Tool 02 · Coast FIRE
When can you stop saving?
Coast FIRE is the point where what you've already invested will grow — with no further deposits — into your retirement target on its own. After it, you only need to cover today's bills. The pressure's off.
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Retirement target = yearly spending ÷ withdrawal rate.
Pro features. See the date you hit coast, read insights, compare retirement ages, and export your plan.
When will you coast?
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If you’re not there yet, this is how fast you close the gap.
Year by year (coasting, no new deposits)
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| Retire at | Coast number today | Are you there? |
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What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is the moment your invested money is already enough to grow — on its own, with no further contributions — into your full retirement target by the age you want to retire. After you hit it, you only need to earn enough to cover today’s bills; your future is already funded by compounding.
The maths works backwards from your target. Your retirement target is your yearly spending ÷ withdrawal rate, and your coast number today is that target discounted back by your expected return over the years until retirement. If what you’ve already invested is at or above the coast number, you’ve reached Coast FIRE.
What makes Coast FIRE so motivating is that it arrives years before full financial independence. Because compounding does the heavy lifting in the final stretch, the pot you need today to coast is only a fraction of your eventual target. Hit that fraction early and the relentless pressure to save eases: you can switch to a lower-paid but more enjoyable job, go part-time, or take a career break, as long as you can still cover your day-to-day bills.
A worked example
Age 30 · retire at 60 · €30,000 spending · 4% withdrawal · 7% real return
The retirement target is €30,000 ÷ 4% = €750,000. Discounted back over 30 years at 7%, the coast number today is about €98,500. So a 30-year-old with roughly €98,500 already invested could stop contributing entirely and still drift to €750,000 by 60. Wait until 40 to start and the coast number more than doubles — the clearest illustration of why time in the market beats timing it.
Things to keep in mind
- Coasting still means working. You’ve funded your future, not your present — you still need income to cover today’s spending until you actually retire.
- The return assumption matters most. A lower expected return raises the coast number sharply, because the pot has to do more of the growing. When in doubt, be conservative.
- Markets don’t grow in a straight line. Reaching the coast number in a bull market and then hitting a long slump can leave you short. Many "coasters" keep contributing a little as insurance.
- It pairs with "Barista FIRE". A part-time job that covers current bills (and maybe health cover) is the classic way to live off a coast position without touching the pot.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE?
They go together. Coast FIRE describes the portfolio milestone — you have enough invested that it’ll grow into your target on its own. Barista FIRE describes the lifestyle — taking an easier, lower-stress job (the archetype being a coffee-shop role with benefits) that covers your current spending while the coast pot grows untouched.
Can I coast to an earlier retirement age?
Yes, but it costs more. The fewer years of compounding you leave, the larger the coast number you need today. Pull your retirement age in and watch the coast number climb; push it out and it falls.
How is Coast FIRE different from FIRE?
FIRE means you can stop working. Coast FIRE means you can stop saving — you still work to cover current spending, but you no longer need to add to your investments to retire on time.
Can I really stop saving once I coast?
Mathematically yes, if your return assumption holds. In practice, markets vary, so many people keep a buffer or keep contributing a little. Lower your assumed return to see a more conservative coast number.
What return should I assume?
A long-run, after-inflation figure around 5–7% is common for a diversified stock portfolio, but it’s your call. A lower return raises the coast number you need today.