[USER]

Greetings. My husband and I are on the path to FIRE in 15 years based on the general formula shared here — but we have one major flaw – we are both risk averse.

Outside of our employer-provided retirement, his pension, and my trust, we are not in the stock market, etc.

Our path is largely cash based and assets we can easily liquidate. Our elementary-age child’s college fund is already set for six years at a private university.

Is there a “set it and forget it” option for the market or investing that we can set up ourselves, or are we bound to having to hire someone at Edward Jones or the like?

Any recommendations for books we can read to offset some of this aversion?

We both hold advance degrees – this is just not our jam and we have no interest in “playing the market” or even following it.

Thanks foe sticking in this far.

[Tolga]

Do you mean to say you have $530k in your child’s education account? My math; $40k per year for an average private college + $20k room/board.

Add 48% for escalation, assuming your child goes to college in 10 years.

4% escalation per year. Times 6 years is $532k.

[John]

Read “The Simple Path to Wealth” by J L Collins. No you don’t need to ‘hire anyone’, and 15 years is a long enough timeline to still benefit greatly.

[Christopher]

If you don’t have much trust in a total stock market index fund then I’m surprised you have any trust in the dollar. I see that you and your partner have advanced degrees.

Just reading a few really good books could help immensely.

I recommend using the Bogleheads as a source for information regarding investing for the long term, keeping it simple, and keeping it cheap. Look up who Jack/John Bogle is and then begin from there.

There are so many different ways to “invest” that you could end up with years of going down strange paths.

Bogleheads and Jack Bogle are highly regarded within financial planning, retirement, and investing education.

[Molly]

IF you believe in the US economy, you can just buy an ETF that includes the stock of the majority of US public companies or one focusing on big companies.

The fees are published and Much lower cost than hiring a manager

[Krissy]

Read “A Random Walk Down Wall Street”! I grew up in a family that did not believe in investments and stocks, and this book changed my life!

[Hertz]

Yup, just automatically invest into a market fund each month and let it sit.

Even with 15 years to put into the fund, you still have additional decades for it to grow while retired.

[Author]

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