Skip to main content

FIRE Calculator

Wondering how many more years until you're financially independent? Fill in a few numbers and see the result instantly — you can also switch to Coast FIRE.

Which one do you want to calculate?

Save enough that investment returns alone can cover your living costs, forever.

How do you want to fill these in?

600,000

1,000,000

20,000

%

Pre-filled at 7% — broad index ETFs have historically returned around 6–8% a year. Use 5% to be cautious, 8% to be optimistic.

%

Pre-filled at 2% — the long-run average and the target most central banks aim for. Bump it to 3% if recent price rises worry you.

%

Pre-filled at 4% — the well-known "4% rule", meaning you draw 4% of your portfolio each year. Drop to 3–3.5% for a safer margin (you'll need to save more).

Fill this in to see how old you'll be when you hit FIRE

Your FIRE number
$15,000,000

Once your assets reach this, you're financially independent

Years to go
26 years
  • 💡 Saving an extra $5,000/month could get you there 3 years sooner
  • ⚠️ A 1% lower annual return would delay it by 3 years

Sign in to save this goal to your own Google Sheets

Why "annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate"?

This is the well-known "4% rule": if you withdraw only 4% of your portfolio each year, the math says it should last a very long time without running out. So once you've saved 25x your annual spending, investment returns alone can cover your living costs. Raise the withdrawal rate and you need less saved (but take on more risk); lower it and you need more.

Why subtract inflation?

Prices rise over time, so the same $100 buys less 10 years from now. That's why we use the "real return" (nominal return minus inflation) to model how fast your assets actually grow in purchasing-power terms — it gives a more realistic (and usually more conservative) estimate.

This calculator runs purely on the client. Nothing you type is sent to a server. Close the tab and the numbers are gone — no cleanup needed.

Want to keep this result? Sign in and save it as your retirement goal — it's stored in your own Google Sheets, so you can come back to it anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

FIRE stands for "Financial Independence, Retire Early" — saving enough that investment returns alone can cover your living expenses, so you no longer need to work for money. This calculator estimates how much you need (your FIRE number) and how many years it will take.
The 4% rule is a common rule of thumb based on historical long-term stock market returns, not a guarantee. Actual outcomes depend on market performance, how flexible your spending is, and whether you keep earning after retiring. Treat it as a planning starting point — you can lower the withdrawal rate for a more conservative estimate.
No. All calculations happen in your browser. Our servers never receive any of the numbers you type. If you're signed in, clicking "Save as a goal" saves the result to your own Google Sheets.
The most common reason is inflation. This calculator uses the "real return rate" (nominal return minus inflation) to model growth, which is closer to real purchasing power than nominal return alone — so the years-to-go figure is usually more conservative (longer).
Using your current assets and monthly contribution, it simulates month-by-month compound growth at the real return rate until your assets reach the FIRE number. If it can't get there within 100 years, it shows "no end in sight" instead, which usually means it's worth revisiting your contribution or return assumptions.