Coast FIRE Number by Age
Find the amount you need invested today so that — without another dollar of contributions — your portfolio grows to your retirement target by age 65.
Withdrawal Rate
4%
Real Return
5% (e.g. 8% − 3% inflation)
Retirement Age
65
All values
Today's dollars
|
Age Yrs to retire |
$2k/mo $600k target |
$3k/mo $900k target |
$4k/mo $1.20M target |
$5k/mo $1.50M target |
$6k/mo $1.80M target |
$8k/mo $2.40M target |
$10k/mo $3.00M target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 43 yrs | $74k | $110k | $147k | $184k | $221k | $294k | $368k |
| 25 40 yrs | $85k | $128k | $170k | $213k | $256k | $341k | $426k |
| 28 37 yrs | $99k | $148k | $197k | $247k | $296k | $395k | $493k |
| 30 35 yrs | $109k | $163k | $218k | $272k | $326k | $435k | $544k |
| 32 33 yrs | $120k | $180k | $240k | $300k | $360k | $480k | $600k |
| 35 30 yrs | $139k | $208k | $278k | $347k | $416k | $555k | $694k |
| 38 27 yrs | $161k | $241k | $321k | $402k | $482k | $643k | $804k |
| 40 25 yrs | $177k | $266k | $354k | $443k | $532k | $709k | $886k |
| 42 23 yrs | $195k | $293k | $391k | $488k | $586k | $781k | $977k |
| 45 20 yrs | $226k | $339k | $452k | $565k | $678k | $905k | $1.13M |
| 48 17 yrs | $262k | $393k | $524k | $654k | $785k | $1.05M | $1.31M |
| 50 15 yrs | $289k | $433k | $577k | $722k | $866k | $1.15M | $1.44M |
Teal = under 20% of FIRE number (very achievable) · Amber = 20–40% · White = 40%+ of full FIRE number
How Return Rate Changes Your Coast Number
Same scenario: age 35, $4,000/month retirement expenses, retire at 65. Different real return assumptions.
4% real return
$370k
e.g. 7% − 3% inflation
5% real return
$278k
e.g. 8% − 3% inflation
6% real return
$209k
e.g. 9% − 3% inflation
7.000000000000001% real return
$158k
e.g. 10% − 3% inflation
How to Use This Table
① Find your row
Look up your current age in the left column. The "Yrs to retire" column shows how many years of compound growth you have working for you.
② Find your column
Choose the monthly expense column closest to your expected retirement spending. Note the full FIRE number in the header — that's your end goal.
③ Read your coast number
The value at the intersection is your Coast FIRE number — the amount you need invested today to stop contributing and still retire on track.
Example: Reading the table
If you're age 30 and expect to spend $4,000/month in retirement, your Coast FIRE number is $218k. Once you have that amount invested, your portfolio will grow to $1,200,000 by age 65 without another contribution — assuming 5% real annual return. At age 25 the same target would be $170k (less, because you have more time). At age 40 it rises to $354k.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Coast FIRE number? +
Your Coast FIRE number is the amount you need invested today so that — without making any further contributions — your portfolio will compound to your full retirement target by the time you retire. Once you hit your coast number, you only need to cover your living expenses from earned income; your investments take care of the retirement savings automatically.
Why do the numbers in this table get larger as you get older? +
Because time is the key variable. The younger you are, the more years your invested money has to compound. A 25-year-old needs far less invested today than a 40-year-old to reach the same retirement target at 65, because their money has 40 years vs 25 years of compound growth ahead of it. Every year you wait, the required coast number rises.
What does "5% real return" mean? +
Real return is your investment return after subtracting inflation. If your portfolio returns 8% per year and inflation is 3%, your real return is 5%. Using real return means all values in this table are expressed in today's purchasing power — so $1,200,000 in the table means $1,200,000 of today's spending power, not a future inflated dollar amount.
What if I want to retire before 65? +
Use the Coast FIRE calculator above to model any retirement age. Earlier retirement means fewer compounding years, so your required coast number will be higher for the same target. For example, retiring at 55 instead of 65 roughly doubles the coast number for a 35-year-old, because you lose 10 years of compounding.
What is the 4% withdrawal rate and is it safe? +
The 4% rule comes from the Trinity Study, which found that withdrawing 4% of your portfolio per year has historically sustained a portfolio for 30+ years across all market conditions since 1926. For early retirees with 40+ year horizons, many planners use 3.5% for extra safety margin. To model a different withdrawal rate, use the Coast FIRE calculator and adjust the slider.
Does reaching my coast number mean I can retire? +
No — reaching your coast number means you can stop contributing to retirement savings. You still need to cover your current living expenses from earned income until you actually retire. The benefit is that you can shift to lower-paying, lower-stress, or part-time work without worrying that you're falling behind on retirement savings.
Get Your Exact Coast Number
The table above uses standard assumptions. The calculator models your actual initial investment, monthly contributions, annual contribution increases, and custom retirement age.
🌊 Open Coast FIRE Calculator →