FIRE Calculator
Enter your income, spending and savings to see your FI number, your savings rate and the age you can reach financial independence. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is stored.
4% is the classic rule; 3.5% is common for early retirees.
Gray line: your FI number. Horizontal axis: your age.
How the FIRE calculator works
FI number = annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate. At a 4% withdrawal rate that is 25× spending. Each year we grow your portfolio by the real return and add what you save (income minus spending), and count the years until it reaches the FI number.
Example: earning $90,000 after tax and spending $45,000 is a 50% savings rate. Starting with $50,000 at a 5% real return, you reach a $1.125M FI number in about 15.5 years.
Frequently asked questions
What is a FIRE number?
Your FIRE number is the portfolio size that lets you live off investments indefinitely. With the 4% rule it is 25 times your annual spending: $40,000 a year of spending needs a $1,000,000 portfolio.
What savings rate do I need to retire early?
Starting from zero with 5% real returns, a 50% savings rate gets you to financial independence in about 17 years, and 65% in about 11. Your savings rate matters far more than your income.
Is the 4% rule safe for early retirement?
The 4% rule was designed for 30-year retirements. For 40–50 years, many early retirees plan on 3.25%–3.75%, or stay flexible and cut spending in bad markets. Use the safe withdrawal rate calculator to test your number.
Should I use real or nominal returns?
Use real (after-inflation) returns, which keep every number in today’s dollars. US stocks have returned about 6–7% a year after inflation historically; 5% is a conservative planning assumption for a stock-heavy portfolio.
More calculators
- How long until I can retire? Years to retirement from your savings rate.
- Coast FIRE calculator When you can stop saving and coast.
- Compound interest calculator Growth from monthly investing over time.
- Safe withdrawal rate calculator Odds your portfolio outlasts you.
- Dividend income calculator Your future dividend income.
For education only, not financial advice. Returns are assumptions, not promises; all figures are in today's dollars.