Age 30 · $250,000 invested
- Coast target today
- $316,266
- Full FIRE target at retirement
- $1,200,000
- Additional invested amount needed today
- $66,266
Below the Coast target. With no further savings, this scenario does not reach the retirement target.
Loading calculator…
Coast FIRE Calculator
When can you stop saving for retirement?
?
401k + IRA + brokerage total
$
?
Monthly investment contributions
$
?
Annual retirement spending in today's dollars; taxes are not calculated
$
Growth assumptions
Your Coast FIRE Number
$316,266
Coast Age
53
Time Left
23 years
FIRE Goal
$1,200,000
In this scenario, continued savings could reach the Coast target at age 53. Growth alone is then projected to reach $1,200,000 by age 65.
Progress15.8%
Your current growth scenario
7.0% nominal return with 3.0% inflation = 3.88% real growth each year.
Amounts are in today's dollars. No separate fee deduction or tax calculation; no market-sequence test or success probability.
Compare return and inflation assumptionsPortfolio Projection
Portfolio BalanceCoast FIRE TargetFIRE Number
Loading projection…
Year-by-Year Breakdown
| Age | Contributions | Growth | Withdrawals | End Balance | FIRE % | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | $18,000 | $1,942 | -- | $69,942 | 4.2% | Saving |
| 31 | $18,000 | $2,716 | -- | $90,658 | 5.8% | Saving |
| 32 | $18,000 | $3,521 | -- | $112,179 | 7.6% | Saving |
| 33 | $18,000 | $4,356 | -- | $134,535 | 9.3% | Saving |
| 34 | $18,000 | $5,225 | -- | $157,760 | 11.2% | Saving |
| 35 | $18,000 | $6,127 | -- | $181,887 | 13.1% | Saving |
| 36 | $18,000 | $7,064 | -- | $206,951 | 15.2% | Saving |
| 37 | $18,000 | $8,037 | -- | $232,988 | 17.2% | Saving |
| 38 | $18,000 | $9,048 | -- | $260,036 | 19.4% | Saving |
| 39 | $18,000 | $10,098 | -- | $288,134 | 21.7% | Saving |
By the Coast FIRE Calculator editorial team · Methodology · Official sources: inflation, purchasing power and investment risk; how fees reduce investment returns · Sources checked 13 October 2026 · Corrections: hello@coastfirecalculator.io
The projection uses one annual spending amount in today's dollars. It does not schedule Social Security or pension start dates, taxes or separate retirement dates for a couple. See the income phases below before reducing spending for benefits that start later.
What is Coast FIRE?
The invested amount that could reach your retirement target under your chosen growth assumptions -- without saving another dollar.
You still need income to cover today's expenses. Future growth is an assumption, not retirement on autopilot.
Worked Example: 3 Steps to a Coast Number
Fixed example, separate from your calculator inputs: age 30, retirement at 65, $48,000 annual spending, 4% withdrawal rate, 7% nominal return and 3% inflation.
$1.2M
$48K / 4% SWR
Example FIRE Number
3.88%
1.07 / 1.03 − 1
Example Real Return
$316K
$1.2M over 35 years
Example Coast Number
How return and inflation change your Coast target
Use a nominal annual return, before inflation, and a separate inflation assumption. The calculator converts them using real return = (1 + nominal return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1, not simply return minus inflation. Spending, invested assets and projected balances are expressed in today's dollars.
Same spending and dates, different growth assumptions
Fixed USD example: age 30, retire at 65, $48,000 annual spending and a 4% withdrawal rate. The FIRE target stays $1,200,000. Coast target = $1,200,000 ÷ (1 + real return)35, rounded to the nearest dollar. This table is separate from your live inputs.
| Nominal return | Inflation | Real return | Coast target today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7% | 3% | 3.8835% | $316,266 |
| 5% | 3% | 1.9417% | $612,151 |
| 7% | 5% | 1.9048% | $619,975 |
| 3% | 3% | 0.0000% | $1,200,000 |
Lower real growth requires more invested today. If inflation exceeds nominal return, this model has negative real growth: the Coast target can exceed the retirement FIRE target. These rates are editable illustrations, not forecasts or recommended investments.
