The Time Freedom Podcast

➡️ Try the TIME FREEDOM CALCULATOR: https://timefreedomcalculator.com➡️ Buy TIME FREEDOM, the Book: https://timefreedom.life/book➡️ Read the FAST FOLLOW INVESTING bonus chapter: https://timefreedom.life/fastfollowIn this episode... Buy-and-hold investors are taught that timing the market is a mistake, so isn’t fast follow just market timing? Brian explains why it isn’t. Fast follow works more like a smoke alarm than a crystal ball: it doesn’t predict a fire, but it won’t let you sleep through one. He shows how a wider menu of investments, including stocks, bonds, gold, commodities, real estate, and cash, means something is usually working. That’s why the model held as much as 35% in gold during 2024 and 2025, even when analysts couldn’t explain why gold kept rising.Brian shares backtested results going back nearly 40 years. Compared with the S&P 500, the fast follow model had a smaller worst-case decline (20.3% vs. 50.8%) and a shorter longest stretch underwater (25 months vs. 74). He also lives it: he watched that 25-month recovery play out in his own portfolio from 2021 to 2023. Then he gets practical about the trade-off. Fast follow means checking the model and trading three times a month, every month. You can do it yourself with a tool like Allocate Smartly, or have Brian manage it for 0.5%, half the typical advisory fee.Top 5 Takeaways:You don’t have to predict anything. Fast follow uses math to spot what’s trending up and what’s trending down. You don’t need to know why gold is rising, only that it is.It’s a smoke alarm, not market timing. Market timing means guessing what happens next. Fast follow sets your line in the sand in advance and tells you when to get out and when to get back in.A bigger menu means something is usually working. Stocks do well in expansions, commodities in inflation, and cash protects you when everything is falling. Having access to all of them lets the model follow what’s working.Second place, again and again, wins over time. Fast follow always gets in a little late, so it rarely wins any single year. But a string of steady second-place finishes beats the one-year winners over the long run. It’s the tortoise, not the hare.Smaller drops mean faster recoveries. Limiting losses to about 20% means you’re back to even in about two years instead of six, which matters most when you’re living off your money.Chapters00:00 Fast follow investing: a framework for mitigating losses04:45 The core rule: own what’s rising, step out when it falls08:54 Rotating across asset classes12:22 Why a steady second-place strategy adds up14:37 Five years of real results and the 40-year backtest20:31 The work involved and how to combine models24:47 DIY vs. professional help, fees, and time freedom 🎧 Order your copy of Time Freedom today!

➡️ Get the free Fast Follow bonus chapter: https://timefreedom.life/fastfollow➡️ Buy TIME FREEDOM, the Book: https://timefreedom.life/bookIn March 2020, Brian watched his portfolio drop by about $50,000 a day. After 23 years of saving, he was just about ready to start using that money, so he panicked and sold everything to cash. That locked in a $200K loss, and then he missed a $300K rebound. It was a half-million-dollar mistake.Brian and Kirby dig into the problem most buy-and-hold investors don’t face until it’s too late: what happens when the market crashes right when you need your money. They cover why a 50% drop takes a 100% gain to recover, why losses hurt about twice as much as gains feel good, and why holding cash or shifting to bonds doesn’t fully solve the problem. Brian also shares what his current approach, fast follow investing, would have done during that same 2020 crash. Next week, they get into how it works.Top 5 Takeaways:A crash hits differently when you need the money. When you’re young and still saving, a drop just means buying shares at a discount. When you’re about to use your savings, the same drop can push your plans back by years.Losses take more to recover than you think. A 50% drop needs a 100% gain to get back to even, and a 90% drop needs 900%. Keep losses near 20% and you only need a 25% gain to recover.Losses feel worse than gains feel good. Research suggests a loss hurts about twice as much as an equal gain, which is why so many investors sell at the bottom, like Brian did.Getting out is only half the problem. Brian’s biggest cost wasn’t the $200,000 loss but the $300,000 rebound he missed by staying in cash. A good strategy has to get you back in, too.Cash and bonds help, but they have trade-offs. A cash reserve lets you wait out a downturn but doesn’t manage the loss. Bonds lower your returns and don’t always protect you; in 2022, stocks and bonds fell together. Fast follow aims to limit losses while still earning a strong return.Chapters00:00 The 2020 losses that prompted a new investing approach06:05 A surprising comparison introduces fast follow investing10:20 Why fast follow may complement buy-and-hold11:09 The risk of needing savings after a market crash15:00 Loss asymmetry: why recovery takes more than the drop17:16 Why investment losses can feel especially painful20:00 Brian’s 2020 sell-off and the cost of missing the rebound23:46 Investor education and when portfolio strategy should change25:14 Cash, bonds, and other approaches to limiting downside28:36 Why the hosts leave fast follow mechanics for part twoThis episode is for educational purposes only and is not individual investment advice. Backtested results are hypothetical and do not guarantee future performance. 🎧 Order your copy of Time Freedom today!

