How many years until work is optional?
Financial Independence, Retire Early comes down to one number: enough invested that returns cover your life. Enter your money and see your FIRE number, your savings rate, and the year you cross the finish line.
You today
A 4% withdrawal rate is the classic target and makes your FIRE number 25 times your yearly spending. Returns and inflation are combined into a real return so every result is in today's dollars.
What your numbers say
Where every dollar of income goes
Income split each year
Your net worth climbing to the goal
Milestones
The flavors of FIRE
Year-by-year to independence
Each year adds your savings and grows the whole balance at your real return, all in today's dollars. The goal line is your FIRE number.
| Year | Age | Savings added | Balance | % to goal |
|---|
FIRE, explained
What Is the FIRE Movement?
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The core principle is achieving a net worth large enough that investment returns can cover your living expenses indefinitely. This is typically defined as 25 times your annual expenses, based on the 4% safe withdrawal rate derived from the Trinity Study. FIRE adherents maximize savings rates and invest aggressively to reach this number as quickly as possible.
The 4% Rule Explained
The 4% rule states that you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement and adjust for inflation each subsequent year, with a very high probability of your money lasting 30+ years. Your FIRE number is therefore Annual Expenses × 25. For example, if you spend $50,000 per year, your target is $1,250,000.
Savings Rate Is Everything
Your savings rate, the percentage of income you save, is the most important factor in reaching FIRE. At a 50% savings rate, you can retire in roughly 17 years regardless of income level. At 70%, it drops to about 8-9 years. Increasing savings rate has a double effect: it reduces your expenses (lowering your FIRE number) and increases monthly contributions.
Common questions
How is the FIRE number calculated?
Your FIRE number is your annual expenses multiplied by 25. This is based on the 4% safe withdrawal rate, if you withdraw 4% of your portfolio annually, it should last 30+ years. For example, $40,000 in annual expenses means a FIRE number of $1,000,000.
Is the 4% rule still valid?
The 4% rule has been debated extensively. Some researchers suggest 3.5% is safer for early retirees with 40-50 year horizons. Others argue that a flexible withdrawal strategy (reducing spending in down markets) makes 4% or even higher viable. The rule is a solid starting guideline.
What types of FIRE exist?
There are several variations: Lean FIRE (minimal expenses, typically under $40,000/year), Fat FIRE (comfortable lifestyle, $100,000+/year), Barista FIRE (semi-retirement with part-time income covering some expenses), and Coast FIRE (enough saved that you only need to cover current expenses, not save more).
Does this account for inflation?
The calculator uses your nominal return rate. For a more conservative estimate, subtract expected inflation (2-3%) from your return rate. For example, use 4-5% instead of 7% to see inflation-adjusted results. The 4% rule itself was designed with inflation adjustments built in.
Estimates for planning only. Real results depend on your actual returns, spending, taxes, market sequence and how long you stay invested. Markets do not deliver a smooth average every year. Treat this as a direction, not a promise, and revisit it as your life changes.