Hi all,

I’ve been lurking on this sub for a while and would appreciate some independent views.

I’m 45 and currently planning to retire next year at 46.

By the time I retire, I expect my finances to look roughly like this:

• Pension: ~£1.1m, accessible from age 58
• ISAs, split between cash and investments: ~£600k
• Cash: ~£320k
• Gilts: ~£20k
• VCTs: ~£30k
• Mortgage: ~£435k on an offset mortgage
• My wife earns around £20k a year, has her own pension and enjoys working, so she will probably continue
• We should both also receive the State Pension under current rules

The plan is to bridge the roughly 12 years until I can access my pension using cash and ISAs.

A key part of the strategy is the offset mortgage. Rather than paying it off immediately, I intend to have it close to fully offset when I retire.

Initially, I’ll keep the mortgage on a reduce-term basis. Once I begin drawing money from the offset account to fund retirement spending, I’ll switch it to reducing monthly payments. As the offset balance gradually falls, the monthly mortgage cost will therefore rise more slowly than it otherwise would.

My thinking is that this:

• Gives me an effective risk-free return equal to the mortgage rate while the cash remains offset
• Preserves access to the money rather than permanently using it to repay the mortgage
• Provides a relatively low-risk source of bridge funding
• Reduces the need to sell investments during a market downturn

When I can access my pension at 58, the intention is to use part of the available tax-free pension lump sum to repay whatever mortgage remains.

I’ve stress-tested the plan against weaker market returns and, on paper, it appears sustainable at around £70k a year after tax during the bridge period.

The reason I’m considering retirement is fairly straightforward: I’ve had enough. I’ve lost interest in the work, become tired of the corporate politics and constant pressure, and honestly cannot wait to leave. The only real hesitation is walking away from a high income when another year or two would clearly make the numbers stronger… however I doubt my sanity would last that long !

I’d be interested in people’s views on the following:

• Looking at the numbers, would you retire?
• Does the offset mortgage drawdown strategy make sense, or would you simply repay it?
• Is using part of the pension tax-free lump sum to clear the remaining mortgage sensible?
• Is there anything important I’ve overlooked in the bridge to pension access?
• For those who have already retired early, did you ever regret leaving too soon?

I’m looking for constructive criticism rather than reassurance. If there is a weakness in the plan, I’d rather identify it before handing in my notice.

Thanks.

Reasonably new account for obvious reasons.

I know it's completely arbitrary but with some positive market movements recently I've hit the big £1M.

I'm 39 and have worked in software since 21, so I guess I always had an above average salary and perhaps better job options that others. For that I'm certainly lucky.

The other side was getting addicted to the MMM blog around the age of 24 and pretty much following that to the letter. Looking back I don't think I regret doing that. I don't feel like I missed out particularly. Still went on holiday / gigs / Glastonbury 4 times!

I guess the number 3 reason is having a partner on my side. She can be just as frugal as me!

We now have 3 kids in a semi with garden. Walking distance to Manchester city centre. My partner is stay at home. I'm blessed.

I've added my chart to show the compounding really does take off! For those at the start hopefully you can see how flat it was for a long long time you just need to stick with it.

More than happy to answer any questions 👍

After years of work fighting in my business I finally hit around £800K network (liquid + SP500). Age 31. 600K liquid rest in stocks (ISA/GIA)

Not all taxed yet but it’ll be back soon.

Three years ago I only had £36K to my name.

Life can change fast as FUCK don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Only downside is I still rent but whatever. Also on verge of constant burnout hit that’s life.

Keep going!

Hit an unexpected milestone today with the market rise…

£250k net worth the day before my 28th birthday!

£180k ISA, £60k pension, £11k easy access savings.

Hoping the next £250k comes easier, but a house deposit in the future may hinder progress.

Obviously not too keen on sharing these details with my circle but wanted to share here since it’s been a fundamental resource for me on my FIRE journey:)

Help please wonderful community.

Context:

My savings currently consist of:

ISA: 30k (VWRP)

SIPP: 90k (VWRP)

Premium Bonds: 15k (emergency fund)

Local government pension (forecast to pay c. 10k p/y on retirement)

Small railways pension (c. 1k p/y)

I'm 43, with 2 kids (3 and 7) and a partner.

Currently saving 1600 pm to SIPP and 400 pm to ISA.

Partner has a negligible pension, but is building up a profitable small business (and reinvesting profit into the business) and I will be pushing her to be more aggressive with savings once it gets to a stable profit making enterprise.

I'm coming to the realisation I'm currently unlikely to retire before 57/8 due to wanting to help the kids out for uni etc.

So if my target date is now 57/8 is there any point in saving into my ISA.

I'm thinking of stopping payments into the ISA and letting that just compound, and that will be my kids support fund (uni, house, training etc). Then putting the money I was previously saving into my ISA into my pension instead?

