If retirement is 10-15 years out rather than 30, the math still works the same way — just with less runway. See whether your current savings can already coast the rest of the way.
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Estimates only, based on a constant annual return and constant contributions — real markets don't move in a straight line. Not financial advice.
The fire coast calculator math doesn't change based on how close you are to retirement — but the result often looks different. With fewer years left for compounding, your coast number sits closer to your retirement number, and many people in their 50s and 60s discover they've already crossed it without realizing.
Consider a more conservative expected annual return if you've shifted your portfolio toward bonds, and double check your safe withdrawal rate — a shorter retirement horizon can sometimes support a slightly higher rate than the classic 4% rule, while a longer one may call for lower.
Yes — in fact the closer you are to retirement, the smaller the gap between your coast number and your current savings tends to be, since there's less time for compounding to do the work. Many people within 10-15 years of retirement find they're already coasting, or close to it.
Many people shift toward a more conservative portfolio (more bonds, fewer stocks) as retirement nears, which typically lowers expected returns. This calculator defaults to 6% for the near-retirement scenario versus 7% for the general case — adjust it to match your actual asset allocation.
The calculator will show you the age at which continued contributions cross your required coast number, so you can see whether that lands before or after your target retirement age. If it lands after, you'd need to raise contributions, lower your spending target, or push retirement out.
The safe withdrawal rate (commonly 4%, sometimes lowered to 3-3.5% for longer or more conservative retirements) directly sets your retirement number: desired spending divided by the rate. A lower withdrawal rate means a larger retirement number and a larger coast number today.