What is Coast FIRE and how much do I need?
Coast FIRE is the invested balance today that will compound to your FIRE number by retirement age without any additional contributions. If your FIRE number is $1.5M and you're 30 with a 7% real return, you need $194,000 today to coast — meaning you only need to earn enough to cover current expenses.
Formula
Coast FIRE Number = FIRE Number ÷ (1 + return_rate)^years_to_retirement
Example
Age 32, FIRE number $2M, plan to retire at 60, 7% real return: $2,000,000 ÷ (1.07)^28 = $302,000. Save $302k by 32, then you can stop contributing and still hit $2M by 60.
How it works in detail
Coast FIRE gives you freedom to downshift: work part-time, take a lower-paying job you love, or freelance — as long as you cover current bills. The math is just the present value of your FIRE number. The younger you are, the less you need because compound growth has more time. At 25 with a $1.5M target, you need ~$147k. At 35, ~$263k. At 40, ~$351k. This assumes 7% real returns (10% nominal minus 3% inflation).
Calculate your Coast FIRE number based on your age and target
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What is a FIRE number and how do I calculate mine?
Your FIRE number is 25× your annual spending — the portfolio size where a 4% withdrawal covers your expenses indefinitely. If you spend $50,000/year, your FIRE number is $1,250,000. It's the threshold for financial independence.
What savings rate do I need to retire early?
At a 50% savings rate, you can retire in roughly 17 years. At 65%, about 10 years. At 75%, about 7 years. The relationship is logarithmic — your savings rate matters far more than your income or investment returns for determining time to financial independence.
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