Who pays for health insurance for the 5 years before Medicare?
At roughly $12,000/yr before ACA subsidies, that is about $60,000 of spending your plan currently excludes (healthcare input is $0).
Budget the pre-Medicare bridge →Coast FIRE Calculator
Coast FIRE is the moment your investments are big enough to grow into full financial independence on their own — no more retirement saving required. Enter your numbers to see the lump sum you need today and the age your money reaches your FIRE goal.
Start from a scenario
Your numbers
Essentials
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Used only for your projected path — your Coast FIRE number assumes you stop saving once you reach it.
Advanced assumptions
After-tax value assumptions15% on gains
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Planning estimate, not a tax bracket calculation
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Applied only to gains above cost basis
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Contributions already taxed; gains above this may be taxable
Market assumptions7% return · 3% inflation · 4% withdrawal
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Healthcare & part-time income (optional)
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Optional — ACA estimate ~$12,000/yr before subsidies
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Optional — semi-retirement income per year
Your result
Not Coast FIRE yet
$398,578
Coast FIRE number — after-tax amount invested today
You need about $398,578 invested today to coast; you have about $109,500 after-tax, so you’re about $289,078 short. With $0/mo contributions, this plan does not reach Coast FIRE by age 60.
Your future-dollar FIRE target at age 60 is about $3,034,078 ($1,250,000 in today’s dollars).
Your Coast FIRE number assumes you stop saving once you reach it. Monthly contribution only affects the projected path below.
$50,000/yr spending · 4% withdrawal rate · 7% return · 3% inflation · 30-year runway.
Your path to Coast FIRE
At your current pace, your invested assets don’t reach your Coast FIRE number by your target age of 60 — raise contributions or extend your timeline. Your invested assets vs the Coast FIRE number 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
$398,578
After-tax amount needed today
After-tax amount invested today that grows into your FIRE number by age 60 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 60): projected gross portfolio is $913,471; estimated after-tax spendable value is $783,950. 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 14 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 | 66 yrs | 96 |
| +$500/mo contributions | $1,250,000 | 52 yrs | 82 |
| Spend $10k/yr less | $1,000,000 | 60 yrs | 90 |
| 1% lower return | $1,250,000 | — | — |
| 3.5% withdrawal rate | $1,428,571 | 70 yrs | 100 |
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.
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 →What carries you before Social Security can even begin?
Benefits can't start until at least 62 — your portfolio funds 100% of spending for the first 2 years, about $100,000 at today's spending.
Read the Social Security bridge strategy →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 60 (current) | Retire at 65 |
|---|---|---|
| FIRE numbertoday's dollars | $1,250,000 | $1,250,000 |
| Coast FIRE (needed today)today's after-tax dollars | $398,578 | $329,443 |
| Healthcare bridge (present value)today's dollars | $0 | $0 |
| Projected FIRE age | 96 | 96 |
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.
Enough invested today vs. your full FIRE target
Coast FIRE is not the same as being able to retire today. Your FIRE number ($1,250,000) is the target at your planned retirement age, stated in today's dollars. Your Coast FIRE number ($398,578) is the smaller after-tax amount you need invested today so compound growth alone — with no further contributions — carries you to that target by age 60.
| Metric | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| FIRE number | $1,250,000 | Needed at retirement to fund your spending indefinitely. |
| Coast FIRE number | $398,578 | Needed today so growth alone reaches your FIRE number by your target age. |
| Gap to Coast FIRE | $289,078 | After-tax gap to the amount needed before you can stop contributing. |
| Years to FIRE | 66 yrs | How long until your projected portfolio reaches your full FIRE number. |
Worth101 Research
FIRE trade-offs and retirement realities
Coast FIRE rewards getting there early. These charts use your current inputs to show the cost of waiting and the margin extra saving buys.
1) The cost of waiting to reach Coast FIRE
To coast to your FIRE number of $1,250,000 by age 60, you'd need about $398,578 invested today. Wait 5 years before getting there (adding nothing in between) and the lump sum you'd need climbs to $482,221 — roughly $83,643 more, purely because compounding has fewer years to work.
