FIRE Calculator: Find Your FI Number and Retirement Date
Your FI number is the portfolio that can fund your spending indefinitely: annual spending divided by your withdrawal rate. At 4%, that's 25 times spending, so $48,000 a year means about $1.2 million. This FIRE calculator also estimates when you could get there.
Your Scenario
Adjust the inputs below to model your path to FI.
Social Security & Pension Income
Offset your FI number with expected retirement income sources.
Your FI Estimate
Based on today's inputs and a 4% withdrawal rate
Supports about $48,000/year at a 4% withdrawal rate
You need about $1,200,000 and could reach it around age 57 (22.3 years), assuming a 7% annual return and a 4% withdrawal rate.
Every dollar counts. Focus on increasing the gap between income and expenses. Use the sliders to explore scenarios.
| Year | Age | Contributions | Growth | Total | % of FI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | $0 | $0 | $50,000 | 4% |
| 2027 | 36 | $18,000 | $4,203 | $72,203 | 6% |
| 2028 | 37 | $36,000 | $10,012 | $96,012 | 8% |
| 2029 | 38 | $54,000 | $17,541 | $121,541 | 10% |
| 2030 | 39 | $72,000 | $26,917 | $148,917 | 12% |
| 2031 | 40 | $90,000 | $38,271 | $178,271 | 15% |
| 2032 | 41 | $108,000 | $51,747 | $209,747 | 17% |
| 2033 | 42 | $126,000 | $67,498 | $243,498 | 20% |
| 2034 | 43 | $144,000 | $85,690 | $279,690 | 23% |
| 2035 | 44 | $162,000 | $106,497 | $318,497 | 27% |
| 2036 | 45 | $180,000 | $130,110 | $360,110 | 30% |
| 2037 | 46 | $198,000 | $156,732 | $404,732 | 34% |
| 2038 | 47 | $216,000 | $186,579 | $452,579 | 38% |
| 2039 | 48 | $234,000 | $219,884 | $503,884 | 42% |
| 2040 | 49 | $252,000 | $256,899 | $558,899 | 47% |
| 2041 | 50 | $270,000 | $297,891 | $617,891 | 51% |
| 2042 | 51 | $288,000 | $343,147 | $681,147 | 57% |
| 2043 | 52 | $306,000 | $392,976 | $748,976 | 62% |
| 2044 | 53 | $324,000 | $447,709 | $821,709 | 68% |
| 2045 | 54 | $342,000 | $507,699 | $899,699 | 75% |
| 2046 | 55 | $360,000 | $573,327 | $983,327 | 82% |
| 2047 | 56 | $378,000 | $645,001 | $1,073,001 | 89% |
| 2048 | 57 | $396,000 | $723,157 | $1,169,157 | 97% |
Free account · Model debt payoff, future income, Social Security, changing expenses & more.
What this estimate means
At your current plan, you could reach financial independence around age 57 with a portfolio of $1,200,000. That could support about $48,000/year in spending (in today's dollars).
This is a simplified estimate. It assumes your financial life can be represented by today's income, spending, savings and investments.
The biggest levers for an earlier FI date
Compare common scenarios
What changes move your FI date?
Your FI number is a starting point.
Your life won't stay the same.
This calculator gives you a useful snapshot — a single number based on today's income, spending, and investments. But your real financial life has debt that gets paid off, income that changes, Social Security that kicks in later, and expenses that shift over time. The FI planner models all of that.
This calculator
- Static FI number based on one spending level
- Single growth rate, no income offsets
- Assumes nothing changes from today
The FI planner
- Dynamic plan that adapts as your life changes
- Social Security, pensions, debt payoff, and more
- Monte Carlo analysis and portfolio glidepaths
Free account · Start with the numbers you've already entered.
Real life is more complicated than six inputs.
The FI planner lets you model the variables this calculator can't.
Turn This Into Your FI Plan
Create a free account to model debt payoff, future income, Social Security, changing expenses and more.
Go Deeper With Your FI Plan
Your FI number is just the start. These tools map the full path.
