Who pays for health insurance for the 15 years before Medicare?
At roughly $12,000/yr before ACA subsidies, that is about $180,000 of spending your plan currently excludes (healthcare input is $0).
Budget the pre-Medicare bridge →FIRE Calculator
FIRE — Financial Independence, Retire Early — is having enough invested that work becomes optional. This calculator estimates your FIRE number, the age you reach it, and your Coast and Barista milestones, using US assumptions and the 4% rule.
Start from a scenario
Your numbers
Essentials
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$
$
Advanced assumptions
After-tax value assumptions15% on gains
%
Planning estimate, not a tax bracket calculation
%
Applied only to gains above cost basis
$
Contributions already taxed; gains above this may be taxable
Market assumptions7% return · 3% inflation · 4% withdrawal
%
%
%
Healthcare & part-time income (optional)
$
Optional — ACA estimate ~$12,000/yr before subsidies
$
Optional — semi-retirement income per year
Your result
Your FIRE number
$1,250,000
in today's dollars at age 50
Projected to reach FIRE
Age 72
22 years after your age-50 target
To retire on $50,000 a year at a 4% withdrawal rate you need $1,250,000 invested (today's dollars). Your current portfolio is worth about $50,000 after the effective tax assumptions. To coast to that target by age 50 with no further contributions, you’d need about $583,417 invested today.
Projected path to FIRE
At your current pace, you’re projected to reach FIRE around age 72 — about 22 years after your target age of 50. At age 50, you’re projected to be about $766,602 short. Shown in today's dollars.
FIRE vs Coast FIRE vs Barista FIRE
Three milestones on the path to financial independence, for your inputs.
Full FIRE
$1,250,000
Today's dollars
Portfolio that funds $50,000/yr at a 4% withdrawal rate — work becomes optional.
Coast FIRE
$583,417
After-tax amount needed today
After-tax amount invested today that grows into your FIRE number by age 50 with no more contributions.
Barista FIRE
Add part-time income
Enter expected semi-retirement income in the calculator to see how part-time work lowers the portfolio you need.
Gross vs spendable (future dollars at age 50): projected gross portfolio is $954,789; estimated after-tax spendable value is $873,070. The FIRE date uses spendable value.
Not sure which path fits you? Read the full comparison: Regular vs Coast vs Barista FIRE.
Assumptions:Return 7% nominalInflation 3%Withdrawal rate 4%Monthly contributions, end-of-monthToday's dollars
Educational estimate only — each chip opens the formula and source behind it. What this model does not know.
Based on your inputs
Saving more is your biggest lever
Of the inputs you control, adding $500/mo to your contributions moves your FIRE date the most — about 6 years earlier, under these assumptions.
See every lever side by side →What changes your FIRE date
Each row tweaks one lever from your plan so you can see which moves the needle most.
| Scenario | FIRE number | Years to FIRE | FIRE age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your plan | $1,250,000 | 42 yrs | 72 |
| +$500/mo contributions | $1,250,000 | 36 yrs | 66 |
| Spend $10k/yr less | $1,000,000 | 36 yrs | 66 |
| 1% lower return | $1,250,000 | 50 yrs | 80 |
| 3.5% withdrawal rate | $1,428,571 | 45 yrs | 75 |
Based on your inputs
What to check next
Questions your current numbers raise — each with the figure that makes it worth asking. Educational estimates under this page's assumptions, not recommendations.
Is 4% safe for a retirement that could run 40 years?
The 4% rule was tested on 30-year retirements. At a more conservative 3.5%, the spending-only target rises from $1,250,000 to $1,428,571.
Is the 4% rule still safe? →Could part-time income get you there years earlier?
$20,000/yr of part-time income would lower the portfolio you need by about $500,000 at your 4% withdrawal rate.
Model Barista FIRE with your numbers →Same plan, two retirement ages
Every other input stays the same — only the target retirement age changes. Both columns use the calculator's own engine. Each row labels its money basis.
Compare with:
| Metric | Retire at 50 (current) | Retire at 55 |
|---|---|---|
| FIRE numbertoday's dollars | $1,250,000 | $1,250,000 |
| Coast FIRE (needed today)today's after-tax dollars | $583,417 | $482,221 |
| Healthcare bridge (present value)today's dollars | $0 | $0 |
| Projected FIRE age | 72 | 72 |
Retiring later shrinks the healthcare bridge and gives compounding more time (a smaller Coast number); retiring earlier does the opposite. Educational comparison under the same assumptions — not a recommendation of either date.
How your savings rate sets your FIRE date
Independent of your income — based only on the share of your take-home pay you invest, a 4% withdrawal rate, and a 3.9% real return (7% nominal return minus 3% inflation).
| Savings rate | Years to FI | FIRE age |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 41.6 yrs | 72 |
| 30% | 31.1 yrs | 61 |
| 40% | 23.6 yrs | 54 |
| 50% | 17.8 yrs | 48 |
| 60% | 13.1 yrs | 43 |
| 70% | 9.1 yrs | 39 |
Which FIRE path fits your situation?
