Compound Interest & FIRE Growth Projection
Project portfolio growth and your FIRE-readiness age.
Open the Interactive CalculatorHow It's Calculated
Balance compounds monthly: Balance = Balance × (1 + r) + Contribution, where r is the monthly return rate.
FIRE Number = Annual Expenses × 25 (the "4% Safe Withdrawal Rate" rule).
Example
Example: starting with $20,000, contributing $800/month at 7% annual return for 25 years grows to roughly $762,566, of which about $502,566 is investment growth. That falls just short of the $1,000,000 FIRE number implied by $40,000/year in expenses, so this scenario would need a longer horizon, higher contributions, or a higher return to reach full financial independence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 4% rule?
It suggests you can safely withdraw 4% of your portfolio annually in retirement, implying you need 25× your annual expenses saved.
Does this account for inflation?
No — returns are shown in nominal terms. Use a lower "expected return" (e.g., 4–5%) to approximate inflation-adjusted growth.