Savings Rate & Years to FI Calculator

See how many years of work stand between you and financial independence at your savings rate — and how much each extra percent saves.

Assumptions reviewed

$
%
$
% / yr
% / yr
%
20–30 years away
Years until financial independence
26.8 years

Your income level barely matters here — what counts is the share you save. Two people saving 50% reach FI at about the same time whether they earn $50k or $500k.

Years to financial independence by savings rate yrs
0204060805203550658035%: 26.8 yrsSavings rate
That is
26 years, 10 months
Saved each year
$35,000
Spent each year
$65,000
FIRE number
$1,625,000
If you saved 10 points more
20.3 years
Your income
Saved: $35,000 (35%)Spent: $65,000 (65%)35%saved
  • Saved$35,00035%
  • Spent$65,00065%
Show the working
  1. Save $35,000 and spend $65,000 a year
  2. FIRE number = $65,000 ÷ 4% = $1,625,000
  3. Real return 3.88% → 26.8 years

Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded.

Formula

Spending = income × (1 − savings rate)FIRE number = spending ÷ withdrawal rateYears = time for savings, growing at the real return, to reach the FIRE number

How it works

The savings rate is the most powerful number in early retirement. It works twice: every dollar you save is a dollar invested and also a dollar of spending your portfolio will not need to replace. That is why the curve is so steep — going from 10% to 50% cuts the working years from roughly half a century to under two decades.

Starting from zero, the result depends only on your savings rate, your real return and your withdrawal rate — not on how much you earn. That surprising fact was popularised by the blogger Mr. Money Mustache, whose savings-rate table inspired a generation of FIRE plans.

Add what you have already invested to see your personal timeline, and use the "10 points more" line to see what one bigger change would buy you.

How to calculate your savings rate

Divide what you save in a year by your take-home pay. Count 401(k) and IRA contributions, any employer match, HSA contributions and money moved to a brokerage account. Add pre-tax contributions and the match to both the top and bottom of the fraction so they are treated consistently.

Paying down a mortgage early is usually counted as spending in this framework, because the money is not available to generate income in retirement — though it does lower your future spending.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good savings rate to retire early?

A 50% savings rate leads to financial independence in roughly 15–20 years from zero, depending on returns. 25% takes about 35 years; 70% can take as little as 9–10.

Why does my income not change the result?

Because spending scales with income in this model. Someone who saves half of $200,000 needs twice the FIRE number of someone who saves half of $100,000, but they also save twice as much each year.

Should I use gross or take-home pay?

Take-home pay plus any pre-tax retirement contributions and match. Taxes are money you never get to save or spend, so including them understates your real rate.

Is this the same as the "shockingly simple math" table?

It follows the same idea. Results differ slightly with the return, inflation and withdrawal assumptions you choose; this calculator also uses monthly compounding.

Sources

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