Financial Independence 2.0

I have been writing a lot recently about finding our unique purpose, identity, and connection in the world. In fact, I have gone so far as to ask if financial independence is irrelevant. So it was without surprise that a participant at CampFI asked me a prescient question. Should we not call it CampFI anymore? The question has great significance. The branding of our movement has often centered on the mechanics of financial independence. Take these three steps, add in a few years, mix and stir, and boom! The evolution, however, continues to move away from mechanics and towards philosophy. I have said that financial independence is plan B, a lever. Do we need to rebrand? Do we need to move into a Financial Independence 2.0 era?

Money Matters

Financial independence will never be completely irrelevant. In fact, it is at least fifty percent of the game. The process of saving, budgeting, and investing will always identify our community. It will always be our brand. The deeper philosophy of FI and living a meaningful life still depends on understanding the math. If we are going to relieve ourselves of the shackles of indentured servitude of the W2 wage, we must be able to create some form of perpetual money machine or other.

Why?

Because happiness today may not be happiness tomorrow. Financial security can be threatened by new unexpected expenses in the future. The only way to allow ourselves to live a purposeful identity driven life is to have a solid financial plan. This frees us from the necessity of working in a meaningless way.

Financial independence 2.0 assumes that the deep planning regarding financial freedom has already taken place. There is a simple path to wealth. It may not be easy. But is is definitely attainable.

Almost no one at CampFI South was looking for advice on how to get to financial independence. The questions went much further.

FI Alone is Not The Answer

This community has moved past worrying about financial independence alone. The conversations now swirl about incorporating financial freedom into the deeper questions. Financial independence 2.0 is all about asking what now.

How do I build purpose, identity, and connection into my pre and post FI path?
How do I bring up socially responsible kids post FI?
Should charity play a large role in my post financial independence path?

As opposed to causing anxiety, I hope the stalwarts of this movement try to embrace these questions. The mechanics will always be important. But if we are to move forward as a community, we need to continually innovate and ask the hard questions.

The once stunningly difficult question of years ago feels like it has already been answered:

How do I reach financial independence?

Rebranding

I hate the term rebranding. I think we are more enhancing or building on the base of a solid structure. We can not remove the words financial independence from our lexicon, our logos, or our rallying cry. So I think we have moved on to financial independence 2.0. Financial independence plus.

We are not just about the spreadsheets and the graphs. Not only index investors and real estate mavens. We are a thinking, expanding, embracing community that evolves to incorporate new thoughts and ideas.

Final Thoughts

We are the financial independence community. But we are also so much more. As the mechanics of FI have become more clear, we are pivoting to grasp the philosophy of FI. What now? Where are we going and what does it all mean?

Financial independence 2.0 or whatever you choose to call it.

The FIRE is spreading. And growing. And evolving.