Financial Independence, Property, and the Reality of Retirement with Michael Houghton

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. 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. 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. 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 I hope it helps.