Coast FIRE
What if you didn’t need to save another dollar for retirement — just let what you already have grow, and cover today’s bills with whatever work you actually want to do?
What Is It
Coast FIRE means you’ve already invested enough that compound growth alone — with zero additional contributions — will carry your portfolio to your full FIRE number by a normal retirement age. Once you hit that point, you’re “coasting”: you still need income to cover today’s living expenses, but you’re no longer required to save anything more for retirement. The math has already done the rest of the work for you.
Why It Matters
This is one of the paths referenced on the FIRE Number page — a way to reach the same eventual outcome with a smaller number required today, because you’re leaning on decades of compound growth instead of continued contributions. It’s popular with people who want out of high-stress, high-income careers sooner, even if that means a lower-paying or part-time job in the meantime — the paycheck just needs to cover current costs, not fund retirement too.
Quick Example
Say your FIRE number is $1,250,000 (the same $50,000-expenses example from the FIRE Number page) and you’re 30 years from a normal retirement age. At a 7% average annual return with zero further contributions, you’d need roughly $164,000 invested today to grow into that full $1,250,000 on its own. Hit that number now, and every dollar you earn afterward is yours to spend, not required to save.
Try It Yourself
Coast FIRE is really just compound interest working in reverse — how much do you need today to hit a target years from now with no further contributions? Plug in your own numbers.
📈Compound Interest Calculator
Model how a lump sum grows on its own over time — the exact math behind whether you’ve already hit your Coast FIRE number.