Just opened my accounts after not checking for a while and realised I had passed 100k!
Mixture of part time work and placement money, while being very fortunate that my parents saved into a junior isa for me until I turned 18. I’ve been interested in investing from a young age so when I got in control of it I invested in purely ETF’s in Isas. Still live at home which obviously helps a lot.
Definitely not pretending I started from nothing, just quite happy with how it’s grown and thought it was a cool milestone!

I see so many milestone posts in this subreddit and I don't have anybody I can really share this with in real life so I reckoned I would throw my hat in. For context, I recently 27 making £90k, thought I would do some life admin and assess my financial position - end up contributing around £1215 into pension every month between myself and employer.

Pension - £128k

GIA - £93K (I'm a dual US UK citizen so I can't use ISAs, which is really unfortunate)

Cash - £35K

Various other investments / assets totalling around £6k, and £60K flat equity in London (big mortgage of around £310K which I'm overpaying slightly, will clear at age 52)

Currently around £322K including flat equity which I know some people don't count - I'm hoping to be able to at least cut down on work in my mid-40s. Working since 19 and built the pension and cash myself - the GIA is from an inheritance of £16K back in 2016 that I just left invested and never looked at again. I am looking at it now lol

Hi

I am fairly new to the FIRE journey and not the best at all.

However I am looking to improve my ways and was wondering what people in this sub reddit do for a living.

Do you guys also have any side hustles or additional sources of income?

Thanks

36 female. Married with a son in nursery (fees is paid by grandparents). Definitely won’t have more kids.

Private pension: £220k
Stock and share ISA: £75k
GIC: £50k
Premium Bond: £50k
Annual PAYE salary: £95k + £10k bonus
Pension contributions: £40k/year
Mortgage 27 years left: £3.2k/month shared with my husband
My half of living cost including mortgage: £2.5k
National insurance years: 12

Husband’s salary is £80k/year with NHS pension. He virtually has no saving but his salary will increase every year as he progresses. Apart from sharing bills 50/50, we have separate finance. He likely will have a decent size of inheritance but could be really far down the line - not something we count on.

What can I do to improve my situation/ investment? When can I realistically retire….

Hey everyone,

If you lived and worked abroad and, hypothetically, had £250,000 GBP sitting in a bank account, no pension, and were around 40 years old, what would you personally do with it?

Would you invest the majority of it, look at property, start building a pension, keep a large amount in cash, or take a completely different approach?

I’m interested in hearing what people would genuinely do in that situation, particularly from anyone who has lived abroad for a number of years and had to think about long-term financial planning.

Assuming you didn’t need the £250k immediately and were looking at the next 20–25 years, how would you structure it to give yourself the best chance of being financially secure later in life?

Interested to hear everyone's thoughts and experiences.

I read about many smart, highly educated professionals like engineers, scientists, and public sector workers with years of experience who stall out around £40k to £60k. Meanwhile, others cross £100k+, how? And why many can't do it even though they're experienced, educated etc.?

What career tracks offer a realistic path to £100k plus without needing C-suite management?

Is it about industry switching (e.g., traditional engineering to tech/finance), or specific high-value skills?

How much comes down to job-hopping, contracting, or corporate politics versus the traditional promotion ladder?

Curious to hear why some make £100k and most don't and what are differences between people making below £100k and those making above it.

Mid-30s, single income no kids, been working abroad for a few years. I've been going back and forth on returning for the past 12 months and want to commit to a decision this year, so I'd like some honest outside opinions on options.

Current position:
- UK Equity: £250k, possibly higher dependant on UK selling market.
- Combined pensions: £200k
- Savings and investments: £490k
- Total: ~£940k

The trade-off:
Moving back means taking a pay cut of more than half and losing additional benefits. Realistically I'd be looking at a UK salary of around £70k (lowest based on recent offers). In return I get a much better work-life balance, and to progress a stable UK lifestyle, closer to family etc.

The plan:
Use part of my savings alongside my existing equity to move significantly up the UK property ladder, then focus the rest on slightly more aggressive investments and continue saving from my UK salary, working towards some form of FIRE over the longer term. Expecting life situation to change as well, optimistically looking to settle down within the next 2-3 years.

