A few years ago, a Senior Engineer at a big tech company came to me with a problem.
He was 42, earning $380K annually, and had accumulated $1.2M across various accounts. His goal? Retire by 52 with enough to maintain his lifestyle. What he really wanted was to travel with his wife in his 50s, while he’s still active.
But his portfolio told a different story.
67% in a target-date fund. 25% in bonds. And 8% in individual stocks he’d heard about on YouTube..
He was doing a great job following the conventional advice. But at his current trajectory, he’d need to work until 60.
The Problem
Target-date funds are designed for average outcomes. They automatically de-risk as you age, assuming you’ll need the money at 65.
But he didn’t want average. And he didn’t want to wait until 65 or even 60..
He had:
- High income with strong cash flow
- Maximizing retirement contributions and savings each year
- A 10-year time horizon (plenty of time for volatility)
- Able to stay invested during downturns
Overall, ideal for growth-focused investing.
Our Methodology:
We restructured his portfolio around three principles:
- High-conviction growth positions in companies with durable competitive advantages
- Concentrated exposure (~25 positions vs. 500+ in his index)
- Tax-efficient placement across his taxable and retirement accounts
We weren’t chasing returns. We were matching his actual risk capacity to his portfolio construction.
The Results:
Over the past three years:
- Portfolio grew from $1.2M to $2.5M (including contributions)
- Seriously outperformed his previous allocation and index funds
- Weathered a few major corrections with conviction
- Potentially on track to retire at 50—years ahead of schedule
The Real Win:
It’s not just the numbers.
He has clarity. He understands what he owns and why.
When markets dropped 20% in April 2025, he didn’t panic-sell. He had conviction in the thesis.
The Lesson:
Conventional wisdom serves conventional goals.
If you want to retire ahead of schedule, you can’t follow the playbook designed for people working until 65.
What you actually need:
- A strategy matched to your specific situation
- Higher conviction, not higher speculation
- The discipline to ignore short-term noise
That’s the difference between hoping for early retirement and planning for it.
So what’s holding YOUR portfolio back?
Ready to retire on your terms?
At Paraiba Wealth, our focus is on building actively managed portfolios—a strategy designed for greater control, tax efficiency, and tailored to you. If you’re ready to see what this looks like, book a no-obligation strategy session today.