Growth and spending
Monthly Savings affects when you could reach Coast; it does not reduce the Coast target today. In the year-by-year projection, savings are added at year-end until Coast, then stop. The same real growth rate applies every year.
Fees and taxes
No separate fee deduction or tax calculation is applied. Use a nominal return assumption that already reflects investment costs; do not deduct the same fee twice. The tool does not distinguish after-tax brokerage assets from tax-deferred or Roth balances.
Not a safety test
The withdrawal rate sets a target, not a success probability. The tool does not test historical return sequences. When planning actual spending from savings, compare a separate retirement withdrawal scenario, which also uses a constant-return model.
Sources checked 13 October 2026: SEC Investor.gov on inflation, purchasing power and investment risk, and how fees reduce investment returns. Formula, cash-flow order and table values describe this calculator's model, not an SEC forecast.
Coast FIRE with a pension or Social Security
Do not subtract later benefits from every retirement year. Retirement at 55 and benefit payments at 67 create a 12-year bridge. The calculator above uses the same annual spending after retirement; it does not switch to a lower spending gap when benefits begin.
1. Before you retire
Once the Coast target is reached, this projection stops investment contributions and lets the balance grow. It assumes you cover living costs from income outside the portfolio until the retirement age you entered.
2. Before benefits start
Budget the spending gap without payments you are not yet receiving. Use the retirement withdrawal calculator for a separate constant-spending bridge scenario; it does not join the phases automatically.
3. After benefits start
Recalculate the portfolio-funded gap using the benefit amounts available for that stage, on the same tax and inflation basis as spending. Check each partner's start date separately, plus survivor terms, health costs and later spending changes.
A spending-gap example, not a complete retirement plan
Illustrative annual USD amounts in today's dollars, before taxes: retirement at 55, spending $48,000, no benefits until 67, then Social Security $18,000 and pension $6,000. Assume both later amounts maintain the same purchasing power for this example only.
| Stage | Other annual income | Annual portfolio gap |
|---|---|---|
| 55–66 | $0 | $48,000 |
| 67 onward | $18,000 + $6,000 | $24,000 |
At an illustrative 4% withdrawal rate, $48,000 ÷ 0.04 = $1,200,000 and $24,000 ÷ 0.04 = $600,000. These are two constant-spending FIRE targets, not two amounts to add or a combined Coast target. The $600,000 figure does not fund the earlier 12-year bridge. This example does not calculate the capital needed for both phases.
Eligible US workers can generally start their own Social Security retirement benefit at 62; full retirement age depends on birth year, and delaying past full retirement age increases that benefit only up to 70. Compare claiming scenarios with the Social Security break-even calculator, then use your SSA estimate rather than the fixed example above. Pension timing and payments depend on your plan: the pension calculator is a separate estimate, not your administrator's quote.
For fixed-term payment mathematics, use the annuity calculator. A lifetime insurance payout depends on the contract and insurer; the mathematical model is not a lifetime quote. For your own retirement account, check required minimum distributions separately: a spending gap is not necessarily the amount you must distribute.
All live projections use a constant real return, not historical market sequences or a success probability. The year-by-year table stops contributions at Coast, applies annual growth, then subtracts the single annual spending amount in retirement. Account taxes, withdrawal-access rules and changing income need separate checks.
Sources for the income-phase explanation
Checked 9 October 2026: SSA retirement planning and personal benefit estimates, SSA full retirement age and early claiming, and SEC Investor.gov on insurance annuities. Dollar amounts and start ages in the table are our fixed illustration, not published benefit amounts.
Example FIRE Scenarios
Barista FIRE
$184K Coast FIRE Coast scenario
$316K Lean FIRE
$720K Regular FIRE
$1.2M Fat FIRE
$1.8M Fixed illustrative scenarios, not your live results. Coast and regular FIRE use $48K/yr; Lean uses $28.8K/yr and Fat uses $72K/yr. Barista assumes part-time work covers $20K/yr until 65. All use 4% SWR; Coast and Barista use age 30, retire at 65, 7% return and 3% inflation.
