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Retirement tool

FIRE Calculator

Enter what you have invested, what you spend and what you save each year. See your FIRE number, the year you reach it, and the path there. No sign-up, no email.

✓ Cross-checked against an independent simulation ✓ Year by year table ✓ 100% free, runs in your browser, stores nothing

Your FIRE plan

Your numbers
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$
$
%
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Use a return after inflation, so every number stays in today's dollars. Growth is added at the end of each year, then your yearly saving is added.

Your FIRE number
n/a
yearly spending ÷ withdrawal rate
in
Years to reach it
n/a
at your yearly saving
Your plan
 
Yearly spendingwhat the number has to supportn/a
Withdrawal rateshare of the pot you take each yearn/a
Your depositsyearly saving × yearsn/a
Investment growthon the way to the numbern/a
Pot when you get therecan pass the number by a littlen/a
YearCalendarSavedGrowthBalance
More free calculators: Debt payoff calculator · Biweekly paycheck calculator · Savings goal calculator · Net worth calculator · Student loan payoff calculator · 50/30/20 calculator

How the FIRE number is worked out

FIRE means financial independence, retire early. The idea is a pot big enough that a small yearly withdrawal covers your spending for good.

# the number FIRE number = yearly spending ÷ withdrawal rate # at 4%, that is 25 times your yearly spending # each year until you reach it growth = balance × real return balance = balance + growth + yearly saving

What the 4% default means

A 4% withdrawal rate is a rule of thumb from past market studies, not a promise. A lower rate gives you a bigger number and more margin. A higher rate gives a smaller number and more risk that the money runs out. Try 3% and 5% to see the gap.

The two levers

Spending counts twice. It sets the size of the number, and it limits how much you can save. Cutting spending moves you toward the goal from both sides.

Want to track it? A FIRE number spreadsheet and a net worth tracker are in the TidyPaycheck shop.

Questions people ask

How do you calculate a FIRE number?

Divide your yearly spending in retirement by the withdrawal rate. With 42,000 dollars of spending and a 4% rate, the number is 1,050,000 dollars.

What withdrawal rate should I use?

Four percent is the common default. If you plan a long retirement, a lower rate such as 3.5% leaves more margin. This calculator accepts rates from 1% to 10%.

Why a real return and not a nominal one?

A real return is the return after inflation. Using it keeps your spending and your pot in today's dollars, so you do not need to guess future prices.

What if I already have more than the number?

The calculator shows zero years and says you are already there. It does not model whether the money lasts, only whether the pot is large enough for the rate you chose.

Is my data saved or sent anywhere?

No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent, and the share image is drawn on your device from the result only.

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