Young Workers Embrace FIRE, Saving 50% to 70% as Inflation and Burnout Bite
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Aug 18
Young Workers Embrace FIRE, Saving 50% to 70% as Inflation and Burnout Bite
1 articles · Updated · Euronews · Aug 18
Summary
Younger people are increasingly turning to the FIRE movement as inflation, high interest rates and burnout make traditional retirement feel less attainable and regular work less appealing.
57% to 72% of non-retired adults across Europe say they lack confidence about living comfortably in retirement, helping drive interest in taking direct control of savings and investing.
FIRE typically uses the 25x rule to set a target portfolio and the 4% rule to guide annual withdrawals, with followers often cutting spending hard and investing in low-cost index funds.
The approach ranges from Lean FIRE on under €30,000 a year to Barista and Coast FIRE, but it can demand saving up to 70% of income and carries risks from market swings, healthcare costs and re-entering work.