Free Financial Tool

Coast FIRE Calculator (Canada & USA)

A free Coast FIRE calculator for Canada and the USA: find out how much you need invested today — in your RRSP, TFSA, 401(k), or IRA — so your portfolio can grow to fund retirement without any additional contributions.

Models your RRSP TFSA 401(k) IRA
yrs
yrs
In today’s dollars
$
Total across all investment accounts
$
Amount added to investment accounts each month
$
Optional — leave $0 to exclude
$
Assumptions
Investment Return 7.0%
Inflation Rate 2.5%
Safe Withdrawal Rate 4.0%
ETF average ≈ 0.20%
%
🎉
You’ve reached Coast FIRE! Your investments will grow to cover your retirement without any additional contributions.
Your Coast FIRE Number
—
needed today
You Currently Have
—
invested assets
Coast FIRE Age
—
when you can stop saving
Retirement Number
—
needed at retirement
Years to Coast FIRE
—
at current savings rate
Gap / Surplus
—
vs. Coast FIRE target
Portfolio Growth Projection
Your portfolio (with contributions)
Coast FIRE target line
Portfolio after coasting
🎉
You’ve reached Coast FIRE as a couple! Your combined investments will grow to cover your retirement.
Combined Household Results
Combined Coast FIRE Number
—
needed today (combined)
Combined Current Assets
—
both partners combined
Combined Retirement Number
—
needed at retirement
Gap / Surplus
—
vs. combined target
Years to Coast FIRE
—
at current combined savings rate
Who Reaches It First
—
Individual Breakdown
👤 Person 1
Coast FIRE Target —
Current Assets —
Coast FIRE Age —
Gap / Surplus —
👤 Person 2
Coast FIRE Target —
Current Assets —
Coast FIRE Age —
Gap / Surplus —
Combined Portfolio Growth Projection
Person 1 portfolio
Person 2 portfolio
Combined Coast FIRE target

What Is Coast FIRE?

Coast FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is a financial milestone where you’ve invested enough money that — even without adding a single dollar more — your portfolio will grow on its own to fully fund your retirement by your target age. The math relies entirely on compound interest doing the heavy lifting over time.

Once you hit your Coast FIRE number, you can shift gears: take a lower-stress job, go part-time, start a business, or simply stop stressing about retirement savings. You still need to cover your day-to-day expenses, but the retirement side of your finances is essentially handled.

Traditional FIRE

Requires saving aggressively until you have enough to retire completely — often 25× your annual expenses. High savings pressure for many years.

Coast FIRE

Front-load your investing early, then let compound growth do the rest. You reach financial security much sooner — even if you still work to cover living costs.

Retirement Accounts: USA vs. Canada

The underlying math of Coast FIRE is identical in both countries, but the account types and government benefits differ significantly. Here’s what to count as “invested assets” in each country.

Note: Enter the total combined value of your investment accounts in the calculator above. Government benefits (CPP/OAS or Social Security) can be entered separately to reduce your required retirement number.

How the Calculator Works

The calculation has two steps. First, your Retirement Number — how much you need at retirement — is calculated using the 4% safe withdrawal rule (or whichever SWR you choose):

Retirement Number = Annual Spending ÷ Safe Withdrawal Rate

Then, your Coast FIRE Number — what you need invested today — is the present value of that retirement number, discounted back by your real rate of return (investment return minus inflation) over the years until retirement:

Coast FIRE Number = Retirement Number ÷ (1 + real return)^years

All figures are expressed in today’s dollars — inflation is already factored in by subtracting it from the investment return rate. If your current portfolio already exceeds your Coast FIRE Number, you’ve coasted.

Using This Calculator as a Canadian

Canadian users have access to two powerful registered accounts — the RRSP and the TFSA — that can significantly accelerate your path to Coast FIRE thanks to tax-sheltered compounding. Here’s how to get the most accurate results from this calculator:

How to fill in the fields
Current Invested Assets
Enter the combined total of your RRSP, TFSA, and any non-registered investment accounts. Do not include cash savings accounts (HISA) unless they are invested in growth assets.
CPP + OAS
Switch the country toggle to 🇨🇦 Canada and enter your estimated combined monthly CPP + OAS. If you’re unsure, a reasonable estimate is $1,000–$1,500/month for someone with a full work history. This reduces your required retirement number — lowering your Coast FIRE target.
Inflation Rate
The Bank of Canada targets 2% inflation. Set the inflation slider to 2.0%–2.5% for a realistic Canadian projection.