➡️ Try the TIME FREEDOM CALCULATOR: https://timefreedomcalculator.com➡️ Buy TIME FREEDOM, the book: https://timefreedom.life/book➡️ Read the FAST FOLLOW INVESTING bonus chapter: https://timefreedom.life/fastfollowIn this episode... Izzy and her husband are a no-kids couple from Atlanta who earn a combined $250,000 a year, live on $120,000, and save the rest. They’ve been saving and investing since college and already have $1.8 million. Their goal is time freedom by 50, without starting a business and without counting on flexible income later.Brian and Kirby run the numbers in the calculator, then crash the portfolio by 35% (hypothetically) the moment Izzy retires, to see whether the plan still holds. They connect Izzy's plan to one key spending principle from Chapter 7 of the book, “save more earlier to invest well later,” and show what happens when a better investment return lets Izzy save far less and enjoy her forties.For a detailed walkthrough of this case study, watch the video “Saver and Investor, Not Entrepreneur (Izzy)” at https://timefreedom.life/help.Top 5 Takeaways:You don’t have to become an entrepreneur. Flexible work opens up more options, but a good saver and investor can reach time freedom on savings alone. Izzy never starts a business and never needs income after 50.Your portfolio eventually out-earns your savings. Early on, how much you save matters most. Later, your return takes over. On Izzy’s $1.8 million, a good year earns almost twice what she saves.Stress-test the worst case. Markets drop more often than it feels like when things are going up, so plan for it. Even with a 35% crash the day Izzy retires, her money still lasts to 100.Your return is your biggest lever. A few extra percentage points can replace years of heavy saving. At a 10% return, Izzy would only need to save $15,000 a year instead of $100,000.Money you don’t have to save is money you can enjoy. You don’t have to sacrifice every year of your forties to retire early. The calculator shows which trade-offs still work: travel more now, work a little longer, or both.Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest02:00 Exploring the concept of Alameda and local insights05:02 Update on book writing and mailing strategies09:06 Case study introduction: Izzy the saver and investor13:10 Modeling market crashes and resilience16:57 Adjusting lifestyle and savings for early retirement22:00 The power of fast follow investing and higher returns23:58 Scenario analysis: Market drops and long-term wealth25:04 Upcoming deep dive into fast follow investing25:57 Closing remarks and call to action  🎧 Order your copy of Time Freedom today!

