvebd0

The full text of each of the Reddit posts we discussed is posted in the show notes at: https://twosidesoffi.com/how-not-to-fire-2

On the path to financial independence, there are ample opportunities for mistakes and missteps. In today's episode, we review stories from people who shared their FIRE experiences online in the hopes of educating others. Here we review five of these tales: incurring tragic losses due to trying to beat the market, losing 75% of your portfolio value due to sector investing, regretting aggressively saving at the expense of living your life, and resenting your partner who doesn't have the same degree of FIRE ambitions as you do.

Show notes, including the full text of Reddit posts from this episode:

You asked, we answered. Bringing the Two Sides of FI together to discuss changing withdrawal rates, Jason and Eric's own FI numbers, redefining identity in early retirement, rental real estate, and more. Want your question featured on an upcoming show? 

Leave us a comment on YouTube - https://youtube.com/c/TwoSidesOfFI

or reach out on our contact page - https://twosidesoffi.com/

Retiring at 47 is early by any definition. In this episode, Jason reflects on his first year in early retirement. Not everything went smoothly as you might expect. Learn what's changed, what's been better, what's worse, and - importantly - has it lived up to his expectations? If you're excited to reach this milestone but still harbor some reservations about crossing into "retirement", Jason offers a grounded, thoughtful perspective on what to expect and how to prepare for such a life-altering transition.

Talking about FIRE with your partner involves so much more than finances: from friend groups and career aspirations, to personal goals and family dynamics. In part two, Eric + Jason continue the conversation with their spouses, Laura + Lorri, discussing how they share financial responsibilities, the importance of finding friend networks, talking to their children about FIRE, and their hopes for their post-FI lives.

For show notes and resources please check out our website - https://twosidesoffi.com/