Years to FIRE — based on your savings rate
At any income, savings rate alone determines retirement age. This calculator implements Mr. Money Mustache's "shockingly simple math" with adjustable inputs.
Calculate years to FIRE
At any income, your savings rate alone determines how long it takes to retire — not the dollar amount.
Assumes a fixed savings rate, constant real return, and a 4% safe withdrawal rate. Starting balance of $0 (already-saved money would shorten the timeline further).
Reference: years to FIRE at 5% real return
From Mr. Money Mustache's "shockingly simple math" — assumes 5% real return, 4% withdrawal rate, $0 starting balance.
| Savings rate | Years to FIRE | Retire age (start at 25) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | 51 | 76 |
| 15% | 43 | 68 |
| 20% | 37 | 62 |
| 25% | 32 | 57 |
| 30% | 28 | 53 |
| 35% | 25 | 50 |
| 40% | 22 | 47 |
| 45% | 19 | 44 |
| 50% | 17 | 42 |
| 55% | 14.5 | 40 |
| 60% | 12.5 | 38 |
| 65% | 10.5 | 36 |
| 70% | 8.5 | 34 |
| 75% | 7 | 32 |
| 80% | 5.5 | 31 |
Why savings rate is the master variable
Two people on different incomes who both save 50% of their take-home pay reach financial independence in roughly the same number of years — about 17 at a 5% real return. The reason: each year of expenses requires 25 years' worth of expenses invested to fund it. If you save half your income, every year of work funds one year of expenses plus one year of retirement, so you halve the work-years required.
Higher income lets you live more comfortably or save more relative to your spending — but only if your spending doesn't scale up at the same rate. The classic FIRE pitfall is letting expenses grow with income and never moving the savings-rate dial.