Does this include inflation?

Yes, the 4% rule assumes you increase your withdrawal amount by the inflation rate each year.

What about healthcare?

That's the biggest wildcard in the US. Most FIRE adherents budget heavily for private insurance or move to countries with affordable care (Geo-Arbitrage).

Some economists argue 3.5% is safer in a low-yield environment. Better to save a bit extra (28x or 30x expenses) to be bulletproof.

What if the market crashes?

The 4% rule was backtested against massive historical crashes (like the Great Depression). While a crash during your first year of retirement (Sequence of Returns Risk) is dangerous, over a 30-year horizon, the market's recovery typically outpaces the drawdowns.

Should I include my house in my net worth?

For FIRE calculations, you only include *income-producing* assets (like index funds or rental properties). Your primary residence reduces your living expenses, but it doesn't generate the liquid cash you need to buy groceries.

FIRE Number Calculator

Financial Independence, Retire Early.

📜 The Origins

The FIRE movement isn't about being rich; it's about freedom. This tool uses the '4% Rule' from the Trinity Study to calculate exactly how much you need to never work again.

🚀 Master the Tool

Input your annual expenses and your current savings. We'll show you your 'FIRE Number' and estimate how many years of freedom you've already 'bought'.

F.I.R.E. Countdown

Financial Independence, Retire Early.

Annual Expenses

Current Savings

Annual Contribution

Investment Return7%

Safe Withdrawal Rate4%

Standard rule is 4% (25x expenses).

Your Freedom Number

$1,000,000

(25x Expenses)

Time to Freedom

18 Years

by 2044

Financial Independence, Retire Early (F.I.R.E.)

The American Dream used to be "work until 65, get a gold watch, die at 70." The FIRE movement hacked that script.

The 4% Rule

The core of FIRE is the Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR). A landmark study (The Trinity Study) found that if you withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year and adjust for inflation thereafter, your money has a 95% chance of lasting 30+ years.

The Magic Formula: * Annual Expenses $ imes$ 25 = Your Number. * If you spend $40,000/year, you need $1,000,000 invested.

Modes of FIRE

LeanFIRE: Living on strict budgets (beans and rice) to retire ASAP.
FatFIRE: Retiring with a lavish budget ($100k+ expenses).
BaristaFIRE: Saving enough to quit the high-stress career and just work a chill part-time job for health insurance.

How the Math Works

The calculation relies on the Trinity Study's 4% Safe Withdrawal Rate rule. If you can safely withdraw 4% of your investment principal annually without heavily depleting the account over a 30-year span, then the inverse multiplier is 25 ($100 / 4 = 25$).

$$ FIRE\,Number = Annual\,Expenses \times 25 $$

The calculator simply multiplies your inputted yearly expenses by 25 to find your target 'FIRE Number'. To show how close you are, it takes your current savings, divides it by the target number, and formats it as an exact progress percentage.