FIRE number calculator
Estimate the portfolio size that could support a chosen annual spending level. Your entries stay in this browser.
Annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate. Test multiple assumptions before making a decision.
How the estimate works
This tool divides annual spending by a planning withdrawal rate. For example, a 4% rate produces a target equal to 25 times annual spending. The result is a planning scenario, not a promise that a portfolio will last.
Use a range, not one magic number
Try different spending levels and rates, then consider taxes, inflation, healthcare, emergency cash, portfolio risk, and other income. A flexible spending plan and part-time income can change the amount you need, while a longer retirement horizon may call for a larger margin.
This is general educational information, not investment, tax, or financial advice.
Formula and calculation boundary
FIRE target = annual spending ÷ planning withdrawal rate. A 4% rate is 25 times spending; 3.5% is about 28.6 times spending. The formula does not model market sequence, tax, or life expectancy.
Worked example
At $40,000 annual spending and a 4% planning rate, the displayed target is $1,000,000. Lowering the rate to 3.5% raises it to about $1,142,857 before taxes, one-off costs, or other income.
Check before acting
- Build annual spending from actual transactions, including irregular essentials.
- Run longer-retirement and poor-market scenarios instead of choosing one rate.
- Model tax, healthcare, housing changes, pensions, and flexible spending separately.
Questions people ask
Is 25 times spending guaranteed to last?
No. It is a planning rule of thumb whose result depends on horizon, asset mix, inflation, fees, tax, and withdrawal sequence.
Should emergency cash be included in the FIRE target?
Track it separately unless the plan explicitly treats part of it as investable retirement assets.