emberfi Join the waitlist
← All calculators

FI Number Calculator

Your FI number is the portfolio that covers your spending without a paycheck. Enter what you spend in a year and see it.

Your numbers

$

What you expect to spend in a year once you stop working, in today's dollars.

2.5%6.0%

The share of the portfolio you draw in year one. 4% is the common starting point, and it is genuinely debated.

$

Invested assets only: brokerage, retirement accounts, and cash you count as part of the portfolio. Add it to see your progress.

Your FI number

—

Covers the portfolio only, before tax. Social Security, a pension or part-time income lowers it.

How much the withdrawal rate matters

The same spending, priced at a range of withdrawal rates.

Your FI number at each withdrawal rate

There is no settled answer on the right rate, and the number moves a lot. Moving from 5% to 3% takes the target from 20 times your annual spending to more than 33 times it.

Withdrawal rate FI number Multiple

This tool provides estimates for general planning purposes only, not personalized financial or tax advice. It relies on simplifying assumptions (see "How this is calculated" below) that will not match your actual results. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

How this is calculated

The formula

FI number = annual expenses ÷ (safe withdrawal rate ÷ 100)

At a 4% withdrawal rate that is 25 times your annual spending; at 3% it is about 33 times, and at 5% it is 20 times. If you entered your current invested net worth, progress is that balance divided by the FI number, capped at 100%.

What a "safe withdrawal rate" means

It is the percentage of the portfolio you withdraw in the first year, with later withdrawals rising to keep pace with inflation. The widely quoted 4% figure comes from studies of how portfolios would have fared across historical 30-year periods. It is a rule of thumb, not a guarantee, and reasonable people argue for anything from 3% to 5%. The safe withdrawal rate explorer shows what the historical record actually says.

What this does not account for

  • Anything other than the portfolio. Social Security, a pension, rental income, or part-time work all reduce what the portfolio has to cover. The Barista FIRE calculator handles the part-time case.
  • Spending that changes. One flat annual figure carries from the first year to the last. Real spending moves with health, housing, and family.
  • Taxes. Withdrawals from traditional accounts are taxable income. If your spending figure is what you need after tax, the portfolio has to be larger.
  • How long the money must last. A withdrawal rate that works over 30 years is a different proposition over 50.

Shared assumptions

  • No taxes, fees, or lumpy spending. Investment fees, taxes on withdrawals, one-off costs, and changes in your spending over time are not modelled.
  • Nothing leaves your browser. The whole calculation runs client-side. We do not receive, log, or store anything you type into the calculator.