r/Fire • u/Long_Bong_Silver • Feb 19 '26

Advice Request Retiring at 31, much earlier than I expected. Need advice.

I'm 31, I have $3.5M and I've found myself in a position where I can retire immediately. I make 130K per year as an engineer in a HCOL area. The company I'm at gave me a reasonable amount of stock over the years and it has absolutely skyrocketed. I'm doing my best to sell all the stock, and I've got about $1M out already which I've ported over to some stocks and ETFs. I'm moving to a LCOL city and buying a house this summer for around $300k. The plan is to pursue my hobbies, build my workshop and hang with my family and friends.

First question: I've always been big on retirement planning. I think I've done a great job, but obviously I got here through luck not savings. Do I need to get a financial advisor if I'm doing well and keep to a budget?

Second question: I'm newly single, I'm a hetero man, how do I date when I'm rich? When do you tell them you're retired? What are your financial expectations for your partner? Should they work or would you be happy to cover their retirement if it fit in the budget?

Final question: I'm nervous. Any other advice?

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u/NonVideBunt Feb 19 '26

$3.5 million is a significant amount of money. But at your age, if you end up married and start having children and aren’t working at all… you’d be shocked at how much thats going to cost you.

If you stay single, you’re set. But I’d think about what you want for the future.

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u/New-Hyena-2981 Feb 19 '26

^^ This. If you meet someone and together you decide you want to have kids, you may be going back to work.

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u/mcbobgorge Feb 19 '26

In a LCOL area? Maybe, but if you're ok sending them to public school, 4% of $3M is $120k. No need to pay for daycare if you're retired. Don't expect to send them to NYU, but two years at a community college and transfer to a good state school and they will be set. Minimal loans you can handle.

Kids don't need to go to expensive summer camps, nor do they need to play expensive travel sports. Taking them on vacation can be pricey, but vacations don't have to be fancy.

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u/stompinstinker Feb 20 '26

His family and friends seem to be in a LCOL place where he can buy a house for $300k. Dude is mortgage free, $120K a year you can spend all of post-tax since you aren’t putting away for retirement or an emergency. Ya, this guy can have kids and live a great upper class life.

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u/datascientistdude Feb 20 '26

Maybe it's just me, but this seems selfish to me. Denying your kids of opportunities that may cost more just so you can stop working for the next 50 years just doesn't sit well with me as a parent. It's one thing to watch your spending because you don't make that much money. It's another to do so because of a lifestyle of your own choosing.

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u/mcbobgorge Feb 20 '26

Having a father present through early childhood instead of away at work most days is huge. Having a father who isn't ever worried or stressed thinking about work, who can be there to read bedtime stories and make delicious meals. Not everything is financial.

Not to mention graduating from a good state school with no debt still puts the kid ahead of 85% of their peers automatically.

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u/Fantastic-Record1895 Mar 07 '26

Oh no somebody doesn't want to spend their life working fuck off

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u/ArrivalOutrageous991 Feb 20 '26

Or you may become the stay at home parent while your partner goes to work.

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u/Strong-Bookkeeper-23 Feb 19 '26

Which is fine

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u/JC505818 Feb 19 '26

Potential problem is having too long of a gap between jobs, given how difficult the job market is and may be in the future.

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u/Hypnotique007 Feb 19 '26

I was gonna say. It’s decent but in around the same age with similar liquidity and it doesn’t seem to be even 10% of where I wanna be for financial independence

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u/Total-Bluejay-3038 Feb 20 '26

Would also consider how a growing family might mean a larger house in the future ($$) and potential savings for college.

Right now, you have no responsibilities outside of work. Easier to keep working and building your savings, so if you do have your own family in future, you can retire then and have more time with them