FIRE Calculator
Calculate when you can achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early
Calculate Your FIRE Number
Your FIRE Number
$1,000,000
Based on 4% withdrawal rate
Time to FIRE
13.3 years
Savings rate: 50.0% | $40,000/year
Total Contributed
$583,333
Investment Growth
$416,667
FIRE Milestones
Coast FIRE
Your investments can grow to your FIRE number without additional contributions
10.0% reached
Lean FIRE
Living on $24,000/year
8.3% reached
FIRE
Full financial independence at $40,000/year
5.0% reached
Fat FIRE
Comfortable lifestyle at $60,000/year
3.3% reached
Understanding FIRE
The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is built on a simple concept: save aggressively, invest wisely in low-cost index funds, and build a portfolio large enough to sustain your lifestyle through investment returns alone.
The Math Behind FIRE
Your savings rate is the single most important factor in how quickly you reach FIRE. The relationship between savings rate and working years is not linear — small increases in savings rate can dramatically reduce your time to retirement:
Savings Rate vs Years to FIRE
20%
37 years
40%
22 years
50%
17 years
70%
8.5 years
Assuming 5% real returns and starting from $0
Types of FIRE
Lean FIRE
Minimal lifestyle, typically <$40K/year expenses. Requires smaller portfolio but less flexibility.
Fat FIRE
Comfortable lifestyle, $100K+/year. Requires larger portfolio but more freedom and security.
Coast FIRE
Enough saved that compound growth alone will fund traditional retirement. Can work part-time.
Barista FIRE
Leave high-stress career for enjoyable part-time work that covers daily expenses while investments grow.
Why Index Funds Are Perfect for FIRE
Low-cost index funds are the preferred investment vehicle for the FIRE community because they offer broad market diversification, minimal fees (preserving more of your returns), and historically reliable long-term growth of approximately 7% after inflation.