Coast FIRE Calculator
Coast FIRE asks a simple question: if you stopped adding new money, would your current invested balance still grow enough to hit your retirement target? This calculator estimates the balance needed today and shows whether you are already there.
How to interpret the result
If the calculator says you are already at coast FIRE, it means your current balance could grow to the target by retirement under the return assumption entered here, even with no additional contributions. That does not mean the path is risk-free. It means the math works under the assumed rate and time horizon.
Good uses for this page
- Checking whether you can reduce savings pressure later.
- Comparing conservative and optimistic return assumptions.
- Understanding how age changes the required invested balance today.
Related pages
What Coast FIRE actually means
Coast FIRE is the point at which your invested balance, left completely alone, will grow into a full retirement portfolio by your target age. You are not financially independent — you still need income for current spending — but you no longer need to save for retirement. It is a milestone about obligation, not wealth.
| Age now | Years to 65 | Needed today to coast to $1,000,000 | Needed to coast to $1,500,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 40 | $61,307 | $91,960 |
| 30 | 35 | $86,910 | $130,365 |
| 35 | 30 | $123,206 | $184,809 |
| 40 | 25 | $174,660 | $261,990 |
| 45 | 20 | $247,602 | $371,403 |
| 50 | 15 | $351,007 | $526,510 |
Assumes 7% compounded monthly and no further contributions after the coast point.
At 30, about $86,910 is enough to reach a million by 65 with no further saving. At 45, the same target needs roughly $247,602 — nearly 2.8 times as much, because there are fifteen fewer years for compounding to do the work.
Not early retirement — optionality. Reaching it means a lower-paying job, a career change, reduced hours or a period without income no longer damages your retirement, because retirement is already funded. For many people that flexibility arrives decades before financial independence does.
The assumptions this milestone rests on
- The return holds for the whole coast period. A weak first decade after you stop contributing has no later deposits to average it out. That is the central risk of coasting.
- The target is in future money. A million at 65 has the purchasing power of about $421,371 today if you are 30 now.
- You genuinely stop contributing. Most people who reach Coast FIRE keep contributing something, which is the safest way to hold the milestone.
- Fees come off the rate. Coasting for thirty years at 6% net rather than 7% gross changes the required balance substantially.
A reasonable way to use it: calculate the coast number, treat reaching it as permission to stop optimising, and keep contributing whatever remains comfortable. The Barista FIRE comparison covers the variant where part-time income covers current spending.
Questions about Coast FIRE
What is Coast FIRE?
The point where your existing investments will grow into a full retirement portfolio by your target age without any further contributions. You still work to cover current expenses, but not to save for retirement.
How much do I need for Coast FIRE?
It depends on your age and target. To coast to $1,000,000 by 65 at 7%, roughly $86,910 at age 30, or $174,660 at 40.
Is Coast FIRE risky?
It concentrates risk into the return assumption, because there are no further contributions to smooth a poor stretch. Continuing to contribute something, even a small amount, materially reduces that exposure.
What is the difference between Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE?
Coast FIRE means retirement is funded and you work to cover current costs. Barista FIRE usually means working part-time, often for benefits, while drawing partially on investments. See the comparison.