FIRE / Early Retirement Calculator
How many years until financial independence: your FIRE number from annual spending, and the path to it from savings and returns.
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The FIRE Math
Financial independence means your portfolio covers living costs indefinitely. The rule-of-thumb target is annual spending ÷ safe withdrawal rate: at the classic 4% rule, spending $40,000/year needs a $1,000,000 portfolio (25×). The calculator then projects your current savings plus monthly contributions at your expected real return, month by month, until the target is reached.
Use a real (after-inflation) return — 4-5% is a common planning figure for stock-heavy portfolios — so the answer reads in today's money. The 4% rule stems from the US-market Trinity study over 30-year retirements; earlier retirement or cautious assumptions argue for 3-3.5%, which raises the multiple toward 28-33×.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does savings rate have to do with it?
Nearly everything. Saving 10% of income takes ~50 years to FI under typical assumptions; 50% takes ~17; 70% under 10. Cutting spending works twice: you save more and you need a smaller portfolio.
Is the 4% rule safe outside the US?
It was derived from US historical returns. Studies on international markets often support 3-3.5% instead; the calculator lets you set the withdrawal rate to test both.
Should I include my home or pension?
Count only assets that can pay bills: investment accounts, rental income capitalized. A paid-off home lowers your annual spending input instead. Expected state/company pensions can be subtracted from spending from the age they start.
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FIRE / Early Retirement Calculator