The last month in America has been historic and controversial. Everyone seems to have an opinion, not that there’s anything wrong with that. But, I’m concerned that some important financial information has been missed through the melee. The first article that caught my eye reports on a survey of wealthy Americans with more than $1 million in net worth. The article reports that “UBS found 77% of millionaires grew up middle class or below, with 61% aspiring to become millionaires and 65% feeling that $1 million was an important milestone. A full 74% of millionaires surveyed feel like they have “made it” and the vast majority (85%) attribute their success to hard work.” I find it heartening that 77% of millionaires are self-made. On the other hand, another article reports that the usual American response to being advised to save more is “outrage. Americans don’t save enough because by and large they seem to believe it’s not possible to save that much money.” A third article explains that “the biggest reason you can’t retire noticeably earlier than average is you. Nobody cares about your money or financial future more than you. If you don’t have the desire to improve your financial situation and knowledge, you are destined for mediocrity.”

These last two articles, along with thousands of other resources, provide advice on how to save more, spend less, and retire well. While everyone’s situation is unique, the underlying take-away principle is that each person must take personal responsibility for their financial well-being. Is this controversial? Maybe.

Looks like retiring early is becoming a “thing” now. And here I thought we were so special. 😉 I found this extended article on how to retire in your 30’s. It is definitely worth a read, and has the stories of several other bloggers that are already living paycheck-free.

The main thrust of the article, in my opinion, is that you need to change your values in order to have an extreme early retirement. I disagree. I think there are many people out there that already have the values that could lead to an early retirement, myself and Mr. PFL among them. I mean, Mr. PFL maxed out his 401(k) contributions since Day 1 of his first post-college job. I still drive my 2003 Toyota Corolla. Most Americans don’t do these things. I think it is important to realize that these values can lead to an extreme early retirement, which I don’t think I fully appreciated. I do now. And I’m grateful that I didn’t realize how much we “sacrificed” to get here.