UvA Studying Financial Independence in the Netherlands - Share Your Story

If you're working toward financial independence or early retirement in the Netherlands, researchers at the University of Amsterdam want to hear your story.

The UvA sociology department is conducting research on how people in the Netherlands are reshaping their relationship with traditional work, including those pursuing FIRE, reducing their working hours, or building financial independence on their own terms.

Why Financial Independence Research in Netherlands Matters

Financial Independence in the Netherlands looks different from other countries. We're navigating Box 3 wealth taxation, building strategies around state pensions (AOW), optimizing employer pension contributions, and figuring out how to retire early in a system designed for 67-plus-year-old retirement ages.

Academic research documenting how people actually do this: what works, what doesn't, what trade-offs we're making, adding legitimacy to this movement. It also helps future FIRE pursuers understand what's possible in the Dutch context.

Led by Associate Professor Kobe De Keere, this research aims to understand how people are creating meaningful alternatives to traditional work-until-retirement patterns.

Who They're Looking For

Participant criteria:

• Adults (18+) living in the Netherlands

• Working toward, planning for, or having achieved financial independence

• This includes early retirement, reducing reliance on paid work, or building more freedom over your time

• Comfortable doing interview in English

• All stages of the FIRE journey welcome - you don't need to have it "figured out"

  
  

What's involved:

• 1-hour interview (online or in-person)

• Conducted between December 2025 - February 2026

• Share your experiences, challenges, and perspective

What to Expect

While I'm not involved in the research itself, academic interviews like this typically explore:

Your journey: How you discovered FIRE, what motivated you, what changes you've made

Your strategies: How you're navigating Dutch systems (pensions, taxes, investments)

Your challenges: What's harder than expected, what trade-offs you're making

Your vision: How you think about work, time, and financial independence

You don't need to be an expert or have perfect answers. Researchers are interested in real experiences, including the messy, uncertain parts of the journey.

Talking through your FIRE strategy with someone genuinely curious can actually be valuable. It forces you to articulate why you're making certain choic

es, which often clarifies your own thinking.

How to Participate

Interested in sharing your story? Fill out the UvA registration form here

The research team will contact you to schedule an interview at a time that works for you.

Questions? Contact the lead researcher: Kobe De Keere at k.dekeere@uva.nl

Why I'm Sharing This

Note: This is independent UvA research. Invest4Fire isn't involved in the study - I'm simply connecting our community with this opportunity.

I think it's valuable when researchers study what we're actually doing. The Dutch FIRE landscape has unique characteristics that deserve documentation. If you've been on this journey, no matter where you are right now, your perspective adds to broader understanding of what's possible here.

Plus, the more legitimate research exists on FIRE in the Netherlands, the easier it becomes for future people to take this path seriously.

If you do participate, I'd be curious to hear how it goes (if you're comfortable sharing).