FIRE Calculator
Estimate when you could reach financial independence — the point where a safe withdrawal from your portfolio covers your expenses — all in today's dollars.
What this calculator shows
It finds your FI number (annual expenses ÷ withdrawal rate), then projects your portfolio forward in today's dollars to estimate the year — and optionally the age — you reach it. Returns and the withdrawal rate are your assumptions, not forecasts or advice.
Inputs
Everything is in today's dollars. Adjust the assumptions and the timeline updates instantly.
About $3,333 per month.
What you have invested today.
Added at the end of each month, in today's dollars.
Assumption, not advice (2-6%).
Nominal; converted to a real rate using inflation.
Keeps everything in today's dollars.
Optional — adds your estimated FI age.
Share or bookmark this scenario.
On track — about 25.8 years to financial independence (around age 56).
- FI number
- $1,000,000
- Years to FI
- 25.8
- Age at FI
- 56
- Portfolio at FI
- $1,002,396
- Contributions to FI
- $465,000
- Investment growth to FI
- $487,396
- Supported monthly withdrawal
- $3,333
Annual expenses ÷ withdrawal rate.
Until financial independence.
Estimated age you reach FI.
Value at the crossing point.
Monthly added over time.
Growth earned.
$40,000 per year
- Portfolio
- Invested
- FI number
Your projected portfolio against your FI number over time, in today's dollars.
- Starting balance
- Contributions
- Growth
How much of your portfolio is your own money versus compounding growth, up to FI.
Year-by-year projection
How your portfolio grows toward your FI number each year, in today's dollars.
| Year | Age | Portfolio value | Contributions | Growth | % of FI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | $70,555 | $18,000 | $2,555 | 7.1% |
| 2 | 32 | $92,011 | $36,000 | $6,011 | 9.2% |
| 3 | 33 | $114,410 | $54,000 | $10,410 | 11.4% |
| 4 | 34 | $137,793 | $72,000 | $15,793 | 13.8% |
| 5 | 35 | $162,201 | $90,000 | $22,201 | 16.2% |
| 6 | 36 | $187,682 | $108,000 | $29,682 | 18.8% |
| 7 | 37 | $214,281 | $126,000 | $38,281 | 21.4% |
| 8 | 38 | $242,048 | $144,000 | $48,048 | 24.2% |
| 9 | 39 | $271,034 | $162,000 | $59,034 | 27.1% |
| 10 | 40 | $301,292 | $180,000 | $71,292 | 30.1% |
| 11 | 41 | $332,879 | $198,000 | $84,879 | 33.3% |
| 12 | 42 | $365,852 | $216,000 | $99,852 | 36.6% |
| 13 | 43 | $400,274 | $234,000 | $116,274 | 40% |
| 14 | 44 | $436,206 | $252,000 | $134,206 | 43.6% |
| 15 | 45 | $473,716 | $270,000 | $153,716 | 47.4% |
| 16 | 46 | $512,873 | $288,000 | $174,873 | 51.3% |
| 17 | 47 | $553,748 | $306,000 | $197,748 | 55.4% |
| 18 | 48 | $596,419 | $324,000 | $222,419 | 59.6% |
| 19 | 49 | $640,962 | $342,000 | $248,962 | 64.1% |
| 20 | 50 | $687,461 | $360,000 | $277,461 | 68.7% |
| 21 | 51 | $736,002 | $378,000 | $308,002 | 73.6% |
| 22 | 52 | $786,674 | $396,000 | $340,674 | 78.7% |
| 23 | 53 | $839,570 | $414,000 | $375,570 | 84% |
| 24 | 54 | $894,789 | $432,000 | $412,789 | 89.5% |
| 25 | 55 | $952,431 | $450,000 | $452,431 | 95.2% |
| 26 | 56 | $1,012,605 | $468,000 | $494,605 | 100% |
You would reach $1,000,000 in about 25.8 years — around age 56, and it would support $3,333 a month in today's money.
Your path to FI
Under these assumptions, you could reach financial independence in 25.8 years — around age 56.
Your FI number
Your FI number is $1,000,000 — your annual expenses divided by a 4% withdrawal rate (about 25× your yearly spending).
What it supports
At FI, a 4% withdrawal supports about $40,000/year ($3,333/month) in today's dollars.
Contributions vs growth
Growth makes up 48.6% of your portfolio at FI; your contributions make up the rest.
Investing more
Adding $100/month may move FI earlier by about 0.9 years.
