What Is Financial Freedom? (2024)

Key Takeaways

  • Financial freedom means having enough passive income from investments, savings, and other assets to support your dream lifestyle.
  • It’s important to define what financial freedom means to you, figure out how much money you need to afford that lifestyle, and then try to live below your means and save the rest.
  • One way to quantify financial freedom is to multiply your expected annual expenses by 25, through the multiply-by-25 rule.

Definition and Examples of Financial Freedom

Financial freedom happens when you have enough cash and investments on hand to pursue the things you’re passionate about—regardless of how much they cost. By having financial freedom, you can make decisions that align with your values and life goals instead of worrying about how you’ll make your next paycheck.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, financial freedom and well-being can further be defined through these four elements:

  • Having control over your day-to-day, and month-to-month finances
  • Having the ability to absorb financial shock
  • Being on track to meet your financial goals
  • Making the choices that enable you to best enjoy life.

Note

Many people achieve financial freedom when they’re able to live off the passive income generated by their investments. This passive income could include interest gained from retirement and investment accounts, money received through rental and other real estate properties, or wages earned by owning a business.

Suppose you need to incur and save $72,000 a year to fund your dream lifestyle of living in a city and traveling around the world part-time. You currently have $1.8 million in investments and retirement savings.

Many financial advisors say it’s best not to exceed a 4% withdrawal rate of your retirement savings during the first year of retirement if you want your money to last a lifetime. Plus, it’s best to adjust the amount annually for inflation.

Using the 4% withdrawal rate rule, your portfolio is already generating the $72,000 you need to fund your lifestyle ($1.8 million x.04 = $72,000). Therefore, you’ve reached financial freedom.

Note

Remember that financial freedom will look different (and be defined differently) for every individual. A few of the many factors that impact financial freedom include your individual measurement of quality of life, income, and the area you live in. While one person’s version of financial freedom may include paying off their student loans, another’s may include becoming a high-net-worth individual.

How Does Financial Freedom Work?

The process of working toward financial freedom can be broken down into a few key steps.

  1. Define what financial freedom means to you: If you had all the money in the world, how would you spend your days? What would you want to accomplish in life?
  2. Figure out how much money you need to afford your version of financial freedom: Calculate how much money you need to save in order to fund the lifestyle outlined in the previous step. How much money you’ll need to have saved depends on your expected annual expenses.
  3. Save as much as you can: When you reach financial freedom, you are no longer living paycheck to paycheck, but instead have enough funds to last and protect you in the event of an emergency. By continuing to save as much as you can, you will be one step closer to your savings goals, no matter what those may be.
  4. Live below your means and save the rest: If you are able to, spending less than you earn is recommended for reaching financial freedom.

How Much Money Do I Need to Reach Financial Freedom?

As mentioned, there is no one amount of money that every person should reach for in order to achieve financial freedom. The amount will vary depending on the individual and their lifestyle goals.

Generally, though, the amount of money you need to reach financial freedom depends on your expected annual expenses, as well as your annual income. The multiply-by-25 rule is a helpful guide individuals use to calculate how much they should save for retirement, and it can be applied to financial freedom, as well:

  • Financial freedom (quantity) = expected annual income x 25

Let’s say you need to have $50,000 a year to afford your dream lifestyle. In this case, your financial freedom amount would be $1.25 million ($50,000 x 25 = $1.25 million).

Ideally, though, in addition to saving regularly from your salary, you would increase the amount of money you save through things like 401(k) employer matches, compound interest on investments, and other sources of passive income.

What Is Financial Freedom? (2024)

FAQs

What does financial freedom mean? ›

Financial freedom is a state where you have complete control over your finances, allowing you to make choices based on your desires and goals rather than being limited by how much things cost. It means having enough income or savings to cover your expenses, giving you the freedom to live life on your own terms.

What is your idea of financial freedom? ›

Financial freedom means you get to make life decisions without being overly stressed about the financial fallout of those decisions. That's because you're financially prepared for whatever life throws your way—you have no debt, you have money in the bank, and you're investing for the future.

