Coast FIRE Calculator

Enter your current age, portfolio value, expected return, and target retirement number to see whether you've already reached Coast FIRE — the point where growth alone gets you to your goal without any more contributions.

What is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE is a milestone within the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. It marks the point where the money you've already invested is projected to grow — through compound returns alone, with no further contributions — into your target retirement number by the time you reach retirement age. Unlike full FIRE, it doesn't mean you can stop working entirely; it means you no longer need to save for retirement, and can work purely to cover your current living expenses.

This calculator compares your current portfolio to the "Coast FIRE number" — your target amount discounted back to today's value over the years remaining until retirement — to tell you whether you've already reached Coast FIRE. If you haven't, entering a monthly contribution amount shows how long it would take to get there if you keep contributing at that rate.

How to use this calculator

Enter your current age and target retirement age The age at which you want to fully stop working
Enter your current portfolio value and expected return Your total investments and cash, plus the annual return rate you expect
Choose how to set your target amount Enter it directly, or calculate it from your expected annual expenses using the 4% rule
Check your result See whether you've reached Coast FIRE, and your Coast FIRE number today
(Optional) Enter a monthly contribution If you haven't reached Coast FIRE yet, see how long it would take if you keep contributing

Tips for getting more out of it

Using an overly optimistic return rate can make the calculator show "Coast FIRE reached" when you haven't actually gotten there. Consider a conservative rate (around 5-7% annually) based on long-term stock market averages.
If you don't know your exact target number, choose "Calculate from expenses" to derive it automatically using the 4% rule. If you already have a more precise target, use "Enter directly" instead.
Leaving monthly contribution at 0 checks whether you could stop contributing today. If you plan to keep contributing, enter that amount for a more realistic estimate of when you'll reach Coast FIRE.
Even after reaching Coast FIRE, actual returns falling short of your assumed rate could push your goal out of reach — it's worth recalculating periodically as market conditions change.

When this is useful

Deciding whether to ease off contributions

If you've reached Coast FIRE, you might shift to a more conservative allocation or redirect money you were saving toward current spending

Considering a career change

Reaching Coast FIRE can make it easier to justify switching to lower-paying but more fulfilling work, or reducing your hours

Using it as a milestone on the way to full retirement

Reuse the target number from our Retirement Calculator as an intermediate milestone on the path to full financial independence

Deciding whether to increase contributions

If you haven't reached Coast FIRE yet, the time-to-reach estimate can help you decide whether to save more or adjust your target or timeline

Glossary

Coast FIRE: The point at which your existing investments are projected to grow, through returns alone, into your target retirement number by your target retirement age — meaning you no longer need to contribute more to reach that goal.
expected annual return: The average yearly growth rate you assume your investments will achieve over the long run. It's common to use a conservative figure based on historical long-term stock market averages.
4% rule: A guideline suggesting that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio each year in retirement is generally sustainable without depleting your savings. This implies a target of roughly 25 times your annual expenses.

Frequently asked questions

Regular FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) means you can stop working entirely right now. Coast FIRE means you still work until your target retirement age to cover current living expenses, but no longer need to save toward retirement — your existing investments will grow to your goal on their own. It's a more attainable milestone on the way to full FIRE.

Many people use a conservative figure, around 5-7% annually, based on long-term historical stock market averages. Using an overly optimistic rate risks showing you've reached Coast FIRE when you actually haven't.

A common rule of thumb is 25 times your expected annual expenses in retirement (the 4% rule). This calculator can derive that automatically from your expected expenses, but you may want to enter a custom number directly if you have specific costs like healthcare or housing to account for.

If actual returns fall short of your assumption, or your target changes (for example, your expected living expenses go up), you could fall short of your goal. It's worth recalculating periodically to confirm your assumptions still hold.

No. All calculations run in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent to or stored on any server.

Side Note — Where did the idea of Coast FIRE come from?

The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement took off in the United States during the 2010s, spreading through personal finance blogs and online communities. Early discussions centered on the idea of building up enough savings to retire completely and immediately. As more people worked toward that goal, though, many noticed a useful in-between state: not quite enough to retire fully, but enough that no further saving was strictly necessary. That in-between state came to be known as Coast FIRE.

The word "coast" in this context borrows from the image of a ship drifting forward on momentum with its engine off, or a cyclist freewheeling down a hill without pedaling. The metaphor fits neatly: once you've built up enough of a portfolio, you can let compound growth alone carry you the rest of the way to your goal.

Because Coast FIRE is a much more attainable milestone than full retirement, it resonated with people who found the idea of quitting work entirely intimidating or unrealistic. Many in the FIRE community point to the psychological relief of no longer needing to save as the real draw — it opens up more flexibility in choosing how, and how much, to work.

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