Planning concepts
How far from financial independence? A FIRE calculator
A financial independence calculator: clients enter annual expenses, current savings, annual savings and an after-inflation return to see their FI number, progress and years to FI.
Included on every plan, even the free Practitioner plan. No card needed.
How do you calculate your financial independence number?
Multiply annual expenses by 25, the inverse of a 4% withdrawal rate. Spending $60,000 a year implies $1.5 million. Years to FI depend on current savings, annual savings and the real return. The 4% rule is a historical guideline, not a guarantee, especially for long early retirements.
Goal-setting season
High savers, often in their 30s and 40s, follow the FIRE movement and want to test their timeline. They're numerate and engaged, and they value precise, honest tools.
What the client types into a search box
“when can I retire early”
How a client works through it
Enter annual expenses
Spending in retirement.
Enter savings
Current savings and annual additions.
Enter a real return
Return after inflation.
See the path
FI number, progress, years to FI and safe withdrawal.
What lands in your inbox
When a client asks your firm to review the result, the request arrives as a contact record with their inputs and results attached, by email and, on paid plans, by webhook to your CRM.
Received
Expenses, savings and progress show wealth trajectory. High progress with low expenses signals an imminent early retirement needing tax-efficient withdrawal planning.
FI number and timeline
FI Number (25x Expenses) is the target. Current Progress shows the share reached. Years to FI estimates the time at the real return entered. Safe Annual Withdrawal (4%) shows the income the target supports.
Because the return is after inflation, results are in today's dollars.
Results shown: FI Number (25x Expenses) · Current Progress · Years to FI · Safe Annual Withdrawal (4%).
Why FIRE prospects are valuable
They save aggressively, accumulate assets early and face complex tax questions: accessing retirement money before 59½, Roth conversion ladders, health coverage before Medicare.
CPA firms and planners who speak their language earn long relationships.
Follow-ups this request opens
- Plan access to retirement money before 59½
- Build a Roth conversion ladder
- Plan health insurance before Medicare
- Stress-test the withdrawal rate
What this calculator leaves out
- 4% rule is a guideline.
- Taxes not modeled.
- Constant real return.
- Healthcare costs not separate.
Platform disclaimer shown under the calculator: Estimates only. The 4% rule is a guideline, not a guarantee. Returns, inflation and spending vary — revisit your plan regularly.
Compliance note for firms
Early retirement projections depend on assumptions; advisers should present them as hypothetical and stress-tested. Tax strategies for early access are written advice under Circular 230 §10.37.
Not legal advice. See our disclaimer and the guide to compliance for client calculators.
2026 figures this page relies on
| Figure | Value | Tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional tax on early retirement distributions | 10% before age 59½ (age-55 separation-from-service exception for plans) | 2026 | IRS |
The same values drive the calculator. Full list on the 2026 figures page.
Terms your client sees in the calculator
These definitions appear in the calculator's collapsible Definitions block, so clients don't have to call to ask what a label means.
- Financial independence (FIRE)
- The point at which invested savings can cover your living expenses indefinitely, so paid work becomes optional. FIRE stands for “financial independence, retire early.” This calculator treats you as financially independent once your portfolio reaches 25 times your annual expenses, based on the 4% withdrawal guideline.
- FI number
- The portfolio size needed for financial independence: annual expenses multiplied by 25. It is the inverse of a 4% withdrawal rate. For example, $40,000 of yearly spending gives an FI number of $1,000,000. Lower spending shrinks the target directly, which is why expenses matter as much as savings.
- 4% rule
- A guideline, drawn from historical U.S. market studies, that withdrawing 4% of a portfolio in the first year and adjusting for inflation afterward has usually lasted about 30 years. It is not a guarantee; longer retirements or weak early returns may call for a lower rate. The calculator shows 4% of your FI number as the safe annual withdrawal.
- Real return
- The investment return after subtracting inflation, roughly the nominal return minus the inflation rate. Using a real return keeps every figure in today’s dollars, so the FI number does not need to be inflated. For example, 7% growth with 3% inflation is about a 4% real return.
- Annual expenses
- What you expect to spend each year once you stop working, in today’s dollars. It is the single biggest driver of the result, because the FI number is 25 times this amount. Include housing, health care and taxes on withdrawals, which often change after leaving a job.
- Annual savings
- The amount added to investments each year. The calculator compounds current savings and these yearly additions at the real return until the balance reaches the FI number. Saving more shortens the timeline both by adding money and, when it comes from lower spending, by reducing the target.
In our glossary: Withdrawal rate · Real return
Financial Independence (FIRE) calculator: questions from firms and clients
Is 4% safe for early retirement?
For long horizons, many planners use lower rates; test 3% to 3.5%.
Why use a real return?
To keep everything in today's dollars.
How do I access retirement accounts early?
Options include 72(t) payments and Roth conversion ladders; avoid 10% before age 59½ (age-55 separation-from-service exception for plans)2026 · IRS. See the 72(t) calculator.
Are taxes included?
No; withdrawals from pre-tax accounts are taxed.
What about healthcare?
Budget for coverage before Medicare.
Does Social Security count?
Not here; it can reduce the target later.
How often should I recalculate?
Yearly.
Which plan includes it?
Every plan, including the free Practitioner plan, which runs up to 5 calculators at once alongside the other household planning tools. Firm (up to 50) and Network (no cap) add webhooks and white-label. See pricing.
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Clients who ask this usually ask next
Savings Rate
am I saving enough
72(t) SEPP
how can I take money from my IRA before 59 and a half without penalty
How Long Will Retirement Savings Last?
will I run out of money in retirement
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Next entry
Answer the January question before the client calls
Embed the Financial Independence (FIRE) calculator on your firm's site in an afternoon and receive requests with the numbers already filled in.
Firm and Network plans include a 14-day trial. Cancel before it ends and you pay nothing.