What is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE means having enough invested that, under your assumptions, it could grow to your retirement target without more contributions. You let time and investment growth do the remaining work while you pay current living costs from another source.
“Could” matters. Market returns and future expenses are uncertain. This is not financial advice.
The milestone is not the finish line
FIRE stands for financial independence, retire early. Coast FIRE focuses on funding a future retirement rather than having enough to stop earning today. Some people use the milestone to consider a different job or fewer working hours. Others keep saving because their circumstances or comfort with risk call for a larger margin.
You do not have to change your work when you reach a modeled threshold. The number is a way to examine a plan, not an instruction.
Coast FIRE compared with other approaches
| Approach | Main planning question |
|---|---|
| Coast FIRE | Could the invested balance grow to a later goal without more contributions? |
| Full financial independence | Could the portfolio and any other dependable income support spending now? |
| Barista FIRE | How much spending might ongoing work cover, and what remains for the portfolio? |
| Lean FIRE | What portfolio target fits a lower-spending retirement plan? |
| Fat FIRE | What target fits a higher-spending retirement plan? |
These are informal labels. There is no universal income, age or portfolio balance that makes everyone “lean” or “fat.” Start with the life you need to fund, rather than choosing a label first.
What still needs a plan
Stopping retirement contributions does not remove housing costs, debt payments, health coverage or family commitments. Spending money from the retirement portfolio during the coast years changes the calculation because that money is no longer compounding toward the goal.
Access also matters. A portfolio balance does not tell you when or how you can draw from each account. Withdrawal restrictions, taxes and healthcare arrangements need separate attention.
A fixed return model cannot show every possible market path. In retirement, the order of gains and losses can matter when you are taking withdrawals. A single projected balance is not a test of whether a withdrawal plan will last.
Questions before you call yourself Coast FI
Can I pay current expenses without drawing down the retirement money?
If not, a no-withdrawal coast calculation does not describe your plan.
Have I checked a lower-return case?
A result that only works with an optimistic assumption leaves little room for disappointment.
Will my spending change?
Dependants, housing, health and other needs can change the target even if the investments perform as assumed.
Where do I start?
Use the Coast FIRE calculator to compare assumptions, then read the step-by-step calculation before interpreting a coast date.
Model and transparency
Last updated: 6 November 2026. Deterministic annual calculations, not a historical success test. This is not financial advice.
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