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Financial independence (FIRE) calculator

Work out your FIRE number (the wealth to live off your assets) and how many years to get there.

How much you need to spend per year to live the way you want once financially independent.
The money you already have invested and that keeps growing.
How much you save and invest each period until you reach FIRE.
How often you add money. Contributing more often puts your money to work sooner; it does not change how often interest is compounded.
Annual return after inflation (the 'real' return). Often estimated around 4-5%.
The percentage of your wealth you withdraw each year in retirement. The 4% rule (Trinity) is the prudent standard: a higher rate lowers the target but raises the risk of running out of money.
If you raise your contribution each year (with salary or inflation), enter it. Leave at 0 if fixed.
FIRE number
€600,000
Years to FIRE
27 years

Path to financial independence

Show the chart data: Path to financial independence

Composition when reaching FIRE

Wealth€611,414
  • Contributed€279,20046%
  • Interest€332,21454%

What if the market doesn't return the same every year? Try the Monte Carlo simulator.

Information, not tax or financial advice.

How the financial independence calculator works

This calculator answers two FIRE questions: how much wealth you need to live off your assets (your FIRE number) and in how many years you could reach it given your saving and return.

Where the FIRE number comes from. Divide your annual spending by the safe withdrawal rate. With the classic 4 % rule, that's your spending times 25.

Worked example (default values). You want to spend €24,000 a year, already have €20,000 invested, add €800/month and assume a 5 % real return, with a 4 % withdrawal rate:

  • FIRE number: €24,000 ÷ 0.04 = €600,000.
  • Starting from €20,000 and adding €9,600/year at 5 %, you'd take about 27 years.

Lower the withdrawal rate to 3.5 % and the target rises (more prudent); raise it and it falls (more risk of depleting the portfolio).

Bear in mind. Use a real return (net of inflation). When you sell to withdraw, the gain is taxed as a capital gain in the savings base.

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