Coast FIRE Calculator
Coast FIRE is the point where what you've already invested, left alone to grow, is enough to reach your full retirement number on its own — no further contributions required. You still work to cover today's bills, but no longer to fund retirement. Enter your numbers below to find yours.
Your numbers
Assumptions
Defaults reflect common long-run planning baselines. Adjust them to match your own outlook.
Growth rate is nominal — the return before subtracting inflation; inflation is applied separately above. For withdrawal rate, 4.7% is a common baseline for a 20–30 year retirement, while 4% (the original Trinity Study "4% rule") is the more conservative choice if you're retiring early and need it to last 30+ years.
You've already reached Coast FIRE.
Your projection
Why Coast FIRE matters
It's the first big milestone on the way to financial independence, and for most people it comes years before full FIRE. Hitting it changes how work feels. A job becomes something you choose, not something you're stuck in.
How the Coast FIRE number is calculated
Two steps:
- Find your FIRE number at retirement. Take the yearly spending you want in retirement, grow it by inflation until your retirement age, then divide by your withdrawal rate.
- Discount it back to today. Divide that FIRE number by how much your investments will grow between now and then. The result is your Coast FIRE number: the balance that, left alone, compounds into your FIRE number right on schedule.
Coast FIRE number = (retirement spending × (1 + inflation)years ÷ withdrawal rate) ÷ (1 + growth)years
An example
Say you're 32, you have $130,000 invested, and you'd like to retire at 65 and live on $60,000 a year.
Put those numbers into the calculator and your Coast FIRE number is about $171,000. That means if you had $171,000 invested today and never added another dollar, it would grow into enough to retire at 65.
You have $130,000, so you're about $41,000 away. Once you get there, saving for retirement becomes optional, and every extra dollar you invest is a bonus.
What this calculator assumes
- Your investments grow 10% a year on average. That's roughly what the U.S. stock market has averaged over the long run, before inflation. Want a more cautious estimate? Change growth to 7%.
- Prices rise 3% a year. That's inflation, so $60,000 buys less in the future than it does today.
- In retirement, you take out 4% of your savings each year. This is the well-known "4% rule," which is designed to make your money last 30 years or more.
- You stop adding money at your retirement age.
These are estimates, not promises. Real returns go up and down from year to year. This tool is for education, not financial advice.
Next: See how your money grows year by year with the Compound Interest Calculator
You might be wondering
Is Coast FIRE realistic?
For many people who earn well, yes, and sooner than they expect. The earlier you invest, the more time your money has to grow on its own. Just treat your number as a guide, not a guarantee.
What counts as "invested"?
Money you've put away for the long term: your 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA and brokerage accounts. Don't count your emergency fund, your savings account or your home.
What's the difference between Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE?
With Coast FIRE, your retirement is taken care of, and you work to pay today's bills. With Barista FIRE, you've already stepped back to part-time or lower-stress work, and your investments cover some of your living costs.
What should I do once I reach Coast FIRE?
Leave your investments alone so they keep growing. After that, you have options: keep saving to retire earlier, take a job you enjoy more, or take time off. The choice is yours.
What if the market drops after I reach Coast FIRE?
Your number is based on long-term averages, so a bad year can push you below it for a while. Check your number once a year, and keep a little cushion above it if you can.
Should I stop saving once I reach Coast FIRE?
You don't have to. Saving even a little more gives you a safety cushion and can help you retire sooner.
Tools get you numbers. Coaching gets you a plan.
Want a plan built around these numbers? Book a free 30 minute consultation to talk through your Coast FIRE timeline.