FIRE Calculator
Know when you'll be financially independent.
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. Enter your age, what you have saved, your income and spending, and a couple of assumptions, to see your FIRE number and roughly how many years away you are. All figures are in today's dollars, using real (inflation-adjusted) returns.
About you
Saved so far
401(k)s, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and other savings you won't touch before retiring.
Cash flow
After taxes, not gross pay.
Everything that goes out in a year.
Assumptions
After inflation. US stocks have averaged close to 7% real over the long run.
The share of your portfolio you withdraw each year once you stop working.
Your FIRE number
$0
What is FIRE
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It is the point at which your investments are large enough that you could live off withdrawals indefinitely, without relying on a paycheck. Your FIRE number is the portfolio size needed to reach that point based on your spending.
Why should you calculate your FIRE number
Having a concrete number turns "someday" into a plan you can actually track. It shows you exactly how your savings rate and timeline connect, so you can see the real effect of saving a little more, spending a little less, or waiting a few extra years. It also gives you a finish line to work toward, whether that means full retirement or simply having the freedom to work on your own terms.
How is it calculated
Your FIRE number is your annual spending divided by your withdrawal rate, commonly 4%, which is based on research into how much a diversified portfolio can sustainably pay out each year without running out. From your current savings, annual savings, and an assumed real (inflation-adjusted) rate of return, the calculator projects your balance forward year by year until it reaches that number, giving you an estimated FIRE age.
The FIRE tiers explained
Not everyone wants the same version of financial independence. These common variations describe different levels of lifestyle and flexibility.
Coast FIRE
You have enough invested that, left alone to grow, it will reach your FIRE number by a traditional retirement age, even if you stop contributing new money today.
Barista FIRE
You have enough saved to cover most expenses, with a part-time or lower-stress job filling the remaining gap, often one that also provides benefits like health insurance.
Lean FIRE
A smaller portfolio built around a frugal, bare-essentials lifestyle, reaching independence sooner in exchange for less spending flexibility.
FIRE
The standard target: enough to maintain your current lifestyle and spending indefinitely without working.
Fat FIRE
A larger portfolio that affords a more comfortable retirement, with room to spend well beyond the basics.
The bottom line
Your FIRE number isn't fixed. It moves as your spending, income, and investment returns change, so it's worth revisiting every year or two rather than treating it as a one-time calculation. The biggest lever is almost always your savings rate, since every dollar you don't spend does double duty: it shrinks the number you need and speeds up how fast you reach it.