When can you stop saving?

Coast FIRE means you've saved enough in your retirement accounts that, even if you never contribute another dollar, compound growth alone will carry your portfolio to your full FIRE number by your traditional retirement age (typically 60-67). Once you hit Coast FIRE, you only need to earn enough to cover current living expenses — no more saving required.

Coast FIRE number = Full FIRE number ÷ (1 + real return rate)^(years until retirement). Example: FIRE target $1.5M, retiring in 30 years at 7% real return → $1,500,000 ÷ (1.07)^30 = $197,000. If you have $197,000 saved today, it will grow to $1.5M by retirement without another contribution.

Your Coast FIRE number is the minimum portfolio size needed today so that compound interest alone reaches your full FIRE target by retirement — with zero additional savings. It shrinks the longer you have until retirement: at 7% real returns, $100K at age 25 becomes $1.5M by 65. Your Coast FIRE number rises sharply as you get closer to retirement.

Full FIRE means your portfolio is large enough to support your expenses indefinitely right now. Coast FIRE means your portfolio will grow to that point on its own by a future date. If your FIRE number is $1.5M at age 60 and your investments will compound to $1.5M by then without additional contributions, you've hit Coast FIRE — even if your current portfolio is only $400K.

A common assumption is 7% real (inflation-adjusted) return for a US stock index fund. This is based on historical S&P 500 returns minus inflation. Conservative estimates use 5-6%. The actual return you achieve will vary — this calculator shows projections, not guarantees. Lower assumed returns mean you need more saved to reach Coast FIRE.

Yes — any tax-advantaged retirement account (401k, IRA, Roth IRA) counts toward your Coast FIRE number. The key insight is that the money already saved will compound regardless of further contributions. Coast FIRE lets you shift to lower-stress, lower-paying work while your retirement funds grow on autopilot.

Coast FIRE means your saved investments will compound to your full FIRE target without more contributions — you just need to cover current expenses from income. Barista FIRE means you work a low-stress part-time job (like a barista) whose income plus employer benefits partially covers current expenses, while your portfolio also grows. Both eliminate the need to save aggressively; Barista FIRE often includes employer health insurance as a key benefit.

Yes — especially for those who start investing early. Saving $100K by age 25 and investing in a broad index fund at 7% real return reaches $1.5M by age 65 without another contribution. The challenge is saving the initial Coast number, not the decades of growth. Most people can reach Coast FIRE in their 30s or early 40s with consistent early saving.

After hitting Coast FIRE you can: (1) stop contributing to retirement and spend all income on current lifestyle, (2) take a lower-paying but more fulfilling job since savings pressure is gone, (3) work part-time (Barista FIRE style), or (4) keep contributing and reach full FIRE earlier. Many Coast FIRE achievers reduce hours or change careers rather than stop working entirely.