All four calculators below share the same engine and assumptions — pick the one that matches what you're trying to decide.
| Situation | Best FIRE path |
|---|---|
| High savings rate, wants full retirement | FIRE Number |
| Already saved a lot, wants to stop contributing | Coast FIRE |
| Wants flexible, part-time work before full retirement | Barista FIRE |
| Unsure how withdrawal rate affects the target | Safe Withdrawal Rate |
Worth101 Research
FIRE trade-offs and retirement realities
FIRE is not one number. Every figure below is recalculated from your current inputs to show which trade-offs actually move your plan.
1) Which assumptions move your FIRE timeline most?
Your current plan reaches FIRE in about 42 years. Tweaking one lever at a time shows which assumption matters most: 1% lower return shifts your timeline by +8 years later.
Green bars pull your FIRE date earlier; red bars (lower return, more conservative withdrawal rate) push it later. See the sensitivity table above for the exact figures.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Spending is a double lever: cutting spending both raises your savings rate today and lowers the FIRE number you're aiming at — which is why it often moves the date more than chasing higher returns.
Return and withdrawal rate are assumptions, not choices. Modelling a lower return or a safer 3.5% withdrawal rate is a stress test, not something you control — but planning for them builds resilience.
2) Today's dollars vs future dollars
Your FIRE number in today's purchasing power is $1,250,000. Because prices keep rising at an assumed 3% inflation, hitting the same goal 20 years from now takes about $2,257,639 of future dollars — roughly $1,007,639 more on paper for the exact same lifestyle.
The calculator is currently showing today's dollars. Both numbers describe the same plan; only the yardstick changes.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Why two numbers? Inflation erodes what a dollar buys. A target stated in future dollars looks larger, but it funds the identical real spending of $50,000/yr.
How to use it: plan contributions and account growth in future (nominal) dollars, but judge whether the goal is "enough" in today's dollars — that is the version tied to your real lifestyle.
3) Sequence risk: same average, different order
Two retirements can earn the same 3.9% average real return yet end very differently. Starting from a $1,250,000 portfolio and withdrawing $50,000/yr, weak returns in the early years leave about $953,876 after 15 years, while the same weak years late leave about $1,441,474.
Illustrative withdrawal stress test only — it does not change your FIRE number above and excludes taxes, Social Security, and spending adjustments.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Why order matters in retirement: selling assets for income during a downturn locks in losses, leaving fewer shares to recover. The same bad years near the end do far less damage because most withdrawals already happened.
The defence: a more conservative withdrawal rate, a cash buffer, or flexible spending in down years all reduce sequence risk — which is why the 4% rule is a starting point, not a guarantee.
4) Social Security is a bridge you haven't priced
Retiring at 50, your portfolio carries 100% of spending for 12 years before Social Security can even begin at 62 — about $600,000 at your current $50,000/yr. From 62 on, benefits can shoulder part of the remaining $1,400,000, which is why many FIRE plans are quietly over-funded in the later decades.
This card deliberately shows no benefit estimate — yours depends on your earnings record. Check ssa.gov, then decide how much of the later phase to discount.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Why it's excluded from your FIRE number: the headline target assumes the portfolio funds everything forever — a conservative simplification. Benefits, when they start, reduce the withdrawal the portfolio actually has to support.
The planning question: treating even a partial benefit as real lowers the target; ignoring it builds margin. Either is defensible — but it should be a decision, not an accident.
Explore each FIRE milestone
Each calculator focuses on one question, using the same engine and assumptions.
Coast FIRE
The lump sum to stop saving and let your money coast to retirement.
Open →
FIRE Number
How spending and your withdrawal rate set your exact target.
Open →
Barista FIRE
A smaller portfolio when part-time income covers part of your spending.
Open →
Safe Withdrawal Rate
Compare the 4% rule against more conservative withdrawal rates.
Open →
Start here
New to FIRE planning? These six guides cover the questions most people ask first.
All FIRE planning guides
Use these guides to pressure-test the number above: target size, withdrawal risk, healthcare, tax access, and account strategy.
Set your target
Types of FIRE: Which Path Fits You?The FIRE Number FormulaSlow FIRE: FI Without Extreme SavingLean FIRE: How Much Is Enough?Lean FIRE vs Fat FIREChubby FIRE ExplainedHow Much to Retire at 45?Lean FIRE Housing CostFIRE With a MortgageGeographic Arbitrage for FIREWhat Is Coast FIRE?What Is Barista FIRE?Regular vs Coast vs Barista FIRECoast FIRE vs Barista FIRE
Survive the first decade
Healthcare before Medicare
Optimize accounts & taxes
Tax-Efficient Withdrawal OrderTax Diversification for FIRE401(k) vs Roth IRA for FIRERoth Conversion LadderHSA for FIREHSA vs Roth IRA for FIREHSA Reimbursement StrategyEarly Retirement Tax BracketsFat FIRE Tax PlanningRule of 55 for FIRE0% Capital Gains for FIRETax-Gain Harvesting for FIRETaxable Brokerage Bridge for FIRERMDs and FIRE Planning
Decide and pull the trigger
What is FIRE, Coast FIRE, and Barista FIRE?
