Calculator

FIRE Calculator

Calculate your Financial Independence number, years to retire early, and projected portfolio growth.

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FIRE Calculator

Financial Independence, Retire Early. Calculate your FIRE number, years to retire, and four FIRE variants tailored to your lifestyle.

💰Your Financial Profile

Annual savings: $30,400
Savings rate: 38%
FIRE number (regular): $1,250,000

🎯Your 4 FIRE Numbers

🥦

Lean FIRE

Frugal lifestyle, minimize expenses

$625K
FIRE number
12 yrs
Retire at age 42
$25,000/yr expenses
🔥

Regular FIRE

Maintain current lifestyle

$1.25M
FIRE number
19 yrs
Retire at age 49
$50,000/yr expenses
🍖

Fat FIRE

Comfortable, generous lifestyle

$1.88M
FIRE number
24 yrs
Retire at age 54
$75,000/yr expenses
☕

Barista FIRE

Semi-retire with part-time income

$750K
FIRE number
14 yrs
Retire at age 44
$30,000/yr expenses

📈Portfolio Growth Projection

$0$506K$1.01M$1.52M$2.02MFIRE: $1.25MAge 30Age 34Age 38Age 42Age 46Age 50Age 54

🎛️What If? Simulator

See how changing your savings rate or expected return affects your FIRE timeline.

5%38%90%
2%7%15%
Current plan
19 years
38% savings · 7% return
With your changes
19 years
38% savings · 7% return
⚠️ 0 years later

📖Understanding FIRE

The 4% Rule (SWR)

The Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR) is based on the Trinity Study (1998). Withdrawing 4% of your portfolio annually has historically lasted 30+ years through market cycles.

Your FIRE number = Annual expenses ÷ Withdrawal rate

Example: $50K/year ÷ 4% = $1.25M

💡 Some FIRE retirees use 3.5% for longer horizons (40+ years) for extra safety.

4 FIRE Variants Explained

  • 🥦 Lean FIRE: Retire on 50% of current expenses. Requires extreme frugality — think tiny house, vegetable garden, minimal travel.
  • 🔥 Regular FIRE: Maintain your current lifestyle. Most common target for aspiring FIRE seekers.
  • 🍖 Fat FIRE: Retire comfortably on 150% of expenses. Travel, dining out, generous budget — never worry about money.
  • ☕ Barista FIRE: Semi-retire with part-time or passion work covering basic expenses. Lower FIRE number needed, more social connection.

FIRE Acceleration Strategies

  • → Maximize 401(k)/IRA contributions ($23,000 + $7,000 catch-up for 2024)
  • → Invest in low-cost index funds (VTSAX, VTI) — 0.03% expense ratio vs 1%+ actively managed
  • → Geographic arbitrage: move to lower cost-of-living area or country
  • → House hacking: rent out a room or ADU to offset your mortgage
  • → Side income: every extra $10K/yr invested moves FIRE date ~1 year closer

Key FIRE Resources

  • 📚 Your Money or Your Life — Vicki Robin (the original FIRE book)
  • 📚 The Simple Path to Wealth — JL Collins (index fund investing)
  • 📊 The Trinity Study — Bengen 1994 (4% rule research)
  • 🧮 FIRECalc.com — Historical portfolio survival simulator
  • 💬 r/financialindependence — 2M+ member community
⚕️ This calculator is for educational purposes. Consult a certified financial planner (CFP) for personalized retirement advice.

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