Tools · FIRE Number
Your FIRE number — lean, regular or fat
The 4% rule says you can retire when your invested savings reach about 25× your annual spending. Here's your number, where you are on the journey, and how many years until you're free.
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Reference: what each lifestyle needs at your withdrawal rate
The 4% rule is a useful rule of thumb from historical US data, not a guarantee — sequence-of-returns risk is real. Education, not financial advice. How we calculate.
Frequently asked questions
What is a FIRE number?
Your FIRE number is the amount of invested savings that lets you live off withdrawals indefinitely. The classic estimate is your annual expenses × 25 — the inverse of the 4% safe-withdrawal rule.
How do I calculate my FIRE number?
Multiply your expected annual spending in retirement by 25 (for a 4% withdrawal rate). For example, $40,000 a year × 25 = a $1,000,000 FIRE number. A more conservative 3.5% rule uses ×28.5.
What's the difference between Lean, Regular and Fat FIRE?
Lean FIRE covers a frugal lifestyle (often under ~$40k/year), Regular FIRE a typical middle-class one, and Fat FIRE a comfortable, higher-spending one. Each just changes the annual-expenses figure you multiply by 25 — see the types of FIRE guide.
Is the 4% rule safe?
It comes from the Trinity study and held up across most historical 30-year periods, but it's a guideline, not a guarantee. Sequence-of-returns risk and low-return decades can stress it, so many early retirees use 3.25–3.5%. Check how long a pot lasts with the drawdown calculator.