FIRE Calculator

Calculate your path to Financial Independence, Retire Early

Calculate Your FIRE Journey

Your current age in years

$

Your total yearly living expenses

$

Total invested assets today

$

Amount saved & invested annually

%

Expected portfolio growth rate

%

Annual withdrawal rate (4% rule)

%

Average annual inflation

25x annual expenses | Standard 4% withdrawal rate

Additional Options

Your FIRE Journey Results

$1,000,000
FIRE Number
20
Years to FIRE
50
FIRE Age
33.3%
Savings Rate

Monthly Budget

Monthly Expenses:$3,333
Monthly Savings:$1,667
Monthly Income Needed:$5,000

Portfolio at FIRE

Total Portfolio:$1,070,788
Your Contributions:$450,000
Investment Growth:$620,788

The 4% Rule: Your FIRE number is calculated so you can withdraw 4.0%($40,000/year) indefinitely without depleting your portfolio.

Real Return: After 3.0% inflation, your real return is approximately 4.0%.

FIRE Analysis & Insights

🎯 Your FIRE number is $1,000,000, which is 25x your annual expenses (Regular FIRE strategy)
⏰ At your current savings rate of 33.3%, you'll reach FIRE in 20 years at age 50
💰 Your portfolio will grow from $50,000 to $1,070,788, with $620,788 from investment returns
📊 With a 4.0% withdrawal rate, you'll have $40,000annual income ($3,333/month) at FIRE

FIRE Example: The Classic Path

Scenario: Regular FIRE

Age: 30 years old

Annual Expenses: $40,000

Current Savings: $50,000

Annual Savings: $20,000 (33% savings rate)

Expected Return: 7% (historical stock market average)

Withdrawal Rate: 4% (Trinity Study safe withdrawal rate)

Results

FIRE Number: $1,000,000 (25x annual expenses)

Years to FIRE: ~28 years

FIRE Age: 58 years old

Annual FIRE Income: $40,000 (4% of $1M)

Total Contributions: ~$610,000

Investment Growth: ~$390,000

Retire 7 years before traditional retirement age with financial freedom!

Journey to FIRE

AgePortfolioProgress
31$74,9007%
32$101,54310%
33$130,05113%
34$160,55516%
35$193,19319%
36$228,11723%
37$265,48527%
38$305,46931%
39$348,25235%
40$394,03039%
41$443,01244%
42$495,42250%
43$551,50255%
44$611,50761%
45$675,71368%
46$744,41374%
47$817,92182%
48$896,57690%
49$980,73698%
50$1,070,788✓ FIRE!

Savings Rate Impact

10% Savings~51 years
25% Savings~32 years
50% Savings~17 years
75% Savings~7 years

Higher savings rate dramatically reduces time to FIRE. Every 1% increase matters!

FIRE Success Tips

Maximize savings rate - it's the #1 factor

Invest in low-cost index funds for long-term growth

Track expenses and optimize your lifestyle

Consider geographic arbitrage (lower COL areas)

Build multiple income streams

Account for healthcare costs in your plan

Understanding FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)

What is FIRE?

FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It's a movement focused on extreme savings and investment to enable retirement much earlier than traditional retirement planning allows.

Types of FIRE

  • Lean FIRE: Minimal expenses, frugal lifestyle (20x expenses)
  • Regular FIRE: Standard 4% withdrawal rate (25x expenses)
  • Fat FIRE: Comfortable lifestyle with buffer (30x+ expenses)
  • Barista FIRE: Partial retirement with part-time income
  • Coast FIRE: Stop saving, let investments grow to traditional retirement

The 4% Rule

The 4% rule states you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio annually (adjusted for inflation) with a high probability it will last 30+ years.

FIRE Number = Annual Expenses ÷ 0.04

Or simply: 25x your annual expenses

Key Formulas

FIRE Number: Annual Expenses × 25

Savings Rate: Annual Savings ÷ Annual Income

Real Return: Nominal Return - Inflation

Annual Withdrawal: Portfolio × Withdrawal Rate

The Trinity Study

The 4% rule is based on the Trinity Study, which analyzed historical stock and bond returns from 1926-1995. It found that a portfolio of 50-75% stocks with a 4% initial withdrawal rate (adjusted annually for inflation) had a 95-100% success rate over 30-year periods.

Savings Rate Impact on Years to FIRE

Savings RateYears to FIREExample
10%51 years$5K saved, $50K income
25%32 years$15K saved, $60K income
50%17 years$35K saved, $70K income
75%7 years$60K saved, $80K income

Assumes 5% real return (7% nominal - 2% inflation). Starting from $0 savings.