Financial Independence Calculator
Find the number that frees you from needing to work, the age you reach it on your current path, and how each FIRE scenario reshapes the target.
1You today
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2Assumptions
% / yr
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3FIRE type
Standard FIRE100% of expenses
Maintain your current lifestyle indefinitely. The classic target: fund 100% of today's expenses.
Your FI numberin today's money
$1,250,000
$50,000100% of 50,000/yr÷4%withdrawal rate=$1,250,000FI number
In today's money. At your FI date that is roughly $2,812,849 in nominal dollars after 2.5% inflation.
Years to FI
32y 10m
FI age
62
Savings rate
29%
Still needed
$1,200,000
FI number by withdrawal rate
3%
$1.67M
3.5%
$1.43M
4%
$1.25M
4.5%
$1.11M
5%
$1M
At a 4% withdrawal rate your draw stays at or below your 4.4% real return, so the pot should last indefinitely.
Lifting your savings rate to 34% (about $3,500/yr more) brings FI 1y 10m closer.
Net worth trajectoryat 4.4% real, saving $20,000/yr
$1.61M
$1.21M
$804k
$402k
$0
FI · $1.25M
age 30age 37age 44age 51age 58age 67
Your Standard FIRE FI number is $1,250,000, based on a 4% withdrawal rate. On your current trajectory you reach it at age 62, with a savings rate of 29%.
How to use this calculator
From a few numbers to your freedom date.
1
Confirm your numbers
Enter your age, net worth, annual expenses and savings rate. If you are signed in, we prefill these from your profile, adjust anything that has changed.
2
Set your assumptions
Choose an expected annual return and a withdrawal rate. The withdrawal rate is the famous 4% rule: the share of your pot you can draw each year and expect it to last.
3
Pick a FIRE flavour
Lean, Standard, Fat or Coast. Each reshapes the target: how much of today's spending you want to fund in retirement, and therefore the number you are aiming at.
4
Read your runway
See your FI number, the age you reach it on your current trajectory, your savings rate, and how much further you have to go.
Key concepts
The mechanics of financial independence.
The FI number
The portfolio size at which work becomes optional: your annual expenses divided by your withdrawal rate. At a 4% rate, that is 25× your yearly spending. Reach it, and investment returns can cover your costs indefinitely.
The 4% rule
A guideline from the Trinity study: withdrawing about 4% of your starting portfolio each year (rising with inflation) has historically lasted 30+ years. A lower rate is safer for early or long retirements; a higher rate is riskier.
Savings rate
The share of your take-home pay you keep. It is the single biggest lever on time-to-FI: someone saving 50% reaches independence far sooner than someone saving 10%, because they both spend less and invest more.
Coast FIRE
The point where your invested net worth, with no further contributions, will grow into full independence by traditional retirement age. After coasting, you only need to earn enough to cover current expenses.
Sequence-of-returns risk
The danger of poor market returns in the early years of retirement, when withdrawals from a shrinking portfolio do lasting damage. It is why many early retirees use a withdrawal rate below 4%.
Real vs nominal
This tool projects in nominal terms at a constant return. In practice, inflation erodes purchasing power and returns vary year to year, so treat the FI age as a smooth-average estimate rather than a fixed date.
Barista FIRE
Semi-retirement: part-time work covers part of your spending, and the portfolio only has to fund the gap. The formula becomes (expenses minus part-time income) divided by the withdrawal rate. On $50,000 of annual spending, a $20,000 part-time income leaves $30,000 for the portfolio to fund, so at 4% the target is $750,000 instead of $1,250,000, a 40% smaller number. The catch: it only works while you are willing and able to keep working, so treat it as a bridge, not a destination.
Lean FIRE vs Fat FIRE
Same formula, different lifestyle. Lean FIRE funds 70% of your current spending, Fat FIRE 150%. On $50,000 a year at a 4% withdrawal rate, that is $875,000 for Lean, $1,250,000 for Standard and $1,875,000 for Fat. Fat costs more than twice Lean because every extra dollar of annual spending adds $25 to the target. Lean gets you out years earlier but leaves little slack for surprises like health costs; Fat buys headroom at the price of a much longer accumulation phase.
Tips for reaching FI
Small moves, big impact.
Raise the savings rate first
It cuts both sides of the equation: you need a smaller pot and you fill it faster. A few points on your savings rate moves the FI age more than chasing returns.
