FIRE Number Calculator
Work out the portfolio you'd need to cover your living costs without working again, and how long it'll take to build it at your current savings rate.
Your details
Your FIRE number
$1,250,000
Time to reach it
24 yrs 2 mos
Projected FIRE age
54.2
Monthly income it provides
$4,167
Uses the 4% withdrawal rule: a portfolio of 25 times your annual expenses can typically sustain that spending indefinitely. This calculator assumes a constant annual growth rate and contribution amount, doesn't account for taxes, fees or inflation eroding your expenses over time, and is not financial advice.
How to use this calculator
- 1. What it actually costs you to live for a year. This is what your FIRE number is built to sustainably cover.
- 2. Your current investments, how much you add regularly, and the growth rate you're assuming.
- 3. 25 times your annual expenses, using the same 4% withdrawal rule used elsewhere on this site, plus how long it'll take to get there.
FAQ
Why 25 times annual expenses?
It comes from the 4% rule: if you withdraw 4% of a portfolio each year, historically it's held up over long retirement periods without running out. 1 divided by 4% is 25, so a portfolio 25 times your annual spending supports a 4% withdrawal rate.
Is the 4% rule guaranteed to work?
No. It's based on historical market returns over rolling 30-year periods, mostly US data, and markets don't repeat exactly. Some people use a more conservative 3.5% (29x expenses) for extra safety, especially for very early retirement with a longer time horizon.
Does this account for inflation?
The growth rate you enter should already be a real-world assumption if you want inflation-adjusted results, this calculator doesn't automatically erode your expense target over time. If you enter a nominal (non-inflation-adjusted) growth rate, treat the result as optimistic.
What about tax on withdrawals?
This calculator doesn't factor in tax on investment withdrawals or super preservation age rules, both of which can meaningfully affect how much you actually get to spend. Treat the FIRE number as a pre-tax target, not a guaranteed spendable amount.
Related reading
Types of FIRE: Lean, Fat, Coast and Barista FIRE Explained
The real differences between Lean, Fat, Coast and Barista FIRE, and the Coast FIRE 'bridge years' complication Australia's locked-away super creates.
How Much Super Do You Need to Retire in Australia?
Real Australian retirement benchmarks, not a guess, how the Age Pension fits in, and how to work out your own number for a comfortable retirement.
What Is FIRE? Financial Independence, Retire Early Explained
What FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) actually means, the different flavours, the 4% rule, and the one thing that makes pursuing it different in Australia.
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Disclaimer
This calculator estimates a financial independence target using the 4% withdrawal rule and a constant assumed annual growth rate and contribution amount. It does not account for taxes, fees, investment sequencing risk, super preservation age, or inflation eroding your expenses over time. This tool provides estimates only, is not financial advice, and doesn't replace a plan from a licensed financial adviser.