31 Alan Charness on retiring at 35

Alan shared an hour of his time to explain how he was able to retire at 35 and lays out the principles by which he lived.

Alan’s three core principles

1. Keep your spending in check so you save a lot - preferably by automating your savings
2. Seek out ways to increase your income through education, hard work, and challenging careers
3. Implement a sound investment strategy that keeps fees low and generates high rates of return early on

Alan discusses the merits of going back to school to get a graduate degree. He also explains why living in a low-cost city like Pittsburgh was a boon and how he lost more than 100 lbs after he retired.


Alan’s Challenge; Keep a journal of all your expenses for one week and reflect on necessary vs. discretionary purchases. By investing savings in securities generating an average of 10%/year (i.e. total stock market funds), in 20 years, each dollar saved could turn into $7. If you’d rather have the $7, automate your savings.

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Connect with Alan
Twitter @alancharness
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