What would you do if you knew you’d already saved enough money to retire with confidence? This financial milestone has become known as Coast FIRE because attaining it gives you the ability to “coast” into retirement.
But is it even possible to reach such a goal without working around the clock? Marko Zlatic, host of the Whiteboard Finance YouTube channel, is living proof that it is indeed.
You’re about to discover the strategies Marko and his wife used to reach Coast FIRE in their 30s–and how it’s affected the next stages of their investing journey.
Marko’s MixTape Making Beginnings
You may not have gone to school with Marko Zlatic. But the odds are you knew a kid a lot like him. While everyone else was playing on the monkey bars, he was selling Pokémon cards on the playground.
When you and your friends were hanging out in the cafeteria, Marko was the guy you could always count on to sell you a new mixtape. But it wasn’t long before Marko came to a realization.
Rich people didn't tend to sell bootleg tapes out of the trunks of their Lambos. Even at the height of the cassette craze. A little research revealed that the real money was in things like equities and real estate. So that’s where Marko decided to go.
At just 18 years old, Marko opened up his first brokerage account and started making trades when commissions were still a thing. This may be the point in the story where you expect Marko to invest in a smart startup and get rich overnight.
But the best part about his story is that it’s far more relatable.
The Coast FIRE Paradox
Marko is the first to admit that his trading strategy isn’t all that complicated. It doesn’t involve risky tactics like day trading or doing business with exclusive hedge funds.
In fact, Marko’s secret isn’t really a secret at all.
“When you look at all these studies over the years, the people that perform the best are people that are dead, right?” Marko laughs. “They don't touch their portfolio. They just dollar-cost average… and they let the market do its thing.”
Sure, this may not be the type of strategy you’d expect from someone who saved enough money for retirement in their mid-30s. But the beauty of Coast FIRE is that it’s not about getting rich quickly.
It’s about investing as much as you can, as early in life as possible. Let’s see what that looked like for Marko and his wife, who are now 36 and 32 years old, respectively.
Together, they’ve invested around $730k in the stock market. While an impressive sum, it may not sound like enough to carry a couple through their golden years. That’s where the magic of growth and compound interest comes into play.
Imagine that Marko and his wife decided today that they were never going to invest another penny. We’ll also assume that their current investments will continue to pull in at least a 5% annual return.
In 20 years, their current nest egg will have blossomed into nearly $2 million. The lesson? When it comes to investing, time is money.
Want to see compounding in action for your portfolio? Check out our free Coast FIRE Calculator.
A Peek Into Marko Zlatic’s Portfolio
Okay, so we’ve nailed down that Marko is a slow and steady investor. Now let’s take a look at exactly what he invests in.
Does our former Pokémon flipper’s portfolio feature a classic 60/40 split of stocks and bonds? Not exactly. Like many investors today, Marko believes that the old rule of thumb may have passed its prime.
“If you look at the last few years, especially after COVID,” Marko recalls. “The 60/40 portfolio got decimated, got absolutely crushed.”
But the key to Marko's success hasn’t been in staying on top of the latest stocks or sticking to the safety of bonds. Instead, he’s found a happy medium in another asset.
“A majority of my net worth is in VTI. It's just basically Vanguard's total stock market fund. Nothing special or fancy,” Marko reveals. “Don’t get me wrong. I still buy individual stocks just for fun here and there, but a majority of my net worth is in index funds.”
From Retirement Accounts to Roth IRAs
It’s tempting to assume that someone set to coast into retirement would be a big fan of their employer-sponsored retirement account. But while there’s certainly something to be said for a good 401(k), Marko points out that it’s not the only way to go.
“I really like the Roth IRA because you can take out whatever you put in penalty-free,” he says. “And there's also HSAs, things like that, where you get multiple benefits from different tax advantage perspectives.”
Marko has also become a fan of SEP IRAs and has 529 plans set up for his two girls. But ultimately, he admits, a nice chunk of his wealth is set aside in a taxable brokerage account.
“It's super flexible and I like to have that flexibility,” he explains. “Sometimes I don't want to wait till I'm 59 and a half. Sometimes I don't want to have a penalty risk.”
This brings up a question faced by FIRE movement fans everywhere. Does achieving Coast FIRE early in life mean you should double down and become FI (financially independent) as quickly as possible?
Or should you slow down and enjoy the ability to actually coast into retirement? For Marko Zlatic, the answer lies somewhere in between the two extremes.
Life in the Golden Middle
Sure, the idea of never having to work again may sound awesome. But, for many investors, it also comes with a huge tradeoff.
“When people want to go full FI, they sacrifice a lot,” Marko points out. “Some people when they go into full FI mode, it's like, ‘Why, why even be alive?’ You know, it's like you're sacrificing literally every single pleasure out there.”
For Marko, the idea of being able to enjoy life “someday” isn’t worth refusing to live life to the fullest in the present. That’s why he feels like Coast FIRE is the most reasonable form of FIRE out there.
Instead, Marko simply sees saving for retirement as one more box he can check off his to-do list. Now that he and his wife have the future covered, they’re free to use the extra money they had set aside for investing to experience life with their kids.
“You can travel, you can take them to amusement parks, you can take them overseas. You can do whatever,” Marko says. “But I feel like you can only enjoy certain things in your life at certain ages.”
But what if the market crashes in the meantime? Therein lies another perk of the taxable brokerage account. While Marko has no plans to cash out his assets, it’s nice to know that the option is available if disaster strikes.
Marko’s Next Chapter
What does coasting toward retirement look like? For Marko, it’s once again a matter of balance. On one hand, his solopreneur spirit is still alive and well.
Marko is the creator and host of the Whiteboard Finance YouTube channel, which has recently exceeded the million subscriber mark. His passion for finance shines through in each of his videos, as he breaks down wealth-building on his trademark whiteboard.
But he’s also learned some important life lessons from other cultures. The son of two Serbian immigrants, Marko’s trips to Europe and the Mediterranean have helped him realize that wealth isn’t all about money.
Throughout his travels, he’s met plenty of people who don’t make as much money as they might in the United States. “But they also have a very deep, meaningful life,” he reflects. “A lot of friends, a lot of family, and a lot of time.”
That’s part of why, instead of rushing to achieve FI, he’s decided to take his time and enjoy the journey. Whether it's coaching his girls’ soccer team or volunteering at church, Marko is always looking for ways to give back.
Marko Zlatic may have learned a lot about finance from an early age. But he’s also picked up on another invaluable life lesson.
“The more you give, I feel like the universe just gives back to you,” he says. “And I really believe in that karma aspect of life and just kind of pumping the brakes a little bit.”
Final Thoughts on Marko Zlatic Achieving Coast FIRE
Marko's journey to Coast FIRE came through consistent investment contributions and patience in the process. If you're looking at achieve Coast FIRE too, check out our free Coast FIRE Calculator. This tool can help you see how close you are to achieving this investment milestone. And maybe you can take your foot off the gas and enjoy more life like Marko.
What do you think of the advice from Marko Zlatic? Are you working on achieving Coast FIRE?
Please let us know in the comments below.
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