Retire Early (FIRE)

Financial Independence, Retire Early — calculate your FIRE number, boost your savings rate, and build the portfolio to make it happen on your own timeline.

Your action plan

Calculate your FIRE number

Multiply your annual expenses by 25. This is how much you need invested to withdraw 4% per year indefinitely (the "4% rule").

Track your savings rate

Savings rate is the most powerful lever. At 50% savings rate you can reach FIRE in ~17 years regardless of income.

Max all tax-advantaged accounts

401(k) ($23,500), Roth IRA ($7,000), HSA ($4,300 individual). These reduce taxes now and let wealth grow faster.

Invest the rest in a taxable brokerage

Low-cost total market index funds. VTSAX, VTI, or FSKAX. Rebalance annually. Don't time the market.

💡 Key insight

The math of FIRE: if you spend $50,000/year, you need $1.25M invested (25× rule). At a 50% savings rate on a $100,000 income, you save $50K/year. At a hypothetical 7% average return, you reach $1.25M in approximately 14 years. Actual investment returns vary.