Financial Independence Calculator (FIRE)
Calculate when you can retire early with the FIRE method.
See how savings rate, investments, and expenses determine your financial independence date.
Years to Financial Independence
Financial Independence (FIRE) means having enough invested to cover your expenses indefinitely.
The standard rule uses the 4% safe withdrawal rate:
FIRE Number = Annual Expenses × 25
This means you need 25 times your annual expenses saved and invested.
To calculate years to reach FIRE, we project monthly savings growing with investment returns until they reach the FIRE number:
Each month: Balance = Balance × (1 + r) + Monthly Savings
Where r = monthly investment return rate.
Example: $60,000 annual income, $36,000 annual expenses (40% savings rate), $50,000 already saved, 7% returns:
- FIRE number = $900,000
- Years to FIRE = approximately 14.5 years
- Savings rate is the biggest lever — increasing from 40% to 50% can shave off years
Tips:
- The higher your savings rate, the faster you reach FIRE
- The 4% rule is based on historical stock market returns over 30-year periods
- Consider having a buffer above your FIRE number for safety
- Lean FIRE = bare minimum expenses. Fat FIRE = comfortable lifestyle