FIRE number calculator
Your plan
Your FIRE number at 55
in today's money, or 16.3× your yearly spending from savings. That's what funds your spending until 95 with a steady return.
On your plan you'd have $1,006,421 at 55. The earliest age that works with this spending is 53.
Results
Tight
Your plan works, but it is tight
It lasts until 95 if markets deliver your 7.0% every year, but only in 69% of market scenarios and in 97% of real market periods since 1871. A few bad years early in retirement could break it.
Your savings over time
In today's moneyThe best quarter of scenarios goes above the top of the chart.
Your options
TightWhat would change the outcome. Amounts in today's money. The first two lines assume steady returns: aim past them to leave room for bad years.
Monthly contribution
With steady returns you'd still be on track investing $1,394 a month. The $606 you invest on top is your margin for bad markets.Spending in retirement
With steady returns you could spend up to $4,958 a month and still last until 95, $958 more than you plan.Coast FIRE
With $344,727 invested today you could stop contributing and growth alone would get you to what you need at 55. On your current plan you get there at age 48.If returns are lower than you expect
- At 6.0% a year instead of 7.0%, your money runs out at 94 and 5 months.
- At 5.0% a year instead of 7.0%, your money runs out at 79 and 11 months.
What fees cost you
Fees of 0.20% a year leave you $26,142 less on the day you retire.
Compare retirement ages
The same plan if you stop working earlier or later.
| Retire at | Savings then | You could spend | Steady returns | Scenarios | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52-3 yrs | $822,956 | $3,984/mo | Runs out at 94 and 5 months | 49% | |
| 53earliest | $881,616 | $4,290/mo | Lasts, $384,881 left | 56% | |
| 54-1 yr | $942,736 | $4,614/mo | Lasts, $775,294 left | 63% | |
| 55your plan | $1,006,421 | $4,958/mo | Lasts, $1,149,988 left | 69% | |
| 56+1 yr | $1,072,777 | $5,323/mo | Lasts, $1,509,597 left | 74% | |
| 57+2 yrs | $1,141,917 | $5,712/mo | Lasts, $1,854,726 left | 79% | |
| 58+3 yrs | $1,213,958 | $6,126/mo | Lasts, $2,185,960 left | 84% | |
| 60+5 yrs | $1,367,232 | $7,039/mo | Lasts, $2,808,957 left | 90% |
Today's money. "You could spend" is the monthly amount that lasts exactly until 95 with steady returns, including other income. "Scenarios" is the share of market scenarios in which your plan lasts.
Details
Random market scenarios
of 1,000 scenarios last until age 95. Each one replays your plan with returns that swing from year to year (a typical swing of ±12% around your 6.8% after fees), and inflation that drifts around your 2.5%.
- Savings at 55 in poor markets (1 in 10)
- $655,563
- When it fails, money runs out around
- age 78 and 7 months
Real market history
of 93 real periods last until age 95. Each period starts your plan in a different year from 1871 and uses what US stocks and government bonds actually returned after inflation, for a 60% stocks mix, minus your fees.
Worst year to start: 1956, when the money runs out at 87 and 8 months.
Bad years early in retirement are the main danger. Flexible spending, a cash buffer or retiring a little later all raise these numbers. These are illustrations, not forecasts. Change your investment mix under "More options".
Why your number may differ from 25×
25× your spending is the 4% rule turned around. It's a good first estimate, but your real number depends on how many years your money must last, your expected return, inflation, and any pension that starts later. Retiring at 40 with no pension needs more than 25×. Retiring at 60 with a pension from 67 can need less.
The calculator solves for the exact amount: the savings on your retirement day that bring you to zero at your end age with your assumptions. Add a margin on top, since real markets don't deliver a steady return.
Questions people ask
- What is a FIRE number?
- The amount of invested money you need to stop depending on a salary. Your investments then pay for your spending for the rest of your life.
- Should I use today's money or future money?
- Plan in today's money. It's how you think about prices. The calculator converts everything for you and can also show nominal amounts.
- Does my home count towards my FIRE number?
- Only if you plan to sell it or rent it out. A paid-off home lowers your spending, which lowers your number, but the house itself doesn't pay your bills.
- How do I reach my FIRE number faster?
- Spending less helps twice: you save more and you need less. The "Compare retirement ages" table shows how much each extra year of work changes the result.
Keep going
For education only, not personal financial advice. Your inputs stay in your browser.