What share of your income do you actually keep?
Free toolEducational
FIRE Calculator
A transparent, educational projection of how many years it could take to reach a savings target that supports your spending — clearly labeled as an estimate.
What you spend in a full year.
Hypothetical and not guaranteed.
Currency
Enter your current savings, income and spending to see the estimate.
How it works
The calculator works backwards from your spending: using a target withdrawal rate (often 4%), it calculates the savings target you'd need to fund that spending. It then projects your savings growing each year from contributions and estimated returns until the target is reached.
The formula
target = annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate; years = time for savings + contributions + returns to reach target
A concrete example
With $25,000 saved, a $60,000 income and $40,000 annual spending at a 4% withdrawal rate, the target is $1,000,000. Even at a hypothetical 7% return, this example would take several decades — a realistic reminder that financial independence is a marathon.
What this calculator does not tell you
- The projection assumes constant contributions, constant spending and a smooth average return. Real life and real markets are not smooth.
- The 4% rule is a widely discussed guideline from historical US data, not a guarantee and not advice.
- This is an educational estimate. It ignores taxes, inflation surprises, sequence-of-returns risk and many other real-world variables.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides a general educational estimate based entirely on the values you enter. It is not financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and it is not personalized. Prices, rates and market conditions change. Check with a qualified professional before acting on any estimate. Full disclaimer and our methodology.
Frequently asked questions
It's the guideline that a portfolio could be withdrawn at 4% of its value each year with a high historical probability of lasting 30 years. It's a research-informed rule of thumb, not a promise.
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