Something significant that was not mentioned so far is that you may become bored after FIRE and want to work a small percentage just for fun. So this would create some additional income.
1 Like
First of all, Congratulations, you more than well setup for early retirement!
I feel what you should do beside portfolio optimisation and worrying about SERAF fees is make sure you build a vision for the reminder of your life (if you dont have it yet).
How do you actually want to live your life, spend your days, travel, spend more time with friends and family etc.
If you do travel a lot or spend time in different locations, you might consider getting a domicile in a low tax canton, e.g. Freienbach in Schwyz has a 0.11% flat wealth tax and extremely low income.
Also do you want to build generational wealth to pass down to someone or is it fine to use it up (Die with Zero - good book by Bil Perkins btw.)? this has a big impact on the withdrawal and allocation strategy.
I suggest also looking into VPW (Variable Percentage withdrawal) strategies where you work with upper and lower boundaries depending on market conditions and personal situation, age etc. (e.g. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0015198X.2025.2541567#d1e162)
for 3a and 2 (they should be counted as part of your NW), Make sure you do a split when withdrawing 2nd pillar to two vested benefit accounts. I would also go all in 100% equities (Its shielded from wealth and income tax) and once you can withdraw - reinvest it immediately outside the pension wrapper so timing doesn’t matter (as mentioned above). There might be changes coming to withdrawal taxes and conditions, but you can’t influence them anyway. I would keep low volatility assets like cash in liquid form outside pension wrappers.
Just my opinions, no financial advice 
Overall: You hit the jackpot financially, don’t worry too much and make sure you don’t forget to live the life you really want.
2 Likes
Congrats on being in a very comfortable position (albeit perhaps not 100% disaster proof, similar to me; on the other hand I do have a wife who works).
My thoughts (and I realize a lot of this is subjective)
- Why are you stopping working? I ask this because your projected living expenses don’t point to you enjoying life to the fullest (no mention of world travel, etc.)? If the medical issue is driving it, I fully get it of course but you also want/need to enjoy life.
- Is living in Zurich (or even Switzerland for that matter) really preferable? Again, perhaps medical is a VERY good reason, fully get that as well (unfortunately).
- Being ice-cold rational here: stopping working is one option. Another is to revert to working to your contract - i.e. 9-5 - and enjoy the income with less stress for a while and perhaps even eventually a package on the way out and some unemployment benefits (you’ve certainly paid your share of contributions). This could still make a material difference to your situation.
- I’m somewhat puzzled by the ratio of your 3rd vs. 2nd pillar vs. stock portfolio. How did that happen? i.e. would have expected your 2nd pillar to be significantly higher.
- Everybody has a different strategy, rationale, preference but I could imagine you’d be able to get growth from your 4M while generating more in terms of cash returns (i.e. dividends, options premiums) if handled differently. On the flipside, your 100% VT portfolio sure is low maintenance!
Stepping back, out of curiosity, what’s the main purpose in live going forward?
I’m a few years olders, more or less stepped back from full-time work for a while, but am married and (fingers crossed, it’s still very early) potentially a little one on the way. It’s giving me a very different perspective on life. Where do you see yourself heading? Purpose? Pleasure? Time spent?
4 Likes
Is this really the case or is it “can’t contribute if you are not contributing to AHV”? E.g. if you are receiving unemployment benefits from RAV, then you are also contributing to AHV and thus can continue to make 3rd Pillar contributions. Not sure of other scenarios.
You always have to contribute to AHV even when not receiving unemployment benefits.
1 Like
The money part I am not so worried about. What I will do after not working is an open question. Volunteering is my main thought right now.
Yes, going to a lower tax canton or even back to the UK is a possibility I will consider but for the first few months I will stay in Zurich for sure, in the first few months I will have time to do a lot of thinking.
Yes, I do intend to withdraw the 2 and 3a and put them into IBKR as soon as possible.
I have a niece and nephew, I intend for them to get some but not sure how much. I know I will give some to charity.
1 Like
-
I am stopping working because I am tired of working, I am burnt out. My projected expenses are mostly based on my current expenses. I don’t say it’s a good estimate but it’s a baseline to start from. I do plan to travel a bit more but not much, after a week I start getting tired of holidays.
-
It’s not set in stone that I stay in Zurich but I have become used to living in a functioning country, even if it’s expensive. But I am open to change. I will see later.
