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FIRE Calculator

The portfolio that makes work optional, how long it takes to build at your savings rate, and the Coast FIRE milestone along the way.

Your FIRE number
$1,250,000
Years to reach it
14.3 years
Savings rate
32%
Coast FIRE at 20 yrs out
$309,503

Path to financial independence

PortfolioFIRE number
$0.2M$0.4M$0.6M$0.8M$1.0M$1.2Myr 0yr 2yr 4yr 6yr 8yr 10yr 12yr 14$1.2M

The FIRE number is annual spending divided by the withdrawal rate, which is the 4% rule generalized. Coast FIRE is the amount that would grow to your number in 20 years with no further contributions, so reaching it means you could stop saving and still retire on schedule. Savings rate matters more than return: it sets both how fast you accumulate and how little you need.

GuideThe 4% Rule ExplainedA retirement withdrawal guideline suggesting an initial 4% of the portfolio, adjusted for inflation each year thereafter.

Financial independence arrives when your portfolio can fund your spending indefinitely. The target is annual spending divided by your withdrawal rate, so $50,000 of spending at a 4% rate implies $1.25 million. Lowering spending cuts the target and raises the savings rate at the same time, which is why it moves the date more than investment returns do.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between FIRE, Coast FIRE, and Barista FIRE?

FIRE is the full number that funds your spending forever. Coast FIRE is enough that growth alone reaches the full number by retirement age, so you can stop saving. Barista FIRE is a partial portfolio combined with part-time work covering the gap, often for health insurance.

Is a 4% withdrawal rate safe?

It came from research on historical 30-year US retirements and held up in nearly all of them. It assumes a stock-heavy portfolio, a 30-year horizon, and inflation-adjusted spending. Very early retirees planning 50 years or more often use 3% to 3.5% for a wider margin.

Why does the savings rate matter so much?

It works from both ends at once: saving more accumulates faster while spending less lowers the target. Someone saving 50% of take-home pay reaches independence in roughly 17 years from zero at typical returns, while a 10% saver needs closer to 50.

Does this account for taxes and health insurance?

No. Model spending on an after-tax basis and include health insurance, which is frequently the largest unexpected cost for anyone retiring before Medicare eligibility at 65.

Related tools

Roth vs Traditional Calculator
After-tax outcomes for both, with the traditional tax break invested.
RMD Calculator
Required minimum distribution from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.
Coast FIRE Calculator
The balance after which compounding alone reaches your target.
Retirement Savings Calculator
Project a nest egg from contributions, match, and growth.

Calculators model hypothetical outcomes from the inputs you provide. They are informational only, not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.