Want to Retire Earlier? How to Build Financial Independence Before 60

 Want to retire earlier, cut back your hours or reach the point where work becomes optional?  A lot of people in their 40s and 50s assume financial independence is still years away because they do not have millions sitting in an investment portfolio.  But that may be the wrong number to focus on.  If your super is on track to support you from 60, the real challenge may be much smaller: how do you fund the gap between the age you want to step back and the age you can access super?  That shift can completely change what financial independence looks like.  In this episode, Paul breaks down the decisions that can bring that point closer, from how much debt you carry and where your wealth sits, to whether you really need to live only off investment income.  Inside this episode:  The shift in thinking that could make retiring earlier feel far more achievable  Why chasing a huge passive-income portfolio may be making the goal harder than it needs to be  The role your super balance plays in whether you can afford to step back before 60  How your mortgage could be the biggest thing standing between you and more freedom  Why drawing down investments can sometimes get you to financial independence years sooner  The alternative to full retirement that could give you most of the freedom you actually want  If you are earning well but starting to wonder how long you really want to keep working at the same pace, this episode will help you think about what would need to change to give yourself more choice before 60.  WANT A PLAN TO WORK LESS OR RETIRE EARLIER? At Guidance Financial Services, we can help you build a financial plan around the life you want, bringing together your super, debt, investments and future income so you can work towards having more choice before 60. Book your appointment here.   WANT TO STAY ACROSS WHAT'S MOVING THE MARKETS?: Subscribe to GainingCHOICE, our weekly email unpacking the key headlines and what to pay attention to.  GOT A FINANCE QUESTION FOR PAUL?: Send it to [email protected], and it could be featured in his Ask an Expert column each Sunday in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.  You can also find all our links here.  General advice disclaimer