In 2012, Debbie Emick received a series of troubling diagnoses, forcing her to retire from teaching two years later. She and her husband, Chris, then set out on a path of achieving FIRE — financial independence, retire early. An initial investment of $60,000 grew and they bought 17 rental properties from 2016 to 2019. That income stream allowed Chris to retire from his IT job in November 2019 after they accumulated $540,000 in savings and retirement accounts and $1.1 million in real estate.

Produced by: Lauren Shamo
Senior Managing Producer: Sam Rega
Camera: Jackson House Films
Animation: Gene Kim
Reporter: Ryan Ermey

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How We Retired Early With $540K At 40 In Colorado