Replacing 20% of income to gain Fridays off requires far less capital than full retirement, new analysis shows.
A worker earning $80,000 annually needs $16,000 in portfolio income to cover Fridays off, requiring $160,000 to $457,000 in capital depending on yield strategy.
Dividend-growth portfolios yielding 3.5% today could grow to pay $62,000 annually in 20 years, outperforming static 10% yielders stuck at $16,000. Full retirement demands $1.5 million, while a four-day workweek slashes the target to roughly $300,000.
The shift reflects growing interest in partial financial independence, where workers prioritize time over complete income replacement.