What are the 7 steps to financial freedom? ›

You can too!
  • Save $1,000 for Your Starter Emergency Fund.
  • Pay Off All Debt (Except the House) Using the Debt Snowball.
  • Save 3–6 Months of Expenses in a Fully Funded Emergency Fund.
  • Invest 15% of Your Household Income in Retirement.
  • Save for Your Children's College Fund.
  • Pay Off Your Home Early.
  • Build Wealth and Give.

What are signs of financial freedom? ›

  • Debt-Free Living: ...
  • Emergency Fund in Place: ...
  • Passive Income Streams: ...
  • Sufficient Retirement Savings: ...
  • Financial Independence from Work: ...
  • Lifestyle Choices Reflect Values: ...
  • Investment Portfolio Growth: ...
  • Budgeting is a Choice, Not a Necessity:

How do I become financially free? ›

Whatever your definition of financial independence, the following tips can help you achieve it.
  1. Know Your Finances. ...
  2. Reduce Debt. ...
  3. Live Below Your Means. ...
  4. Increase Your Income. ...
  5. Invest in Your Future. ...
  6. Build an Emergency Fund. ...
  7. Monitor Your Credit Score. ...
  8. Seek Professional Financial Help.
Jul 3, 2023

At what point are you financially free? ›

You'll know you've achieved financial freedom when you have enough income streams or assets to cover your basic living expenses, as well as any additional discretionary spending you desire, without having to rely on a traditional job or career.

What is needed for financial freedom? ›

Attaining financial freedom requires careful planning, disciplined saving, and strategic investing. It involves setting clear financial goals, creating a budget, reducing unnecessary expenses, and consistently saving a portion of income.

How much do I need for financial freedom? ›

The Financial Freedom Formula Is Simple To Calculate And Understand. According to the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement, you need to have 25 times your annual expenses in investments.

How to set yourself up financially? ›

  1. Choose Carefully.
  2. Invest In Yourself.
  3. Plan Your Spending.
  4. Save, Save More, and. Keep Saving.
  5. Put Yourself on a Budget.
  6. Learn to Invest.
  7. Credit Can Be Your Friend. or Enemy.
  8. Nothing is Ever Free.

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

What is the 50 20 30 budget rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

What is the secret to financial freedom? ›

Make a budget to cover all your financial needs and stick to it. Pay off credit cards in full, carry as little debt as possible, and keep an eye on your credit score. Create automatic savings by setting up an emergency fund and contributing to your employer's retirement plan.

What is the average age to get financial freedom? ›

Among the key findings: 45% of young adults say they are completely financially independent from their parents. Among those in their early 30s, that share rises to 67%, compared with 44% of those ages 25 to 29 and 16% of those ages 18 to 24.

How do I know I'm doing OK financially? ›

Those who are financially healthy are successfully managing all aspects of their financial life. They have good to excellent credit, a handle on debt, an emergency savings fund and are on the right track for retirement.

How much money is considered financially stable? ›

The amount of money needed to be considered financially stable is subjective and depends on a person's individual situation. But generally, having a net worth of $1 million or more can indicate that someone is financially stable or secure and has a good grasp of money management.

What is the 4 rule for financial freedom? ›

The 4% rule says people should withdraw 4% of their retirement funds in the first year after retiring and take that dollar amount, adjusted for inflation, every year after. The rule seeks to establish a steady and safe income stream that will meet a retiree's current and future financial needs.

What are 10 steps to financial freedom? ›

10 Steps to Achieve Financial Freedom
  • Understand Where You Are At. You can't gain financial freedom if you do not have a starting point. ...
  • View Money Positively. ...
  • Pay Yourself First. ...
  • Spend Less. ...
  • Buy Experiences Not Things. ...
  • Pay Off Debt. ...
  • Create Additional Sources of Income. ...
  • Invest in Your Future.

How much money do you need for financial freedom? ›

The Financial Freedom Formula Is Simple To Calculate And Understand. According to the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement, you need to have 25 times your annual expenses in investments.

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