Retire at 40 Calculator — Your Path to Early Retirement
Retiring at 40 requires aggressive saving and smart investing. This calculator shows the exact savings rate and timeline needed to make it happen.
FIRE Calculator (Financial Independence)
How It Works
Retiring at 40 means planning for 40-50 years of retirement — a longer horizon than the 30-year Trinity Study.
Most people retiring at 40 need a 60-70% savings rate. That means spending only 30-40% of take-home income.
A 30-year-old saving 65% of a $100k income (~$42k/year) at 7% returns could reach a $1.25M FIRE number by 40.
The earlier you start, the easier the math: starting at 22 gives you 18 years of compound growth vs starting at 30 (only 10 years).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I realistically retire at 40?
Yes, if you have $1.5-2M saved OR can save 60%+ of a high income for 15+ years. Most who achieve it started in their early 20s with high savings rates.
How much money do I need to retire at 40?
At least 25× your annual spending — but ideally 30-33× because you're planning for 45-50 years instead of 30. For $60k/year spending, target $1.8-2M.
What's the biggest risk of retiring at 40?
Sequence-of-returns risk (bad markets early in retirement), healthcare costs before Medicare at 65, and lifestyle inflation. Plan for at least one of these.