Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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Five Tools for
Retirement Planning
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

Akaisha and Billy at
Monte
Alban in
Oaxaca, Mexico
Recently
we were interviewed
by Andrew Hallam for the Canadian paper, The Globe and Mail.
As what happens sometimes, a retirement forum thread opens up to
hash out the numbers quoted in the piece. Also, general conclusions
of the article tend to run on both sides of the fence from “What
they did was so foolhardy!” to “What an inspiration!”
People don’t always agree, and I realize that we have placed ourselves
purposefully in the public eye. This position requires that we take the slings
and arrows along with the kudos.
What is risky?
But it also brought up a good conversational point with Billy and me – What
exactly is a risky choice? And should we avoid them?
These days, 50% of first marriages end in divorce and 67% of second marriages
end up on the rocks. Yet people get married all the time. What sort of
businessman would invest in a company with that kind of failure rate? Add
children or blended families to the mix and the stress levels soar.
Love makes the world go round, and no matter what the numbers say, people fall
in love every day. Sure, some people sour on partnerships and won’t take the
leap, but more people do than don’t.
We were “lucky fools”
Some forum members claim that we have been “lucky” or that it’s one in a billion
that our retirement has worked out for us. Or that we had the wind at our backs
with the market of the 1990s, but they forget that we were also invested during
the crash of 1987, the dot com bubble in 2000, and in the latest crunch, the
Great Recession.
Some say if we weren’t “lucky” then we were fools to have made the decision to
retire at so young of an age, and with less than 2 million at the time. And it
is irresponsible of us to tout such a plan to others when failure is sure to
visit the doorstep of anyone who follows. Seems everyone wants
a
guarantee when
there are none in life.
5 dependable tools
It wasn’t luck nor was it foolhardiness. Billy and I would like to share five
tools which we used that will also help you achieve your retirement goals,
regardless of what age or how much money with which you start your journey.
Persistence
Calvin Coolidge stated that persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
To keep on keepin’ on when others have given up will surely bring you the prize.
Whether it’s saving for your financial goals, keeping your dream alive or just
plain not giving up. Even Winston Churchill counseled to never give up. Ever.
Commitment
Being committed to a goal sometimes means that approaches to achieving that goal
must change. Perhaps something must be cut from the plan or added. Maybe it will
take another year to achieve the dream, or
the house should be downsized, or the
realization dawns that an opulent style of retirement must be replaced with
something more reachable. Being committed doesn’t mean you never let go, it
could mean that a
flexibile description could be your best option.
Communication
Ah, yes. The dreaded word… If you are working out your dream with a spouse or
partner, then literally, it takes two to tango. If one person wants to travel
and the other wants an organic garden and two dogs, you are being challenged to
work this situation out. Find a win-win solution for the both of you. It is
absolutely
possible, and it doesn’t mean that one person gets to have their
dream while the other person gives theirs up. Sometimes communication means you
listen to the other side.
Self-responsibility
Carry your own water. Know what you are looking for in retirement. Know what you
want to do with your time. Know where you want to go. If you are working with a
partner then both of you should be contributing 60%, not 45-45%. Know your
talents and what you bring to the table. Don’t whine because it’s too hard. Get
a mitt and get in the game.
Sense of Humor
Keep in mind that it’s not just the destination but the journey. With all this
heavy stuff remember to lighten up and laugh, recalling why you want to retire
in the first place. It makes the path to your goal more joyous.



Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their time, and who doesn’t
want to mindlessly follow the crowd.
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