Have you recently retired? Do you want to retire eventually? Are you independently wealthy? If you answered “Yes” to either of the first two questions and a resounding “No” to the third, then this column is aimed at you. The independently wealthy. they can read along too.

No, Im not selling anything, Im not a financial adviser, mutual fund salesperson, or in anyway connected to the financial industry. So, who am I then? An accountant (CPA, CGA), living in a small BC community, nearing retirement, and willing to share my thoughts and experiences on the topics of money, investing, and retirement from the perspective of the average individual, couple, or family. What do I mean by average in the context of this blog? You were not born wealthy, you dont have a trust account or large inheritance to rely upon, and you want to be able to retire comfortably but not necessarily extravagantly. And, if you have been relying on the financial industrybanks, mutual fund salespersons, investment advisers, and suchfor your financial advice, you have realized (or soon will) that the only retirement nest being feathered with your money is their own.

I came to this realization in my early 30s, when the investment adviser I had been using at the investment branch of one of Canadas largest chartered banks talked me out of my sell order for all of my tech stocks shortly before the 2001 tech bubble burst, costing me $60,000 and many others significant amounts as well. It was an expensive lesson but one that was well worth it. I immediately withdrew my remaining $60,000 and set up a self-directed account at a different bank and began to invest without the benefit of a paid adviser. But, free of the financial sharks management fees, transactions fees, trailing commissions, and who knows how many other hidden fees, over the next 10 years, I was able to recover and build a retirement-worthy portfolio. Although a divorce cut my joint assets in half again, the strategy I developed to take advantage of stock market bubblesand employed successfully during the 2009 crashonce again restored my retirement nest again to the point that retirement at 50 was possible and retirement at 55 with my new wife will be comfortable, although not extravagant, which suits our simple tastes just fine.

So, anyone wanna chat? swap stories?