Free FIRE calculator: find your financial independence number with the 4% rule, see years to retirement, projected FIRE age, and safe withdrawal rate.
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The core idea: build an investment portfolio large enough that a small annual withdrawal covers your living expenses forever.
**The 4% rule:** Research based on historical US market returns found that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio in the first year (adjusted for inflation after) was historically safe over 30 years. Your FIRE number is simply your annual expenses divided by 0.04.
**Who is this for?** People who want an early exit from the 9-to-5, plan a lean lifestyle, or just want the freedom to choose how they spend their time.
**How to use it:** Enter your age, current savings, monthly savings, expected return, retirement expenses, and withdrawal rate. The calculator projects your portfolio each year and tells you when it crosses your FIRE number.
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It is a movement focused on saving and investing aggressively so your portfolio can fund your lifestyle, giving you the option to stop working before traditional retirement age.
The 4% rule says you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio in your first retirement year, then adjust for inflation each year. Research on historical US returns suggests this was sustainable over 30-year periods. Your FIRE number is annual expenses divided by 4%. Adjusting the rate changes the target directly: 3% raises it by about a third (more conservative), while 5% lowers it by 20% but increases the risk of running out.
Divide your expected annual retirement expenses by your safe withdrawal rate. For example, $40,000 of annual expenses at a 4% withdrawal rate needs a $1,000,000 portfolio. Lower expenses directly shrink your FIRE number.
The calculator converts your nominal return into a real return using the inflation rate, so targets and timelines reflect purchasing power. Ignoring inflation makes FIRE plans look easier than they really are. Historically, US CPI averaged about 3% (mostly 2%-4% in recent decades); 2%-3% is a reasonable long-term assumption.
FIRE depends on your savings rate, return assumptions, and expenses. Lean FIRE (minimal spending), Fat FIRE (comfortable spending), and Barista FIRE (part-time work plus small portfolio) offer different levels of flexibility. Start by running your own numbers.