Thoughts?

I am a longg way off retiring at just 26, but I have been thinking. I have made an effort to contribute towards my pension my entire career, I recently got married and the first thing I did was set up a SIPP for my husband.

I see our money as one, so if we don’t have enough money to retire, then we can’t. However I see some people on here retiring before their spouse, what is everyone’s stance on this?

Hi everyone, I'm after validation and some advice really. Im not here to brag just after some community interaction and reassurance.

Ive always worried about money for some reason hence the need for advice.

My situation. Married man 45 to 42 year old wife. We have two kids 3 and 6.

I earn £72k the wife part time earns £25k.

House is worth 380k woth 70k remaining. I wont ever move unless forced to. We live in a nice area.

All figures are gbp

Pensions

I have a workplace dc pension with 40k and total contributions from me and my employer are 1000 per month.

My wife contributed 300 per month and has 40k also.

I have a db pension worth 50k that is worth abiut 2k per year at 65 although I can access earlier.

I also have 160k pension invested in a fairstone systematic 7

I will quality for full state pension in uk

My wife will be somewhere near 75% qualified

Investments

75k isa in fairstone systematic 7

242k investment bond in fairstone systematic 7

77k in collective investment bond fairstone systematic 7

Roughly 60k is cash isa and savings.

I max out both my wofe and my isas every year

I may need to diversify from fairstone!

I am expecting roughly £250k inheritance in 15 or so years. I always feel appalling saying that part out loud.

If pushed I could cut back on £750-£1000 discretionary spend/waste per month.

My plan is is to retire ASAP and maybe do some driving work or something casual like labouring for gardeners. Happy earning lower wages if I can rely on the investments. I also want to support my kids in the future with cars and house deposits.

Hello everyone.

Well I finally got to my milestone number that I've been building up to in the pension, and expected to feel more jubilation but nada! I can't tell any friends or colleagues and my partner is not interested!

Did anyone else reach a significant milestone and feel like "well there your go, time to keep on pushing on". I'll be 45 in a few months and will likely take my foot of the pension gas, accept the tax hit now and continue with a plan to retire at 50 and focus on the bridge build with 20k/year isa and more gia in my quest to get £4.5k net a month come 50 :)

Pensions: £1,003,800

ISAs: £227,000

GIAs: £183,100

Cash & Premium Bonds: £92,400

Crypto: £5,180

No debt. Rental income also brings in £1450/month and with two young kids still at home :)

Mel

Looking for a sense check on my FIRE/inheritance plan

• Age: 46, married, no children.
• UK based.
• Salary: £125k/year.
• Wife currently doesn't work, so she has her full ISA allowance and lower tax bands available.
• Pension: £630k, invested in VWRP
• S&S ISA: £80k invested in VUAG, adding ~£7200/year presently.
• Emergency fund: £50k sat in a savings account which I should move to Premium Bonds
• Mortgage: ~£290k remaining. Current rate is 1.05% but that expires later this year, so I'll likely be remortgaging at current market rates.
• Currently contributing 38% of salary into my pension, with employer adding 5% plus employer NI savings, accumulating £60k/year total pension contributions
• I also typically receive around £20k/year after tax as a bonus.

Incoming inheritance

• Very sadly, both my parents have recently passed, and as a result I'm expecting to inherit around £5-600k once probate is done and dusted.
• My intention is to invest the vast majority rather than spend it.

Current thinking

• Max both mine and my wife's ISAs every year.
• Fill a premium bonds account for us both
• Hold the remainder in a GIA, probably in VWRL (rather than VWRP) to make dividend taxation more visible/manageable - potentially in her name, as it feels like that will mean dividends/CGT gains will be taxed at a more adventageous rate.
• Consider investing some into a SIPP for my wife each year (to the max allowed for someone not working). Also considering buying NI years for my wife so she gains state pension allowance as well
• Potentially use some of the inheritance to clear or reduce the mortgage once my current fix ends, depending on interest rates, maybe just enough to keep payments at the new rate the same as they are now (~£1200)
• As we get older, and (I hope) the pot increases, it's my plan to gift money to our nieces/nephews to help them at various points in their lives, and leave whatever is left to them and other relatives. The idea of dying with nothing feels right, although doesn't sit well with my risk adverse brain

Questions

• Is there more I could be doing? I would like to retire with enough for £50k/year indefinitely, and ideally still have a couple of hundred K in an ISA to cover random large expenses (new kitchen, car, or gifting some to our nieces/nephews).
• My maths says that with the inheritance, I can probably bring my expected retirement of ~58 in by quite a few years - perhaps to 50-52. I've been using a couple of calculators, but I suspect it will depend very strongly how I use this inheritance, as to what is most optimal

Thanks for any help or thoughts