Compound
The podcast that dissects the math, psychology, and quiet daily habits behind retiring decades early — episode by episode, spreadsheet by spreadsheet.
Time is the only asset you cannot compound your way back into. Every year you trade for a paycheck is a year that doesn't exist in your retirement.
Compound is not a motivation podcast. There are no vision boards here, no hustle mantras, no "just believe in yourself" energy. What you will find: actual spreadsheet walkthroughs, Monte Carlo simulations explained without a finance degree, and real listeners sharing their exact numbers — net worth, savings rate, withdrawal strategy, all of it.
of our listeners who implement the savings rate episode within 90 days
calculated by listeners using our interactive worksheets in 2025
to financial independence for dual-income households who find us before 35
Math Over Motivation
Your feelings about money are valid. Your spreadsheet is the authority. We build the spreadsheet together.
Specificity Over Inspiration
"Save more" is useless advice. "Increase your savings rate from 18% to 32% by eliminating these three categories" is a plan.
Your Number, Your Timeline
FIRE is not a uniform destination. Lean, Coast, Barista, Fat — each path is legitimate. We help you find yours.
Vision, then mechanics.
Scroll from mindset to math. Every card is a different facet of the same question: when does work become optional?
The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement
"Your savings rate is the single most powerful lever in your FIRE equation — more than your income, more than your investment returns."
David Chen
Staff Engineer, Seattle
"I found Compound when I was making $180k and saving 8%. Two years later I'm saving 41%. The episode on savings rate psychology changed how I think about money."
The FIRE Starter Stack
Coast FIRE: The Number That Sets You Free Without Quitting
"Coast FIRE is the most underrated concept in personal finance. You front-load the work, then let compound interest do the rest."
Dr. Priya Nair
Emergency Medicine, Boston
"I was Googling coast FI numbers at 2am between shifts. Found this podcast. Three years later I'm working 0.6 FTE and my portfolio does the rest."
Tax-Efficient Withdrawal: Which Account Do You Empty First?
"The sequence of withdrawals in early retirement can save you $200,000+ in taxes. Most people never optimize this."
Which FIRE is yours?
Marcus & Leila Okonkwo
Dual-income, Austin TX
"We do FIRE spreadsheets every Sunday morning with coffee. Compound gives us new data to plug in every week. We're on track for $2.8M by 2031."
78 episodes.
Every one has a spreadsheet.
Why Your Retirement Calculator is Lying to You
The standard retirement calculator assumes you'll work until 65. We built a different one — and the numbers will change how you think about every paycheck.
The Dual-Income FIRE Playbook: When Two Spreadsheets Become One
Managing FIRE as a couple requires aligning timelines, risk tolerances, and spending philosophies. Real couples share their actual numbers.
Physician FIRE: High Income, High Debt, Shorter Runway
Doctors face a unique FIRE equation: $300k+ income doesn't offset a decade of missed compounding. Three physicians share their paths to financial independence.
The Roth Conversion Ladder: Your Bridge to Early Retirement
How to access your 401(k) before 59½ without penalties. The mechanics, the timing, and the five-year rule explained with real examples.
SWR Beyond 4%: What the Research Actually Says in 2026
The 4% rule was derived from 30-year retirements. What happens when your retirement is 50 years? We run the numbers with current valuations.