If We Started FIRE Over in 2025, Here's Exactly What We'd Do

What It Covers

Scott Trench and Mindy Jensen examine how they would restart their FIRE journeys at ages 23 and their current ages, discussing strategies for wealth building across different life stages and family dynamics.

Key Questions Answered

• •Real estate licensing strategy: Getting a real estate license provides multiple income streams through commissions, access to off-market deals, and networking opportunities that compound over time, particularly effective when combined with house hacking strategies.
• •Age-specific FIRE intensity: Aggressive wealth building works best when single in your twenties or when children are older and independent. With young children at home, extending the timeline to late fifties allows family prioritization without sacrificing long-term financial security.
• •AI-era career positioning: Focus on becoming a generalist who rapidly experiments with AI tools across multiple domains rather than spending two years mastering single hard skills like financial modeling, which AI increasingly handles effectively and efficiently.
• •Starting over at 53 protocol: Prioritize high-income generation through sales roles or entrepreneurship, maximize all tax-advantaged accounts including Roth IRA, HSA, and solo 401k, while considering live-in flips for tax-free gains when family dynamics permit flexibility.