Two couples were interviewed about why and how they retired very early without being millionaires. Both have been successful. Both are major savers as you would expect, but their investment strategies have differed.

First couple:

* Retired when they were 38 years old (17 years ago)
* Retired with $500,000 which has grown in the stock market for the last 17 years. Initially invested in a low-cost index fund.
* They've lived on an average of $24,000 a year
* sold their home when they retired and remained homeless while they explored the world

Second couple:

* Retired more than 12 years ago
* Retired with $135,000 each
* Each contributed $50,000 to buy land where they built their home
* The remainder of the money went into certificates of deposit* They lived on $400 a month

Some common traits include avoiding debt like the plague, living below their means even if investments had a hot year, no interest in buying the latest stuff and finding passion outside of a career.

 

Submitted: Nov 28, 2007    Views: 467    Comments: 0    Likes: 3   


View Article: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/retirement/20071112_early_retireme...


Related Articles:



3

Email this story Email to someone | Print Story Print Content | Add to reading list



Add Your Comments:

Your Name:

Spam protection control:


Financial products of all nature bear inherent risks and this website is not a financial advisory service; it is a forum for users to share and to compare notes and observations on financial publications. The website provides, free of charge, the technical and logistical apparatus and the medium for users to share and to publish financial information and to comment on publications. As such, the website’s operator can not and does not take responsibility for information, observations or opinions of any sort or nature provided by third parties with whom it is not affiliated who use the website to publish, to comment or as a means of solicitation. Users are specifically warned against following any advice related to specific instruments, including, but not limited to, equity securities, that may be provided by other users directly on this site or on web pages to which other users have provided links on this site. BestCashCow.com can not and does not check or verify the qualifications and credentials of users who publish or comment on this site or on linked pages. Users should seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal financial issues and evaluate the risks and applicability to their own circumstances of each financial product discussed regardless of who the publisher is or purports to be. Should you, through your use of this site, identify an individual or organization purporting to offer personalized advice, you bear all responsibility to ensure that the individual or organization has the qualifications that they may represent on the website, and that their advice is appropriate for your circumstances. On certain webpages, BestCashCow.com provides information related to rates on US-based savings accounts, CDs, short-term government bonds, and other US cash equivalent securities, also free of charge to internet users for their independent use. The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed, and the information, like all other information on this website, should not be construed to provide investment advice, nor to endorse a financial product of any sort.

© 2007 BestCashCow.com, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy.