Calculate your FIRE number — the exact amount you need invested to retire on your terms. Uses the proven 4% rule and Rule of 25 used by thousands of early retirees worldwide.
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It's a movement focused on extreme saving and investing to achieve financial freedom decades before traditional retirement age. The goal is to accumulate enough wealth that investment returns can cover your living expenses indefinitely.
Your FIRE number is calculated using the Rule of 25: multiply your expected annual expenses in retirement by 25. This is derived from the 4% safe withdrawal rate — if you withdraw 4% of your portfolio annually, it should last indefinitely based on historical market returns.
The 4% rule (also known as the Bengen Rule) comes from a 1994 study showing that retirees could withdraw 4% of their portfolio in year one, then adjust for inflation each year, and never run out of money over a 30-year retirement period — based on historical US stock and bond market returns.
Your savings rate dramatically affects your FIRE timeline. Saving 10% may take 40+ years. Saving 25% takes about 32 years. Saving 50% takes roughly 17 years. Saving 70% can achieve FIRE in under 9 years. The higher your savings rate, the faster you reach financial independence.
Lean FIRE targets a frugal retirement lifestyle with annual expenses under $40,000. Regular FIRE targets $40,000–$80,000 per year for a comfortable lifestyle. Fat FIRE targets $100,000+ per year for a luxurious retirement. Barista FIRE is a hybrid where part-time work covers some expenses while investments cover the rest.
The 4% rule remains widely used but some financial planners now recommend 3–3.5% for longer retirements (40+ years) due to lower expected future returns and higher valuations. Our calculator lets you adjust the withdrawal rate from 3% to 5% so you can model different scenarios.