FIRE Calculator

An estimate, not financial advice. Figures are indicative, and the assumptions behind them are stated on the tool itself. Tax rules, rates and fees vary by country and change over time — check against your provider or a qualified adviser before acting on a number.

Overview

What is a FIRE Calculator?

Your FIRE number — the portfolio needed for financial independence — is your annual expenses divided by your safe withdrawal rate. At the classic 4% rule, that's annual expenses × 25: spend $40,000 a year, and your FIRE number is $1,000,000. This is an estimate using an assumed return, not a guarantee.

FIRE — Financial Independence, Retire Early — is the idea of saving and investing enough that your portfolio can cover your living costs indefinitely, so paid work becomes optional. This calculator estimates the two numbers that matter: your FIRE number (the portfolio you need) and how long it takes to reach it — and it shows the logic so the figures aren't a black box.

The FIRE number comes from one clean idea: annual expenses ÷ safe withdrawal rate. The best-known rate is the 4% rule, which is the same as multiplying your annual expenses by 25. So if you can live on $40,000 a year, your FIRE number is $40,000 ÷ 0.04 = $1,000,000. From your current savings, how much you add each year, and an assumed return, the tool then projects how many years until your portfolio reaches that target — and, optionally, your age at that point.

Guide

How to use the FIRE calculator

Step 1: Enter your annual expenses. Your expected yearly spending in financial independence

Enter your annual expenses. Your expected yearly spending in financial independence.

Step 2: Enter your current savings and annual contributions. What you've invested and how much you add per year

Enter your current savings and annual contributions. What you've invested and how much you add per year.

Step 3: Set an expected real return. Inflation-adjusted, so results are in today's money

Set an expected real return. Inflation-adjusted, so results are in today's money.

Step 4: Adjust the withdrawal rate. 4% by default; lower it (3–3.5%) for a longer horizon or more caution

Adjust the withdrawal rate. 4% by default; lower it (3–3.5%) for a longer horizon or more caution.

Step 5: Read your FIRE number and timeline. See the target, years to reach it, and Coast/Lean/Fat variants, with the logic shown

Copy if needed.

Screens

FIRE Calculator in action

FIRE calculator showing the target as a multiple of yearly spending and the years of saving it takes to reach it — FIRE number + years to FIRE + logic

FIRE calculator showing the coast number, the amount that would already be enough to stop saving and still arrive on time — The coast number — what you would need today to stop saving and still arrive

FIRE calculator at a lower withdrawal rate, where the same spending needs a much larger target — Adjustable withdrawal rate (4% rule)

FIRE calculator running in a phone browser with the spending and savings fields stacked — Mobile browser

Details

When a FIRE calculator helps

Two honest caveats deserve emphasis. First, the 4% rule is a guideline, not a law. It comes from historical US studies (the Trinity study) over roughly 30-year retirements; people retiring early with 40–50 year horizons often use a more cautious 3–3.5%, which raises the FIRE number. The tool lets you adjust the rate. Second, sequence-of-returns risk matters a lot for early retirees: a market slump in the first few years of drawdown can do outsized damage, so a smooth projection can be optimistic.

Use a real (inflation-adjusted) return so both the FIRE number and the timeline are in today's money, and remember the tool doesn't model taxes or healthcare, which are major real-world costs. It's an educational estimate, not financial advice. You can also explore Coast FIRE (enough invested that it grows to your number without more contributions), plus Lean and Fat FIRE for lower or higher spending. Everything runs privately in your browser — nothing uploaded.

Setting a target. Turn your spending into a concrete FIRE number.
Timeline planning. See how your savings rate changes the years to independence.
Coast FIRE. Check if you've already saved enough to coast to your number.
Comparing lifestyles. Test Lean vs Fat FIRE spending levels.
Motivation. Watch how a higher savings rate dramatically shortens the path.

Realistic example. Expenses $40,000/year at a 4% rate → FIRE number $1,000,000. With $150,000 invested, $30,000 added yearly, and a 5% real return, the portfolio reaches $1M in roughly 15 years. Drop the withdrawal rate to 3.5% and the target rises to about $1.14M, adding a couple of years.

Advanced tip. Your savings rate is the biggest lever — spending less both lowers your FIRE number and frees more to invest, so it shortens the timeline from both ends.

Common mistake to avoid. Don't treat the 4% rule as guaranteed, especially for a long early retirement. Test a lower rate to build in a safety margin.

Related. For the drawdown phase and sequence risk, see the SWP Calculator; track progress with the Net Worth Calculator.

