Coast FIRE Calculator: How Much Do You Need to Stop Saving?
Calculate your Coast FIRE number — the amount you need invested today so compound growth alone carries you to retirement, even if you never save another dollar.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is the point at which your invested assets are large enough that compound growth alone — without any additional contributions — will grow to your full FIRE number by your target retirement age. Once you hit Coast FIRE, you only need to earn enough to cover current living expenses.
How do I calculate my Coast FIRE number?
Coast FIRE number = FIRE number ÷ (1 + annual return)^years to retirement. For example, with a $1.5M FIRE number, 20 years to retirement, and 7% returns: $1,500,000 ÷ (1.07)^20 = ~$387,000. If you have $387k invested today, you're coasting.
What counts toward my Coast FIRE balance?
Your investable assets count: 401(k), Roth IRA, traditional IRA, and brokerage accounts. Cash savings (HYSA, checking) are not included because they don't compound at equity rates. Home equity is also excluded — it doesn't generate retirement income unless you sell.
What do I do after reaching Coast FIRE?
After hitting Coast FIRE, you can dramatically reduce your savings rate — you only need to cover your current living expenses. Many Coast FIRE achievers switch to lower-stress or more enjoyable work, take sabbaticals, or reduce hours while their investments do the heavy lifting.
Is Coast FIRE risky?
The main risk is that actual investment returns fall short of your assumed rate over decades. A 7% assumption is historically reasonable for a diversified US stock portfolio, but there's no guarantee. Running Monte Carlo scenarios gives you a probability distribution rather than a single-point estimate.