I’m 41, live in California and have a $2.5M net worth. I want to retire in a few years to Thailand. What should I do to make that happen? Should a pro help? 

I live in San Diego and my wife is 36 years old and stays at home. I have healthcare for life from being in the military. I really want to retire, so I plan to move to Thailand for its lower cost of living. I want to move there and retire at 45 at the latest and allocate about $5k a month in expenses. Do you have any advice for me so I can retire sooner?

Answer: You’ve done a great job building your net worth by age 41, but the pros we spoke to noticed some red flags. So first, we’ve gotten advice on whether you might want to get an adviser — this free tool can match you to an adviser who may meet your needs — to do a one-time financial plan for you so you can ensure you’re on the right path. We also asked pros how you might be able to retire sooner.

Should you get a pro to help make your dream happen?

Right now, you have about half of your net worth in cash — and even with excellent rates, that might not be the best path for your future retirement plan because historically, stocks are the best way to beat inflation over time. “I suggest reviewing this point with a financial planner,” says certified financial planner Alonso Rodriguez Segarra at Advise Financial. Looking for a new financial adviser? This free tool can match you to an adviser who may meet your needs.

Certified financial planner Joe Favorito at Landmark Wealth Management has a similar concern: “My biggest concern would be whether you have enough equity exposure to keep up with inflation based on how young you are,” says Favorito, who recommends getting a detailed financial plan that really examines your cost of living overseas with future inflation adjustments.

Have an issue with your financial adviser or want to hire one? Email questions or concerns to [email protected].

While building a nest egg at such a young age is quite an achievement, retiring at a young age also means giving up significant future earnings. “You have to make your money last for maybe as long as 50 years for both you and your wife. If you try to return to the workforce later, you may not be able to make as much as you do now. Given the many uncertainties and the very long period you need your assets to last, it’s an ideal situation to consult a financial adviser,” says James Royal, principal writer on investing at Bankrate. He adds that a financial adviser can also help you set up a budget that helps ensure you won’t outlive your assets.

You may end up needing more than just a financial adviser’s help, as tax planning could be another potential complication. “It’s important to work with a tax professional to determine how your taxes would work in both the US and Thailand,” ays certified financial planner Ryan Haiss at Flynn Zito Capital Management.

Can you retire sooner than you thought?

It’s a little tough to give you a detailed answer without knowing the exact expenses you’ll face in Thailand. “What I can tell you is that someone that is planning to retire in their early 60s most likely should not be spending more than 4% of their liquid net worth annually and if you’re planning on retiring at age 45, I’d probably cut that in half to 2% annually,” says Favorito. That’s assuming you maintain at least a 50/50 allocation between equities and fixed income with your investment portfolio. “Whether or not that will suffice or not is tough to answer until you have a breakdown of expenses living overseas,” says Favorito.

A straightforward way to look at your situation is that today, you already receive a military pension of $4,000 a month and you believe you need $5,000 to retire, so that would leave you $1,000 short every month. “To obtain that amount, you could have $240,000 in a money market fund and you would get that $1,000 per month at current rates,” says certified financial planner Alonso Rodriguez Segarra at Advise Financial.

That said, pros say, life is long, and you having half of your net worth in cash, even with excellent rates, could be a problem if inflation erodes your spending power. CDs can also be dicey in the sense that they haven’t historically kept pace with inflation and there is reinvestment risk. “This is especially true for someone that has a goal of retiring at 45. We typically plan for 30-year retirement periods and depending on longevity, you may need your investments to generate income for a much longer period,” says certified financial planner Ryan Haiss at Flynn Zito Capital Management.

Another red flag may be this: REITS. Favorito says he’d be careful with private REITs. “Some of them have done great but many of them are grossly misleading in the way they’re sold and have not returned what was expected. 

Investments aside, one of the biggest flaws in your plan is healthcare. “It’s great that you have healthcare for life from being in the military but it’s important to understand the health coverage you have if you move out of the country. Will you receive the same coverage or are there any potential gaps by moving to Thailand? Will your wife be covered under this insurance as well? This can eat into a lot of your monthly budget if the same health coverage doesn’t apply abroad,” says Haiss. 

What’s more, Royal says an adviser can also model other scenarios like high inflation that could eat away at your purchasing power. “These scenarios can tell you when you can retire at the standard of living you want and importantly, give you the confidence that you’re making the right decision,” says Royal.

“You could also rent your house out when you move to Bangkok and use that income to cover your monthly mortgage payments. This way, your expenses won’t increase and you can evaluate the situation before deciding whether you want to sell the property and add the proceeds to your retirement portfolio,”  says Segarra.

Have an issue with your financial adviser or want to hire one? Email questions or concerns to [email protected].

Questions edited for brevity and clarity.