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FIRE Calculator

Find your FIRE number — the portfolio size that lets you retire and never run out of money.

The FIRE number is 25 times your annual expenses (based on the 4% safe withdrawal rule). If you spend $50,000 per year, you need $1.25 million invested. This calculator shows your target, how far you are, and how long it will take to get there.

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FIRE Calculator
Annual expenses · Current savings · Monthly savings · Expected return
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Results

Your FIRE number portfolio target
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Already saved
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Still needed
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Progress toward FIRE
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Years to FIRE
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How it's calculated

The FIRE number and time-to-FIRE formula

The FIRE number is derived from the safe withdrawal rate (SWR): the percentage you can withdraw annually without running out of money over a 30–60 year retirement.

FIRE number = Annual expenses ÷ SWR e.g. $50,000 ÷ 4% = $1,250,000 Time to FIRE: solve for n in — FV = Current × (1+r)^n + Monthly × 12 × [(1+r)^n − 1]/r = FIRE number (solved numerically)
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    Calculate FIRE number
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    Years at current savings rate
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FIRE
Financial Independence, Retire Early — a movement focused on aggressive saving and investing to retire decades before traditional retirement age.
Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR)
The annual percentage of your portfolio you can spend without depleting it over a long retirement. The 4% rule is the most cited benchmark.
FIRE number
Annual expenses ÷ SWR. At 4% SWR, it's 25× your annual expenses.
Real return
Return after inflation. Using real returns and real expenses means you don't need to model inflation separately.

🔢 Worked example

$50,000 in annual expenses ÷ a 4% safe withdrawal rate = a $1,250,000 FIRE number — the portfolio that lets you live off withdrawals without depleting it.

Disclaimer: the 4% rule is based on US historical data (Bengen 1994). Future returns may differ. Adjust your SWR based on your retirement length, asset allocation, and risk tolerance. Always confirm with an official source before deciding.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule (Bengen, 1994) states that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio in year 1 — adjusted for inflation each year — has historically sustained a 30-year retirement across various market conditions. It implies a FIRE number of 25× your annual expenses.
Is 4% safe for 40+ year early retirements?
Research (including the Trinity Study) suggests 3.3–3.5% may be safer for 40–60 year retirements. Many early retirees use 3.5% SWR (28.6× expenses) as a conservative buffer. This calculator lets you adjust the rate freely.
What return rate should I use?
Use real (inflation-adjusted) returns. A globally diversified portfolio has historically returned 4–7% real per year. For conservative planning, 5–6% real is widely used. The calculator uses annual compounding on your monthly savings.
What are the FIRE variants?
Lean FIRE: retire on minimal expenses (<$40k/yr). Fat FIRE: retire with a high lifestyle budget ($100k+/yr). Coast FIRE: save enough early that compound interest reaches your FIRE number without further contributions. Barista FIRE: retire partially with some part-time income to cover expenses.
What is Lean FIRE vs Fat FIRE?
Lean FIRE means retiring on minimal expenses (under $40k/yr). Fat FIRE means retiring with a high lifestyle budget ($100k+/yr). The FIRE number scales linearly: if you need $80k/yr, your target is $80k × 25 = $2M.
What return rate should I assume for my portfolio?
A diversified 60/40 stock-bond portfolio has historically returned 6–7% real (after inflation). For planning, 5–7% real is a common conservative-to-moderate assumption.
Are my results saved? Do I need an account?
No account or sign-up needed. Every calculation is saved automatically in your own browser, and you can also pin a result with the save button. Nothing is sent to any server: the data stays on your device and can be erased at any time with the clear button.
How do I track my progress over time?
From the fourth entry onward a “View comparison chart” button appears, opening a line chart with every entry in time order plus an indicator panel: total change, average per entry, lowest and highest value and the period covered. You can also export the history as CSV.

About this calculator

This FIRE calculator estimates your "financial independence number" — the portfolio needed to live off your investments — using the 4% rule: divide your desired annual spending by the real return your investments are expected to earn. It answers the practical question of how much is enough to stop depending on a paycheck.

At a 4% real return, the number works out to roughly 25 times your annual expenses. The calculator also projects how many months of your current contributions it takes to reach that target, so you can see whether your savings rate puts financial independence within a realistic horizon or whether spending, income, or returns need to change.

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By Vinicius Fonseca · Reviewed against official sources · Updated Jul 2026 · How we calculate →