The following articles are provided to assist you on your journey towards becoming unconstrained. All information provided on this website is for general use, and is not specific to your financial situation. Please consult with your CPA and/or attorney to get advice that is specific to your needs. Do not use this information to assist you with any financial purchase or strategic decision without first discussing the information with your CPA or attorney to determine the specific application to your needs.
According to a 2016 study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College on the Mortality Effects of Retirement, it is clear that “There may be an increase in mortality risks when people stop work.” This mirrors my own experience with Retirement and underscores the importance of removing the word Retirement from our vocabulary.
We are ending another decade in human history. Normally there is a positive push into each new decade that comes with invention, creativity, etc. and yet for this new decade there are world meta issues at play that will change how the world will look over the next 10 years. I give you what I see as opportunities that I may be participating in for the next ten years in this article.
I had the opportunity to watch a YouTube video put together by the billionaire investor, Ray Dalio, and I was disappointed by it. He correctly states the current economic thinking in regards to wealth, but neglects to consider anything to do with the unconstrained. My review is here in this article.
We just returned from a family weekend to Las Vegas and although the shows are incredible and we all enjoyed them, walking down the Strip and being shunted in and out of casinos forces you to see the dichotomy that is Las Vegas and the life of the constrained.
I don’t give personal financial advice. But what I will do is to open the kimono, so to speak, and tell you what I’m doing. Maybe history will prove me to be foolish or wrong, or some super genius or something, but I have no crystal ball. What I do have, however, is a sensitivity and observation of what is going on in the world and I use that directly to influence my own decision making process. I'll tell you what I'm doing here.
I’m not a fan of the Tim Ferris book, “The 4 Hour Work Week”. It is a flawed method for achieving what people aspire to - a life of abundance with little effort. It celebrates the concept of little work and big rewards, and is no magic formula for life. The fact is the more you give up and outsource the more constrained you are. Let’s discuss.
When I was 32, I retired. It didn’t end well. This is my retirement story. Take from it what you can. Life isn't experienced in some cubicle somewhere, but the majority of people I talk to who are embracing FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) don't really understand what life looks like on the other side of the retirement line and why they might want to rethink their goals.
When you travel and return home, there is a clarity that comes with that. If only for a short period of time, you see things for what they are. I'm going to share my clarity from about 5 months of travel, with periodic returns back to the USA, before those memories are obliterated by day to day events.
I have had my surgery in Mexico. For anyone that wants an honest accounting of the process and costs, I have laid it all out in detail here. I cover the emotional doubts, fear of surgery in a foreign land, financial truth and the outcome. You be the judge of whether this is right for you. For me, it was. Spoiler Alert: It cost me less than 1/10th of the US Price.
It can be a frightening thing - choosing to go to a foreign country to get major surgery. The vast majority of us find that a bridge too far to cross. I took the leap of faith, and I have begun the journey. This article (and hopefully the one that will follow it after my surgery is completed) will give a totally fact based account of the experience so you can see if something like this makes sense for you.