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FIRE Calculator

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Enter your annual expenses to find your FIRE number, then see how long it takes to reach it based on your savings and monthly contributions.

FIRE Calculator

Live
Your FIRE number
$1,000,000
Years to FIRE
17.9 years
Target date
2044
Based on the 4% rule (or your chosen rate) - a widely used estimate, not a guarantee of future returns.

The formula

FIRE number = Annual expenses / Safe withdrawal rate Years to FIRE: current savings grows with monthly contributions until it reaches the FIRE number
Example

$40,000 annual expenses at a 4% withdrawal rate: FIRE number = 40,000 / 0.04 = $1,000,000. Starting from $50,000 and adding $2,000/month at 7% return takes about 17.9 years.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Enter your annual expenses - what you'd actually need to live on each year.
  2. Set your safe withdrawal rate - 4% is the most commonly cited figure.
  3. Enter your current savings and monthly contribution to see how long it takes to reach your number.

Where the 4% rule comes from

The 4% figure traces back to research on historical US market returns, testing how much a retiree could withdraw annually from a diversified portfolio without running out of money over a 30-year retirement. It's a starting point for planning, not a mathematical guarantee - a longer retirement (which early retirees pursuing FIRE often plan for), a different market environment, or a more conservative goal might call for a lower withdrawal rate, which raises the FIRE number accordingly.

Common mistakes

Underestimating annual expenses by basing them on current spending rather than expected retirement spending - healthcare, travel, or hobbies can change costs significantly in either direction.
Assuming a fixed annual return - real markets are volatile year to year, so this projection is a simplified average, not a guaranteed path.

Frequently asked questions

Is 4% always the right withdrawal rate?

Not necessarily - some planners now suggest 3-3.5% for very long retirements (30+ years) to be more conservative, while others feel 4% remains reasonable. Try a few different rates to see how sensitive your number is.

What's the difference between FIRE, Coast FIRE, and Barista FIRE?

Standard FIRE means fully covering expenses from savings alone. Coast FIRE means you've saved enough that it will grow to your number by traditional retirement age without further contributions. Barista FIRE means part-time or lower-stress work covers some expenses while savings cover the rest.

Does this account for inflation?

Not explicitly - enter your expenses and expected return in today's dollars, and treat the result as an inflation-adjusted ("real return") estimate rather than a nominal one.

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