What Coast FIRE means
Coast FIRE is the point where you have invested enough that, even if you never add another dollar, compounding alone will carry the balance to your full retirement number by your chosen retirement age. From then on you only need to earn enough to cover current living costs, which opens the door to lower-stress work, part-time hours or a career change.
Coast FIRE number = FIRE number ÷ (1 + real return)^(years to retirement)
A 32-year-old planning to retire at 60 on $50,000 a year has a full FIRE number of $1.25 million. At a 5% real return, about $320,000 invested today would grow to that by 60, so that is the Coast FIRE number.
The catch
Coasting depends on the return you assume and on leaving the money untouched for decades. A run of poor market years or an early withdrawal can push the timeline back. Many people who reach Coast FIRE keep contributing a little, or keep a buffer above the number, rather than stopping completely.
It also only covers retirement. You still need an emergency fund and enough income for everything between now and then. If you want to stop full-time work entirely but still earn a little, look at Barista FIRE.
Common questions
What is a good Coast FIRE number?
It depends on your age, target spending and retirement age. Younger savers need much less, since their money has more years to grow.
Can I stop saving once I hit Coast FIRE?
In theory, yes, for retirement. Many keep saving something to build a margin of safety.
What return should I use for Coast FIRE?
A real return (after inflation) of about 4% to 6% is common for a stock-heavy portfolio.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.