How Much Do I Need to Retire?
The amount you need to retire depends on your yearly spending, investment returns, and withdrawal rate. A common guideline is the 4% rule, which suggests you need roughly 25× your yearly expenses.
Assumptions updated: March 2026
Explore All ToolsCalculator inputs
Enter your income, spending, and investing assumptions to estimate your path to financial independence.
Showing example values so you can see how the calculator works. Update them anytime with your own numbers.
That’s about $48,000 / year
Leave blank to estimate savings from after-tax income.
How moving could change your FIRE timeline
Most people pursuing FIRE focus on saving more. But geography may be one of the most powerful levers you can pull. See how your projected FIRE age changes when you move from a higher-cost city to a lower-cost one—using the same income, the same investing habits, and a different cost of living.
Tip: Use your relocation calculator’s estimated monthly spending after the move.
Annual: $33,600
MOVE IMPACT
Current FIRE age64
FIRE age after move48
Moving could bring FIRE forward by
Same returns + salary growth assumptions, different expenses.
Thinking bigger than just moving?
See how a lower cost of living could shift your FIRE timeline.
Your FIRE milestone
At your current pace, you could reach financial independence at age 64, in about 34 years, around 2060.
If your monthly spending dropped to $2,800 after a move, FIRE could move from age 64 to age 48 — about 16 years sooner.
FIRE Number
$2,710,621
Estimated target based on spending and a 4% withdrawal rate
Years Until FIRE
34 years
Estimated FIRE year: 2060
Estimated FIRE Age
64
Estimated age based on your current assumptions
Savings Rate
21.1%
$60,804 estimated net income · 32.4% estimated tax rate
Progress to FIRE
$75,000 / $2,710,621
3% of FIRE number
$75,000 invested so far · On track for FIRE at 64
Why this estimate is useful
• FIRE number based on your annual spending and selected withdrawal rate
• Estimated after-tax income using your selected state, filing status, and 401(k) contribution
• Portfolio growth based on current investments, contributions, returns, inflation, and salary growth
• Move Impact using the same income and investing assumptions with different spending levels
This is a planning estimate, not financial or tax advice. Tax and cost assumptions are simplified for comparison purposes.
Biggest FIRE drivers
Spending
High impact
State tax drag
High impact
Current savings rate
High impact
Move potential
Very high impact
These labels are directional and based on your current inputs.
Fastest path based on your inputs
Lower monthly spending to $3,500high impact · save 8 years
Increase annual contributions to $17,804limited impact with current inputs
Move to Raleigh, NChigh impact · save 10 years
These examples use your current assumptions and isolate one change at a time.
🔥 How much a move could accelerate your FIRE timeline
Same income and investing assumptions, with spending adjusted by each city’s cost profile.
These comparisons use your selected state’s major city as the baseline and adjust spending by each city’s cost profile.
New York City, NY(current)
FIRE at 64
Raleigh, NCMost years saved
10 yrs earlier
FIRE at 54
Austin, TX
5 yrs earlier
FIRE at 59
Charlotte, NC
5 yrs earlier
FIRE at 59
Denver, CO
4 yrs earlier
FIRE at 60
Portfolio projection
From age 30 → 66
Current path
FIRE target
The green line shows your projected portfolio. The dashed line shows the FIRE target needed over time as spending rises with inflation. Your crossover point is marked at age 64.
How your savings rate changes your FIRE timeline
See how spending less and saving more could change the number of years until financial independence. This table keeps your estimated after-tax income the same and adjusts expenses to match each savings rate.
Current savings rate: 21.1% · nearest scenario highlighted below
SAVINGS RATE
ANNUAL SPENDING
YEARS TO FI
FIRE AGE
10%
$54,724
45
75
20%
Current
$48,643
35
65
30%
$42,563
27
57
40%
$36,482
21
51
50%
$30,402
15
45
60%
$24,322
11
41
70%
$18,241
8
38
Frequently asked questions
Because location changes two of the biggest drivers of financial independence: taxes and spending. A lower-cost or lower-tax location can increase how much you keep and reduce how much you need to retire.