What does FIRE stand for?
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It's an approach to saving and investing enough that your portfolio can cover your living expenses on its own, so continuing to work becomes a choice rather than a necessity.
What is my FIRE number?
Your FIRE number is your annual retirement expenses divided by your safe withdrawal rate. At the common 4% rule that is your yearly spending times 25. The portfolio that can sustainably fund your retirement. If you'll spend $50,000 a year, your FIRE number is about $1,250,000.
When can I retire early?
You reach financial independence the year your invested assets grow to your FIRE number. The calculator finds that crossover year from your current investments, what you invest each year, and your expected real (after-inflation) return.
What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is the point where your invested savings will grow to your full FIRE number by your target retirement age with no further contributions. You only need to cover your expenses until then. It usually arrives many years before traditional FIRE. Set your target age in the calculator to see your Coast FIRE number.
What is Barista FIRE?
Barista FIRE means semi-retiring with part-time work that covers part of your spending. Because your portfolio only funds the rest, your FIRE number is lower: subtract your part-time income from your expenses, then divide by your safe withdrawal rate. Enter your part-time income in the calculator to see it.
What is Lean and Fat FIRE?
They are the same math at different spending levels. Lean FIRE targets a frugal budget (about 0.7× your expenses), Fat FIRE a generous one (about 2×), and Chubby FIRE sits between as the comfortable middle (about 1.5×).
Is the 4% rule safe?
The 4% rule comes from William Bengen's 1994 research and the 1998 Trinity study: withdrawing 4% of your starting portfolio, adjusted for inflation, historically lasted 30+ years in most scenarios. It is a well-tested starting point, not a guarantee; a lower rate is more conservative. You can change the rate in the calculator.
Does the app work offline and keep my data private?
Yes. The calculation runs on your iPhone, so it works without a connection. The app has no ads, no account, and no analytics. What you enter stays on your device, and if you use iCloud it syncs only through your own private iCloud, which we can't read, so its App Store privacy label is "Data Not Collected." The one-time Pro unlock is a single purchase, not a subscription.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is an educational planning estimate. Projections are illustrative, not guarantees, and this is not personalized financial advice.