Coast FI Calculator
Calculate the exact age where your existing investments will grow to cover retirement — without saving another dollar. Then decide: keep working full-time, or downshift to part-time.
- Age-by-age projections based on your actual portfolio
- Visual timeline from today to full FI
- Barista FI scenarios with part-time income modeling
Social Security Optimizer
See exactly how much more you'll earn by delaying benefits. Compare claim-at-62 vs 67 vs 70 with breakeven analysis so you can make a confident decision.
- Side-by-side monthly benefit comparison
- Breakeven age calculation between claim strategies
- Lifetime benefit totals by life expectancy
Debt Payoff Planner
Compare the Snowball (smallest balance first) vs. Avalanche (highest interest first) methods. See which gets you debt-free faster and how much interest you'll save.
- Snowball vs. Avalanche timeline comparison
- Total interest savings between strategies
- Month-by-month payoff schedule
Free forever — no credit card required
Coast FI Timeline
Stop saving at 38, still retire at 60
Monthly Benefit by Claim Age
Payoff Strategy Comparison
Snowball
4.2 yr
Avalanche
3.8 yr
Preview — create free account to use
How Much Do You Need to Retire Early?
Your FI number is annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate. At a 4% withdrawal rate that is annual spending × 25.
Slide to explore — how much do you spend monthly?
Every $100/month you cut permanently reduces your FI number by $30,000
25× and the 4% rule
The 25× multiple is the 4% rule turned around: if you withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year and adjust for inflation after that, historical US data shows the money lasted at least 30 years in most periods. Read more about the 4% rule and whether the 4% rule works for early retirement.
Retiring early usually means a longer horizon than 30 years, so many people test a lower withdrawal rate. At 3.5% the multiple rises to about 28.6×, and at 3% it is about 33.3×. Change Safe Withdrawal Rate in the calculator to see your number at each rate.
Now That You Know Your Number
Your FI number is the destination — now you need the route. Start with our deep dive on calculating your FI number to understand the assumptions behind the math, then learn how to build the portfolio that gets you there with low-cost index funds.
Want to accelerate the timeline? Travel rewards let you redirect thousands in vacation spending back toward investments. And if your FI number feels impossibly large, try the Coast FIRE Calculator — you may have already invested enough for compound growth to do the rest.
Which FIRE Is Right for You?
There is no one-size-fits-all. Choose the level that matches your values and lifestyle.
Lean FIRE
Minimal spending, maximum freedom. You have optimized expenses aggressively and are comfortable living simply. Geographic arbitrage — low cost-of-living areas or countries — makes this very achievable.
Best for: Minimalists, frugality enthusiasts, international expats. Learn about Lean FIRE.
Regular FIRE
A comfortable middle-class lifestyle without the paycheck. Occasional travel, dining out, hobbies, and a modest home. This is where most ChooseFI community members aim.
Best for: Most FI seekers, families, suburban homeowners
Fat FIRE
All the freedom with zero lifestyle compromises. Premium healthcare, frequent travel, higher-cost-of-living areas. Requires either very high income, long timeline, or entrepreneurial success.
Best for: High earners, entrepreneurs, those in expensive metros. Learn about Fat FIRE.
Coast FI
You have invested enough that compound growth will carry you to traditional retirement age without another dollar added. You only need to cover current expenses — no more saving required.
Best for: Early starters, those wanting less pressure, career changers
Try the Coast FIRE CalculatorBarista FIRE
Your investments cover most expenses and a low-stress part-time job fills the gap. Named after the strategy of working at places like Starbucks for health benefits.
Best for: Those who want a safety net, healthcare coverage seekers. Learn about Barista FIRE.
When Will You Reach FI?
The calculator grows your current investments and monthly contributions at your expected return, compounded monthly, until the balance reaches your FI number. Your savings rate drives the date more than anything else: spending less both raises what you can invest and lowers the number you need. See how that works in the savings rate calculator.
How This FIRE Calculator Works (and the Assumptions Behind It)
Today's dollars vs nominal dollars
You enter spending in today's dollars, but the calculator does not add inflation on its own. Whatever return you enter is applied as is. To keep the projection in today's dollars, enter a real (after-inflation) return: roughly your expected growth minus inflation, so 7% growth with 3% inflation is about 4%. If you enter a before-inflation return such as 7% or 10%, your FI date will look earlier than it really is.
