AssetBaseline

FIRE Number Calculator

Your FIRE number is the portfolio that can cover your annual expenses at a safe withdrawal rate, which is 25 times expenses at the classic 4% rate.

Want to understand the concept, not just the number? Read The Retirement Planning Guide and more below.

4% is the classic figure, and a lower rate is more conservative. Entered as a percent, for example 7 means 7%.
FIRE number $1,500,000.00

How it's calculated

Divide your annual expenses by your safe withdrawal rate and the result is the portfolio that can sustain that spending. At a 4% rate, that is the same as multiplying your expenses by 25.

For example, $40,000 of annual spending at a 4% withdrawal rate gives a FIRE number of $1,000,000. Trim expenses to $30,000 and the target drops to $750,000. A more cautious 3.5% rate on $40,000 raises it to about $1,143,000.

The withdrawal rate is the biggest lever here. The classic 4% figure came from historical US data over 30-year retirements, so longer or more conservative plans often use 3% to 3.5%, which meaningfully raises the number you need.

Assumptions

Last updated: 2026-08-07

These assumptions follow our general methodology.

Frequently asked questions

Is 4% still safe?

The 4% rule came from historical US data over 30-year retirements. Many early retirees use 3% to 3.5% for longer horizons, so try a few rates.

What is the 25x rule?

It is the 4% rule said a different way. Since 4% is one twenty-fifth, a portfolio of 25 times your annual expenses supports that spending. Use a lower withdrawal rate and the multiple rises, to about 33 times at a 3% rate.

Does the FIRE number account for inflation?

The withdrawal-rate rule is built to be inflation-adjusted, so the safe rate already assumes your withdrawals rise with inflation each year. Just be sure to enter your expected annual expenses in today’s dollars.

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Learn the concept

The Retirement Planning Guide A retirement number is just compound growth plus honest assumptions. This guide shows how the projection is built and where it quietly goes wrong. The Social Security Timing Guide Claiming Social Security early shrinks every check for life. Waiting grows it. The right choice turns on how long you expect the checks to keep coming. Pension vs Lump Sum A monthly pension and a one-time lump sum are hard to compare until you put them in the same units. Present value is how you do it. What $1 Million Actually Means A million dollars is not an income, it is a source of one. At a 4 percent withdrawal rate it supports about 40,000 dollars a year, and the rate matters more than the headline.