What Is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is the point where you've invested enough that compound growth alone will carry you to full financial independence by retirement — even if you never save another dollar. This guide explains the concept in plain English and shows how to find your number.
The short answer
Coast FIRE means your invested portfolio is large enough today that it can grow into your full FIRE number by retirement on its own. After hitting Coast FIRE you still need earned income to cover living expenses, but retirement savings is effectively done.
How Coast FIRE works
Start with your FIRE number — annual retirement spending divided by your safe withdrawal rate (usually 4%). Then discount that number back to today using your expected real return and the years left until retirement. The result is the amount you need invested right now for compounding to do the rest of the work.
Coast FIRE Today = FIRE Number / (1 + Real Return) ^ Years Until Retirement
Coast FIRE vs traditional FIRE
Traditional FIRE requires enough invested to fully cover annual spending today. Coast FIRE only requires enough invested to grow into that number later. Coast FIRE is much faster to hit, which is why it's the most popular milestone for beginners on the FIRE path.
How to track it
Use the free Coast FIRE Tracker to plug in your numbers, see your % progress, and compare scenarios month over month. Pair it with the Coast FIRE Calculator for a deeper one-time projection.
Calculate your Coast FIRE number
The free Coast FIRE tracker takes 30 seconds and works on mobile.
Track your Coast FIRE numberRelated calculators
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