Pressure-test the withdrawal rate
For a retirement that could span 40+ years, try 3.25–3.5% rather than 4%. It raises the number, but it buys a large margin of safety.
Mind lifestyle inflation
Fat FIRE is comfortable but expensive: every extra $1,000 of annual spending adds $25,000 to your number at 4%. Keep wants in check to keep the target reachable.
Consider coasting
If full FIRE feels distant, Coast FIRE is a powerful milestone. Once you hit the coast number you can stop saving aggressively and let time do the rest.
Revisit after big changes
A move, a raise, a new child or a market swing all shift the picture. Recheck your FI age once or twice a year rather than setting it and forgetting it.
Price your side income
At a 4% withdrawal rate, every $1,000 a year you can reliably earn in semi-retirement removes $25,000 from the portfolio you need. A $20,000 part-time job stands in for half a million of savings; switch to the Barista scenario to see it.
FAQ
What does "FIRE" mean?+
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The idea is to save and invest aggressively until your portfolio is large enough that its returns cover your living costs, at which point paid work becomes optional. This calculator finds that number and the age you reach it.
How is the FI number calculated?+
It is your annual expenses divided by your withdrawal rate. At the default 4% rate, that is 25 times your yearly spending. Each FIRE flavour adjusts the expenses: Lean uses 70%, Standard 100%, and Fat 150% of what you spend today.
What is the 4% rule, exactly?+
It is a rule of thumb that you can withdraw about 4% of your portfolio in year one, adjust that amount for inflation each year after, and have a high chance of the money lasting 30 years. It comes from the Trinity study. For a very long early retirement, many people use a slightly lower rate for safety.
How does Coast FIRE differ from the others?+
Lean, Standard and Fat ask "when can I fully stop working?" Coast FIRE asks "when can I stop saving?" It is the smaller number that, left to grow on its own at your expected return, becomes full independence by age 65 without another dollar invested. After coasting, you only need to earn enough to cover current expenses.
Does this account for inflation and taxes?+
The projection is nominal and does not model tax or inflation explicitly, though the 4% rule itself bakes in inflation-adjusted withdrawals. Treat the result as a clear illustration of the mechanics rather than a precise forecast.
Why is my savings rate so important?+
Because it works on both ends. A higher savings rate means lower expenses (a smaller FI number) and more invested each year (filling the pot faster). It is the reason two people on the same income can reach FI decades apart.
What is a good savings rate for FIRE?+
There is no magic number, but the shape is clear. Starting from zero at this tool's defaults (7% return, 2.5% inflation, 4% withdrawal, flat contributions), saving 10% of income takes roughly 65 years to reach independence, 25% about 41 years, 50% about 20 and 65% about 13. Most people pursuing FIRE aim for 30 to 50%. Existing savings, raises that get invested rather than spent, and side income all shorten the path.
What if my withdrawal rate is higher than my real return?+
Then the pot shrinks every year and eventually runs dry; the calculator flags this and estimates how long it lasts. At 7% return and 2.5% inflation the real return is about 4.4%, so withdrawing 4% is sustainable indefinitely. Withdraw 5% instead and the money lasts about 49 years; at 6%, about 31 years. That can be perfectly fine for someone retiring at 60, and reckless for someone retiring at 40.
Should I count my house and pension in my net worth?+
Enter only assets that can actually pay bills: investments and cash. The home you live in produces no withdrawals, so leave it out unless you firmly plan to downsize, in which case count the equity you would release. Pensions and state benefits work the other way: they reduce the expenses your portfolio must fund from the age they start. This tool assumes the portfolio carries everything, so with a decent pension coming, your real FI number is somewhat lower than shown.
Is 25 times my expenses really enough?+
25x assumes a 4% withdrawal rate designed for about 30 years. For an early retirement that must last 40 or 50 years, many planners prefer 3.5% or even 3%, which means saving 28.6x or 33.3x expenses. On $50,000 of spending that moves the target from $1,250,000 to about $1,430,000 or $1,670,000. Use the sensitivity row under the result to see your own number at each rate before committing to a date.
FI number = annual expenses ÷ withdrawal rate. Net worth is projected forward each year at a constant return plus annual savings, up to 50 years. The first year projected net worth reaches the scenario's FI number gives your FI age. Coast FIRE is the present value that grows to full independence by age 65 with no further saving. Illustrative, not financial advice.
FI number = expenses ÷ withdrawal rate · constant-return projection · illustrative, not financial advice