FIRE Calculator
Financial Independence, Retire Early
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Enter your income, expenses, and current savings to calculate your FIRE number and timeline.
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Your FIRE TimelineValue
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FIRE age—
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FIRE Variations (at your expense level)
🦥 Lean FIRE
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$25K/yr · frugal lifestyle
🔥 Regular FIRE
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Your expense level
🍰 Fat FIRE
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2x your expenses
☕ Barista FIRE
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50% covered · part-time
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What is the FIRE Movement?
FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is a lifestyle and financial strategy where you save and invest aggressively — typically 50-70% of income — to build a portfolio large enough to live off investment returns indefinitely, without needing to work. The core formula comes from the Trinity Study (1994): a portfolio of 25x your annual expenses, withdrawn at 4% annually, has historically lasted 30+ years with 95%+ success rates.
Your savings rate is the single most powerful lever. Saving 50% of income means 1 year of work funds 1 year of retirement. Saving 75% means 1 year funds 3 years. The FIRE community popularized by Mr. Money Mustache and the Choose FI podcast demonstrates this is achievable at middle-class incomes with intentional spending decisions — not extreme wealth.
The 4% Rule (Trinity Study)
The Trinity Study found that a portfolio of 50-75% stocks, withdrawing 4% in year one (then adjusting for inflation), survived 30-year retirements in 95%+ of historical periods. For longer retirements (40-50 years typical in FIRE), many use 3-3.5% to increase safety margins. The rule is a guideline, not a guarantee.
Savings Rate vs Years to FIRE
This is the most important relationship in FIRE. Saving 10%: ~43 years to FIRE. Saving 25%: ~32 years. Saving 50%: ~17 years. Saving 65%: ~11 years. Saving 75%: ~7 years. These assume 7% real return, 4% withdrawal rate, starting from zero. The math is universal — it depends on your savings rate, not income level.
FIRE Variations
Lean FIRE: minimal lifestyle, ~$25K/year, FIRE number ~$625K. Regular FIRE: standard middle-class expenses. Fat FIRE: $100K+/year in retirement, $2.5M+. Barista FIRE: portfolio covers 50% of expenses, part-time work covers the rest. Coast FIRE: invested enough that it grows to FIRE number without further contributions.
Coast FIRE
Coast FIRE is a milestone where your current portfolio, left to grow without additional contributions, will reach your FIRE number by traditional retirement age. Once you hit Coast FIRE, you only need to cover current expenses — you no longer need to save for retirement. Many FIRE pursuers find this an important intermediate milestone that relieves financial pressure.
FIRE projections assume consistent returns and do not account for market volatility, sequence of returns risk, tax changes, healthcare costs, or other life events. The 4% rule has historical support but is not guaranteed. Consult a fee-only financial advisor for personalized retirement planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FIRE number and how is it calculated?+
Your FIRE number is the portfolio size needed to retire. Formula: FIRE Number = Annual Expenses in Retirement / Safe Withdrawal Rate. At 4% SWR: FIRE Number = Annual Expenses x 25. Example: spending $60,000/year needs a $1,500,000 portfolio (60,000 / 0.04 = 1,500,000). The 25x rule is the shortcut. If you have other income (pension, Social Security, part-time work), only the expenses NOT covered by that income need to be funded by your portfolio.
How many years does it take to reach FIRE?+
It depends almost entirely on your savings rate. Universal estimates (7% real return, 4% SWR, starting from zero): 10% savings rate: 43 years. 20%: 37 years. 30%: 28 years. 40%: 22 years. 50%: 17 years. 60%: 12 years. 70%: 9 years. 80%: 6 years. Starting with savings already accumulated significantly reduces time. The key insight: a 50% savings rate means you live on half your income today, so you only need your portfolio to support half your income in retirement.
What is the difference between Lean FIRE, Regular FIRE, and Fat FIRE?+
Lean FIRE: retiring on minimal expenses, typically under $25,000/year per person. Requires extreme frugality. FIRE number around $625K. Regular FIRE: middle-class lifestyle in retirement, $40,000-$80,000/year depending on location. Fat FIRE: retiring with $100,000+/year in expenses, $2.5M+ portfolio. Barista FIRE: partially retire — portfolio covers 50-70% of expenses, part-time or seasonal work covers the rest. Allows earlier retirement with a smaller portfolio and often includes employer health insurance. Coast FIRE: portfolio is large enough to coast to full FIRE by traditional retirement age without additional contributions.
