Glossary

This is a growing list of commonly used terms in our community. Please suggest more terms not listed here!


Boglehead = A follower of John C. Bogle’s financial philosophies and investing strategies.

COL = Cost of Living

LCOL/MCOL/HCOL/VHCOL = Low/Med/High/VeryHigh Cost of Living

DCA = Dollar Cost Averaging; the strategy of investing money into the market over many regular intervals of time (as opposed to lump sum investing).

DINK = Double Income No Kids

FI = Financial Independence; the ability to live off savings and pay living expenses without needing to be employed.

FIRE = Financial Independence & Retire Early

Coast FIRE = having enough money already invested so that it is not necessary to invest more to achieve FI at the desired retirement age.

Barista FIRE = having enough money to retire at the desired retirement age and also getting a part-time job for additional income and health insurance.

Lean FIRE = achieving FIRE without having much safety nets for luxuries/children/major health costs during retirement, usually only spending on necessities such as housing, food, and transportation.

Fat FIRE = achieving FIRE with the ability to cover unexpected expenses during retirement while living in equal or greater lifestyle as before retirement.

HENRY = High Earner, Not Rich Yet

HYSA = High Yield Savings Account

NW = Net Worth

PITI = Principal + Interest + Taxes + Insurance

PMI = Private Mortgage Insurance

SWR = Safe Withdrawal Rate