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Coast FIRE Calculator
See whether your current investments are already enough to coast to retirement with no further saving, and how much you would need today to get there. Enter your numbers and press Calculate.
Written by TopicDrill Editorial Team·Updated June 2026
Savings growth with no new contributions
Balance FIRE target
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How the Coast FIRE calculator works
Coast FIRE flips the usual retirement question around. Instead of asking how much to save each month, it asks whether what you have already invested can grow into your target on its own. Once it can, you have hit Coast FIRE and only need to earn enough to cover your current living costs.
The calculator first finds your retirement target, your FIRE number, by dividing your desired annual spending by your safe withdrawal rate. It then discounts that target back to today using a real rate of return, which adjusts your expected return for inflation. The chart shows your current balance compounding up toward the target line.
A quick example
Imagine you are 30, want to retire at 65, and plan to spend $50,000 a year. At a 4% withdrawal rate your FIRE number is $1.25 million in today's dollars. With a real return near 4%, you would need roughly $317,000 invested today to coast. If you have less, the tool shows how close you are.
Things to keep in mind
Returns and inflation are assumptions, not guarantees, so treat the result as a planning guide and revisit it over time. For broader retirement context, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investor site is a solid resource. You can also compare paths with our other free calculators.
Frequently asked questions
What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is the point where the money you have already invested is enough to grow into your full retirement target by your retirement age, without adding any more. You still work to cover living costs, but you no longer need to save for retirement.
How is the Coast FIRE number calculated?
First find your FIRE number by dividing your desired annual spending by your safe withdrawal rate. Then discount that target back to today using your real rate of return. The result is the Coast FIRE number, the amount you would need invested now to coast to your goal.
Why does this calculator use a real return?
Keeping the target in today's dollars makes the result easier to understand. We convert your nominal return into a real return by adjusting for inflation, so the projected balance and the FIRE number are measured on the same basis.
What withdrawal rate should I use?
Many people use 4%, based on historical studies of sustainable withdrawals over a long retirement. A lower rate such as 3.5% is more conservative and raises your target. The right number depends on your time horizon and risk tolerance.
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