About this episode

Katie and Alan Donegan share their journey to financial independence and early retirement, discussing key strategies and insights.

What if financial independence is something you could build for yourself, before you even hit 40? Katie and Alan Donegan did exactly that. No lottery win, no trust fund, just a determination to live simply, stack their cash, and build a life where they didn't have to answer to anyone else. They retired at 35 and 40, and now travel the world while running Rebel Finance School, a free money course that's helped thousands of people worldwide sort out their finances. Financial journalist Frances Cook sits down with the Donegans on the Making Cents podcast to find out what it actually takes for normal people to reach financial independence and retire early. In this episode: The three financial levers they pulled at once - spend less, earn more, invest - and how that took them from $0 to $1 million in about ten years Why friends and family thought their frugal lifestyle meant they'd lost the plot, and how to be financially disciplined without being miserable The one investing move Alan says he'd make from day one if he could go back Why fees are one of the only proven predictors of how well an investment fund performs, and what to check on your own KiwiSaver or index funds Why getting…

People in this episode

Host: Frances Cook

Guests: Katie Donegan, Alan Donegan

Topics covered

• financial independence
• early retirement
• investing
• personal finance
• money management

Keywords

• financial independence
• retirement
• investing strategies
• money management
• frugal lifestyle

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rebel Finance School, KiwiSaver

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