Traditional FIRE Strategy

🚀 When Can I Retire?

Calculate your path to complete financial independence and discover when you can retire

Traditional FIRE: Save enough to cover 100% of your expenses and retire completely.

Example Stories

Choose an example story to see how different financial situations affect retirement timing:

Select a story above to see their financial journey and retirement timeline.

Financial Parameters

Annual Expenses in Retirement ($)

Grow expenses with inflation each year after retirement

Current Age

Current Savings ($)

Annual Income ($)

Savings Rate (%)

Percentage of income saved annually

Expected Annual Return (%)

Inflation Rate (%)

Safe Withdrawal Rate (%)

Percentage of portfolio withdrawn annually in retirement

Taxes on Retirement (%)

Tax rate on retirement withdrawals

Projection Years

Number of years to project after retirement

Your settings are automatically saved to the URL

Your FIRE Journey Summary

Based on your current financial situation, if you continue to save 3,333 per month you can reach your FIRE goal of 1,000,000 by age 45.

Your FIRE Target

You need 1,000,000 to safely withdraw 4% annually for your retirement expenses of 40,000 after 15% taxes.

Timeline to Freedom

You can retire at age 45, which is 15 years from now. This gives you 15 years to build your wealth.

Monthly Savings Required

You need to save 3,333 every month. This represents 50% of your $80,000 annual income.

Investment Strategy

With a 7% annual return, your investments will grow from 50,000 to your FIRE number through compound growth.

How It All Works Together

Your monthly savings of 3,333 combines with investment returns to grow your portfolio from 50,000 to 1,000,000 over 15 years. Once you reach your FIRE number, you can safely withdraw 4% annually (40,000) to cover your retirement expenses without depleting your principal.

Portfolio Growth Projection

Detailed Analysis

Year	Age	Portfolio Value	Annual Savings	Withdrawals	Expenses	Taxes	Investment Returns	% of FIRE Goal	Phase

Understanding the Default Values

Savings Rate (40%)

This represents the percentage of your income that you save annually. A 40% savings rate is considered aggressive but achievable for FIRE enthusiasts. This means you're living on 60% of your income while saving 40%. Many FIRE practitioners aim for 50-70% savings rates to accelerate their path to financial independence.

Expected Annual Return (7.0%)

This is the average annual return you expect from your investment portfolio. 7% is a commonly used figure based on historical stock market returns (adjusted for inflation). This conservative estimate accounts for market volatility and long-term trends, though actual returns may vary significantly year-to-year.

Inflation Rate (2.5%)

This represents the average annual increase in the cost of living. 2.5% is close to the Federal Reserve's target inflation rate and historical averages. This affects both your future expenses and the real purchasing power of your retirement savings.

Safe Withdrawal Rate (4.0%)

This is the percentage of your portfolio you can safely withdraw annually in retirement without running out of money. The "4% rule" is a widely accepted guideline based on historical market data. It suggests that withdrawing 4% of your initial portfolio value (adjusted for inflation) provides a high probability of portfolio survival over 30+ years.

Taxes on Retirement (15.0%)

This represents the effective tax rate on your retirement withdrawals. 15% accounts for federal income taxes, though actual rates depend on your income level, filing status, and tax-advantaged accounts (like Roth IRAs). This rate helps calculate the gross withdrawal needed to cover your net expenses.

Pro Tips

Adjust for your situation: These defaults are starting points - modify them based on your specific circumstances and risk tolerance.
Conservative estimates: Using slightly conservative assumptions helps build a safety margin into your FIRE plan.
Regular reviews: Revisit these assumptions annually as your situation and market conditions change.