543: Finance Friday: How the “Middle-Class Trap” Stops Your Early Retirement

BiggerPockets Money Podcast

You dream of retiring early, but you’re stuck in the “middle-class trap.” You’ve built up a solid net worth, maybe own a rental property or two, and on paper, you look like you’re on track to make it rich. But in reality, you don’t feel that way. With all your wealth tied up in home equity or retirement accounts, your “early” retirement may have to be pushed to the traditional age of sixty-five. So, how do you free up some of this wealth so you can start accessing it today to retire early tomorrow?

This is the question Emily and Justin are struggling to answer. They’ve gone from nothing to a substantial net worth—$1,500,000! With big dreams to travel internationally and retire from their jobs in twelve years, they’re wondering if they can still make it to early retirement AND if they can do so while enjoying life a little bit more today. Mindy and Scott offer some unconventional advice for the personal finance space, but it may help this couple feel more secure so they can start living today instead of waiting to finally retire in twelve years!

Support today’s show sponsor, BAM Capital, your path to generational wealth with premier real estate investment opportunities!

In This Episode We Cover

The “middle-class trap” that stops even millionaires from retiring early

Why you should NOT sacrifice everything now just to retire a few years earlier

What to do when you struggle to spend more, even on the things you love

Paying off your primary residence early vs. keeping a low-interest mortgage (and what to do with the money instead!)

Putting your pension into your net worth calculation (and how it can get you closer to FIRE!)

Roth conversion ladders and the smart way to save significantly on taxes in retirement

And So Much More!

Links from the Show

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Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums

Finance Review Guest Onboarding

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Mindy on BiggerPockets

Scott on BiggePockets

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Podcast Talent Search!

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Property Manager Finder

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How to Access Retirement Funds Early

How to Estimate Capital Expenses On a Rental Property

See Mindy and Scott at BPCON2024 in Cancun!

Ramit Sethi’s Money Advice for Couples: Live a Rich Life, Together

00:00 Intro

02:19 Frugal Beginnings

07:58 Big Retirement Goals

13:48 Financial Snapshot

14:50 Struggling to Spend Money?

24:18 Can We Retire in 12 Years?

36:45 A HUGE Extra Income Source

45:46 Loosen Up Your Budget!

52:13 Retire Even Earlier?

01:02:09 Emergency Reserves for Rental Properties

01:07:51 Don't Get Caught in The Trap!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-543

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