FIRE Calculator

Calculate your Financial Independence number, retirement timeline, and Coast FIRE milestone

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Current Age

Target Retire Age

Finances

Current Investments ($)

Annual Income ($)

Annual Expenses ($)

Savings Rate (%)

We'll auto-calc from income/expenses if left at 30

Return Assumptions

Expected Return (%)

Inflation (%)

Withdrawal Rate (%)

4% rule standard

Life Expectancy

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FIRE Fundamentals

The 4% Rule

Withdraw 4% of your portfolio annually and statistically it will last 30+ years. Based on the Trinity Study (1998). A $1M portfolio supports $40K/year. Some use 3.5% for extra safety.

Coast FIRE

Coast FIRE is the point where your current investments will grow to your FIRE number by retirement — without adding another dollar. You can "coast" by only covering living expenses.

Lean FIRE vs Fat FIRE

Lean FIRE = retiring on minimal expenses (~$25K/yr, portfolio ~$625K). Fat FIRE = retiring with a high lifestyle ($100K+/yr, portfolio $2.5M+). Regular FIRE is in between.

Safe Withdrawal Rates

Research suggests 3.3–4.5% is safe over 30-year periods. For early retirees with 40-50 year horizons, 3.5% or lower reduces sequence-of-returns risk significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do I need to retire?

Using the 4% rule, you need 25x your annual expenses. If you spend $60,000/year, your FIRE number is $1,500,000. For a safer 3.5% withdrawal rate, you'd need ~$1,714,000. Your target depends on lifestyle, healthcare costs, and how early you retire.

What is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE means you've saved enough that compound growth alone will carry your portfolio to your FIRE number by traditional retirement age (65), without any additional contributions. Many Coast FIRErs switch to lower-stress jobs that just cover living expenses.

Can I retire early?

Yes — the key factors are your savings rate and investment returns. A 50% savings rate could let you retire in ~17 years from zero. The FIRE community shows that aggressive saving (50-70% of income) combined with low expense lifestyle can achieve retirement in 10-20 years.

What if the market crashes early in retirement?

This is called sequence-of-returns risk. Strategies to mitigate: maintain 1-2 years cash, use a flexible withdrawal strategy (reduce spending in down years), hold a bond/cash buffer, and consider part-time work in early retirement. The 4% rule already accounts for historical crashes including the Great Depression.