💡 Tip: Because TFSA growth is completely tax-free, every dollar compounding inside a TFSA is worth more over time than the same dollar in a non-registered account. Maximizing your TFSA first is often the most effective strategy for reaching Coast FIRE sooner.

Ready to put your savings to work? Compare today’s best GIC and HISA rates in Canada to maximize your Coast FIRE portfolio.
Compare Savings Rates →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate your Coast FIRE number?
Your Coast FIRE number is calculated in two steps. First, determine your retirement number: divide your expected annual retirement spending by your safe withdrawal rate (typically 4%). Then discount that retirement number back to today using your expected real rate of return (investment return minus inflation) over the years until retirement. The formula is: Coast FIRE Number = Retirement Number ÷ (1 + real return)^years. Use the calculator above — sometimes searched as a coastfire calculator, written as one word — to get your result instantly.
Is $500,000 enough to reach Coast FIRE?
It depends on your age, retirement target, and expected spending. For a 35-year-old planning to retire at 65 with $50,000/year in spending (less CPP/OAS), $500,000 today would grow to approximately $1.1–1.5 million by retirement at a 4–5% real return — which may be sufficient. Use the calculator with your specific numbers to find out exactly where $500,000 puts you relative to your Coast FIRE target.
How much is enough for Coast FIRE?
There is no single answer — your Coast FIRE number depends on three variables: how much you plan to spend in retirement, how many years until retirement, and your expected investment return. A 30-year-old planning to retire at 65 with $60,000/year in expenses needs roughly $200,000–$250,000 invested today (assuming a 4.5% real return). A 40-year-old with the same goal needs closer to $350,000–$400,000 because there are fewer years for compound growth to work.
How does CPP and OAS affect your Coast FIRE number in Canada?
CPP and OAS reduce the amount your personal portfolio needs to cover in retirement. For example, if you expect $14,400/year combined from CPP and OAS, and you plan to spend $60,000/year, your portfolio only needs to cover $45,600. This meaningfully lowers your Coast FIRE number. Enter your estimated monthly CPP + OAS in the calculator after selecting the Canada toggle.
Can I use this calculator for both RRSP and TFSA?
Yes. Enter the combined total of your RRSP, TFSA, and any non-registered investment accounts in the Current Invested Assets field. The calculator uses your total invested portfolio to determine your Coast FIRE number.
What investment return rate should I use for Canada?
A commonly used assumption for a diversified Canadian portfolio is a nominal return of 6–7% per year. With the Bank of Canada’s 2% inflation target, this gives a real return of approximately 4–5%. The calculator defaults to 7% nominal and 2.5% inflation, resulting in a 4.5% real return — a reasonable assumption for long-term Canadian retirement planning.
How do couples use the Coast FIRE Calculator?
Switch to the 👫 Couple mode using the toggle above the calculator. Enter each partner’s age, retirement age, current invested assets, and monthly investment contribution separately. Enter your combined household retirement spending and combined government benefits once. The calculator will show your combined Coast FIRE target, each partner’s individual progress, and who reaches Coast FIRE first.
What is the difference between Coast FIRE and regular FIRE?
Regular FIRE requires accumulating enough to retire completely — typically 25× your annual expenses. Coast FIRE is an earlier, less demanding milestone: you’ve invested enough that compound growth will handle your retirement, but you still work to cover current living costs. Coast FIRE is achievable much sooner than full FIRE, often in your 30s or early 40s, and doesn’t require an extreme savings rate.

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⚠️ Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational and illustrative purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice. Projections are based on your inputs and fixed assumptions — actual investment returns vary and are not guaranteed. Consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment or retirement planning decisions.