The Irish FIRE Podcast

After a recent radio interview left very little time to explain the realities of financial independence and early retirement, Michael Houghton takes a deeper look at some of the questions people most often ask about FIRE. Does retiring early mean never working again? Where does fulfillment come from without a traditional job? And how is it possible to build enough wealth to step away from full-time work in less than a decade? Michael discusses the intense saving years behind his family's journey, the role of investing and property, and how compound growth eventually began doing more of the work. He also looks at the idea of "enough" - why building a larger portfolio is not necessarily better if it comes at the cost of another decade of work, and why the real goal of financial independence has always been greater control over time. Finally, Michael explains why budgeting will remain part of life in retirement and why FIRE, for his family, has never really been about becoming rich. It has been about building enough wealth to have the freedom to choose how they spend their time. Show Notes: The FYI - Top 10 FIRE Podcasts: https://the-fyi.com/money/podcasts-for-the-fire-community/ Original interview on Claire Bryne: https://www.goloudplayer.com/episodes/how-would-like-to-retire-early-YTYzZTQ0NTBlZGYwOTM3ZWU3MmM2YzNmNDAxOTQ1ZmY=  View our monthly FI progress: https://www.firepodcast.ie/progress Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter This episode is supported by Moneycube, one of the sponsors of the Irish FIRE Podcast. Moneycube is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode of The Irish FIRE Podcast, Michael is joined by Karena Duane, founder of Money, Just For Her. Karena has spent more than 25 years working in Irish financial services and now focuses on helping women build greater confidence and understanding around money. They talk about budgeting, spending habits and our relationship with money, as well as the gender pay gap and the longer-term impact this can have on women’s finances. They also discuss money within relationships, including what happens when couples have very different attitudes towards saving and spending, and why these conversations can be so important. Karena also shares the story behind Money, Just For Her, why she created it, and some of the financial challenges women can face at different stages of life. Show Notes: You can find out more about Karena and Money, Just For Her here: https://moneyjustforher.com Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter: https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter This episode has been sponsored by Martina Murphy Solicitor. Legal services with a personal touch.

Sjoerd Bak returns to the Irish FIRE Podcast for a conversation about financial advice and why simply speaking to a financial adviser doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting the right advice for you. We talk about why not all financial advice is created equal, what consumers should understand before sitting down with an adviser, and the knowledge Sjoerd believes you should build yourself so that you can engage with financial advice in a completely different way. Show Notes: Sjoerd's first interview: https://www.firepodcast.ie/become-a-millionaire-with-sjoerd-bak Connect with Sjoerd on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjoerdbak/ Connect with Sjoerd on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sjoerd.bak/ Visit Sjoerd's Website: https://www.bamillionaire.com Sjoerd's founding cohort closes Friday 25 September at midnight: bamillionaire.com/founding50 Book a free clarity call with Sjoerd for one-to-one coaching: go.bamillionaire.com/apply Subscribe to The Irish FIRE Podcast Newsletter: https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

Ireland is planning to introduce a new Personal Investment Account (PIA), designed to make investing easier and encourage more people to move some of their savings out of cash and into investments. On the surface, it sounds like a welcome step, but will it really be as simple as it sounds? In this episode, Michael is joined by Michael Healy, CEO of IG Consumer, to look at the detail behind the proposed PIA. They discuss the possible tax treatment, what investments could be included, how the account might compare with systems in the UK and Sweden, and why Michael is concerned that Ireland could end up creating something far more complicated than investors are expecting. They also discuss what the Government needs to get right if the PIA is genuinely going to encourage more ordinary Irish people to invest and whether this could finally be the beginning of a simpler investment system in Ireland. Show Notes: Learn more about IG: www.ig.com. Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter: https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter This episode is supported by Moneycube, one of the sponsors of the Irish FIRE Podcast. Moneycube is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Seven years ago, I sat down with Ralph Benson from Moneycube to talk about pensions, investing and financial independence. Exactly seven years later, Ralph joins me again to look back at what's changed - both in my own financial journey and in the wider world of pensions and financial planning. This time around, we talk about my plans for early retirement and some of the questions Ralph typically asks clients when they're trying to work out what they actually want from their money. We also explore the money-time-health triangle, what retirement might actually look like for me, and perhaps most importantly, what Plan B looks like if things don't quite work out as expected. Show notes: The original interview with Ralph: https://www.firepodcast.ie/talking-pensions-with-ralph-benson-from-moneycube Pensions Awareness Week: https://pensionsawarenessweek.ie Check out Moneycube: www.moneycube.ie or email [email protected] Sponsorship disclosure: This episode includes sponsorship from Moneycube, but the interview with Ralph Benson itself was not sponsored or commissioned. I invited Ralph onto the podcast independently and received no payment for interviewing him. I retained full editorial control, including over the questions asked and the final edit, and Moneycube had no approval or influence over the interview or its content.  For more information on how we work with sponsors, please click here. Moneycube is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.