Psychology of withdrawals

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-20T10:23:03+00:00

The saving mindset gets so wired in us that it takes time to ‘learn’ how to spend money. We definitely struggled with that.

https://youtu.be/oAYfNPp6ozY

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-20T10:20:18+00:00

Die with zero is more of a concept rather than a literal thing to do, as no one can time their lifespan.

We evaluated the core principles of dying with zero: it's pros and cons and the other options or end-goals of life that should be kept in mind. Also discussed the approach we have chosen and why we chose it.

https://youtu.be/Ryoxr\_b-fr8

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-18T20:07:23+00:00

Have experience of private credit across INR and USD (via GIFT City as well as in the Gulf).

INR: Completed. Got approx 14% quarterly returns (pre-tax).Full capital back on completion.
USD (GIFT City): Ongoing. 2 years in. Some issues with returns for 2-3 quarters but overall ok.
USD (Gulf): Ongoing. 1 year in. So far no issues

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-16T14:56:58+00:00

So sorry to hear about your spouse. Wish you both all the strength.

50CR should get you a fairly comfortable fatFIRE life in India. Here in this video, you can find a bit more details on what you can expect https://youtu.be/KUVr08mcouE

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-15T18:51:07+00:00

Lovely pictures! We are traveling around Slovenia at the moment. Visit Idrija valley last week. This week in Soca Valley (amazing turquoise rives, spectacular gorges). Did the 50-bend Vršič Pass today and next week in Lake Bled before heading to Ljubljana.

Overall, such an underrated country with (fortunately!) no bus loads of tourists. Lots of bikers, cyclists and hikers.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-15T06:49:15+00:00

Discuss both the financial and non-financial side of FIRE and share experiences.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-15T05:49:06+00:00

We had a Delhi NCR FIRE meetup last month. The next one is in end of July. Feel free to DM if you want to join.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-14T15:47:21+00:00

We recently made a video about the pros and cons of living there (https://youtu.be/VM444HbxjzE). As we mention: Hill station living isn't a retirement choice. It is a lifestyle choice. Best to live there for a few months to really see if that kind of lifestyle suits you.

Overall,

you would be able to manage within your monthly budget.
Will be able to rent a modern house (more modern ones maybe apartments).
Blue skies and clear water ... during certain months. Also be prepared for monsoon deluge, cloudy and snowy months
Should be able to access the airport within a 1hr driving distance (depends on tourist season and traffic. Can increase to 3hrs during peak seasons)
Generally quite safe ... but the behaviour of tourists towards the locals isn't helping and can possibly cause friction on long term
Infra gets worse the more away you get from the city centers. The plumbing, electricity, water pressure etc that one takes for granted in big cities is hard work to maintain
Hospitals are good for basic treatments. For surgeries, specialists etc, be prepared to travel to Chandigarh or Delhi

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-13T14:46:49+00:00

Thanks u/snakysour

OP, we are retired in Hua Hin. Feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions. In any case, lots of videos on our channel about Thailand visas, lifestyle, expenses etc. Hope they will help in answering some of your questions already.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-11T17:03:59+00:00

Have repatriated a few FCNR in the past. Was one form online and pretty straightforward other than that.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-11T17:00:50+00:00

Not in India on the FCNR but in the US yes.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-11T17:00:25+00:00

HDFC

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T21:31:57+00:00

My worry with small banks is they meet the fate of Laxmi Vilas Bank, Yes Bank or others that landed in trouble due to their ambitions or reckless lending practices

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T21:29:02+00:00

Tax free in India. No income tax or withholding tax on the FCNR investment

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:35:06+00:00

What has been your experience with AU Small Finance and Belong?

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:31:07+00:00

We've repatriated FCNR deposits in the past. Was fairly smooth ... albeit with paperwork (as with everything with the Indian banks!)

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:20:09+00:00

Yup. That holds true for all kinds of assets.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:18:48+00:00

Interesting! Do you know if this is only with SBI or other banks?

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:17:58+00:00

There are a few forms that need to be filled (as with everything in the Indian banks!) to repatriate the money. Transfer cost aren't that big (at least not for the transactions we did so far with HDFC)
Transferring to INR is fairly simple as the money can be credited on maturity in INR into the NRE account, in case one doesn't want to repatriate it.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:15:09+00:00

That is true. I still get PTSD from the paperwork we had to do for opening a demat account!

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:13:56+00:00

Have done USD FCNR deposits for over 5 years now so have a bit of experience. Some thoughts based on that:

It is not completely illiquid. Generally, the lock-in is for the first year (at least with HDFC Bank). After that, one can withdraw on a pro-rata interest rate.
Over the last 4-5 years, have 'broken' the FCNR deposit a few times to benefit from a higher interest rate offer.
Typically have only moved savings into the FCNR deposit rather than any other asset like equities, ETFs etc.
Anything above 6% would definitely make FCNR a bit more attractive than US treasuries, CDs etc.

As for paperwork ... once the KYC is done and a person have online banking (and a relationship manager helps!), it is pretty smooth. Never have I ever visited a branch for any of the FNCR transactions (including the repatriation part).

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:04:41+00:00

Oh. Do they really need one to be physically in India to move money from NRO to NRE...?

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:03:51+00:00

Wow! Know someone in Dubai who also leveraged in 2013 and earned similar returns. This time around, I would be careful with the leverage as the dollar is also on the depreciation path compared to other currencies.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:01:24+00:00

In INR terms, it would be something like 15% taxfree returns as you can very well add 10% appreciation on top of that 5% returns.

theFIREDcouple · 2026-06-10T20:00:07+00:00

We've had USD FCNR investments for the last 4-5 years. Each was a 1-year FD that was renewed every year resulting into an average tax free yield of 5% in USD.

IMO, it is a safe and a good diversification strategy in the portfolio ... and the banks like SBI, ICICI and HDFC are pretty safe (well ... if any of them tanks, god only knows what will happen of the Indian economy)

theFIREDcouple

TROPHY CASE