By Adam of The Advocates & Chris Mamula of Can I Retire Yet?

Last week we posted a piece by Chris Mamula, an ardent “do-it-yourselfer” and author of the blog, Can I Retire Yet? He took us through the ups and downs of him and his wife’s journey towards financial independence and the lessons they learned. Prior to posting the blog, I emailed him with a few questions of my own. I was curious to hear what he would do different if he were to go back in time, as well as to find out what is next in his life now that he’s retired but still in his early 40’s. In this week’s The Distillery we’ve summarized the exchange between Chris and us via excerpts and paraphrasing from that exchange (due to copywrite laws). Here is a link to a piece of his he thought we’d find useful, titled “5 Reasons You Need a Financial Advisor.”

Chris’ answers weren’t exactly what I expected to hear, but the general gist of his responses were that if he were to do it all over again, he would have taken the time to learn the basics of the tax code and fundamentals of investing. He also admitted that he would not hire a financial planner if he were to go back in time, but that he fully admits that not everyone should or even wants to do their own financial planning (as referenced in his article he referred me to, “5 Reasons You Need a Financial Advisor.”) This was also not what I was expecting, or in all honesty, wanting to hear, but after he reminded me that financial planning is a passion for him, it began to make more sense to me as to why he doesn’t mind dedicating so much of his free time to the subject. Lastly, he shared with me his many passions that he’s now able to fully pursue and enjoy each day as a retiree. However, I find it ironic that he’s “retired,” but still working on his blog, a book, and his lifestyle business, among other passions of his. The key to it all though, is that when you’re truly living your values, it doesn’t feel like work.