Jackie Cummings Koski, MSPFP, CFP, AFC, is a personal finance educator and consultant who reached F.I.R.E. in her 40s after growing her wealth to over $1 million. Her personal finance tips have been featured on media platforms like CNBC, Forbes, and Market Watch. She is author of the award-winning book Money Letters 2 My Daughter.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with F.I.R.E. 5

Chapter 1: What Is F.I.R.E.? 7

Chapter 2: Personalizing the Process of Reaching F.I.R.E. 17

Chapter 3: Understanding the Mindset and Psychology behind F.I.R.E. 37

Part 2: Organizing Your Finances for F.I.R.E. 57

Chapter 4: Knowing and Tracking Your Numbers 59

Chapter 5: Understanding How Taxes and Credit Scores Work 77

Chapter 6: Getting Your Hands on Documents and Account Information 93

Chapter 7: Reviewing Possessions, Probate, and a Plan for Your Estate 111

Chapter 8: Using Financial Professionals 131

Chapter 9: Celebrating Your Wins 143

Part 3: Increasing Income, Savings, and Investing 153

Chapter 10: Working Wonders by Growing Your Income 155

Chapter 11: Moving Fast by Increasing Your Savings Rate 173

Chapter 12: Investing and the Undeniable Power of Compound Growth 183

Part 4: Decreasing Debt, Expenses, and Taxes 201

Chapter 13: Are You Doomed If You Have Debt? 203

Chapter 14: Do You Have to Cut All Your Expenses to the Bone? 215

Chapter 15: Can You Really Control Your Taxes? 229

Part 5: After F.I.R.[...]: Things to Do after Retiring Early 253

Chapter 16: Planning a Graceful Exit from Your Job 255

Chapter 17: Planning Your Post-F.I.R.E. Income and Health Insurance 271

Chapter 18: Planning for the Later Retirement Years 295

Part 6: The Part of Tens 311

Chapter 19: Ten Hot Topics in the F.I.R.E. Community 313

Chapter 20: Ten Tips to Make Your F.I.R.E. Journey Fun 319

Chapter 21: Ten Big Names to Know in the F.I.R.E. Movement 325

Glossary 331

Index 335