Financial Independence Retire Early: About Dad is Fire

Welcome to Dad is Fire. Usually, the about me section of a blog is to tell you who I am and to talk about myself. This blog isn’t so much about who I am, as it is what I am. So what am I?

I am someone who was raised by a dad who treated his business as his favorite child. I didn’t want to be that person.

In my teens I developed a plan to try to buy myself an early retirement so I could spend that time with my children and wife that I didn’t yet have. The phrase Financial Independence Retire Early didn’t exist, but the path to it did.

Unlike other FIRE experts online, Finance Experts in real life, and talking heads on TV, I retired early. I did it. I am not a fake guru.

Publisher’s Name And Owner

I am Greg Michael. I am the Publisher and the Owner of Dad is FIRE.

DadisFIRE’s Mission And Goal

The mission of this blog is to share with you how I retired young, what it’s like to have retired early, and my experiences of trying to be a good dad.

My hope is that I help those people who find it more important and valuable to spend time with their kids (and/or hobbies) than it is to work for an employer until they are in their 60s.

I want to help you find a way for early retirement.

This blog is also to keep me from getting bored. A real problem with retiring at any age, is doing something with your time.

I’ll try not to toot my horn much in this blog but it will be unavoidable. I will use 1st person pronouns way more than I would in real life. I don’t want this to be about me.

Dad Is FIRE Editorial Practices

All textual content on Dad is FIRE is solely created and managed by me. I do not use AI to write these articles. I tried to do so at first, but artificial intelligence does not know what I know. Every time I used it I would just get incomplete 101 level drafts that looked like the same stuff everyone who hasn’t retired young writes.

There just aren’t enough people who actually retired early publishing content on the internet for AI to be able to read and learn from. Plus I am a CFA, so I bring a different level of expertise.

All illustrations were created by me using Image Generating tools. Stock Images are sourced from licensed providers, including Depositphotos and Shutterstock.

This is about you, and how you can get to where you want to be. I may even have guest posts from time to time, but I doubt it. If I do, I will disclose it.

Why Listen To Me: I Have A Lot Of Experience And Credentials

Why listen? I started with an $800 investment as a 21 year old. By my late 30s, I had a liquid net worth over $1M.

I retired a few years ago at 42. I spend my time with my kids, and my wife. I also run a lot.

Until I retired, I held several FINRA securities licenses (series 7, 63, 65, and 66). My first position after graduating college at age 20 was a technical writer. After that I was a mortgage broker at two different companies.

For 21 years I was in Financial Services at two of the larger Financial Services companies. I am a Chartered Financial Analyst. I still hold that credential today.

I have a lot of experience in financial services, especially with investment products, financial planning, tools, tax efficiencies, and so forth. Despite my licenses, none of my experience is in sales.

I bought my first rental house when I was 20. I have a few decades of experience in real estate investing.

My degrees are in psychology and philosophy. The psychology degree helps with parenting.

I dropped out of an MBA program because it was too easy (and I went and bought houses instead after an email exchange with Mark Cuban back when BlogMaverick.com was how he interacted with the world).

If you notice my degrees and background, I am someone who has done things my way.

I have never worked hard. I have only worked smart.

Related: If I had Listened To “Good Advice,” I Could Not Have Retired At 42.

FIRE Is In My Blood

My dad retired in his 30s. My mom’s dad retired in his 40s. I retired in my early 40s. I am third generation FIRE.

Neither my dad, grandfather, nor anyone else gave me a penny to get me where I am. But I did learn behaviors and mindsets from them.

I also learned what not to do, and who not to be.

I’ll Give You the Ingredients And Recipes For Financial Success. But You Need To Do The Rest.

While I know not everyone who stumbles on this site will be someone in their 20’s thinking ahead to having kids later, the story is the same and should apply to everyone interested.

Be smart with money. Understand your spending. I won’t say to be frugal. I won’t suggest that you stretch your risk. Just be you.

Read my site. Read other sites about early retirement (I don’t think I am special). Develop a recipe that works for you. Then do it. Do it.

I will ask though, that you (try to) be a good dad. If you aren’t a dad, just be a good person.

Welcome. Enjoy the site, and come back. Let’s buy our time back together.