FIRE Calculator: Financial Independence & Retire Early
Find the number that makes work optional.
Estimate your FIRE number, how many years it could take to reach it, the monthly investing it needs, and your Coast, Lean and Fat FIRE targets, in today’s money.
- Free, no sign-up
- Runs in your browser
- Shareable results
- Educational only
Describe your plan.
Your age today.
What you expect to spend each year, in today’s money.
What you have invested today.
What you add each year, in today’s money.
Real growth above inflation, for example from pay rises. Use 0 to keep it flat.
Before inflation and after fees. Test a lower figure too.
The yearly rise in prices. The model works in today’s money.
The share of the portfolio you plan to withdraw each year. 4% is a common guideline.
The age by which you would like to reach independence.
Used for the Coast FIRE figure.
Everything is shown in today’s money unless a label says future money. These are hypothetical assumptions for learning, not forecasts or advice.
Result
Your path to financial independence.
View the year-by-year table
What the numbers mean.
Spending sets the target.
Your FIRE number is spending divided by the withdrawal rate. Every $1,000 you cut from yearly spending lowers the target by $25,000 at a 4% rate, and frees money to invest.
Real returns set the timeline.
Inflation eats part of every return. The calculator works in today’s money, so a 7% return and 2.5% inflation grow your portfolio at about 4.4% in real terms.
The withdrawal rate is a judgment.
A lower rate needs a bigger portfolio but leaves a margin for bad years, which matters more the longer you expect to be retired.
About this fire calculator.
A FIRE calculator estimates how much money you need to make work optional and how long it could take to get there. FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early: the idea is to build an investment portfolio large enough to cover your living costs without a paycheque. Enter your age, yearly spending, current investments, yearly contributions, expected return, inflation and withdrawal rate. The calculator returns your FIRE number, the years and age to reach it, the monthly investing it needs, and your Coast, Lean and Fat FIRE targets, all in today’s money.
Your FIRE number is your yearly spending divided by your withdrawal rate, so spending is the lever that matters most: it lowers the target and frees money to invest at the same time. See inflation and investing and compound interest examples for the forces behind the timeline. Use the retirement withdrawal calculator to test whether a portfolio lasts, the real return calculator to see growth after inflation, and the ETF fee calculator to see what fund costs take from the plan.
How the fire calculator works in practice.
You are 30, spend $40,000 a year, have $50,000 invested and add $20,000 a year. You assume a 7% return, 2.5% inflation and a 4% withdrawal rate, with a target FIRE age of 50 and a traditional retirement age of 65.
Return after inflation: 4.39%
Years until financial independence: 24.61, at age 54.6
Same target in future money: $1,836,040
Monthly investing to reach it by age 50: $2,370
Coast FIRE number today: $222,281 (you have 22.49% of it)
Lean FIRE (70% of spending): $700,000 at age 49.2
Fat FIRE (150% of spending): $1,500,000 at age 61.5
Doubling contributions to $40,000 a year (the “Aggressive saver” preset) brings the age down to 46.0. Starting from zero pushes it out to 57.0. A cautious 3.5% withdrawal rate with a 6% return raises the FIRE number to $1,142,857 and the age to 59.8. The gap between those answers shows how much the plan depends on savings, spending and the rates you assume.
How to choose your inputs for the fire calculator.
Current age. Your age today, in whole years.
Annual spending in retirement. What you expect to spend each year, in today’s money. Include everything you will pay for, such as housing, healthcare and taxes.
Current investments. What you have invested today, across the accounts you would draw on.
Annual contributions. What you add each year, in today’s money. Enter 0 if you are not adding more.
Yearly rise in contributions. Real growth above inflation, for example from pay rises. Leave it at 0 to keep contributions flat.
Expected yearly return. The return before inflation and after fees. The calculator turns it into a return after inflation. Test a lower figure too.
Expected inflation. The yearly rise in prices. Many central banks aim near 2%, but actual rates vary.
