37-Year-Old Man Considers Early Retirement with Monthly Passive Income of $14,000, Sparking Controversy
A 37-year-old employee of a public company recently posted on the online forum Dcard, sharing that he currently earns about 1.8 million TWD annually. Due to heavy work pressure and concerns about the stability of future salary income, he is considering early retirement, triggering a lively discussion among netizens.
The man stated that although his annual income is 1.8 million TWD, a significant portion of this comes from dividends. Recently, he was transferred to a department he is unfamiliar with, resulting in increased work stress, and he is concerned that the company's high dividend payouts may not be sustainable due to U.S. President Trump's tariff policies.
He detailed his asset allocation, including 7 million TWD in a private equity fund yielding 60,000 TWD monthly, and 2.5 million TWD invested in high dividend stocks like Yuanta Taiwan High Dividend and KGI Taiwan Selected High Dividend, which collectively yield 20,000 TWD a month. Additionally, he invests in U.S. Treasury ETFs generating an income of 50,000 TWD monthly and holds about 3.25 million TWD in U.S. stock investments, including VOO, VT, VTI, and QQQ.
Beyond financial investments, he also has a parking space that rents for 4,000 TWD per month and 500,000 TWD in fixed deposits. However, he mentioned that he still has a house under mortgage, requiring him to pay 25,000 TWD monthly. Overall, his stable monthly passive income amounts to about 140,000 TWD.
In response to the man’s inquiry, other netizens provided various suggestions. Some shared their own experiences, with one saying, “I have a passive income of 600 TWD a month, and I have already retired, just for reference.” Others suggested, “Economically, retirement isn’t a problem; spiritually, if you find interests, you can retire.” There were also more practical suggestions from netizens who argued that one should consider switching career paths rather than retiring directly, saying, “Why retire? Work is also a part of life; you can look for jobs you like, work casually, and travel with your wife to enjoy life better.”
