3549: [Part 1] How I Measure Progress Toward Financial Independence by Craig Stephens of Retire Before Dad

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3549: Craig Stephens breaks down a practical way to track financial independence by combining passive income with long-term investment growth, rather than relying on a single metric. This approach offers a clearer, more flexible path to early retirement while reducing risk and increasing confidence in long-term financial security. Read along with the original article(s) here: Quotes to ponder: "If I can create enough investment income that consistently grows above the rate of inflation and covers a solid portion of my living expenses, I can tap less of my retirement savings and reduce sequence-of-return risk." "Financial independence is a financial milestone. Retirement is when I’ll stop working completely." "The FI number is about building a lump sum of money that equals 25 times your annual expenses." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can listen to 3549: [Part 1] How I Measure Progress Toward Financial Independence by Craig Stephens of Retire Before Dad online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

3549: [Part 1] How I Measure Progress Toward Financial Independence by Craig Stephens of Retire Before Dad is an episode from Optimal Finance Daily by Justin Malik.

This episode is 11:24 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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