Independent guides for US savers, built from primary sources

Do the math on retiring early.

FIRE stands for financial independence, retire early: investing enough that your portfolio can cover your living costs, so paid work becomes optional. CokeGas explains the math, the accounts and the US tax rules, links every source and shows every calculation.

Example only: $90,000 take-home pay, $43,200 spending, nothing invested yet, a 5% return after inflation and a 4% withdrawal rate. An estimate, not a promise: real returns vary from year to year.

Four steps to a FIRE plan

New here? Work through them in order, or read the Start Here page first.

01

Find your number

Yearly spending divided by your withdrawal rate: about 25 times spending at 4%.

02

Raise your savings rate

The share of pay you keep sets your timeline more than anything else you control.

03

Keep costs low

Fund fees come out of your return every year, so small differences compound.

04

Plan the drawdown

A withdrawal rate you can live with, and a way to reach retirement accounts before 59½.

Guides

The math, accounts and tax rules behind FIRE, with worked examples.

All guides

Comparisons

Providers side by side, from their own fee schedules and fund documents.

All comparisons

New to FIRE? Start with the basics.

What financial independence means, how to read your calculator results, and which guides to read first.