Net Worth Jar
Track Net Worth →

Coast FIRE Calculator

Coast FIRE is the point where what you've already saved will grow — on its own, with no further contributions — to your full retirement number by the time you get there. Reaching it is what lets people downshift to a lower-paying job, go part-time, or change careers without derailing retirement, since that part of the plan is already handled. See your real number, whether you've already hit it, and how far a partial (not full) stop moves the date.

Saves your inputs, results, and chart above.
About you
Current age
Target retirement age
Your target
?

Enter spending in today's dollars, and use a real (inflation-adjusted) return below — mixing today's-dollar spending with a nominal return is the single most common Coast FIRE calculation mistake.

Desired annual retirement spendingIn today's dollars
Safe withdrawal rateThe classic “4% rule” assumes ~30 years of retirement — a longer early retirement often calls for less
Expected annual returnReal (inflation-adjusted)
Your plan
?

“Partial coast” — keeping a smaller contribution going instead of stopping entirely — genuinely moves your coast date earlier, not just what happens after it. This is sometimes called Barista FIRE.

Current invested balanceRetirement and brokerage accounts you're counting toward this
Monthly contribution, right nowEverything going into the accounts above — your own contributions plus any employer match
Contribution after you coast0 for a full stop, or keep a reduced amount going (partial coast / Barista FIRE)

Your Coast FIRE number

To coast to $1,250,000 by age 55, you need
$369,128
invested today, with no further contributions
$150,000 of $369,128 (41%)
At this contribution rate, you'll reach Coast FIRE around
Age 47.8 (17.8 years from now)
For reference: your target retirement age above is a guess you set — at this contribution rate, without ever coasting, you're independently on track to fully retire around age 53.0. Worth revisiting your target if that's meaningfully earlier or later than what you typed in.

How return assumptions shift your coast age
?

One return assumption gives one answer — showing a range is more honest, since nobody knows future returns in advance.

conservative (3%)
Not by retirement
average (5%)
Age 47.8
high (7%)
Age 35.2

Balance over time

X-axis is age. The dashed red line is your $1,250,000 FIRE number.

How this works

  1. 1Set your FIRE number. Annual retirement spending ÷ safe withdrawal rate. At the classic 4% rule, that's spending × 25.
  2. 2Discount it back to today. Divide by (1 + real return) raised to the number of years until retirement — that's your Coast FIRE number.
  3. 3Compare to what you have. If your current balance already clears that number, compound growth alone gets you there — you can stop contributing for retirement specifically, though you'll likely still want income for current expenses.
  4. 4Not there yet? See when you will be. The calculator projects your contributions forward to find the exact age you'll cross the line — and how a smaller, non-zero contribution afterward (partial coast) pulls that date earlier.

Example

Age 30, retiring at 55, $150,000 invested now, $50,000/yr desired spending, 4% withdrawal rate, 5% real return, $1,500/mo contribution:

FIRE number
$1,250,000
Coast FIRE number, today
$369,128
Reaches coast at
Age 47.8
Years from now
17.8
Full retirement age, no coasting
Age 53.0

What this doesn't account for

  • • A constant average return, not real market volatility — sequence-of-returns risk isn't modeled.
  • • Taxes owed on withdrawal, healthcare costs before Medicare eligibility, or Social Security.
  • • Your number should be revisited periodically — it moves as markets, spending, and plans change.

Questions

Does reaching Coast FIRE mean I can stop working?

No — it means your retirement portfolio is on track without further contributions. You'd still need income to cover current living expenses until you actually retire.

How is Coast FIRE different from Lean, Fat, Barista, or regular FIRE?

Regular FIRE means you've saved enough to cover full living expenses forever and can stop working entirely; Lean and Fat FIRE are the same idea at a smaller or larger spending target. Coast FIRE is narrower: only your retirement savings are on track — you still work for current income. Barista FIRE is Coast FIRE with a specific plan for that income, often a lower-stress or part-time job (this calculator's "partial coast" option models that directly).

Why does this use a different return percentage than your other calculators?

This one uses a real (inflation-adjusted) return, since your spending target is in today's dollars. Mixing a nominal return with a today's-dollars target is the most common Coast FIRE calculation mistake — our other calculators use nominal returns instead, since they don't need this adjustment.

Why isn't the safe withdrawal rate always 4%?

The 4% rule comes from research assuming roughly a 30-year retirement. Retiring in your 40s or 50s can mean 40+ years of withdrawals, where a number closer to 3–3.5% is often considered safer.

What's "partial coast"?

Keeping a smaller contribution going after you'd otherwise stop, instead of dropping to zero — sometimes called Barista FIRE. It genuinely moves your coast date earlier, since that ongoing (smaller) contribution still compounds toward the target.

What counts as my "current balance"?

Whatever you're counting toward retirement — 401(k), IRA, HSA, brokerage. It's your choice; just be consistent with what your spending target and withdrawal rate assume.

Is this financial advice?

No. This assumes a constant average return rather than real market volatility (sequence-of-returns risk isn't modeled), doesn't account for taxes on withdrawal, and isn't personalized financial, tax, or legal advice. See our Terms of Use.

Want more than a snapshot?

This page projects one account. Net Worth Jar tracks every account you own, models your own savings and growth strategy, and projects your full net worth years into the future — no signup, nothing leaves your browser.

Open Net Worth Jar →