1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Michael Houghton returns to the Informed Decisions Podcast seven years after his first appearance to share how his thinking on money, work and property has evolved. &amp;nbsp; Michael is a personal finance writer, former software developer, FIRE advocate, Irish Independent columnist, and now an active property investor building income and wealth through rental property in Ireland. &amp;nbsp; In this conversation, Michael explains why financial independence is really about choice, not simply giving up work. He shares how he and his family went from extreme saving and FIRE to a more flexible life built around purposeful work, property income, and long term planning. &amp;nbsp; Key talking points • Michael’s journey from New Zealand visitor to living in Ireland for 15 years • How he and his family pursued FIRE by saving aggressively and working towards financial independence • Why hitting your number does not always mean you want to stop working • How he thinks about retirement, purpose, and the value of meaningful work • Why he sees property as a strong long term wealth building tool • The role of rental yield, leverage, refinancing, and bank appetite in building a portfolio • The risks of property investing, including concentration, leverage, insurance, and tenant issues • How property fits alongside pensions and other investments in an overall financial plan &amp;nbsp; I hope it helps. Informed Decisions Independent Financial Planning &amp; Money Podcast https://www.informeddecisions.ie/the-blog <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/40380910/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/199440600