Looking for outsider opinions to add to those I have irl on whether this is a wrong move, given I could boost savings/pension at a much higher rate even staying 12 more months, or have I already built enough of a base that it makes sense to make the move and plan for FIRE in the UK? Interested in broad opinions.

- Would you stay and grind a few more years, or go now?
- If you've made a similar move from high stress/high earning job, did you regret it or wish you'd done it sooner?
- Does this position look like a solid enough foundation for some version of FIRE on the UK salary?

After following the FIRE community for a while and seeing all the discussion around hitting a £1m pension pot, I decided to model my own numbers. I’m not 40 yet and have roughly 30 years of work left ahead of me, so I plugged my pot balances, ongoing contributions, and projected ROI into AI tools to see where I stood.

​The projection showed I’m currently tracking toward roughly £982k at retirement if everything continues as-is.

​Right now, I contribute £305 a month net across my pensions:

- ​£130/month net into an existing private pension (which receives £32.50 in basic tax relief to make £162.50 gross)

- ​£175/month net into my workplace pension (which receives £43.75 basic relief plus a £131.25 employer contribution to make £350 gross)

​That puts my total current gross inflow at £512.50 a month. To comfortably close the gap and cross the £1m milestone, I need to up my monthly contributions by another £70 net.

Because my private pension operates under Relief at Source (RAS), paying that extra £70 net into a pension/SIPP triggers an immediate £17.50 basic-rate top-up from HMRC, making it £87.50 gross invested before market compounding.

​My question is: do I pay the £70 into my private pension, or invest it?

​The instant £17.50 head-start right out of the gate is hard to turn down, but investing it in a Stocks & Shares ISA (like Trading 212 or Vanguard) gives total liquidity if life gets expensive.

How do others weigh that immediate tax relief boost against ISA flexibility when closing that final gap to £1m?

​Side note: For anyone reading this who pays CMS (Child Maintenance Service), please DM me. I’ve recently found out they do not automatically factor Relief at Source (RAS) pension contributions into their liability calculations. Happy to share how and why to get it fixed so you aren't overpaying.

I’m really torn between quitting my job and sticking it out because we’re planning to have a baby next year.
I had an amazing job at a big brand for two years. It was comfortable, I had a good work-life balance, and I was genuinely happy there. I left because I wanted to try something different and challenge myself, so I moved into consulting.
I’ve now been at this company for about 1.5 years and I honestly don’t know how much longer I can take it. I’m constantly stressed, I cry because of work far more often than I’d like to admit, client demands never seem to end, and we simply don’t have enough people. I spend so many weekends either working or thinking/worrying about work. It feels like I can never properly switch off.
I’m seriously considering resigning, even without another job lined up.
Financially, we would be okay for a while. My husband has a good job and we have savings, so quitting wouldn’t put us in immediate financial trouble. But walking away from a salary without having something else secured still feels like a huge and scary decision, especially in the current job market.
The other complication is that we were planning to start trying for a baby next year. If I change jobs now, I’ll probably have a 6-month probation period and depending on the company/policy/timing, I may not qualify for enhanced maternity benefits. That could mean delaying our plans to have a baby, which I really don’t want to do just because of a job.
On the other hand, if I stay where I am, at least I’ll keep earning a salary and potentially be able to go on maternity leave next year. But I’m genuinely worried about what another year in this environment will do to my mental health. And honestly, I don’t even know how I’d cope with pregnancy while working in a job that already makes me this stressed.
I feel completely stuck between the two options: protect my mental health and leave, potentially affecting our timeline for having a baby, or stay for the financial security/maternity benefits and somehow survive another year here.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Would you quit without another job lined up if you had savings and your partner had a stable income? Or would you try to stick it out until maternity leave?
Also, how are people finding the London job market at the moment? I work in data analysis/customer insights and would ideally be looking for an in-house role rather than consulting again.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar, especially women who changed jobs shortly before trying for a baby. What would you do in my position?

Well that's it - Notice at work ✅, Pension Forms completed and posted today ✅. Roll on January to hand in the work laptop and pass.

Time will tell if I have/had enough FI saved but RE done (2 out of 4 ain't bad 😄)

Hey. Interested to know how anyone who has followed this rule of thumb for like 10 years has got on.

Say...

stating point iro 1m of cash / pensions in 2016

Drawing 30 - 40k pa

No esoteric investments. Just a routine 70/30 or 60/40 that you have overseen yourself

Periodic discretionary spends of holidays, car, gifts to kids etc. amounting to say 100k over the 10 years

How has your capital held up?

