FIRE Calculator — Years to Financial Independence & Early Retirement

Reaching Financial Independence and Early Retirement comes down to one target number and the date you hit it. The projection here estimates your 'FIRE Number' — the nest egg you need to walk away from full-time work — and how many years your portfolio takes to reach it at the return you assume. Seeing that date in concrete terms is what turns a vague goal into a plan you can actually act on.

The FIRE Number itself comes from a modified Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR), often described as the '4%' rule: annual expenses divided by your chosen withdrawal rate give the portfolio size you're aiming for. From there, the model grows your savings year by year using your starting balance, the amount you save each year (income minus expenses) and an assumed annual investment return, stepping forward one year at a time until the balance crosses your FIRE Number. It does not adjust for inflation, so enter a return after inflation if you want the result in today's dollars.

Treat the result as a projection rather than a promise. Real-world returns swing from year to year and inflation rarely holds steady, so the single biggest pitfall is leaning on optimistic returns while quietly underestimating what you'll actually spend in retirement. Revisit the inputs as your situation changes, and build in a cushion for the down markets and surprise costs that history says are coming.