Joining me on today’s episode of the Financial Independence Podcast are FIRECracker (Kristy) and Wanderer (Bryce) from Millennial Revolution!

Kristy and Bryce exploded onto the scene after a video clip of them attacking the religion of homeownership went viral (it is now the most-viewed and most-shared video on CBC.ca, Canada’s largest news website).

During our interview, we dive into the viral video, explore why they believe buying a home is usually a terrible idea, and find out what they’ve been up to after retiring in their early 30s!

Highlights:

• Buying a house vs. retiring early
• Delusional homeowner math and how to avoid it
• Why you should rent everything
• The benefits of using a financial advisor
• How reaching financial independence is different in Canada
• Why you should follow your dreams on the side

I just returned from a fantastic week at the annual Chautauqua event in Ecuador.

This was my second Chautauqua and just like last year, it exceeded all expectations. 

At this year's event, an attendee named Alan gave an impromptu presentation about why and how you should start a business and since it fit perfectly with the week's other discussions about financial independence and happiness, I knew I had to get him on the podcast.

Since leaving my job in August, I’ve realized how important it is to have something meaningful to work on to fill the void after leaving your career so I think creating your own business is something everyone should consider.

A side business can not only help ease the transition to early retirement, it can reduce the pressure on your portfolio after you quit and it can even help you reach FI sooner so listen to today’s episode to find out the right way to get started!

Highlights:

• Takeaways and surprises from the Chautauqua in Ecuador
• Why you should do work you love
• How NOT to start a business
• Why entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be risky
• How to start a business for free
• The importance of selling your value before you create it
• Why you need to just get started

Want to know how two teachers were able to go from $0 net worth to retired in just 5 years?

On today’s episode of the Financial Independence Podcast, Ali and Joe (a.k.a. Arebelspy) from Adventuring Along join me to talk about how investing in real estate supercharged their progress to early retirement.

We not only dive into how they achieved financial independence in spectacular fashion but we also explore their equally impressive retirement so far. In the past year alone they have hiked the entire El Camino de Santiago, had a baby in Istanbul, Turkey, and published a romance novel!

Highlights:

• Dollar-cost averaging into real estate
• How to purchase real estate in a place you’ve never visited
• Best books for real estate investors
• Grasping the concept of ‘enough’
• Importance of challenging yourself after retirement (both mentally and physically)
• Cost of having a baby in Turkey
• How much money you can save by staying out of the United States

My podcast was hijacked!

During this year’s financial blogger conference (a.k.a. FinCon) in San Diego, Mr. and Mrs. 1500 from 1500days.com took control of the Financial Independence Podcast and put me on the hot seat (a very hot seat, indeed)!

You’ll remember that last year at this same conference, I recorded an in-person interview with the 1500s. Well, this year Mr. 1500 figured it’d be fun to turn the tables on me so he and Mrs. 1500 interviewed me for my own show.

Sadly we only had 30 minutes to record, and the people on stage before us ran late, so this is a short but action-packed episode.

Big thanks to Mr. and Mrs. 1500 for doing it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Highlights:

• What I was like as a child and what got me interested in money
• Details about my first job
• Why I started the Mad Fientist
• My path to financial independence and what it was like leaving my job
• The story behind my free Ivy League master’s degree
• What it was like to be on the front page of Yahoo.com
• Details of our 3-month trip around the world
• Why my wife is gross :)

Today on the Financial Independence Podcast, Doug Nordman (a.k.a. Nords) from The Military Guide joins me to talk about how he achieved financial independence at the age of 41 by serving in the military!

Doug retired way back in 2002 so we dive into how he dealt with the market crashes that occurred at various stages on his path to financial independence, what 14 years of retirement has been like, and how he’s found meaning outside of work.

I know many of you enjoyed Doug’s wisdom and insights on the previous episode so check out today’s episode for his full story!

Highlights:

• Thoughts on over 14 years of early retirement
• Details of his investing strategy and how it’s changed over the years
• Mistakes he made and lessons learned
• How to deal with market crashes when you’re still working, about to retire, and already retired
• What it’s like to live and work on a submarine
• Difference between pursuing FI as a military service member vs. a civilian
• What angel investing can teach you about investing and why it may be the best way to give away your money

Today on the Financial Independence Podcast, I’m excited to share a live Q&A session with Mr. Money Mustache, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and Doug Nordman from The Military Guide!