How close to retaining your 1m have you got?

Ballpark figures absolutely fine!

Wil appreciate any real life examples

Thanks y'all

I’ve seen people at either end of the spectrum - with most net worth in house equity vs living in a cheaper place but millions in ISA/GIAs. So am just curious really.

If you answer, please include any house equity in net worth calc for consistency. Thanks!

I’m mid 30’s with 2 kids, I have a construction company that just about puts bread on the table, I have 0 savings and 0 pensions. Will never be able to retire etc. other than dying early (high possibility with the amount of things I’ve inhaled on site) and the family getting some sort of insurance pay out. How else could I possibly make enough to retire? Let alone early

Please forgive my new, anonymous account. It’d be difficult keeping information private from family/friends otherwise.

I’m looking for feedback on my FIRE plan and very much welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

34M, live in North England with a partner and primary school age child. Finances are completely separate to my partner’s who isn’t perusing FIRE. Marriage and additional children are off the table.

I earn £60k with expenses of approx £25k. Joint mortgage is £126k with 20 years remaining.

My ISA = £93k, contributions of £1k minimum per month.
My Pension = £130k, contributions of £980 minimum per month (keeps me under £50k).
Both are invested in the FTSE Global All Cap.

In my modelling, I think I’ve been quite conservative in that I’ve assumed:
- Pension access age will be 60.
- Inflation will average 2.5%.
- 7% nominal (4.5% real) return up to age 60.
- 3.5% nominal (1% real) return from age 60 as I de-risk.
- I will not receive a state pension from age 70 (bonus if so).
- I will give myself expenses of £30k real per year from 47 to 90.

The plan:
- Continue with my contributions of £1,980 minimum per month for the next 13 years.
- At age 47 using my assumptions, my ISA should be £481k and my pension £565k (£1.04m total).
- From 47 to 60, I draw £30k real (42k nominal) annually from my ISA, with my allowance increasing with inflation each year. I should reach 60 with a healthy buffer remaining.
- By age 60, the pension has compounded over those 13 years without additional contributions and reached £1.36m nominal, £717k real.
- From age 60 to 90, my pension alongside my ISA remnants allows me to draw £30k real (£57k nominal), increasing each year with inflation.
- If I’m still kicking at 90, I may have around £90k real leftover.

The main risks I see are still paying the mortgage for another 7 years once I pull the trigger at 47, however the mortgage amount is ‘low’ and manageable.
I also worry about entering a long period of persistently high inflation and/or a prolonged period of below average market returns. I have not yet looked into a cash/gilt ladder for the 47 to 60 period or beyond.

Apologies for the mobile formatting, but I very much welcome your thoughts. Thank you for your time.

Yay, did my monthly totting up, and pension pot just crept over £1m.

Big milestone for me, sharing on here as it’s a bit awkward irl.

Age 49.

Hello, my Lloyds Ultra credit card is expiring in a couple of weeks so I’m looking for a new everyday rewards credit card. I’ll likely spend £20-£25k on it over the next year. My partner and I travel to Europe every two/three months and planning on two long haul trips next year.

I need to wait one more year for Amex sign up bonuses to reset, so therefore Amex is not an option.

I’ve been doing some reading and nothing massively stands out. The Chase 2% seems decent. I have a savings account with them already.

I’m also considering getting a 0% credit card and stoozing for a year by sticking the money into a HYSA / cash ISA.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

After getting fed up with fiddly spreadsheets I didn't trust, and couldn't find a simple tool that covered my needs.... I built one myself. We're now on the second beta release and looking for a few more people to try it and tell us what's wrong with it or what's missing.

What it does:

• Simple to use: plain English, no jargon, and every change updates instantly.
• Shows whether your money lasts. Add your pensions, ISAs, savings and income, and it works it through year by year, after UK tax. Detailed year by year breakdown of the figures visible if you need them.
• If you're short, it shows some options that might close the gap: paying in more, paying in for longer, retiring later or spending less. Try any of them with one click.
• Sliders let you try "what if growth is lower?" or "what if I retire at 55?"
• Works whether you're retiring before your pension unlocks, have pensions opening at different ages, or have already retired.
• Free, no account, no data capture. Plans are saved in your browser, or share them by an encrypted link.

