We retired early and teach a course on financial independence. These are 5 mistakes we keep seeing people make.

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto, Travel
Alan and Katie Donegan
The Donegans on 5 common mistakes people make on their path to financial independence.

Alan and Katie Donegan

My father-in-law retired at 55 and is 87 now. His early retirement made me realize I don't want to travel the same road.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Travel
Author Melissa Noble smiling on a deck in front of her laptop
Retiring early is a dream for so many people (and a great reality for my father-in-law), but it's not something I'm hoping to do.

Melissa Noble

I retired at 34 and had to go back to work a decade later. I wish I'd stuck it out for 5 more years — here's why.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Politics
Smiling man in a light blazer with a blue shirt and pocket square, seated outdoors against a rock wall with greenery.
Sam Dogen wishes he had done a few things differently in early retirement.

Courtesy of Sam Dogen

I was earning $300,000 at Google and saving for early retirement — then I quit for a more flexible life. It changed how I view success.

Tech Insider : Business
A man standing in front of a light-up Google sign at one of Google's offices.
Tang initially thought he'd stay at Google for life.

Courtesy of Jim Tang

I'm an e-commerce entrepreneur who makes 7 figures. I used to live paycheck to paycheck and now I plan to retire at 50.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
a man in a black outfit poses at a pool
Jesse Frimpong.

Marc Johnson

I got laid off at 65 and can't find a job. I don't want to retire, but I feel invisible to potential employers.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business
Woman with short grey hair and glasses takes a selfie in the street. Behind her are tall buildings, cars, and a clear blue sky.
Mary Jane Surette, 65, was laid off from her job in February and is looking at retirement if she doesn't find something else soon.

Courtesy of Mary Jane Surette

His video startup made him wealthy. Now comes the hard part: figuring out what to do with the rest of his life.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Loom Joe Thomas Vinay Hiremath
Vinay Hiremath (left), a co-founder of Loom, reflected on finding purpose after selling the company.

Loom

Tired of Chicago winters, this Gen Xer retired at 46 and moved to Bangkok. It cut his monthly spending by half.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A man looking out at the view of Bangkok
Chris loved his hometown of Chicago but wanted a hard reset.

Chris

I retired at 52. I got bored quickly and decided to go back to work.

Tech Insider
Black and white headshot
Lee Broders wanted to retire early since he had started working at age 16, but retirement turned out to be boring for him.

Courtesy of Lee Broders

When I retired at 54 with my husband, I worried we'd be bored spending all our time together. I'm learning to focus on myself.

Tech Insider
selfie of Leonie Jarrett in front of the ocean in greece
The author retired early.

Courtesy of Leonie Jarrett

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