About FireVerdict

FireVerdict is built and maintained by one person. I go by Mike, and I'm a software engineer working toward my own financial independence. I built this site because the FIRE calculators I kept trying left me with more questions than answers. Some bury the number you came for under twenty inputs and a wall of charts. Others hide their assumptions so well that you can't tell whether the answer is conservative, optimistic, or broken. I wanted the opposite: the verdict first, then every assumption behind it.

Every calculator here works that way. You get a plain answer: coasting, on track, or behind, and what would fix it if you're behind. Every formula is published on the methodology page. If a projection assumes 7% nominal returns against 3% inflation, it says so, and it converts the two into a real return properly instead of naively subtracting. A decision this big shouldn't rest on a black box.

What FireVerdict is not

It's not a financial adviser, and nothing on this site is personalised advice. I'm an engineer, not a licensed planner. The calculators are arithmetic and education, not recommendations to buy, sell, or retire. Your situation has details no web tool can see: tax wrappers, dependents, health coverage. When real money is on the line, talk to a fee-only professional who can look at your whole picture.

Calculations run in your browser

All of the math runs locally, with no account or signup. We exclude calculator inputs from optional analytics. If you choose to share a result, its link contains your inputs; anyone with that link can read them, and opening it sends the URL to our hosting providers. Your browser may also keep it in its history. See our privacy policy for details about analytics, hosting, and your choices.

Where to start

Most people arrive looking for one number. If you want to know when you can stop saving but keep working, that's Coast FIRE, and the Coast FIRE calculator answers it in about ten seconds. If you want the full price of never working for money again, use the FIRE number calculator. Terms you haven't met before are defined in the FIRE glossary, and each calculator page explains its math before asking you to trust it.

Corrections and questions

Found a bug, or a formula you disagree with? The math here is meant to be argued with, and corrections make the site better for everyone. Email me at [email protected] and I'll read it.

Mike, builder of FireVerdict