Coast FIRE Calculator

About the Coast FIRE Calculator

Coast FIRE is a milestone where your existing investments, without any additional contributions, will grow to your retirement goal by a target retirement age through compound growth alone. Once you reach Coast FIRE, you only need to earn enough to cover current living expenses — no more aggressive saving required.

This is liberating because it separates "earning enough for today" from "saving for tomorrow." Many people reach Coast FIRE years or decades before full financial independence. At that point, they can switch to lower-paying but more fulfilling work, reduce hours, or simply stop stressing about retirement savings.

This calculator finds your Coast FIRE number and tells you if you've already reached it. Coast FIRE means your existing investments, left untouched, will grow to support your retirement without any additional contributions. Once you reach that number, you only need to earn enough to cover current living expenses, dramatically reducing career pressure. This calculator accounts for expected market returns, inflation, and your target retirement age to determine the exact portfolio value where coast begins.

When This Page Helps

Coast FIRE is the most attainable milestone on the path to financial independence. It's the point where compound growth takes over and you can stop the aggressive savings grind. Knowing your Coast FIRE number gives you permission to pursue meaning over money earlier than you thought. Discovering you may already have enough to coast can be a life-changing realization.

How to Use the Inputs

1. Enter your current age and target retirement age.
2. Set your expected annual expenses in retirement.
3. Choose a safe withdrawal rate (4% standard).
4. Enter your current invested assets and expected growth rate.
5. View your Coast FIRE number and whether you've reached it.
6. See the year-by-year projection of passive growth.

Example Calculation

Tips & Best Practices

• Reaching Coast FIRE doesn't mean you should stop saving. It means you CAN if you need to, for any reason.
• Coast FIRE is especially powerful for people in their 20s-30s who save aggressively early — compound growth has decades to work.
• Use 7% growth (real, after inflation) for inflation-adjusted Coast FIRE, or 10% for nominal projections.
• Don't include your primary residence in the portfolio — it doesn't generate retirement income.
• Coast FIRE age shifts dramatically with savings rate. Even 2-3 extra years of aggressive saving can move it 5+ years earlier.
• Consider Coast FIRE for each spouse separately if incomes differ significantly.

The Power of Early Savings

A dollar saved at age 22 and invested at 7% real return becomes $7.61 by age 52. A dollar saved at 32 becomes $3.87 by 52. Early savings are literally twice as powerful. This is why Coast FIRE is so achievable for aggressive early savers — a few years of intense saving in your 20s can set you up for life.

Coast FIRE Lifestyle Design

After reaching Coast FIRE, many people redesign their careers: moving from high-paying, high-stress jobs to fulfilling work that covers expenses. A teacher who reached Coast FIRE at 35 doesn't need a six-figure salary — they just need to cover their $40K annual expenses. This opens up career possibilities that were previously "too risky."

Building a Buffer

Pure Coast FIRE assumes constant growth rates, which don't happen in reality. Target a portfolio 15-25% above your calculated Coast FIRE number to account for market volatility and potential career disruptions. This buffer lets you weather downturns without derailing your plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Coast FIRE?

  Coast FIRE means you have enough invested that compound growth alone will reach your retirement goal by your target retirement age. You no longer need to contribute additional savings — you just need to cover your current expenses. It's the point where time and compounding do all the remaining work.

• What's the difference between Coast FIRE and regular FIRE?

  Regular FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) means you can retire RIGHT NOW — your portfolio supports your expenses indefinitely. Coast FIRE means you can stop saving and still retire comfortably at a target age. You still need income for current expenses, but retirement savings are handled by compound growth.

• What growth rate should I assume?

  For a stock-heavy portfolio: 10% nominal or 7% after inflation. Since Coast FIRE projections span decades, small rate differences compound significantly. Being conservative (7% real) is wise. If you use 7%, your expense estimates should be in today's dollars. If 10%, use inflated future expense estimates.

• What if the market crashes after I reach Coast FIRE?

  Market crashes are temporary. Coast FIRE projections span decades, and historically the market has always recovered within 5-10 years. The key risk is a prolonged bear market at the START of retirement (sequence of returns risk). But during the Coast phase, you have years for recovery. A buffer of 10-20% above Coast FIRE reduces this risk.

• Can I reach Coast FIRE in my 20s?

  Yes, and it's actually easier than you'd think. At age 25 with 35 years to retirement (age 60) and 7% growth, money grows ~10.7×. For a $1.2M FI number, your Coast FIRE number is only ~$112K. Aggressively saving in your early 20s to reach $112K invested gives you 35 years of freedom from the retirement savings obligation.

• Should I actually stop saving after Coast FIRE?

  That's a personal choice. Coast FIRE gives you the OPTION, not the obligation, to stop. Many people continue saving but shift to less stressful work, reduce hours, or pursue passion projects that pay less. Others keep saving to reach full FIRE earlier. The value is in the optionality.