Back in 2018, when I announced that I was taking a long break from public appearances, I said it would last, maybe, two or three years. Well, it is now 2021 but with the COVID-19 situation still wreaking havoc globally and Singapore's Phase 3 of reopening lasting at least a year, it seems that I am being given another year or two off. Good news for lazy AK who decided long ago that he didn't want to work till the day he dies! Back in 2018, when I made that announcement, I said to readers that F.I.R.E. which stands for "Financial Independence, Retire Early" isn't just a dream. However, unless we are very lucky in life, we need to plan for F.I.R.E. to happen. I planned very early on in life as a salaried worker to achieve financial freedom and to retire by age 45. With a lot of work and bit of luck, I managed to do this a few months before I turned 45 almost 5 years ago....