Complete FIRE Calculator
The Complete FIRE Calculator
Most calculators ask three questions and call it done. This one models the real picture — taxable vs IRA accounts, withdrawal sequencing, ACA subsidy guardrails, Social Security timing, and both nominal and inflation-adjusted scenarios side by side.
1
Your Portfolio
Where your money lives matters — taxable accounts and IRAs have different rules
yrs
yrs
Can be same as current age if retiring now
Brokerage accounts — accessible now, no penalty
$
Penalty-free at 59½ — locked until then
$
Keep separate — don’t count toward FIRE number
$
Current rate on your cash — money market, HYSA, CD, savings account. Will change over time with interest rates.
%
Note: Cash yields follow the Federal Reserve’s benchmark rate. Today’s 4%+ won’t last forever — when rates fall, so does your cash income. A conservative long-term assumption is 2-3%.
Annual dividends from taxable account (auto income)
%
Portion of IRA in bonds (for dividend income calc)
%
🎉 YOU’VE REACHED FIRE
You Are Already Financially Independent
Based on your inputs, your portfolio exceeds your FIRE number. The plan works — travel, kids’ Roths, and all.
Your FIRE Number
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SS-adjusted — the honest number
Current Portfolio
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Taxable + IRA
Surplus / Gap
—
Above FIRE number
Initial Withdrawal Rate
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Year 1 from portfolio
Why is your FIRE number lower than the traditional 25x rule? Most calculators multiply your full annual spend by 25 and ignore Social Security entirely. That overstates what your portfolio actually needs to sustain. This calculator uses your SS-adjusted long-term draw — what the portfolio must cover after Social Security begins. SS is guaranteed income for life, just like a pension or annuity. Ignoring it inflates your FIRE number and tells people who are already financially independent that they can never retire.
Two Scenarios — Same Plan, Different Assumptions
Why two scenarios? The nominal scenario uses 6% — the actual dollar return your portfolio earns. The real scenario uses 3% — that same 6% minus roughly 3% inflation. Using real returns means your expenses stay flat in today’s dollars (no need to inflate them each year), which is the honest way to model long-term purchasing power. Historical average real returns for a 70/30 portfolio are approximately 4-5%, so 3% is genuinely conservative — a stress test, not a prediction. If the 3% scenario works, you’re bulletproof.
Nominal Returns (6%) — Most Likely
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Portfolio value when Social Security begins
Real Returns (3%) — Conservative Stress Test
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Portfolio value when Social Security begins — worst case
Annual Withdrawal Sequence — Bonds & Dividends First, Equities Last
Taxable Bridge to 59½ — IRA Compounds Quietly
Taxable Account — The Bridge
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Accessible now — no penalty
Est. at 59½
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Years as Bridge
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IRA Accounts — Compounding Untouched
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Penalty-free at age 59½
Value at 59½
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Growth
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Year by Year Projection
Both scenarios shown — nominal (6%) and inflation-adjusted real (3%)
Your Flexibility Levers — None Required, All Available
Important: This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. It does not account for taxes on IRA withdrawals, potential Social Security taxation, healthcare cost inflation, or individual market sequence risk. Results assume consistent annual returns which markets do not deliver. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making retirement decisions. RoostPoint — Personal Economics Without the Marketing.