Full FIRE means your portfolio can fund your spending indefinitely. At a 4% safe withdrawal rate, the perpetual-spending portion of your FIRE number is your annual spending times 25 — so $50,000 of spending implies $1,250,000 — your FIRE number.
Coast FIRE is reached earlier: once your invested savings are large enough to compound into your full FIRE number by your target age, you can stop saving for retirement entirely and just cover current expenses.
Barista FIRE sits in between — part-time income (and often employer healthcare) covers part of your spending, so you need a smaller portfolio than full FIRE.
See all FIRE types explained: Lean, Regular, Chubby, Fat, Coast, and Barista →
The 4% rule and your FIRE number
At your 4% withdrawal rate, every $1,000/yr of spending requires $25,000 of portfolio — here is where that multiplier comes from.
FIRE number = Annual spending ÷ Safe withdrawal rate
The 4% rule comes from the Trinity Study: historically, withdrawing about 4% of your starting portfolio each year (adjusted for inflation) survived a 30-year retirement in nearly all market scenarios. Dividing by 4% is the same as multiplying spending by 25.
A more conservative 3.5% rate raises the bar (multiplying spending by ~29) and is worth modeling if you retire very early or want extra safety margin. Try it in the sensitivity table, or use the Safe Withdrawal Rate calculator to compare rates side by side.
Where to hold FIRE savings (2026 US limits)
Your plan routes $1,500/mo into a Taxable / brokerage account — the wrapper that money sits in changes how much of the growth you keep.
- Roth IRA — up to $7,500/year ($8,600 if 50+). After-tax in, tax-free growth and qualified withdrawals — ideal for early-retirement flexibility.
- 401(k) — up to $24,500/year ($32,500 if 50+). Pre-tax growth; capture any employer match first. Early withdrawals need a Roth conversion ladder or 72(t).
- Taxable brokerage — no cap and no early-withdrawal penalty, which makes it the bridge that funds the years before 59½. Gains are taxed as you realize them.
These are 2026 contribution limits, not tax advice. The calculator routes your inputs into the account type you choose. Verify current limits in the IRS 2026 announcement.
Healthcare before Medicare
You retire at 50 — 15 years before Medicare — and your healthcare input is currently $0, so this cost is missing from your number.
If you retire before 65 you bridge the gap to Medicare yourself — usually an ACA Marketplace plan, often around $12,000/year before ACA subsidies. Add your estimate in the calculator and it is modeled as a finite bridge ending when Medicare generally begins at age 65. Subsidies are income-based — many early retirees pay far less than the sticker price.
FIRE Calculator FAQ
What is a FIRE number?▼
Your FIRE number is the portfolio size that lets you live off withdrawals indefinitely. At a 4% safe withdrawal rate it equals your annual spending times 25 — for example, $50,000 of spending implies a $1,250,000 FIRE number.
What is the 4% rule?▼
The 4% rule, from the Trinity Study, suggests you can withdraw about 4% of your starting portfolio each year (adjusted for inflation) with a high chance of not running out over a 30-year retirement. A lower rate like 3.5% is more conservative and raises your FIRE number.
How is the FIRE number calculated here?▼
We divide annual spending by your safe withdrawal rate, then add the present value of any pre-Medicare healthcare bridge through age 65. The projection grows monthly contributions and compares your estimated after-tax spendable portfolio with that target.
Does this account for taxes and healthcare?▼
Healthcare before age 65 is modeled as a finite bridge. Roth, 401(k), and taxable accounts produce different estimated after-tax values using editable effective tax rates; this is educational, not tax or investment advice.
Is this financial advice?▼
No. Worth101 calculators are educational. They use deterministic assumptions (a fixed return and inflation rate, no market-volatility simulation) and cite public government sources. Treat the output as a planning estimate, not a guarantee.
How does my savings rate change my FIRE date?▼
Your savings rate — the share of take-home pay you invest — sets your years to FI on its own, regardless of income: at a 5% real return and the 4% rule, a 50% savings rate reaches FI in roughly 17 years, while 70% gets there in under 9. The savings-rate table above shows the years and FIRE age for your own return and withdrawal-rate assumptions.
How these numbers work: the FIRE number is your annual spending (plus any pre-Medicare healthcare you enter) divided by your safe withdrawal rate, shown in today’s dollars. Projections assume a fixed annual return and inflation rate — deterministic, not a market-volatility simulation, and not financial advice. Read the full methodology, assumptions & sources →
New to compounding? The compound interest calculator shows the growth math behind every FIRE projection.
Sources cited
- IRSIRS — 2026 retirement contribution limitsOfficial 2026 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, and catch-up contribution limits.
- CMSMedicare.gov — Get started with MedicareOfficial Medicare eligibility and enrollment guidance.
- SSASSA — Delayed retirement creditsOfficial Social Security guidance on delaying retirement benefits.
- BLSBLS Consumer Price IndexUS Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation data.
- IRSIRS Publication 590-B (Roth IRA distributions)IRS guidance on Roth IRA tax treatment and required minimum distributions.