This panel discussion took place back in May at Camp Mustache — an annual retreat in the Pacific Northwest organized by Mr. Money Mustache readers.

In this episode, you’ll not only hear about…

• Mr. Money Mustache’s biggest splurges
• The investing mistakes I still can’t seem to avoid
• Paula’s favorite thing about financial independence
• Doug’s suggestion for discovering the meaning of life

…, but you’ll also get varied and diverse perspectives on some of the most important questions facing those on the path to financial independence and early retirement!

Highlights:

• Top recommendations for people who are close to achieving financial independence
• How to stay motivated when pursuing FI
• What is the meaning of life
• How to foster a good online culture and community
• Tips and tricks to stop you from trying to time the market
• The biggest challenges of reaching FI and how to overcome them
• What we splurge on and why
• Mr. Money Mustache’s thoughts on being featured in the New Yorker
• How to handle changes in your relationships after reaching FI

Joshua Dorkin, founder and CEO of BiggerPockets.com, joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk real estate and entrepreneurship!

Highlights:

• The story of how BiggerPockets got started
• The advantages of “scratching your own itch”
• Why you should study other verticals and other successful businesses
• The incredible power of “fake it ’til you make it”
• The right way to build an online empire
• How long it actually takes to become successful
• Achieving financial independence through real-estate investing

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/bigger-pockets-interview/

Justin from RootofGood.com joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about how he and his wife saved over a million dollars in under a decade!

Highlights:

• The tax benefits and true costs of children
• How to have a positive net worth after graduating from college
• What is interest rate arbitrage
• How to amass a million dollars in ten years without six-figure salaries
• Why you should quit your job before you’re actually ready to retire
• How to easily get $4,500 in free travel

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/root-of-good-interview/

JL Collins joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about stocks, bonds, real estate, and his brand new book - The Simple Path to Wealth!

Highlights:

• Origin of The Simple Path to Wealth
• What’s changed about his investment philosophy over the last four years
• Three simple steps to financial independence
• Difference between good debt and bad debt
• Why buying a house is an indulgence
• The only two funds you need and why you don’t need to invest in an international fund
• When should you invest in bonds and why the decision has nothing to do with your age
• The bad investing habits Jim and I still can’t shake
• The important lesson Jim learned from working with the top stock analysts in the industry

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/jl-collins-interview/

Mike and Lauren join me on the Financial Independence Podcast to discuss medical tourism, full-time RV living, and the importance of questioning everything!

Highlights:

• The ins and outs of medical tourism
• Reasons to give birth in another country
• Benefits of having multiple passports
• How to obtain dual citizenship
• Total cost of having a child in Costa Rica
• The actual income numbers of their popular YouTube channel
• How to prepare for living permanently in an RV

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/mike-and-lauren-interview/

Nick Loper from Side Hustle Nation discusses the importance of side hustles and how they can make your path to FI shorter and more enjoyable!

Highlights:

• Why you need to diversify your income
• How Nick got his start selling shoes online
• The importance of investing in yourself and your business
• Why a low barrier to entry means you should just give it a shot
• Focus on the three Cs – Creation, Connection, and Contribution
• Why fientists can take more risks and be more speculative
• How to start a side hustle
• Why you should tap into existing marketplaces

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/side-hustle-nation-interview/

The guys from Travel Miles 101 stop by the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about investing, early retirement, and the benefits of travel hacking!

Highlights:

• Using FI savings to become an entrepreneur
• Dealing with extreme lifestyle inflation
• Why P2P lending is like investing in extra-junky junk bonds
• How travel hacking increases your options and decreases the stress of travel
• Why travel hacking is the perfect hobby for fientists

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/travel-miles-101-interview/

J. Money from Budgets are Sexy joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about the benefits of challenging everything in your life!

Highlights:

• The importance of tracking your net worth
• How not to buy a house
• The importance of side hustles
• Why J. Money is the Miley Cyrus of personal finance
• How to live like Benjamin Franklin and why you should try it
• The ways personal finance has changed over the years
• Why you should challenge everything in your life

To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/budgets-are-sexy-interview/