The Aggressively Average Path: How to Retire Early
Most people think retiring early is only for people who invented a viral app, inherited millions, or got lucky on a meme coin. That is the extreme path. It’s the one shown to you most often because it’s on the outer edges of what is "normal," but sadly, those stories usually end in a crash.
Today, we’re talking about a different way: the “Aggressively Average” path to retiring early.
Consistency Over Chaos
Being Aggressively Average isn’t about finding the next Tesla or NVIDIA stock. It’s simply about buying the whole market through index funds. This path isn't "aggressive" in terms of risk—it’s aggressive in terms of consistency and time. While it might feel boring, a 7–10% return compounded over 15 years is infinitely more powerful than a lucky 100% gain that you gamble away the following month.
Grow Your "Gap"
To get to the aggressive part, you need to grow your Gap. The Gap is simply the measure of what you earn versus what you spend.
We aren’t talking about the cliché of "stopping the lattes," but let’s be honest: you probably have a "latte-style" expense that’s draining your breathing room. We want to automate the gap. If you get a raise, don't upgrade your car. Instead, automatically send that extra money to your investment account before you even see it. It’s okay to treat yourself with a small portion, but let the majority fuel your future.
Willpower is a Lie
Willpower is a finite resource. We only have so much of it in a given day. The better way to build a habit is to remove the need for willpower entirely by automating it. Set up a recurring buy on your brokerage app—even if it’s just $50 a week. This is the Safe-Finance way to build wealth without having to think about it.
Tech Bros Gamble; We Buy the Market
Tech bros gamble on single stocks; Safe-Finance readers buy the S&P 500. You are betting on the success of the top 500 companies in America. If they all go to zero, we have much bigger problems than our retirement accounts.
If you want to diversify further, adding international funds is a great move. This ensures that even if one part of the world struggles, your money keeps growing elsewhere.
The Magic Number: 25x
When you think you are getting close to retirement, you need a way to check your progress. A great rule of thumb is the 25x Rule. Take your annual expenses and multiply them by 25. That is your "Retirement Number."
For example, if you spend $40,000 a year, you would need $1 million to retire. Starting at age 20 makes hitting this number much easier than you think. You don’t need to be a genius; you just need to be the person who didn’t stop.
Start Your Journey Today
Open your banking app right now. Set up one automatic transfer of just $25 into an investment account. You didn't just move money; you just started your journey to early retirement.
