Financial Independence Calculator
Work out your FI number from annual spending and a safe withdrawal rate, the years until you reach it, and the coast-FI amount needed today to stop saving.
The numbers behind it
| Target portfolio (25.0× annual spending) | $1,000,000 |
| Contributing each year | $24,000 |
| Contributions until FI | $424,000 |
| Investment growth until FI | $531,335 |
| Coast-FI number — enough today to stop contributing | $131,367 |
| Coast-FI status | $81,367 to go |
Coast FI is the balance that would grow to your FI number in 30 years at 7.00% a year with no further saving. Reaching it does not mean you can stop working — it means you could stop investing for retirement and still land on target.
Path to financial independence
| Year | Age | Contributed so far | Balance | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | $24,000 | $78,400 | 7.8% |
| 2 | 34 | $48,000 | $108,852 | 10.9% |
| 3 | 35 | $72,000 | $141,506 | 14.2% |
| 4 | 36 | $96,000 | $176,521 | 17.7% |
| 5 | 37 | $120,000 | $214,067 | 21.4% |
| 6 | 38 | $144,000 | $254,327 | 25.4% |
| 7 | 39 | $168,000 | $297,498 | 29.7% |
| 8 | 40 | $192,000 | $343,789 | 34.4% |
| 9 | 41 | $216,000 | $393,427 | 39.3% |
| 10 | 42 | $240,000 | $446,653 | 44.7% |
| 11 | 43 | $264,000 | $503,726 | 50.4% |
| 12 | 44 | $288,000 | $564,926 | 56.5% |
| 13 | 45 | $312,000 | $630,550 | 63.1% |
| 14 | 46 | $336,000 | $700,917 | 70.1% |
| 15 | 47 | $360,000 | $776,372 | 77.6% |
| 16 | 48 | $384,000 | $857,281 | 85.7% |
| 17 | 49 | $408,000 | $944,039 | 94.4% |
| 18 | 50 | $432,000 | $1,037,069 | 100.0% |
The FI number is annual spending ÷ safe withdrawal rate, so a 4% rate is the familiar 25× rule. The balance is projected month by month as balance × (1 + r/12) + contribution, which is the same result as FV = P(1+r)n + PMT((1+r)n − 1)/r. Worked check: $50,000 growing at 7% with $2,000 a month passes $1,000,000 after 212 months — about 17.7 years — and $258,419 today compounds to $1,000,000 in 20 years at 7%. The 4% rule came from historical US data over 30-year retirements and is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee. Arithmetic only, not financial advice.
What is the Financial Independence Calculator?
The ByteTools Financial Independence Calculator starts with the number everyone wants: annual spending divided by your safe withdrawal rate, which at the usual 4% is the familiar 25 times your expenses.
- FI number from any safe withdrawal rate, with the implied multiple shown
- Month-by-month projection reported in years and at what age
- Coast-FI number and how far you still are from it
- Splits contributions from investment growth on the way to the target
- Year-by-year table with balance and percentage progress
- Private and offline; your savings figures never leave the browser
How to use the Financial Independence Calculator
- 1
Enter the annual spending you want your portfolio to cover in retirement.
- 2
Set your safe withdrawal rate — 4% is the usual default and 3–3.5% is a more cautious choice.
- 3
Add your current invested savings, your monthly contribution and the annual return you expect.
- 4
Optionally add your age and the number of years until you would retire, for the age and coast-FI figures.
- 5
Read the FI number, years to reach it and coast-FI status, then follow the year-by-year path table.
About the Financial Independence Calculator
The ByteTools Financial Independence Calculator starts with the number everyone wants: annual spending divided by your safe withdrawal rate, which at the usual 4% is the familiar 25 times your expenses. The rate is editable, because 4% is a rule of thumb from historical US data over 30-year retirements, not a law of nature.
From there it projects your current savings forward month by month with your contributions and expected return, and reports how many years you are away and the age you would be. It also computes your coast-FI number — the balance that would grow to your target on its own if you stopped investing for retirement tomorrow.
Use a real, after-inflation return if you want the answer in today's money. Everything runs in your browser with nothing uploaded or stored. These are projections for planning, not investment advice, and real market returns will not arrive in a straight line.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate your FI number?
Divide your annual spending by your safe withdrawal rate. At a 4% rate, $40,000 of annual spending needs a $1,000,000 portfolio — the same as multiplying spending by 25. A more cautious 3.5% rate raises that target to about $1,143,000.
What is the 4% rule?
It is the finding that a portfolio could historically support withdrawals of 4% of its starting value, rising with inflation, for 30 years without running out. It came from US market history and is a planning heuristic, not a guarantee — which is why the rate is editable here.
What is coast FI?
Coast FI is the balance that will grow into your full FI number by retirement age with no further contributions. Reaching it does not mean you can stop working, but it does mean you could stop investing for retirement and still land on target.
Should I use a real or nominal return?
Use a real, after-inflation return — commonly 4% to 7% for a stock-heavy portfolio — if you entered your spending in today's money. Mixing a nominal return with today's expenses makes financial independence look much closer than it is.
Does this include a pension or social security?
No. It models one investment pot. If you expect a state or workplace pension, reduce the annual spending figure by what that pension will cover before calculating your FI number.
Related tools
Retirement Savings Calculator
Project your retirement savings from current balance, monthly contributions, annual return and years. See the future value split into contributions and growth.
Savings Withdrawal Calculator
Find out how long your savings will last at a given monthly withdrawal, or how much you can safely take for a set number of years, with inflation increases.
Compound Interest Calculator
Calculate compound interest with optional monthly contributions. See final balance, total interest and a year-by-year growth table for any rate and term.
Expense Ratio Calculator
See what a fund's expense ratio costs over time: fees paid each year, the lost compound growth, the ending-value gap and a side-by-side cheaper fund.
401(k) Calculator
Project your 401(k) balance at retirement from your salary, contribution percent, employer match and expected return, with a year-by-year growth table.