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3550: [Part 2] How I Measure Progress Toward Financial Independence by Craig Stephens of Retire Before Dad
From Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice by Optimal Living Daily | Diania Merriam
May 6, 2026 · 13 min · Episode 3550
About this episode
Craig Stephens discusses a practical approach to measuring financial independence by focusing on annual spending and income streams.
Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3550: Craig Stephens breaks down a practical way to measure financial independence by focusing on annual spending, invested assets, and sustainable income streams rather than misleading net worth figures. By adjusting expenses with passive income and tracking progress visually, he reveals a clearer, more motivating path toward early retirement. This approach helps you see exactly how close you are, and where you can accelerate the journey. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.retirebeforedad.com/measure-financial-independence/ Quotes to ponder: "Best practice is to use invested assets to measure progress toward financial independence instead of net worth." "Start tracking anyways. You’ll be amazed with the amount of progress you can make in a year or two." "I prefer to keep taxable passive income assets and retirement savings separate because I do not want to draw down the principal of my sustainable income streams." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Diania Merriam
Guest: Craig Stephens
Topics covered
- financial independence
- measuring progress
- early retirement
- passive income
- annual spending
Keywords
- financial independence
- progress measurement
- passive income
- early retirement
- invested assets
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Retire Before Dad, Optimal Living Daily, Megaphone
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