Return after inflation
Your 7% nominal return is about 4.4% after 2.5% inflation.
Shown in today's dollars
These results are in today's dollars, so the goal and the projection are directly comparable.
This model assumes steady returns in today's dollars. It does not simulate market crashes, volatility, or the timing risk of withdrawals (sequence-of-returns risk). Real outcomes will differ.
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Coast FIRE Calculator
See when your current investments could grow to support independence without adding more.
Try the Coast FIRE CalculatorHow this calculator works
This is an educational model, not a forecast. It compounds your portfolio monthly at an inflation-adjusted (real) return, adds contributions at the end of each month, and keeps everything in today's dollars.
What financial independence means
It's the point where your investments, not your job, can cover your spending.
What the FI number is
Your annual expenses divided by your withdrawal rate. At 4%, that is 25× your yearly spending.
What a safe withdrawal rate is
A rule of thumb for how much you might withdraw each year. It is an assumption, not a guarantee.
Why we use today's dollars
Real (inflation-adjusted) returns keep a future goal comparable to what you spend today, and assume your contributions hold their purchasing power.
Expected return is not guaranteed
Markets vary, and the order of returns near retirement (sequence risk) matters. This model does not simulate that.
Why small changes matter
Expenses, savings rate, return, and withdrawal rate can each move the FI date by years. Try adjusting one at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about FIRE, your FI number, and withdrawal rates.
What is FIRE?
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early — having enough invested that the income it can support covers your expenses, so paid work becomes optional. Reaching it depends far more on your savings rate and spending than on income alone.
How is my FIRE number calculated?
Your FIRE number is your annual expenses divided by your withdrawal rate. At a 4% withdrawal rate, that is 25× your yearly spending. This calculator works in today's dollars, so the target stays a fixed, understandable number.
How many years until I reach FIRE?
The tool projects your portfolio forward from your current value, contributions, and expected return until it reaches your FIRE number, and reports the years (and optional age) to get there. Every input is an assumption you can adjust.
What withdrawal rate should I use?
The 4% rule is a common starting point from historical research, but it is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee. A lower rate is more conservative and needs a larger portfolio; a higher rate is riskier. Test different rates to see how sensitive your target is.
Are the results in today's dollars?
Yes. Everything is modelled in real (inflation-adjusted) terms, so your FIRE number and the income it supports are expressed in today's purchasing power rather than inflated future dollars.
Does it account for market crashes or sequence-of-returns risk?
No. This is a steady-return model — it assumes the same return every year. Real markets are volatile, and the order of returns matters a great deal near retirement. Treat the results as education, and build in a margin of safety.
This is one of several educational models on Rionux. See how we model these projections across all our tools.
Continue your journey
Related tools and guides to help you decide what to explore next.
Related tools
Coast FIRE Calculator
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Explore how different withdrawal rates affect how long a portfolio could last.How much can I withdraw safely?GrowSavings Goal Calculator
Set a target — $1 million or any other — and see the monthly contribution it would take to reach it.How much a month to hit my target?PortfolioPortfolio Allocation Calculator
Split your money across assets and see your weighted return, concentration, and long-term growth after inflation.What does this asset mix return?Related guides
- FIRE vs Coast FIRE: What's the Difference?7 min readFull FIRE means enough invested to live off withdrawals now; Coast FIRE means enough invested that growth alone reaches your number by retirement age, so you only cover today's expenses. A neutral, worked-example guide.
- Coast FIRE vs Barista FIRE: What's the Difference?7 min readCoast FIRE means your invested balance can grow to your retirement number on its own, so you only cover today's expenses. Barista FIRE means you semi-retire and cover part of your expenses with part-time income. A neutral, worked-example guide.
- 3.5% vs 4% Withdrawal Rate: How They Compare7 min readThe 4% rule and a more conservative 3.5% rate set how much you withdraw from a portfolio each year. See what a lower rate changes for income and resilience, under stated assumptions, with a neutral worked example.
- How Compound Interest Works: A Beginner's Guide6 min readWhy time matters more than the return rate, and how to put consistent long-term investing to work in your favour — with scenarios you can run yourself.
- Why Inflation Matters5 min readWhy long-term investors judge returns after inflation, what that does to a plan built on nominal numbers, and how to think about staying ahead of it.
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Educational use only
Educational purposes only. Calculator results are estimates based on assumptions and user inputs. They are not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results.