Grumpus Maximus shares his military background, his blog about understanding pensions, and his path to FI.
In this episode we cover:
- Interview with Grumpus Maximus about pensions and the military
- Where the name Grumpus Maximus comes from
- The Golden Albatross
- Grumpus Maximus’ backstory
- How he discovered the FI movement
- How he wanted to quit the military but would then lose all the benefits
- His relationship with Mrs Grumpus about money
- How to manage your finances as a couple
- What FI looks like now
- How Grumpus got through the mental breakdown
- His top resources for learning about FI
- How to understand the pension
- How the retirement system is changing for the younger generation
- Grumpus presented FI to his colleagues in the military
- Hot Seat questions
Listen to Brad and Jonathan’s thoughts about this episode here.

The Golden Albatross
If your job offers a pension, then this book is a must-read. Easily learn how to calculate your pension’s objective value and weigh it against the subjective benefits of leaving for more fulfilling work.
Links from the show
- Grumpus Maximus’ blog
- What is a Golden Albatross?
- The Pension Series
- Worth vs worth it
- Mr Money Mustache
- JL Collins | The Stock Series and 4% Rule
- Retirement Planning: How to Calculate your Gap number
- Can I retire yet? Blog
- FIRECalc and Flexible Retirement Planner
- Grumpus Maximus Facebook Page and Facebook Group
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