Sebastien Aguilar is a familiar name among personal finance enthusiasts in the UAE. He heads the non-profit community SimplyFI Index Investing and Financial Independence Facebook group, which focuses on financial independence, passive investing and personal finance education.
The Belgian national, 40, lived and worked in the UAE from 2011 until 2018 as a consultant in energy management. He achieved financial independence at the age of 33 and lives off the profits from his investments.
Mr Aguilar saved a six-figure dollar amount to retire early.
“The amount needed for healthy and happy financial independence is a lot lower than most people imagine. You don’t need millions,” he says.
“And this is because once you control your finances, you can live happily with modest expenses. And this, combined with a very effective investing strategy like low-cost global index investing, makes it so that you don’t need a very large portfolio.”
People following the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement usually withdraw up to 4 per cent of their investment portfolio’s value annually without depleting it over a 30-year retirement. This strategy requires aggressive saving and investing to build a large asset base to support passive income, enabling early retirement.
“Since we stopped earning and started withdrawing from our portfolio in 2018, it has grown in size significantly,” he says.
“Our financial independence and early retirement plan were designed to sustain the worst market conditions [like the Great Depression of the 1930s]. Since the markets did better than the worst-case scenario, we’re in a better financial position today compared to 2018.”
Today, Mr Aguilar lives in Belgium, where he and his wife homeschool their children.
He has a master’s degree in construction engineering from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and a master’s in sustainable energy technologies from Southampton University in the UK.
What was your first job and salary?
I arrived in the UAE in 2011, with an internship at FuGu Energy on a monthly salary of Dh5,000 ($1,361 today) plus accommodation and a car, so [worth] about Dh8,000 in total.
What do you do now?
I am back in Belgium, where I am mostly a dad, homeschooling my two boys with my wife. I am also the chairman of SimplyFI, a free Facebook group in the UAE, and I run a similar community in Belgium called Fire Belgium.
Do you manage to save?
Not anymore, as I don’t have an income. But I used to save 70 per cent of my Dh35,000 monthly income in 2016 to 2018 when I was at the peak of my career.
What asset classes do you invest in?
I have a simple portfolio of two exchange-traded funds: one global stock index fund and one global bond index fund. I also have gold [and] I am in the withdrawal phase for better portfolio stability.
Have you bought property anywhere?
No, I rent. But my rent and all my expenses are paid by my portfolio. Renting gives me great flexibility. We might buy a house in the future.
Do you have any debt?
No. Zero debt.
Have you ever inherited money?
When I was 16, I got some money from my godmother. I used it to pay for part of my studies abroad, in the US and UK.
Growing up, were you taught to handle your finances?
I was only taught to save money. In fact, money has mostly been a taboo topic in my family, often cited as the cause of many of the problems in the world.
It’s only later that I discovered that money and investing have the power to buy back time.
What are your major monthly expenses?
Rent, food and travel. We travel a lot with my family.
How do you budget every month?
I used to track all my expenses from 2011 to 2012. It’s what allowed me to take control of my finances. I was very tight on money, so I had no choice. In fact, this is what led me to learn about do-it-yourself index investing. It has completely changed my life.
Do you worry about money?
I reached financial independence at the age of 33, in 2018. I have mostly solved [my] money problems. But it’s true that sometimes we wonder what our lives would have been if we had continued working and earning high salaries.
Do you have an emergency fund?
Yes. I always have easily accessible money for emergencies.
What are your best money-saving hacks?
It’s hard to say. We’ve become quite efficient with how we spend our money. For sure, when I was in the UAE, the biggest hack was to keep a simple, happy life. Happiness doesn’t cost much. Ego costs a lot. So, don’t fall for the expensive ego games (big house, big cars, fancy trips) everyone else is playing. Buy freedom instead.
What are your financial goals?
Right now, I don’t really have any.
What is your idea of financial freedom?
Mostly what I have: the ability to do what I want, when I want and with whom I want. Recently, we went to a farm with my boys and they discovered horseback riding. Right now, I’m sitting in a Moroccan restaurant while my kids are playing with their friends. I don’t have to worry about going to work and getting paid. We’re really blessed.
How did you achieve it?
Everything through a simple portfolio of index ETFs, that’s where I invested everything. Today, I live from the profits. And the portfolio keeps growing despite spending a chunk of it every year.
What are your tips to achieve financial independence?
1. Track your expenses for at least three months (also include annual expenses). This helps to have full awareness of personal finance.
2. Based on that, plug the money holes: cut useless expenses and optimise the rest.
3. Learn to invest in index ETFs. It’s simple, cheap and performs much better than bank funds. Once it’s in place, it takes five minutes per month to manage.
4. Join a community of like-minded people. In the Middle East, one such group is the SimplyFI Facebook group.
5. Find ways to increase your income (through employment, side hustles or entrepreneurship).
6. Simplify and automate your finances as much as possible.
7. When your portfolio can cover your living expenses, you’re financially free.
Any tips for people who started investing late?
It’s never too late to start investing. My mom is 70 and she recently started. It makes her retirement much more comfortable. So, if you’ve just started, keep going. If you haven’t yet, then learn quickly and start as soon as possible. The earlier the better. And tell your kids and family members.
Look up information on “index investing” and “financial independence”. Avoid active investing strategies. They cost much more time and money. Listen to podcasts and watch YouTube educational videos on index investing. Download the free Getting Started Guide for index investing in the UAE on the SimplyFI.org website or Facebook group. It’s everything we know super-condensed.
Do you want to be featured in My Salary, a weekly column that explores how people around the world manage their earnings? Write to pf@thenationalnews.com to share your story
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world’s insecticides
Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
“Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels