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This post is geared towards running out of money after FIRE
But it does bring up a bigger issue.
Whether you retire young or wait until a more traditional age, the threat of running out of money is real.
I’ve been reading FIRE posts for a while, and one thing I’ve noticed is that most people seem pretty conservative before pulling the trigger — 3–4% withdrawal rates, several years of cash, backup plans, etc.
But I rarely see posts from people who actually FIRE’d and then had things go badly.
So I’m curious — has anyone here been FIRE’d for 5–10+ years and had their original plan seriously tested?
Did your portfolio drop much faster than expected? Did you have to cut spending or go back to work? How did you adjust your lifestyle when reality didn’t match the plan?
Or did things actually turn out much better than your projections?
I also wonder if we simply haven’t seen many FIRE failures because the last decade or so has generally been a pretty favorable period for investors.
And for those who have been FIRE’d for a long time — looking back, do you think you could have pulled the trigger earlier?
Would love to hear the real-life experiences, especially from people who have been at it for a while.
But it does bring up a bigger issue.
Whether you retire young or wait until a more traditional age, the threat of running out of money is real.
I’ve been reading FIRE posts for a while, and one thing I’ve noticed is that most people seem pretty conservative before pulling the trigger — 3–4% withdrawal rates, several years of cash, backup plans, etc.
But I rarely see posts from people who actually FIRE’d and then had things go badly.
So I’m curious — has anyone here been FIRE’d for 5–10+ years and had their original plan seriously tested?
Did your portfolio drop much faster than expected? Did you have to cut spending or go back to work? How did you adjust your lifestyle when reality didn’t match the plan?
Or did things actually turn out much better than your projections?
I also wonder if we simply haven’t seen many FIRE failures because the last decade or so has generally been a pretty favorable period for investors.
And for those who have been FIRE’d for a long time — looking back, do you think you could have pulled the trigger earlier?
Would love to hear the real-life experiences, especially from people who have been at it for a while.