Withdrawal rate. The share of the portfolio you plan to withdraw each year. 4% is a common starting point. Early retirees have longer horizons, so many test 3.5% or lower.
Target FIRE age. The age by which you would like to be independent. It sets the monthly investing figure.
Traditional retirement age. The age you would otherwise retire. It sets the Coast FIRE figure.
Different types of FIRE in the FIRE calculator.
| Strategy | What it means | In this calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Lean FIRE | Retire on relatively modest living costs. | Shown at 70% of your spending. |
| Regular FIRE | Keep your current lifestyle without employment income. | Your FIRE number. |
| Fat FIRE | Retire with a larger portfolio and a more comfortable lifestyle. | Shown at 150% of your spending. |
| Coast FIRE | Invest enough early that the portfolio can grow to your number by a traditional retirement age without more contributions. | The Coast FIRE number and your progress toward it. |
| Barista FIRE | Build enough to reduce working hours or take a less demanding job. | Not modeled directly. Enter your spending net of part-time income. |
How the FIRE calculator works.
The calculator converts your return into a return after inflation, then grows your portfolio year by year in today’s money, adding your contributions at the end of each year, until it reaches your FIRE number.
Return after inflation = (1 + return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1
Portfolio next year = portfolio × (1 + return after inflation) + contribution
Coast FIRE number = FIRE number ÷ (1 + return after inflation)^(retirement age − age)
Lean FIRE = 70% of your FIRE number, Fat FIRE = 150%
The monthly investing figure solves for the contribution that reaches the FIRE number by your target age, assuming flat contributions in today’s money. Taxes, account rules, healthcare costs and uneven returns are not modeled.
Limits of this fire calculator.
The calculator uses one steady return and inflation rate every year and adds contributions at the end of each year. Real returns arrive unevenly, and poor returns early in retirement do more damage than the same returns later, a risk this model does not show. It ignores taxes, account rules, healthcare costs, pensions, other income and changes in spending. The monthly investing figure assumes flat contributions in today’s money. The 4% guideline comes from historical data and is not a guarantee, especially over a retirement of 40 years or more. Use the result to test ideas, and speak to a qualified adviser before relying on a plan.
Common questions about the fire calculator.
What is a FIRE number?
Your FIRE number is the portfolio size that could cover your yearly spending at your chosen withdrawal rate. It equals your yearly spending divided by the withdrawal rate, so $40,000 at 4% gives $1,000,000.
What is the 4% rule?
It is a guideline that suggests withdrawing 4% of a portfolio in the first year and raising the amount with inflation after that. It comes from historical data and is not a guarantee, particularly for retirements longer than 30 years.
What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE means you have invested enough that, with no further contributions, the portfolio could grow to your FIRE number by a traditional retirement age. You then only need to cover your current spending.
What are Lean FIRE and Fat FIRE?
Lean FIRE aims at a modest lifestyle and a smaller portfolio. Fat FIRE aims at a more comfortable lifestyle and a larger one. The calculator shows them at 70% and 150% of your spending.
Is the 4% rule safe for early retirement?
Not necessarily. Early retirees need the money to last longer, and many test a lower withdrawal rate such as 3% to 3.5%. Try different rates in the calculator.
Does the calculator include taxes and inflation?
It includes inflation by working in today’s money, but not taxes, healthcare costs or other income. Real results will differ.
How much money do I need to retire early?
Multiply your yearly spending by 25 for a 4% withdrawal rate, or by about 28.6 for 3.5%. The calculator does this for you and shows how long it could take to reach the number.
How many years until I can retire early?
It depends on your savings, spending and returns. In the example above, $20,000 a year of contributions takes about 24.6 years, and doubling them takes 16.
More calculators.
Educational illustration only, not personalized investment, tax or retirement advice. The 4% guideline is a historical planning reference, not a guaranteed sustainable withdrawal rate. The model excludes taxes, healthcare costs, other income and uneven returns.
Further learning: Glossary: Inflation · Glossary: Compounding · Inflation and investing · Investor.gov: Financial tools and calculators · Research methodology · Financial disclaimer