See if you can retire early — and if your savings will last until traditional retirement age
💡 Why This Matters Retiring early means covering a gap of years before traditional retirement benefits kick in — entirely from your own savings. This calculator checks both halves of that question: will you have enough by your target age, and will it actually last through the gap.
The "gap years" problem is one of the biggest overlooked hurdles for early retirees: most employer-subsidized health coverage, penalty-free retirement account access, and Social Security all have age thresholds well above 50, meaning the years right after early retirement are often the most expensive to self-fund.
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This calculator works in two stages. First, it projects your savings growth from your current age to your target early retirement age, compounding your current balance and monthly contributions at your expected return. Second, it simulates spending down that balance month by month through the "gap years" — from early retirement until traditional retirement age — at your target annual spending rate, using a separate (typically more conservative) return rate for this drawdown phase.
If your projected balance lasts through the entire gap period, the calculator shows you're on track and what balance remains at traditional retirement age. If your balance is projected to hit zero before then, it shows how long your funds would actually last at that spending rate — a clear signal that something needs to change before this plan works.
This calculator assumes constant return rates in both phases and a flat annual spending amount that doesn't adjust for inflation or major life changes. It doesn't account for healthcare costs (often the single biggest early-retirement expense before Medicare eligibility), part-time income, or unexpected expenses. Treat this as a planning starting point, not a guarantee.
If your funds are projected to run out, try a few levers: increase your monthly contribution, push your target retirement age later, or reduce your target annual spending — small changes to any of these often close the gap more than they first appear to. If you're comfortably on track, this is a good moment to stress-test with a lower return assumption to see how much margin you actually have.
Example: Say you're 35 with $300,000 saved, contributing $2,000/month at a 7% return, targeting retirement at 50. By age 50, this projects to $1,488,609. Spending $60,000/year through the gap to age 65 (at a more conservative 4% return during withdrawal), your funds last the full 15-year gap with about $1,475,163 remaining at age 65 — this plan is feasible at this spending rate.
Age 65 is used as a general marker for Medicare eligibility and traditional Social Security-era retirement, which is when many people can draw on additional income sources beyond their own savings. Your actual timeline may differ based on your specific Social Security claiming age and other income.
Many early retirees shift to a more conservative portfolio once they start relying on their savings for income, since there's less time to recover from a market downturn. This calculator lets you set a separate, typically lower, return rate for the drawdown period to reflect that shift.
It means that at your current savings rate, target retirement age, and spending level, your balance is projected to reach zero before you hit the traditional retirement age used as the gap-period end. Consider increasing your savings rate, reducing planned spending, or retiring later.
No — this calculator answers a more general question (can I retire at a specific age and make it to traditional retirement age) without using FIRE-specific frameworks like the 4% rule or FI number. It's built for anyone considering early retirement, not specifically for the FIRE movement.