Calculate your FIRE number for early retirement. How much do you need, and how long will it take? 2026 calculator.
The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is built on a simple formula: save 25× your annual expenses (the 4% rule), then live off 4% withdrawals indefinitely. If you spend $50,000/year, your FIRE number is $1.25 million.
Achieving FIRE requires an aggressive savings rate — typically 40–70% of income. The higher your savings rate, the faster you reach your number. Someone saving 50% of income reaches FIRE in approximately 17 years, regardless of starting salary.
Early retirees face unique challenges: 40+ year portfolio duration, no Social Security for decades, healthcare costs before Medicare, and sequence-of-returns risk. A slightly lower withdrawal rate (3–3.5%) provides extra safety margin for very long retirements.
FIRE Number = Annual Expenses × 25. At $40K/year: $1M. At $60K/year: $1.5M. At $80K/year: $2M.
Your FIRE number is 25× your annual expenses (based on the 4% rule). If you spend $50,000/year, you need $1.25 million to retire. Some use 33× (3% withdrawal) for extra safety.
It depends entirely on your savings rate. At a 50% savings rate you reach FIRE in ~17 years. At 70% savings rate it's ~8.5 years. Time to FIRE decreases dramatically as savings rate increases.
Options include Roth conversion ladders (access in 5 years), 72(t) SEPP distributions, Rule of 55 for 401(k)s, and simply using taxable brokerage accounts before tapping retirement accounts.