The Best FIRE Resources
Hand-picked blogs, books, podcasts, tools, communities, and research papers for your financial independence journey — all with full credits to the incredible creators who built the FIRE community.
Full Attribution
Every resource below is credited to its original author or creator. We believe in supporting and promoting the amazing work of the FIRE community. Always visit the original sources for the most up-to-date content.
Showing 26 of 26 resources
⭐ Featured Resources
Mr. Money Mustache
By Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache)
The blog that launched a thousand early retirees. Pete retired at 30 and writes about frugality, investing, and living a rich life on less. Essential reading for any FIRE seeker.
ChooseFI
By Brad Barrett & Jonathan Mendonsa
Community-driven FIRE content with actionable strategies, podcast episodes, and local groups. One of the largest FIRE communities on the internet.
JL Collins Stock Series
By JL Collins
The definitive guide to index fund investing for FIRE. Collins explains why simple investing beats complex strategies, and why the stock market is your friend.
Mad Fientist
By Brandon (Mad Fientist)
Deep dives into tax optimization, account strategy, and the psychological side of FIRE. Brandon is known for advanced strategies like Roth conversion ladders and IRA hacking.
Early Retirement Now
By Karsten Jeske (Big ERN)
The most rigorous analytical take on the 4% rule and safe withdrawal rates. Big ERN's SWR series is required reading for anyone serious about retirement planning.
ChooseFI Podcast
By Brad Barrett & Jonathan Mendonsa
500+ episodes covering all aspects of FIRE with expert guests. Consistently rated one of the top personal finance podcasts. Perfect for commutes and workouts.
The Simple Path to Wealth
By JL Collins
The definitive FIRE investing book. Collins distills decades of investing wisdom into a simple, actionable strategy centered on low-cost index funds. A must-read.
Your Money or Your Life
By Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez
The book that started the FIRE movement before it had a name. Reframes money as life energy and provides a 9-step program to financial independence. Life-changing.
FIRECalc
By FIRECalc Team
The original FIRE retirement calculator using historical market data. Tests your retirement plan against every 30-year period in history. Free and incredibly powerful.
Retirement Savings: Choosing a Withdrawal Rate That Is Sustainable (Trinity Study)
By Cooley, Hubbard & Walz
The foundational 1998 academic research paper that gave us the 4% rule. Essential reading to understand the evidence behind safe withdrawal rates.
Safe Withdrawal Rate Series
By Karsten Jeske (Big ERN)
The most comprehensive analysis of safe withdrawal rates ever published — 50+ parts covering sequence-of-returns risk, CAPE ratios, glidepaths, and more.
More Resources
Bogleheads Wiki
By Bogleheads Community
The gold standard reference for passive investing philosophy inspired by Vanguard founder John Bogle. Covers everything from asset allocation to tax optimization.
Afford Anything
By Paula Pant
Paula's philosophy: you can afford anything, but not everything. Covers FIRE, real estate, entrepreneurship, and making intentional choices about money and life.
Financial Samurai
By Sam Dogen
Sam retired at 34 from Goldman Sachs. He covers fat FIRE, real estate investing, negotiating severance, and living well in expensive cities.
Our Next Life
By Tanja Hester & Mark Bunge
Tanja and Mark documented their journey to early retirement and wrote the book Work Optional. Excellent perspective on life after FIRE and the emotional side of the journey.
Mad Fientist Podcast
By Brandon (Mad Fientist)
In-depth interviews with FIRE thought leaders, early retirees, and financial experts. Smaller episode count but every episode is high quality.
Afford Anything Podcast
By Paula Pant
Conversations about money, real estate, life philosophy, and the intersection of FIRE with purpose. Paula asks deep questions and challenges conventional wisdom.
Work Optional
By Tanja Hester
A practical and emotional guide to retiring early or semi-retiring. Covers the financial and psychological aspects of leaving traditional employment.
The Millionaire Next Door
By Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko
Research-based study of how real millionaires accumulate wealth — through frugality and discipline, not flashy spending. Foundational reading for the FIRE mindset.
cFIREsim
By Bo (cFIREsim)
Monte Carlo and historical simulation calculator for retirement. More customizable than FIRECalc with support for various spending strategies and portfolio types.
Empower (Personal Capital)
By Empower
Free financial dashboard to track net worth, investments, and retirement projections. The fee analyzer is invaluable for identifying investment cost drag.
r/financialindependence
By Reddit Community
The largest FIRE community on Reddit with 2M+ members. Share your progress, ask questions, and learn from others on the path to financial independence.
r/leanfire
By Reddit Community
Dedicated community for lean FIRE practitioners — those pursuing financial independence on a modest budget (typically under $40K/year). Practical and grounded advice.
Determining Withdrawal Rates Using Historical Data
By William Bengen
William Bengen's original 1994 paper introducing the 4% safe withdrawal rate based on historical data. The paper that changed retirement planning forever.
Playing with FIRE (Documentary)
By Scott Rieckens
Documentary film following Scott Rieckens and his family as they discover the FIRE movement and change their lives. Available for streaming. Inspirational for beginners.
FIRE Movement Guide
By Investopedia
Comprehensive overview of the FIRE movement with definitions, strategies, and pros/cons. Good starting point for complete beginners exploring FIRE for the first time.