What is a FIRE number?

Your FIRE number is the amount of money you need invested to safely cover your annual living expenses for life, typically calculated as annual spending divided by your withdrawal rate.

Is early retirement possible for everyone?

While anyone can pursue financial independence, your timeline depends on your income, spending, savings rate, and investment returns. The calculator helps you see what’s realistic for your situation.

What is a safe withdrawal rate?

A common rule of thumb is 4%, but more conservative rates like 3% or 2.5% offer extra safety, especially for early retirees or uncertain markets.

What information do I need to use the FIRE Calculator?

You’ll need your current age, desired retirement age, portfolio balance, monthly savings, expected investment return, annual spending, and preferred withdrawal rate.

How accurate are the projections?

The calculator uses your inputs and standard assumptions, but actual results will vary with market performance, inflation, spending changes, and life events.

Can I download or share my results?

Yes. You can copy your results, export them as a PDF for easy viewing, or download the full schedule as an Excel file for further analysis.

FIRE Calculator

Calculate your FIRE number and retirement timeline.

Calculator Inputs

FIRE assumptions for U.S. planning

Current age (18-85)

Target FIRE age (19-85)

Current portfolio ($)

Monthly contribution ($)

Annual return (%/year, 0-30)

Annual expenses (today's dollars)

Inflation (%/year, 0-10)

Withdrawal rate (%/year, 2-10)

Retiring before 59½ can limit penalty-free withdrawals from some U.S. retirement accounts.

Results

20 years to target age with projected surplus

FIRE number (today)

$1,375,000

FIRE number (target age)

$2,253,098

Projected balance (target age)

$2,484,437

Surplus / (shortfall)

$231,339

Estimated FIRE age

Portfolio vs FIRE target over time

Year 0 starts with your current portfolio and today's target.

Contributions vs growth by year

All 20 years

Yearly Breakdown

First 15 years. Download full schedule for all 20 years.

Year	Age	Portfolio	FIRE Target	Gap / Surplus
1	36	$254,346	$1,409,375	-$1,155,029
2	37	$312,620	$1,444,609	-$1,131,989
3	38	$375,107	$1,480,725	-$1,105,618
4	39	$442,111	$1,517,743	-$1,075,632
5	40	$513,959	$1,555,686	-$1,041,728
6	41	$591,000	$1,594,578	-$1,003,578
7	42	$673,612	$1,634,443	-$960,831
8	43	$762,195	$1,675,304	-$913,109
9	44	$857,181	$1,717,187	-$860,005
10	45	$959,035	$1,760,116	-$801,082
11	46	$1,068,251	$1,804,119	-$735,868
12	47	$1,185,362	$1,849,222	-$663,860
13	48	$1,310,940	$1,895,453	-$584,513
14	49	$1,445,596	$1,942,839	-$497,243
15	50	$1,589,985	$1,991,410	-$401,425

For educational and estimation purposes only; not financial or legal advice. U.S. context assumptions (returns, inflation, and withdrawal rates) are simplified. Taxes, healthcare costs, and account-specific withdrawal rules are not modeled.

How It Works

Here’s a step-by-step guide to using this calculator:

1. Enter Your Details

Current Age (e.g., 35): Your age today.
Target Retirement Age (e.g., 55): The age at which you wish to achieve financial independence.
Current Portfolio ($200,000): The total value of your existing investments and savings.
Monthly Savings ($3,200): The amount you plan to add to your investments every month.
Expected Annual Return (7%): Your anticipated average yearly investment growth rate.
Annual Spending ($55,000): How much you expect to spend each year in retirement.
Withdrawal Rate (2.5–4%): The percentage of your portfolio you plan to withdraw each year in retirement. Most people use 4% as a starting point, but more conservative rates provide extra safety.

Note: If you plan to retire before age 59½, remember there may be penalties for early withdrawal from certain retirement accounts.

2. Review Your Results

After clicking "Calculate," you’ll see:

Years to Target Age: How many years remain until your target retirement age.
FIRE Number (Today): The amount you’d need right now to support your planned retirement spending, using your chosen withdrawal rate.
FIRE Number (Target Age): How much you’ll need at your planned retirement age, accounting for factors like inflation.
Projected Balance (Target Age): How much your portfolio may grow to by your target age, based on your inputs.
Surplus / (Shortfall): Whether you’re on track to exceed your FIRE number or if you may fall short.
Estimated FIRE Age: The age at which you could realistically reach financial independence if your assumptions hold.

3. Explore Visual Tools

Portfolio vs FIRE Target Over Time: A year-by-year chart showing how your investments might grow compared to your FIRE target.
Contributions vs Growth by Year: Breaks down how much of your balance comes from new savings versus investment growth.
Yearly Breakdown Table: See how your portfolio, FIRE target, and gap or surplus change each year. Download a full 20-year schedule for deeper planning.

4. Export and Share

Copy: Quickly copy your results to share or save.
Export PDF: Download your plan as a PDF for easy reference or sharing.

Export Excel: Download your detailed schedule to analyze or adjust in Excel.

Understanding Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE)

FIRE stands for “Financial Independence, Retire Early.” It’s a movement centered on saving, investing, and planning so you can achieve financial independence and choose when to retire, often well before the traditional retirement age.

The goal is to accumulate sufficient savings and investments to cover your annual living expenses for the rest of your life, thereby freeing you from dependence on employment income.

This calculator helps you determine the amount you need to reach financial independence (“your FIRE number”), how long it may take to reach it, and how your savings and investments might grow over time. If you’re considering early retirement or just want more control over your finances, understanding your FIRE number is a crucial first step.

How This Calculator Helps

The FIRE Calculator helps you answer some of the most important questions in early retirement planning, including:

How much do I need to save to retire early?
When could I realistically reach financial independence?
How will my investments and savings grow over time?
Will I have a surplus or shortfall at my target retirement age?

By entering your real numbers, current age, target retirement age, existing portfolio, monthly savings, expected return, and annual spending, you get a clear, personalized roadmap.

The calculator then displays your projected FIRE number for today and at your target age, as well as your future portfolio balance, indicating whether you’ll have a surplus or a gap. Charts and annual breakdowns make it easy to visualize your progress.