Coast FIRE calculator
Coast FIRE is the point where you could stop adding to retirement savings and let Captain Compound do the heavy lifting until your target age. You'd still need to earn enough to cover today's bills, but the retirement pile would (in this illustration) grow to your number on its own. This calculator finds that point. Lavish Larry asked if “coasting” means a boat. It does not.
Illustration only. Assumes a constant real return and no further contributions or withdrawals before your target age. Real returns vary, and taxes and fees aren't modeled. Not a prediction or advice.
Coast number by age
| Age | Coast number at that age | Your savings, growing with no new contributions |
|---|
How it works
- FIRE number = annual spending ÷ withdrawal rate.
- Coast number today = FIRE number ÷ (1 + real return)years to target age.
- Illustration with the default inputs: a $1,250,000 FIRE number, 30 years at 5% real, gives a coast number of about $289,222 today.
- The table shows the coast number for each age along the way, next to your current savings growing with no new money added.
What to do this week
- Run it with a return 1 to 2 points lower than you'd like, to see the cautious version.
- If you're past your coast number, read about the trade-offs before downshifting.
- Check health insurance plans for any downshifted job.