527: Retired at 49 on an Average Salary after Getting a “Late Start” to FIRE

Think it’s too late for early retirement? Do you feel like just because you’re in your late thirties, forties, or fifties, FIRE doesn’t make sense for you? Well, think again because today’s guest defied the odds by retiring over fifteen years early, all while raising her daughter on her own and without a six-figure salary to sail her swiftly to a million-dollar net worth. Plus, she did all of it with no investing experience. If Jackie Cummings Koski can do it, so can you! Jackie grew up in a single-parent household. Her father worked hard to support her and her five siblings. This instilled a strong work ethic in Jackie and made her realize that running towards hard things, not away from them, was the true path to success. She figured out college on her own and, shortly after, landed a corporate job that took her far away from the small town she grew up in. She got married and had her daughter, but then everything changed. Jackie was getting divorced, forcing her to rely on herself fully for her financial future. In true Jackie fashion, she took this as a challenge and began educating herself as best as she could. Through smart saving, spending, and life-changing investing decisions, Jackie built her wealth in record time, reaching financial independence just ten years after finding the FIRE movement—all without any advantages! In This Episode We Cover How to reach financial independence without a high salary, inheritance, or advantages Stock investing 101 and how intentional investing can explode your net worth Why you must max out THESE investment accounts to be richer in retirement How Jackie spends just $40,000 per year owning her own home and raising her daughter Why you DON’T have to follow all the traditional FIRE rules to retire early And So Much More! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums Finance Review Guest Onboarding Join BiggerPockets for FREE Mindy on BiggerPockets Scott on BiggePockets Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show Podcast Talent Search! Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area Find Investor-Friendly Lenders Money Podcast 154 - Bill Bengen (The Inventor of the 4% Rule) Talks Retirement, Past Crashes, and How You Can Withdraw Even More Email Mindy for the Full 4% Rule Article! Money Podcast 344 - Rethink Social Security: Myths, Benefits, and Clearing Up Misconceptions Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Better Investing Root of Good Mr. Money Mustache Mad Fientist 1500 Days 00:00 Intro 01:14 FIRE at 49! 02:50 Making Money in Retirement 06:11 Early Years, College, and Getting Divorced 11:21 Working Her Way Through College 15:06 Getting Hired After College 15:50 Starting to Learn About Stocks 20:02 Finding the FIRE Movement 26:54 Spending and Saving 36:01 Jackie's Podcast and New Book! 38:20 Connect with Jackie! Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-527 Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices