This FIRE calculator shows the portfolio you need to reach financial independence and how many years it may take to get there. Enter what you expect to spend each year, how much you have invested, and how much you add each year.
What is FIRE?
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The goal is to build an investment portfolio large enough that withdrawals from it can cover your living costs, so working becomes optional. Your “FIRE number” is that portfolio size.
How the FIRE number is calculated
FIRE number = yearly spending ÷ withdrawal rate
The common starting point is a 4% withdrawal rate, which comes from research on historical U.S. stock and bond returns, such as the 1998 Trinity study. At 4%, your FIRE number is 25 times your yearly spending. Many early retirees choose 3–3.5% instead, because an early retirement can last 40 years or more.
How the years to FIRE are calculated
The calculator grows your current savings by your expected return each year, adds your yearly investment at the end of the year, and counts the years until the balance reaches your FIRE number. Because the return you enter is after inflation, every figure is in today’s money.
Worked example
You expect to spend $40,000 a year and use a 4% withdrawal rate, so your FIRE number is $1,000,000. You have $50,000 invested today, add $20,000 every year, and expect a 5% return after inflation. You would reach your FIRE number in about 24 years, at age 54 if you start at 30.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include taxes in my yearly spending?
Yes. Enter spending including the taxes you expect to pay on withdrawals, or your FIRE number will be too low.
What return should I use?
Use a return after inflation. A diversified stock-heavy portfolio has historically earned more than that over long periods, but past returns are not guaranteed, so testing a lower figure such as 4% shows a more cautious result.
What are Lean FIRE and Fat FIRE?
Lean FIRE means retiring on a small budget, so the FIRE number is lower. Fat FIRE means a larger budget and a larger FIRE number. The calculation is the same; only the spending changes.
What if I don’t want to keep investing?
Try the Coast FIRE calculator to see whether your current savings can grow to your FIRE number on their own.
For education only, not financial advice.