Financial Freedom:Guide to Retiring Early in HK

If you are tired of the 9 to 5 work grind, this article is great for you as you will learn ways to set yourself on the path to financial freedom through investment.
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What is financial freedom/financial independence?

Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) is a movement of devotees committed to a lifestyle involving extreme savings (saving up to 80% of monthly salary) and investment that aims to allow them to quit their day jobs or retire from work altogether.


So, when can you retire? Some people suggest that when your savings reach approximately 25 times your yearly expenses, then you may quit your jobs or and retire. This is calculated based on FIRE devotees making small withdrawals from their savings, typically around 4% of the balance yearly, to keep pace with the inflation.

​​Financial independence retire early calculator

So, when can you retire? You can work this out by an online FIRE calculator. If you are determined enough, you will realize that it is not impossible to retire early!
Step 1

Enter some basic information including your age, annual income, your annual expenses and your current net worth.
Step 2

Enter your asset allocation in percentage. Assets refers to stocks, bonds and cash.
Step 3

Enter the expected returns for each category.
Step 4

Press Calculate to work out the result.

4% rule: What is it?

The 4% rule is a common rule of thumb when it comes to how much you can withdraw from your money in investments in your first year of retirement. As its name suggests, you should be able to comfortably live off 4% of your money in investment during the first year of retirement and then adjust for inflation each subsequent year. If you follow this, you shouldn’t be outliving your money during a 30-year retirement. 

See below an example of the 4% rule:

Situation 1Situation 2
Monthly ExpensesSituation 1$20,000Situation 2 $10,000
Yearly Expenses Situation 1$240,000Situation 2 $120,000
Retirement Savings Required Situation 1$6,000,000Situation 2 $3,000,000

Best Online Brokerage in Hong Kong 2024

Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0.0035
Min. Commission Fee HK Stocks
0.015%
Account Opening Min. Funding
HK$10,000
MoneySmart Exclusive
One-Year 0 Commission for A Shares Market
MoneySmart Exclusive
One-Year 0 Commission for A Shares Market

Tiger Brokers

Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0.99/order
Commission Fee HK Stocks
HK$0
Account Opening Min. Funding
HK$10,000

【Tiger Brokers – Flash Welcome Offer】
During 1 - 31 July, open an account using code【MONEYSMART】& MoneySmart's link, deposit ≥HK$10,000 with no holding required, and choose one of the following rewards:

 

🎁 HK$500 Apple Store Gift Card/ PARKnSHOP e-voucher / HKTVmall e-voucher

 

⭐️ Eligible customers can also receive up to HK$2,588 in SpaceX stocks and trading cash coupons as welcome rewards from Tiger Brokers *

 

See【More Details】below for full promotion details.

Valid until 31 Jul 2026
Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0.99
Commission Fee HK Stocks
HK$0
Account Opening Min. Funding
HK$10,000
MoneySmart Exclusive
U.S. stocks 5x24 hours trading services in HK
MoneySmart Exclusive
U.S. stocks 5x24 hours trading services in HK

Futu Securities Account

Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0.99
Commission Fee HK Stocks
HK$0
Futu Cash Plus average return over the past 12 months
3.6%

Open an Account & HK$2000 Cash1–15 July: Download the Futu Moomoo App, enter promo code【MSFUTU】, complete account opening and balance retention requirements to receive up to HK$7,034 in welcome rewards.

 

1️⃣【Deposit HK$80,000 and hold for 60 days】 🔥 HK$2,000 cash*/ 🍎 HK$2,000 Apple Store Gift Card/ 💦 Philips RO Hot & Cold Pure Water Dispenser ADD6912/90 (value: HK$3,788)
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‼️More gifts, including Space X stock, Apple Watch, Bowers & more.Tap on【More Details】below to find out more about the campaign and rewards!

Valid until 15 Jul 2026
MoneySmart Exclusive
🔥Highest offer in town
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Webull Securities Account

Commission Fee US Stocks
US$0
Commission Fee HK Stocks
HK$0
US stocks minimum trade
US$1

【Webull welcome offer up from HK$1,900 to HK$2,200 cash 🤑】
1️⃣ From July 8–16, open an account via the designated MoneySmart link, deposit HK$80,000–HK$499,999 within 30 days (inclusive), then maintain the assets for 30 more days from day 31. Choose one of the following
🔥HK$2,200 cash* / Apple Store e-gift card/ De'Longhi Dedica Duo Pump-driven Espresso Coffee Machine (EC890) (Value HK$3,588)

 

2️⃣ From July 8–16, open an account via the designated MoneySmart link, deposit HK$10,000–HK$79,999 within 30 days (inclusive), then maintain the assets for 30 more days from day 31. Choose one of the following
HK$700 cash* / Apple Store e-gift card / HK$900 PARKnSHOP e-voucher

 

⭐️ Webull Official Reward : Deposit HK$500,000+ and receive a Webull cash coupon worth 1% of your deposit (reward max: HK$100,000)

 

‼️ 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ rewards cannot be combined.
‼️ Deposits of HK$200,000 or above will automatically receive Webull's cash coupon, and will not be eligible for MoneySmart's HK$10,000 or HK$80,000 deposit rewards.
‼️ See【Reward Details】below for full promotion details and gift list.

Valid until 16 Jul 2026

Best Online Brokers and Trading platform in HK

Stock Trading Platform Commission Fees (US Stock)Commission Fees (HK Stock)Features
Stock Trading Platform Valuable Capital Brokerage AccountCommission Fees (US Stock)US$0.99Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0Features
  • Create account: online registration and activate account with e-signature
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Stock Trading Platform SoFi Hong Kong Brokerage AccountCommission Fees (US Stock)US$0Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0Features
  • No commissions fees on trades
  • Fractional share trading
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Stock Trading Platform Webull Securities AccountCommission Fees (US Stock)US$0Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0Features
  • Provide access to Hong Kong Stocks, A shares, ETF, derivatives listed on the SEHK, Hong Kong IPO and Odd Lot. US stocks will be coming soon.
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Stock Trading Platform Saxo MarketsCommission Fees (US Stock)US$3Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$18Features
  • Offer access to over 40,000 markets at industry-leading prices across stocks, ETFs, bonds, commodities, options, futures, funds, managed portfolios, FX and CFDs
  • Access 19,000+ stocks across core and emerging markets on 37 exchanges worldwide - HK, US, CN, UK, EU and JP

FAQ

How can I achieve financial independence?

You can achieve financial freedom/financial independence through saving and building passive income. You can work out when you can retire using an online FIRE calculator. If you are determined, it’s not impossible to set yourself on the path to FIRE.