-
I cannot stick to 9-5, I know logically I should but I cannot, I have the wrong mindset since starting work 27 years ago. I need “cold turkey” to change myself.
-
Mmmm… I am not sure. I can only think of two things. I have drifted between default, max, min contributions in the years so I know I have not contributed as much as I could have to 2nd pillar, and second thing, I guess then the growth in my company’s 2nd pillar has not been great. I have not focused on 2nd pillar much as not much I can influence, I focused on IBKR and 3rd pillar. Edit: I re-read your question so I will add: And so far I have been riding US tech (VGT) in IBKR.
-
I don’t claim to be financially literate, going 100% VT feels like the best I can do regarding balancing growth and stability.
I need to find a purpose in life, I don’t have anything right now. But I know I need to find a purpose, I know very much.
4 Likes
If you’re burnt out then just do it. You need the space to figure out what is next.
6 Likes
One thing that might help respark interest later on and might help letting go more fully on the shorter term is to set a trigger in the somewhat distant future (could be 6 months or 1 year), like an appointment with a therapist or simply a meeting with a friend you like and set a reminder for it a few days before (enough that it serves its purpose but not so early that you can forget the meeting again).
It’s very hard to spark interest while burnt out.
It’s hard to truly let go to give a chance to actual rest and recovery.
It’s also hard to restart the machine once the rest has done its job.
My personal way is to completely let go for a few days, as I am at my limit and can’t do anything anyway. Then take a day to write down a plan when I feel I have a bit more energy (having a ritual for that might help. Mine is preparing a cup of tea and then sitting at my table with a notepad and a pencil). Then let go for a longer period of time until it becomes time to enact the plan. I can’t pretend it works (I’m always at my limit - this is a mix of personality and autism making anything that has to do with society a tiring experience) but it helps emptying my mind.
3 Likes
I was already active in the stock market while still working, but having the time to develop and perfection my mechanical strategies did the trick for me. I did not have a single day of holidays for 12 years and I love it. Sometimes I get a bit bored (like right now, >40 days without having to do anything in the stock market), but that is OK.
Actually I had some days in the jungle without Internet in Central America; you cannot be too hard on yourself… otherwise because the strategies are mechanical I could program it into a computer… and then get even more bored.
Physical exercise is nice. If you like drugs or alcohol that is a very dangerous point, you need limits there.
1 Like
Your story / rationale sounds very familiar. In a way, it’s better to confront this topic (of purpose in life, beyond just work work work) now rather than it being a black hole when you retire (e.g. in your 60’s) and have less options to still pursue a different path.
I chose to ride it out and wait for a package (and vesting and bonus) and had to make a real effort during the last quarters before that came (the writing had been on the wall for a while) to not work myself to death. I managed to do it by structuring it into my workweek - i.e. no more calls before 09:30, no more calls after 17:30, 1.5 lunch break (either for lunch or gym or just me / thinking time), reduced business travel, etc.
I wish you wisdom, good health and good luck.
7 Likes
I tried it for several years, and I failed. Looking for happiness or contentment was way easier, as there are distinct actions making it happen. Just a thought - might take away pressure before you start your unemployed phase.
6 Likes
That’s a very valid point. I learned earlier in life (through some tough love from a special person and a healthy but painful dose of self-reflection) that seeking happiness in order to achieve peace of mind is not the way it works. Rather, achieve peace of mind and that will eventually lead to happiness.
Great thing is that the original poster is financially in a position where he can seriously reflect on what’s important for him in life and how he wants to look back on his life in say 20-30 years and then translate that into setting priorities, objectives, etc. now - unconstrained by having to submit to the corporate grind out of financial necessity. This really is liberating.
In a similar situation it made me realize how incredibly toxic so much of climbing the corporate ladder actually was in my life - physical and mental health wise and how that affected the rest of my life and people close to me. Forcing myself to make significant changes was a long process (no cold turkey fix) but it lead to a much more fulfilling life incl. marrying and (fingers crossed) hopefully starting a family in 2026 as well as prioritzing health (diet, sleep and stress were all way in the red zone while working full-time). Fancy job titles, another x CHF on your account, etc. are all a lot less important now.
I hope the original poster will let the forum know in due course how he’s proceeding and how that’s going for him.
6 Likes
Thanks all for your posts in this thread. Yes, I will give an update some time after I stop working.