Is the 4% rule still valid in 2026?+
The 4% rule has faced scrutiny in recent years. Critiques: original Trinity Study was based on 30-year retirements; FIRE retirements may span 50+ years. Low interest rate environment of 2010s reduced expected bond returns. Sequence of returns risk in early retirement is more dangerous with a longer timeframe. Most current research suggests 3-3.5% is more appropriate for 40-50 year retirements. However, the FIRE community often mitigates this with flexibility: reducing spending during downturns, part-time income, or geographic arbitrage (living in lower cost areas).
What about healthcare before Medicare at 65?+
Healthcare is the biggest practical challenge for early US retirees. Options: ACA marketplace plans (subsidized based on income — strategic income management can keep premiums low), health sharing ministries (lower cost, higher risk), spouse coverage if still working, COBRA for 18 months after leaving employment, VA coverage if eligible, HSA funds accumulated during working years. Many FIRE practitioners manage taxable income carefully to maximize ACA subsidies. Healthcare costs should be explicitly included in your retirement expense estimate, typically $500-$1,500/month for a couple depending on plan choice.
How do I access retirement accounts before age 59.5?+
Several strategies allow penalty-free access: Roth IRA contributions (not earnings) can always be withdrawn tax and penalty-free. Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SEPP / Rule 72(t)): take a series of fixed withdrawals calculated by IRS methods, penalty-free. 72(t) is permanent once started until 59.5. Roth conversion ladder: convert Traditional IRA to Roth each year, then withdraw those conversions tax-free after 5 years. Rule of 55: if you leave employment at 55+, you can access your current employer 401(k) without penalty. Taxable brokerage accounts have no age restrictions.
What is Coast FIRE?+
Coast FIRE is the point where your current invested portfolio, left untouched to compound, will grow to your full FIRE number by traditional retirement age (65-67) without any additional contributions. Formula: Coast FIRE Number = FIRE Number / (1 + r)^years to 65. Example: FIRE number $1M, age 35, 30 years to 65, 7% return: Coast number = $1,000,000 / (1.07)^30 = $131,367. Once you reach $131K invested at 35 (and stop saving), it grows to $1M by 65. Coast FIRE allows you to shift from aggressive saving to just covering current expenses — a major psychological milestone.
How do taxes affect FIRE planning?+
Tax optimization is critical in FIRE. Key strategies: Maximize tax-advantaged accounts (401k, IRA, HSA) before taxable accounts. In early retirement, income may be very low — enabling Roth conversions at 0% or 10-12% tax brackets. Long-term capital gains at 0% for income under $47,025 (single) or $94,050 (MFJ) in 2026. Tax-loss harvesting in taxable accounts. Strategic withdrawal sequencing: taxable first, then Traditional IRA, then Roth. A good FIRE plan includes a tax projection for each year of retirement, not just the accumulation phase.
What should my asset allocation be for FIRE?+
During accumulation: aggressive stock allocation (80-100% stocks, often 3-fund portfolio: US total market, international, bonds) is common. Growth matters more than stability when you have decades of compounding ahead. At FIRE: the key is managing sequence of returns risk. Common approaches: hold 2-3 years of expenses in cash/short bonds as a buffer, maintain 60-70% stock allocation, rebalance annually. The JL Collins Simple Path to Wealth model (VTSAX + bonds) is widely followed in the FIRE community. International diversification (10-30% of stocks) reduces single-market risk.
Can I actually live on $40,000-$60,000 per year?+
Yes, and many FIRE retirees report higher life satisfaction than before. Strategies that make middle-income FIRE viable: Geographic arbitrage (relocate to lower cost city, state, or country — LCOL areas in US or abroad can cut housing costs 60-70%), paid-off home (no rent/mortgage dramatically lowers required income), reduced transportation costs (no commute, one car vs two), healthcare optimization, cooking at home. The FIRE community is full of examples of couples or families living well on $40,000-$60,000/year in the US, and $20,000-$35,000 internationally.