Get There Faster
01
Max tax-advantaged accounts
401(k) match first, then Roth IRA, then max the 401(k).
02
Cut $1K from annual spending
At a 4% withdrawal rate, a $1,000 annual spending cut lowers the full FIRE target by $25,000. Your Coast target today also depends on years to retirement and the real return.
03
Start as early as possible
In the same $48K spending example, the Coast target is about $261K at 25 and $383K at 35. More years allow more compounding.
04
05 Keep investment fees under 0.2%
A 1% fee gap costs hundreds of thousands over a career.
Use a Roth conversion ladder →
Access retirement funds before 59.5, penalty-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is the point where you've saved enough that you no longer need to contribute to your retirement accounts. Under your chosen return and inflation assumptions, your existing investments could reach your full FIRE target by your retirement age without additional contributions. You still need income for current living costs; the projection is not a guarantee.
How is the Coast FIRE number calculated?
The Coast FIRE number is calculated by taking your FIRE number (annual spending / safe withdrawal rate) and discounting it back to today using the expected real rate of return. The formula is: Coast FIRE Number = FIRE Number / (1 + real return)^years to retirement.
What is a safe withdrawal rate (SWR)?
The safe withdrawal rate is the percentage of your portfolio you can withdraw annually in retirement without running out of money. The most commonly cited SWR is 4%, based on the Trinity Study, and historical withdrawal research. It is a scenario assumption, not a guarantee; portfolio mix, retirement length and the order of returns matter.
What return rate should I use?
The default 7% nominal return is an editable illustration, not a forecast or a guarantee that the scenario is conservative. Compare lower-return assumptions with the same spending and contribution budget. The calculator adjusts nominal growth for your inflation input.
What happens after I reach Coast FIRE?
Once you reach Coast FIRE, you can theoretically stop contributing to your retirement accounts. In this scenario, your existing investments are projected to reach your FIRE target by retirement age. You still need to cover current living expenses and review the plan if spending, returns or retirement timing change.
Is Coast FIRE the same as regular FIRE?
No. Regular FIRE means you have enough to retire immediately. Coast FIRE means you have enough invested that compound growth will get you to your FIRE number by retirement age, but you still need to work to cover current expenses. Coast FIRE typically requires much less savings than full FIRE.
How does inflation affect my Coast FIRE number?
Inflation reduces your real rate of return. This calculator uses real return = (1 + nominal return) / (1 + inflation) - 1. A 7% nominal return with 3% inflation gives approximately a 3.88% real return, which is what drives your Coast FIRE number calculation.
Can I use this calculator for a couple?
Use combined invested assets, monthly savings and retirement spending for a household estimate on one shared age timeline. The calculator has one current age and one retirement age; it does not model separate retirement dates, pension start dates or survivor benefits for each partner.
More Calculators
FIRE CalculatorBarista FIRE CalculatorFat FIRE CalculatorLean FIRE CalculatorRetirement Withdrawal CalculatorNet Worth by Age Calculator
Worked guides: Coast FIRE examples by age · Coast FIRE vs Barista FIRE
Worked examples
Three illustrative scenarios, not reports of real investors. All retire at 65, spend $48,000 a year in today's USD, assume 7% nominal growth, 3% inflation and a 4% withdrawal rate. No further contributions are included. These fixed examples are separate from interactive calculator inputs.
Age 35 · $400,000 invested
- Coast target today
- $382,635
- Full FIRE target at retirement
- $1,200,000
- Additional invested amount needed today
- $0
Already above the Coast target under these assumptions. Current living expenses still need separate income.
Age 40 · $500,000 invested
- Coast target today
- $462,932
- Full FIRE target at retirement
- $1,200,000
- Additional invested amount needed today
- $0
Already above the Coast target under these assumptions. Current living expenses still need separate income.
See the age-by-age calculations and interpretation or compare Coast FIRE with Barista FIRE. Values are generated at build time from our calculator functions and rounded only for display. See methodology for model boundaries.