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FIRE Number Calculator: your shore line.

The one number every FIRE plan orbits: how much you need invested to live off forever. Divide your annual spending by your safe withdrawal rate — that's it.

What is a FIRE number?

Your FIRE number is the total invested portfolio that can sustainably cover your living costs forever. The classic shortcut is annual spending × 25 (assuming a 4% withdrawal rate, the inverse of the Trinity Study's safe rate). Above your number, you're financially independent. Below it, you're still accumulating. The math is simple; the lifestyle choice — Lean, Standard, or Fat — is what makes the number feel right for you.

Read the full explainer →
How to use

Three steps to your number

  1. 1
    Pick a lifestyle and spending
    Choose Lean / Standard / Fat to load a preset, then drag annual expenses to your real number.
  2. 2
    Set your withdrawal rate
    4% is the Trinity Study default. Lower (3% / 3.5%) is safer; higher (4.5% / 5%) is riskier.
  3. 3
    Read your number
    The big number is your shore line. Toggle to reverse mode to ask: “I have $X saved — what can I spend?”

Your numbers

Mode
Lifestyle

comfortable middle-class spending

Annual expenses (today's $) i$40,000
$10k$300k
Current savings i$100,000
Current age i35yrs
Target retire age i55yrs
4075
Your FIRE number
$1,000,000
You're 10% there — $900,000 to go

That's 25.0× your annual spending — the classic 4% rule. At your current savings growing at 7%, you'd hit it around age 96 if you add nothing more.

Savings trajectory: age 35 → 55

Your savings (compounding) FIRE number
$0$250k$500k$750k$1.0MFIRE number3540455055

Your savings grow at the real return rate (~3.9%). The dashed line is your FIRE number — the point where compounding alone gets you there.

Withdrawal rate comparison Target portfolio
SWRMultiplierTarget portfolio
3%33.3×$1,333,333
3.5%28.6×$1,142,857
4%25.0×$1,000,000
4.5%22.2×$888,889
5%20.0×$800,000
Lean $625K·Standard $1M·Fat $2.5M
The Plan

Drag the math,find your pace.

Save $13,320/month → you'll hit your FIRE number at 40.
That needs about $199.8K take-home pay — $40K to live on + $159.8K to invest.
Target age to stop saving40yrs
3555
Monthly contribution$/mo
$0$20K
Quick jumps
Figures in today’s purchasing power — future dollar amounts will be higher with inflation, but so will your salary.

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FAQ

The math, explained.

What is a FIRE number? +
Your FIRE number is the total invested portfolio you need to be financially independent — the point where your investments can sustainably cover your living costs forever. The standard shortcut: annual spending × 25 (assuming a 4% withdrawal rate).
Why 25× and not 30× or 20×? +
25× comes from the 4% safe withdrawal rate, derived from the Trinity Study, which tested historical 30-year retirement success rates. 4% of a 25× portfolio replaces 100% of your spending. Lower rates (3%, 33×) are safer; higher (5%, 20×) are riskier.
Should the number be in today’s or future dollars? +
This calculator works in today’s dollars — your $40k spending “feels” like $40k now. Your actual portfolio at retirement will be a bigger nominal number because of inflation, but its purchasing power matches what you see here.
Does this include Social Security or a pension? +
No — this is a pure withdrawal-rate number. If you expect pension or Social Security income at 67+, your FIRE number can be lower since those cover part of your spending. The Barista FIRE and Coast FIRE tools model that bridge.
Is this financial advice? +
No. It’s an educational tool based on transparent assumptions. Your real returns will vary. For decisions specific to your situation, speak with a licensed financial advisor.

How this number is calculated

FIRE number = Annual expenses ÷ Safe withdrawal rate. With $40,000 spending and a 4% SWR, that’s $40,000 ÷ 0.04 = $1,000,000. The withdrawal-rate table multiplies your spending by the inverse of each rate (33×, 28.6×, 25×, 22.2×, 20×).

The contribution table assumes a 7% nominal return and compounds monthly: FV = PMT × [((1+r)ⁿ − 1) / r]. Read why we use 7% average returns or the 4% rule explained.

why we use 7% average returns, 4% rule explained.

This tool is for educational purposes only and is not financial advice. Estimates are based on the assumptions shown (e.g., 7% nominal returns, 3% inflation, 4% withdrawal rate). Actual investment returns vary. Consider speaking with a licensed financial advisor.