Can Your FIRE Portfolio Survive a Stock Market Crash?

Episode #622

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The stock market is shifting, and your portfolio needs to change NOW if you want to reach or stay FIRE (financial independence, retire early). Many early retirees are sitting anxiously, watching their net worth fall by 10% (or more), making each withdrawal from their portfolio increasingly risky. If you’re close to financial independence or are retired early already, you CANNOT risk losing the gains you’ve worked so hard for. This is what we’re doing NOW to keep our FIRE portfolios crash-resistant.

Last month, Scott talked about his big decision to sell off a chunk of his index fund portfolio in fears of overvalued stock prices. What followed? A significant stock sell-off, with some major indexes falling 10% already. Scott urges those close to FIRE to “lock in” their gains and avoid unnecessary risks to push their FIRE numbers higher.

So, what did Scott move his money into, and should you do the same? Should you switch to bonds for a safer but lower-return correction hedge? What happens if this stock downturn lasts years? Should someone in their 20s or 30s, just starting on the FIRE path, stop investing or double down? We’re answering all of your burning FIRE questions today!

00:00: Stock Market Update
06:44: Close to FIRE? Do This
14:41: Fix Your FIRE Portfolio
17:20: Lock-In Your FIRE!
19:02: Scott’s 2025 FIRE Portfolio
21:30: Already Retired/FIRE?
23:46: What About Taxes?
28:49: What if This Crash Lasts?
35:00: Start Shifting Toward Retirement