Social Security and pensions as offsets
Guaranteed income in retirement reduces the spending your portfolio has to cover. If you expect $20,000 a year from Social Security against $60,000 of spending, the portfolio only needs to fund $40,000, which is $1,000,000 at 4% instead of $1,500,000. Early retirees still have to cover the years before benefits begin. This page's calculator doesn't subtract offsets; to subtract them yourself, enter only the spending your portfolio must cover, or use Include income offsets to model them in a free ChooseFI FI plan.
What it doesn't model
- Taxes. Treat spending as what you will withdraw before tax, or see FI tax planning for how account types change what you need.
- Sequence-of-returns risk. The projection assumes the same return every year. Real markets don't.
- Flexible spending. Many retirees cut spending in bad years using guardrails, which can support a higher starting withdrawal rate. See retirement withdrawal strategies and ChooseFI episode 566 on risk-based guardrails.
- How long you'll need the money. Every withdrawal rate assumes a retirement length. ChooseFI episode 617, the hidden assumption in every retirement calculator, looks at how longevity estimates change your FI number.
Planning a traditional retirement around 65 instead? Try the traditional retirement calculator.
Worked Example: The Same Household With and Without Inflation
A household spends $4,000 a month, so its FI number at a 4% withdrawal rate is $1,200,000 in today's dollars. It has $100,000 invested and adds $2,500 a month. Here is what this calculator shows under three return assumptions:
| Return entered | Years to FI |
|---|---|
| 7%, inflation ignored | about 16 |
| 5% after inflation | about 19 |
| 4% after inflation (7% growth, 3% inflation) | about 21 |
Treating a 7% nominal return as if it were in today's dollars makes FI look nearly five years closer than it is. Hypothetical example for illustration only; actual returns vary.
How Real Households Set Their FI Number
A calculator gives you a starting point. These ChooseFI episodes show how people refine it:
- Episode 367: FI number adjustments: why your number should start from your expenses, not your income.
- Episode 304: mapping out your FI number: Corinne on building her number through intentional budgeting.
- Episode 617: the hidden assumption in every retirement calculator: how longevity planning changes the number.
New to the idea? Start with what is a FIRE number. Already have a portfolio and wondering if you can stop saving? Try the Coast FIRE calculator.
Strategies to Reach FI Faster
Toggle common optimizations and watch your FI number drop in real time.
Your Impact
That is less you need to invest. At a 50% savings rate, this could mean retiring months sooner.
FIRE Calculator FAQ
Divide your expected annual spending in retirement by your withdrawal rate. At 4%, that is the same as multiplying spending by 25, so $48,000 a year means about $1,200,000. If you will count guaranteed income such as Social Security or a pension, subtract it from your spending first.
The 4% rule comes from studies of 30-year retirements. Early retirees who need their money to last 40 years or more often test 3.25% to 3.75%, or plan to cut spending in bad markets using guardrails. Try a lower withdrawal rate in the calculator to see how much it raises your number.
Not automatically. Your spending is in today's dollars, so to keep the projection in today's dollars, enter a return after inflation: for example, 7% growth with 3% inflation is about 4%. If you enter a before-inflation return, the date you reach FI will look earlier than it really is.
A traditional retirement calculator usually assumes you retire around 65 and checks whether your savings will last. A FIRE calculator starts from your spending, finds the portfolio that makes work optional, and estimates the earliest date you can reach it.
It depends on your spending, not your income. At a 4% withdrawal rate, Lean FIRE ($25,000 to $40,000 a year) means roughly $625,000 to $1,000,000, Regular FIRE ($40,000 to $70,000) means $1,000,000 to $1,750,000, and Fat FIRE ($100,000 or more) means $2,500,000 or more. Try the presets to compare.
You can count it as an offset for the years you expect to receive it, which lowers the portfolio you need. Early retirees usually have to fund the gap years before benefits start from their portfolio, and many plan conservatively by counting only part of their expected benefit.
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