A professor started pursuing financial independence at 38. A 7-step ladder helped him go from debt to 'lean FI.'

Miguel Marquez teaches French, Spanish, and personal finance at a university in Shenzhen, China. Courtesy of Miguel Marquez Miguel Marquez began pursuing financial independence in his late 30s. He uses a seven-step ladder, ranging from debt freedom to Fat FI, to make the goal feel achievable. The Spanish and French professor is currently at Lean FI, with traditional FI his next milestone. Miguel Marquez has spent years making complex subjects easier to understand. Originally from Spain, the 47-year-old earned a Ph.D. in French linguistics from Indiana University Bloomington and now teaches French, Spanish, and personal finance at a university in Shenzhen, China. Through teaching personal finance and pursuing financial independence himself, Marquez has learned that saving for such a distant goal can feel either too intimidating to begin or too tedious to sustain over decades.