Halting the Endless Accumulation of Greed, Shifting to a Life of True Freedom and Wise Spending

 The process of accumulating wealth in a capitalist society often resembles driving on an endless highway. When you reach 100 million won, you see 500 million won; once you hold 500 million won, you envy those with a billion. It feels as though a larger number will bring peace of mind, but in reality, endless greed and newfound anxieties about the future often take its place.

Steering toward my milestone of early retirement in February 2031, I constantly asked myself to avoid falling into this numbers trap: "How much is truly enough? Is it the money itself that I desire, or the landscape of life that the money can provide?"

The answer I reached was clear. To me, investing is not a tool driven by endless greed to continuously multiply cash. While accumulating wealth up to a certain point is vital, there comes a time when shifting the focus to "how to spend it wisely" becomes the true essence of financial freedom.


The Peace of Mind from S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, and the Art of Drawdown

When the time comes to finally step through the gates of retirement, I intend to let go of any excessive desire to beat the market. Chasing higher returns, staring at charts daily, and taking on unnecessary stress is not the vision of early retirement I have built.

Instead, I will firmly maintain my core portfolio centered around the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, which seamlessly capture the growth of the U.S. market. Within this reliable system—where the world's finest companies work diligently on my behalf—I am content to simply harvest the market's average returns. Backed by a dedicated cash reserve acting as a safety belt right before retirement, temporary market corrections will not disrupt my daily life as I quietly draw down only what I need each month from my segregated accounts.

Building an asset allocation system that keeps your mind at peace is far more crucial than chasing a mathematically flawless, high-yield portfolio. This is the secret to safely drawing down assets after retirement without losing a single night of sleep.


Unshackling from Money to Fill Days with Family and Philanthropy

Once you strip away greed, the "freedom of time" that was once bound to money is placed entirely in your hands. With that freedom, the place I want to go is not a glamorous investment seminar, but right beside my precious family.

Instead of tracking tedious market charts, I will take my children by the hand and head to the ballpark, embracing the small, simple joys of a minimalist daily life as the seasons change. A life spent merely hoarding mountains of cash is solitary, but a life that uses that wealth as a catalyst to share priceless experiences with family is deeply abundant.

Furthermore, in the second half of my life, I aspire to live as an active philanthropist, dedicating my own hands, feet, and capital to helping those in need. Knowing that the wealth I built does not just sit in an account but flows into the world to help lift someone else up—that is the true early retirement lifestyle I envision. It is, I believe, the most meaningful way to "spend wisely."

A well-planned life conquers fear. This month, and long after retirement, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 will continue to do their jobs seamlessly. I will simply enjoy the complete freedom permitted to me, living a warmer, happier life.


 The Courage of a Professional 5 Years from Retirement: The S&P 500 is My Backbone

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