➡️ Try the TIME FREEDOM CALCULATOR: https://timefreedomcalculator.com➡️ Buy TIME FREEDOM, the Book: https://timefreedom.life/bookIn this episode... Annika is a corporate sustainability director at 42, and she has bigger dreams. Her husband Nick has spent his whole career quietly saving and investing, and together they’ve built up $500,000. Their goal is time freedom by 45, with their daughter Maya’s college still to pay for. On today’s podcast, Brian and Kirby walk through the case example from Chapter 12 of the book: a first year spent getting ready while the paychecks keep coming, a second year launching the business, and a third year earning the income that makes the plan work. They also cover the five numbers that matter most and how to stress-test your own plan so a bad year doesn’t catch you off guard.For a detailed walkthrough of this case study, watch the video "Employee to Entrepreneur (Book Example, Anika)" at https://timefreedom.life/help.Top 5 Takeaways:Director level is often a moment to decide. Once you’re leading and doing the work at the same time, you either commit to the climb toward VP or start planning your way out. It’s when “what am I doing?” turns into “why am I doing this?”Sell what you’ve already proven. Annika isn’t inventing anything new. She’s doing the work she did as a director, but as an independent consultant. When people already know they need what you offer, most of the hard parts of selling go away.Your network is your first client list. Spend a year reconnecting with 50 people, not to pitch them but to get back in touch. People who already know and trust you are halfway through the sales cycle before you ask.Two partners, two strengths. Annika brings the entrepreneurial drive, and Nick brings the saving and investing. Nick keeps his job and the health insurance while the business finds its footing, then joins her once it’s steady.Run the “what ifs” before they happen. The calculator lets you test what happens if the business only brings in $60K, if Maya skips college, or if you sell the house early. Seeing that the plan still holds gives you the confidence to start.Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the case study and main concepts02:09 The scenario of Annika and Nick's transition04:03 Setting goals and planning for time freedom08:03 Using the time freedom calculator for scenario modeling12:04 Building proven services and activating your network16:00 The 3-year transition framework and key drivers19:52 Adjusting plans and confidence in your transition23:03 Resources and next steps for planning your transition25:59 Upcoming case studies and community resources  🎧 Order your copy of Time Freedom today!

➡️ Buy TIME FREEDOM, the Book: https://timefreedom.life/book➡️ Listen to Marriage, Kids and Money: https://pod.link/1175746628In this episode... Andy explains FIRE and Coast FI by comparing two extremes: traditional retirement at 65 and saving half your income to retire at 40. He shares how the second extreme strained his marriage, and why he and his wife settled on a middle path. He walks through the numbers behind it: The couple went from $50,000 in debt to a $1 million net worth in ten years, paid off a home mortgage early, and then both moved to part-time work. Andy also shares his four levels for getting more time freedom without becoming an entrepreneur, and how he protects a three-day work week. The conversation covers karaoke, right and left socks, and why you don't need to become a YouTuber to find time freedom.Top 5 Takeaways:Coast FI and time freedom are similar. The FIRE community started with two extremes, working until 65 or saving half your income to quit at 40. Coast FI evolved toward the middle: work you like, on your terms, with time to live a fuller life now.Andy's story is the Time Freedom Formula in action. Time freedom happens when your investment income plus your flexible work covers your expenses, and Andy is using all three levers. He has no mortgage and no debt, his investments grew from $550K to $1M without new contributions, and he runs a business he works three days a week. You don't need all three at full strength, but the more levers you pull, the faster you get there.Lowering expenses is the fastest lever. Paying off a 3% mortgage looks wrong on paper, but it worked for Andy. With no mortgage, Andy's family could live on about $100,000 instead of $180,000, and both spouses could go part-time.Flexible work doesn't require becoming a YouTuber. Andy's four levels are a roadmap to the flexible work lever. Start by asking your employer for four days at 80% pay. Then look at a competitor who will offer that, or take your skills out as a consultant or freelancer. Starting something from scratch is the last step, not the first.Time freedom isn't about quitting work, it's about choosing it. Andy and Brian both keep working, because meaningful work gives you purpose and keeps your skills sharp as a safety valve if the stock market drops. The goal isn't sitting on your butt. It's having the space to decide what a great life looks like for you.ChaptersChapters00:00 Introduction to Andy Hill and his journey to time freedom01:00 Andy shares a fun fact about his karaoke hobby03:00 Discussion of the concept of FIRE and Coast FIRE08:06 How Coast FIRE is a middle ground between traditional FIRE and aggressive saving11:51 Andy’s personal story of transitioning from corporate job to Coast FIRE16:03 Different levels of work reduction and lifestyle design19:57 Managing distractions and creating buffer in work and life22:59 The importance of financial and emotional buffers27:03 The role of purpose and ongoing work in a fulfilling life36:00 Final thoughts on balancing work, purpose, and time freedom  🎧 Order your copy of Time Freedom today!