Passive income hack: 3 simple steps to help you get rich and retire early

I think that strategically investing in ASX shares could help me build my passive income, compound my wealth, and retire early.

Here are the three steps I’d take to make the most of the opportunities afforded by the Australian stock market.

3 steps I’d take to grow my passive income and retire early

Put my money to work

Investing in the stock market ultimately brings higher risk than, say, keeping cash in a high-interest account or buying bonds. However, greater risks often herald greater rewards.

Right now, an exchange traded fund (ETF) tracking the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) – SPDR S&P/ASX 200 (ASX: STW) – offers a 4.71% dividend yield.

That’s about on par with the yield offered by many savings accounts right now, according to RateCity, but it doesn’t consider any potential share price appreciation. Though, no investment is guaranteed to provide returns or downside protection.

It also doesn’t factor in the compounding that could occur if I consistently reinvest my dividends between now and when I retire.

Doing so could speed up the wealth-building process now, and when I retire, I could take those dividends as passive income.

Make the most of the market’s ups and downs

It can be nerve-wracking to jump into ASX shares during periods of volatility. However, such times are often when the best bargains can be found.

The market – and the broader economy – tends to move in cycles as investor sentiment ebbs and flows. And when the market falls, shares in quality ASX companies tend to drop too.

That creates plenty of opportunities to snap up such companies for less than their true worth – known as value investing.

After snapping up a few such stocks, value investors typically wait for the market to reprice their shares. That can, in turn, increase their wealth-building and passive income opportunities.

Focus on growing passive income

Look to the future, and what do you see? The answer may well provide valuable investing guidance.  

Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball. But I think I could grow my wealth by taking the time to consider what sectors or industries might experience growth in the coming years and decades.

That could help me recognise ASX stocks I think are capable of increasing their dividends as the years go by, allowing me to snap them up for cheap now and reap the rewards later.