FIRE Calculator
Estimate your FIRE number, years to retirement, and projected retirement age based on your income, expenses, and investment assumptions.
To get started, enter the following information:
Enter your current age and annual income
Start with your current age — this determines your projected FIRE age. Annual income is used to estimate your savings rate and contributions.
Set your annual expenses
Enter what you spend per year today. This is the most important input: your FIRE number is a direct multiple of your annual expenses. Lower expenses = smaller FIRE number = earlier retirement.
Add your current portfolio value
Enter the total value of all your investment accounts (401k, IRA, brokerage, etc.). A higher starting balance dramatically reduces your years to FIRE.
Enter your annual contributions
How much do you invest each year? This is your savings after expenses. Combined with your starting balance and return rate, this determines how fast your portfolio grows.
Adjust return and inflation assumptions
The default 7% nominal return and 3% inflation (4% real return) reflect long-run US stock market averages. Adjust these to model conservative or optimistic scenarios.
Read your results
The calculator instantly shows your FIRE number, years to FIRE, projected FIRE age, and a portfolio growth chart. Adjust any input to see how it changes your timeline.
FIRE Number
Annual expenses ÷ withdrawal rate. At 4%, your FIRE number is 25× your annual spending — the portfolio needed to retire indefinitely.
Years to FIRE
How many years until your portfolio reaches your FIRE number at your current contribution rate and real return.
FIRE Age
Your current age plus years to FIRE — the earliest projected retirement age under your current assumptions.
Remaining Gap
The difference between your target FIRE number and your current portfolio value. How much you still need to accumulate.
The calculator uses two core formulas. First, your FIRE number is annual expenses divided by your withdrawal rate. The 4% withdrawal rate comes from the Trinity Study (Bengen, 1994), which found a diversified portfolio historically sustained 4% annual withdrawals for 30+ years.
FIRE Number = Annual Expenses ÷ Withdrawal Rate
Example: $40,000 ÷ 0.04 = $1,000,000
Then it projects your portfolio growth using the future value of an annuity — accounting for starting balance, contributions, and inflation-adjusted return.
Portfolio = P(1+r)ⁿ + C × [(1+r)ⁿ − 1] / r
P = starting portfolio · r = real return · n = years · C = annual contributions
Real vs. nominal returns
Uses a real return (nominal minus inflation) so all values are in today's dollars. 7% nominal − 3% inflation = 4% real return.
Inflation-adjusted FIRE number
Your FIRE number is constant in today's dollars. The projection accounts for inflation so the chart shows real purchasing-power values.
Contributions assumption
Annual contributions are assumed constant. Re-run the calculator as your income or savings rate changes.
No sequence-of-returns risk
This uses a constant rate. Real portfolios vary year-to-year. For a conservative estimate, reduce your expected return by 1–2%.
The Standard Path — Sarah, 32
The Aggressive Saver — Marcus, 28
The Late Starter — Jennifer, 45
Sarah reaches FIRE at 54 on a moderate savings rate. Marcus achieves extreme early retirement at 41 by keeping expenses at $35k on a $110k income — a 50%+ savings rate. Jennifer reaches traditional retirement at 65, but increasing contributions to $40k/year would bring her FIRE age below 60.
Your FIRE number is the total investment portfolio needed to retire and live off investment returns indefinitely. It equals your annual expenses divided by your safe withdrawal rate. At the 4% rule, your FIRE number is 25 times your annual spending — $40,000/year requires $1,000,000.
The 4% rate is the most widely-used starting point, supported by the Trinity Study (Bengen, 1994). For retirements lasting 40–50 years — common for early retirees — consider 3–3.5% to reduce sequence-of-returns risk.
A 7% nominal return is commonly used based on long-run US stock market averages. Combined with 3% inflation, this gives a 4% real return. For conservative projections, use 5–6% nominal.
Yes. The calculator computes a real return rate (nominal minus inflation). All results are expressed in today's purchasing power.
Research supports it as a reasonable starting point for 30-year retirements. For longer retirements, 3–3.5% may be safer. Use the withdrawal rate slider to model different scenarios.
Generally no — the FIRE number refers to liquid investment assets that generate returns. A paid-off home reduces expenses but doesn't produce portfolio income.
It's the most powerful variable. Moving from 20% to 50% savings rate can cut your years to FIRE nearly in half — you build wealth faster and need a smaller FIRE number (lower expenses).
This calculator does not model taxes. Tax-advantaged accounts (401k, IRA, Roth) have different treatment. Consult a financial advisor for a full tax-aware model.
Find your exact FIRE number
Use the FIRE Number Calculator to focus specifically on your retirement target — and see a savings table for reaching it in 10–30 years.
Calculate your Coast FIRE number
Find the lump sum you need invested today so compound growth alone carries you to FIRE — no more contributions needed.
See how your savings rate drives your timeline
The Savings Rate Calculator shows exactly how much earlier you retire as your savings rate increases.
Stress-test your withdrawal strategy
Use the 4% Rule Calculator to model how long your portfolio lasts at different withdrawal rates and portfolio sizes.
FIRE Number Calculator
Focus specifically on your target portfolio based on annual spending.
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Coast FIRE Calculator
Find when compound interest alone will carry you to retirement.
Savings Rate Calculator
See how your savings rate maps to years until financial independence.
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4% Rule Calculator
Calculate safe annual withdrawals from any portfolio size.
Compound Interest Calculator
Visualize how investments grow with regular contributions.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or tax advice. All projections are estimates based on hypothetical scenarios — actual returns vary and past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.