What this estimate does and doesn't include

Not financial advice. It's an educational planning tool, not a recommendation or a guarantee you can retire.
The 4% rule is a guideline. Based on historical ~30-year studies; early retirees often use 3–3.5%. The rate is adjustable.
Sequence-of-returns risk isn't modelled. An early downturn in retirement can be more damaging than the average return implies.
Use real returns. Enter inflation-adjusted returns so the number and timeline are in today's money.
No taxes or healthcare. These are big real-world costs the tool doesn't include — budget for them separately.
Your data stays private. All maths runs on your device; nothing is uploaded.

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

What is FIRE and what does this calculator do?

FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early — building enough invested savings that your portfolio can cover your living costs, so work becomes optional. This calculator estimates your FIRE number (the portfolio you need) and how many years it takes to reach it, from your expenses, savings, and an assumed return, with the logic shown.

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How do I calculate my FIRE number?

Divide your expected annual expenses by your safe withdrawal rate: FIRE number = annual expenses ÷ withdrawal rate. At the classic 4% rule, that's the same as annual expenses × 25. So $40,000 of yearly spending needs a $1,000,000 portfolio at 4%, or $1,143,000 at a more cautious 3.5%. The tool lets you set the rate.

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What is the 4% rule (and is it safe)?

The 4% rule suggests you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement, then adjust for inflation, with a good historical chance the money lasts about 30 years. It comes from the Trinity study of past US markets — a guideline, not a guarantee. For longer early retirements (40+ years) many people use 3–3.5% to be safer. It doesn't remove risk, especially early market falls.

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How long will it take me to reach FIRE?

That depends on your current savings, how much you add each year, and your return — but above all your savings rate. The tool projects your portfolio year by year until it reaches your FIRE number. A higher savings rate shortens the path dramatically, because you both need less (lower expenses) and invest more. Enter your figures to see your own timeline.

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What is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE is the point where you've invested enough that, without adding another penny, it will grow to your full FIRE number by your target retirement age. Once you hit Coast FIRE, you only need to earn enough to cover current expenses — your existing investments "coast" to the finish. The calculator can show your Coast FIRE number alongside the full one.

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What's the difference between Lean, Fat, and Barista FIRE?

They're spending-level variants. Lean FIRE targets a frugal lifestyle, so a smaller FIRE number; Fat FIRE targets a comfortable, higher-spending lifestyle and a much larger number. Barista FIRE means partly retiring — covering some costs with light or part-time work so you need a smaller portfolio. They all use the same maths (expenses ÷ withdrawal rate); only the expense figure changes.

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What withdrawal rate should I use?

The 4% rule is the common default, but it isn't one-size-fits-all. If you're retiring young with a 40–50 year horizon, a lower rate like 3–3.5% gives more safety (and a bigger FIRE number). If your horizon is shorter or you have flexibility to cut spending in downturns, a slightly higher rate may be reasonable. The tool makes the rate adjustable so you can see the trade-off.

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Should I use nominal or real (inflation-adjusted) returns?

Use real (inflation-adjusted) returns. Because your FIRE number is based on today's expenses and you'll be withdrawing for decades, working in real terms keeps the target and the timeline in today's money and automatically accounts for rising prices. If you enter a nominal return, the projected portfolio will look bigger but buy less than it appears.

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Does this include taxes and healthcare?

No — and both can be significant, especially for early retirees before state pension or Medicare-style coverage kicks in. The calculator estimates the investment maths only, so budget separately for income tax on withdrawals, capital gains, and healthcare or insurance costs. Some people add these to their annual expenses figure, which raises the FIRE number accordingly.

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What savings rate do I need to retire early?

The higher your savings rate, the sooner you reach FIRE — it's the dominant factor. Saving a large share of income (many in the FIRE community aim for 40–60%+) can compress a working career to well under 20 years, because high savings mean lower expenses *and* faster accumulation. There's no magic number; the tool shows how your rate maps to a timeline.

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Is the projection guaranteed, and is this financial advice?

No to both. The timeline and FIRE number are estimates based on assumptions — chiefly your return and withdrawal rate — that won't play out exactly, and markets carry real risk including sequence-of-returns risk early in retirement. This tool is educational, to help you plan and set targets. It isn't financial advice; for personalized guidance, consult a qualified professional.

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Is my data uploaded, and does it work offline?

No upload, and yes it works offline. All the projection maths runs in your browser, so your income, savings, and expense figures are never sent to a server, there's no account, and no tracking. Once the page has loaded it keeps working with no connection — a private way to plan financial independence without handing your numbers to a service.

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