Financial rules that many FIRE followers live by include guidelines around tax efficiency and more

Some FIRE followers abide by the 4% rule for portfolio withdrawals

Many FIRE proponents also abide by the 4% rule, which says that retirees can withdraw roughly 4% (adjusted for inflation) of their retirement portfolio each year.

The FIRE movement stands for ‘financial independence, retire early’

FIRE followers typically prioritize high savings rates, relatively frugal living, and aggressive investing strategies in an effort to work less and enjoy life more in the long term. They range from low-income manual laborers to high-income tech workers and doctors.

One financial planner says FIRE is a bad idea

Some financial professionals argue that those following the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement might be basing their math on too short of a timeline, leaving them without enough money if they live further into old age than expected.

Inside the lives of FIRE followers

A man named Barney Whiter saved half of his salary each month so that, eventually, he could retire at age 43. Other FIRE followers rent out rooms in their homes or even their cars in attempts to achieve the same financial freedom.

A FIRE number is the amount of money someone needs in retirement

To calculate one’s FIRE number, FIRE followers typically multiply their expected annual expenses in retirement by 25.

A 1992 personal finance book helped inspire the FIRE movement

"Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence" by Vicki Robin and Joseph Dominguez argued that people should prioritize consuming less and living better.

Financial advice from America’s founding fathers

Several of America's founding fathers—Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton—espoused various financial platitudes during their lives. According to the financial publication Kiplinger, much of their advice holds up in modern times. This article rounds up a few wise words from the founding fathers (and even one first lady) about compound interest, taxes, and education. For money-management tips from America's early days, click here.

Inside a FIRE follower's money diary

This podcast episode details a few days inside the bank account of a woman in Australia who set out to retire by age 35.

Four popular budgeting strategies

While budgeting is an individualized process, there are a few tried-and-true budgeting methods people interested in saving money or paying down debt tend to use. These methods include the envelope method—where people budget for things like rent, savings, and food by putting cash in various physical envelopes—the 50/20/30 method, and others. Read about four popular budgeting strategies in this article.

Five mistakes experts see people make with 529 plans

In this podcast, financial experts review the top five mistakes investors make when it comes to this education investment vehicle. Some mistakes are true for all investments, such as periodically checking for new rules and regulations. Others focus on 529 plans and how to get the most out of them.

Financial solutions for HENRYs

The term HENRY stands for "high earner, not rich yet." People who fall into the high earner, not rich yet category tend to have some significant blockers keeping them from accumulating wealth, such as lifestyle creep and student debt. This article outlines some financial planning advice specifically for those in the HENRY category—read it here.

An individual retirement account is a type of tax-advantaged investment account

An IRA lets individuals at most income levels invest either pre- or post-tax money for retirement. IRAs are often good solutions for people who don’t have the option to invest in a 401(k) plan—or for those who want to put even more money aside for retirement.

Tax-loss harvesting is a way that some people attempt to trim their tax bills

Specifically, tax-loss harvesting is a way to lower your tax bill by offsetting investment gains with losses. It can be tricky to practice and comes with a few important rules, so working with an expert may be your best bet before Tax Day.

The do's and don'ts of using AI to manage your finances

Experts suggest avoiding asking AI for investment advice, but say it's useful for basic budgeting help. Read this article to learn more.

Calculate the financial outlook for your retirement

This simple calculator takes your age, income, planned contributions, and expected retirement needs into account to give you a portrait of how your financial condition will look when it comes time to start withdrawals.

Hedge funds make money from imposing steep fees on investors, as well as from investment performance

Hedge funds often operate on a "2 and 20" model: Investors pay fund managers a 2% management fee, and the hedge fund keeps 20% of their profits. (The 2% is imposed annually, irrespective of performance.) Hedge funds are known for chasing big returns—and taking big risks to get them. This explainer not only breaks down how they work in detail, but also the strategy first introduced in 1949 that still shapes hedge fund investing today.

Check out a list of 15 red flags that might result in an IRS audit

The Internal Revenue Service has audited less than 1% of all individual tax returns. If you're still worried about being audited, know that some people are more likely to be audited than others, such as people who make a lot of money and those who take large charitable deductions.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

Certain trusts can bypass estate taxes—but the terms can't be changed

Putting money and other financial assets in an irrevocable trust is one way to avoid estate taxes. There are some cons to this trust, like the fact that you can't change the terms of the trust or assets in the trust after they're set. But a big pro is that any financial assets in an irrevocable trust aren't considered part of your estate, meaning they aren't subject to death taxes.

Listen to Ray Dalio break down his most valuable principles in life and work

Dalio's now-famous principles started out as a collection of rules the finance behemoth set for himself. Since then, the list has expanded, becoming required reading for all Bridgewater Associates employees. In 2017, Dalio published an expanded version of these rules called "Principles: Life & Work," which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.

Written by 26 sovereign wealth funds in 2008, the 'Santiago Principles' provide generally accepted principles for fund management and governance

Sovereign wealth funds are not regulated, but many of the funds voluntarily follow the Santiago Principles (though, to a varying extent). Some of the principles include transparent financial objectives, clear accountability structures, regular performance reviews, and annual auditing.

Everything you need to know about emergency funds

The general rule of thumb for emergency funds is that you should have three to six months of living expenses saved—but what does that mean exactly? This article answers all your specific emergency fund questions, such as where you should put those emergency reserves, whether you should save three to six months of your full salary or just enough to cover three to six months of bills, and more. Read it here.

Life insurance policies are often recommended for people with financial dependents

If you’re a parent, spouse, business owner, homeowner, or if you hold a lot of debt, you might want to consider life insurance. It can replace a loss of income or pay off debt.

Should married couples combine finances?

Millennials who live together are more likely to keep their finances separate than any previous generation. After all, as people get married later in life and enter marriage with more assets and financial independence, some argue that the traditional route is risky. But others point to research that suggests couples who combine their finances are still happier than those who don't. To learn more, watch this video.

Many 'cheap' retirement destinations contain hidden costs

Considering factors outside of housing and state income tax is crucial when thinking of an inexpensive place to retire. High energy bills, grocery tax, and insurance premiums are just a few things to look out for when picking where to live.

See comparisons of different countries' taxation strategies

Taxes are a major revenue source for most countries, and how each government taxes citizens often reflects the country's economy. Developed countries tax at much higher rates than developing ones, and as a country grows its GDP, it also typically grows the proportional percentage of taxes it gains from its citizens.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

Warren Buffett's former professor Benjamin Graham is known as the 'father of value investing,' a strategy in which investors seek to buy stocks trading below their intrinsic worth.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

Play the role of a student in a game where you try to navigate college and remain debt-free, selecting different income levels, high school experience, race, ethnicity, and more.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

Apeirophobia is an overwhelming fear of living forever, perhaps stemming from the brain's inability to conceptualize an infinite life.

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

The use of fungi to detoxify land and water—a process known as mycoremediation—has been used to clean up natural resources affected by the 2025 California wildfires.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients.

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

See how each of the more than two million known species relates to each other—and to common ancestors—in this zoomable tree of life.

Scientists can determine Earth's past climate conditions by analyzing air trapped in microscopic bubbles within ice cores—columns of compressed snow layers that build up over hundreds of thousands of years.

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, and became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.