{
  "id": 9558976,
  "title": "FIRE-Bewegung: Wer finanziell frei werden will, sollte auf diese sechs Punkte achten",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/fire-bewegung-wer-finanziell-frei-werden-will-sollte-auf-diese-sechs",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-24T13:16:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/anlagestrategie/fire-welche-fallstricke-es-auf-dem-weg-zur-finanziellen-freiheit-gibt/100164519.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Many people want financial independence, but few manage to achieve it. Rob from Romania and Emma from Scotland are two who have succeeded. They have been managing their life entirely on their own since 2015. They met while studying in Stuttgart, where Rob worked as a freelance software developer and Emma worked for a large IT company. They initially earned about 6000 euros gross annually, even in 2006. In 2009, shortly after the global financial crisis, they bought their first small apartment in Stuttgart, which they used initially for themselves. Over time, they accumulated five more apartments. \"A no-brainer,\" Rob says today. \"At that time, a two-bedroom apartment in the city center cost around 100,000 euros.\" Since then, the value of their real estate has at least doubled, and their rental income has increased. At the age of 30, they achieved financial freedom, moved to Romania and now live with their two children in Temeswar. They do not disclose their real names to the Handelsblatt. Even their family and friends believe they are still working. Rob and Emma are part of the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early). They are people who want to retire as early as possible, save a lot of money in their youth, and invest in rental properties and ETFs. When income from wealth – dividends, interest, rent, or investments – is high enough to support a lifestyle indefinitely, one is considered financially free. However, the path to financial freedom is becoming increasingly difficult due to inflation and stock market downturns. Many FIRE enthusiasts prematurely abandon the goal of retiring at 40, as seen with Oliver Noelting from the online blog frugalisten.de, who postponed his retirement indefinitely after his family was formed. Other common pitfalls are often overlooked by many frugals. Therefore, the Handelsblatt has researched: What matters most when wanting to achieve financial freedom? How to overcome the six biggest obstacles? And what lessons can we learn from those who have succeeded, like Rob and Emma?\n\nFIRE Mistake 1: Saving too little money\nWhat could go wrong: Achieving financial freedom requires thorough preparation, especially when it comes to savings. Many FIRE supporters base their plan on the 4% rule, which is based on a 1998 US study that examined the withdrawal rates from a portfolio for lifelong retirement. The result is that if one withdraws 4% annually for 30 years, the money will last in almost all cases. Conversely, one needs 25 times the annual expenses as wealth for financial independence. If one needs 40,000 euros per year, they need around one million euros for financial independence. How to do it better: Private investor Rob advises for a larger buffer. He says, \"The 4% rule would be too conservative for me. I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.\" He prefers to keep more reserves to remain flexible and not have to check his stock portfolio every day to ensure it is still sufficient. However, this additional sense of relaxation is worth it for Rob: \"If the stock prices fell by 50%, I wouldn't tremble but would buy more.\" However, it is an individual decision, as other FIRE supporters feel comfortable with less buffer. Additionally, Rob and Emma continue to have small side incomes. Emma occasionally translates books, and Rob runs a small online business, which he says may soon be displaced by AI. This makes his buffer even more important.",
  "summary": "Auf dem Weg zur finanziellen Unabhängigkeit kann viel schiefgehen. Ein Frührentner-Paar verrät, wie man die größten Fallstricke vermeidet – und sich den Traum der frühen Rente erfüllt.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}