Delay scenarios assume no additional contributions during the waiting period; same retirement age and 7% return throughout.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Why the bars rise: Coast FIRE works by letting today's money compound untouched until retirement. Each year you wait removes a full year of growth, so you have to start from a bigger base to reach the same target.
The lesson: reaching your Coast number early is the highest-leverage move — it can let you stop retirement saving sooner, even if you keep working.
2) Coast now, or keep contributing?
This shows what happens if you stopped contributing today — but your after-tax portfolio of $109,500 is still below the Coast FIRE threshold of $398,578, so coasting now would likely fall short of $1,250,000 by age 60.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Coast vs continue: coasting frees up cash flow now but removes your safety margin. Continuing to invest overshoots the target, which protects you if returns come in below 7% or you retire earlier than planned.
Not advice: this is a deterministic projection, not a guarantee — real markets vary year to year.
3) Your Coast number is a bet on the return assumption
With contributions paused, compounding does all the work — so the return assumption carries the whole plan. At your 7% input you need about $398,578 today; if long-run returns come in 2 points lower (5%), the same goal needs $702,017 — about $303,439 more.
Each bar is the calculator's own Coast FIRE math with only the return swapped. Returns are assumptions, not guarantees.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Why Coast is extra sensitive: a saver who keeps contributing can offset weak returns with more savings. A coaster has given up that lever — the discount factor (1 + real return)years is the entire engine.
A common defence: treat the Coast milestone as reached only when a conservative return (e.g. 5%) says so, and keep contributing a token amount as margin. That is a planning choice, not advice.
4) Coast amount today vs FIRE target
You need about $398,578 of after-tax investments today to Coast FIRE. Left untouched under these assumptions, that amount grows into your $3,034,078 nominal FIRE target at age 60.
These bars are different milestones, not merely two labels for the same current balance: the gap reflects investment growth over 30 years as well as inflation in the retirement target.
▼ Read analysis: why does this happen?▾
Why the target is larger: your Coast amount has years to compound before retirement, while the nominal FIRE target also rises with inflation.
How to use it: compare your after-tax portfolio today with the Coast amount. The future target is the destination that compounding is expected to reach.
How Coast FIRE compares with Full FIRE and Barista FIRE
Coast FIRE is the amount you'd need invested today for compounding alone to reach your full FIRE number of $1,250,000 by your target retirement age of 60, with no further contributions. For your inputs, that's $398,578 today.
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.
Barista FIRE is a third option — part-time income covers part of your spending, lowering the portfolio you need below full FIRE. See exactly how the two income-based paths differ: Coast FIRE vs Barista FIRE.
The 4% rule and your FIRE number
Your Coast number inherits this rule: the $1,250,000 target it must grow into is your spending divided by 4%.
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)
For Coast FIRE, the question is whether today's $120,000 can compound untouched — the account wrapper decides how much of that 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
Coasting usually means working until 60, but employer coverage ends when you fully retire — leaving 5 years to bridge before Medicare.
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.
Coast FIRE Calculator FAQ
What is Coast FIRE?▼
Coast FIRE is the point where your invested savings are large enough to grow into your full FIRE number by your target retirement age without any further contributions. After hitting it you only need to cover current expenses — your retirement is on autopilot.
How much do I need to coast?▼
It is your FIRE number discounted back to today by your expected real return over the years until retirement. The longer your runway, the smaller the lump sum you need today — which is why coasting is easier the earlier you start.
Coast FIRE vs regular FIRE — what is the difference?▼
Regular FIRE means you have the full portfolio to stop working entirely. Coast FIRE means you can stop saving for retirement but still work to cover living costs. It is a milestone on the way to full financial independence.
Why does this use real (today’s-dollars) returns?▼
Coasting is about purchasing power decades from now. We discount your FIRE number with the real rate of return (nominal return minus inflation), so the Coast number is in today’s dollars and comparable to your current balance. A future-dollars toggle is available.
Can I coast and still retire early?▼
Yes. Hitting Coast FIRE lets you downshift to lower-stress or part-time work while your portfolio keeps compounding toward full FIRE. Use the calculator to see the age your projected balance reaches your FIRE number.
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.