Educational, not advice.

Every number on Coast FIRE is a calculator output, not a recommendation. The calculators are tools for thinking about financial independence — not a substitute for advice from a fiduciary who knows your situation.

No financial advice

Nothing on this site constitutes financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. The calculators apply published formulas (compound growth, safe withdrawal rates, the 4% rule) to inputs you provide. The outputs are arithmetic, not recommendations. A number that says you can retire does not mean you should.

No fiduciary relationship

Using this site creates no advisor-client, fiduciary, or any other professional relationship between you and Coast FIRE. We do not know your full financial picture and we cannot tailor anything to you — the calculators are generic.

Past performance is not predictive

Since 1928, U.S. equities have averaged roughly 10% nominal returns per year — about 7% real after inflation. That is a century-long average, not a promise. This site's calculators default to more conservative inputs: 7% nominal return, 3% inflation (about 3.9% real). Markets can and do deliver worse outcomes for long stretches. Sequence-of-returns risk can sink a plan that looked fine on average.

The 4% rule is a floor, not a promise

The 4% withdrawal rate comes from the Trinity Study, which found that 4% withdrawals survived most 30-year historical windows. "Most" is not "all." Future returns could be worse than the worst historical window. Treat 4% as a starting point to stress-test, not a guarantee.

Calculator math can be wrong

Despite our unit tests, the calculation logic may contain errors. If a number looks off, tell us and we will fix it. Do not make financial decisions based solely on a number from a website — verify against another source first.

External links

The Journal articles link to external sources (research papers, data sets). We are not responsible for the content or accuracy of third-party sites.

Last updated: September 2026