Retire Early: Achieve Financial Independence by 40-45 with FIRE Strategy

• FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is a concept allowing early retirement by building sufficient wealth to cover living expenses.
• The 'FIRE number' is 25-30 times your annual expenses; for example, 12 lakh annual expense requires 3-3.6 crore.
• A high saving rate (50-70% of salary) is crucial, enabling FIRE in 10-15 years compared to 25-30 years with lower savings.
• Investment mix in India should balance equity (mutual funds, ETFs for growth) and safe instruments (PPF, bonds, gold).
• Challenges include high inflation, medical emergencies, and market volatility, necessitating health insurance and emergency funds.

Why It Matters: FIRE offers early retirement by 40-45 through high savings, smart investments, and disciplined expense management.