FIRE Calculator
Find your Financial Independence number, how many years until you reach it, and your monthly passive income at the target.
| Years to FIRE | — |
| Monthly Passive Income at Target | $0 |
How the FIRE Calculator Works
Financial Independence means having enough invested that your portfolio's returns can cover your living expenses indefinitely — without needing to work. The calculation has two parts: finding your FIRE number, then finding how long it takes to get there.
Step 1: Your FIRE Number
FIRE Number = Annual Expenses ÷ Safe Withdrawal Rate
If you spend $70,000/year and use a 4% SWR: $70,000 ÷ 0.04 = $1,750,000. That is your target.
Step 2: Years to FIRE
Each year: Balance = Balance × (1 + return) + Annual Savings. We count years until Balance ≥ FIRE Number.
The 4% Rule
The 4% rule comes from the Trinity Study — based on historical US market returns, a 4% annual withdrawal (inflation-adjusted) has historically lasted 30+ years for a balanced portfolio. For longer retirements (40–50 years), many practitioners use 3–3.5% to be safer.
FIRE Variants
- LeanFIRE: Retire on minimal expenses (often $40,000–$50,000/year). Requires a smaller portfolio but less lifestyle flexibility.
- FatFIRE: Retire with a generous lifestyle ($100,000+/year). Requires a larger number but more freedom.
- BaristaFIRE: Partially retire — earn a small amount from part-time work to reduce the portfolio drawdown.
- CoastFIRE: Save enough early that compound growth alone will reach your FIRE number by retirement age — then stop saving and let it ride.