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Early Retirement Options (UK)
It's highly unlikely that you will be able to achieve 8% and would consider myself lucky to get 4% in the current interest rate environment.  You might want to read some reviews of peer-to-peer lending and even try it out some yourself.  Give yourself something like 2000 Euros/Dollars and a year.  If you truly need 8% to retire, then you are not ready to retire. Here in the US it increases the complexity of your tax forms.  I did an experiment with lending club.   Here is what I found: After 18 months of giving it a try, I decided to abandon this strategy.  My money will receive better and safer returns in a dividend focused mutual fund. However, I encourage you to give it a try yourself.