Retirement

FIRE Calculator

Calculate when you can achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early

FIRE Parameters
Path to Financial Independence
Your FIRE Journey

FIRE Number

$1,250,000

25x annual expenses

Years to FIRE

17

at current savings rate

FIRE Age

47

years old

CoastFIRE Number

$117,078.674

Stop saving now, retire at 65

Annual Savings

$32,000

40% of income

Ways to Accelerate Your FIRE Journey:

  • Increase savings rate by 10% → FIRE in 15 years
  • Reduce expenses by 20% → FIRE number: $1,000,000
  • Side hustle earning $20k/year → FIRE in 15 years
What is FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)?

FIRE is a movement focused on extreme savings and investment to achieve financial independence and retire early. The core principle is saving 50-70% of income and investing aggressively to build a portfolio that can sustain your lifestyle indefinitely.

Formula:

FIRE Number = Annual Expenses × 25 (4% Rule)

The 4% rule suggests you can safely withdraw 4% of your portfolio annually without running out of money over a 30-year retirement.

How to Use This FIRE Calculator
  1. 1

    Calculate your annual expenses (current or target lifestyle)

  2. 2

    Multiply by 25 to get your FIRE number

  3. 3

    Enter your current savings and investments

  4. 4

    Input your monthly savings rate

  5. 5

    Set expected investment returns

  6. 6

    See your projected FIRE date

Why FIRE Matters
  • Provides a clear, mathematical path to early retirement
  • Higher savings rate dramatically accelerates timeline
  • Financial independence provides freedom, even if you keep working
  • Forces intentional spending and lifestyle design
  • 4% rule provides sustainable withdrawal strategy
FIRE Guidelines
25x expenses
Traditional FIRE
Standard 4% withdrawal
30-33x
Fat FIRE
More conservative
20x
Lean FIRE
Frugal lifestyle
Varies
Coast FIRE
Let investments grow
50%+
Savings Rate Target
For early retirement
3.5-4%
Safe Withdrawal
Annual withdrawal rate
When to Use This Calculator
  • Planning for early retirement
  • Calculating your FIRE number
  • Comparing impact of different savings rates
  • Evaluating whether to Coast FIRE
  • Planning major life changes
  • Stress-testing retirement plans
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Underestimating healthcare costs
Budget $500-1,500/month for pre-Medicare health insurance
Using current expenses for future planning
Account for lifestyle changes, inflation, and potential healthcare needs
Ignoring sequence of returns risk
Keep 2-3 years of expenses in cash/bonds for market downturns
💡 Pro Tips
  • Focus on savings rate, not just dollar amount
  • Consider part-time work to reduce sequence risk
  • Build in flexibility for unexpected expenses
  • Geographic arbitrage can dramatically reduce your FIRE number

Have questions about using this calculator? Check out our financial guides or contact us for help.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)?

FIRE is a movement focused on extreme savings and investment to achieve financial independence and retire much earlier than traditional retirement age. The goal is to accumulate enough wealth to live off investment returns indefinitely, giving you the freedom to work optionally.

What is a FIRE number?

Your FIRE number is the amount of money you need invested to retire. It's typically calculated as 25x your annual expenses (based on the 4% rule). For example, if you spend $40,000/year, your FIRE number is $1,000,000. This amount should sustain you indefinitely.

What is the 4% rule?

The 4% rule (from the Trinity Study) suggests you can safely withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year one of retirement, then adjust for inflation each year. Historically, this has a high success rate of lasting 30+ years. Some FIRE adherents use 3.5% for more safety.

What is CoastFIRE?

CoastFIRE means you've saved enough that if you stopped contributing today, your investments would grow to your FIRE number by traditional retirement age (65). At this point, you only need to cover current expenses, not save for retirement.

How does savings rate affect FIRE timeline?

Savings rate has a dramatic impact on FIRE timeline. At 10% savings rate, FIRE takes ~50 years. At 50% savings rate, it takes ~17 years. At 75% savings rate, it takes ~7 years. Higher savings rate means both more invested AND lower expenses (smaller FIRE number).

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