Really. And I probably would’ve been posting some bad-ass or irreverent content as a carefree FIRE’d 30’s guy. But life had different plans for me. Some of you may see this as kinda, sorta, sequel to why FIRE is much harder as a couple. That article seems to have resonated with many readers. Apart from the […]
Crony capitalism and stifling bureaucracy are the twin curses that block the progress of many developing and emerging countries. These two curses lead to a troubling disease – a parallel economy that runs on cash outside the formal economy and tax authorities. This underground economy runs on illicit or unexplained cash, but leads to real inflation […]
Don’t think so? You may be closer than you think. Read on. I grew up hating the rich because, in my idealistic younger days, they represented the anti-thesis of equal opportunity and egalitarianism. I heard stories from my parents about people who used their government connections to score sweetheart business deals, dodged their taxes, and were slave-drivers […]
‘Tis the season of health in U.S. and the mood is not healthy. Open enrollment periods in ACA (‘Obamacare’), fears about repeal of Obamacare by the new U.S. administration, and consequently, media and personal finance blogs worrying about impact of impending changes on the cost of health insurance and even the viability of early retirement. In addition, […]
Whether you invest in the stock market via index funds or individual companies for your retirement, the success of your investments depends on the profits of publicly-traded companies. As Benjamin Graham said, the stock market is a weighing machine in the long term and only a voting machine in the short term. What it […]
Love ain’t FIRE
It’s true. Math and Science don’t lie! I will prove it in this article.
Getting to financial independence or retired early (FIRE) stage is not easy – it requires of years of persistent effort, discipline and an ability to think for yourself and often against the ‘grain’ of modern lifestyle and social norms. Maybe one in a hundred people will have the wherewithal to reach FIRE. So, the probability of getting to FIRE is say about 1%, whether you are a man or a woman.
Raman Venkatesh is the founder of Ten Factorial Rocks. Raman is a ‘Gen X’ corporate executive in his mid 40’s. In addition to having a Ph.D. in engineering, he has worked in almost all continents of the world. Ten Factorial Rocks (TFR) was created to chronicle his journey towards retirement while sharing his views on the absurdities and pitfalls along the way. The name was taken from the mathematical function 10! (ten factorial) which is equal to 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800.
Recovered from election fever yet? As I said before, we will be persistent and will progress forward no matter who gets elected. Can we get back to business and personal finance? Good. Everybody wants money. Okay, maybe not these disciplined Buddhist monks going to their prayer hall. But even the slippers they wear cost […]
How mainstream finance sees you
The problem with traditional retirement planning and even personal finance oriented websites (including this one) is that they all focus a lot on the number, that is, our retirement stash that we aspire to get to. For those having a set target, this laser-like focus on ‘hitting’ that number can turn into an obsession. For those with say, a $1 million target, reaching a precise figure of say, $933,240, may still feel like they fell short. That is far from the truth. The number doesn’t define who you are or isn’t even a gauge of what you have accomplished in life.
Raman Venkatesh is the founder of Ten Factorial Rocks. Raman is a ‘Gen X’ corporate executive in his mid 40’s. In addition to having a Ph.D. in engineering, he has worked in almost all continents of the world. Ten Factorial Rocks (TFR) was created to chronicle his journey towards retirement while sharing his views on the absurdities and pitfalls along the way. The name was taken from the mathematical function 10! (ten factorial) which is equal to 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800.
Don’t miss it!
Opportunities in life are like a train in an impoverished country. You better get on it whenever you see one going in the direction you want. Otherwise, you don’t know when the next one will come!
This post is a confession of my screw up where I passed on a rare chance to retire early….real early. Read this tale and avoid the mistake I made, so you can catch the express train to early retirement. Otherwise, you never know if it will stop by your station again. (more…)
Raman Venkatesh is the founder of Ten Factorial Rocks. Raman is a ‘Gen X’ corporate executive in his mid 40’s. In addition to having a Ph.D. in engineering, he has worked in almost all continents of the world. Ten Factorial Rocks (TFR) was created to chronicle his journey towards retirement while sharing his views on the absurdities and pitfalls along the way. The name was taken from the mathematical function 10! (ten factorial) which is equal to 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800.
Fear is everywhere. Our politicians scare us about a doomed future if they aren’t elected or if any of their policy proposals are rejected. TV reporters paint fearful pictures of our communities, our nation and our world by the images and news that incite fear and negativity – right in your home’s 75 monstrous inches of full HD 1080p resolution […]