Financial Independence, Retire Early

FIRE calculator

Estimate a spending-based FIRE target, the time it takes to reach it under your fixed real-return and deposit assumptions, and a Coast target at age 65. Results are scenarios, not forecasts or success probabilities.

Or run it as a growth projection

Same inputs in a generic compound-growth view if you want to model alternate scenarios.

How the FIRE target and timeline are calculated

FIRE target = annual target spending divided by the selected initial withdrawal rate. For example, a 4% input gives a target equal to 25 times annual spending; this arithmetic does not estimate how likely a portfolio is to last.

The accumulation timeline applies a constant effective annual real-return assumption as monthly growth, then adds one-twelfth of annual savings at each month-end. Spending, savings, and invested balances should all be entered in today's dollars. This smooth scenario does not model market volatility or retirement withdrawals.

Spending scenarios and Coast target

FIRE labels do not have universal spending cutoffs. The calculator uses your entered spending to show two simple comparisons and one accumulation scenario:

Output	How it is formed	Limit
Lower-spending scenario	60% of entered spending, divided by selected withdrawal rate	A sensitivity example, not a standard Lean FIRE threshold
Base FIRE target	Entered spending divided by selected withdrawal rate	Arithmetic target; no probability of success
Higher-spending scenario	150% of entered spending, divided by selected withdrawal rate	A sensitivity example, not a standard Fat FIRE threshold
Coast target	Balance today that could grow to the base target by age 65	Uses the selected fixed real-return scenario and assumes no later deposits

Why this page does not show a savings rate

A savings rate requires a definition of savings and a matching income figure. This calculator accepts an annual investment amount and target retirement spending, but it does not ask for current income or calculate a savings rate. Its timeline changes with the starting balance, deposits, target, and assumed return.

Coast target explained

The Coast figure estimates how much would need to be invested now for a fixed real-return scenario to reach the base FIRE target by age 65, without additional deposits. If you are already 65 or older, the displayed Coast target equals the base target.

For example, a $1.5 million target at age 65 discounted by a fixed 7% effective annual real-return scenario for 35 years gives a Coast target of about $140,500 today. This is a mathematical scenario, not a prediction or recommendation.

FIRE calculator FAQ

What is FIRE?

FIRE means Financial Independence, Retire Early. People use the term for plans to build enough assets to cover a chosen level of spending. Savings targets and timelines depend on personal assumptions; there is no universal savings-rate target.

How is my FIRE target calculated?

This calculator divides annual target spending by the initial withdrawal-rate percentage you select. At 4%, the arithmetic is 25 times annual spending; that multiple does not guarantee that a portfolio will last for a particular retirement.

What do Lean FIRE, Fat FIRE, and Coast FIRE mean here?

The lower- and higher-spending figures are sensitivity scenarios at 60% and 150% of your entered spending, not universal definitions of Lean or Fat FIRE. The Coast figure estimates today's balance needed to reach your selected target by age 65 under the fixed real-return assumption. The calculator does not model Barista FIRE or part-time income.

How does the calculator estimate time to FIRE?

It applies the selected effective annual real-return assumption as a constant monthly growth rate and adds one-twelfth of annual savings at each month-end. It does not model market ups and downs, taxes, fees, changing savings, or other income.

Does the 4% rule guarantee that my savings will last?

No. Four percent of a portfolio is only an initial-withdrawal arithmetic example here. This calculator does not estimate a probability of success or simulate retirement withdrawals. Outcomes depend on factors such as investment returns, inflation, fees, taxes, portfolio mix, and retirement length.

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Sources and assumptions

The calculator uses the assumptions you enter. The reference material below explains investing risk and U.S. inflation data; neither source supplies a forecast for your portfolio.

Investor.gov (U.S. SEC): Introduction to Investing - explains that markets fluctuate and investments can lose value.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index - official U.S. consumer-price data; this calculator expects a real-return assumption and does not convert a nominal input.

Methodology: target = annual target spending divided by the selected initial withdrawal rate. The accumulation estimate applies monthly growth equivalent to the selected effective annual real return and adds one-twelfth of annual savings at each month-end, up to 70 years. The Coast estimate compounds to age 65 without further deposits. The tool does not model market sequence, fees, taxes, benefit income, or a withdrawal path.