Financial Freedom:Guide to Retiring Early in HK

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
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 1 | Situation 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Expenses | Situation 1$20,000 | Situation 2 $10,000 |
| Yearly Expenses | Situation 1$240,000 | Situation 2 $120,000 |
| Retirement Savings Required | Situation 1$6,000,000 | Situation 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
Tiger Brokers
- Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
- US$0.99/order
- Commission Fee HK Stocks
- HK$0
- Account Opening Min. Funding
- HK$10,000
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- Min. Commission Fee US Stocks
- US$0.99
- Commission Fee HK Stocks
- HK$0
- Account Opening Min. Funding
- HK$10,000
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%
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1️⃣ Deposit HK$80,000+ in account opening month (Hold 60 days)
💵 Cash HK$2,000* / HK$2,000 Apple Store Gift Card / ParknShop e-Vouchers
2️⃣ Deposit HK$10,000+ in account opening month (Hold 60 days)
💵 Cash HK$1,000* / HK$1,000 ParknShop e-Vouchers / Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case (value: HK$1,249)
· See【More Details】below for reward details: Bowers & Wilkins headphones, Philips water purifier, and more. Student offer available with shorter holding period for same rewards.
【📱Phone First, Work Later! HK$100K+ Worth of Prizes Up for Grabs🔥】
From 11 September 2026 (12:00 noon) to 11 October 2026 (11:59 pm), successfully apply for any designated product via MoneySmart and meet the eligibility requirements, you can participate in the "Phone First, Work Later" mini game on the campaign page ⏩ Top 100 Eligible Participants with the highest scores will win prizes worth over HK$100,000 in total, including iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and more! Visit the campaign page for details. T&Cs apply.
Webull Securities Account
- Commission Fee US Stocks
- US$0
- Commission Fee HK Stocks
- HK$0
- US stocks minimum trade
- US$1
【HK$2,200 Welcome Cash Bonus】From Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 noon to Oct 11, within 30 days of opening an account via MoneySmart, deposit HK$10,000 or HK$80,000 and above, and maintain the assets for another 30 days from day 31 onwards (including the first and last days), you can enjoy the following rewards:
1️⃣ Deposit HK$80,000 to HK$199,999:
⬆️💰 HK$2,200 cash* / HK$2,400 ParknShop e-voucher / HKTVmall e-voucher / PHILIPS RO Water Dispenser ADD6920/90 (value: HK$4,288)
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⬆️ HK$700 cash* / HK$900 ParknShop e-Vouchers / Dyson HushJet™ Mini Cool Fan (value: HK$890)
🌟 Deposit HK$200,000 to HK$499,999:
Automatically receive HK$3,000 Webull Cash Voucher# (issued by Webull)
🌟 Deposit HK$500,000 or above:
Receive 1% of deposit amount in equivalent Webull Cash Voucher# (maximum cap HK$100,000) and MoneySmart HK$400 Cash*
‼️ # Deposits of HK$200,000 or HK$500,000 and above will automatically receive rewards issued by Webull. You will NOT simultaneously enjoy MoneySmart's HK$10,000 or HK$80,000 deposit rewards.
‼️ MoneySmart rewards 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ cannot be stacked.
‼️ For more MoneySmart exclusive rewards, official Webull rewards and campaign details, please refer to【More Details】below.
【📱Phone First, Work Later! HK$100K+ Worth of Prizes Up for Grabs🔥】
From 11 September 2026 (12:00 noon) to 11 October 2026 (11:59 pm), successfully apply for any designated product via MoneySmart and meet the eligibility requirements, you can participate in the ""Phone First, Work Later"" mini game on the campaign page ⏩ Top 100 Eligible Participants with the highest scores will win prizes worth over HK$100,000 in total, including iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and more! Visit the campaign page for details. T&Cs apply.
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 Account | Commission Fees (US Stock)US$0.99 | Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0 | Features
|
| Stock Trading Platform SoFi Hong Kong Brokerage Account | Commission Fees (US Stock)US$0 | Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0 | Features
|
| Stock Trading Platform Webull Securities Account | Commission Fees (US Stock)US$0 | Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$0 | Features
|
| Stock Trading Platform Saxo Markets | Commission Fees (US Stock)US$3 | Commission Fees (HK Stock)HK$18 | Features
|
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.
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