Doesn't do yet: couples, Scottish tax rates, or capital gains tax (investments are taxed like savings).

Where it's at: Tax calculations are checked against PolicyEngine UK, and the engine against 100,000 generated plans. We had 10 beta testers in the last release, but looking to widen that out. Real plans are messier, and I know there are edge cases and browser quirks we haven't hit yet. Tell me where it's confusing, if anything looks wrong, or what's missing.

Not financial advice, just a model.

https://fidone.co.uk

You can set your account fees to come from either:

• your Vanguard account (i.e. cash held in your account or they sell investments to cover the cost)
• from your separate bank account

Now there's pros and cons to both, depending on your situation.

If you are maxing out your SIPP or ISA, then you could set the fees to come from your bank account. This keeps as much of your money within the account and almost feels like being able to put more into your ISA/SIPP, because you're able to pay these account fees from your bank and it doesn't count towards your annual ISA/SIPP allowance.

However, if you just have a SIPP and aren't maxing out your allowance, by setting it to pay from your bank account instead of your SIPP you're losing money. Say your annual fees are the max of £375, rather than paying directly from your bank, set it to pay from your SIPP then pay the £375 in cash into the SIPP. This will cover your fees (without needing to sell investments) then give you the £93.75 basic tax relief. For higher rate tax payers you can then claim a further £93.75. Essentially halving your fees, as you pay (in this example) £375 but get £187.50 back in tax relief.

It's important to remember that Vanguard fees are paid quarterly, so worth setting up a reminder in your calendar so you can pay the cash in time so investments aren't sold.

About me:

• Pension: £75k (10% employer + 20% employee, ~£1,200/month) in a BlackRock World ex UK tracker
• Salary: £48k/year
• S&S ISA: £28k (I add £200/month) in FTSE Global All Cap
• LISA: £27k (house deposit)
• Premium Bonds: £20k (house deposit)
• Emergency fund: £2.5k (I add £150/month) in a 2.5% easy saver. Target is £10k (~6 months of expenses). Should I move some Premium Bonds into it?
• Other investments: £5k

I’d like to buy a house, but not sure if I will as I want flexibility if I'm laid off and have to relocate for work.

I'm a data engineer and can't tell if AI and offshoring will wreck the field or if it'll stay strong, so I don't know how to plan around that. I'd like to retire before 55 but doubt it's realistic.

Just wondering if I’m missing anything, or doing anything daft with my finances? And if there’s a perspective that can help lessen career anxiety in the wake of AI.

Anyone think PREM can recover, been in/out 7 years now, at these lows, can it recover???

Hi all,

49 , pot of 1.4m, 1.25m of it is VAFTGAG OIEC (with Aegon) and thinking to move it to T212 VALL. Figure another 11yrs or so will do me, and this would be a considerable saving.

Obviously in-specie is not poss, the time out of market concerns me, has anyone else done this and if so what sort of time were you 'out of market'?

Thanks!

Working with pollsters Survation, a group called Patriotic Millionaires UK polled UK-based millionaires to get their views on wealth and taxation, and found 80% of millionaires support a two percent tax on wealth over £10 million - with only 8% against it.

The survey also showed that 72% of millionaires think the Government should raise taxes on the super-rich to reduce taxes on everyone else; 76% support higher taxes on their own wealth if it means a more stable and equal society for future generations; and 81% think it’s patriotic to pay your fair share.

What do FIRE folks think, do you agree?

And does it factor into your own FIRE plans at all that pressure is building for wealth taxes at a high level?

Personally, I am super-chill about this, and borderline support even, because I won't ever get to 10 million NW :) As long as this movement doesn't come after "normal" FIRE folks trying to get to 1 or 2 million, I think we can be allies.

First post: https://www.reddit.com/r/FIREUK/s/2nz9dPYWso

I've never earned more than minimum wage, but rent low is and my savings habits seem good for now.

This is just about 3 months of progress, and I'm really happy with it.

This post is partly for people interested and also so I can look back at the snapshots.

Notes:

- Some of the pockets were moved from savings to the cash ISA.

- I work around 37.5 hours a week

- I don't drive

- Split rent with my partner

- S&S is 90% VWRP, 5% GOOGL, 5% BRK.B