FIRE Number Calculator
Find your FIRE number — 25 times your annual spending — and how many years of saving at your current rate it takes to get there.
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) number is the portfolio size that funds your spending at a 4% withdrawal rate: 25× what you spend per year. Enter your spending, current savings, annual savings, and expected return to get your number and your personal countdown to financial independence.
How to use this calculator
- Enter what you expect to spend per year in retirement.
- Enter your current invested savings.
- Enter how much you'll save per year going forward.
- Enter your expected annual investment return.
- Click Calculate for your FIRE number and years to financial independence.
The formula
FIRE number = annual spending×25; years to FI solves savings×(1+r)^n + annual savings×((1+r)^n−1)/r = FIRE number
Worked example
Spending $60,000 a year means a $1,500,000 FIRE number. With $200,000 saved and $40,000 saved yearly at 7% returns, you'd reach financial independence in about 14.6 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FIRE number?
Your annual spending multiplied by 25. It comes from the 4% rule: historically, withdrawing 4% of a stock/bond portfolio per year has lasted 30+ years. So $50,000 of yearly spending needs a $1.25 million portfolio. It's a target, not a guarantee — treat it as a planning anchor.
Is the 4% rule still safe?
The 4% rule comes from the 1994 Trinity Study and held up across most historical 30-year periods. Critics note today's high valuations and longer retirements (40–50 years for early retirees) may demand 3–3.5%. If you want margin, use this calculator then multiply the result by 1.15 for a ~3.5% withdrawal rate.
How do I reach FI faster?
Three levers: spend less (shrinks the target directly — every $1,000 cut from annual spending lowers your FIRE number by $25,000), save more, or earn more. Spending cuts are doubly powerful because they both reduce the target and free up savings. Investment returns help but are the lever you control least.
Does this include Social Security or pensions?
No — this calculator models portfolio-only independence. If you'll receive Social Security or a pension, subtract that expected annual income from your spending first, then enter the remainder. Covering $40,000 of a $60,000 lifestyle with Social Security cuts your FIRE number from $1.5M to $500,000.
What counts as savings for this calculation?
Invested assets you can draw from: brokerage accounts, 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs. Don't count home equity unless you plan to sell or downsize — you can't spend a house without moving. Emergency funds count only if they're invested, not sitting in checking.