Free calculator — 4% safe withdrawal rate
FIRE Number Calculator
Enter your expected annual expenses, current investments, and monthly savings to see your FIRE number and exactly how many years until financial independence.
Years to FIRE
22yr 2mo
Target year: 2049 · $2,000/month at 7% return
Portfolio growth to FIRE
$50k saved of $1.50M needed
Estimates only — not financial advice. Based on the 4% safe withdrawal rate. Super is not included; see the Super Retirement Calculator.
See your full financial independence plan
Connect your income, super, and investments to get a personalised FIRE projection with tax and grants included.
See how the numbers compare →How to use this calculator
Start with your annual expenses in retirement — what you actually spend each year, not your current income. This is the single most powerful lever in FIRE planning: reducing your spending by $10,000/year cuts your required nest egg by $250,000.
Your current investments should include savings accounts, ETFs, shares, and investment properties (at equity value) — but not your superannuation, which is locked until age 60. Super is a separate pool. See the Super Retirement Calculator to project that balance separately.
The monthly investment is what you add each month to your investment portfolio. Even $500/month invested consistently from age 25 can generate significant wealth through compound growth. Increasing this amount is the fastest way to shorten your FIRE timeline.
Frequently asked questions
What is a FIRE number?
Your FIRE number is the total investment portfolio you need to be financially independent — meaning your investments generate enough passive income to cover your living expenses indefinitely. It's calculated by dividing your annual expenses by 0.04 (the 4% safe withdrawal rate). For $60,000/year in expenses, your FIRE number is $1,500,000.
What is the 4% rule?
The 4% rule comes from the 1994 'Trinity Study' by US academics. It found that a retiree who withdraws 4% of their portfolio in year one, then adjusts for inflation each year, has historically had a very high probability of their money lasting 30+ years across all historical market cycles — including the Great Depression and the 1970s stagflation. At 4%, your portfolio needs to be 25 times your annual spending.
Does the 4% rule work in Australia?
Australian researchers have validated similar findings. The ASX has historically returned ~10% nominally over long periods. A 4% withdrawal rate with a diversified Australian+international portfolio has a very high historical success rate over 30-year periods. Some conservative planners use 3.5% (a 28.6× multiplier) for longer retirements (40+ years). The Age Pension also acts as a backstop — reducing sequence-of-returns risk for most Australians.
Does this calculator include super?
No — this calculator focuses on your outside-super (non-preserved) investments. Super is locked away until age 60 (preservation age), so it's calculated separately. If you're planning to retire before 60, you need enough non-super assets to bridge the gap. Use the Super Retirement Calculator to project your super balance separately, then add it to your post-60 FIRE plan.
What is a realistic annual return to use?
For a diversified ETF portfolio (Australian + global shares), 7–8% is a common long-run assumption before inflation. This is based on the historical long-run return of global equities. Use 6–7% if you hold bonds or a conservative asset mix. The default 7% in this calculator is a widely-used middle estimate. Remember: past returns don't guarantee future performance.
What are the different FIRE paths?
Lean FIRE: retire on $40,000/year or less — requires extreme frugality. Regular FIRE: $60–80k/year — comfortable but modest. Fat FIRE: $100k+/year — close to full financial freedom. Coast FIRE: you've saved enough that compound growth alone will reach your FIRE number by traditional retirement age, even if you stop contributing now. Barista FIRE: semi-retire with part-time work to cover some expenses, letting investments grow.