Coast FIRE Calculator
Find your Coast FIRE number: the amount you need invested today so that growth alone — with zero further contributions — carries you to full financial independence by your target retirement age.
This projection assumes a steady, unchanging return. Curious how your plan holds up against real market volatility? Try the Monte Carlo calculator →
How the Coast FIRE number is calculated
Your full FIRE number is your desired annual expenses divided by your safe withdrawal rate (typically 4%, i.e. 25x expenses). Your Coast FIRE number discounts that target back to today's dollars using your expected investment return over the years remaining until retirement — that's the amount that, left untouched, grows into your full FIRE number right on schedule. The default return assumes historical U.S. stock market averages; see our methodology page for the full explanation and how to customize it.
FAQ
What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is the point where the money you’ve already invested is projected to grow — through compound returns alone, with no further contributions — into a full retirement nest egg by your target retirement age. Once you hit it, you no longer need to save for retirement; you only need to earn enough to cover today’s living expenses.
How is this different from a normal FIRE number?
A standard FIRE number tells you how much you need invested to retire completely, right now. Coast FIRE works backward from that number to tell you how much you need invested today so that growth alone gets you there by a later age — letting you ease off aggressive saving well before full retirement.
How is this different from Barista FIRE?
Coast FIRE assumes you keep earning enough to cover 100% of current expenses (through any job) while your investments compound untouched. Barista FIRE goes a step further and assumes you downshift to part-time work, with your portfolio covering the gap between that part-time income and your expenses.