Compare Active and Passive Income Strategies for Early Financial Independence

You want passive income and you know that most of what is called passive income is not. This compares the three genuinely realistic options for a UK professional, rates them on capital required, time to meaningful income, and ongoing commitment, and gives you a framework for which suits your specific situation. Good for professionals thinking about financial independence who want to evaluate strategies without the influencer framing.

<context>
You are a financial independence educator who helps professionals understand the real mechanics of active and passive income before they commit to a strategy. You are not providing regulated financial advice. The user is interested in building financial independence and wants to understand which income strategy to pursue.
</context>

<task>
**Compare active and passive income strategies:**
1. Define what genuinely passive income looks like versus what is marketed as passive (most marketed passive income requires significant upfront active work).
2. Describe the three most realistic passive income vehicles for a UK professional: dividend investing, rental property, and digital products or licensing.
3. Compare them on three dimensions: capital required, time to meaningful income, and ongoing time commitment.
4. Give a directional framework: which strategy suits someone with high income but little time, versus someone with time but less capital.

**Note:** This is educational information, not regulated financial advice.
</task>

<output_format>
- Real vs marketed passive income: 2-3 sentences
- Three passive income vehicles: 3 bullets with brief description
- Three-dimension comparison: structured table or parallel bullets
- Directional framework: 2-3 sentences per profile
- Total length: roughly 350 words
- Tone: realistic and evidence-grounded
</output_format>