FIRE Calculator
The number that buys your freedom, and the year you reach it.
Your FIRE number is your annual expenses divided by your safe withdrawal rate, so 25 times annual spending at 4%. Spending Rs 50,000 a month means a target of Rs 1.5 crore, reachable in about 15 years by investing Rs 50,000 a month at a 6.7% real return.
How this is calculated
Year-by-year breakdown
The free FIRE calculator, in today's money
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The idea is simple: once your invested corpus is large enough that a safe withdrawal covers your spending, paid work becomes optional. Your FIRE number is your annual expenses divided by your safe withdrawal rate, so at the classic 4% it is 25 times what you spend in a year.
This calculator does everything in today's money, using the real return, which is (1 + your return) divided by (1 + inflation) minus 1. That matters more than it sounds. A 12% nominal return with 5% inflation is only 6.7% of genuine progress, and a FIRE plan built on the 12% figure will be years optimistic.
Worked example
Spending Rs 50,000 a month means Rs 6 lakh a year, so at a 4% withdrawal rate the FIRE number is Rs 1.5 crore. Starting from zero at 30, investing Rs 50,000 a month at 12% nominal against 5% inflation, you get there in about 14.9 years, at age 45. The Coast FIRE number, the amount that would reach Rs 1.5 crore by 60 with no further saving at all, is about Rs 21.6 lakh.
| Monthly spending | FIRE number at 4% | FIRE number at 3.5% |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 30,000 | Rs 90 lakh | Rs 1.03 crore |
| Rs 50,000 | Rs 1.5 crore | Rs 1.71 crore |
| Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 3 crore | Rs 3.43 crore |
Should Indians use the 4% rule?
The 4% rule comes from the Trinity study, based on US market history and a 30-year retirement. Retiring at 40 means planning for 50 years, not 30, and Indian inflation has historically run higher than US inflation. Most careful Indian FIRE planners use 3 to 3.5% instead, which raises the target from 25 times expenses to 28 to 33 times. Move the slider and see what that costs you in years.
Coast FIRE, the underrated milestone
Coast FIRE is the point where your existing corpus, left completely alone, will grow into your FIRE number by traditional retirement age. You still need to cover your living costs, but you never have to save another rupee. It arrives far earlier than full FIRE and it changes how it feels to go to work.
Planning a conventional retirement instead? Use the retirement calculator. Already drawing down? The SWP calculator shows how long a corpus lasts. Check where you stand today with the net worth calculator.
Key facts
| FIRE number formula | Annual expenses divided by the safe withdrawal rate |
|---|---|
| 4% rule | 25 times annual expenses, from the Trinity study, tested on 30-year retirements |
| Suggested rate for early retirement | 3 to 3.5%, or 28 to 33 times expenses |
| Real return | (1 + nominal return) / (1 + inflation) - 1 |
| Coast FIRE | The corpus that reaches your FIRE number by 60 with no further saving |
How to use the FIRE Calculator
- Enter your age and what you spend each month today.
- Add what you already have invested and what you invest each month.
- Set your expected nominal return and your inflation assumption. The calculator derives the real return from both.
- Choose a safe withdrawal rate: 4% is the classic, 3 to 3.5% is safer for a long early retirement.
- Read your FIRE number, the years until you reach it, your age at FI and your Coast FIRE number.
- Raise the monthly investment and watch the years fall. It moves the date far more than the return does.
Sources
- Cooley, Hubbard and Walz (1998), Retirement Savings: Choosing a Withdrawal Rate That Is Sustainable
- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Consumer Price Index
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index
Last reviewed and updated: 23 August 2026. Estimates only, not financial or tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a FIRE number?
The invested corpus at which a safe withdrawal covers your annual spending. It is annual expenses divided by the withdrawal rate, so 25 times annual expenses at 4%, or about 29 times at 3.5%.
What is the 4% rule?
A finding from the Trinity study that a portfolio of stocks and bonds could sustain a 4% initial withdrawal, rising with inflation, for a 30-year retirement without running out in almost all historical periods. It was never meant for a 50-year retirement, which is why early retirees usually use a lower rate.
What withdrawal rate should I use in India?
Most careful Indian planners use 3 to 3.5% rather than 4%, because Indian inflation has historically been higher and an early retirement is far longer than the 30 years the 4% rule was tested on. That raises the target to roughly 28 to 33 times annual expenses.
What is Coast FIRE?
The point where your current corpus, with no further contributions, will grow into your full FIRE number by traditional retirement age. You still need income to cover living costs, but you have finished saving for retirement. It arrives many years before full FIRE.
Does this FIRE calculator account for inflation?
Yes, throughout. Everything is modelled in today's money using the real return, so the corpus figure you see is directly comparable with what you spend now. This is the main reason its timeline is more conservative than calculators that use nominal returns.
Is this FIRE calculator free?
Yes, free with no sign-up, login or ads, and it works in rupees and dollars.