Coast FIRE Calculator

Find the investment balance needed today so your money grows to your FIRE number by retirement — no additional contributions required.

Coast FIRE number (nominal)

$262,734

Amount needed today to grow to $2,000,000 in 30 years at 7% nominal return.

Detailed results
Coast FIRE number (inflation-adjusted)Inflation-adjusted target using a real return of 3.88%.	$637,725
Gap to coast (negative = already coasting)Amount you still need to save to reach Coast FIRE.	$112,734
Projected balance at retirementIf current savings of $150,000 grow at 7% for 30 years with no additional contributions.	$1,141,838
Years until retirementFrom age 35 to age 65.	30
Already coasting?You have not yet reached Coast FIRE.	0

What this result means

To retire at age 65 with $2,000,000, you need $262,734 invested today (your Coast FIRE number). You currently have $150,000, leaving a gap of $112,734. Once you bridge that gap, you can stop contributing and let 7% annual growth do the rest over the next 30 years.

Year-by-Year Projection

Tracks how your current savings grow with no additional contributions alongside the required Coast FIRE balance at each age.

Year-by-Year Projection. 31 rows, first 12 shown.
Age	Year	Balance (no contributions)	Coast FIRE target at this age
35	2,026	$150,000	$262,734
36	2,027	$160,500	$281,126
37	2,028	$171,735	$300,804
38	2,029	$183,756	$321,861
39	2,030	$196,619	$344,391
40	2,031	$210,383	$368,498
41	2,032	$225,110	$394,293
42	2,033	$240,867	$421,894
43	2,034	$257,728	$451,426
44	2,035	$275,769	$483,026
45	2,036	$295,073	$516,838
46	2,037	$315,728	$553,017

How this is calculated

Coast FIRE number = FIRE_number / (1 + annual_return)^years_to_retirement
Real return = (1 + annual_return) / (1 + inflation_rate) − 1
Real Coast FIRE = FIRE_number / (1 + real_return)^years_to_retirement
Gap = Coast FIRE number − current_savings
Projected at retirement = current_savings × (1 + annual_return)^years_to_retirement

What is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE is a milestone on the path to full financial independence where you have accumulated enough in investments that — without adding another dollar — compound growth alone will carry your portfolio to your target retirement number by the time you plan to retire. You have "coasted" to the summit rather than sprinting all the way.

The term comes from the broader FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement, which seeks to build a portfolio large enough to sustain withdrawals indefinitely. Coast FIRE is a waypoint: once you hit it, you still need income to cover living expenses, but you no longer need to direct any of that income into savings. The heavy lifting is done.

How Coast FIRE differs from full FIRE

Full FIRE means your portfolio is already large enough to fund your retirement today — you could walk away from work immediately. Coast FIRE means the portfolio is not yet large enough to fund retirement today, but it will be by your target retirement age, purely through growth. The practical implication is that a Coast FIRE holder still needs earned income to cover day-to-day expenses, but the retirement savings pressure is lifted. Many people find this emotionally liberating: they can take lower-paying, more fulfilling work, reduce hours, or shift careers without worrying that they are falling behind on retirement.

Why Coast FIRE is especially attractive for younger investors

Time is the key ingredient in Coast FIRE math. Because the formula divides your target by a compound growth factor, the younger you are when you reach the number, the smaller the required lump sum. A 25-year-old coasting to a $2 million retirement at 65 at 7% needs roughly $133,000 today. A 35-year-old needs about $263,000. A 45-year-old needs around $519,000. Starting early dramatically reduces the capital required, which is why Coast FIRE is often achievable well before full FIRE — sometimes in your 30s or even late 20s if you save aggressively early in your career.

Real vs. nominal returns

This calculator provides two Coast FIRE numbers: a nominal and an inflation-adjusted (real) figure. The nominal calculation uses your stated annual return without adjusting for inflation. The real calculation divides by the real return rate, computed as (1 + nominal_return) / (1 + inflation_rate) − 1. If inflation averages 3% and your investments return 7%, your real return is roughly 3.88%.

The inflation-adjusted number is more conservative and arguably more honest: it tells you what you need in today's purchasing power. If your retirement target is set in today's dollars, the real Coast FIRE number is the more relevant figure. If your target is already expressed in future nominal dollars, the nominal calculation applies.

The psychology of "set it and forget it"

Perhaps the greatest benefit of Coast FIRE is psychological. Constant saving pressure — the feeling that every dollar not invested is a failure — can make careers feel like a trap and leisure feel like guilt. Once you have hit your Coast FIRE number, you gain the freedom to make career decisions based on meaning, schedule, and lifestyle rather than pure compensation. The portfolio is doing the retirement-building work autonomously; your job is simply to fund today's life. For many, this shift in mindset transforms the remaining working years from obligation to choice.

Assumptions

Annual return is assumed to be constant each year; actual market returns are variable and cannot be predicted.
No additional contributions are made after the current savings balance — the entire calculation is based on compound growth only.
Taxes on investment gains are not modeled; returns are treated as pre-tax (or tax-advantaged account) figures.
Inflation is assumed to be constant at the entered rate for the entire projection period.
The FIRE number represents the total portfolio value needed at retirement; safe withdrawal rate and spending needs are not calculated here.
All calculations use annual compounding; dividends and capital gains are assumed reinvested automatically.

Frequently asked questions

›What is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE is the point at which your invested assets are large enough that compound growth alone — with no further contributions — will reach your retirement target by your planned retirement age. You still need income to cover living expenses, but the obligation to save for retirement is removed.

›How is Coast FIRE different from regular FIRE?

Regular (full) FIRE means your portfolio is already sufficient to fund retirement indefinitely — you can stop working entirely today. Coast FIRE only means your portfolio will reach that number by retirement age; you still need earned income to pay current bills. Coast FIRE is typically achievable much earlier than full FIRE because the required lump sum is far smaller.

›Should I use real or nominal returns?

It depends on how you defined your FIRE number. If your retirement target is expressed in today's dollars (e.g., 'I want $2 million in purchasing power'), use the real return and the inflation-adjusted Coast FIRE number. If your target is a nominal future dollar amount, use the nominal figures. When in doubt, the inflation-adjusted number is the more conservative and prudent estimate.

›What happens after I hit Coast FIRE?

You can redirect what you were investing toward other goals — paying off debt, a home purchase, building a lifestyle fund, or simply upgrading your quality of life — while knowing that retirement is funded by compound growth. Many Coast FIRE adherents shift to less demanding or more fulfilling jobs, since they no longer need high income to fund savings.

›Can I still contribute after hitting Coast FIRE?

Absolutely. Additional contributions after hitting Coast FIRE will grow your projected retirement balance above your FIRE number, giving you a larger cushion, the option to retire earlier, or the ability to spend more in retirement. Coast FIRE is a floor, not a ceiling. Continuing to invest accelerates the timeline to full FIRE.

›How does sequence-of-returns risk affect Coast FIRE?

Sequence-of-returns risk — the danger that poor market returns occur at the worst possible time — is less acute during the Coast FIRE accumulation phase than during retirement, because you are not withdrawing funds. However, a sustained bear market in the decade before retirement can significantly reduce your final balance. To guard against this, consider shifting to a more conservative asset allocation as you approach retirement, or build a buffer by aiming for a Coast FIRE number somewhat above the bare minimum.