I am Randy Irons.

Like almost every other 50-something American, I have had a picture of retirement ingrained in my mind from a young age...work somewhere for 40 years, then retire, collect my pension and enjoy the rest of my life. Unfortunately, our world has changed and that dream is now outdated. With the constantly increasing cost of living and the death of company-paid retirement plans, how is a person ever supposed to achieve the benefits of retirement? Add to that a few poor choices and unfortunate life circumstances, and "retiring" for me seemed like an impossibility.

I realized I had to redefine what retirement really meant to me: enough money to provide the needs and wants for me and my wife; more time to spend with our family and friends; and the flexibility to travel and see the world, ideally achieving this before the traditional retirement age.

I figured out how to make those things happen, and now I want to help other people of all ages to realize the benefits of "retirement" too. Life is too short to not fully enjoy it!